So What Is So Special About Shakeology?

Good Morning Beautiful!

So today I want to discuss Shakeology, and what makes it so special compared to other products on the market. But, I also want to explain to you a few things about nutrition first. This way you will see why Shakeology is such an important part of your daily nutritional arsenal, and why it is, truly something special!

Did you know that the Department of Agriculture states that:

9 out of 10 Americans are deficient in potassium

8 out of 10 are deficient in vitamin E

7 out of 10 are deficient in calcium

50% are deficient in vitamin A, C, and magnesium?

Based on these numbers the likely hood that you are deficient in at least one of these groups is extremely high!

According to the Center For Disease Control (CDC):

More than half of the population is deficient in Vitamin D, which means that there is an immense need for supplementation.

All of the above statistics point to the fact that a large majority of our population is micronutrient deficient and in need of proper supplementation.

Research has shown micronutrient deficiency to be scientifically linked to a higher risk of being overweight/ obesity and other dangerous and debilitating diseases. With more than two-thirds of the U.S. population overweight or obese, and research showing that one-third are on a diet at any given time, a need existed to determine whether current popular diet plans could protect followers from micronutrient deficiency by providing the minimum levels of 27 micronutrients, as determined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) Reference Daily Intake (RDI) guidelines.

With that said, Vitamin Deficiency has been known to cause an 80% increase in the likelihood of becoming overweight/obese and is scientifically linked to other illnesses including; resistance to infection, birth defects, cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic inflammation, and osteoporosis, just to name a few. Thus, meaning that you are 80% more likely to develop one of these illnesses. The truth can be scary!

So, what do we do about this?? Do we just throw up our hands and continue to say oh well? Let me ask you this, if your child was ill and your pediatrician said the only way to help heal your child is to put your child on a special diet, take them to xyz specialists for xyz treatments, would you do it?? Of course you would! Well, this is no different, and that  is where Shakeology comes in to play an important role in your health as well as your families.

 Let’s talk about this amazing source of dense nutrition.

So what is Shakeology?

Shakeology is a whole food and vitamins all in one, that’s right you read that right, an actual whole food and vitamins!

It is not a weight loss shake nor a protein shake. It is literally just dense nutrition.

Shakeology contains 70 healthy ingredients

It does NOT contain artificial colors, flavors, sugars, soy, high fructose corn syrup.

It covers your basic nutrition needs for the day.

It is flexible in calories to meet individual needs

Because this is 100% nutrition you can even give it to your children at 1/3 of a scoop per day.

It contains Superfoods such as Adaptogens and Phytonutrients to help build your immune system and helps you become and internal powerhouse!

Reduces inflammation, which is the number 1 cause of all disease such as, migraines, eczema, heart disease and arthritis. They all start with chronic inflammation.

Repairs your GI Track: Digestive enzymes clean out your digestive track and primes it to absorb nutrients. Did you know that the nutrients from food is absorbed through the microvilli and the villi in our small intestines?

It is also certified low on the glycemic index.

So what has Shakeology done for me??

I have Celiac Disease, and to keep it brief on the explanation of what this autoimmune disease does, the villi and microvilli I described above gets block by the gluten in foods, which then prevented my body from absorbing nutrients. So I was seriously nutrient deficient. I started  drinking Shakeology close to a year ago now, and I have had some major improvements in my health since then, and these are the changes that I have had happen:

I sleep so much better

I wake up feeling rested

I have more energy

I no longer NEED caffeine

I no longer crave bad foods, as a matter of fact yesterday, for example, I was actually craving brussel sprouts. LOL

My hair, skin, and nails are looking awesome these days. My skin glows, may nails are no longer brittle, and my hair is getting thicker and growing faster!

I have lost some weight

I haven’t gotten sick; not even a mild cold

I have saved money since I am replacing a meal with a shake. Gluten Free foods are not CHEAP! EEK!

I used to get headaches in the afternoon, I haven’t had one in over 11 months.

Brain Fog (which is a symptom of Celiac Disease) has not come into annoy me in over 10 months.

Oh and I have always bruised easily, but haven’t gotten a bruise in months, and trust me I am a klutz, I am always banging into something. LOL

That is all I can remember now, but as you can see, I have definitely had some major changes in my life since drinking Shakeology every day.

Now I do have to say, I am not a doctor, and since every body is different, results are not a guarantee. Please always speak to your doctor before starting a new supplement.

To order Shakeology just click on the link below!
http://www.shakeology..com/barbarayodice

Happy Friday!!!!

source: Calton Nutrition

Let’s Talk Nutrition For Your Loved One’s And Yourself

Hey Beautiful!

The sun is shining, the rain has ended, so enjoy this glorious day! I hope you all woke up this morning with your happy faces and put on your confidence pants to make the best of this day, I know I did! Before I head out to help out, I wanted to take a few minutes to discuss nutrition with you, especially supplemental nutrition.

I was reading a few articles last night after a question came up about some supplemental nutrition shakes that you can purchase in the store. Now I am all for adding additional supplements to your diet since we live in a world of on the go and fast food now, but are you really getting and giving to your family what you should be putting in your bodies? I am no doctor, but I can tell you that after reading the ingredient list, especially the first few (that is what the bulk of the food is made of in some of these “nutritional shakes”), I was quite shocked to see ingredients such as; Corn Maltodextrin, Sugar, Canola Oil! What?! Are you kidding me?! How are these nutritious? I am sorry, but you can add some vitamins, minerals and protein to ice cream and it doesn’t make it a healthy way to provide your body with what it needs to properly function daily. Did you know to maintain a healthy weight, even lose weight, it all starts in the kitchen? So think about what you eat, your children, your grandparent, parents, etc. and ask yourself, is my diet 80% healthy with a little wiggle room here and there for a cheat night? Am I providing not only for myself but for my family the keys to a healthy life starting in the kitchen?

Now I understand that kids can come with the picky eating gene, I have one of my own 😉 but it doesn’t mean we can’t fake them out with the proper nutritional foods and nutritional supplement that provides their bodies with what it needs. It is sad that we no longer eat to live, but live to eat. We are actually STARVING our bodies from the lack of nutrition, living on carbs, sugar, and preservatives.

Here is a simple way to test your healthy habits:

1. Grab a notebook; can even be logged on your phone, tablet, computer, dry erase board.
2. Start on a Sunday
3. Write down everything you eat
4. Log what time you ate
5. Write down what you were emotionally feeling when you did
6. Write down how you felt physically after
7. Write down how you emotionally felt after
8. Write down what time you became hungry again
9. Note your sleeping habits

By the end of the week, note how you are feeling over all.

 

 

Help! The Scale Won’t Move!

Hey beautiful,

Here is a little motivation Monday for you!

I have been where you are many, many times. I would exercise and eat right and the scale would start to go down,”YES” but then all of a sudden, the scale stops dead in it’s tracks! WHAT THE HECK?! So we exercise more, eat less, and try to get that scale to budge some more towards our ultimate weight loss goals, and sometimes the scale budges a little more and we are back on the weight loss high, then BOOM, it stops again! GRRRR!!!

We have a tendency to become defeated, so we give up instead of looking at what is really going on inside our bodies. It has been said so many times that fat and muscle do not weigh the same. That is so wrong. The difference between the two is space. Fat takes up more space than muscle, muscle is more compact. So you need to not look at the scale during your weight loss journey all the time. Pay closer attention to how your clothes are fitting, use a tape measure to see if the inches are melting away. That is the best way to track your progress.

Now keep in mind that you will notice some areas numbers coming down a little faster than others, it is completely normal.  As I noted before, when in doubt, focus on how your clothes fit. Enjoy the journey, leading a fit lifestyle is not only based on weight loss, it is a mental and emotional journey as well.

Why am I Gaining/Not Losing Weight? Is Stress To Blame?

 Good Morning Beautiful!

Let’s talk stress. I know we all have times of stress throughout our lives, but the questions are: How often? How long? How do you handle stressful times?  There is no question that our bodies gives us the signals  that indicate we are under stress, and it doesn’t actually start with weight gain. Let’s be honest, we didn’t go to sleep last night stressed out and wake up 5,10, 15, 20 plus pounds heavier than yesterday. It was a progression that lead up to where we are now, and a good possibility as to why we may not be losing the weight with diet and exercise alone.

Stress is just so unhealthy, and not just for vanity purposes. When we have extended periods of time under stress we can get hit with a triple whammy for weight and other health issues. Stress can cause an increase in appetite, cause our bodies to hold on to weight, and interferes with our willpower to lead a healthy lifestyle.

But what else is happening to our bodies when we are stressed out? Let’s start from the top:

Brains: we can suffer from depression, anxiety, panic attacks, mood swings, fatigue, insomnia, etc.

Heart: Increase in blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, heart disease, hardening of the arteries,etc.

Lungs: strained breathing and possible asthma attacks

Stomach: ulcers, heartburn, stomach pain, acid reflux, etc.

Muscular/Skeletal: Joint and bone pain, muscle shortening from tension

Clearly we are getting messages that some of us tend to ignore until it is physically staring at us in the mirror, our clothes no longer fit, or the number on the scale has jumped.

So how does all of this happen? Did you know that fat releases inflammation causing chemicals, and excess belly fat is unhealthy and difficult to get rid of?  These inflammation causing chemicals can cause heart disease as well as diabetes, so bottom line is: stress+ emotional eating=belly fat which then creates inflammation causing chemicals that in turn can cause  heart disease and/or diabetes. NOT COOL!

The bottom line is this, we live in a stress filled society, but we don’t have to allow stress to consume us and reek havoc on our bodies. Below are some great tips on how to take it down a notch and learn to rid yourself of stress to melt away the pounds.

1. Be present. You can’t change what happened yesterday, so tell yourself it is okay to let it go. You can’t worry about tomorrow because it hasn’t arrived yet. So focus on the things you can today.
2. Prioritize. Instead of getting over whelmed with the “OMG I HAVE ALL OF THIS TO DO TODAY!” thoughts, make a check list with the highest priority first. Can you guess what should be on the top of that list every day? YOU! By making yourself a priority, you can make sure you are taking care of your needs, mentally and physically. Never place yourself at the bottom/last. Just remember the flight attendant’s oxygen mask rule. You place the mask on yourself first before anyone else, because you are no good to anyone if you are not breathing. Right?
3. Don’t stress over your weight loss journey. As long as you are de-stressing, eating healthy and exercising daily, it will come off. It took time to put it on, so it will take time to take it off. Just tell yourself this when you feel anxious about it. I did not put this on over night, so I know it will not all come off over night. I will be gentle and loving to myself and enjoy the process along the way.
4.  Get a good night’s sleep. I know that my mind at times does not get the          memo that laying in bed means rest time not let’s think about everything now time. I find that doing a breathing meditation helps quiet my mind at bed time. Just lie in bed, clothes your eyes and focus only on your breath. Breathing in slowly through your nose and gently through your mouth. if you find your mind wandering back to something else, just gently redirect it back to your breath.

My Life Before Beachbody

 Who is that girl in the yellow shirt?? I tend to have that question cross my mind every time I look at photos of myself prior to stumbling upon Beachbody. Well here is what I know of that girl today. Growing up I loved taking dance lessons, horse back riding, and even played softball. Clearly I was pretty active as a kid, then I became pregnant at the age of 14 and had my first son. I went from 98 lb.s soaking wet to 168 lbs. by the time I gave birth. At this point I grew to have insecurities about my body, and nine months later I was pregnant again with my second son with my weight ballooning to 188 lbs. My insecurities grew so much about my weight that I began working out like crazy and even though the weight came off, my boys father grew more abusive not just physically, but mentally as well. Being told you are so fat that no one else would ever want you at the age of 16 can be traumatizing to any girl, but add severe physical abuse on top of that and any girl would have crumbled.

By the age of seventeen I was living in an apartment with my babies and my abuser, but only a month after moving in I learned how strong of a person I am. He abused my children while I was at school and threatened my life and theirs if I told. I didn’t cower this time. I waited for the right moment and had him arrested for domestic battery and child abuse. I filed a restraining order and had him removed from our lives. Now you are probably thinking that it was that simple, but I promise you it wasn’t. I was harassed, threatened, stalked, and he attempted to run me over on multiple occasions  while I had my children with me. But I kept fighting back by using the system.

So here I was a single 17 year old mother of 2 babies and domestic violence survivor living on her own. Looking back at that girl, I am in awe of her. she had strength and resilience and I don’t know where that disappeared to. I don’t know how I lost my strength, my voice, my confidence. Somehow in the past 10 years I lost those vital parts of me and disappeared  into an abyss inside myself. I literally hated looking at myself in a mirror, and just existed in a shell of who I once was.

Last December I was doing what I thought I was good at, watching t.v., when an infomercial for Insanity Max 30 came on. I sat there in a euphoric state as I listened to Shaun T pushing with such love and desire for you to succeed at his program and I  wanted in! So I ordered my first Beachbody program and was determined to find myself under the 170 lbs. of walls I built around me, and honestly I am doing just that.  I lost 10 lbs. my first round of Insanity Max 30, then I decided to add serious nutrition to my daily life and I ordered my first bag of Shakeology. Next I got the  21 Day Fix program,completed the first round losing another 11 lbs. and then I went to Cize and lost 9 lbs. I am gaining confidence (I actually modeled for a friend of mine who is a photographer which is totally not my norm), growing through personal development, and becoming a Coach has helped keep me accountable so I can help others on this amazing journey of rediscovering ones self. I am still a work in progress, but I am just going with the flow of this amazing journey, meeting beautifully inspiring people, and learning one day at a time to love myself more and know my self worth is a lot more than what I gave myself credit for before.

” Don’t Live The Same Year 75 Times and Call It A Life.” -Author Unknown

Mindful Monday

 Good Morning Beautiful!

Have you ever wanted to know what mindful people do differently than other people do? Below are 7 things that mindful people practice everyday that is different from others. Try out these for yourself to bring yourself into a more mindful existence. Have A Happy Mindful Monday!

7 Things Mindful People Do Differently

1. Approach everyday things with curiosity- and savor them.
2. Forgive their mistakes-big or small.
3. Show gratitude for good moments and grace for bad ones.
4. Practice compassion and nurture connections.
5. Make peace with imperfection-inside and out.
6. Embrace vulnerability by trusting others-and themselves.
7. Accept and appreciate that things come and go.

Soul Searching Sunday

  Good Morning Beautiful!

Here are some amazingly beautiful quotes that can guide you on your soul search. Have a wonderful Sunday!

“There is in all women , a wild and Ancient Gypsy who cries in anguish when we starch her flat. There is a part of us that can never, ever, be happy until the Gypsy can dance.” – Unknown

 ” Maybe you are searching among the branches for what only appears in the roots.” -Rumi

” You have to open your heart and read what your soul wrote inside:”I am enough.” -Dodinsky

Daily Motivation: F.L.Y. (First Love Yourself)

GOOD MORNING BEAUTIFUL!

” IF YOU WANT TO SOAR IN LIFE,

YOU MUST FIRST LEARN TO

F.L.Y.  (FIRST LOVE YOURSELF)”

– Mark Sterling

Be sure to First  Love Yourself, today and everyday, so you can SOAR!!

Vector hand drawing sketch of a flying bird

Do you dream it? Motivation Day 2

Hey beautiful!
Aren’t you tired of just dreaming about getting fit and healthy?  I know I was tired of just  dreaming of what I would look like in certain clothes, even a bikini! Though I am not to my goal yet, but by  taking my dream and applying the actions of fitness and nutrition is slowly making it a reality. Honestly, I don’t want instant gratification, I want the satisfaction in knowing I achieved it by the dedication I finally put into actually loving myself for once.
You are so worth it, crawl if you must, but take those first steps toward your health and fitness dreams. 😙

Fitness Friday Day 1: Squats

Hi Beautiful!

You know the only way to get that booty you dream of is by working it, right? Well here are some moves to get that booty out of your dreams an  into your reality.

• Tip: If you need more of a challenge with your squats, add weights to the mix.

Happy Squatting!!