R3FitWorld Retreat w/Michelle

Family holds on to SAD while R3 wife holds on to Snacks

R3 Wife with an Instant & Empty Nutrient Family

My 1st time making Thankgiving meal 11.25.09

Tasteful or Trashy?

A few Months ago someone on Facebook commented that she was blocking some guys who were sending her some perverted private messages. She has LOTS of photos of herself and IMO(in my opinion)most of them are tasteful and some of them are trashy. I responded that it could be because of some of her pics....and the games began! Seriously, a few people all capped "HATER" and few agreed with me, which either way was fine with me. I have been in the fitness/modeling industry for most of my life and have worked with some beautiful faces and bodies! But I truly believe that there is a difference between modeling/showcasing/posing and enticing/tempting/inviting.

Here's where it gets tricky: What is tasteful to me, might be trashy to you and vice versa. I also know that our current society wants to express themselves however they choose and if you try to intervene you are considered judgmental and full of "haterade". The part of me that is old-fashioned or desiring to be Christ-like wants to reach out to those who may not know, it is obvious that it would be useless on those who do not care.

Because of my industry(s), my own tasty-trashy-o-meter may be a tad skewed at times and when I am in doubt, I ask my hubby. Some things are blatant though...do you really have to wonder if licking your lips, squeezing your boobs or being on all fours while in your G-string on fb is tasteful or trashy? Do you keep quiet because you do not want to offend anyone? Do you think "to each its own" and everyone should mind their own business? Do you speak up, but in a way that is viscous, snooty or hateful?

Sodas, Science Projects & Soy Milk?

A Family That Sits Down To Eat Together in 2010!

I had to ask myself "WHY"?

    
     Getting right to the point... ..a marketing professional told us that we should take the phrase "christian company" off of our brochures. He said that it could possibly hinder prospective clients for our programs or services. Instead of being offended and snarky, I asked myself a question to ponder? Why do we have it on all of our materials? What is the purpose? I then realized the reasons that are NOT true. It is NOT there to get clients because we personally believe that God supplies our needs, therefore people can't give or take anything from us. It is NOT there to eliminate non-christians because I am sure that some of our clients may be non-christians. It is NOT there to make people think we are a perfect company made up of perfect people because noone can make that claim.

     So why did we choose to put "christian company" and why did we choose to keep "christian company"? Mainly because we personally believe that the things in our lives that are rooted in the foundational principles of the Bible will prosper us and help guide us ie.business, relationships & family etc. It is no different from someone who puts metaphysics as their guide through life (although those foundational principles are biblical too;).

     What is your take on this? Do you think the two (biblical principles & work) should not be intertwined? Do you think it is a recipe for disaster to separate them? Do you think that it is not a big deal either way...kind of like "to each it's own"? Do you not talk about politics and religion (although, I don't focus on religion I focus on the relationship)?

Are You On The Fence?

One of my favorite lines in an excellent movie called "Facing The Giants" is when a group of people tried to turn the assistant coach against the coach. They had been pointing out the coach's flaws and telling the assistant coach that he would make a better head coach. The coach found out what was going on behind his back and confronted the assistant. The assistant seemed confused and "on the fence". The coach looked him in the face and said, "you are not doing anybody any favors by being on the fence"!

I believe that people choose to sit on the fence in many areas of their lives because they feel it is easier than making a committed decision in either direction. It is nothing but avoidance and is a cowardly approach. Which areas of your life are you sitting on a fence? Is it helping you or hindering you? If you have never sat on a fence before in real life, you could still imagine what that would feel like..unpleasant & uncomfortable!

Do you tell yourself that you will stop eating fast food, but the next day you are in the Taco Bell drive through because you felt like you were pressed for time?...You ARE on the fence! Do you tell yourself that you will exercise 5 times a week because you know it is good for you, but settle for 2 or 3 because "other things came up"?...You ARE on the fence! Do you wonder why other people seem to do the things you want with ease? It is because they hopped off of the fence and made a decision. Do you think it is easy for them but hard for you to get off the fence?

Here is a test: Go find someone's dirty cat litter box and start eating out of it...why do I hear silence?...why are you not crunching? Oh I see, you are not on the fence as it relates to that. It is easy for you to hop off of the fence and make a firm decision that you do NOT want to eat out of the cat litter box! What is interesting is you would assume that the litter box analogy is obvious on which direction you want to go in once you jump off the fence. I am here to say that if you look at anything you are on the fence about, it is obvious which direction you should jump off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So what are you waiting for? I know that your butt is sore (maybe even has blisters from sitting so long, so take a big deep breath, take that leap of faith and see what you have been missing out on all those years on the fence and most importantly, do NOT climb back up there to your comfort zone fence that is not too comfortable!

"I think I can" NEVER gets old

My Dad is Using Food As Medicine & is "Cancer Free"

S.A.D. Kitchen=S.A.D. Issues Sodas & Crackers & Juice OH MY!

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Pantry Raid: The Snacker

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Are All Health/Fitness Enthusiasts Snobs?

Are all Health/Fitness Enthusiasts snobs? ...NO! I believe that many are perceived that way because they can make others feel inadequate or self-conscious. If your co-worker is chowing down on some leftover greasy pizza for lunch and had not worked out consistently in over a year and you walk in smilingly with a giant fresh salad of arugula, cucumbers, quinoa and cilantro, full of energy and expressing how sore you are in a good way from the kick butt workout you did that morning before sunrise…it can come across as boastful. However usually that is not the case, anytime someone makes positive changes in their life they feel proud and want to share. They did not do anything to warrant the title “snob”. 

There are even cases where the person has a great physique and is sitting enjoying the healthy lunch quietly and still cause the co-worker to feel uneasy and inadequate. So who has the real problem? …Of course the co-worker. The co-worker also has the opportunity to be inspired and ask questions like, what motivates you to eat healthy and workout? How long have you been committed? Do you have cravings? And so forth. But that probably would not happen if the co-worker feels hopeless. If you feel like you have tried everything under the sun to no avail, you start believe it works for other because they have a fast metabolism, are disciplined or have green eyes with hazel specs lol! 

There are however some people who are snobs and think they are better than others because of the choices they make. But the bottom line is that no one is better because we all have to choose to make better choices daily and we are all capable of failing daily. May the person who has never eaten anything processed throw the first  scone!

4 The Love or 4 The Money

When I was in search of my passion and purpose in life people would say the phrase that I loathed, "do what you love and the money will come". Considering I used to be impatient (although it sounds good making it past tense...let me be real and say that it is my life-long goal to be patient) I was determined to focus on the money and crossed my fingers that the love would come. Year after year I was motivated and driven by money and funnily enough never really had it. So in short I was working in ways that did not fulfill my purpose, caused me stress, felt uncomfortable and awkward doing it and did not increase financially because of it. I went through a depression phase for close to a year after pursuing money to no avail. It made me spend most days in bed wondering, praying and dreaming. I felt paralyzed because I felt that there was something deep inside of me that wanted to be watered and nourished but had no clue as to what. I only shared this agony with my husband at the time and I did continue attending church which helped tremendously. I did not take any antidepressants and was never actually clinically diagnosed with depression. 

Toward the end of that year I had a dream that I was leading a group of people in fitness outdoors. I woke up feeling extremely joyful and motivated. It seemed so real and all I could think about was making it a reality. I told my husband about it and he was very supportive and  that catapulted us into research mode, to training mode and finally to launch mode.  He had to put off joining me until he came back from his tour in the war on Iraq, but dove in ferociously when he returned. Fast forward some years now and we have been researching, training and launching new aspects of our business as we find the best way to get clients results and our preferred vehicles to deliver those results. I have been the happiest of my entire life (outside of God, wife & mom) for these past years. 

I would have never imagined life could be this exciting. Don’t think that you don’t still have obstacles and issues when you are “doing it for the love”; it’s just that your passion for it overrides ANYTHING negative. So I guess I learned that “do what you love and the money will come” is true. However what happens is that the money ends up becoming a byproduct of the value you create and your focus just stays on improving/creating/improving/creating. So ask yourself, are you in it 4 the love or 4 the money?

"Blah" Day....NO WAY!

I am feeling SUPER EXCITED today! Do I feel this extremely excited everyday? ...uhm......NO! What is the difference between a super "blah" day versus a "move out of my way bcs I am making magic" day? There are certain things that are constants in playing a role, such as diet, exercise, sleep and stress levels. Most of my days are pretty exceptional bcs I start my days with exercise and 20 ounces of fresh squeezed juice, but today I know it is because of a different reason. I feel EXTREMELY grateful today.

I am frequently thinking of all the wonderful things that I have in my life and all the wonderful things to come. I am interested in small things, like how I am glad the eco-friendly company decided to design this water bottle that I am drinking from all the way to how I have never sailed on a gigantic sail boat and plan to do so one day. I am focusing on how I can use my gifts to help people and how I am so blessed to have met so many people that are all uniquely perfect. I find that when I have days where I am "blah" or worse is because I am feeling hopeless, helpless and worried. I am focusing on all the clothes that I have to wash instead of being thankful that I have clothes. I am focused on who made me mad instead of how I can use that experience to not do someone that way.

The good news is that anytime I have a "blah" day I ALWAYS promise myself that I will not allow it to spill over to the next day no matter what. Therefore I always look forward to the next day because I know it will be better. I refuse to have 2 "blah" days back to back bcs it robs me and just as I would not to let a person rob me while I do nothing, I do not want to allow "blah" days to rob me of my joy, productivity, inspiration and mindset. So pay attention to how often you have "blah" days and what you are thinking about throughout those days. Then you will recognize the robber and set a trap for it for next time.

A Day In The Life of Joy

Transparent adj.1.easy to see through, understand, or recognize; obvious 2. candid, open, or frank = the new direction that I will be taking this blog.  At 1st I only focused on health/fitness here and now I will be literally giving you a peak into my life. I am a student of life and focus on improving my relationship with God, my role as wifey/mommy, my ability to be an entrepreneurial super-girl and much, much more. Although I consider my life interesting and unpredictable, I am NOT doing this for spectators. I am doing this to hopefully motivate and/or inspire you to be more and dream more. I also learn about people/things/topics from your participation in the "comment" section. I started this post with the definition of transparent because I have always been and will always be direct and I allow you guys to be direct as well. Check on here frequently to see what's up...following the blog with Google Friends Connect on the left accomplishes this easily.

Food Chopper HOT or NOT

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Americans Including Christians Drug of Choice: CAFFEINE

Caffeine is the Christian drug of preference. Drink a glass of red wine or light up a cigarette during Sunday Night Fellowship Hour, and you will be thrown out on your ear. But a two-hundred-gallon pot of black adrenal-rush will bring friendly smiles of delight. The meeting would not be the same with the absence of its nutty aroma filling the church basement. Little white Styrofoam cups floating in small clusters of heavenly conversation.

Caffeine is the world's most popular stimulant—the drug that four out of five Americans take on any given day. Most of the caffeine we consume comes from coffee.
The United States buys nearly one-half of the world's supply of coffee beans.
Caffeine is highly addictive. Quitting coffee can cause withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, sleepiness and irritability. The acidic nature of coffee can lead to stomach ulcers. When the excess acid enters the bloodstream, it also increases calcium loss in urine. Coffee has no nutritional value.

Coca Cola put cocaine in their drink at the turn of the century. It sold extremely well. Some consumers succumbed to the addictive quality of cocaine and started to drink undiluted Cola syrup. When cocaine was banned for use in soft drink the bottlers switched to caffeine. The top selling soft drinks are loaded with caffeine: Coca Cola, 62 mg; Mountain Dew, 49 mg; and TAB, 45 mg. Similarly, instant coffee contains 66 mg per cup.

On those warm summer days, young children can drink large amounts of caffeinated pop. Children with half the adult weight and three times the sensitivity. One can of cola for them is equivalent to 3 cups of instant coffee for an adult. Caffeine, combined with sugar, salt, and a diet high in synthetic food, creates one unmanageable youngster.

In a survey, the four top reasons for people quitting coffee were: central nervous system disorders, 39%; gastrointestinal problems, 37%; to break the addiction, 19%; and fibrocystic breast tumors, 15%.

Monkeys are sensitive creatures. During the Boer War, the enemies of the British often poisoned their food supplies. Soldiers used monkeys to test the food. They chose what to eat by holding the food to their lower jaw and if the food was poisoned, the monkey would throw it away. A natural health practitioner, fascinated by the account, decided to test baboons to see if they had a similar ability. An apple was injected with strong coffee by a hypodermic needle. Two apples were given, the untouched apple was eaten hungrily by one baboon, a second baboon received the injected apple. He held it to his jaw, let out an angry screeching sound then tried to attack the experimenter. When he was given a good apple he went off to the corner and ate happily.

Caffeine is able to penetrate deep into vital tissue. Evidence shows that it may be linked to male infertility and also birth defects by passing through the placenta. Drinking coffee during breast feeding will cause caffeine to be present in mothers' milk.

Caffeine has a powerful effect on coronary arteries and the pulmonary and systemic vessels, causing a greater flow of blood to the heart muscle, but decreasing the flow of blood to the brain by constricting cerebral blood vessels. Caffeine can cause abnormally fast, abnormally slow and irregular heart beats. It also wreaks havoc on blood pressure, commonly producing hypertension. Coffee has been linked to heart disease, pancreas and bladder cancer, and hypoglycemia.

Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, providing that familiar kick on which we have come to depend. But as with all stimulants, there is a price to be paid. If you run the body on overdrive for an extended period of time by artificially stimulating the adrenals, expect breakdown to occur.

Other serious problems linked to caffeine:

* Cortisol- Can increase the body’s levels of cortisol, the “stress hormone”, which can lead to other health consequences ranging from weight gain and moodiness to heart disease and diabetes.
* Dopamine- Caffeine increases dopamine levels in your system, acting in a way similar to amphetamines, which can make you feel good after taking it, but after it wears off you can feel ‘low’. It can also lead to a physical dependence because of dopamine manipulation.

* Sleep- Caffeine can affect your sleep by keeping you awake longer, thereby shortening the amount of sleep you get, and giving you less time in the restorative stages of sleep, which takes a toll on your level of alertness the next day and overall health.

* Coffee is a thief! It robs the body of very important vitamins and minerals.

* Weight Many experts believe that increased levels of cortisol lead to stronger cravings for fat and carbohydrates, and cause the body to store fat in the abdomen. (Abdominal fat carries with it greater health risks than other types of fat.) Also, if increased cortisol levels lead to stronger cravings for caffeine-laden foods, the body goes into a cycle that leads only to worse health.

*There is mounting evidence suggesting that if you want to avoid certain cancers, you are well-advised to kick the coffee habit.

*Caffeine, which is the main chemical in coffee, is a powerful poison! A drop of caffeine injected into the skin of an animal will produce death within a few minutes. An infinitely small amount injected into the brain will cause convulsions. The amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee is quite small, yet we drink coffee because of the effect of the caffeine, just as we smoke because of the effect of the nicotine. Both are drugs, and both are habit-forming. Both are poisons.


References:Charles F. Withal, Elizabeth Scott M.S., Katy Chamberlin,Ron Lageruist

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