1. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
2. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
3. “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
4. “I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being an optimist is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward.”
5. “A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.”
6. “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
7. “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
8. “A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we so passionately dreamt of.”
9. “We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in your hands to make a difference.”
10. “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”
11. “Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”
12. “Lead from the back — and let others believe they are in front.”
13. “Our human compassion binds us to one another – not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future.”
14. “Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do.”
15. “Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people.”
Photo credit: Public domain
Editor’s Note:
On October 24th 2013 I flew to Florida to assess the house I would be living in the following month. This house built in 1980 by a master craftsman was beautiful, set back in the woods, but sadly it had been neglected for several years and even had some damage.
When you entered the house there was a stale like odor. When you got there near the wood stove there was a water damage on the ceiling and you could smell a moldy musty smell. Several closets and bathrooms had weird yucky odors. I am very sensitive to bad smells because I have a big nose and I was allergic to molds and dust for so long as a kid.
My in laws were fixing the property up for us and spent the next 3 weeks fixing the wood stove, water damage and other odds and ends around the house. THEY DID A LOT OF WORK. But I knew the smells would be hard to get rid of so I sent 3 Young Living THERAPRO Diffusers along with 3 bottles each of Purification, Thieves, and Lemongrass, Lemon and Peppermint.
They set them up for me to run day and night on the timers. We went through about about 2 bottles each before I got there on November 21st and they made a HUGE difference along with replacing the water damage places and using Thieves Household cleaner on the walls, floors and everywhere. What we did was modify from a recipe given by Dr. Edward Close on a proven method to get rid of mold.
When I started to put our things in the house I found some of the closets still smelling funky so I set a Diffuser of Lemongrass in the closets with the door shut for 24hrs. Guess what? No more funky smells just CLEAN, Lemongrass.
By using Young Living oils that have properties that have been proven detrimental to mold, bacteria, and fungus I wasn’t just covering a smell up but killing the FUNK and saturating with GOOD STUFF.
Note: Many of the oils I used I read in the Essential Oil Desk Reference were good for keeping mice, cockroaches and ants away too.
If you are curious about diffusing oils and wondering what diffuser is best for you, read our article below. It will help explain the difference and get you started being FUNK FREE.
For your Total Wellness,
Mary Starr Carter
the Total Wellness Doc and Mom
Florida Woods Resident
*************************************************
How to Choose An Essential Oil Diffuser for Your Home and Office
To help you choose the right essential oil diffuser for your home, office or when you are out and about, we put four popular diffusers to the test. Two of these are from Young Living Essential Oils and two from independent companies.
What is a diffuser?
A diffuser is a device that spreads essential oil molecules into the air. It is one of the many ways to use essential oils but in my opinion one of the most powerful ways. There are many types of diffusers on the market today. But we recommend always using a diffuser specifically designed to disperse fine mist into a room with pure essential oils.
There are basically four types of diffusers, namely the vaporizing, ultrasonic, nebulizing (atomizing) and heat. We only recommend using PURE essential oils like Young Living Essential oils many of which are FOOD GRADE. We don’t recommend using a diffuser that heats the essential oil because it can denature the pure oil and possibly be flammable.
What is vaporizing, ultrasonic and nebulizing (atomizing)?
Ultrasonic and vaporizing diffusers require water and a few drops of essential. Nebulizing (atomizing) diffusers do not require water and no water should ever be added.
Why use a diffuser for home and office:
Here are some of the reasons I have used a Diffuser with Young Living essential oils in my home and office:
Home
1. What we smell is directly linked to our emotional center. Diffusing Young Living essential oils uplifts my spirits along with everyone else in my home.
2. Smell activates and stirs production of hormones and neurochemicals that affect behavior and our body’s internal processes.
3. Creates an ambience of relaxation even when the house is a wreck or life is chaotic.
4. Helps keep bugs away, little ones like germs and big ones like flies.
5. Helps us rest more comfortably at night.
6. Relaxes my little ones and is a part of their nighttime routine.
7. Helps everyone’s breathing.
Office
8. Does everything above but in a different environment.
9. Helps relax my autistic and ADD patients so I could work on their spine.
10. Helps relax my anxiety disorder patients.
11. Helps neutralize smoke smells from my patients that smoked before coming into office.
12. Increased sales because clients would just come in to visit the good smelling store.
TheraPro Premium Diffuser
This is a nebulizing/atomizing diffuser. It is compact, easy to use with built in timers. You can adjust the volume of oil to diffuse depending on the size of your room. It can potentially hit a large space. You can set the timer to 5, 10, 15 minutes for diffusing and also set the in between times, when it is off. There is also a volume control on how much oil you want dispersing .
You can create your own cycle of diffusing the oil for the day. It is very portable and great for a office living room, kitchen or bathroom. It comes with a 15 ml bottle of Thieves essential oil and an empty 15 ml bottle if you prefer a blend or to mix your oils to create your own concoction of aroma in the room.
PROS OF THE THERAPRO -MY FAVORITE
Powerful
Potent
Diffuse any Young Living oil
The Timer
The Ease of Use – just fit any 15ml Young Living oil no pouring of oil or spilling
The Length of Time you can set it and just have it run
CONS OF THERAPRO
Some people don’t like the TheraPro diffuser in their bedroom because of the buzzing sound at night but others like the white noise
The cost is higher than most other diffusers
The amount of oil you will use if you run your diffuser on everyday
I also found if this gets knocked off a shelf it can break the machine : (
Price: $197.37 retail, $150 wholesale pricing if you have a Young Living membership, Young Living Item 4495
Weight: 1.93 pounds
Home Diffuser -also one of my favorites
This newly designed Home Diffuser combines a humidifier, air purifier, atomizer and aromatherapy diffuser into one product. It safely releases essential oils into the air and creates a spa-like atmosphere.
Home Diffuser is easy to use. It has a water reservoir with a clear lid at the top. You add water up to the line shown inside and drop 3 to 10 drops of your favorite oil to the water, close the lid and turn it on. Do not exceed the line when you fill the water. The diffuser will turn off automatically once the water is all used up.
It is suitable for bedrooms, offices and any room in your home or office. I think it is not suitable for bathrooms because the humidifier ability of this unit may create moisture in the already moist bathroom.
Home Diffuser humidifying, air purifying and atomizing properties are beneficial during the winter season when indoor air is dry. The ultrasonic technology is able to disperse millions of micro-particles from the essential oil into the air.
The unit has a built in light that can function as a night light for kids. The only setback is it lasts less than five hours and for some people who like to sleep in the dark, the light cannot be turned off. I recommend to start it several hours before going to bed if lights bother you.
Home Diffuser is lightweight and easy to clean. It comes with a sponge for cleaning. Just use rubbing alcohol on the sponge and clean the reservoir.
PROS OF THE HOME DIFFUSER
Acts as a diffuser and humidifier
Acts like a night light
Great for sleeping and bedrooms
Only need a small of amount of oil with each use
Get it included in your initial Young Living Membership Premium Pack ($40 savings)
CONS OF THE HOME DIFFUSER
If you fill over the line or dump out wrong it will spill out
Can be messy if you are using the sink (I recommend having a bottle of water to fill it with at night)
Build up can happen depending on the water you use
These seem to die within 10-36 months with daily use
May not be enough humidity for dry rooms or homes
Price: $98.68 retail, $75 wholesale, Young Living Item 4589
Weight: 1.90 pounds
Ultimate Ultramist 500 ml Essential Oil Diffuser
This unit is sold at Back to Nature Store in Seneca Falls New York. It has a large 500 ml water reservoir that lasts for 10 hours.
Here are the features and how to use the diffuser:
1. No constant refill. It lasts for 10 hours.
2. You can choose between 60, 120, 180 minutes for diffusing or 10 hours.
3. It has 14 colorful LED lights. You can either choose just one color light or have ongoing changing of 14 colors.
4. You can choose not to have the LED light on.
5. Choose between high or low mist.
6. Easy to use with large reservoir and a measuring cup.
7. Add 8-12 drops of your favorite essential oil to the reservoir and close the lid and select the timer, with or without light and low or high mist.
8. Easy to clean and works almost like Young Living Home Diffuser except it can run for 10 hours. (huge plus).
9. Easy to clean and use without breakable parts.
10. The unit is cheaper than TheraPro and Home Diffuser.
It works as a humidifier and is great for the winter season when indoor air is dry. Even during the summer season with the air conditioning on in an office or home, the humidifier will moisturize and refresh the indoor air we breathe.
The advanced ultrasonic technology of Ultimate Ultramist diffuser produces vibrations at high frequency, turning the water into mist and creating a soothing and therapeutic atmosphere in any room in the home or office environment.
I like the changing color option for added special ambience in the room. The changing colors are very entertaining during the night. If you like a blue environment, just set the color to blue.
When using this diffuser, make sure you place it away from your computers or electronic devices. They may get wet!
Price: $59.99 (Find out more by emailing us at info@starrhealth.com)
Aroma2GO USB Diffuser
This is a diffuser for anyone who works at the computer or someone who likes working at the computer in coffee shops or at public places. It is an innovative diffuser using Piezo Crystal technology.
All you need to do is plug it into any USB port and the diffuser will silently evaporate the oil. If your car has a USB connector or a 12V/USB converter plug, just plug this diffuser in and enjoy aromatherapy while you drive.
Three features we like about Aroma2Go USB diffuser – practicality, is silent and most importantly mobile and lightweight. It comes with one empty refillable glass cartridge, one cleaning dropper and instruction sheet. It works best with thinner oils. Don’t add water to the refillable glass cartridge.
We convert it into a wall unit by adding a wall charger with a USB adaptor. The diffuser is small. Blockage is possible because of essential oil particles. To clean, use the mini pump provided and drop 2 to 3 drops of diffuser cleaner into the unit. The full cleaning instructions are found inside the box.
Price: $24.99 (Find out more by emailing us at info@starrhealth.com)
Which diffuser do you use? Do you have any suggestions? Let us know or share on our Facebook wall.
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.
Every day people ask me why did you move to Florida? Many assume it was to leave the lake effect snowy winters of Central NY, or to be by family and I guess those reasons would be right. But I thought I would share with you some of the reasons why I left Central NY to move to Florida.
1. Yes I miss the sun.
I can remember as early as 2005 when I really started feeling the effects of the Winter Blues. I also started working from home that year and no longer would have to get outside if I didn’t want to or didn’t feel like it. A few years later we all would start to hear the detriments of lack of Vitamin D and when mine were measured, they were REALLY LOW. I do think that low Vitamin D was a contributor to my miscarriages.
2. To Get In Shape.
Both my husband and I have expanded these past few years of having babies and working from home. Even this summer we found ourselves not getting outside much for our tennis matches and now we both still have baby weight to lose. LOL!
Although living in Florida doesn’t guarantee a fit body, the place where we are living has lots of physical labor associated with the woods, yard and home so my husband will be more active. I have committed to myself and you now to get out everyday. This will include a membership at our local YMCA and possibly some other exercise classes. Can you help hold me accountable to that?
3. To Get Healthy Inside Too.
I recently took a yoga class while visiting my girlfriend in Georgia and the day after I was WIPED out with ADRENAL FATIGUE THYROID STRESS. I also have been struggling with my other hormones weekly and I moved to Florida because I will have access to fresher foods most of the year, healing facilities and tools and some good natural docs that can help me too.
4. My son.
See, I have a very active 3 1/2 year old who craves to do boy things like run and play, pick up sticks, jump, move and of course play in dirt. He is Wild at Heart as the book my John Eldridge says. He needed more than our 20 foot driveway yard could give him. He also needs sun, fresh foods and healthy choices all year long because according to 2 different natural health experts that have evaluated him, he has some heavy metals and food sensitivities that can affect his behavior.
5. My faith.
I have a strong relationship with Jesus Christ. He guides me daily in my walk as a mom, wife, business owner and woman. God opened too many doors and rained favor on us for this move. It was miraculous and jaw dropping and still is. See, I actually wanted to move to Florida way back in 2005, but my husband’s job and life couldn’t do that.
So through the years God gave my husband a job that he works from home and can work remotely anywhere in the world. Then God also changed my husband’s heart miraculously and in just a few short months we had buyers for our home, a home in Florida and we were moved. WOW!
Now I tell you this but I don’t mean to say it was easy to leave my family, friends and amazing support team in Central NY. IT WAS NOT. Yes I am only 30 minutes from the beach but life in our new home will not be easy. It will take a lot more work, patience and constant cleaning because southern living in the woods requires that.
We will have to be extra cautious of the creatures, bugs, and plants of this area. But EASY is not always better. I could have stayed COMFORTABLE in my home in NY. But God called my husband and I to come to Florida for our family, for our health, for our faith. We know there are people here we are supposed to serve. We also have family here we are supposed to learn from and serve.
So my final comment to you is what is God calling you to do that might not be easy? That might require you to have a a lot of faith in Him? That might sound even CRAZY?
If you are struggling to make the decisions you know are right for your future, or you are having difficulty even hearing God speak to you, I encourage you to make time for HIM, Sunday is good but it may not be enough, spend time with Him everyday.
Break Free from what holds you back, Learn to Stop Self Sabotage, and lastly Forgive yourself for past mistakes. It’s time. It’s your Time. MAKE IT HAPPEN.
For your Total Wellness,
Mary Starr Carter
1 week Floridian 38 years NYer
the Total Wellness Doc and Mom
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.
Yesterday I wrote an email talking about the reasons I moved to Florida and I got a lot of feedback on it already. I am thankful for that. I was a little nervous pouring out my heart and truth and I appreciate your feedback.
Today I just want you to know how thankful I am for you and your journey. You share with me your comments on my Facebook page and blogs and it means a lot to hear your stories. I am encouraged and I learn from many of you.
Tomorrow we celebrate Thanksgiving here in the United States. I will not be eating turkey but Southern Ribs with my family. I am sure they will be just as good if not better than my cooking. But I can’t help thinking about the little miracle that joins us for her first Turkey day. SARAH GRACE!
Sarah is a miracle baby. After 2 miscarriages and thinking we had lost her after just 10 weeks in my belly, God showed us a true miracle. So today and every day I am very grateful for my daughter.
I know many of you are praying for a miracle too. Maybe you are trying to get pregnant, or need a job, or maybe you are trying to recover from a disease, I am here to tell you that MIRACLES DO HAPPEN. I have seen them not in my own life but also in many friends, clients and acquaintances.
We would love to pray for you and your miracle. Please shoot us an email at info@starrhealth.com and myself and our staff would love to pray for you. Or come over to our Facebook page and share on our page so all our community can pray for you.
Lastly we are appreciating you by discounting some of my favorite programs I did with Dr. Lavonne Atnip from the Encouragement Center. She has been a blessing and encouragement to so many of our clients and community we hope her gifts help you too:
http://www.thetotalwellnessdoc.com/special-deals/
Appreciating you,
Mary Starr Carter and your StarrHealth Support Team
the Total Wellness Doc and Mom
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.
I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. – Psalms 6:6
Has God heard your voice, moms? Or are we being deceived, entertaining faithless, negative and desperate thoughts every hour and moment of our lives? Recently I started a series on Moms of Faith and will be featuring one mom each month on faith and how they live a life of faith.
Annette Filmer Landers is a mom and I’ve known her for many years- I’ve seen her walk through challenges, turn it around and embrace a life of faith. I asked Annette “How does a faith filled life look like to you?”
A faith filled life is one in which you live your life trusting God for all things in life… health, provision, family, needs and wants, guidance about direction and decisions big and small. Faith is putting your hope in Him and is the opposite of fear. They can’t co-exist.
God’s Word is where she finds the antidote for fear. Here are 5 tips we can learn from Annette about faith and fear:
1. Apply and believe in TRUTH written in God’s Word.
2. God knows we are struggling with fear and he said it 365 times “fear not” and “do not be afraid”. So fear is present in the world and He has given us tools to conquer fear.
3. Fear can stop you in your tracks or paralyze you. So we need to move forward despite our fears.
4. The more you train yourself for battle, the better you master the fighting techniques when encountering fear.
5. Rely on God’s wisdom, guidance, assurance and peace to cope with each day.
Just like many moms who take care of kids of all ages, sickness, disease and injury can be a scary situation or a long lasting problem. Coping with our own problems and our kids’ health issues require endurance and faith. Annette goes to the Word of God to feed her mind and spirit with TRUTH. As the Bible says,
“By Jesus stripes we are healed and made whole, nothing missing, nothing broken.”
My next question for Annette was: Do you suffer from the lack of faith? If yes, which areas of your life?
Annette continues…
Sometimes it seems as though my faith has diminished, is totally gone or is just plain dry as toast. It seems like nothing good is happening and everywhere I turn is a brick wall stopping my progress in all areas of life.
However, I know enough to know that this is
1-just temporary
2- all a matter of perspective
My mother’s words often ring in my ears, “this too shall pass.” That isn’t scripture, but it does contain some truth to it.
We must know in the scriptures of Ecclesiastes, there is a time for everything under heaven. A time to be born, a time to die, a time to laugh, a time to cry…
And on it goes.
The cycles of life! Just because we doubt our faith or feel down and not at all spiritual, we must remember it’s ok, and it will pass.
New seasons come, old seasons that no longer serve us, go…(even though we may want to cling to the old because it’s familiar and we are creatures of habit). We must trust God and His direction knowing everything happens for a reason. Often we do not know what that reason is at the time, but we can know that God knows.
There is great comfort in this knowledge. God has our back. He loves us too much to keep us from growing and stretching. It says in His Word that “we will face troubles of many kinds”, but this is Divinely designed for the development and maturity of ourselves.
Growth can be painful. But growth is part of life and fully living out our lives of purpose. If we really can grasp this concept, it is what makes life exciting and adventure at every turn!!
It’s a perspective that can help us find joy in all situations.
What about worry or feeling “worried sick” about our situations and our children’s future?
Worry is fear. Period.
There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. I want to make that plain first of all. I don’t want this to weigh heavily like guilt on top of your shoulders; I want you to be free!!
Free from that lower energy and way of living in fear. However, having said that, we also must learn the Truth that worry is the same as fear.
When we are “worried sick” we are not trusting God. It took me YEARS to figure out that we can have moments of worry, and that is TOTALLY normal. It is when we live a life FILLED with worry everyday about everything with questions like,
Will it rain today and ruin our family picnic plans?
What will we do then??
How will the kids adjust to the new school?
Will my husband ever find a new job he likes?
How are we going to pay the bills this month?
Where will our next meal come from?
Will I ever get better from this chronic disease?
Are they going to repossess the cars tonight?
Worried sick questions will KILL you! And those around you that you have influence over!!
Stop the worrying! Seek God’s Word! See what His promises hold for you. His Words are life and light. Let’s cast ALL our cares in Him for He cares for us affectionately and watchfully. We have God, the powerful blood of Jesus shed for our freedom, and all His angels protecting us and our family!
That is the good news from my friend Annette. We are to cast away those worrisome cares and the Word tells us to make our requests known to God.
Making our requests known to God or prayer can take several forms. Prayer can be kneeling by your bedside at night and saying thanks for good things, asking for other things… but that is not all there is.
A relationship with our Heavenly Father and personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the key to faith-filled living.
Communication is key in a healthy relationship. Our relationship with the Father is no different. He wants us to come to Him in prayer. Just talking to Him all day long. And listening.
Listening is a skill that most of us are not exactly taught. We just learn it. Practice it. And allow God to speak to us as well.
This means creating a priority of time everyday to be quiet. Quietly listen for His still small voice to show us where we should go.
Annette’s action plan for a faith-filled life:
1. To have faith is to expect a good outcome, positive and a blessing or opportunity.
2. Roll the TRUTH from the Word over and over and over in our minds until we act on it with expectation.
3. Do not quit!! No matter how long it takes. No matter what it looks like.
4. Keep believing. That is faith. That pleases God!!
5. Trust Him on His Word and promises for YOU!!
6. Speaking Life to negative situations is how we can do our part to turn things around.
7. God’s Word is light and life. It is a lamp unto my feet, a light into my path. As we speak, we expel energy into the atmosphere.
Sounds have various frequencies at which they vibrate. This is not just a theory, it is scientifically proven. There have been studies shown by Dr. Emoto, “the Hidden Messages in the Water” that when various positive or negative words with concentrated thoughts are spoken into the water and frozen, they form orderly, beautiful, perfectly coherent patterns.
Conversely, when negative, angry, or hostile words were spoken into frozen water, they would form disorderly or chaotic, random, misshapen forms.
As she spoke these words Annette felt the power over some negative situations and circumstances. She said,
“Whew!!! I’m getting happy already! We must regularly speak Truth, Gods Word over our family, finances, health & bodies, neighborhoods, jobs, businesses, spouse, food, pets… You name it!!
Here is one example from Annette:
There was a time in my life when I was completely disabled. I had fallen ill and became bedridden for several months. Doctors could not help me. We had no idea medically what was wrong.
I HAD to rely on Gods Word as medicine. It was all I had. That and some essential oils. I would cover my feet, back, neck, hands with those oils and confess Gods word over my body… “By Jesus Stripes, I am healed!” “I speak order to my body. I command my body to line up with Gods word!” “No weapon formed against me shall prosper” “my body prospers, even as my soul prospers” and I have booklets I would read out loud… Over and over and over…
I memorized those little books. When I was too exhausted to read them… I played CD’s all day and all night. They were just scriptures being confessed throughout the atmosphere, throughout my home. Those days were the darkest days of my life.
I wouldn’t see changes at all for DAYS… even weeks sometimes, or months… Talk about enduring the race put before you! Ugh! And all this time my body felt like it was dying.
It had manifested all kinds of signs of aging, aches and pains before my time. I was only in my mid-late 30’s!
I continued to confess. I continued to seek after answers and pray for guidance. God has brought answers and help all along the journey. We never did go without one meal. You see, God is all sovereign and can do all things. He could have just reached down and touched my body in one single instant! BOOM!!
I could have been healed like that. A miracle. And I kept expecting the day for that to happen. I would envision it from my bed. I thought about all the things I would do when I was well.
Remembering the time my body was pain free.
Easily moving.
Sleeping restfully.
Having energy.
Running.
Walking.
Driving.
Playing outside with my kids.
I would think about those things. I would say prayers of thankfulness about when I would enjoy those things once again. I planted seeds of faith. Confessed words of healing truth. Spoke about my body as if it were already healed.
I never owned this disease… I didn’t like to say, “I have___” instead I would phrase it.” I’m overcoming __” or “I’m healing from ___” it’s not mine. Disease doesn’t belong to this body. I’m NOT staying here in this place. I’m conquering this even though the medical community says it “incurable”!! My God is bigger and stronger than any earthly dis-ease.
That’s one example from Annette. You can apply those tips and ways she used to conquer fear, worry, negativity, sickness and pain.
Lastly Annette said, it has been over seven years since her health decline really compromised the quality of her life and her family’s lives.
She is indeed more than a conqueror and overcomer. Please connect with Annette Landers and here is her information:
Annette Filmer Landers is a woman of extraordinary courage, faith and conviction for Total Wellness. Suffering devastating health challenges she sought diligently for answers. She has researched, traveled and invested countless hours and tens of thousands of dollars into her education and health recovery. She not only discovered how to recover but how she became so sick and debilitated. Her discoveries have not only enabled her own health recovery but today she helps hundreds of others in her private phone coaching, encouraging teleclasses, and her weekly radio show soon to be launched. If you are looking for answers Annette Filmer Landers may be able to help.
Visit Annette at her Facebook link at https://www.facebook.com/annette.f.landers.9
Or website: http://annetteshealingjourney.com/
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.
Deciding on which essential oil or nutritional supplement you should use or take just got easier with Zyto Compass. Zyto Compass can be used at home for your family or home parties. You can take it along when conducting Young Living seminars or sharing your oils with friends and family.
Have you ever wondered what is best for your body? Would you like to have a tool that works easily while you share essential oils with potential clients?
None of us have a body that can talk back. Now you can take away all the speculations and presumptions. Let Zyto Compass do all the work for you and get accurate “prescriptions” every time.
Some of my friends have shared about their experiences with Zyto Compass:
Leslie V: I am amazed at how the Zyto Compass Scan gets to the root of the issue and reveals more of the emotional component to the issue I am concerned about.
Holly T: I started the Zyto Compass during a really stressful time. I scanned for Super C, sulfurzyme, and nutmeg (adrenal). A month later, the physical issues were resolved, but I was a wreck emotionally. I scanned highest for Inner Child. After another month, I was doing a lot better but feeling discouraged. I scanned highest for magnify your potential. Now after a few weeks, I’m really feeling whole again.
Linda J: When I first got the Zyto Compass, I wanted to see if it really worked, I took it to a party, put 20 people on it, it was accurate for all 20, I was sold! It alerted my niece of her TMJ before the dentist did!
Debbie E: As a chiropractor, I always do my clinical exam/assessment first. Then I do the Zyto scan on the patient and am always amazed how the findings correlate! Love my Zyto!
Kirby S: I just have to say…I got my scanner and scanned myself this morning…BLOWN AWAY!!!!! I can’t believe how dead on it is! I’ve been using the wrong oil, but now I know exactly what to use. Holy cow!! So excited!!! Want to scan the planet!
Zyto Compass is able to explode some Young Living businesses. Here are two:
Misty B: I love it!! I did a class 2 weeks ago and had about 8 people do it. Would say if 8 did a scan 4 would sign up. I just got my 6th leg tonight.
Georgia W: I think it’s a great tool to help grow your business. Some people will listen to a machine better than what you tell them.
So how does the Zyto Compass work?
Zyto Compass uses your skin’s electricity to determine what nutrition or essential oils will help your body’s systems that are out of balance. It is not a technology that treats, cures or diagnoses. It is a tool designed to assist the individual in finding the body’s preference for any list of items like essential oils and nutritional supplements.
It is a quick and simple tool that anyone can use. It is not rocket science just for doctors. It gives real results and 90% of clients say their scans correlate to what’s going on in their physical or emotional health.
Using the Zyto Compass Scan with your Young Living essential oils and nutritional products can help you measure the overall improvements of your health weekly or monthly. It also gives you an indication of stressed systems in your body. For example, if you keep scanning for Stress Away, Peace and Calming or Tranquil, it may be a sign. You are experiencing too much stress and the use of consistent aromatherapy may help you relax and relieve stress.
Likewise if you keep seeing nutritional products come up in your scans, you may need to start taking the nutritional supplements and see if the scans change after six weeks. Nutritional supplements take about six weeks for change to occur. While essential oils for emotional support take about less than a week.
Some of my clients told me the following, immediately after we looked at the scanning results:
I had been struggling with Sinus problems for weeks. The scan pointed right to it and showed me what I needed to get better.- M Bolton Baker Fl
I had just had a physical and blood work and the doctor told me my sugar was a little high. The scanner showed I needed supplementation to help support my pancreas and blood sugar.- V Chalone Fulton NY
I had been on vacation eating all bad food. The scan showed me what damage I had done, as my body was inflammed and how to improve it. – S Parmley Constantia, NY
I couldn’t believe it I had been on vacation and forgot my supplements. The scan showed that I was deficient in that same nutrition I forgot.- L. A. Lebanon, PA
My friend Sandra Wallace, an oiler and a practitioner had a lot of success with Zyto Compass with her clients. This is her story:
This system is based on some of the technologies o=f an MRI machine. It shows me WHERE there are blockages in the information that flows through the body. IE: blockage = problem!
I had no scanning device to help me pinpoint what supplements and oils that each INDIVIDUAL would need for their body.
I’m a “stickler” for getting EACH unique person their UNIQUE protocol.
I found out about the Zyto Compass and that it would take measurements of the electricity in the body and fill in the “electrical shortages” with an oil or oil supplement! It was $399 and being a pracititoner~I was a “little” skeptical about how well this device would pick up what I wanted to know about each person!
Well, I got my “socks knocked off“!
I started “experimenting” by comparing my $10,000 device with my Zyto Compass to see if there would be any correlation between the two. Would they be close to agreeing with what was going on with my clients? They sure did!
I would say 90% would be in agreement.
Even when I would sit and think: what in the world is that Zyto “talking” about? I would take my reference book, look up the blend that appeared at first to make no sense~and BAM!
Sure enough it would be in agreement with my more expensive device!
My clients love it that they can “see” what is going on in their own bodies. They love to have the report in their hands where they can go home, read and think about it! And because they have the knowledge in their head they tend to heal better because they KNOW what they’re working on! (There’s no seperating the emotional from the physical!)
I’m also impressed that this little device is something that anyone can use.
I recommend that my clients and members to get one to use on their family members to possibly avoid doctor’s visits and get immediate answers!
No waiting….
That’s what is so revolutionary about the Zyto Compass.
People using a device~at home~on anyone~and getting answers to questions that you used to have to pay an office visit fee to and may or MAY NOT get to see when you’re feeling bad!
NOW, you have it in your own house and you don’t have to make an appointment for your supplements because I’ve been involved in natural health for about 30 years and one of the first things that you learn is: IF you spend money on supplements that the media says EVERYONE needs, and your body doesn’t need it or doesn’t know how to use it?
You’re FLUSHING your money down the toilet! That’s why I’m excited people have this opportunity to know that their money will be put to good use and not wasted.
Are you ready to take your Young Living business to the next level?
How about taking control of your own health and your family’s health?
Want to take all the guesswork out of the questions asked by potential clients?
Would you like to be the “rockstar” of your Young Living Essential Oils business?
If your answers are YES, it is time to add Zyto Compass Scan to your business. For more information on how to get yours, here is our page dedicated to Zyto Compass.
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.
1. My Professional Networks
Throughout my career, I have always attended or been a part of professional business networking. But it wasn’t until 2012 when I joined http://www.wboconnection.org/, a Women’s Business Organization that I really saw the value of women business relationships both personally and professionally. I was initially asked to speak in February 2012 but very quickly became friends and professional colleagues with many of these women. They have assisted me through their services, referrals and encouragement and I hope to continue to help them.
This is a picture of Cindy Bell of cindybellphotography.com taking pictures for my WBOC profile in the Syracuse Women’s magazine.
2. Lake Ontario
Some of my best memories have been spent on the banks of Lake Ontario or on the lake boating, camping at Fair Haven beach, my first Triathlon, boating across the lake to Canada, walking the pier, watching the boats and of course the sunsets. Lake Ontario is said to have the second best sunsets in the US. Oh and I almost forgot I went to college 3 years at SUNY Oswego right on the lake.
This is a picture of the sunset with my friends Vicki Willoughy and her son Harley.
3. Abbott’s Ice Cream Custard Chocolate Almond
Although I just recently found this ice cream this past summer in 2013, I am in love. I have only had it 2 times but I am seriously considering getting some before I leave… IT’S SOOOOO GOOD!
Here is a great blog about their delicious ice cream and where I took the pic.
4. The Finger Lakes
Some of the most beautiful areas of the state with more than 11 lakes, some small and some big. I went to summer camp on Skaneateles Lake, I lived 2 years on Keuka lake, and my dad’s home is right on Oneida Lake.
Here is a picture of Owasco Lake.
5. My House & Neighbors
My little Wilbur Street home is the first that I have ever owned. Its old green carpets and 1980 wallpaper might make you cringe but it was ours and it was comfortable, beautiful and a blessing to us for 5 years. We had our second child in this home and will never forget this wonderful home and our great neighbors.
6. My Local Support Team
I am very blessed to have a group of amazing helpers, prayer warriors, mentors and staff here in Central New York. They are incredible people, women, mothers, leaders and organizers. They are eager to serve, willing to grow and learn and loyal. Thankfully many of them can continue to serve us virtually.
This is a picture of my Happiness Engineer and Part Time Sitter, Debbie Twomey of www.debbietwomey.com, she has taught me a great deal about kids and helped us grow these past 3 years. Her title is Happiness Engineer because she helps me be happier by caring for and serving our clients and us on a personal and professional level.
This is a picture is of my Aunt Shirley. She helps me by blessing us with a meal every week. Her cooking is amazing and the stress of not having to cook at least 1-2 nights a week is so helpful for this working momma. She is a true caregiver and I will miss her greatly.
This is a picture of Christie from Christie Cares. Christie too has the gift to serve and has listened to my encouragement, guidance and even correction to develop a beautiful career in serving others. I know she will flourish in her life.
And here are just a few more of my great helpers that have supported me and played a roll in changing many lives.
7. The Weather (some of it)
I love the brisk air of fall, after being in the cold winter I love the warm feeling of your car solar heated by the sun in the winter, the rebirth of spring and the beauty of summer. I won’t miss the Lake Effect.
Here are the colors from my house’s back window.
Here is that same view during winter.
8. Niagara Falls
My husband and I love heading over to the Canadian side of the Falls for weekend getaways. It’s beautiful and majestic and there’s lots to do and see.
Pictures don’t do it justice. You’ve got to go yourself and go on the Maid of the Mist or the underground elevator. It’s really amazing.
9. Living Next to my Grandparents
Since 2001 I have lived right next to or one mile from my grandparents. They live there from April- November and then are in Florida for the winter months. Italian dinners, good conversation and wisdom are just part of how they have blessed us, but these past few years I have got to watch how their great grandchildren Joshie and Sarah have blessed them. How cool to have got to be active in your great grandchildren’s lives,
Here is a pic of my grandmother Vita “Vitamin” we call her because she has such great energy taking care of Sarah Grace.
10. My Friends
Through the 14 years I have worked my business with Young Living Essential Oils, I have been blessed to build a whole group of friendships. Some I have just known a few years and others more than a decade but my friendships grow stronger every year. Visiting my girlfriend Cory recently, I am reminded that even though I may not speak to some of my friends for months we can pick up just like we never were away.
So now you have seen some of my life here in Central New York. Next step I will be sharing with you are the things I love from the south.
God Bless and remember to appreciate where you are at in this season of your life. Look for the good because it is there.
Mary Starr Carter
the Total Wellness Doc and Mom
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.
Why I Choose You
by Kayla Howard
Have you ever wondered, “which essential oil brand truly is the best?” Let’s just be honest, if you’ve ever even thought about using essential oils, then you’ve encountered this debate. It’s actually quite a fad right now to debate, disprove, and otherwise sling mud at all essential oils companies-except your own-which is of course, the only pure and natural kind of oil. (Yes, I just rolled my eyes-oops!)
As a prominent and successful essential oil user, I do get asked this question, and usually I choose to create a very vague and non offensive answer then slip away before anyone notices that I’m gone. Why do I do this? Simply because I hate confrontation and do not feel the need to prove what I choose- never because I don’t have an opinion about the best oils.
Personally, I believe it is ridiculous to claim that only one company can possibly create pure essential oils. If that’s your stance, then you need mental help. Hello, essential oils have been around for thousands and thousands of years. One small oil company did not figure out the superior way to create essential oils. Period.
That does not mean that there are not many, many adulterations of essential oils, impure essential oils, and even oils which could be dangerous if misused. Where there is something beautiful, there is always a fake trying to masquerade as equally as good. Be careful. Pure, therapeutic grade oils are not made by only one company, but most oils on the market today are not high quality.
The most common question I get about essential oils is, “why do you use Young Living oils over anything else?” The answer to which is very simple; I trust their quality.
This trust is not just placed in the word of someone inside the company who claims that the oils are pure. This trust is actually based on real life experience. I’ve been there and seen it.
Kayla sniffing, (and sniffing, and sniffing…come on Kayla, you’re going to get high…) a bag of Sandalwood chips ready for distillation!
Mary Clendenin of The Encouraging Home photographing the lavender fields!
Young Living actually has farms near my home where they grow some of their plants and distil their oils. I had the privilege of visiting one of those farms and seeing the planting, the harvest, and even the distillation of the oils. I was flabbergasted by the care and time put into creating essential oils. Before this visit, I KNEW it was a complicated process, but I had no idea how much passion and time it takes.
A FEW Facts that I never knew (there were many!):
- It takes 5 years to train someone how to distil essential oils. That’s just to get them good at it, not amazing at doing it.
- Gary Young searched for a long time to specifically find land which has never been sprayed with any kind of chemicals, etc.. so he could start his farms.
- If even the tiniest thing goes wrong when distilling a batch of essential oils, the entire batch is discarded. Young Living will never use anything even slightly compromised.
- Plants are harvest different and treated with exact and specific care during harvest in order to get the highest quality oil from them. It took many years to perfect the art of harvesting Melissa to get the best oil.
Mary and I had such a wonderful time touring the farm-but I must confess, my favorite part was sitting in the leftover floral water Jacuzzi!!!!
Young Living Silvers enjoying the floral waters!
Bottom line is this; I want everyone to use essential oils because I love them so much! I’m so grateful that I had an opportunity that many people won’t get when I got to tour an essential oil distillery. It changed the way I view essential oils forever. Even though you may not get the chance to visit a distillery, I do know that your gut and your research will lead you to be comfortable with the best quality oils you can find!
Kayla Howard & Mary Clendenin at the Young Living Lavender & Melissa Farm, August 2013.
Kayla Howard is a stay at home wife and homeschooling mom who loves online business. She is a Biblical Health Coach, ISSA Fitness Trainer, Master T-Tapp Trainer, and Young Living Essential Oil Lover . If you’d like to know more about becoming and staying fit and healthy, Kayla is happy to answer your questions! Visit her website: www.kaylahoward.com
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.
This past Saturday I got to enjoy a beautiful scenic fall day with my son. It is one of the last Saturdays we will spend in Central NY in the fall and call it home. We went to our favorite place for lunch, our local Wegmans. It’s actually a great grocery story that tries to support local farmers, has a good healthy foods section and a great deli and eating area. My family has traditionally enjoyed this spot on Sundays and I have had many good meeting with associates there too. I will miss it.
But I realize that home is where your heart is. And my heart is with my family. I was going to write a different message tonight, I had it planned, had my notes ready to educate you on the latest… but then I fell into the time warp of Facebook and Google and my heart was wrecked once again.
I learned about a group of “Lost Boys of Sudan” from an older 60 Minutes show and I heard and saw some of the most moving stories.
So today I am not going to educate you about health but simply share what I found on the internet on 60 Minutes. I hope it helps you appreciate your life even with the hardest challenges and remember your home is where your heart is.
God bless you,
Dr. Mary Starr Carter
***********************************************
The Lost Boys of Sudan
“The Lost Boys of Sudan”: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50143932n
Part II: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50143933n
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.
I sat on the bed with my son last night and just held his hand and rubbed his back. I thought to myself that this precious time of hugs, loving, morning snuggles and catnaps together will be coming to an end soon. I really want to cherish every moment of it.
My daughter is the same. Our precious time nursing is almost over and that makes me sad too. She is growing much faster than I remember her brother developing. Crawling and, I bet within 3 months, walking. WOW! It’s going by too fast.
Making the decision to move to Florida was what I call a God push. About a year ago we first heard this message that we would be leaving NY. Then little nudges that reminded us that as much as we enjoy our comfort and love of our support groups here there is something greater waiting for us.
Now when I say greater I am not just talking about fame and fortune. I am talking about a place and people that are in need of our service. A place where our kids can run and play, a place where we will be able to have a simple life filled with service, love and family.
Maybe that is what you desire for your family too; a simple life, family focused. Or maybe you are looking for a way to help others.
Years ago my grandfather used to say that my husband Jay should get a job at a local factory because then he could depend on a set income, job and financial security.
Well that same company that he wanted him to work for is now moving a lot of its equipment to another state with lower taxes and no union. The days of security are gone. Jay’s first company went bankrupt, but he learned a great deal from that. His second company well that has had his ups and downs but he did find a perfect job for him… where he can work from home and ultimately have more time for us.
I spent $250,000 to go to college, Chiropractic School and start my first practice. Interestingly I also started a home based business in 2000 for less than $200 initial investment and $100 a month. The home based business gave me a way to create the life I wanted, help thousands of people, be home with my family when I wanted to and create jobs for almost 7 individuals.
The point I guess I am trying to make is that time with our children is precious and job security is a thing of the past.
At the beginning of 2014 I will be setting up my office in the Panhandle of Florida. I plan to run weekly teleclasses and monthly trainings with my Young Living home business.
I also will be interviewing individuals all over the US, Canada and abroad to set up similar offices out of their homes. I will help them get started so that they can begin to earn a part time income and grow a successful business that helps thousands. And I also hope to help others create a life they have only dreamed of.
Growing isn’t always easy. BUT YOU WERE MADE FOR MORE.
So stop settling in your comfort zone and get out there and chase your dream.
If your dream is helping others and getting paid for it, give us a call and let us see if our home business program is a good fit for you.
God Bless,
Mary Starr
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.
Have you ever had a time of your life where your finances were stretched thin? Maybe you or a spouse lost a job, got injured and couldn’t work, or maybe it was an illness, or car trouble, or a necessary and unexpected home repair that drained your bank account and left you with minimal resources until your next paycheck.
Before I started working my home business I was so broke I had to get government assistance and food stamps. After I started making significant money with my Young Living business, I was still broke living paycheck to paycheck and going into debt every month. I didn’t understand money because no one ever taught me, or at least I didn’t listen.
When I started taking a program called WAR ON DEBT, my husband and I found 1600 dollars worth of FAT in our spending. That meant if we cut these non-necessities out, we would have an additional 1000 a month (since we were spending 600 more than we made). YIKES I know. I wish I could tell you that I was fully on track now and stuck to a budget, but I’m not. But thankfully I have a good Financial Advisor Angela Renna from www.angelarenna.com, who has kicked me in the butt and helped me straighten up.
The fact is many families live paycheck to paycheck already. It is estimated that 25% of Americans have no savings at all and 44% only have about 3 months of living expenses in their savings.
Emergencies can happen at any moment. Money guru Dave Ramsey recommends that most families have a $1000 emergency fund available for those just in case necessary but unexpected car repairs, broken hot water heaters, leaky roofs, necessary prescriptions, or an agreed upon emergency outside your normal budget.
Recently I finished reading Miserly Moms Living Well on Less in a Tough Economy. It’s a great book. I got lots and lots of great and new ideas from it, from playing with my kids to making wise purchases. But the main thing that really struck home was the grocery shopping. She really woke me up to some things I had been doing that weren’t so good.
Here are 5 things that made my grocery bill the biggest FAT in my Household Budget. (Fat is a term quoted by Dani Johnson for things that are making us broke and in debt.)
1. Wholesale Clubs and SUPER Stores: No matter how hard I tried, every time I went in that store (BJ’s) I couldn’t leave without spending a couple hundred dollars. Many things in these warehouses are not as much of a discount as you think. And because you are buying larger quantities, you will eat larger quantities too. Ask me about the big tub of animal crackers… I ate more of those than my son.
And you say that the SUPER store has better prices which may be true but your are spending more because of all the advertising and availability for other things you may not need, like the latest DVD release.
2. Many of the items I was purchasing at the Warehouse Clubs were convenience items. Single serving Greek yogurts, premade chicken patties and at least one or two treats our family didn’t need. Cutting these things out and purchasing large tubs of yogurt, cooking my own chicken and switching to homemade cookies and treats saved about $20 a week.
3. Make it Yourself: Purchasing pre-made chicken stocks, alfredo sauces, salad dressings, dough, healthy bars etc. can really add up. I estimate that when I do make some of these things myself I save another $10 or more a week. Yes it does take time so planning is important and you may run into issues. Like for my family, we don’t normally drink milk so when I buy organic milk for making a cream sauce I need to have other recipes to finish up what is left over.
4. Meal Planning: If you don’t plan then you plan to fail. And that is so true when it comes to meal planning. It really is fundamental to keeping your budget down and for grocery shopping. If you don’t plan or you plan poorly you will end up having to go to the grocery store more than once a week. And that will lead to extra purchases just because you are there.
5. Shopping with Coupons vs. Multiple Stores: Some people like to brag about all the stuff they save with coupons and that is great and a great accomplishment but really isn’t a savings, because think about it. Most of the coupons are for name brand things and most are not healthy items whether it is food for personal care products.
My friend Lauren would probably disagree. She runs a very successful blog called www.iamthatlady.com. The name comes from that lady at the grocery store with fifty million coupons that you get stuck standing behind. I do find Lauren’s site useful and if you want to learn how to coupon or more about savings, visit her site. Her Facebook page and Twitter feeds help us locally in Central NY know what stores have the best circular deals.
Here is a week’s grocery shopping and savings I recently did:
Morning or Snack Shakes
3 Servings a day $14 a week without protein
1.5 cups Almond Milk, 1 cup frozen fruit (now I add my Power Meal and Balance Complete to our shakes but if you didn’t have any or couldn’t afford it then leave it out)
Shopping BJ’s Wholesale (I know I said not to use these places but if you can discipline and stick to a plan then you might get some discounts.)
Almond Milk 12 cups $3.99
Tropical Fruit Organic Blend or Organic Blackberry,Raspberry,Strawberry $9.99
Breakfast: 3 servings a day $10.50 Total for the Week
1 cup oatmeal (use what you have for sweetening or adding flavor, butter, agave, peanut butter, bananas, fruit or nuts)
Eggs – use what extras you have in the house to mix up your eggs
Scrambled with butter
Fried Eggs with Cream of Wheat
Poached Egg on Toast
Costs: Oatmeal $3.50 Eggs $4.00 extra’s $3
Lunches: 8 Salads, 6 Sandwiches and Leftover Dinners for Lunch $15
Salads or Sandwiches, alternate
Tuna Salad $3
Chicken Salad $3
Egg Salad $2
Add to bread $3 for Sandwiches or over a bed of lettuce $4
Snacks $10
Aldi’s Bag of Apples and Pears $4
Gluten Free Crackers BJ’s or Cucumbers and Carrots and Hummus Aldi’s $9
Homemade Oatmeal cookies or Apple Crisp $4
Pumpkin seeds Aldi’s $2
Dinners:
Cook 4 meals and have leftovers for dinner or lunch and then lunch items for dinner. For example, the Chicken Sweet Potato and rice serves 6-8 meals. So we will eat it at dinner and then again for lunch and then have a salad for dinner and maybe a little bit of chicken in the salad or on the side.
Chicken, Sweet Potato, Pineapple and Rice
Chicken Pot Pie (make your own crust with flour and butter) with peas, corn and butternut squash instead of potatoes
Tuna, Tomato, Pasta Spaghetti Squash
Chicken Rice and Stir Fry
Let me know if you are interested in the recipes by leaving a comment below. I will make a page with recipes on it.
Also my baby can eat some of our sweet potatoes and squashes.
Total costs for the week.
Aldi’s trip: $21, Sweet Potatoes, Squashes, Frozen Peas, Frozen Corn, Frozen Mixed Vegetables, Bread, Pumpkin Seeds, Cucumbers, Carrots, Apples and Pears, can of crushed Tomatoes, Crackers, can of Pineapple
BJ’s Trip: $49, Almond Milk $4, Frozen Fruit $9, Tuna ($7 for 5 packets), bought package of 4.5 lbs. Organic Chicken Breasts $16 but can get the same conventional for $9, 18 pack Egglands Eggs $4, Hummus $5, Organic Spring Mix $4
($10 can be cut from this trip if you don’t eat organic)
Things I had in the house: rice, pasta, butter, almond butter, agave, almond butter, gluten free flour.
So I hope this was helpful. And as you can see, we don’t miss out on eating healthy. Plenty of food and good quality. Remember you can’t run a car on crappy gasoline and you can’t run your body optimally on Ramon Noodles and Macaroni and Cheese. Cutting your budget doesn’t mean cutting your health.
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.
How does a faith filled life look like to you? What we say, think and do each day will determine whether we live in fear or faith. Dictionary.com defines faith as complete trust or confidence in someone or something.
Joe and Sue had their eyes fixed on adopting a sibling group of two girls and two boys between the ages of 6-11. These children from the same mother and two different fathers were abandoned about two years ago and had been transferred from home to home either together in one family or in separate homes.
Initially the children were skeptical of this new relationship when Joe and Sue visited them at their foster homes. As days went by their trust and confidence began to take hold of their fears. The fear of being rejected again, being turned down in good homes, fear of being separated from each other, fear of being abandoned again or fear of being crushed because the adoption would not go through were some of the realities they had faced in their young life.
The children started the relationship with fear. Fear is the opposite of faith. Joe and Sue took on the role of the redeemer and were able to bring love and trust to crush their fears after several months of building a relationship with the children. They spoke potential into their lives and words of encouragement whenever they met up or talked on the phone. Words had the power to ensure, encourage and transform the children’s mindset and confidence.
We heard that perfect love casts out fear. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18)
The good news is these four children are now legally Joe and Sue’s children. They are settling well into a new environment where there is a loving mom and dad. The love from their new parents has given them a chance to practice their childlike faith again.
Do you suffer from the lack of faith?
The opposite of faith is fear. The classic example of men and women of faith is found in Hebrews 11. It starts out with:
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
The whole chapter in Hebrews 11 has stories of men and women who chose to step out in faith and take action. They conquered doubt and fear in the most ridiculous and challenging situations.
Are you a mom who is worried sick thinking about your children’s future, your future, your finances, health or job? Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? Are you speaking life or death into your situations?
One woman that stands out in the Bible with faith and courage is Esther. Esther was an orphan raised by her cousin Mordecai. She faithfully obeyed Mordecai’s instructions and left the comfort of her home to the palace. What were the odds for a simple girl of becoming a Queen? God had his plans for Esther in the most critical moment. I’m sure she was clueless at that time.
When faced with life-threatening moments she prayed, fasted and stepped forward again. This time it was to help Mordecai and the Jews. She had to plot out a plan and approach the king. The king had issued a decree where no one could enter his courts without being invited. Was she going to risk her life for the sake of Mordecai and the Jews? Did she learn about faith and thinking the right thoughts while growing up in Mordecai’s home? Esther was a motherless and fatherless child raised by her cousin.
Nothing was said about Mordecai’s wife or a woman influencing Esther. Mordecai could have been a single ‘dad’ who had the faith to raise up a child of faith and honor.
Esther was the catalyst for redemption of the Jewish people because of the act of faith in the midst of fear and uncertainty. She might have gone through many sleepless nights before coming up with a decision and action plan.
Dani Johnson the author of Grooming the Next Generation for Success said:
It’s IMPOSSIBLE to succeed without FAITH. Someone who BELIEVES works DILIGENTLY towards their goal…FAITH is stepping out & taking RISKS where there is no guarantee of a return.
What do you need to step into today or this season of your life?
Young children are the best examples of seeing faith at work. My son is not worried whether there is enough food on the table. There is no doubt in their mind when you toss them in the air. There is no fear of falling or being injured. They have childlike faith. They are enthusiastic, adventurous and have trust and hope.
However, negative influences and environments have stolen our childlike faith. We have a Redeemer who has purchased our sins with His blood and made it possible for us to live in grace, hope and possibility in the midst of challenges and negativities. He already promised to be with us and in Hebrews 11:6, the Bible says:
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Faith does require action. Just like the four children that Joe and Sue adopted. They were willing to give the relationship a try. As a result they are now living in a happy and safe environment where their future is being designed by the adopted parents with the help of the Almighty God. Because of Esther’s actions, the whole Jewish community survived the threat of their enemies.
Moms of faith, let’s choose faith instead of fear. Our children are watching us each day to demonstrate the steps of faith.
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.
Do you know about the Witch Momma? You know, the mom who is all calm and cool one minute and the next is screaming at the kids. Or maybe the mom who constantly is yelling for children and husband to help her do this or do that. Or the mother who has NO PATIENCE and the family feels like they are walking on eggshells around her. Do you know this mom?
Well I know this WITCH Momma all too well lately. I AM her lately. She seems to come out during stressful times of the day. When we are getting ready to go somewhere and are late, when 3pm rolls around and I have kids who won’t take their nap or at the end of the day when I have a mountain of dishes and 2 more hours of work to do. I can feel my blood pressure rise, my heart race and my mood SWITCH.
How about you, do you know this Momma?
Well I am sorry if you know her personally, but I have learned some simple tips that will help you keep the Witch Momma away.
1. Balance Hormones: I suspected that the Witch Momma had to do with hormones fluctuating since I saw her a lot while I was pregnant and then after my baby was 5 months old and I started getting my period again. A helpful article on Hormone Balance. I got on Progessence Plus Serum and it really started to make a difference in my mood immediately. It does take some time to get yourself balanced but it is very important and worth it.
2. Exercise 30 plus minutes a day: Walking on my treadmill in the morning for 30 minutes helps me stay positive and happy throughout the day. I am more patient with my children, nicer to my husband, focused when I am working, energized and overall happier. I did find that 15-20 minutes was good if I didn’t have time but 30 minutes at a pace of 2.8-3.5 seems to create the most happy hormones, energy and endurance for me.
3. Chiropractic makes a huge difference in my clarity and mood. Because of my work, babies and life, getting a spinal adjustment every 3 weeks helps me the most. I notice that after an adjustment, my pain is reduced, my breathing and mental clarity improved and happiness increased. It may sound weird but I know from all the years of studying the anatomy and physiology of our body that a Chiropractic adjustment can produce “happy hormones” and positively affect our nervous system.
4. Stress Reduction Sessions: How we deal with stress is SOOOO important. Everyone has it in their life but how we deal with it can be life giving or life taking. Stress reduction can include exercise, a massage, a walk, sitting in nature, a drive or a quiet trip to the bathroom. My favorite stress reducer is something called “Total Relaxation Session” with Jeannie Poyneer.
Women have to realize that taking time for themselves and exercise is so important. It is not only good for your health but it is a stress reliever. I have suffered from multiple stress related conditions including Bell’s Palsy. I have a stressful job and life and Zumba and exercise helped me feel the best I have felt. – Dawn T
5. Aromatherapy: When we smell a smell, it goes directly to the part of our brain called the limbic center or the emotional center. Research shows smells can have a direct effect on our moods, including calming, mood elevating and alertness.
Peppermint has been found to increase alertness. Lavender has been used for its calming affects. And citrus oils have been used to help elevate moods.
My favorite oil to calm the Witch Momma is Stress Away oil. It is an essential oil blend by Young Living Essential Oils with lime, vanilla and other great essential oils. I just roll it on my wrists, chest and neck and it calms me almost instantly.
I know what you are going to say now… you are going to give me EXCUSES. I don’t have time. I don’t have the money. I can’t. I am not too tired…
I know I had all those excuses myself. But we have to put those excuses away and start making the time, finding the money and pushing ourselves to make time for SELF CARE. Because really that is what it is. When we make time, budget monies for and find help for our babies so we can have SELF CARE, it is AMAZING how much better we feel, how much more we can accomplish and how more healthy we are.
In my house I had to enlist my husband to partner with me so that I could have time in the mornings to work out. I ask my grandma or even pay for a sitter so I can go to the Chiropractor or relaxation session kids free. Most of my essential oils like Stress Away I can get FREE every month with my Young Living membership and rewards program.
I am not saying it’s easy. My husband saw almost immediately that giving me that time in the morning made me happier and better throughout the day. That made him want to help me more and encourage me to get a sitter or help when I needed it for self care. And of course essential oils are diffusing throughout our home all day long making everyone’s moods better.
If you want to keep the WITCH MOMMA away, follow the 5 tips above. If you would like to know more about Progessence Plus Serum or getting Stress Away essential oil or my other favorite essential oils at wholesale prices email info@starrhealth.com. I look forward to helping you get healthy and happier.
For you Total Wellness,
Dr. Mary Starr Carter
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.
Cloth Diapers. I tried them once before with my son Joshua. I purchased a brand from a friend without doing any research and it ended up being not so good. I passed them on to a girlfriend with twins and she did use them.
I met the business owner Lisa Emmons of Mother Earth baby store and Diaper Service during my 2nd trimester of pregnancy with Sarah Grace. Lisa helped me realize how easy this service would be. And she was right. Using cloth diapers and cloth wipes with a diaper service is not only easy, but really good for my baby.
I am a bit of an environmentalist but really it’s my health advocate that makes me like these cloth diapers so much. Have you ever smelled a baby diaper before? They smell like baby powder and perfume. Talc is very bad for us. It is not healthy to have all that artificial stuff next to our very sensitive and private areas. I believe (this is my opinion) that perfumes and talc are adding to increases in infection, endometriosis and cancers or our sex organs. So I am going to do my best to avoid those things for my children especially my daughter.
I am a busy momma so I admit I don’t use the cloth diapers all the time. And when I use the organic disposable diapers, I find that Sarah has more redness and irritation versus the cloth diapers. And I LOVE THE CLOTH WIPES. I just moisten them with warm water and wipe her with just water or sometimes a little Young Living KidScents Bath Gel added and then just put the diaper and the wipes right in the bin. The diaper service washes them both.
So really I love my cloth diapers with a Diaper Service because of convenience, savings, health benefits and environment benefits.
If you know someone who has babies, who will be having a baby, or thinking about having a baby please pass on this blog and videos below. Please enjoy the videos of Lisa from Mother Earth Baby below and let us know your experiences in the comment section below.
Mother Earth Baby Diaper Service
How to Use a Cloth Diaper
How To Fold a Cloth Diaper for a boy or a girl
How to Take Care of the Diaper for a formula fed baby
How to Travel Using Cloth Diapers
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.
My mom has worked in clerical work for more than 38 years. Today she retires. Early this morning I left this message on her voicemail so she could listen to it and know how much I appreciate her. I thought I would share it with you too since her work has impacted you too. Let me know what you think or share about your mom over on my Facebook page.
“Mom I just wanted to leave you a little message on your last day of work. I am so proud to be your daughter. You have been a wonderful mom and example to me. You always have had a great work ethic throughout these 38 years. You always stayed positive no matter if the environment around you wasn’t so positive, or the jobs were not the best. I know you took the jobs you did so that you could earn more money and help me throughout the years.”
“You sacrificed so I could have a good education, opportunities and help when I needed it. I don’t think that I realized your true sacrifice until recently. I realize now that when you were a single mom, you left a job and community you loved to make more money and went from feeling honored and worthy to feeling like a number. You sacrificed some of your dreams and happiness so I could have mine. I know for a fact that I wouldn’t be the woman I am today personally and professionally if it weren’t for your sacrifice. So when you look back at your career know that your accomplishments go farther than 38 years of being a secretary but there are now hundreds and thousands of other women and men whose lives have changed for the better because of the sacrifices you have made.”
I love you mom.
THANK YOU.
Your #1 Daughter (and only daughter),
Mary Starr
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.
When I was 19 years old and in my first year of college, my friend Heidi Allen went missing on Easter morning from the convenient store she worked at in New Haven NY. It shocked our community and quite honestly I couldn’t comprehend it much myself. About 5 months earlier I had talked to Heidi and she told me about these alarm systems her boyfriend was selling. They were these little round buttons you keep with you and if you were in danger you just pulled the string and this loud noise would go off. I couldn’t understand how she could be missing, hadn’t she been protected? Above is a picture of what Heidi would look like today (20 years later).
Heidi was tall, beautiful, vibrant, and just beginning her life. Things like this didn’t just happen to people like her, to our small community, to people I knew. Sadly a few years later my Chemistry professor would share with me that his own daughter went missing when she was away at school. And because of the laws at that time they were not able to have an extensive search and rescue for her. To my knowledge she has never been found. Four years ago another colleague shared with me about the disappearance of her ex-husband and the father of her children William Zani Jr. age 41 from Rochester NY on October 25, 2005. He still has not been found. I now realize that this awful thing happens, it happens to people I know and it happens in communities all over the world.
Around 2005 a woman named Lisa Buske, Heidi Allen’s sister would come into my life through my Young Living business. At first I did not know who she was but had this strange feeling I knew her. Eventually I learned that she was Heidi’s sister and we became friends. She gave me a gift I cherish, the first chapters of a manuscript about Heidi’s disappearance she had just written. I couldn’t read it for a while and when I did I still struggled to comprehend Heidi was gone.
Fast forward about 7 more years and my friend Lisa Buske published a book Where’s Heidi? One Sister’s Journey. It shares Lisa’s perspective as a sister, the roller coaster of her life, emotions and memories after her sister’s disappearance and a journey of healing.
Losing a parent, sister or brother is horrible no matter what the age. But when a child, teenager, young adult, or adult goes missing it is an inconceivable type of tragedy. It wasn’t until I was 35 years old that I learned how common kidnapping is. It sickened me. I am very passionate about educating and making my readers aware of the danger that is very real in our world today. Here is an interview I did with Lisa where she shares about those who are missing.
But I also know there are many many people like Lisa who are dealing with this pain of not knowing, the confusion of no answers and the anger at it all. What happens to those the missing left behind?
In Lisa’s book she gives us insight to One Sister’s journey of discovery, healing and hope. You read each page with your heart racing and hurting at the same time. You get to see and understand from a sister and loved one’s perspective. You learn things that could save the lives of people you know. You learn how a heart so broken, a wound so deep can be healed. You learn about forgiveness and how to receive a peace that passes all understanding. But most of all you learn about hope.
I pray that God will put on your heart to read this book and pass it on to those you love. Here is the link to purchase the book.
God bless all those who have lost loved ones tragically,
Dr. Mary Starr Carter
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.
Tour of the Young Living Farm in Guayaquil Ecuador
By Claudia Looi
Nothing beats a real life experience…
Our driver Johnny took us to the front of a huge closed gate. The guard came out and instantly recognized him and let us in. He drove through dirt road for over 10 minutes and I saw the vastness and lush tropical trees as far as the eyes could see.
I didn’t grasp the full concept of Seed to Seal until I saw it with my own eyes at the Young Living Farm or Finca Botanica Aromatica in Guayaquil Ecuador. As Jose showed us the Worm House and the processes of preparing the soil for plantation I began to think about the term ‘organic’.
What does it mean to be organically grown without any chemicals or artificial fertilizers? What is organic gardening?
For answers I went to Burpee’s website:
Organic gardening is more than simply avoiding synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. It is about observing nature’s processes, and emulating them in your garden as best you can. And the most important way to do that is to understand the makeup of your soil and to give it what it needs. If anything could be called a ‘rule’ in organic gardening, it’s this: feed the soil, not the plant.
The Worm House is extremely important in the process of cultivating plants to produce Therapeutic Grade A essential oils. The processes that had to take place before seeds were planted into the soil blew me away.
What exactly is the Worm House for in Young Living’s Farm in Guayaquil?
To produce organic liquid fertilizer!
The worm population is well-maintained in the worm house in Finca Botanica Aromatica. It could double every 2-3 months and adult worms can produce up to 12 offspring per week. This worm house in the farm produces organic liquid fertilizer.
This part of the tour showed that Young Living’s plants are produced in exceptional quality soil and organically without chemicals.
Looking around the farm
During our visit, oregano was being harvested. Workers hand picked the leaves and were replanting them in the green house. Another group of workers were handpicking the leaves at exactly the right time for distillation. There is no cloning or hybrid seeds found.
Ecuador’s tropical climate and fertile land allows year-round growing season.
There were ylang ylang trees with flowers, peppermint, lemongrass, palo santo trees with oils coming out from the tree trunk.
We were given a few pieces of peppermint leaves and rubbed them in our palms. Instantly we had could smell the soothing peppermint essential oil.
The ylang ylang trees grow very fast in Ecuador. They only take two years to mature and produce fragrant ylang ylang flowers where the oils are extracted.
Close to the Worm House is a brick building. The walls were made entirely by the students from Young Living Academy. These students are taught a new method of making bricks by using local dirt and cement.
Distillery and Laboratory
We saw three stainless steel distillation equipment on site in Guayaquil. Low pressure and low temperature were used in the steam distillation process to ensure the plant compounds remained uncompromised during the extraction process.
There was a sweet fragrance in the room with the aroma of Ylang Ylang. Ylang Ylang essential oil was being distilled during our visit. The water extracted from the plant was being channeled to Nova Vita spa.
Finca Botanica Aromatica Guayaquil has its own internal lab to test and ensure the purity of the essential oils.
The Tree House
Dr. Gary and Mary Young’s son Joseph was with his friends going to the tree house when we visited. The tree house is a great place to find solace and get away from it all. You can reserve a night there for $70 per person per night including all meals and transportation to and from the city of Guayaquil.
The tree house has two rooms, one bathroom, a kitchen area and sitting area. It has the best view of the farm, pool and a lake.
Nova Vita Health and Spa Center
Not far from the Distillery and Laboratory is the Nova Vita Health and Spa Center. It was filled with patients during our visit. There is a spa room that gets water from the distillery. Nova Vita provides therapies and treatments using therapeutic grade essential oils.
Their services include blood analysis, raindrop techniques, colon hydrotherapy, chiropractic treatment, body synergy treatment, infrared sauna and floral waters Jacuzzi.
The center sells selected Young Living products to patients. I saw OmegaGize, Multigreens, Longevity, Juva Cleanse, Super B and Comfortone.
Patients and guests can choose an overnight stay at the center either in the four bedrooms below the treatment center or at the tree house.
Dining Room
Close to the center is the dining room and kitchen by the lake. The dining room has a kitchen where all meals are provided for patients and guests who stay at the center. We spoke with the cook from Peru. He said all meals and drinks on site are prepared without sugar, normal salt or white flour.
Across the lake from the dining room is the first ‘house’ in the 2,000 acre farm. Adolfo pointed it out to us and said it was Mary Young’s “first house” according to Dr. Young.
Our tour to the Young Living Farm in Guayaquil was informal but informative. It opened my eyes to the purity of the oil, the professionalism of the company, the happiness of the workers and the benefits that Ecuador is receiving from a man who had the vision and tenacity to make a dream come true.
As I left the farm with the driver to the city of Guayaquil, I saw the school bus waiting for workers in the farm. Transportation is provided daily to the farm’s workers by Young Living’s Finca Botanica Aromatica to the nearby villages.
Young Living Farm is a working farm that supports the community of Chongon by providing jobs and an opportunity for students to learn about agriculture and the use of local materials for building and making the place a more environmentally friendly and safe.
Each essential oil we promote, purchase or use is made with integrity, purity and quality.
Claudia Looi is an Online Copywriter and Web Content Writer. She is currently traveling in South America with her husband and two teens. You can find her at www.travelwritingpro.com
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.
Parenting My NingXia Teenage Son: His Vision His Passion His Goals
By: Claudia Looi
I like to think he was the cutest when he was little even with snot coming out from his nose. My son was always getting sick when he was little. His life as a toddler evolved around going to the doctor, emergency rooms, bruises and runny noses.
He had gone through an emergency hernia operation, scratched eye emergency observations, high fever emergency visits and many more. But he was a happy child.
When he was five, we realized he couldn’t speak well. The teachers couldn’t understand him and his voice was low. After some testing we found out he had a little speech problem, too little that the school would not pay for therapy sessions. My husband and I bartered with a friend to work with him on his voice and speech. And I gave her son free piano lessons.
It worked out well. Both boys are great teens today. My son speaks clearly and with great intonation and her son is a great musician and I believe both boys who had been great friends since five are going to impact the world.
When he was in fourth grade, his English teacher gave him a 2 out of 6 for writing in the beginning of the school year. That meant he would fail writing, his most important subject in fourth grade. We immediately hired a writing coach and got him to work hard. That hard work turned his writing into a 4 and 5 out of 6.
Today he is an excellent writer. He is a straight A student in his virtual school. You can explore his writing at The Travel Gear Reviews (his website). He is also my graphic designer and Google Adsense guy. He knows a lot about WordPress and builds and designs his own website.
Being a parent is not easy…every stage poses a set of challenges but none can compare with the challenges of raising a teen. Time and time again, I’ve seen teens getting into trouble because of one thing. Can you guess what it is?
Boredom!
Boredom in school, at home or just plain bored. If a child say, “I’m bored!” there must be a reason to that complaint. It could be school is too easy, too difficult or he or she is just trying to find an excuse. Boredom in teens can lead to mediocrity, passiveness, uninspired work or trouble.
Boredom is a real thing. My son was totally bored when he was in public school. His boredom and complaints about being bored stems from three things: his giftedness, fast pace work and excuses. When he was in middle school we had to deal with these constant complaints. So we placed him in virtual high school from home. Did he complain?
Yes, initially. Not now after he saw the benefits. He is only human.
Here are three observations and steps my husband and I took to raise a purpose-driven, focus and sensible teen. Remember we are not perfect and are not there yet. He is still learning and growing.
One: We are his mentors: lead by example
We have no credibility with our teens if we are not willing to do the things expected of them. Many times I have to check my own attitude, words, work ethic and teachable spirit before I could point my finger to my son. Nothing warms my heart more than to hear my son said the other day, “Wow, mom you are so coachable!”
My husband and I don’t know everything. When the time is right we will be looking for a mentor for him to increase his skills in areas that we lack. I have to admit that in order to raise teens that are purpose-driven and focused, we have to be walking in that path too.
Many times I make mistake and have very bad attitude and I fall short regularly. My son has the freedom to tell me so.
Two: Give opportunities to explore and make mistakes
My son likes online shopping and loves to ‘beat the system’ as he calls it. About a year ago he watched and bid for a Wii game for days. He was so excited when he finally out bid everyone else. When the package came, he realized the CD was broken probably due to shipping.
He was crushed. Although he is not a spender, he is one who gets disappointed easily when things don’t turn out as expected. When he was 12 he wanted a game so badly. He begged me for the game for days and I warned him it might not be the same as he anticipated. Sure enough, he was totally disappointed with the purchase.
These are just two examples of the disappointments and ‘mistakes’ he had. If we didn’t allow him to explore he may never have known the outcome. However during our travels here in South America there are many dangerous paths that he wanted to take. We had to stop him from doing so and not let him risk his life. One example would be our trekking trip. Jonathan can jump high and climb fast even in high altitudes. When he gets excited he forgets the dangers.
We have to sit him down and tell him the reasons. He is one who will not take ‘no’ for an answer easily.
Three: Honoring our words and freedom to express himself
Jonathan loves sports, especially soccer. His favorite team is an English team called Chelsea FC. One of the reasons we are going to England next year is because we have promised Jonathan since he was 12 that we would bring him to a live Chelsea game in England if he agrees to cutting the cable (which means no more watching TV).
It is not convenient to bring Jonathan to England and we have been to England two times already but a promise is a promise. It takes money and time to bring a promise to past.
In other words we have to mean what we say and stick to our promises. Jonathan is given freedom to do the things he likes to do. We have also invested money and time so he could pursue his interest and passion.
Raising kids just like building a business requires time and money investment. There is no free ride. If we want the best for our children, we have to invest time, money and energy into them including their health. Jonathan is a NingXia Red teen. For nutritional guides, we used Dr. Mary’s article Teen Boy’s Nutritional Guide. It is crucial that we pay attention to their health and teach them to take care of their body.
We have to invest into ourselves too, to be the best that we are called to be, not perfect but the best.
I’m not a perfect mom, my teens will tell you that instantly. They are who they are today because of their faith in God and their parents. The Bible says, train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6).
Jonathan is 15 and a sophomore in Florida Virtual School and is scheduled to graduate one and half years earlier than his peers. He splits his time between schoolwork, working on his website, watching soccer and traveling with his parents and sister. He creates widgets, Facebook and WordPress headers and other website graphic design work. You can find him at www.thetravelgearreviews.com. You can find Claudia Looi at www.travelwritingpro.com.
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.
Are you grateful, I mean truly grateful for this life you have? I believe every life has its sorrows and losses, but sometimes when you are in the middle of your life, having a hard day, a difficult challenge or an overwhelming problem, we can forget all the good we really have. The other day I was reminded of how blessed I really am.
We were 30 minutes late and my husband took a wrong turn. I wanted to jump out of my skin a scream at him, “What are you doing?”. I wanted to scream, “If you didn’t work so much we wouldn’t be late”, I wanted to just scream and become UNGLUED. I recently read about this concept in the book by Lysa Terkeurst by the same name. She talked about this concept of becoming UNGLUED. And wow could I relate.
A day like today with only 4 hours of sleep, a sick baby, my work TO DO list overgrown made it so easy to become UNGLUED when my husband made just a little mistake. But before I blew my lid over a little thing, I practiced what I had learned and put it in perspective. My local friend was home alone with 4 children (including a newborn) for the next 9 months while her husband worked more than 11 hours away. I was blessed to have such a wonderful husband and partner here with me who worked from home nonetheless. I was blessed.
So we finally made it to the restaurant for my grandmother’s 87th birthday party. I kissed this amazing woman and my grandfather and thought how blessed I was to have them still in my life and my children’s lives.
As I sat and listened to the small talk, the topic turned towards the passing of a family friend. This woman lived a horrific and extraordinary life. See, she was a Holocaust survivor who survived 2 concentration camps. She was so emaciated after the war that she spent an entire year in a hospital recovering her body and strength. Her father found her and they went to Canada and then to the United States. Someone at the table said, “Wow we don’t realize how good we have it do we?”. He was right. This woman lived an extraordinary life probably because she appreciated life in a way not many could ever realize.
The next conversation focused around a beautiful 3 and a half year old named Nora, who had been born very, very premature. For the past 3 years her parents have been through hell and back putting their daughter through surgery after surgery, procedure after procedure, and ultimately knowing she will leave this world at a very young age because her lungs and heart will not sustain her.
After our birthday celebration I went home to a sick baby and spent the night holding, rocking and ‘oiling’ my baby up so she could breathe better. I thought of Nora’s parents and how they have to go through the heartache of seeing or hearing their baby suffer everyday.
The next morning I didn’t complain about how tired I was, or about my own head cold, or how much I had to do that day. Instead I thanked GOD. I thanked God… I thanked GOD for this DAY. Because TODAY is all we have.
So my message to myself and to all our readers is that when you feel like coming UNGLUED remember how good you have it, even on your worst day. Appreciate today and honor the gift of today with your attitude and example. LIVE TODAY FULLY.
God bless you my friend. Come on over to my Facebook Page at and let me know something you are grateful for today.
Dr. Mary Starr Carter
the Total Wellness Doc and Mom
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.
Mom my back hurts, Mom I have a headache, Mom my shoulder hurts… these are not statements that are normal for kids to say. In fact most kids shouldn’t be in pain. So anytime there is a problem, it’s important to figure out what is causing it.
The three mentioned above all could be due to your child’s backpack. Please watch this quick informative video by Chiropractor and Kids Spinal Health Specialist, Dr. Beth Dubois:
Backpack Safety Guide Checklist
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.
So Saturday night I had my 20th year class reunion. I have known about it for several months now and I was fine with going until about 48 hours before the event. Two days prior I started getting this weird anxiety. It was like a quickening of my heart, anxious feeling, and then on the edge of tears all rolled into one. As the hours grew closer to the event I became increasingly more anxious. Finally I decided to take a bath in Epson salts and Idaho Balsam Fir. Idaho Balsam Fir helps to lower your stress hormones naturally. I laid in the tub for about a half hour and when I got out I felt a whole lot better.
Thankfully I found something decent that fit. My friend and I arrived with her husband and the four of us took off for the class of 1993 high school reunion. As we entered the banquet hall my nerves were even a bit more relieved to see familiar faces. Sadly I soon learned that one of our classmates that still lived in town had died and his wake and funeral was today. How awfully sad.
I headed to the bar to order a Corona with lime, the second beer I have drank in two years probably. I have to admit it also helped me to relax and gave me the courage to introduce myself to many people I didn’t recognize or know. Some classmate’s kids were in high school while others like me just had children. I learned that one classmate, Anna loved Melaleuca oil because it helped to stop her 1 1/2 year olds’ ear infections when she put it in the humidifier. Another classmate said her partner had Lyme’s disease and nothing medical helped. Only natural remedies got her health back. I also got to share with some friends who asked about migraines or other ailments and some natural solutions that would help their symptoms.
I guess I was a little self conscious being the heaviest weight I have ever been right now. Yes I know I just had a baby four months ago but I really thought my body would shrink. I didn’t feel so bad as many of my classmates’ bodies didn’t shrink back either. But three women were very inspiring.
My good friend Cindy Brown released over 100lbs with exercising and eliminating the carbs. Carrie Clark released over 50lbs with exercise and changing her food choices, and recently she became a Beachbody coach. But the winner for awesome body even after birthing three babies and having a full time job was my friend Michelle. She began doing yoga in college and continued it but after the birth of her third son, she decided she wanted to start teaching. So she invested 200 hours to learn to teach with Yoga Works. She now teaches three to four classes a week, and WOW does she look good. I don’t mean just skinny she was always thin, but HEALTHY. She radiated.
There were happy parts of the night seeing some of the more zealous hyper boys of high school really find their own creatively in music and life. There were sad parts of the night to listen about divorces or see that too much partying had aged some classmates. Our classmate who had passed suffered a lot of years with back pain and knee pain according to his friend. He said he was on a lot of medication for a lot of years and that did him in. He died suddenly of a heart attack.
Now I really don’t know the whole story but in my field I know that path. An injury leads to pain medication which for most is highly addicting and when you try to get off of it, it makes the pain worse so you spend even more years addicted to it and in this pain cycle loop. You add a poor lifestyle of bad food or alcohol and the body will eventually shut down. It is extremely sad but we see this happen all the time with movie stars like Brittany Murphy or Heath Ledger. So hearing this story of a life gone too soon, I am revitalized to start sharing and screaming – THERE IS ANOTHER WAY – YOU DON’T NEED ALL THOSE DRUGS – IT’S A TRAP BE CAREFUL!
Okay maybe you think I am being a little dramatic and you may be right. I have never had real awful agony pain that lasted weeks or even years. But I do know there are solutions out there that can help, natural safe alternatives to harsh drugs and their side effects.
My 20th year high school reunion was really good. I left feeling happy, relieved, sad, and heart broken at the same time. I want all those people to know what I know, to live like I live and be free of drugs. But I also know that only some of them want to be better, only some of them will seek out alternatives, and some of them will actually do what they learn. But I will be there hoping, sharing and giving solutions for Total Wellness.
God Bless you GRB Class of 1993 – I am here if you need me.
For your Total Wellness,
Dr. Mary Starr Carter
www.thetotalwellnessdoc.com
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.
Women in business struggle with many challenges but learning to relax, rejuvenate and turn your mind off from work can be quite a challenge. Sometimes it can lead us to habits that are a detriment to our health. At the end of a long work day we can over stuff with sugars and sweets, a bottle of wine, or recreational drugs that help to ‘turn off’ thoughts about work, ‘turn off’ worry, and ‘turn off’ our brains so we can relax. Unfortunately these choices come with consequences to our health and eventually happiness.
One woman in business found that re-kindling a childhood love helps her relax and rejuvenate from the daily stresses of work and business. Morgan Karagosian is a Manager at Benoits Salon and Spa in Camillus, NY. Three years ago she decided to take over ownership and care for a horse named Addie when her friends no longer could care for him. It had been 10 years since she had ridden a horse but from the ages of 6-17 it was her passion. When other girls were excited to do sports like soccer, cheerleading, and volleyball she was riding horses. She states horsemanship taught her about responsibility, care, and honoring these beautiful creatures.
For the past 14 years she has worked up the ladder of success at the busy salon, spa and store, Benoits in Camillus, NY. She started in reception, cleaning and inventory management. In 2005 she graduated from beauty school and quickly found her salon chair filled with eager clients. Today her average workday is 10-12 hours a day 5-6 days a week. Being a stylist and manager with a 60 plus hour a workweek schedule, vacations are rare. Taking on ownership of a horse may have seemed overwhelming but it was a great decision for Morgan.
Boarded at Daniluk farm and stables and literally minutes from her home, Morgan is able to stop by on busy days to just give Addie an apple and rub. The barn is very de-stressing. When you are there it seems like you are in a totally different world. Your mind turns off to everything outside.
Morgan’s mom and founder of Benoits Kim Pontello finds just grooming Addie to be extremely therapeutic. Morgan has also enjoyed retraining her horse with the help of trainer Erica Freibuger. Training has been therapeutic for both her and her horse who has been known to act like a 3 year old most days. She rides Addie whose show name is Secret Admirer in the local horse show circuit from late spring to fall. As busy as she is, she is able to enjoy the sport she loves and compete. The barn also provides transportation for the horses to the shows.
Morgan says, “Before getting Addie, life and work was hectic and stressful and now I may still have the same life but with Addie it’s not stressful”.
As women in business, working and stay at home moms, we all could learn from Morgan and seek out a healthy passion to help us to ‘turn off our brains’, relax and rejuvenate every week if not daily.
Go over to my Facebook page and let me know what you do or want to do to help ‘de-stress’ your life.
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.
What’s wrong with this picture? The Washington Post reported that the royal birth only cost $15,000 and the average American birth is billed at $30,000.
United States childbirth cost is one of the most expensive in the western world. Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to the royal baby boy at St. Mary’s Hospital for less than you and I if we were to give birth in many of the hospitals in America. What’s worse is our own prince or princess will not be treated like royalty and could just be a number in the newborn unit.
To top off the differences, the Duchess received royalty treatment in a private suite with gourmet food and comprehensive wine list including champagne for three days. Did your pregnancy and childbirth cost more than $15,000? Even if it cost $10,000 did you get royalty treatment or gourmet meals with wine selections in an average American hospital?
Recently I gave birth to my baby girl at home and not at the hospital. My own home birth with 2 RN midwives present and all my pregnancy care and follow up was $4000. Many would have second thoughts because in the last 30 years the popularity of hospital birth has taken over home birth because of many fears and myths. I chose home birth instead of the conventional hospital birth with excellent care from two qualified RN midwives. You have to do your own research and know your health conditions when making decisions about your type of childbirth.
It isn’t always expensive to give birth in America. The cost has increased rapidly in the last 30 years in hospital births. Many of my readers have voiced their opinions about the cost of childbirth in America.
Here are a few of them:
Childbirth about 30 years ago
Cheryl M:
In 1979 and 1980 mine was like $600 with a lay midwife. What is wrong? There is a book The Immaculate Deception. I read it and of course Ina May’s when I was pregnant.
Donna H:
28 years ago my daughter’s birth cost us $150.
Maryellen L.
In 1972 ours was $3000, and the doctor was not even there. We were in the labor room and called him in to cut the cord.
Home birth
Melissa B.
My birth at a birthing center with a certified midwife was around $2,800 and my oily (Young Living essential oils) birth kit should have cost around $340+ but because of my essential rewards points, I paid $11
Courtney S.
$4,000 was the most we ever paid out of all 5 home births and last time we got a 2 (twins) for 1 deal! Frugal & fertile insurance helped with 3 of our 5 back in the early days too. When I was 21 I wrote them a cost comparison letter and miraculously they approved it!
Sandra W.
When i had my home births-I had some of the best care that I’d ever had! Everything was preventative. They watched my growth, my ph balances, my keytones, my blood sugar, my hemoglobin, my diet. When I went the medical route, I would ask about all those things & they wouldn’t know anything because they wouldn’t check it!
AND there are going to be bad births anywhere. The hospital or home. I loved my home births. AND it was about a 1/3 of the cost to us.
In the United Kingdom’s hospitals most uncomplicated births and non high risk births are being led by midwives with doctors on call. They manage all prenatal, birth and after birth care.
Some of my readers have this to say about the cost of childbirth and my opinion on the differences between royal birth and average American childbirth:
Ray L.
I just don’t understand the royals anyway. The Brits have a higher rate of homeless yet they are willing to spend multi-millions on supporting the royal family…DUH!!!! I can be royal, now and then.
Christin H.
15,000 or £15,000 (pounds)? The healthcare in England is free so how is the delivery cost calculated?
Jihan T.
Don’t get me started, Mary. Christin, I believe they used a private, non-covered wing of the hospital.
Jane R.
Where did you get your numbers from? I do not think that 30,000 is what CNY is. I don’t believe it is “greed” as much as it is our sue happy culture. As a neonatal NP, I only see the bad side of home births…when something goes wrong. Not everyone should have a home birth.
Dawn H
US spends more than ten other countries combined on healthcare but thanks second lowest in live expectancy!
I love how we all can have different opinions and view points and still honor each other. An astounding figure I found out was C Section births cost is around $50,000 billed out. The insurance companies in America are being billed ridiculous amounts by hospitals and doctors. Average Americans may have to pay the differences of what is not being paid by insurance even if they pay hefty sums monthly to insurance companies.
It all adds up!
Jamie P who is one of our readers said “which is exactly why i harassed our insurance company for a year and a half to shell out for a cheap homebirth!!!! and they did!”
AND Diana D. said “I had to have an emergency c-section and my preemie had a 5 week hospital NICU stay. Thank goodness our health insurance covered 100%.”
But for some who has pre-existing conditions like Candyce P
“There is NO way they would ever let me have a home birth. I am a type 1 diabetic with high blood pressure. Wish it could happen…BUT its just not possible for everyone during pregnancy.”
We can argue about the cost and types of childbirth all day long and would not get anywhere because we have choices and we are all different. We have to know our health conditions and our total wellness. Some of the most active and healthiest women I know had c-section hospital birth because of the size of the baby and their body type.
Childbirth is a personal thing. You have to know your body type and watch your diet and total wellness. The old adage ‘you are what you eat’ still holds true today. Are you investing into your health and total wellness (body, mind and spirit)?
Are you giving your body a royalty treatment?
Don’t abuse your body with bad diets, junk food and synthetic nutritional supplements.
Ashleigh G. said:
Our short life span is due to our diets, not the health care system. Monsanto, artificial food dyes, processed crap foods, McDonald’s, etc. You are what you eat.
The Duchess’ birthing room may have included a birthing pool, WiFi, newspapers, private staff and gourmet meals and paid less than average American childbirth, however you and I can do our own research, educate ourselves and prepare our body for our own ‘royalty’ childbirth.
Watch out for a series of my blog posts with Dr. Leanne Deardeuff on how to use essential oils and Young Living’s nutritional supplements for pre-natal care, childbirth and a healthy baby.
What is your opinion of the cost of childbirth in America? Let us know. Please 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.
My Aunt came to town on Sunday from Austin, Texas. She just retired from a 30 plus year teaching career. To honor her, we set up a Total Relaxation Experience with one of our local Young Living Associates. She will have 80 minutes of hot stones, essential oils lightly massaged on her back and feet, stretching and a hot towel on her back, then her feet will experience a full Reflexology session. She will receive more than 13 essential oils in all. Sounds good?
Well she certainly deserves it. In her 30 plus years she has really given all of herself to her kids and school. She, like many women, learned the importance of taking care of herself after some serious car accidents and a battle with breast cancer. She found nutritional supplementation, regular Chiropractic care, walking, yoga, and other natural alternatives help her feel her best. Without those things her body lets her know with aches and pain.
How about you? Have you taken care of yourself lately? Do you have a regimen for your health that makes you feel your best? Maybe you use some favorite essential oils, a warm bath with Epson salts, 2 ounces of NingXia Red or a nutritional supplement everyday that makes you feel great. We would love you to share what your favorite regimen is. Please let us know by replying to this email about your favorite health regimens.
If you haven’t been taking care of yourself then I am here to encourage you to start. In 2 weeks we will be hosting our Success In Six Program where we encourage 6 points to help you in your Health Regimen. Please mark your calendar and join us Tuesday August 20th at 9pm EST.
Title: Success in Six
Time: Tuesday, August 20th at 9:00pm Eastern
Listening method: Phone + Web Simulcast
To attend, visit: http://InstantTeleseminar.com/?eventID=44416857
Phone Number: (206) 402-0100
Pin Code: 700454#
See you then,
For your Total Wellness,
Dr. Mary Starr Carter
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.
Well I just got my first real hate mail today from a reader. I know that this is going to be a common thing as we grow and the more people we help. It is not reality to think that everyone is going to agree with my opinions and the way I do things. In fact we all need to think for ourselves. We must know our values, figure out our priorities in life, discover our passions, and live our lives according to those things.
The Total Wellness Doc and Mom is not better than you, or more important just because of the amount of people who have LIKED my Facebook page or get our emails. But I am a retired Natural Health Doctor who spent 9 years of my life studying to be a Chiropractor, then another decade learning about Natural Medicine and working with patients. In that time I learned and experienced some awesome things in the recovery of health. What I know can and has improved lives.
I have spent more than a $300,000 to learn both health and business. And thousands of hours practicing my craft, presenting on essential oils and natural remedies. The check I get every month is now in the 5 digits and helps support more than 6 staff member’s families.
But guess what?
The big check I get doesn’t come from selling classes or giving seminars. It comes from a simple network marketing business I started for less than $300 and $100 in product a month. When I first started my business I was living on food stamps and government assistance. I worked consistently 8-10 hours a week for 18 months before I started seeing significant income.
I used credit cards to finance my first year in business (I don’t recommend that) and did Raindrop Treatments for family and friends for $25 a session when I first started. Later I invested my earning back into my business and personal development education and learned how to grow my little network marketing business into a thriving business.
And I am not the only one. I have more than 40 associates who work this business with me directly part time. Many have either full time jobs, a brood of kids, or busy lives but they all have a passion for helping others. Every associate I work with directly is committed to learning and growing. They invest in their businesses and personal development every year and some every month. All of these individuals are working their way up the ladder with their time, money and energy. There are no FREE rides to success.
So to respond in love to the hate mail email who was angry about me charging for classes when they were just starting their Young Living business and felt that they should get the classes for free and that I should not be blessing my wallet… well I am sorry you feel that way.
The $47 class in question was led by a woman with 38 years of experience in her field and on that topic. Her value is immeasurable and her training was worth hundreds of dollars. As for blessing my wallet, well thank you to those who do purchase our classes.
Your investment helps my family, and a single grandmother raising her granddaughter, another family who is about to purchase their first home, two different single women who used to struggle to make ends meet, a mom going through a divorce, a family who is able to take their children abroad for an entire year because they can work via the internet and help serve us and other clients. So yes I will continue to charge for classes because they are worth it and if I were to have stayed in poverty and not valued my work then I would not be able to bless others.
So I thank all the clients we have and am very grateful. I will continue to work for you, learn more for both my benefit and yours and never stop growing. And if you want to join us in the simple, fun and yes PROFITABLE Young Living business we would love to have you apply for an associate position. But remember you must have a positive attitude, be willing to give it 18 months -2 years of effort, and yes invest your time, money and energy. You can call our office to set up an interview 315-883-1943.
For your Total Wellness,
Dr Mary Starr Carter
the Total Wellness Doc and Mom
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.
Do you eat breakfast? Or do you skip this very important meal? I am meeting more and more people who say to me, “I can’t eat breakfast.”, “I am not hungry for breakfast.”, “It makes me sick to eat in the morning.”. YIKES! These individuals don’t have a clue what they are doing to their bodies. Skipping breakfast is a BIG NO NO. The body needs fuel not starvation and the quickest way to gain weight is to go long periods of time without eating. Did you know that the sumo wrestlers gain all their weight by actually not eating all day and then binge eating one meal? YIKES!
Well I have several favorites when it comes to breakfast. Our family indulges in 1-2 times a month in bacon, fried eggs and grits. It is so delicious especially when you break the yokes and mix your eggs with the grits and then break up your bacon in the mix. It is a delicious blend of salty creamy goodness. (Can you tell I am hungry?)
Traditional bacon gives me a headache and I am not the only one. Many people suffer from migraines because of all the MSG, monosodium glutamate in traditional bacon. Some know this is the cause and others just think they are getting a headache. When we found this Applegate Sunday Bacon with no MSG, and made without antibiotics or other junk I was very happy and lo and behold NO HEADACHES after eating this bacon. I had some friends and clients test it out too and they agree they can eat this bacon when they can’t eat traditional bacon.
Although you will spend more on this bacon and there is less in each package than normal bacon, it really is worth it. It’s delicious! The smaller portion will be better for your waistline too.
In this video I will give you three quick recipes you can make with just 1 package of bacon. Also check your local wholesale grocery stores. Our local BJ’s here in Central NY has a 3 pack of Applegate Bacon for less than $10 which saves you about 4 dollars off of what you would pay if you bought them individually. I know some of our readers are struggling financially and wondering how they can eat healthily and buy organic and cleaner food that is more costly then the conventional foods. In this video I will show you how to STRETCH your BACON BUCKS. LOL!
Share your favorite bacon recipes with us in the comment section below.
For your Total Wellness,
Dr Mary Starr Carter
the Total Wellness Doc and Mom
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.
Proteins powders are found in our local grocery stores, health food stores, local gyms or health clubs and online. What are they anyway? How do you know which is the best for you?
Everybody is different. What may work for me may not be that great for you especially if you have food allergies, a sensitive stomach or you are a vegan. I believe in quality over quantity for protein powder. Let’s look at the different types of protein powders and why we need protein.
According to Kidshealth.org:
Protein builds, maintains and replaces the tissues in your body. Your muscles, organs and immune system are made up mostly of protein. Protein is used to make hemoglobin, the red blood cells that carry oxygen to every part of your body. It is also used to build cardiac muscle (heart muscle) and every moving part of our body including protecting us from diseases.
We get protein from food like fish, chicken, beef, eggs, beans, lentils and milk products. Proteins are made of amino acids and there are 20 different amino acids. Our body needs amino acids for the functions discussed above but the food that we eat may not have those essential amino acids to build strong muscles and a healthy body.
How much protein do we need? Here is a chart taken from CDC’s website:
And when I was pregnant, my midwife recommended a minimum of 75 grams of protein a day but ideally 100 grams.
To help us understand the amount, CDC gave the following example:
One cup of dry beans has 16 grams of protein
A 3-ounce piece of meat has 21 grams of protein
Find out more by going to their website.
There are many types of protein powder made from different types of protein. Some are made of soy protein, whey protein, hydrolyzed whey protein, egg protein, beef protein and plant protein like brown rice or peas. Some of the protein powders in stores could be made mostly of carbohydrates with a small percentage of protein or some may be filled with lots of fat that your body shouldn’t have. Usually if it’s a huge tub of protein powder and it costs less than 30 dollars it isn’t quality protein powder.
Here are my top three favorite protein powders:
Beachbody’s Chocolate Shakeology
I like my shakes with about half of the recommended dosage and some people with sensitive stomachs cannot handle this delicious protein powder. Shakeology contains more than 70 natural ingredients including nutrient-dense whole foods.
Chocolate lovers will enjoy Beachbody’s Chocolate Shakeology.
Garden of Life Raw Protein
You can purchase Garden of Life Raw Protein from Whole Foods Market. This raw protein has a neutral taste and is an excellent foundation for a high protein energy shake or smoothie.
It is suitable for anyone who is practicing vegan or vegetarian diets, has food allergies, is sensitive to milk or needs low carbohydrate diets.
Power Meal
Power Meal is a meal replacement formulated for the vegetarian diet. It is a low-fat, rice-based meal rich in calcium, antioxidants and amino acids. It has 20 grams of protein per serving and has a complete vitamin, mineral and enzyme profile. It is my favorite because I can live on this protein powder and know that I am getting all the nutrients needed for the day.
This whole-grain brown rice protein is rich in selenium, manganese and phenolics, dairy-free, allergen-free and easily absorbed in the body. Not only is it delicious, it is one of the most effective ways to add to a weight management program.
The benefits of Power Meal includes:
1. It is dairy and allergen-free
2. Helps build muscle mass
3. Contains a multi-nutrient meal replacement complex
4. Provides sustained energy release
5. Enhances natural detoxification process
6. Formulated for a vegetarian diet
7. Supplies 20 grams of protein per serving
8. Supports healthy and normal cholesterol level
9. Helps overall health for those with weight management or fitness goals
I have used Power Meal in many different ways. Some of the most basic ways to consume Power Meal is to add two scoops to 8-10 oz. of cold water or drink of your choice. Shake, stir or blend and drink. You can add fruits or essential oils to your shake.
It’s my favorite of all the Protein Powders because you can LIVE on IT! Meaning if that’s all you ate you would get plenty of nutrition. I remember this one day I was in Pittsboro, NC and got a phone call at 7:30am asking if I could do Chiropractic for these Rock Bands at an all day event in Batavia NY the next morning.
I made the decision that I would do it and got in my car with water, a shaker bottle Power Meal and NingXia Red. I drove 14 hours straight, got only 4 hours of sleep and worked 12 hours the next day. I know that those Power Meal shakes kept me going and gave me a ton of energy.
When at home I make this delicious shake for my growing toddler, husband and I. I call it the Vitality Shake. I modified it from my friend Jennifer Crippen’s Adrenal Shake.
1 Cup of Coconut milk or Coconut Almond Milk (some people like just water or Almond milk Base)
1 scoop Powermeal by Young Living
1 cup Dark Berries
2 TBSP Flax Seeds Ground / Flax Meal
½ of Ripe Avacado
1 tsp of Cream of TarTar
5 half droppers of Mineral Essence by Young Living
½ – 2 cups of Water depending on how thick you want your shake
You can also add more favorites like kale for more green nutrition etc. I would recommend staying away from sweet carby fruits like bananas and peaches although I have been known to add those sometimes too.
You can get a bag of Organic Triple Berry Blend at BJ’s wholesale club for $9.99 here in Central NY. This is a really good deal of these delicious organic berries.
Triple 3 Adrenal Support
If you are stressed out, then you really need these 3 ingredients in the Vitality Shake. They help support our adrenal glands that become depleted after periods of stress and can lead to some serious health crisis if depleted for long periods of time.
I love this Vitality Shake. It is so delicious and makes for an amazing meal replacement or snack. In fact my mouth is watering just writing this. You will find over time your body will crave the good nutrients in this shake.
Protein powders are not just for athletes, body builders or growing teens. It is great for moms, dads or anyone who wants to include healthy protein, minerals and vitamins into their daily diet.
To me Power Meal is one of the most satisfying, delicious and complete plant-based protein powders. When I make a shake or smoothie, I need to know that I have the protein, vitamins, minerals and essential oils all delivered in one glass for a busy mom of a baby and toddler.
Today I am making it easier for you to get yours without membership. Just click BUY NOW and you will receive your Power Meal in a few days.
And if you want the minerals too to support your adrenal glands you can purchase them here too.
Power Meal/ Mineral Essence Combo SAVE BIG – $87
Purchase both Power Meal and Mineral Essence and you can SAVE SAVE SAVE
Save over $21 dollars!
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.
This video is part of my personal story and journey and struggles with Breastfeeding. I think God planted some of these challenges so that I could understand more Mommy stuff and struggles as well as be driven to find solutions.
Please share this video with women you know who are going to have babies or those that are struggling with breastfeeding.
Thank you,
Dr. Mary Starr Carter
the Total Wellness Doc and Mom
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.
