I’ve been searching for hair care products that don’t contain harmful, synthetic ingredients. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Polyethelyne Glycol, Cocamide Diethanolamine and Fragrance are some of the ones to avoid. I experimented with several shampoos including some that did not suds. For about 5 months I just coasted along until I noticed my hair was thinning. Having baby fine hair, this immediately got my attention and started to make me nervous. Paying more attention to styling while I was drying it helped to cover the spots where you could see my scalp. Even though this worked some of the time, hiding the problem wasn’t solving the problem. My real fear was that it would continue to get worse.Continue reading→

Recently There have been a lot of blogs, books, articles, and discussions about “Real Food”. But what does that mean? Isn’t it all real? After all we have not yet reached the point of 3-D printed foods! (Even though that is beyond my wildest imagination, it is said to be on the horizon).

There are a couple ways to define “Real Foods”. I have a friend whose grandchildren call it “God made food” as opposed to “man made food”. Traditional food as opposed to industrial food or food in it’s natural state as opposed to synthetic food is another way of looking at it.
In my mind, real food has no additives to preserve it, change its color, appearance, or flavor. If you read a list of ingredients and can’t pronounce some of them, then that is not real food. If there is an ingredient listed (on a jar of pasta sauce for instance) that you would not add if you were making the pasta sauce at home in your kitchen, then that is not real food. I personally think pasta sauce tastes best when you get the ingredients from a local farmer’s market or grow them yourself and then cook the sauce in your kitchen! I also know that is not always possible – so look for a jar that has about 4 or 5 ingredients, no preservatives, nothing you can’t pronounce, and only ingredients that you would have in your kitchen – and NO sugar.Continue reading→

A few years ago I decided that I would get up when I woke up. Consequently, I don’t usually do early morning appointments. Today was a little different and I had to leave the house at 7am. To my utter amazement it was still dark! I can’t believe I am going to say this but I actually thought “standard time is a good thing this time of year” even though I loathe the thought of it being dark before I am ready to end my day and settle in for the evening. However, that is really not the point of this blog. I hadn’t gotten very far from home when I noticed a long string of cars in line at a fast food restaurant- over 20 of them. Yes, I counted! I was at a red light – nothing else to do. When the light turned green and as I was pulling away one of the cars merged onto the road. It happened to be a brand new, very nice, expensive car. Now, I’m not proud to admit this – because it was judgmental- but my first thought was, “geez they have their priorities a little messed up. They are driving a great car, but giving their body a much less than great breakfast.” I won’t go into a long diatribe about the negatives of processed, fast foods, and additives that we can’t pronounce as opposed to the benefits of real food. I’m, for now, going to assume you know what I’m talking about. I’ll save that for another blog. Suffice it to say, real food is always the best choice. Then I calmed down and realized we are all over-scheduled. Fixing a healthy breakfast takes some thought and planning. Let’s face it, it’s time consuming. And sometimes (most of the time) that extra hour in bed wins out. Preparing something in advance is always an option, but frequently people with families are helping with homework and getting the kids ready for bed. People without families are trying to fit in errands, household chores, and some semblance of a life outside of work. In our world today, convenience is king. And guess what? I hadn’t prepared a meal either. But here is the big difference. I have a box of Hope Reset Bars. They contain 30-40% of an adult’s daily nutritional requirements, are non-GMO, gluten free, sugar free, have pre-biotic fiber, a perfect balance of Omega 3 and Omega 6, and most importantly they taste great. And they are real food! So I’m covered. I keep a couple with me all the time. When I am out running around and can’t stop to eat I have a back up bar! Even though I am not trying to lose weight, they can be used as a meal replacement for people who are on that journey. In fact I use them in my coaching program, “14 Day Jumpstart to Reset Your Metabolism”. So it’s pretty much a win-win. Here’s the best part. Every time I buy a box of bars the same nutrition is sent to a malnourished child somewhere in the US or around the Globe. The Hope Bar Project is dedicated to eliminating childhood malnutrition! It truly is a win win – for your body, your soul, and children!

I am proud and excited to announce that I have partnered with EMSquared and the Hope Bar Project to eliminate childhood malnutrition in the U.S. and around the world. We all know what the picture of a malnourished child in a third world country looks like, but have you ever considered what that looks like here in the United States? In this country that shows up as an overfed and undernourished child, an obese child.

In the past we have considered it a third world problem, but it exists right here in our own back yard. It happens when a body doesn’t get the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients it needs to develop properly. Being overfed and undernourished has become an increasing problem here due to modern farming practices, GMO foods, the fast food industry and processed foods.

If a child is malnourished their chance to live a long, healthy, and productive life is greatly diminished. It can affect their immune system , bone growth, and cognitive development. They could have lower IQ scores, learning disabilities, poor social skills, and decreased problem-solving capabilities – just to name a few. These kids are the future of our world. They depend on us.

As adults, we too, need the right amount of vitamins, minerals, and good nutrition to keep our tissues and organs functioning so we can live and perform at an optimal level. Our bodies are designed to crave food until they are properly nourished. In today’s world with our modern diets those needs are seldom met. As a result the cravings never stop. Today 2/3 of American Adults are overweight or obese. The modern day paradox is over-fed but undernourished.

EMSquared has products (Hope Complete, Immunaloe, Hope Bar, and Hope Reset Bar )that provide plant sourced, whole food nutrition that allows you to obtain the required daily values of micro-nutrients. According to the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee 75% of health care costs in this country could be eliminated through better nutrition. Are you ready to take action? Choose the highest quality standardized whole food product available and provide your body what it is craving!

And here’s the best part. When you choose the best you are also choosing the best for a child in need. Every time you choose to nourish yourself, our company will donate the exact same nutrition to a malnourished child in the U.S. or around the world. It’s the same concept as Tom’s shoes. Become a Champion for your own health and the health of a child.

Eight Things To Do When Counting Sheep Isn’t Working

If you’ve ever pulled a couple all nighters you know what sleep deprivation can do to your body.  In addition to being exhausted your mind doesn’t work as clearly and your patience level is definitely diminished! You may think you can sleep late on the week end and that will make up for it. Wrong! You can’t catch up on sleep. Will there be irreparable damage? Probably not from this one incident.  The body is an amazing machine capable of healing itself as long as you give it what it needs.  However, if you punish it for prolonged periods of time it may just eventually say, “I give up!” Then you have problems. Some of the issues that can arise from poor sleep habits are increased risks of obesity, stroke, heart disease, and diabetes, the loss of brain tissue, worsened metabolic/thyroid problems, lowered sperm count, and memory problems. )

While good health can be defined as the absence of disease, wellness (our ultimate goal) is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well being. One of the essentials for wellness is proper amounts of sleep.  The new and updated guidelines from the National Sleep Foundation (recommend that adults 24-64 get 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Seniors 65 and over need 7-8 hours of sleep.

We live in a hectic, over-stimulated, and stress filled world.  Many people are having major sleep issues.  Either they can’t fall asleep or they can’t stay asleep.

Here are some basic suggestions that will help you get a good night’s sleep:

1. Make sure the room is totally dark.

It’s all about the natural circadian rhythms. Get some bright light outside during the day (preferably mid day). Dim the lights in the evening.

2. Do not have a tv, computer, or cell phone in the room.

Electromagnetic devices disrupt the production of melatonin and serotonin. Keep your alarm clock as far away from the bed as possible.

3. Make sure the room is cool.

Keep it 70 degrees or below. Use an extra blanket if necessary.

4. Do not take your worries to bed with you.

Remind yourself that you can’t do anything about it right now anyway. Take the Scarlet O’Hara from Gone With The Wind approach and tell yourself you’ll think about that tomorrow!

5. Have 30-60 minutes of down time before going to bed.

Follow the same routine each night. Do not watch the news or a suspense movie just before bed. Instead try meditating or writing in a gratitude journal. Make sure you are actually going to bed early enough to get the proper amount of sleep.

6. No alcoholic beverages before bed.

They actually are a stimulant!

7. Take a magnesium supplement or massage your feet with a magnesium oil just before bed.

Magnesium is a most powerful relaxation mineral and according to Dr. Carolyn Dean, who has studied magnesium for 15 years, about 70% of the population is deficient. (

8. Close your eyes and focus on your breath.

Notice your breath going in and your breath going out. When thoughts pop into your head just start over and focus. You will go to sleep.

Sweet Dreams!

Last Friday was rainy and chilly.  It just seemed like a soup kind of night.  It wasn’t quite cold enough for chili and  kale and white bean soup wasn’t what I wanted either. Besides I knew I didn’t have any kale. When I looked in the fridge I found a large cauliflower, carrots, and several ears of corn.  So I went in search of a recipe that would use those ingredients.  I made a few minor changes and this is the end result.  Normally, I wouldn’t blog about a recipe, I would just add it to the recipe of the month selections. However, when I got several inquiries I decided to go ahead and post it just in case there is one more soup kind of night.  If you like it – sign up for recipe of the month.Continue reading→

Have you ever had something your mother said years ago suddenly pop into your mind? It doesn’t seem to be related to anything going on at the moment –but there it is! Recently that happened to me. I could hear my mother saying, “God certainly takes care of those children!” To put it into context – there were some young children in our neighborhood who were always disheveled and unkempt. Their little outfits were wrinkled and stained. Shoes were not a part of their everyday wardrobe and it appeared the last time a brush had been through their hair was about a week before. The smudges of dirt on their angelic little faces seemed to be permanent, and yet they smiled, played happily outside and NEVER seemed to get sick.

Yes, you could say God was taking care of them, but not in the way we would usually visualize that happening. We have been provided with an amazing abundance of all things we need to live healthy and prosper. One big component of that is dirt and the microbes in the dirt! (Probably not where you thought this was going).Continue reading→

It’s been a couple weeks since I watched Oprah interview Don Miguel Ruiz, the author of The Four Agreements and even though I read the book years ago, I’ve been rehashing that interview segment ever since. His book is actually on my website’s list of recommended books (under resources). Why? Because it deals with that aspect of health and wellness that has nothing to do with food or exercise but a way of living that can lead us to happiness and love.

Something Oprah admitted got me to re-examine my take on and implementation of The First Agreement – Be Impeccable with Your Word. Basically, I am spot on and have no difficulty with that agreement – as long as it involves someone else. If I have said I will do something, come hell or high water, I will do it! Here’s the rub. That, for me, (and for Oprah too apparently) is a whole lot easier than doing what I said I would do when it involves me.

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As the New Year gets closer you notice there are 5 more parties on your calendar.  Last year after the big 3 (November, December, and January) you were depressed, overwhelmed with guilt, and dreading the effort it would take to resurrect the body you had before the holidays.  It’s never too late to start and even though we are more than half way through the big 3, here are a few tips to help you enjoy the next 5 parties without guilt.Continue reading→