Shape Shifting

Things have been a little crazy for me lately. I have been doing a little soul-searching, a little rearranging, a little of what I call "shape shifting", and taking a whole lot of action! So...I thought I would update you all on what I have been up to...

First of all, I blogged earlier about attending Jack Canfield's "Breakthrough to Success" program, which really was life changing. I have since also enrolled (and been accepted!) into his exclusive Train the Trainer program where I will learn how to better serve you all!

Secondly, I have taken the writing of my book, "Let's Get Fresh: The Journey of an Urban Locavore" to a whole new level. I am interviewing several people and hoping to have it published by August of next year.

Lastly, and most immediately, I have begun my new series or seminars entitled, "Mind Over Fatter: The Secret to Thinking Yourself Thin". This is where I hope to really help you all. The first half of the seminar we focus on understanding what is holding you back from your health and fitness goals, defining exactly what those goals are, and realeasing your limiting beliefs. The exercises and techniques we use are extremely powerful for creating immediate change and I am so excited to be able to facilitate them for you! The second half of the day, we will focus on action. Not only will I teach you how to succeed and give you the tools, I will give you an accountability partner to make sure you follow through!

As always, my virtual door is open and I love to hear from you all! I look forward to serving you in any way I am able.

Love & Gratitude~
Erin

A-C-T-I-O-N!

I recently returned from Jack Canfield's Breakthrough to Success program in Scottsdale, AZ (which I highly recommend, by the way), and I took home something very valuable.

Have you ever had to make a decision (big or small) and you thought about it so long and so hard that you felt absolutely paralyzed? Or maybe the opportunity you were contemplating simply just passed you by? I know I have.

You see, I wanted to attend Breakthrough to Success the first minute I heard about it, but I thought it was going to be too difficult with my son, too expensive, and too much time away from my home and business. I put it on the back burner. I thought about it periodically in a whistful sort of way and continued to place it back on that burner. Two days before the program was set to begin I felt a strong urge to see if I could make it happen. I took the necessary action and, even though things were not completely arranged by the time I got on the plane, I trusted they would all work out. Everything fell into place perfectly because I maintained flexibility and purpose. It was then that I realized just how powerful that first phone call was. It set into motion all the other things to make what I wanted happen.

On the final day of the seminar, we did an exercise that consisted of a puzzle. Jack kept saying, "Thinking is not required, only action". Still, I sat there staring at the puzzle trying to think my way out of it. Everyone began to complete their puzzles and I began to think about the metaphor this had in my life. Where else was I thinking and not acting?

Where, in your life, do you think and not act? Take the action and trust that everything will work out just fine. Once you take the action, you can adjust...but nothing happens without the initial step. Just remember, "Thinking is not required, only action!" What actions will you take today?

Love and Gratitude in Action~
Erin

Priority #1

I was in a meeting recently where finances were discussed. Whether or not people could afford this or that, etc. I brought up the example of someone I know who is constantly cash-poor, however, everytime I see her she has a new iphone, t.v., expanded cable package, and the list goes on. I then have to wonder...can she really not afford it? Of course she can!

The problem is not financial, it is about value! She simply does not see the value in the other things, and so, never makes it a priority.

You see, keeping yourself well is about valuing your health. You have to begin to ask yourself...How long do you want to live? What is your purpose? Are you taking inspired action daily to attain your goals? If the answers to these questions are "no", you have to look at where you are currently placing your priorities. If you're spending 3 hours a day watching t.v., is that really something you value enough to be doing it so often? What is it you fill your day with? Your mind with? Your heart with?

You see, if you place your health in your top 5 priorities, you will find ways to overcome your challenges, be they financial, physical, emotional, etc. If you are currently struggling with your health and would like to change, decide to make it a priority and the rest will begin to fall into place.

Love & Gratitude Always~
Erin

Corn-Fed?!

I recently celebrated my 5th wedding anniversary by going out to dinner. After speaking to the concierge desk we settled on a chain steakhouse that I was assured had high quality food. The atmosphere was fabulous. Dimly lit and oozing romance, they sat us at a quiet booth and our server (she was excellent, by the way) greeted us warmly. As I had just begun to settle and peruse the menu, I was floored when I read the description of their high-quality meats at the top of the menu boast about CORN-FED beef!! What?! That immediately eliminated at least half the menu for me...

So, why, you may ask, am I up-in-arms over whether their cows eat corn or grass? "Elementary, my dear Watson," I would reply! Cows are designed to eat grass! Cows are ruminant (multiple-stomached) animals and their bodies are designed to subsist upon the grasses of the prairie. Corn-fed cattle are routinely fed antibiotics because they are not able to digest it and they commonly develop stomach ulcers. So, now we are talking corn-fed and antibiotic laden (at the very least!)The beef industry loves to feed them corn simply because their cows get bigger, faster. Bigger cows + less feeding time = more money!

Personally, I think grass-fed beef even tastes better, but really, that is besides the point. So, the next time someone tells you their cows are corn-fed, tell them to put it out to pasture!

L&G~
Erin

Biotech...Advancing Our Food?

Currently on my nightstand is a book entitled Lords of the Harvest: Biotech, Big Money, and the Future of Food by Daniel Charles. I am about one-third of the way though and already have learned much about the actual history of biotechnology.

I fully understand that there are many well-intentioned scientists who truly believed they were doing the world a service. I just don't believe they were able to see the larger picture at the time and the financial gain was mighty enticing for the corporate world.

The European Union does not allow GMO's (or Genetically Modified Organisms) into their food without the label clearly stating so. The U.S. has no such regulation. This means that everything you eat may be genetically-modified and you would never know. The only way around this is to find a farmer you trust, stop buying anything processed, purchase only organic (we'll talk more about this) or grow your own food as GMO's are found in more than 80% of foods sold in conventional grocery stores.

So, if the FDA and the powers that be have declared GMO's GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe), why did the Europeans demand labelling? A recent study may confirm what the Europeans have already suspected--that there may be health risks with consuming GMO's.

Our health may only last 120 years or so, but the health of our planet is also a factor. By producing things like Bt corn and other Roundup Ready crops, we create a monoculture that is not easily halted. Once one crop becomes dominant, we begin to lose heirloom varieties and with seed patenting in full swing, our options will be limited. This is true regardless of GMO's, however, simply because of our obsession with growing vast fields of corn, soybeans, and canola, but the GMO factor does nothing to help the situation. As an aside, much of this doesn't even go into our food.

Ultimately, we are responsible to nurture the planet we have been given. The intricacies of nature are so beyond our understanding, that, in my opinion, we are not able to improve upon Mother Nature.

I did say I would address GMO's and organic, grocery store food, so here it is...there are only 4 USDA Organic inspectors for the entire country. You do the math and see if you trust that all the companies growing USDA certified organic are using organic practices. I will tell you that I have seen with my own eyes that this is not the case.

I guess I have begun to ramble, but my point is that we should at the very least know if we are consuming GMO's. We deserve a choice!

L&G~
Erin

If You're Happy and You Know It...

I recently posted a video on the effect of the drug Effexor on pregnant mothers on my Facebook page and got a whole slew of comments. I felt it deserved a follow up for those of you with questions, so here goes...

Remember, I am not a medical doctor and I am not in the habit of handing out medical advice. I am merely an advocate of researching for yourself all possibilities.

My commentary is on psychotropic drugs in general and not any one in particular as they are meant to treat the same or very similar cases.

Let's start by saying that there is no such thing as a "chemical imbalance" in medical terms. There are no objective tests being done to prove that someone's brain chemistry is unbalanced. In fact, those of you who have been on psychotropic drugs or have had the recommendation to begin treating with them, you know that any test you may have taken was completely subjective. You may have filled out a questionaire, consulted with a psychiatrist or psychologist, or spoken with your medical doctor.

There was, in fact, a program called "Teen Screen" that tested thousands of high school kids (with a series of questions) to see whether or not they were candidates for psychotropic drugs. (By the way, there is also something called the Mother's Act being legislated right now to do the same thing for new mothers.) When this particular test was taken by normal, healthy adults, approximately 80% of those tested would have been placed on drugs. Questions went through a range of normal, human emotions that were in no way out of the ordinary.

Our society has convinced us that we need to be "shiny, happy people" every day. That is simply unrealistic and completely untrue. I think of myself as a rather optimistic person, however, I have most certainly had times in my life where I have felt "down in the dumps", anxious (to the point of having panic attacks), or overwhelmed. I consider those feelings normal.

The trick was not medicating to cover up the symptoms I was experiencing, but to face what was causing them head on. It wasn't until I addressed the numerous issues that were causing those feelings that I was able to heal.

Certainly, some of these emotions can be caused by circumstances or events (as we all know), however, they can also be caused by nutritional toxicities or deficiencies, stress, lack of exercise, stress, not following one's passion, and did I mention stress?

Find what is causing your particular issue, be it depression, anxiety, or any other diagnosis, and get to the root. This may mean reaching out to a counselor or psychologist for assistance in recognizing the causes, but it does not mean there is necessity to medicate.

For more information and to understand the serious effects of these drugs, see the film "Making a Killing".

With Unconditional Love & Gratitude~
Erin

A Pain in the Head

I have had several requests for a blog about migraines...so here goes. First of all, a migraine is a symptom of something else. It is NEVER just a condition. A migraine is your body's way of telling you that something is not right.

That being said, I am not able to give you a panacea BUT what I can do is give you some troubleshooting information to discover what may be causing your migraines.

There are 3 causes of all disease: physical, emotional, or chemical. The same is true for migraines.

Physical: Whether or not you have had truama (which may have been everything from the birth process to a minor fender bender to jumping on the trampoline), you may have a subluxation. This means that one or more of your vertebrae are out of alignment and the best way to alleviate this is with a chiropractic adjustment. The musculature around the cervical spine may be tense, and in this case, massage therapy may be helpful.

Hormones may also play a role, however this is a whole other blog!

Emotional: This one is a biggie. Stress is the number one cause of any disease. If you suspect this may be an issue, try some stress-relieving exercise such as yoga or tai chi (exercise in general would be helpful), some deep breathing, or some aromatherapy such as lavender. Make a list of the things that make you feel most anxious or stressed and either eliminate those things or focus on changing your attitude towards them.

Chemical: Chemical simply means that it is coming from the outside in. What we put in our bodies is definitely a factor when it comes to migraines. There are certain dyes, preservatives, additives, and ingredients that many people will find they are sensitive to. You can either eliminate processed foods or make a journal of exactly what you ate (brand and everything) and pay attention to when the migraines begin. You may find commonalities among certain types of foods or foods with the same additives.

Chemicals can also come from the environment. Pay attention to where you are when you begin to get the migraine. Did the cleaning lady just come? Did you spray something in the garden? Did you just use a new make-up moisturizer?

Ultimately, remember that a migraine is a symptom of something else going on with your body. Be mindful and be your own detective. Finding the cause of your migraines is the key to eliminating them.

Love & Gratitude~
Erin