Claudi

Aug 23

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Back to School: Lunch Specials for Kids

By Claudi | Food, Total Wellness, Total Wellness Mom | 3 Comments

There are still plenty of discussions about what is best for our children’s lunch menu at school. School boards across the nation have been making efforts to make lunches healthier for years, but do our children make the right choice when they are at that lunch line?

With the beautiful packaging and foods that they don’t eat at home, the array of school lunches offered could entice just any child. Even a well discipline kid may not pick the nutritious selections. Depending on school lunch, vending machines or convenience foods from stores can disrupt our kids’ good eating habits.

Will you be packing lunch or giving your kids money for their lunch this school year?

Average school lunch price in the nation is $2.46 with high school student paying more. If you have 3 school age students, you will be paying $22.14 if they purchase school lunches 3 times a week.

Bad news is, there is a lot of fat, salt, sugar and preservatives found in the foods and drinks served in the school lunch lines. The American Heart Association reported that 1 in every 3 American kids and teens are obese. It has tripled since 1963.

Packing lunch can be the best way to eat healthier and save money on food. You choose what goes inside the lunch box or bag. It is critical for kids to have protein, whole grains, vitamins and the fiber in their diet. Lunches filled with preservatives, sugar, salt and fat may cause kids to feel tired after lunch and may lose their focus in school.

In his documentary series, Food Revolution, Jaime Oliver showed that when kids were given a choice they would pick French fries and chocolate milk over the healthier alternatives. Many overweight kids were not helped by school lunches but the high calories added to their obesity and food addictions. And we all know that overweight kids get teased, which cripples their self image.

Here is a list of lunch items that can be included in your child’s lunch box. We list them according to the food groups. You can mix and match and have a great lunch menu for weeks:

Fruits and vegetables:
Carrot sticks
Grape tomatoes
Peas
Celery
Edamame (soybean in the pod found in Costco, BJs and Sam’s Club)
Salad
Grapes
Apples
Peaches
Clementines
Berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries)
Bananas

Protein/Calcium:
Almond butter
Peanut butter
Variety of cheeses
Cottage cheese
Greek yogurt
Yogurt plain with fruit and nuts
Home cooked chicken, turkey or beef (stew or soup)
Home baked chicken and turkey for sandwiches

Carbohydrates:
Variety of wraps
Whole grain bread
Pita bread
Tortilla
Pasta
Rice

Fun snacks:
Raisins
Favorite healthy cookies (home made or store bought)
Beef or turkey jerky (home made or store bought no nitrates)
Animal crackers (whole grain)
Dried fruits
Nuts (almonds, walnuts)
Granola with dark chocolate pieces (there are gluten free varieties)
Young Living Manna bar or Wolfberry Bars
Young Living dried wolfberries
Sunflower seeds

From the list above, here is one example of what we can assemble for lunch:
Celery and almond butter
Home baked chicken, salad in a wrap (add favorite sauce if needed)
Young Living dried wolfberries, sunflower seeds, dark chocolate pieces and almond mix.

Doesn’t that just make you hungry for a healthy lunch…

Let us know if you have a lunch recommendation. Leave us a comment below.

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, treat or cure any illness or disease. It’s strictly for informational, educational, or entertainment purposes ONLY. The products I talk about are not meant to diagnose, prescribe, treat or cure any illness or disease. Any information I give you about them is for informational or entertainment purposes only. They have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. Please seek the qualified health professional of your choice when making health decisions for yourself, your family and your pets.

Aug 20

0

Back to School: Power Breakfast for Champions in Your Home

By Claudi | Food, Total Wellness, Total Wellness Mom | One Comment

After the unscheduled days of summer, getting back to early morning rush to school and work can be stressful for parents and children. While it may be easy to just rush out the door and stop by a fast food place for breakfast, in the long run this practice may not be healthy for children and adults.

To help your family make a smooth transition to a new school year, here are some ideas drawn from our staff at the Total Wellness Doc and Mom website who have children of all ages and stages. However the basics of power breakfast remains the same whether you are raising a toddler or a teen.

The four basic food groups of protein, whole grains, vegetables/fruits and dairy/fats are essential for growth, energy, health and total wellness.

After over 10 hours of not eating overnight, getting barely enough food in the morning or meals packed with sugar and carbohydrates may cause unhealthy eating habits and lack of alertness in kids. I remember as a kid and in college being really tired by 10am after breakfast Pop Tarts or Frosted Flakes cereal. Our blood sugar level declines during the night and our body needs nourishment with the right type of food in the morning.

Grains like oats, buckwheat, wheat germ and brown rice and other complex carbohydrates like fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C, beta-carotene and fiber are important items for power breakfasts. For a healthy diet, the USDA recommends 2-4 servings of fruits and 3-5 servings of vegetables per day. So we need to add some of these in the morning to get a healthy supply of the right nutrients in our kids’ bodies.

Eggs, cottage cheese and lean unprocessed meats are good sources of nutrients for the morning as well. In our family, we have smoothies and shake recipes using Young Living’s Power Meal. Power Meal is a vegetarian, rice-based meal replacement that’s rich in protein, antioxidants and amino acids.

Here are some of my favorite Power Meal shakes. Add different quantities based on your family size.

Liquid 75 % water 25% Almond Milk
All Natural Peanut Butter or Almond Butter
Bananas and Ice

Liquid 75% water 25% Greek Yogurt Plain
Frozen Blueberries, Blackberries and Raspberries (BJ’s or Costco has a big bag of $10)

Liquid 75% water 10% NingXia Red 15% Coconut water
½ Avocado mushy, Blueberries, Blackberries, and Raspberries
Spices Nutmeg and Cream of Tartar & ICE

The Healthy School Lunches Organization has made available a 7-page article called Healthy Power Breakfast for kids with 10 recipes you can use. You can download it here. This is one recipe that you could prepare ahead and free up your morning for other important things to do:

Fruity Bran Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

The combination of oat and wheat brans makes these wholesome, fruity muffins doubly healthful. Oat bran helps keep blood cholesterol levels low while wheat bran promotes a healthy digestive tract. Prune puree makes them moist without added fat. The muffins will be quite moist when they first come out of the oven; so let them stand a few minutes before serving.

2 cups whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour _ cup wheat bran _ cup oat bran _ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda  1 teaspoon cinnamon _ teaspoon nutmeg  1 apple, finely chopped or grated (use a food processor) _ cup raisins

1_ cups fortified soymilk or rice milk  1_ tablespoons vinegar  1 4-ounce jar prune baby food or other prune puree
1/3 cup molasses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix flour, brans, salt, soda and spices.

In a separate bowl combine chopped apple, raisins, milk, vinegar, prune baby food, and molasses.

Combine wet and dry ingredients and stir to mix. Spoon batter into oil-sprayed muffin pans, filling them nearly to the top. Bake until tops bounce back when lightly pressed, about 25 minutes. Let stand 1 to 2 minutes, then remove from pan and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Per muffin: 159 calories; 5.5 g protein; 37 g carbohydrate; 2 g fat; 6 g fiber; 203 mg sodium; calories from protein: 12%; calories from carbohydrates: 80%; calories from fats: 8%

Recipe from Healthy Eating for Life to Prevent and Treat Diabetes by Patricia Berton, RD.

Do you have a power breakfast recipe to share? Please send it to us or leave it in our comment section below. We are always looking for ideas from our readers. Thank you.

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, treat or cure any illness or disease. It’s strictly for informational, educational, or entertainment purposes ONLY. The products I talk about are not meant to diagnose, prescribe, treat or cure any illness or disease. Any information I give you about them is for informational or entertainment purposes only. They have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. Please seek the qualified health professional of your choice when making health decisions for yourself, your family and your pets.

Aug 16

0

Vital Signs of a Healthy Marriage and Business

By Claudi | Dr Mary Starr, Marriage, Total Wellness | 2 Comments

I am writing this blog post not as an expert today, but as one who has taken the journey of marriage for ten years and lives to tell about the struggles and successes of my marriage and business. If you are struggling or successful in both your marriage and business, read on. You may find some golden nuggets along the way to have an even better marriage and business.

Jay and I have been married for 10 years and we got to celebrate with a little getaway to Niagara Falls this past weekend. Our marriage like many has not been easy but with the help of business, personal development and relationship mentors, we like each other more and more and fall deeper in love each day.

As one who has been trained in the medical field, vital signs are important in looking at a patient’s health chart. Assessing body temperature, acidity, heart rate, blood pressure and cholesterol level can tell a lot about a person’s health.

Likewise, our marriage and business have vital signs that show its state of health. Is it thriving or dying?

Dr. Lavonne Atnip is a psychologist, marriage counselor and Biblical Mentor to me. She and her husband Dr. Jack have helped thousands of people in the last 38 years in pre-marital counseling, marital improvement, divorce recovery, spiritual warfare and Bible Studies. I have benefited immensely from her mentorship. You can find out more about one of my calls with her at the Break Free Teleclass with Dr. Lavonne.

What I’ve learned, I’m going to share with you through the simple fruits of the spirit strategy. The fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. While the opposite of these are sexual immorality, impurity and hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, gluttony ad the like.

Marriage and business are almost the same when you think about ways to make them work. We need consistency, persistency, commitment, respect, dedication, time, nurturing and knowing when to set aside time to getaway from it all just to relax and spend time not working but relaxing. The fruit of the spirit applies to both entities as well.

Here is a closer look at 5 vital signs (I am writing from a perspective of a wife):

Self Control
Proverbs said, better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife. Reference to a nagging wife comes out quite often in the book of Proverbs. Again in another verse it says, better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

Seems weird that I would put self-control in under nagging. But I learned this the hard way. (and still am learning this) If you find yourself nagging away at home, that could be a warning sign.

What is it that is bothering you? Is it stress, dissatisfaction, hurt, lack of self-love, judgment or unforgiveness?

Some of us wives do have the tendency to mention a certain subject over and over again without much self-control. Self-control is one of the fruits of the spirit.

Selfish Ambition
One profound quote written by Albert Einstein about man and woman:

“Men marry women with the hope they will never change. Women marry men with the hope they will change. Invariably they are both disappointed.”

Are you trying to change your spouse? Could it be insecurity, immaturity or self-hate that is making us look at them instead of ourselves? “If only you will do this!” Or “if only he would spend more time with me”! What would happen if we practice kindness, gentleness and acceptance? Maybe they would want to spend more time with us.

Let’s take a moment to think about this statement by Einstein.

Responsibility
Do we justify, rationalize or deny just getting away from facing the truth? Sometimes blaming and always trying to find a scapegoat may cause tension in a marriage. Facing the truth about our fears, insecurity and lack of acceptance may trigger conflict.

I remember the last tense moment we had. I said to my husband, “you seem really irritable and short tempered today what’s going on with you?” He laughed and said “ME short tempered?” Then I thought about how short tempered I had been with him the entire morning.

Taking full responsibility of our own actions demand facing the truth and forgiving. LOTS OF IT! Anger may arise due to dissatisfaction or thinking more of our own needs than our spouse. Anger will fuel tension and insecurity and before we know it, we will become highly skilled in hiding our fears and insecurity and taking responsibility of our actions will be the last thing in our minds.

Can you imagine thinking “whatever it takes, I’m going to take full responsibility of my actions and make this thing work!”

Too many people just give up on their marriage or let it go dead. You know, the type of couples who are more like roommates then husband and wife. The passion and love is gone and the words they use with each other are less than flattering.

Do we dare to be vulnerable and admit our weakness or fears? Only when we take full responsibility of playing our part could we be free to be ourselves and accept our spouse as there are. This requires personal development and increasing our sense of personal love and security. (I am still working on this one.)

Time and Change
It takes time for a plant to bear its fruit and there are seasons involved in planting and harvesting. Marriage goes through seasons too. Season of conceiving babies, raising babies and many more. But whatever season a plant may be in, it never changes the type of fruits it will bear. We can’t make excuses that we are raising kids, or building a business, or have a lot of stress and put our marriage on the back burner. Make time for each other. Make time to get away.

Two of the best marriages I know include my grandparents and my aunt and uncle. What has been foundational for both of these couples in every season of life? A weekly date night and time away with each other. No matter how exhausted they were, they made time for their marriage.

Our Core
The core of our being and character does not change through time. What might have attracted us to our spouse in the first place is still there. If we take time to evaluate that character that we first fell in love with, we may find appreciation and gratitude in our spouse.

For some it may be their confidence, patience, and commitment, beliefs or interests. Or he thinks you are beautiful no matter what you look like. Hold on to something and appreciate that one thing.

There is no perfect marriage or business. Both take commitment, work and belief. Focus on the Family said

Marriage is often about fighting the battle between your ears. Successful couples have learned to resist holding grudges, bringing up the past and remembering that they married an imperfect person – and so did their spouse.

Do you have any special secrets to share about your marriage success or business strategies? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, treat or cure any illness or disease. It’s strictly for informational, educational, or entertainment purposes ONLY. The products I talk about are not meant to diagnose, prescribe, treat or cure any illness or disease. Any information I give you about them is for informational or entertainment purposes only. They have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. Please seek the qualified health professional of your choice when making health decisions for yourself, your family and your pets.

Aug 06

0

Are You the Person You Want to Be?

By Claudi | Total Wellness, Total Wellness Mom | 7 Comments

Interesting question, huh? One we probably rarely think about. I don’t know if you are like me but until I started improving my life, mind and body I didn’t even realize I wasn’t the person I wanted to be. I was so stuck in my life I didn’t even realize I had dreams I wasn’t living and goals I didn’t achieve. 10 years ago I didn’t see myself as an unhealthy person, or selfish, or lacking in anything… but I was.

This week I will be officially celebrating my 10 year anniversary. 10 years of marital bliss… not! Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love my husband and God has blessed me with an amazing man, but the happiness in our marriage came from A LOT OF WORK. Work on ourselves, individually and together.

I remember my wedding day it was so beautiful and amazing but it was everything I wanted and nothing my soon to be husband wanted, but he loved me so much he would do anything for me and did. It would be about 5 more years before I would understand marriage wasn’t just about me. And it wasn’t until 2008 when I started to understand about selflessness, the joys of giving, and the blessing that comes from that. I am sure many of you as you have aged have become a better person too. But being better also means caring for ourselves.

I think the word selfishness gets really confusing because there are so many individuals (especially women) who think it is selfish to put their health and happiness as a priority. They don’t voice what they really want, or make time for taking care of themselves, or they forget all about the dreams they once had. It is very easy to let this happen especially as a mom, a caretaker, or health professional.

I think it was this past January after my second miscarriage that I started to really dream again. I could always dream of earning more, or achieving the next rank but there were a whole bunch of little dreams inside of me I had forgotten about. Working with the material from PJ McClure the Mindset Coach’s Flip the Switch book and audio helped me pull out my dreams and get a clear vision. And it was just amazing. Literally less than a week after I got that vision on paper, parts of that dream started coming to fruition and it continues to happen.

Here at the Total Wellness we want you to be the person you’ve always wanted to be. We want you to be healthier and happier than you ever were before in your life. Right now in my life that is where I am and I know that I know that I know no matter where you are right now… you too can have the health and happiness you’ve only imagined.

But it starts with having a clear vision of that dream. This week we are going to be CELEBRATING here at the Total Wellness Doc and Mom. We have Specials, Giveaways and Contests all lined up for you. But the first thing I would like to give you is something to help you get that clear vision of what your dream life looks like. PJ McClure’s Flip the Switch guide for FREE.

Download the eBook and the Audio and follow along. I hope it helps you flip the switch and turn the light bulb back on.

We publish newsletters and blogposts twice a week for our readers for general education purposes only. We cover topics that are related to achieving and maintaining total wellness which includes our emotional, physical, spiritual and financial health.

Aug 02

0

Protected: God’s Forgotten Gift – healing with Essential oils

By Claudi | Dr Mary Starr, Essential Oils, Total Wellness | 9 Comments

Jul 30

0

2012 Olympics: A Reminder to Be Our Best

By Claudi | Essential Oils, Total Wellness | One Comment

Watching the 2012 Olympics is amazing and inspiring. These athletes really embody the word EXCELLENCE. But they also set an example of what every human being is capable of…maybe not in athletics but in LIFE. Here are 5 things I keep seeing in these Olympic athletes that we can take in to improve our own lives.

I don’t think any Olympic athlete just got there by accident. Most have had a Dream to be an Olympic athlete since they were a young child. They had that dream and set goals. They also knew that to be an Olympic athlete, they would have to accomplish a lot of smaller goals first.

1) Dreams & Goals:
Do you have a dream? Is there something you want for yourself, family or career? Maybe it is to be a best-selling author, or maybe it’s to be a great speaker or trainer. Maybe you want to have an Equestrian rehab center or be an Opera Singer.

Your dreams are those burning desires inside of you and in my opinion, what God has made you for. BUT dreams will remain dreams without goals. A goal is a more specific AIM, direction, and focus. It guides you and if broken down into smaller goals, it helps you work step by step towards accomplishing your dreams.

But goals are just goals without a specific plan and action to achieve them. Actions towards your goals are your investment to achieve them.

2) Investment:
These Olympic athletes have made huge investments in their goal. They have invested their Time, Energy and Money. They practice many hours a day, which requires huge levels of energy from their bodies. And all that training is not free. Some families invest in moving to a different city or state to train in some of the best facilities in the world.

Whatever goal we want to achieve we must also invest our time, energy and money. Depending on your goal, you will have to spend your energy, time and money to learn new skills, develop techniques, change your old habits to new ones, change your mindset and the list goes on. Without an investment of all 3 TIME, ENERGY and MONEY, dreams rarely come true.

Feel free to argue with me here but I have yet to see a person who has not invested in themselves this way and still gotten their dream.

3) Willingness to be Different:
I wasn’t even a teenager yet but I was on my way to being a very accomplished pianist. Ranked in the top 12 for my age group throughout Central NY as a kid, I definitely was different than most of my friends. I would practice sometimes 3 hours a day. I didn’t get to play sports or do as many school activities as everyone else because my life was piano.

The same is true (on a much grander scale) for many of the young people at the Olympics. They have sacrificed many things for their dream. Most have made that personal commitment to not only eat and live healthy but not to do certain normal things kids their ages do. It might include dating, going to a regular school, or watching hours of television.

What are you willing to sacrifice or do differently to accomplish your goal?

As for my piano dream well, right around 13 years old I realized I wanted to be a normal kid and that piano was more of my parents’ dream for me than my own.

4) Coaching & Consistency:
There isn’t one Olympic athlete in the 2012 London Olympic Games that doesn’t have a coach or several coaches. In fact, in their career they have usually worked with a coach up to a certain level in their performance and then may have moved on to find a different coach that could help them go even further.

This could be true in your own goals. You may work with an initial coach who helps you set your mindset straight, then you might also have a strategic marketing and business development coach. See what I mean?

But the top Olympic athletes are CONSISTENTLY training with their coaches year after year. It’s not a one- time thing and then they are done. You can work with coaches through books, online resources, and coaching programs. Don’t let your budget stop you from learning. You can start to learn and grow from using resources at your public library.

Envision Yourself as the Best
"I always believe I can beat the best, achieve the best. I always see myself in the top." -Serena Williams, Tennis Player

5) Faith & Belief
Serena Williams has it and this is what led to her amazing successful career. Believing that you can do something and having the FAITH are driving forces in success. When I work with my business team members, if they don’t have BELIEF in their product or the business that they are doing, they usually will struggle a whole lot and get very little results. You must BELIEVE. What is that saying? BELIEVE IT, SEE IT, ACHIEVE IT, well I think those words say it all.

Having trouble believing in your dreams or yourself? Here’s a little tip: With God all things are possible so and He can accomplish all things. So the next time you are having doubt in your dreams, take out your beautiful Believe Essential Oil (a combination of Frankincense, Rosewood, and Idaho Balsam Fir), take a few drops in the palm of your hand, rub your hands together and inhale. Then rub it on your shoulders and chest and maybe even your feet. This will help you relax and encourage your mind to believe.

Now add a prayer asking the God of the Universe who can do all things to help supernaturally impart UNSHAKABLE FAITH into all parts of you. Repeat whenever you doubt or just daily for the awesomeness of it.

I hope this was helpful. Pop over to my Facebook page and let me know what part of the Olympics you are enjoying.

We publish newsletters and blogposts twice a week for our readers for general education purposes only. We cover topics that are related to achieving and maintaining total wellness which includes our emotional, physical, spiritual and financial health.

Photo credit: http://www.olympic.org/

Jul 26

0

Protected: Why I Use Peppermint Essential Oil

By Claudi | Essential Oils, Peppermint oil, Total Wellness | 4 Comments

Jul 23

0

Protected: Antibiotics May Not Be Enough

By Claudi | Body, Total Wellness | 5 Comments

Jul 19

0

Protected: Worth the Extra Money: Synthetic Versus Whole Foods’ Nutritional Supplements

By Claudi | Food, Total Wellness | 3 Comments

Jul 16

0

Battle of the Will

By Claudi | Sugar Addiction, Total Wellness, Total Wellness Mom | 4 Comments

It was 8 am and my son had just slept 12 hours and woke up H-U-N-G-R-Y. I wanted the first thing to go into his stomach to be protein so I grabbed some all-natural turkey slices. These used to be his favorite but recently he would eat everything else on his plate and just a little of the turkey.

So at 8:05 am I put a few pieces of turkey down and blessed the food and he sat there for awhile just staring out the window and I proceeded to make our family morning Balance Complete Powermeal Shakes and some Ezekiel toast with all natural peanut butter. He still had not eaten his turkey so I decided I would not feed him the rest of the food until he finished his turkey.

8:15 am and still no turkey eating. So I say, “eat your turkey” he shakes his head no, I say “eat your turkey”, he shakes his head no and says NO, I pick up a piece of turkey and try to feed it to him, he adamantly shakes his head no and says no no no no no no no no. I let him sit for a bit.

8:20 still no turkey eating and whining and crying over the other food sitting there. I spend the next five minutes pointing to, picking up the turkey and saying “EAT THE TURKEY”. He cries and yells and does some kind of Cookie Monster eating where the turkey doesn’t really go in his mouth but all over his lap and floor. The cats are happily eating what hits the floor.

8:25 am I offer the toast and say, “If you eat your turkey just a few bites, I will let you have your toast and shake.”

8:30 still no turkey eating and it hits me WOW this is not about eating his turkey. He really may not like the taste anymore it is a battle of his will against my fortitude. And that same moment I realized why I see so many parents give into their kids. I am relaxed in the morning but what if I had 15 minutes to feed the kids and get them ready for school or off to daycare. It can’t be easy. I am not condemning parents for giving in, but I think we need to look at the bigger picture.

In the book MADE to CRAVE, it talks a lot about overcoming our desires for unhealthy foods. I am taking a group class based on the same theme. We are talking about how our childhood experiences influence our relationship with food. From everything to turning to food for comfort, to hide the pain, to my Italian upbringing that food was everything.

Learning to deny ourselves and developing self-discipline

The other day I heard a woman say she never drinks water. She said if I have a glass of tea a day that’s a good day. She has gained 40 pounds and has Irritable Bowel Syndrome. She said, “I started gaining weight when I started on these medications.” I said to her, “I bet if you had been drinking water, many of the ailments you take medications for would have been diminished or not even there.” She knows she needs to drink water but developing the self-discipline to do it is another thing.

As our children grow into young adults what we have taught them and expected of them will really matter. Will they have self-discipline when it comes to food, alcohol, sex, money management and the list goes on. If we have taught them about the power of self-discipline (which is a fruit of the spirit and we can all have access to that) we will find (my opinion) pretty happy, healthy and most likely successful kids.

It’s not going to be easy

I myself have struggled with self-discipline in my adult years. The result led to enormous amounts of debt, 40 pounds of extra weight, and difficulty in general. Maybe your story is the same. You may feel that you can’t expect your kids to eat healthy when you don’t. And yes it’s important to be the example and leader in your family when it comes to things like food, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start today.

I have to eat gluten free right now otherwise I suffer some bad health consequences. That isn’t easy even when you make healthy foods. I love Ezekiel toast in the morning but I now have to make it for my family and not eat any myself. I deny myself and in the end I am a lot happier than if I eat it.

From the book Made to Crave, “Living in victory tastes sweeter than any treat”.

Start in your home

My husband just reminded me that he attempted to out will his son to eat some of his eggs at a restaurant recently. After about 15 minutes of him acting out he decided to leave.

I am no expert but I do know in all the parents I have interviewed who have awesome kids they all say don’t give up, be consistent, and don’t give in. So I am going to do my best to follow these parenting principals knowing that I am not perfect and even my parenting could use a good dose of self-discipline. So I will do my best starting in my house in the hopes that when we are out that the standard I set there will come natural to my child.

8:45am My back was turned and when I turn around there is my son quietly eating his turkey 🙂

Joshie happily eating the rest of his breakfast after his Turkey Eating Refusal Battle. He lost but still shows remnants of this battle of the wills by the turkey slices on his head.

Please go over to my Facebook Page and tell me some of you stories about the Battle of the Will.

We publish newsletters and blogposts twice a week for our readers for general education purposes only. We cover topics that are related to achieving and maintaining total wellness which includes our emotional, physical, spiritual and financial health.

Jul 12

0

No More Detergents

By Claudi | Total Wellness, Total Wellness Mom | One Comment

“What are those bubbles in the water?”, I asked my friend. We were enjoying a study weekend at her family’s home on Keuka Lake back in 1998. She said, “That’s from people’s laundry detergents and washing machine water going into the lake. The chemicals are causing problems with the lake’s ecosystem.” That was my first AHA moment when I realized that laundry detergent wasn’t as safe as I thought.

I remember in college the stink of the laundry rooms and of course the years of going to the laundry mat. The smells could be choking and all the time laundry detergent keeps getting cheaper and cheaper. Every Sunday paper has coupons for laundry detergent and in the store, the smell of the detergent and cleaner isle is too much and I have to plug my nose.

I started using all natural or I should say more natural detergents in 2002 and they just felt better on my body and for my eco-friendly mind. But they were costly and somehow I always spilled them everywhere and had to clean up the washing machines. But no more… no more detergents for me.

Watch this video and see my new ECO friendly laundry washing. YEHHH!

We publish newsletters and blogposts twice a week for our readers for general education purposes only. We cover topics that are related to achieving and maintaining total wellness which includes our emotional, physical, spiritual and financial health.

Jul 09

0

Are You In Prison?

By Claudi | Dr Mary Starr, Essential Oils, Mind and Soul, Total Wellness, Wellness Coaching | One Comment

I woke up from a really disturbing dream and was about to go journal it when I heard my inner voice say you need to share it. I had a dream that woke me up sobbing. At first I thought, “Well it's just a dream” but when you look a little deeper maybe it's wasn’t…   

I had a dream that this really mean person who didn't like me and tried to do mean stuff got me arrested and put in jail. This jail was secret and no one knew I was in it, not my husband, not my family, no one really but me. There were other people in the jail even little kids. Some tried to escape but most of the time would end up back in the jail.   

Then in the dream I realized that I could escape but was too scared to do it. I had gotten comfortable in prison. Sounds weird I know… Then I also realized that the person who put me in jail had changed over time from that mean person to my mom. But how would I escape? Then I heard a voice say forgiveness; you need to forgive the people who put you in this prison. So I started saying and praying “I forgive them” and saw the reflections of the people I needed to forgive. As I did this I just started weeping and weeping.

Lastly I saw all the ways I had kept myself in bondage and was mad at all the bunny trails I went down just so I wouldn’t have to break out and be free. I heard a voice again say, “Forgiveness, you need to forgive yourself.”

WOW what a dream huh? I woke up sobbing I was so affected by it. But it doesn’t surprise me since this past week I was working with my Mindset coach, PJ McClure, on patterns of self sabotage and where they come from. I had just had 3 conversations over the weekend with friends and we were talking about how people instill a spirit of fear in kids and if that bondage is not broken, they grow up to be adults with anxiety, worry, and usually stay stuck in situations or jobs that are much less than their true calling.

What does this mean for you? Well ask yourself what kind of prisons you are in. Are you afraid to do something more with your life? Are you afraid to go back to school, chase that dream of fill in the blank, do what you have always wanted to, or go live in a foreign country? Whatever it is I am here to tell you and pray with you that you don’t have to live in bondage anymore. Get at the roots of your bondage.

Now this may seem a little deep and weird but hear me out.

Here is a Bondage Breaking Formula:

1) Identify the prison you are in. (WARNING you may have many)

2) Recognize what put you in there. Beth Moore in her book “Get Out of the Pit” shares that we can be pushed in a pit (our prison) by other people, we can fall in a pit maybe by circumstances or a few poor choices compiled on top of each other, or we can just jump right in by our own choice.

3) Understand you were not made to live there. It can be easier and too comfortable to stay prison versus living free. (Sadly I see really talented young people who seem to feel more at home in the system then outside it.) Most people were never raised with life.

What do I mean by that? I mean that words of encouragement, positive role models, or praise are good but my belief is if we read our Bibles we would read God’s true calling on our lives. We would read words of life. If we really read, understood and believed the words GOD gave us, we would know how to avoid the prison and how to get out when we are there.

4) Ask for forgiveness. Forgiveness of your captors (no need to do this in person if you can do it in your heart), forgiveness of yourself, and forgiveness from God. If you have trouble with the first two, ask God to help you forgive.

I would like to tell you that this is a one time thing but it is not. It will usually take many times because of all the layers of junk. Occasionally, God will give you instant deliverance but in both methods it feels like losing a whole lot of weight. You just start feeling lighter. You feel like this burden is just off of you. Some lose weight or forgive slowly, some can do it quickly but we all can do it.

5) Release the spirit of bondage and fear. Again this might sound weird but my belief or thinking is there are yucky little demonic forces that can get attached to us and speak junk about ourselves right into our minds. It’s kind of like the angel on one shoulder and the devil on another. These attachments can be heavy, “you’re stupid, you’re as dumb as a box of rocks, you can’t do that you are a girl”. They definitely want to keep you for being all you were made to be.

So how do you release these bondages? Well again my belief is we pray to bind them and cast them back to the pit of Hell where they belong…. But always use the name of Jesus Christ. Even if you are not a Christian, you will see the power of using the name of Jesus Christ far surpasses anything you can do.

6) Now this exercise is not complete because we finally have to fill that space or void (cover the pit) or we will find ourselves possibly in a worse pit than before. I recommend filling that void and covering that old wound with the power of the Holy Spirit and the Blood of Jesus.

As Christians, Jesus left us the power of the Holy Spirit that is WAY underused. The Holy Spirit can give us patience, self control and peace, when our lives seem like a mess and out of control. The Blood of Jesus, your belief that Christ died for our sins and for the people who put us in prison, can cover your wounds and hurt no matter how old. This is a really important step and if you don’t have Christ and the Holy Spirit in your life you really may want to ask him into your life. Just give Him your heart, your mind, body and soul and you will see HUGE changes in your life.

Lastly I want to share with you one more secret weapon in breaking free of bondage and breaking out of prison. The Bible gives over 188 references to anointing, essential oils, and plant medicinal used to empower, heal, and increase your spiritual connection. God made these plants and essential oils but why are we not using them today? When you do the entire Prison Breaking free exercise I am going to recommend you anoint the whole process with pure essential oils.

Specifically, I recommend to start with the oil of Valor, a beautiful blend of Frankincense, Spruce, Blue Tansy and more oils which when inhaled, helps tell your brain to calm, your body to be at peace, and it tells your spirit to be courageous and strong.

Take 2-4 drops of Valor in your hand and rub your hands together, inhale the oil, apply to your shoulders, heart and feet holding your hands for 10 or more seconds in each area as you relax and feel the oils going in.

Valor is important to use every morning before you start your day as well as before you start a Bondage Breaking exercise.

Next is another Bondage Breaking oil called Transformation. This oil has a whole bunch of single essential oils blended together like Sandalwood and Frankincense. These oils were used during biblical times and can be just as beneficial today especially when you are using pure oils like in Transformation.

Take 2 to 4 drops of Transformation in your hand and rub your hands together, inhale the oil, apply to your shoulders, belly, feet and anywhere else you feel you need it. Keep inhaling the oil as you go through the exercise in Steps 1 to 6.

Finally I would say don’t be afraid. Give yourself grace because God has given it to you.

I love and appreciate your courage and determination to be the best you can be. If you feel like sharing your breakthroughs, I would love to hear them. To share publically, comment below but if you would like to privately message me email at info@starrhealth.com. Put in the subject line BREAK FREE.

Remember all of this is for your Total Wellness! God Bless your success,

Dr. Mary Starr Carter
Starr Health Ministries

We publish newsletters and blogposts twice a week for our readers for general education purposes only. We cover topics that are related to achieving and maintaining total wellness which includes our emotional, physical, spiritual and financial health.

Jul 05

0

Halfway through the year…

By Claudi | Total Wellness | One Comment

How was your 4th of July? I know that everyone reading is not from the US so I hope you had a good Canada Day or first week of July. As we role into the 7th month of the year I realized that half of this year is gone. And instead of writing an article today I thought maybe you could share with me your stressors, health challenges, or things that might be stopping you from achieving Total Wellness.

Go over to our Facebook Page and let me know what’s bugging you. We will make sure we address some of these things in upcoming teleclasses, blogs, and newsletters.

As many of you know I ended last year having my second miscarriage in 2011. After some analysis, prayer, and talking to God I realized that some things had to change in my life for me to achieve Total Wellness. For me these first 6 months have been a journey in finding my health again. True health and happiness that I didn’t realize I even lost.

Where are you at? Take a good look. Give yourself a grade on a scale from 0 in the pits – 5 outstanding in the different areas of Total Wellness. Spiritual Wellness, Emotional Health, Family Health, Marriage Health, Financial Health, Your Career, Extended Relationships, Community Health, think of different areas of your health and give it a grade.

Now look at the areas that you want to improve upon. Make a plan of some small steps you can take to make improvements. If you struggle with this exercise let me make a suggestion.

PJ McClure the Mindset Maven has a free book called Flip the Switch. In that book there is an exercise that has dramatically helped me to FLIP the Switch and understand what I am working towards. It’s a vision exercise that you work up to. And it is very powerful. Over the past 6 months of using his techniques in Flip the Switch and his program, Your Business your Life, I have seen more improvement in all areas of my wellness.

WHY? Because I have a clear vision of where I am going and I have the belief that I can get there.

Where are you going? Go check out his stuff, you won’t regret it.

We publish newsletters and blogposts twice a week for our readers for general education purposes only. We cover topics that are related to achieving and maintaining total wellness which includes our emotional, physical, spiritual and financial health.

Jul 02

0

What Does Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness Mean to You

By Claudi | Essential Oils, Total Wellness, Total Wellness Mom | 3 Comments

America is the Land of the Free. But do you have a sense of freedom in your life today? Do bills, poor health, threat of unemployment, unhealthy living environment, weak relationships, uncertainties and so on burden you?

What happened to the American dream? Of life, liberty and the ability to pursue happiness?

Since ancient times, man has been migrating across continents in search of a better life, safety, opportunity and favorable weather. Most of all, to have the freedom of who they can be and to pursue their destiny and ultimately to achieve a life on their own terms, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Don’t we want them all? Yet freedom now is just a word for many, not a lifestyle.

Through history, we can learn work ethics, mindset and wisdom of our forefathers. Let’s look at one man’s quote and writings in the 1700s, Benjamin Franklin. He was one of the Founding Fathers of America, an entrepreneur, inventor, scientist, printer, author, politician, prophet and many more.

There is so much we can draw from in the 21 quotes below. If we were to think about it each day and put each to use in the next 21 days, our life, outlook, attitude, work ethic, ways of handling money, business and relationship will change.

1. A penny saved is a penny earned.
2. Lost time is never found again.
3. When you are finished changing, you’re finished.
4. Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn.
5. Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.
6. He that can have patience can have what he will.
7. Never ruin an apology with an excuse.
8. Many people die at twenty-five and aren’t buried until they are seventy-five.
9. To lengthen thy lives, lessen thy meals.
10. Speak ill of no man, but speak all the good you know of everybody.
11. If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.
12. He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.
13. Energy and persistence conquer all things.
14. Content makes poor men rich; discontent makes rich men poor.
15. Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out.
16. God helps those who help themselves.
17. By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.
18. The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.
19. Never confuse motion with action.
20. The way to see by faith is to shut the eyes of reason.
21. Instead of cursing the darkness, light the candle.

Benjamin Franklin knew
• Persistence and pushing through adversity when experiencing the death of his son and failure of some businesses
• Don’t settle for the limitations due to the lack of education and money when starting out
• Moderation is better than overindulgence when it comes to food consumption
• Preparation and saving for rainy days, for they will come
• Investing time and money in learning and reading
• Willingness to change to suit current economic needs

Americans are always known to have the ability to stand, create, survive and hold the truths. None of our forefathers came to fall into bondage again. They came to build, increase and be free while going through hardship, lack and uncertainty.

There were opportunities but not without a price to pay. What are we willing to pay to move forward and have freedom of life? To find out how one pushed through adversity, limitation, shame and embrace change, knowledge, hard work, humility, persistence and pursuit of happiness, let’s watch this clip:

This Independence Day, I can’t help but feel grateful for all of you. I appreciate you and honor you for who you are, what you stand for and where you are going. If adversity comes knocking at your door, push through. If financial failure visited you lately don’t give up, if poor health is making you sick and tired, seek changes and help.

This week as I sat with thousands of people at the Young Living convention in Salt Lake City, I thought of the changes that are happening with Young Living and the changes I’ve made in my life and business. And how change is necessary to grow and advance.

Despite the adversities and hardship, there were many triumphs and successes along the way through determination, persistence, humility, hard work, faith, vision, investing of time and money into learning new skills and adding new skills and most of all, the willingness to make necessary changes. Just like the principles that Benjamin Franklin stood for and Chris Gardner believed as he stepped out to pursue.

Young Living announced their transformation in this convention to suit the current growth and demand. Changes are being made as I write. They want to be more efficient, responsive, and supportive in the online world to help their skyrocketing growth worldwide.

Freshness, excitement, energy and new direction are needed to achieve the next level in the corporate world and in our personal life.

If you have read this far, let me ask you this:

What would your life look like if you could just add an extra $200 per month into your bank account? Not $2,000, just $200.

Are you ready to transform and pursue life, liberty and to pursue happiness for you and your family? I would like to invite you to join Jay and I on July 12th at 9:30pm for a FREE teleseminar on how to take your Young Living Business Online and never to be tied to your phone all day again. Change is happening in the marketplace…

I’m going to share secrets on how I am able to cut hours of my time on the phone and still make more money than ever before. At the same time, how my business grew when others were suffering, because of the changes that I’ve made. I’ll also let you know how to get out of adversity and limitations and push through your fears and self doubt.

Will I see you there? Here is a link to register for this FREE call. Seats are limited. It will be full I guarantee. Here's the link.

We publish newsletters and blogposts twice a week for our readers for general education purposes only. We cover topics that are related to achieving and maintaining total wellness which includes our emotional, physical, spiritual and financial health.

Jun 28

0

Protected: The Secrets to Renewing Your Mind, Body and Soul Through The Daniel Fast

By Claudi | Essential Oils, Total Wellness | 2 Comments

Jun 25

0

Protected: 7 Tips on How To Heal From Sunburn Quickly

By Claudi | Body, Essential Oils, Food, Total Wellness, Total Wellness Mom | 3 Comments

Jun 21

0

Tools to Help You Say Goodbye to Summer Stress

By Claudi | Total Wellness, Total Wellness Mom | 3 Comments

Well summer has officially started and for parents of school aged children, it can be a wonderful time of the year and also a very stressful time of the year. Recently these are the comments I have heard from my family and friends. “What am I going to do with the boys this summer?” “ My son (college aged) sleeps all day and plays internet video games at night”, “We would love to go on vacation but all our extra money goes to feeding these kids when they are home”.

Have you made comments like that? Do you find summer stressful? Do you feel financially strapped when it comes to the summertime?

Let me tell you about 2 kids I know.

The first young teen is named Julia and she is a Rock Star. Well not really a rock star, but a mature teen who has been running her own businesses for more than 5 years. She has her cookie making business, brochures and business cards, she has a dog treat company, and now she has her babysitting company. This summer she will most likely make more money than some working adults I know.

Then there is Jeremy. He is a grown adult in a successful business, but before he could even drink, he had earned about $100,000 a year. Part of his fortune came from learning an online video game, and then writing an eBook report that taught how to beat the game.

Julia and Jeremy may sound unique and special but really, they simply had parents who gave them some tools to succeed. This summer and all year long you have the opportunity to help your kids succeed.

I have recorded a 20 minute audio sharing with you tips from these parents and pointers on how you can spend quality time with your kids this summer, help them be successful and earn extra income for the whole family. That vacation is possible. Go over to my page and check it out for yourself.

We publish newsletters and blogposts twice a week for our readers for general education purposes only. We cover topics that are related to achieving and maintaining total wellness which includes our emotional, physical, spiritual and financial health.

Jun 18

0

Protected: The Total Wellness Doc and Mom: Offering 10 Free 10 Minutes Young Living Essential Oils Consult

By Claudi | cancer, Essential Oils, Total Wellness | 2 Comments

Jun 14

0

Protected: Is There a Path to Recovery From Cancer or Life Threatening Diseases?

By Claudi | cancer, Total Wellness | One Comment

Jun 11

0

Protected: The Many Uses of Juniper Essential Oil

By Claudi | Essential Oils, Total Wellness | 3 Comments

Jun 07

0

Protected: Cleansing Trio: A Simple Easy Colon Cleanse

By Claudi | Body, Colon cleansing, Total Wellness | 12 Comments

Jun 04

0

Moving Out of 215: Life is About Transitions

By Claudi | Total Wellness | 5 Comments

Transition can be difficult. On May 30th at exactly noon, I closed the door on my 215 Rochester office for the last time. Of course I had been downsizing for years since my son was born and did very few treatments there. I knew for a while that I needed to release that office but my heart and head just weren’t ready. Have you ever been stuck like that?

A decade of learning

Over the years I have been blessed to work with so many wonderful patients. Some clients I might just see once and others I might see every week for a year. I also used my office as headquarters for teaching hands on healing therapies, wellness meetings, distributor trainings, and my writing retreat.

10 years of working with clients one on one led to much of the proven information in my eBooks and Wellness Programs. Nine years of higher education was nothing compared to the education I got with 10 years of treating clients. Fibromyalgia, Diabetes, Autism, Obesity, Skin issues, every type of Arthritis, Lyme’s disease, Allergies, Anxiety, Sleep Disorders and the list goes on. Technically as Chiropractors we don’t treat diseases, but we do treat dis-ease. I have learned that dis-ease has roots; some physical, some emotional, some spiritual and if we don’t look at the whole picture, a person can rarely get fully well. Many clients found solutions to their health challenges, roots to their dis-ease and some who were ready to pull out the roots made full recoveries.

10 years of treating clients and 2 years of being a mom has given a lot to write about and coach others as the Total Wellness Doc and Mom. My website www.thetotalwellnessdoc.com will share with you lessons I have learned both personally and from hundreds of clients. We will provide opportunities for you to learn, be a part of a community of individuals on the road to wellness. We will laugh together, cry together, and cheer each other on.

What about my hands-on gift and Chiropractic?

God granted me a gift of healing. I know that there is a special gift he has given to me and my hands. When I partnered with God in my practice in 2008 I saw some remarkable things, even miraculous. I learned to let God lead and pray a lot. I would say it is the single most powerful weapon to dis-ease that we have. You add prayer to an essential oils anointing and you have some serious healing. I chose to get my ministry license so that I can continue to lay hands, pray and anoint my clients with Young Living Essential Oils and Raindrop Technique when there is a serious need in their homes, hospitals, or rehab facilities.

I don’t regret becoming a Chiropractor or investing over $250,000 to go to school and start a practice. I know it led me to where I am now. A part of me is sad that I can’t adjust someone’s spine when I feel they REALLY need a Chiropractic adjustment, but I always refer them and pray that the oils help them self adjust or that they will make the decision to go get adjusted.

Making a life you want

I made a choice over 10 years ago to do things differently and started creating the life I wanted then. December 21st, 2000 I made a decision to start a little business marketing, distributing and teaching about therapeutic essential oils. I have consistently worked that business for over 11 years. I have consistently invested in my education and business development. The result is a thriving business that allows me to live the life I want. I can raise my son, hire the best nanny in the world for 10 hours a week so I can also be the Total Wellness Doc and Mom, and be able to hire amazing staff to support this business and you.

Having the life you want can be simple but it won’t be easy. It involves making difficult decisions, letting go of things that don’t serve your life in a positive and productive manner, investing in you, developing new skills and the courage to go out and be a new you.

If you are ready to be a NEW YOU, let me know in the comments section below. If you are ready to get healthy, start a business, change your career, break out of those old habits, I want to help you and be a part of your CHEERING section.

I appreciate you being a part of my Wellness Journey too!

We publish newsletters and blogposts twice a week for our readers for general education purposes only. We cover topics that are related to achieving and maintaining total wellness which includes our emotional, physical, spiritual and financial health.

May 31

0

Never, Ever Give Up

By Claudi | Total Wellness | 6 Comments

Have you ever watched a Youtube video that was just so inspirational you couldn't help but be encouraged? I recently experienced a video like that and wanted to share it with you.

It's a story that needs to be shared. It's a story of determination and fortitude. It's a story about falling many times and getting back up. It's a story that could be yours. I truly believe that.

Remember, I believe in you and your ability to have TOTAL WELLNESS.

Do you believe what the doctors told you?

You have Fibromyalgia, you will never be out of pain

You have Cancer, you have 6 months to live

You have Arthritis, you will never be able to bend and run like a kid again

You have…………..

Do you believe what your parents told you?

You will never be like those rich kids

You can't go to school for that

People never make any money doing that

You are just going to be big and chunky like your grandmother

Do you believe what your teachers told you?

You can't be a doctor you’re not smart enough

You just can't sing

You will be great with your hands but don't try to go to college, you just won’t be good at that

I recently was moved to tears watching this YouTube video below because I realized that so many people are not living their highest potential because they believe what others have spoken over them.

What if we didn’t accept those words?

Joanne Hassleman’s dad didn’t accept his 6 months to a year to live when he was diagnosed with ALS…He lived 8 more years.

Ara Karlberg of www.arakarlberg.com didn’t accept her diagnosis of Fibromyalgia and is Fibromyalgia free today.

Dani Johnson didn’t accept her diagnosis of a fatal heart condition that restricted her life to no driving or flying. Today she is a successful business trainer who flies and drives all over the world.

In the video below you will see that there was one person who believed in Arthur…That’s all he needed.

My husband Jay Carter was a below average student until one teacher believed in him and brought out his genius. From that point on even when he was told he wouldn’t make the cut, or couldn’t do something he DID NOT believe it and persevered.

Debbie Twomey, a brilliant woman in her fifties didn’t see much possibility for her future work life. Today she runs a successful business www.djtwomey.com from the comfort of her home because one couple saw and encouraged her potential.

So here’s your assignment:

1) Watch the video.
2) Think about what you have accepted as facts in your health, finances, career, relationships, etc. because of what someone told you.

3) Decide to change just one belief today that is holding you back from your highest potential.

4) Let us know what it is over in the comment section below our blog.

We are here to encourage you, inspire you to be better, and help you be the best you can be.

EXTRA CREDIT: Go out and encourage someone to be the best they can be!

We publish newsletters and blogposts twice a week for our readers for general education purposes only. We cover topics that are related to achieving and maintaining total wellness which includes our emotional, physical, spiritual and financial health.

May 24

0

Is Food Causing Your Health Problems?

By Claudi | Food, Total Wellness | 3 Comments

They say 85% of all hospital visits are due to our lifestyle, meaning food, exercise and stress. Most people would have an idea that this is true but there is something more important that most docs are just starting to recognize. Are we becoming sensitive or allergic to the foods we are eating? And could this be the reason why we have certain healthy issues?

http://soundcloud.com/mary-starr-carter/isfoodcausingyourhealthproblem

So what did you think? Have any questions…Go over to my Facebook Page and let me know.

Here is the link for you to take a Gluten Self Sensitivity test.

We publish newsletters and blogposts twice a week for our readers for general education purposes only. We cover topics that are related to achieving and maintaining total wellness which includes our emotional, physical, spiritual and financial health.

May 21

0

Graduation and Success: Is It All About Higher Education?

By Claudi | Total Health Support Systems | 5 Comments

In the months of May and June we can go to the mailbox and find invitations in the mail from family and friends to come celebrate their children’s graduation. Kids are graduating from high school, college, or beyond. There is the happiness of the accomplishment but I would like to share with you the other side of the coin…

The burden of DEBT

As a person who has spent a total of 22 years in school, 9 of which was in higher education, I acquired a debt of over $165,000 in educational loans. Shortly after I graduated, I was required to pay $1250 a month to start paying back my debt.

Many of my graduating Chiropractic class were in the same boat having a debt of over $1000 a month to pay. This burden caused many of them to work for other docs in situations where they were not happy just so they could survive. Others had to defer their loans meaning not pay them because of financial hardship) and some 10 years later are still deferring their loans. The burden of debt was so bad for many docs, some told me they wished they could give it all back because they hated the burden of being BROKE.

The US News Reported in 2010 that the average cost of tuition and expenses (living, books etc.) ANNUALLY WAS

For a 4 year public school like SUNY Oswego was $18,000
A 4 year Private school like Lemoyne was $28,000
A 2 year school $11,000

Now a large majority of students do work while going to college, having a part time work-study position, or retail or food service jobs to help pay for their living expenses. I worked all through college but many months couldn’t make my living expenses and would need parental help. One year I was so broke that I actually needed to go on Food Stamps to get by.

The Burden of Finding a Job

The Associated Press reported about 1.5 million, or 53.6 percent, of bachelor's degree-holders under the age of 25 last year were jobless or working jobs that they are overqualified for like food services.

The worst degrees were college graduates that majored in zoology, anthropology, philosophy, art history and humanities. The best employing degrees were with nursing, teaching, accounting or computer science degrees.

They say that high school graduates have much higher unemployment rates and many who have been downsized from jobs make the decision to go back to school. But yikes, would they be better off not attending?

What can we do to help our children find the best careers?

Bethany
Bethany is a 16 year old who just graduated high school a year early. She has had her own business now for over a year. She assists business owners with online tasks and social media management. Her hourly rate is $17 an hour for virtual assistant services (more for social media services), which is more than what most 20 year employed veterans make. Her parents started grooming her several years ago when they realized they were deficient in really grooming their kids for success. They have invested over $12,000 in trainings, classes and education so Bethany could be successful at an early age.

Now Bethany’s goal is not to be a Virtual Assistant her whole life but she is using this business to fund her other passions as well as learn and grow. Read her article “5 Reasons Why Everyone Should Take a Gap Year”.

Cameron
Cameron has always been a worker helping his family with their family owned businesses. Since he was a young kid, he would clean the carts, pick up trash and collect balls at their family golf course and range. As he grew, his responsibilities grew but he has always known how to work. It wasn’t an option, it is what they did. At the young age of 18 he was approached by a local farm owner to come work for the summer. His outstanding work ethic, responsibility and motivation over that summer put Cameron in a management position. After just 2 years, the owner has asked him to partner in growing the farm and managing the farm.

What did Cameron and Bethany’s parents do to help their children be successful?

Cameron’s family led him by example of work and required helping the family business and working at a young age. I hear many parents give excuses why their children don’t work… or why they don’t require their children to work, and then give them privileges like they did. Cars, paying for insurances, or giving spending money with out work. In life we do have to work. It’s all part of it, but we can teach them the rewards of working and how to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Bethany’s parents understood their own shortcomings and got training to improve their parenting and then invested in their children’s success. As a parents, don’t think your child has to have graduated high school before they can start being successful. Learn what is available for kids out there. Ask one of your friends who is successful in business to mentor your kid, or even let a child who is eager and motivated to intern or be an apprentice with them.

Is higher education right for my kid?

Cecelia was a very bright studious driven young woman who did everything well. Upon graduation she had 4 good work internships that should have landed her a job right away, but unfortunately didn’t. And 2 years later she is one of those underemployed even though she is above the pack.

John barely graduated high school but found a great passion for computers. He loved learning new things. He taught himself computer science, started working at a computer store and constantly learned more. He invested in learning PEOPLE and communication skills, which led to top IT positions within a Fortune 500 company.

I don’t know if higher education is right for your kid or not. But in Cecelia’s case, she may have benefited from taking a GAP year (read Bethany’s article) to develop her connections, networks and skills before jumping out in the work force. She was so burned out after graduation and stressed about finding a job. Then she was had more stress when she didn’t find a job. A gap year may have been a good choice for her.

Is your child passionate about something? How will you help feed that passion? Are you teaching your kids people, job or business skills? Do you need to improve your people or parenting skills? Don’t be offended, we ALL can improve. Start with you and watch your children blossom. It’s never too late.

What do you think about graduation and success? Please leave a comment below.

We publish newsletters and blogposts twice a week for our readers for general education purposes only. We cover topics that are related to achieving and maintaining total wellness which includes our emotional, physical, spiritual and financial health.

May 17

0

Protected: Natural Bug Repellent

By Claudi | Total Wellness | 2 Comments

May 14

0

Protected: Why You Should Nourish Your Body with Super B Before It Calls 911

By Claudi | Nutritional Supplements, Total Wellness | One Comment

May 10

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Mom is the Word: Honoring Our Mothers and the Women Who Influenced Us

By Claudi | Total Wellness Mom | 2 Comments

As mothers, our heart’s desire is to provide a safe place, wisdom, good health and lots of love for our family. We are the influencers of the next generation. As a history buff, when I ponder on Mother’s Day and our roles, I think of strong faithful women of the Bible.

One woman who stands out is Ruth. She was caring, compassionate, faithful, a servant, overcame great odds, took great risks, and was rewarded by God.

Last week we ran a special post on Life’s Journey with the Women of Our Lives. We are honored to have so many men and women share about the special woman of their lives. In honor of Mother’s Day, here are some of the stories shared.

Mary Simmons
Want to thank God for my mom; I would not know how to cook, clean and be a good wife if not for all the years of teaching and training. Thank you for never giving up on me, for homeschooling me all those years and being a great role model.

Sally Franz
I give thanks for three women who have influenced my life, besides my mother and grandmother who adopted me and made me feel so special in this world teaching me unconditional love.

The first was a church worker, who served at the university chapel where I got my first Master's degree in 1970. She taught me so much about the fact that we are all God's children who have gifts to share for the benefit of the world. No one is excluded, no matter their limitations.

The second one is my wonderful mentor and sponsor Patricia, who has accepted me and taught me so much about living that I had no clue. She too has accepted me without limitation and has taught me to reach beyond my boundaries to seek new horizons and reach out to others in all places to share the news of natural health and wholeness. I am grateful to God for these women being in my life.

Jay Carter
My grandmother Leona Delk had many qualities that I admired but her top 3 were her faith in Jesus, she never complained no matter how dire her circumstances, and she was giving and kind to everyone.

I never heard her ever complain. She raised 8 children and some of her grandchildren mostly on her own with very little. In the early years they were so poor the families from the poor side of town would bring them food. Yet even though she had little she would give and share what she had.

I remember as kids there was this man we all thought was crazy who lived in the woods. My grandmother would walk a couple of miles and bring food to him and make sure he was okay even though everyone told her not too. Years later she was contacted by his family to thank her for looking after him as he had been traumatized in the Vietnam War. She never went to church but was one of the most faithful, Christ like, people I know.

Ara Karlberg
Want to thank my Grandmother for being such an important influence in my life. She was there when others couldn't be. She instilled in me a strong work ethic (she worked by choice until she was 86), my love of reading and writing (she was a Librarian), my thirst for history and genealogy (she traced our paternal side of the family back to Whales 736AD)! She was powerful, brilliant and fair. Not a day goes by that I don't feel her presence and hear her guiding me!

Mary Ellen Fava
She's my neighbor, my friend, neither of us have our mothers anymore. She's 20 years older than me, but as young and beautiful in looks, thought and ideas. I turn to her for more than I have turned to my mother and she is always there for respect, guidance and love. I am blessed to have such a wonderful woman in my life. Wish it would last forever.

I wish her Happy mothers day more than all. Thank you Gaye, and brightest Blessings to you for eternity. She has bought more in my life than I can ever expect from one person. How lucky am I.

Debbie Twomey
The older we get the more women have touched our lives. First and foremost is my mother. What she taught me was strength and how to persevere. The most amazing lesson was her growth as a person that mirrored mine; she matured and changed as she learned lessons in life too.  

My best friend Lorraine, who taught me that love can be unconditional and last a lifetime through the ups and downs.  Ellen, who taught me that a kind and gentle spirit has a special place in this world and I was so lucky to have found this friendship at a time when I needed it most. The laughter we share is priceless.  

And last but never least– Mary. The lessons, the gifts, the honor and respect are immeasurable. She has given me the gift of a new direction and promise in my life and opened my life and my heart to so many possibilities that had never seemed attainable. As a mentor she has gently pushed me forward when I would have been content to stagnate and as a friend she has been a shoulder, a confidant and an equal.  Thank you to all of these women and the many more I have been lucky enough to have had in my life.

Claudia Looi
My mother taught me servanthood and honor. While my father was dying of cancer, I saw my mother serving him to the very end. In his pain and suffering, she comforted him, fed him, bathed and clothed him. As a little girl, I saw my mother honor my grandmother even when she was humiliated in front of relatives.

Theresa Chalone
Many, my mother, my grandmother, my cousin Franci, my beautiful daughter. But the one person who gave me spiritual influence was my Aunt Yolanda. These are my thoughts that were taken from her eulogy, at her funeral. It’s the best way I can explain how I greatly appreciated the deep, long lasting influence she had made in my life.

She was a wonderful, loving, devoted, kind, daughter, sister, mother and grandmother and a fabulous cook. To me she was all those things, but most importantly, she was my spiritual mentor, the epitome of a Godly and holy woman.

Whenever I would call and ask what she was doing, it was usually saying her rosary or reading her daily prayers, and when there was a crisis, we knew who to call to pray for us. Her prayers never ceased. Everything she did she did with love, and that love was the basis for her faithfulness to God.

She suffered great pain and numerous hospitalizations. But she knew that her suffering was not meaningless. Suffering doesn’t make people better; sometimes it makes them bitter, but not Aunt Yolanda. She never questioned her situation. I never saw her angry or bitter. She had many defeats at times, but she never dwelled upon her defeats. Instead she was courageous, faithful, hopeful, never complaining.

She was the one person who I could go to when my life turned upside-down. She had been there too, she knew how my heart ached, and she had felt the same pain. She taught me that no matter how bad things can get, no matter how much you have lost, that you never let go of your faith in God. He has a purpose for us all here on earth and you never question why.

In her deepest pain came the strong conviction of the presence and love of God. IN all her suffering she had joy, and we all know that joy is not the absence of suffering, but the presence of God. The bible tells us that suffering is in order that we might grow in grace…Aunt Yolanda was full of grace…

I have no doubt that God put a certain amount of iron in her soul to help her through all her trials. Aunt Yolanda desired to know Jesus and the power of his resurrection. She based her whole being on knowing Christ.

I believe that all the years she has had pain has brought her to a higher level up in heaven. We use to talk about how suffering so much was people’s gateway to heaven and I always told her that I was sure she would be sitting at God’s right hand, next to all our other departed family members.

Aunt Yolanda was a very special Aunt to me. She never judged me or anyone else. NO matter how old I was, or what kind of trouble I would get into, she never cast judgment, she just listened and if I needed a scolding she would give it to me, because she loved me.

I will never forget Aunt Yolanda, your courage, your faithfulness, devotion and kindness. It has been a privilege and honor to be her niece, to have learned from her, laughed and cried with her. Every year I would thank God for the birthday and Christmas celebrations we shared together. I will cherish all my memories of her.
Each Christmas I would give her a little angel to watch over her for the year. This year, I know she is with all those angels celebrating her arrival with them in Heaven.

Ellen Barbagallo OUR WINNER
The person I hold dearest to my heart is my Gramma & Grampa. They have been deceased for many years now as I am a grown adult with my own grandchildren and one great grandchild. My Gramma was always there for me as a child and I could always count on her and she never let me down. Whether with problems, happy occasions or just being there when I needed a place to live, she was always there to help and comfort me. She always will hold the largest portion of my Heart.

My Husband and children hold the 2nd portion of my heart and the third and final portion belongs to my Best Friend Forever, Debbie, who is the best friend I have ever had in my 67 years and this is why:  A friend is a relative you make for yourself A friend is one who comes In when the whole world has gone Out There are big ships and small ships, but the best ship of all is Friendship A True friend is one who thinks you are a Good Egg, when you are Half-Cracked A true friend is one you can call at 4AM, or they can call you A true friend is one who gives a compliment and means it A true friend accepts us as we are, yet helps us to be what we should.

Debbie, you are all of this and more and I truly Love you.

Mother’s Day offers a time of reflection of the women in our lives, our mothers, being a mom and a woman.

Each of us have a story and we will be one of the stories that our children and grandchildren live to tell. Whether we are struggling or enjoying being a mother, we can empower each other to grow and expand our positive influence.

I want to invite you to join me on this journey of motherhood, to celebrate our roles, to act in love and honor and to create total wellness for our family and ourselves. Leave me a comment below.

We publish newsletters and blogposts twice a week for our readers for general education purposes only. We cover topics that are related to achieving and maintaining total wellness which includes our emotional, physical, spiritual and financial health.

May 07

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Protected: The Nine Benefits of Drinking Water For Your Family

By Claudi | Total Wellness | 3 Comments

May 03

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Life’s Journey With The Women In Our Lives

By Claudi | Total Wellness Mom | 3 Comments

There is always one woman in our lives, whether it is our mom, grandmother, a teacher or a special friend who made a difference to us. They are the women we admire and look up to, women who seem to do the impossible, women who overcome the odds, women who lead the way, or women who raised us up. The women in our lives are there for us in life’s journey.

Who is that woman to you?

Maybe you have several women?

In the journey of life, with the ups and downs that we traveled through each year, we encountered women who have impacted us, given more than we asked for, influenced us and accepted us as we were. Some probably had gone the extra mile and led us down the right path and destiny of our life.

I have a few women in my life through the years. They have contributed to who I am today.

Each has come alongside in a specific season and has taught me these attributes:

Work ethic
I have always had a good work ethic and have been making my own money since I was 11 years old. My mom was my greatest influence. I remember being 4 years old and my mom working all day and going to school at night to improve her career.

Late at night she would be doing her homework and then, the next morning, waking up early to go to work. She would many times work two jobs, sometimes out of necessity, but mostly out of the joy she got from what she was doing.

My mom was elected as a city official that helped make improvements to our community that will last for decades. This shows the importance of contributing to the betterment of our community. She taught me to work hard, enjoy what you do and make a difference.

Caring
I would say my mom and dad both have a wonderful heart and ability to care for others. My mom always is baking cakes for someone’s birthday at work or making a quilt for someone’s new baby. She weekly can be found bringing dinner to a homebound friend, or giving an elderly person a ride somewhere.

Both my mom and dad’s big hearts have given me a heart for others….

Unfortunately, it also means I cry at every sad story or commercial. I have developed a passion to help others. I passionately want to see them succeed in their health, finances or just anything they desire.

Encouragement
My senior year of high school was challenging but I had several teachers who encouraged me and pushed me to be better. One teacher took time to help me prepare for a very intense Leadership Scholarship presentation and interview at a Keuka College.

I was very prepared and won the scholarship beating out 30 other finalists. I wouldn’t have been able to go to Keuka College without that scholarship. And without the foundation I got there in that small classroom environment, it wouldn’t have helped me make it through the difficult Pre-med classes and onto my Doctorate in Chiropractic. I owe that success to the help and encouragement to the encourager at that time, my teacher.

Then there are the simple little cards. One simple card given to me has stuck in my head for over 20 years. Mrs. Bouchard, my senior year high school English teacher wrote us all a handwritten card of encouragement and gave it to us the last day of our senior year.

In that card, Mrs. Bouchard showed she cared about my future successes and me. She taught me the importance of encouraging others and never overlook simple handwritten notes and cards. The simple gesture of speaking life and positive futures to those who crossed my path.

Who I am today, I owe it to the women in my life

Today I am the CEO of a 13-year-old company that helps thousands of individuals all over the world make smarter and healthier lifestyle choices.

But my greatest joy is being a mom and wife. I love that role and it brings me great happiness. I know I wouldn’t be who I am today if it weren’t for the people who shaped my life.

How about you? Do you have a woman you admire? One who has impacted your life in a big way?
It’s easy to go through our days and get caught with activities and demands and forget the many goodies. Let’s ponder a moment…

Who are the women in my life that have contributed to my life’s journey?
What did I learn from them?
Who are you today?
Who are you influencing?

I’ve thought through these questions for the last few days. I am influencing my family, associates and clients through my examples of delegation, boundaries and prioritization. As a leader, wife and mom, the people I’m in contact with are observing my attitude, lifestyle and priorities.

Most importantly, they see my success comes from putting God first, myself and my family second, and my career third.

Mother’s Day is around the corner. I want to honor and show my gratitude to all my readers and women in my life. So the best way is to run a contest and get this going.

I’m inviting all of you to join me on my Facebook page and leave a comment about the woman or women in your life. https://www.facebook.com/TheTotalWellnessDocandMom

We publish newsletters and blogposts twice a week for our readers for general education purposes only. We cover topics that are related to achieving and maintaining total wellness which includes our emotional, physical, spiritual and financial health.

Apr 30

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Juice Detox Fast

By Claudi | Total Wellness | 3 Comments

I couldn't believe how great she looked. I had never seen an accountant look that radiant right after tax season. They normally look burned out, bloated, and like they had a hang over. (No offense to my accountant friends). But not Joanne. Joanne DelBolso from No Fuss Accounting in Cicero, NY was on her 10th day of juicing and she looked RADIANT!

I spent an entire day with her at an Accounting and Organizational Seminar she gave. Nine hours of great but brain intensive information. I was shocked to see her fully energized at 5pm while the rest of us were exhausted. Then I remembered how energizing fasting could be.

I wrote about my 7 day juice fast back in October where I almost made it 7 days. Since then I realized I did things kind of wrong and am thinking about giving it another try. Joanne was really motivational and helpful in seeing that you need to work up to it. You can't just decide you are going to do it tomorrow without investigating a juicer, testing out recipes, slowing down the sugars, and carbs and then gradually going into it. She planned and achieved!

Here is her story:

Joanne has more videos.

Here is her video sharing about her juicer and getting ready for your fast.

Here is her video on how to make her JO JO Juice Recipe and how she drinks it:

Part I Juice recipe

Part II with more tips

Joanne has really helped me see that I CAN DO IT and how to make a delicious drink.

So who wants to join me for a Juice Detox Fast? Leave a comment below if you want to join me.

We publish newsletters and blogposts twice a week for our readers for general education purposes only. We cover topics that are related to achieving and maintaining total wellness which includes our emotional, physical, spiritual and financial health.

Apr 26

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Do You Struggle with Feelings of Unworthiness?

By Claudi | Total Wellness | 3 Comments

I first started seeing the importance of loving yourself about 12 years ago in my practice. I would spend an hour with many patients with my combination Chiropractic essential oil treatments. Some women would open up to me right away, others after many sessions. Maybe they sensed that I cared, maybe they knew I was a safe outlet, that I could relate or maybe they knew I might have a resource for them to help. Their stories were of their past, hurts, heartaches, and wounds.

Sadly the stories were devastating, heart breaking, and some you wouldn’t be able to believe the cruelty in this world. As a result, many of these women’s traumas had directly affected their current beliefs about themselves. Some saw themselves as ugly, some un-loveable, and not worthy of much in life. In addition, they may have had habits that protected them or even pushed love away.

Your habits reflect how you feel about yourself

I don’t mean to be insensitive, but I think everyone would agree that individuals that are plagued with eating disorders, alcoholism, drug addiction, and even cutting struggle with SELF LOVE. In fact some call these behaviors acts of self hate.

But there is another group of people who at a lesser degree still struggle with SELF LOVE. They may sabotage their success in different areas. They lose 30 pounds, start feeling unworthy of being healthy or slim and gain it all back and then some. They may have success in their business and then start believing what their ex verbally abusive husband said “YOU WILL NEVER BE GOOD AT ANYTHING”.

Have you ever wondered why you keep going around in circles in your life? Have you seen patterns of self-sabotage?

If yes, KEEP READING.

How to Overcome your Struggle with Self Love

Loving yourself totally requires that we pull of the roots of unworthiness. See, somewhere in your life a seed was planted. It could have been one boy at the playground calling you fat at recess. It could have been an ignorant parent telling you to shut up and you don’t know anything. It could have been a rotten husband crushing your once beautiful self esteem with awful words. And it could have been years of your own negative self talk.

Seeds get planted but it takes water, sun and nutrients to grow. Sadly, roots grow then the stem, then the leaves and if the process continues without WEED KILLER, we may even see a TREE with FRUIT. Fruit of UNWORTHINESS, LOW SELF ESTEEM, even SELF HATRED.

But we have to understand we can’t just simply pick the fruit. Why? Because it will grow back. Telling ourselves we are “over it” or using affirmations like “I am beautiful, I am successful, I am worthy” is not enough. It’s good, don’t get me wrong but it won’t get to the roots.

I want to share a pattern I have seen in some women. Trauma in their childhood, usually abuse of some sorts with parents who were neglectful or not loving in the way parents should be. The trauma of their childhood led to eating disorders, or some form of self abuse or self hatred. They found themselves in abusive relationships and by their 30’s started struggling with their health. They padded their lives with fat, things, or habits like emotional eating, co-dependency, always saying yes, putting all their energy into a career, child or other person. This padding is a wall… a wall to keep love out. In relationships mostly with men, they might push them away with meanness and cruelty just because of their own feelings of unworthiness.

Now of course this is the extreme, but many individuals do this on different levels.

How to Break Free of Self Hatred

Self Hatred is a powerful force that could leave a person in bondage for life. The good news is there is a force greater than this. A force that can break the bonds of torment, hurt, self sabotage, and pull up the roots of unworthiness. Some call this force miraculous and with bondage breaking over night. Others use this force and break free over months or even years. I personally have witnessed dozens of clients and friends set free from the past junk that controlled their lives. The cool thing is they did it without a decade of counseling, medications, or electro-shock treatments.

Most people believe in it but still don’t know how to harness this force to BREAK FREE.

For over 3 years I have worked with this specific Bondage Breaking Force. It is amazing how radically it can change your life. How good happiness feels, freedom, and joy! I would love to see you experience this same thing and learn to break free. On May 18th, we have a special presentation given by Dr. Lavonne Atnip, a counselor who has helped hundreds of clients including myself harness this 2000 year old force and BREAK FREE from the Bondage of Unworthiness. If you would like to break free too, join us.

We publish newsletters and blogposts twice a week for our readers for general education purposes only. We cover topics that are related to achieving and maintaining total wellness which includes our emotional, physical, spiritual and financial health.

Apr 23

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Mommies’ Survival Guide: How to Juggle Between Work, Children and Life

By Claudi | Total Wellness Mom | 2 Comments

If only there was flexibility and order in our lives. Wouldn’t life be easy and terrific? We all have a share of our difficult moments as mommies. The morning rush with one child needing to do her hair before school or one unable to get up in time for breakfast and another child hanging on to you not wanting to leave home.

Whether we are a stay at home mom, work at home mom or a mom working outside of home, we are pulled in every direction. Some moms stay at home and feel guilty for not contributing financially to the family and some who work outside of home feel bad because they are not spending time with their children and husband. Whatever situations we are in, they are all personal choices and different circumstances. Each has worries and challenges of its own, not forgetting the rewards too.

While we are doing life as mommies, let’s make the very best of our situations. Here are five things to look at for survival as mommies:

One: Assess your family’s needs
Mothers who work outside their homes may find themselves with nothing left at the end of the month because of childcare, transportation and eating out. Stay at home moms may be feeling extremely guilty for not contributing a dime to the family’s financial needs. Most leave their careers because of children, and childcare and other expenses add up to be the same as working outside of home.

Questions to ask:
What are the most important needs in my family?
What would happen if I stay home full time, work outside of home or stay at home and work from home part-time?
Which situations will best serve my family’s need?
These questions will take into consideration your family’s finances, time and health.

Two: The rain and sunshine of life
Women who are focusing on the ‘what ifs’ or ‘should haves’ will carry guilt, regret and fear. Life is never a bed of roses. We can expect the rain to come and the sunshine to follow. Children may get sick, teens may act up or your aging parents may need your time because of illnesses.

Questions to ask:
What can I change that will make our home life better?
What can’t be changed and needs alterations?
If we are financially strapped, what job or business could I look into to help us get by?
If my child is constantly sick, do we need to change something in his life?
These questions could help us adjust our expectations and have a different mindset.

Three: Run your family like a ‘business’
A business without a goal and action plan could fail or may just stay the same year after year. Likewise, a family without a common goal and plan of action each day may be just drifting. Just like a business, children grow older and their needs will be different. The family’s goals and action plan will need to be adjusted according to the growth. It may be different every year.

Stay at home moms who have older children may possibly find that it’s time to work part time at home or outside of their homes. After many years of staying at home, finding a job outside of her home without a ‘glorious’ resume or starting a business without any experience could be challenging.

Questions to ask:
Does each family member know his or her role in the family? (For example, chores and school work habits)
Do we watch TV or stay at the computer/electronics more than connecting with each other?
Do we just exist without any plans or goals?
These questions could help families have a clear vision for their life. Clear vision will help parents and children follow their goals and plan of actions each year.

Four: Co-op for learning, playtime, sharing of business ideas
Families who are homeschooling could start a co-op where moms pick certain topics to co-teach the children. This will save preparation time and leave the teaching of a certain subject to a mom who has the expertise. Some moms are good in math and some may be in writing.

You could also arrange for playtime and field trips for the kids. While moms are spending time together, perhaps there is an opportunity to share business ideas or have informal child-care arrangements. Moms could help each other and free up time to learn a skill, work part-time or grow their business.

Questions to ask:
Who in my neighborhood will be a good fit for my children’s learning, playtime and child care needs?
What could I do in my spare time with my friends in the neighborhood?
Should I find a part-time job or find a part-time business to generate income?
These questions could help free up your time, seek opportunity to advance your career or start a business.

Five: Coffee time (or Slique Tea time for me) and making money
There is a verse in the Bible that says money is the answer to everything. In this tough economy with companies’ cut backs and rising fuel and food prices, families are finding it hard to survive.

Coffee time with your friends and family at the café could be a time for chatting and making money. What’s worse than having no money to pay your bills?

We know most families’ financial situations will be different even with an extra $200 in their pockets every month. Don’t be afraid to start a conversation with your friends over coffee about the need to make more money. They may have a great opportunity for you. Or they may need the business or work opportunities you have.

Just last month, I met a friend who had just started a home-based business with another company. I was assuming she was too busy to look for a home-based business. I was wrong…I did not help her out. Someone did.

Questions to ask:
Who could I have coffee with and help?
What opportunities do I have that someone may need?
Is there someone I can bless today without expecting anything in return?
These questions will help us focus the needs around us. It is not about us. Who could I help with my talents, business or time?

The economy and the way we do business have changed. Everywhere you turn, in stores, magazines or TV, we see the displays of websites, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Everyone has a smartphone or some type of cell phone and are texting away. No one seems to be picking up the phone when we call.

The job scene is changing too and new skill sets are required. But there are two things that never change. They are communication skills and people skills.

What can you do now?

I’ve been in business for over 13 years and have grown my business when I was single, married and now a mom. I’ve juggled with work, family and life…it’s all worth it helping others and working with a plan. I have a passion to help more people feel better and make more money.

I recently had to make some tough decisions to let a part of my business go so I could be home more, have more freedom in my time, and actually make more money. It was a hard leap to make but I know I am not the only mom who has thought about changing their work situation.

In the month of May, I am going to help 20 individuals on my team grow or start their part time home business helping families save money and get healthier. We have over 13 established members who have said YES that they want to have more fun in business, be a part of a TEAM, work together to help those who are struggling with their health and need to reduce their expenses with a simple proven system.

Whether you want to work your business online through social media and blogging, or you want to work off line there is a simple system that can work for you.

Tuesday April 24th at 9pm EST we will be sharing about the May Business Plan 1 + 1. If you are ready to make a change, increase your cash flow, reduce your debt, help many people, and work with a fun and excited team then join us to learn more and see if the Young Living Business 1 + 1 is right for you.

Title: Young living Business 1 + 1 

Time: Tuesday, April 24th at 9:00pm Eastern 

Listening method: Phone + Web Simulcast 

Event password: oneplusone

 To attend, visit this link.

Phone Number: (203) 347-3041 Pin Code: 700454#

Let’s help change someone’s economy, health and total wellness together.

We publish newsletters and blogposts twice a week for our readers for general education purposes only. We cover topics that are related to achieving and maintaining total wellness which includes our emotional, physical, spiritual and financial health.

Apr 19

0

Earth Day Video Blog

By Claudi | Total Wellness | 2 Comments

Sunday April 22, 2012 is Earth Day. On Earth Day, Washington D.C. Monument will have tens of thousands of people from all over the US to show their support for the environment. Now I am not an over the top environmentalist. In fact, there are some comforts I am not willing to sacrifice (like a warm house and my daily shower) but I do know there are things I am willing to do to do my part to take care of the Earth.

Today's Video Blog shares simple things we all can do to give our EARTH A HELPING HAND!

Earth Day Video from the Total Wellness Doc from Mary Starr Carter on Vimeo.

We publish newsletters and blogposts twice a week for our readers for general education purposes only. We cover topics that are related to achieving and maintaining total wellness which includes our emotional, physical, spiritual and financial health.

Apr 16

0

Protected: Easy Healthy Cleaning in a Snap with Thieves Cleaner

By Claudi | Home Based Business, Wellness Coaching | 8 Comments

Apr 12

0

Obesity is Killing Us and Our Babies

By Claudi | Total Wellness Mom, Weight Loss | 4 Comments

I have recently had an eye awakening experience about fat in our bodies that I would like to share. This isn’t to scare you, shame you, or make you feel bad, but it is to inform you, help you, and motivate you to take action against this sneaky and harmful thing.

The Stats

More than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) are obese. In 2009, 61% of Americans were obese or overweight. How do we know if we are overweight?

One way to calculate is to measure your waistline. Take a tape measure and measure around your waist at the top of the hipbone. Women who have a measurement of 35 inches or greater and men with 40 inches or greater will be told to lose weight by their physician.

You can also calculate Body Mass Index by using the calculator.

For example, I currently weigh 165 pounds and am 5 feet 4 inches tall so my BMI is 28.3 and ranks me as overweight. If I gain 10 pounds and weigh 175 I will be classified as obese. WOW! Just 3 months ago I was obese. In fact, 3 months ago a trainer measured my body fat at 40% YIKES.

Why is high Body Mass Index and Waist Circumference a problem for you and me? For most of us, unless we are a super athlete or body builder, that means we have too much fat on our bodies. And too much fat causes a lot of problems.

Infertility

In 2011 I had two miscarriages. Recently one of my specialty docs discovered extra estrogen in my body which could be contributing to my miscarriages. Interestingly FAT CELLS produce estrogen. When infertility rates grow higher and higher, the more FAT is stored on your body.

Cancer

Fat Cells also cause increased cell growth and all of that increases our chances of getting cancer. In fact, having excess fat increases your risk of getting over 8 different cancers including colon, liver, kidney, pancreas, endometrial, postmenopausal breast cancer, adenocarcinoma, and esophageal cancers.

Inflammation (the beginning of all disease)

Gary Young, a pioneer in Natural Health says inflammation is the beginning of all Dis-ease. Let’s think about this. Heart Disease is caused by inflammation, and so is Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Fibromyalgia, OsteoArthritis, Allergies, Asthma, and most anything that has pain has a component of inflammation.

High Blood Pressure

Obesity increases the risk of High Blood Pressure and aside from the risk of Stroke, there is also a huge risk for your poor kidneys.

Diabetes

Fat cells increase insulin resistance and the more fat cells on your body, the higher your risk of diabetes. In fact, my personal opinion is everyone who is obese and doesn’t use preventative nutrition will eventually get Type II diabetes.

Our Children

Just 2 weeks ago I went walking with my son on a sunny day and we stopped in the park. There was a small group of children and their teachers playing. One of the little boys maybe 8 years old was probably close to 180-200 pounds. His weight made it very difficult for him to move or play. I thought to myself how does this happen, but as I was walking home 4 blocks, I passed 4 fast food places and a convenient store. I saw the answer.

Approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents ages 2-19 years are obese. So we can probably estimate that about 40% of children are overweight and or obese. Sadly what this really means is statistically we are going to see rising rates of our children with disease and we will see more and more children’s deaths before their parents. I don’t know about you, but I want to see my son get married and have healthy children. I don’t want a life of hospital visits, medicines and surgeries for my children.

Where do we start?
First determine where you are at. Use the above calculators and waist circumference measurements to determine where you are at. Write that down and stick it to the refrigerator and pantry doors. Now determine where your children are at using this calculator.

Now take the next step to be the example for your family.

We start to be the example for our children and grandchildren. We eat and we eat healthy. We exercise daily. We drink water instead of sugary carbonated drinks. We take whole food nutritional supplements and meal replacements to support our nutrition and health. And we get the support we need to stay on track with programs like The Total Wellness Slique Experience.

I had a wake up call at 37. My parents are obese, my husband is overweight, and the healthiest people I know are my 90 year old aunt and 87 year old grandmother who eat healthy whole foods, exercise or stay actively moving everyday, and supplement their diet with Young Living’s NingXia Red and Omega Blues. They have lived all these years without disease and today you can find them at the gym, out dancing, or enjoying their family and great grandchildren. (read more about them in this article)

Do you want to enjoy your life until the very end? Or do you want to spend the last years of your life in and out of the hospital, receiving kidney dialysis, not being able to enjoy the things and the people you love?

I hope you will make the next step towards health. I hope you will start with you and be an example for your family and friends. I am on your side and I struggle to lose weight and stay fit too. It’s not going to be easy but I can guarantee it will be worth it!

Come join our Slique Experience and get support to get on and stay on track.

My update: Today through 2 months of exercise, diet and the Slique Total Wellness program I have released 6 pounds and 15% body fat.

We publish newsletters and blogposts twice a week for our readers for general education purposes only. We cover topics that are related to achieving and maintaining total wellness which includes our emotional, physical, spiritual and financial health.

Apr 08

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The History and Celebrations of Easter Around the World

By Claudi | Total Wellness | 3 Comments

Beyond Easter bunnies, jellybeans, hot cross buns, colorful eggs, Peeps and egg hunting events for kids… why exactly do we celebrate Easter? Here in the United States children and adults are seen dressed in their Sunday best with new spring dresses and some with beautiful hats going as a family to church, followed by a special Easter Meal. Easter baskets are presented as gifts to each other.

There are many versions of its origin and everyone in the world celebrates this special day differently.

Celebrations Around the World

In the Philippines, the young and old are seen solemnly remembering their sins and some taking up the challenge of putting barbed wires as crowns on their heads and carrying a heavy cross, walking the streets suffering like Jesus. Some even attempt to be nailed on the cross on Good Friday, known as Penitensya to recreate what Jesus did over 2000 years ago. Easter is celebrated for a week long from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.

In the streets of Antigua, Guatemala, Good Friday is the peak of the celebration where andas or floats with statues of Jesus suffering and holding a cross or hung on the cross. Some statues are carried by hundreds of men clothed in purple robes. This celebration is called Semana Santa or Holy Week. Carpet of fresh flowers, fruits, pines and sawdust are put together by residents and adorned in front of their homes and street for the procession.

Here is a video from Pilot Guides on Easter Celebrations Around the World, particularly Antigua:

History of Easter

Easter is also called the moveable feast because it doesn’t fall on the same date every year. It is observed in Spring on the first Sunday following full moon after the vernal equinox on March 21. So it is celebrated anywhere between March 22 and April 25 every year.

The word Easter is derived from Eostre, a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility. The exact derivation of the word Easter is unknown. According to History.com, the Latin term hebdomada alba or white week, is an ancient reference to Easter week where people wear white clothing and get baptized during this time. There was a translation error and which appeared as esostarum in Old High German and eventually translated to Easter in English.

Is it a pagan or Christian celebration?

In the festival of Eostre, rabbit are a symbol of the goddess. I learned somewhere that Christians combined elements of the festival of Eostre to help convert and baptize pagans to Christianity. I don’t know if that is true or not. To the Spanish, Easter is Pascua and the French, Paques, derived from the Greek and Latin word Pascha or Pasch, which is Passover.

Church bells throughout France are silenced on Holy Thursday also known as Maundy Thursday, the night before Good Friday, since the 12th century to recognize Jesus’ death. The Easter bells, les cloches de Paques, flew to Rome to bring back Easter eggs. The bells ring all year the few days before Easter Sunday.

When the church bells ring, the celebration starts with Easter eggs, treats and chocolates of all sorts. Imagine, there is at least one church bell in each town or village that chimes all year. What joy it brings on Easter Sunday, when it chimes again with goodies after a few days of silence. The bells bring back goodies to France from Rome. Children go egg hunting and celebrate Easter with Grandma with a traditional Easter lunch of dishes made out of eggs and lamb.

Most countries celebrate Easter from Lent to Easter Sunday, which is about 40 days. Christians around the world take this time for reflection, fasting, praying and observing it like the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness.

Places like New Orleans, United States and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil celebrate Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras. The Tuesday before Ash Wednesday where sinful activities, fireworks, parades, food, parties and masked and beautiful costumes are worn in celebration of the day before solemnness and fasting begins the next day.

To many Christians in the Western World, Easter is a time of celebration where Jesus resurrected from the dead. It is an important day to remember there is hope after pain; there is life after death…a time to usher in the new and let go of the old.

Here are some Easter quotes to ponder as you celebrate with your loved ones:

Alice Freeman Palmer: For I remember it is Easter morn, And life and love and peace are all new born.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: 'Twas Easter-Sunday. The full-blossomed trees Filled all the air with fragrance and with joy. 

Robert Flatt: The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances.

Let’s celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The One and Only Son of God that conquers death and bring hope to all who believes and have faith to move forward with His plan for you and I.

The Total Wellness Doc and Mom and Team would like to wish you a Happy Easter and a time for new beginnings and healthier living. Please join our growing community of moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas on our Facebook Page… making a difference in our own life in Total Wellness of Body, Mind and Soul.

Happy Easter.

We publish newsletters and blogposts twice a week for our readers for general education purposes only. We cover topics that are related to achieving and maintaining total wellness which includes our emotional, physical, spiritual and financial health.

Apr 02

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A Total Wellness Journey

By Claudi | Weight Loss, Wellness Coaching | 3 Comments

At the beginning of the year, I developed a burning desire to regain my health. At the same time, Young Living Essential Oils launched its new weight loss program. It’s a great program with top quality nutritional supplements and it’s easy to do and effective. But from coaching overweight clients for the past 10 years, I quickly realized that it was not enough to just take this supplement, drink this drink, replace this food, and poof you will lose weight and KEEP IT OFF. I knew the secrets to lasting weight loss went much deeper than that.

Many women will struggle for years with excess weight because of stress, hormone imbalance, food allergies, inflammation and lack of sleep. Others will not be able to lose weight until they cleanse the body of toxins. And some people will not be able to release weight because of deep seated issues of fear, past trauma, beliefs, self worth, emotional and spiritual depression.

But who really talks about this in a weight loss program? No one! But I knew it was time to bring all this into play for a TOTAL WELLNESS weight release program. So I did.

With the experience of working with hundreds of overweight individuals, including my own weight struggles, I put together a STEP BY STEP process to get RESULTS for lasting Weight RELEASE… (Who wants to lose weight when we LOSE something we always find again?) We added a Virtual Coaching and Support environment that helps us learn from each other, share successes and failures, laugh, learn and have fun while we go through the process.

So I wanted to share some of the client’s stories with you. And I think you will see the Total Wellness Slique Program is more than losing weight.

Body Benefits:

2 months ago I only had 1 pair a jeans in my closet that fit, now I have 4 pairs. WAHOOO! -MC

My "cravings" for food have gone by the wayside and along with exercise I have managed to lose 26 lbs! Dropped 2 pants sizes! I haven't been this thin in years! -LG, 3 months weight release

I want to share that last night we had spaghetti with whole wheat pasta. In the past I would have had seconds, but last night, I was "excited" to just have a small serving. I FEEL different, my mind feels satisfied when I eat these smaller portions all day long. Call me James Brown…… I feel good!!!!! -NP

My doc tests says my body fat is reduced, my muscle mass has increased, and my hydration has improved! Yehhh -KS

I released 4lbs the first week, and 2 have found their way back! However, I can see the difference in my clothes and my face. Friends who hadn’t seen me in a little while said wow have you lost weight. Oh and I am in my size 8’s again. So my scale can say whatever it likes! I’m sure it’s muscle gain which is awesome. AK
As a previous Power loser (I have lost 100lbs 2 times and 50 lbs 7 times) I liked seeing big numbers on the scale. I can tell you… that NEVER worked for me longer than 6 months and I would gain all that weight and more back. Now I am “releasing” 1-2 lbs a week and some weeks none. I am FINE with that. I will maintain the program no matter what and I will SUCCEED. –DT

Other Health Benefits:

I just have to say…. I FEEL different. 4 days on slique program and my gut feels different. I think it's happy! It's not stuffed or sore and it doesn't feel as big. And it's movin' just fine! I think I'm taller too. I think I have a pep in my step. Just had to share. -NP

Sleeping like a baby! This is big for me as I was one of those people that would wake up 3 to 4 times a night. I feel so rested! -DC

The program has helped me see what I am sensitive to and what to stay away from. My stomach and body are feeling a lot better. -SB

I feel the difference. My energy is way up. -VW

Emotional Spiritual Benefits:

I am happier than I have been in years. -MC

I am overcoming the hurdles of what have held me back in the past from getting healthy; like what other people think of me. -TC

Just read Slique Experience- Day 22 email. Awesome! Release is a such a powerful word. I am a woman of multiple life traumas. As I let the God of my understanding further into my life, the results have been, full on release. I release a trauma, and I release weight. I have had a habit of compartmentalizing what I give to God. I understand today, I can give it all to him. As this awareness has grown in me, my life has become truly and wholly blessed! -AK

I am so happy for the clients who are participating in this Total Wellness Program. If you have been on the fence about getting rid of your extra weight, getting healthy, and overcoming what has been holding you back I hope you will consider joining us. I would love to serve you. As for me I will continue this Journey as a supportive friend, Virtual Coach, and team mate on the Slique Total Wellness Experience.
Thank you, Dr. Mary, for giving me the push I needed to get healthy!! -LG

The emails and the videos are really helping motivate me and giving me ideas of things I can do to get healthier. -TC

Will you join us for the Total Wellness Slique Experience?

We publish newsletters and blogposts twice a week for our readers for general education purposes only. We cover topics that are related to achieving and maintaining total wellness which includes our emotional, physical, spiritual and financial health.

Mar 29

0

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