Patty Dooley - Independent Shaklee Distributor

There are antibiotics in your organic apples and pears: Sign the petition to stop this common practice

noreply@blogger.com (Patty Dooley) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:54:00 +0000

Can your organic foods not be so organic??

There are antibiotics in your organic apples and pears: Sign the petition to stop this common practice

Let's Get Stretching That Body!

noreply@blogger.com (Patty Dooley) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 15:51:00 +0000

Stretching in the morning

You want me to do what now? I want you to stretch!

Why stretching in the morning? I'm not even awake good.. I haven't had my coffee, the kids are screaming they want something to eat, I have to go to work... excuses... we all come up with them, but there are times we just have to put that all aside and do what's right for our body, and stretching is one of them.

So, why stretching in the morning?

Well, a few things here. Your body has been resting all night and when you wake up your muscles and such are still at rest. So to get them going it helps to do a little stretching. It helps loosen up muscles, get blood flowing and joints. It gets our oxygen and blood flowing to our brain and other organs. And it's good for the bowels. I'm not saying get up and do a whole workout routine, (although that's great if you can) I'm saying just get up and move a little to help your body. A good five to ten minutes can do wonders.

But I don't have time?

Well, yes you do.

You have a few minutes here and there and can squeeze them in. Here is an example of time.

1- You have gotten up, just walked out to the kitchen and drank your first 8 ounces of water and you started the coffee pot. Well, your coffee pot is brewing, you have time! While it's brewing, just stand there and do some stretching. And when the coffee is done, so are you.

2- You are getting ready for your shower. You start the shower, water is getting warm, take a few minutes to do some stretching. When your water is warm to get in, you are done.

3- Kids are screaming and wanting to eat..well, you have to put something on to fix. While things are warming up, cooking, etc.. take a few minutes standing there and stretch.

You can find a few minutes if you want too, and it doesn't call for all sorts of stretching. Just stretching to get the blood flowing, muscles moving, joints loose, and you are good to go. Now, if you have time to do a whole stretching program, then by all means do so. You will feel even better to start your day. But if not, then do what you can.

And Just a note here – If you have any kind of health condition, then please, check with your doctor. You and your doctor will decide what's right for you. This is for those with no major health concerns.

So what kind of stretching? Just simple basic stretches.

1- stand up, take your hands over your head and interlace your fingers turning your palms up. Stretch the arms up as high as you can, hold for count of 5. Take your arms, still in the stretching position and slowly bend to your right, hold for count of 5, come back up to center for count of 5, then bend to your left, for count of 5. Come back to center for count of 5, then slowly bend forward until you are even with your waist (arms still stretched out and fingers interlaced) . Hold that for count of 5 and then bend to your toes for count of 5. And then back to waist for count of 5 and then stand straight up with arms over head for count of 5, then release and slowly bring your arms down to your sides.

2- Stretching the neck – Very simple here. Simply lean your head to the left for count of 5, then back to center for count of 5, then to the right for count of 5 then back to center for count of 5, the tilt head forward for count of 5, then back to center for count of 5, then tilt head back for count of 5, then back to center.

3- Leg Stretching - Here if you need to you can hold on to the counter or chair for balance. Bring your right leg up so that it's even with your hip. Your thigh is out in front of you, your calf is hanging down. Hold there for count of 5, then take your calf and stretch your leg out in front, so that your entire leg is stretched out for a count of 5, bring your calf back down so that your thigh is even with your hip again for a count of 5, put your leg down for count of 5 and do the same again. Do this for 3 reps and then switch to the other leg and do for 3 reps. This will help give movement to your knees and hips.

These are just a few that you can do, and they work great for me on just getting up. You can work with other stretches that's best suited for you. But the most important thing is to get up, and start your body to moving, the blood flowing so that you have freedom of movement, more oxygen flowing to the heart and brain and organs.

So let's get stretching and on another leg of our journey to A Year To A Better You!!

Blessings,

Patty

Here are some stretching routines I found on Youtube that are simple and easy.

1 - Early Morning Stretch - http://youtu.be/khjtMjwb9P4

2- Stretching in Bed - http://youtu.be/OZ7LI12EONw

3- Stretching at your desk - http://youtu.be/Wj60nM60PYs

Benefits of Drinking Water

noreply@blogger.com (Patty Dooley) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 19:16:00 +0000

Water can do what??

Well, here we are on another step of our journey and guess what it brings us to?? Can you guess?..

Water!

I know what you're saying.. I don't like to drink so much water.. but guess what? What if I told you that simply drinking enough water can:

Help keep you looking young

Help your memory

Help with joint and arthritis pain

Help you loose weight

and so much more.

Would you consider drinking a glass if you could remember things better or have youthful looking skin? I know I am! I want to think and remember things better and I don't want so many wrinkles and I don't want my joints hurting all the time and I do want to loose weight!

So, let's talk about water then.

Water is the single most important nutrient for our bodies and is considered a miracle cure for many health conditions. Water is the single most important nutrient and it's involved in every function of our bodies. We can live five to seven weeks without food, but we, on average, can last no more than five to seven days without water. Seems like that's a pretty important factor here.

Our bodies are about 70% water. Your muscles are about 75% water. Your brain cells are about 85% water. Your blood is about 82% water and your bones are about 25% water. Now, if our bodies are comprised of so much water what do you think happens when we DO NOT drink enough water? Right.. we become dehydrated. Our brain function slows down, our skin begins to sag and wrinkles, our joints hurt and we have more health problems than I can even write here. And seeing I am not a doctor, I will not even try.

When we don't drink enough water our bodies begin to ration it. It draws water from other parts of our body to keep our brain, heart, lung, liver and kidneys functioning. Without it, you can see how other parts of our body suffer and when we don't have it, all our other functions suffer even more. Our bowels begin to shut down. And that there in itself can cause major problems in our body. Such as building up of toxins and we become sluggish and sick. So see, it's very important for us to have enough water every day.

Bottled, Tap or Filtered Water?

Well, seeing how we have so many different chemical’s running off into our ground water, and water companies put so much chemicals, fluoride and chlorine in our water.. in my opinion, they are not a safe source of water. And what many people don't know but bottled water companies are actually less regulated than tap water and can be just as toxic. Bottled water is considered to be a food, so it's regulated by the FDA. Tap water is regulated by the EPA. If you can, and there are many options out there, I would suggest a filter on your water. Now, even then you are still not getting everything. If you can get a complete filter system for your house that does much more, then great. But if you can't, then use filters on your sink or pitchers you can put in the fridge.With Shaklee we do offer Best Water Filter Systems. (See below for link)

When Should I Drink Water?

Most times we drink water when we get thirsty for it. But by then our bodies can be dehydrated. So we need to get on a schedule or close to it. Start with 8 to 16 oz. Of water when you first get up. Your body needs this after resting and rebuilding at night to hydrate us and get us going in the mornings. Then 2 hours later drink another 8 to 16 ounces. Repeat this schedule before each meal and then 2 hours later. Then drink 8 ounces before bed time unless you have problems with acid reflux, hiatal hernia or enlarged prostate.

How much water?

General rule of thumb is take your body weight, divide that in half and that's how much water in ounces you should be drinking each day. Say you weigh 120 lbs. 120 divided by 2 is 60. So at least 60 ounces of water each day. That would be 8 ounces of water 7 times a day.

Can one drink to much water?

Yes, drinking to much water every day can cause your potassium and electrolyte levels to become to low. So you want to balance your water that you drink each day. If it's hot summer and you are outside most of the time, yes, you'll want to add more because your body will be sweating out fluids. But if you stick to your figures as mentioned above, you will be fine.

Water can do what?

As we begin to get on a normal schedule of drinking water we will begin to notice changes. When our bodies are hydrated our skin will become supple again, our joints will begin to move freely, our brains become hydrated and memory function improves. Because your body is hydrated, you may not feel so hungry as you once did. Your body temperature will become normal. It helps cells in the body and helps remove toxins

But you may say.. I hate water, well with what we have went over today, you should take a different view on the matter and consider all the healthy benefits of adding more water to your daily routine.

Here is a suggestion on getting started. Set your water cup in front of your coffee pot, so when you go to get the water for your coffee, fill your cup up first and while your coffee is brewing, drink your cup of water. That will help you get started. And make yourself a little schedule and stick on your fridge to remind yourself. Set up reminders on your phone to Drink Water!

It's these steps we take each day that help us on our journey. So this week, work on getting the water you need and watch your body change and feel better.

Blessings,

Patty

NOTES:

Water Information taken from – The Seven Pillars of Health by Don Colbert, MD
http://www.sevenpillarsofhealth.com
Shaklee Best Water Filters – Click Here

Time To Weigh-In

noreply@blogger.com (Patty Dooley) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 16:15:00 +0000

Weigh-in Day

I know, I know.. you're saying... oh gosh, we have to do this?? Yes! To know where we are going, we have to know where we are at. Thus, it's time for us to do that dreaded thing and weigh ourselves.

Over the next few days we need to get a set of scales and measuring tape. I hate it too, but it's for our own good. And we need to weigh ourselves and see where we are starting at. We also need to measure our hips, stomach, bust and thighs. Write this down someplace and keep it to yourself. No need to announce to the world right now. But do keep track in your little book. This will help YOU stay focused.

When do we weigh ourselves?

I have found and read that first thing in the mornings are good. When you first get up you don't have that added water weight or food from your day. And you are in your light pj's so you will get a more accurate body weight.

How often do we weigh in?

Well, from what I have learned and read, this will depend on the person. Some people like to keep track every day. This holds them accountable for their day and what they eat. But on the other hand, some can become discouraged when they don't see loss every day and thus, they quit. For me, I'm good with once a week. If I watch it every single day I tend to become discouraged and fret to much over what I'm eating. And I get so obsessed with the weight loss that I will loose track of why I'm doing this. I'm doing it for the weight loss, but I’m also doing it for better health. So do what works for you. If it's once a day or week or every two weeks, do that. There is no set rule here.

Keep in mind too, as you begin to exercise you may loose weight but building muscle at the same time. So your measurements might not change right at first. And other things factor in here too.. such as women and their cycle. During that time we have bloating, water weight gain. You have to factor these things in. But as we continue down this journey, we will begin to notice our pants getting a little looser, our shirts starting to bag on us some, our shoes getting to big (yes, you loose weight in our feet too). These things are good indicators that what we are doing is working. Just don't get caught up in the number that you loose track of Why you are doing it and that's to gain back your health.

So, run out, buy that scale and see where you are. Don't get discouraged, we have a journey and a destination and that's what we need to look at!

Blessings to you,

Patty

My Shopping Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Patty Dooley) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 19:50:00 +0000

My Shopping Trip

Now see, shopping isn't that bad. I got my veggies and I still had some in the fridge, so I didn't have to buy as much. I only get what I need for recipes. And I know you see all that meat, but most of those packages will be divided up. Like the pork will be cut into strips for stir fry and will only take about 2 of them.

I have to say, I am flexible on my menus. I change and alter when I need to. If something else is on sale, I'll go with that. Plus I splurged and bought a new wok! Need that for stir fry.

What you don't see is what's important. NO cakes, cookies, chips, candy, processed foods other than 3 cans, 2 Jiffy corn muffin mix, and 1 chicken broth. That's what we want to accomplish for our goals. NO junk food! And as you continue along on your new journey you'll be able to see your changes in how you shop. You'll begin to shop in season when you can, stock up on things like your rice, spices, and other things and each time you'll begin to learn just what you need for each recipe. And the biggest thing you will notice after time goes by, you will have hardly any to no processed foods in your buggy!

You can do this!! I know you can!
Patty

Sample Menu - A Year To A Better You

noreply@blogger.com (Patty Dooley) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 16:37:00 +0000

Sample Menu for Eating Healthy

Now that we have had a chance to look through some recipes, let's put together a menu. What and how we cook it is the most important thing. Instead of covering our foods with sauces and gravy, let's see how we can come up with some creative ideas. And here we get to change up on how we cook. Put the Crisco aside and grab your Olive and Grapeseed Oils.

To begin, we need to take a look at our list. Here we need to have more vegetables than we do meat. We can have meat, but it needs to be more like a side dish than the main. Now, I’m not saying we can't have meat as a main course, but we will need to look at ways that we can fix it.

Now for me, I'm the only one home during the day. So I don't have to get up and fix breakfast, lunch and dinner for my husband and kids every single day. So a lot of my menu/shopping is done for our main meal. As for breakfast, we can make our own breakfast burritos, bran/whole grain muffins, etc. I can fix those during the day while everyone Is gone and have those wrapped and ready for the week. Then in the mornings all they have to do is grab one and go. And, we also have our Shaklee shakes but that comes later in our journey.

So what do we need to cook, Well, like I have been saying.. lots and lots of vegetables. The more the better. Now does this mean I’m cooking tons at one time, no, just what we need for that meal.

Menu for one week:

Monday- Stir fry

Load up on veggies. Here you can do all the vegetables you like and you can use smaller amounts because you will be using several.

Snow peas, broccoli, carrots, bok choy cabbage, fresh string beans, baby corn, mushrooms, water chestnuts, bean sprouts, red bell pepper, green onions, celery. You get the idea here. Just play with your veggies.

Brown Rice or Wild Rice

Dipping sauce. - not from a jar, you can make this.

If you just have to put in meat, the take one boneless/skinless chicken breast and chop it up. You want it to be like the veggies.. not the main thing in the stir-fry

Tuesday – Baked Fish Packets

Here I use Tilapia fish (you can use others if you like, but I do not recommend catfish). These are very easy to do. I place one piece of fish on parchment/foil. Then we top it with veggies such as broccoli, string beans, asparagus, roasted bell pepper,herbs, olive oil. Once again, this is one of those dishes you can play with. Try new vegetables. Ones that are fast at roasting. These only take like 20 min cooked in the oven.

Wednesday - Vegetable Rice Soup -(Wednesday is my busy day with church, so I try to make fast dishes)

If you have left over rice, use this to make soup. Add fresh vegetables just like you did in the stirfry and add them to vegetable broth. Cook them until just tender and then add in your left over rice until it's warmed with the food. Only takes a few min.

Once again, if you just have to have meat, only use one chicken breast cut up into chunks. We don't want this to be the main part of the meal, just part of.

Thursday - Italian Wedding Soup

My family loves this so I never have a problem with leftovers.

For this I use chicken broth

tiny bowtie noodles

spinach

carrots

garlic

and I make my own meat balls

For meat balls, I use ½ pkg of ground Italian sausage and ½ lb of good ground chuck.

To that I add some bread crumbs, grated parm cheese, crushed garlic. Mix this well and make into tiny meat balls.

To get rid of the fat that comes from the meat while cooking, start a big pot of water to boiling, once boiling, drop your meatballs into water and let them cook till almost done. Then strain the meatballs

In another pot, start your broth and carrots. Carrots need to be cooking as they take a little longer to cook than everything else. Once carrots are about half done, add meatballs, cook meatballs for about 5 min in the broth and add the noodles. When noodles are about half done, add your fresh spinach and cook till wilted. Salt and pepper to taste.

With this you can have a large salad and go crazy on the veggies. And make your own dressing with olive oil, lemon juice, herbs.

Friday – Beans, Rice, Vegetables

Cook a pot of your favorite beans and season how you like

Cook a pot of brown rice

Vegetables I like to cook are sauted squash and zucchini with onions and garlic

And here they like a pan of cornbread

Saturday - Taco night

load up on your lettuce, tomatoes, onions, bell pepper, avocado

Refried beans

Black beans – drained

cheese

Here you can also use shredded chicken or good ground chuck.

Brown your meat and drain very well. Then add your taco seasonings

for the bread you can use corn tortilla, but a great way to cut down on the bread is use pita bread cut in half. Open the pocket and load up on veggies and sauces

For me, I like using just large lettuce leaves and I don't put meat on mine. I use a swipe of refried beans, black beans, veggies, and sliced avocado.

Make your own fresh guacamole sauce or your own salsa. Very simple in food processor with tomato, onions, bell pepper, cilantro and spices.

Sunday – Roasted chicken and vegetables

Whole chicken roasted with slices of lemon and Rosemary inside

Take parsnips, carrots, small new potatoes and roast them in oven. Cut up into bite size and drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, sprigs of thyme

and some steamed asparagus. Drizzle with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice

As you see, it's not hard to change up your cooking. Very little has even been fried and you have added tons of vegetables to your diet.

Now, pick up some fresh and frozen fruit. You can make a simple drizzle sauce with Greek yogurt, honey and a little grated ginger. Eat fruits with your breakfast and throughout the day.

My shopping list for this week:

Bag of chicken breasts

1 whole chicken

Fish

Ground Italian Sausage ( will only use half of it)

1 lb pkg of hamburger (I buy good ground chuck)

tomatoes, onions, lettuce, avocado, squash, zucchini, bell pepper, frozen snow peas, baby carrots, bean sprouts, bok choy, asparagus,

brown rice

broth (non MSG and low sodium)

dry beans

corn meal

fruit

Pita bread

black beans

refried beans

This is just a sample of what you can do. Play with it, try new things, think outside the box and have fun!

Patty

Shopping and Menus - A Year To A Healthy You

noreply@blogger.com (Patty Dooley) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 20:20:00 +0000

Shopping and Menus

Well, how did you do with our last post, “What Now”? You should have gone through your cabinets, freezers, fridge and pulled out all the living and dead food. What is living food? Those foods that bring live nutrients to our body. Dead foods are those things that have no value at all for our body.

So, now what?

Well, let's go through this. How much dead food did you have? Chips, cookies, cakes, candy, tv dinners, sugar cereals, instant stuff and so on. Well guess what? We get to get rid of ALL that stuff! Yes, we need to get rid of it. The longer it is front of us the more we will eat it! And it has no nutritional value for our body. If anything it weighs us down with added fats, sugars, salts and chemicals. These cause us to feel tired, sluggish, our bowels don't work, cause gall bladder problems, sugar problems, high blood pressure and the list goes on.

What did your live food look like? Did you have any salad mix, tomatoes, cucumbers, squashes, egg plant, fresh fruit, greens, peppers, cabbage? Anything along that lines? NO.. Well, we need to change that, and we will.

So, how do I go about setting up a healthy life change and shopping? First, you make up your mind to do so, and second you plan! You haft to have a plan set in place. How you plan is pretty simple, or to me it is, but you start out with a menu. A menu? Yes, a menu. With out this you will wonder around the grocery store trying to figure out what to do. I find that it helps me to plan a week at a time. Why, because I do my best to shop with the sales. Most sales papers come out on Wednesday and you can set your menu around sales.

Well, what kind of menu do I start? I don't know of any healthy stuff to cook, or I don't like just salads all the time and my family are big meat eaters. Well, I have a few sites that I go to to find healthy recipes. I go through the recipes and see if I can find modified versions of recipes that we do like and I pick up some new ones. And here would be a good place to ask your family what things they would like to try and what vegetables they like.

I have found for me and my home that if I make meat more like a side dish and the veggies the main, we can do pretty good. This way those who still want the meat are getting it, but they are also getting more veggies as well. This might be something you consider. I can make a meatloaf, but make it smaller in size. Why? Well, they still get meat, but have to fill up more on the vegetables.

At my house I do NOT fry foods. I can buy a can of Crisco and it will last me a year and sometimes longer. Trust me, I catch a lot of flack for not frying. I simply say. No, I wont do it! haha Not everyone is happy with it, but they are pretty much used to it by now. So when I do happen to bread and fry something, they see it as a huge treat! In this area I go with Olive Oil and Grape Seed Oil.

Ok, so.. what do I buy when I get to the store. My rule of thumb is, fresh/frozen produce, fish, fresh/frozen fruits, dry/frozen beans, dry fruits, peanut butter, fiber added/whole grain pastas, plain Greek yogurt, eggs, whole wheat tortillas, honey, 100% fruit juice, real oatmeal (no instant) cheese, wild/brown rice, etc.. I do not purchase low fat foods, diet foods of any kind. Most times those items are full of salt! Now, do I purchase frozen pizzas from time to time.. yes I do. I have no problem eating those on occasions. Just not all the time. Just eat in moderation. And am I so rigid on this that I won't purchase some things? No, I do give them treats at times, but not very often. Just ask my family, they will tell you. Haha

Now, we have an idea of what to purchase, you need to plan your menu. I have found these sites to be very helpful.

1- Healthy Recipes – I love this site because they offer so many wonderful recipes, budget recipes and health tips - http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/healthy_budget_friendly_recipes

2- The Worlds Healthiest Foods – George Mateljan – He offers weekly e-newsletter and daily email recipes http://whfoods.org

3- Cooking Light - http://www.cookinglight.com/food/vegetarian/

4- Christian Cooks – She has a show on PBS network that I love to watch. She is completely vegan and vegetarian recipes. But I use her site and show to get many ideas. http://www.christinacooks.com

5- Go to http://www.About.comas well and do a search on Mediterranean and Asian recipes.

These few should get you started on some ideas. Set down this week and work on a menu. This will help you and your family decide on what to do. Play with it. See what works for you. For me, I tend to stick to more Mediterranean recipes when I can and leaning to more Asian cooking as well. I try to do more soups and have at least one day that is meatless.

Ok, so I do this, but the food will be bland and no taste.. Not true!! Here is where the fun comes in! Herbs and lots of them! If you can at all possible, plant some herbs this spring. You can do this in your yard, flower pots along your patio, sidewalk, front door or even an herb bed. Fresh herbs will bring so much flavor to your foods and give them a whole different taste. What herbs? I use tons of basil, I plant mints, tarragon, sage, rosemary, parsley, cilantro, oregano, I purchase cumin, coriander, fresh garlic just to name a few. These add zip to your recipes and even those picky eaters will love it. And just a note here, I do use salt. I like Kosher salt but most times I don't salt my foods a lot. I leave that up to those eating and I use fresh cracked black pepper. The fresh pepper makes a huge difference.

Don't have time for cooking all this, well, you can. Make your crock-pot your new friend! You can do many recipes in the crock pot, purchase a small metal steamer that you put in a pot to steam veggies, and work on casseroles, roasted vegetables in the oven, steam your rice in a rice cooker. There are many ways you can do this. You just have to find the one that's right for you. As I have said before, it all starts out with steps. These steps you will have to work on and make them work for you.

Do you have kids at home, or have to make breakfast and lunch every day? Well, let me say that oats should become your new friend as well.. and to your oats try adding fresh or dried fruit. These are things you can adjust to your family.

I know this may seem a bit overwhelming, but it's easy once you get in the swing of things.

1- start out by finding new recipes

2- make a menu

3- shop according to sales in your area or farmers markets, etc.

4- add herbs for flavors

5- And this week, Don't Fry ANYTHING!! use your oven, crock pot or grill.

Just get in the kitchen and begin to have fun.. this will become a life altering thing for you and you will begin to see how much you can do. Don't tell yourself this is to hard.. tell yourself.. I can do this! I just need to change my mindset and take each thing.. one step at a time!

More to come!

Patty

No Cook Refrigerator Oatmeal?

noreply@blogger.com (Patty Dooley) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 16:35:00 +0000

This was posted to Facebook and I just had to share. I will be trying a few of these this weekend. Now I don't have the Chia seeds it calls for, but I'm going to try it anyway.

Overnight No Cook Refrigerator Oatmeal from "The Yummy Life"
http://www.theyummylife.com/Refrigerator_Oatmeal

Hope you try it with me!
Patty

Now What??

noreply@blogger.com (Patty Dooley) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 20:39:00 +0000

Now what?

Well, now that we have decided that we want to start on that “Year To A Better You”, we have to start someplace. But where? What do we do first? It can be a bit overwhelming. But as I said before, we are going to start out with steps. One step at a time will get you to where you want to go.

Ok, so first things first.

We need to get some kind of little notebook, file on computer or phone and set down and ask ourselves these questions? Why? It gives us a good look at our lives, what we eat, how, when, etc.. And from this we can start creating our plan. You have to have a plan or you will fail. This will help us keep our objectives and what we need to do. Just begin asking yourself these questions.

1- What do I eat every day?

2- What do I drink every day and how much of it do I drink?

3- When do I eat every day?

4- Do I do any kind of physical activity?

5- Do I get enough rest every day?

6- Am I eating anything that would be considered nutritious for my body?

7- How many medications do I take every day and for what?

8-Can I come off of any of these medications in time, simply by changing my diet? (this is not for those who have serious conditions and cannot come off, but for those who are on things simply because of poor diets, etc.)

9- How much sweets do I eat during the day.

10- Do I drink any pure water during the day? ( and don't tell yourself, I get it in my tea or coffee. I'm talking just plain water)

11- Do I get up with any energy in the morning? (Do you feel just as tired when you get up as you do when you go to bed?)

12- Do I need stimulants to get me going? (such as coffee, cappuccino, energy drinks, etc.)

13- How much time do I spend in front of the TV and computer every day?
14- How often do you eat out?
15- What places do you eat out at?
16- What is the average cost when you do eat out?

Be honest with yourself here because it's your life you are working on. The more honest we are with ourselves the better this will work.

Now, for our first step..

1- Answer all these questions

And

2- Check out your kitchen.

What types of foods do you have? I want us to go to our cabinets, pantry, fridge, freezers and do an honest look at what foods we purchase. Do you have Live Foods or do you have Dead Foods.

Live foods are what brings actual nutrients to our bodies and Dead foods are those things that have NO nutritional value at all. They might taste good, but they do nothing for our body. If it helps, put all the Dead food in one pile and all the Live food in another pile.. what pile is bigger?

Why do we want to do this? We can begin to see what we are taking into our bodies and how we can begin to change it. And even better, start adding up ALL the cost of the Dead food and see how much you spend on tearing your body down. This can be an eye opener!

I think this will be enough to keep us busy until next week. And we can begin another step on our journey!

If you have questions, please feel free to post a comment here on my blog - http://pattyindependentshakleedistributor.blogspot.com/

follow me on Facebook. -

http://www.facebook.com/4u2behealthy2

A Year To A Better You!

noreply@blogger.com (Patty Dooley) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 20:45:00 +0000

A Year To A Better You

This is something that I have been wanting to do for some time now. And that's help myself and others achieve better health. Now, I will be including myself on this and exposing some of my bad habits as well. I'm not perfect by any means. I slip, fall, forget, get to busy, and everything else just like you do. But I have come to realize that I can pick myself up, dust myself off and start over. And that's the beauty of this.

My desire is to help others, but at the same time I have to be a walking testimony to what I'm preaching. I have to walk the talk! And I want to be able to help you as well. And I think that together we can achieve this goal.

What are my goals for “A Year To A Better You”?

1- get on track with a healthy lifestyle

2- rebuild my body

3- make life changes

4- be the best that I can be

5- and help others do the same

How do I plan on achieving this goal?

1- Begin to look at how I'm living and make small changes

2- Understand that it took time for my body to get into this condition and it will take time for me to change it.

3- Learn how my body works, what works for me and work at it at my own pace.

I do understand that each person is different. I do understand that each person cannot do at the same pace as others. I know that it will take time for all of us to achieve these goals. But if we take them one step at a time, things will begin to fall right into place and we will be making life changing decisions that will affect our mind, body and souls.

I will be posting about many things that we can do to change our health and I will be showing what products I'll be using along the way. So, if you are ready, I would like to invite you to come along with me on the journey to a “Year To A Better You”!

Blessings to you,

Patty

Patty Dooley – Independent Shaklee Distributor

www.4u2behealthy.com

Product of the Week - Shaklee Calming Complex®

noreply@blogger.com (Patty Dooley) — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 22:58:00 +0000

**Product of the Week**

Shaklee Calming Complex®

I can say without a doubt that this product works!
Several years ago I had a very, very bad sunburn. I tried other spays and creams and nothing could relieve the pain. Then I thought..I have the Calming Complex.. let's try this. It only took very little on my burns on my face, neck, shoulders and back. But almost instantly it stopped stinging and burning. I had no problems with my clothes rubbing and hurting and my sunburn was cleared up in just a few days!

Now, if it can do that for sunburn, just think what it can do for very dry, chapped, windburned skin. If you suffer from sever dry patches,

Shaklee’s Calming Complex is the ideal solution – a comforting, skin-smoothing, hypoallergenic formula that gives you the protective and soothing benefits of beta glucan, for a quick recovery from environmental stress.
It's the perfect "after" product - after sunburn, after skiing, after airplane travel, after hot/cold shifts - after anything that makes your skin irritated and craving for comfort.
Paraben free.

Clinically proven*:

145% decrease in the appearance of fine lines in 28 days
150% decrease in the appearance of wrinkles in 28 days
Significantly improves the skin’s ability to retain moisture

I strongly suggest Shaklee's Calming Complex. A little goes a long way!
http://pattydooley.myshaklee.com/us/en/products.php?sku=32538

Juicing Lessons

noreply@blogger.com (Patty Dooley) — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 19:00:00 +0000

While reading new juicing recipes, I read about the "10 important things you need to know before you start juicing"

In trying to better our health here at our home and what natural ways we can help fight off colds and flu, I found this article to be very helpful with practical incites on what to do and not to do.

I found this site to be a wealth of information.

10 Important Things You Need To Know Before You Start Juicing

Happy Juicing!
Patty

Product of the Week - Defend and Resist

noreply@blogger.com (Patty Dooley) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 14:11:00 +0000

**Product of the week**

Like so many others, the head/throat stuff has been trying to hit my house too. I admit it, I let myself run out of some things, but I'm thanking God for healing and that my Shaklee came in this week. I try to keep the Defend and Resist, Nutriferon and Vitamin C on hand.. and when I don't.. well colds try to hit us! This product we swear by and can say from first hand that it works! This is one product added with the Nutriferon that you want to always

have in your home.

Defend & Resist Complex features four clinically proven immune-supporting ingredients. The immunoactive arabinogalactans in extracts of echinacea, black elderberry, and larch tree stimulate the body’s natural resistance, and zinc is known to support healthy immune function.*

. Echinacea purpurea to stimulate the body’s natural resistance,* black elderberry to help maintain a healthy immune response,* and larch tree to enhance immune support*
. Swallow, chew, or crush in hot water for a soothing tea

For more information about Defend and Resist - Visit here

Low vitamin D coupled with obesity dramatically raises diabetes risk

noreply@blogger.com (Patty Dooley) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 13:06:00 +0000

"Vitamin D deficiency is associated with many chronic health conditions including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke, depression and dementia."

Low vitamin D coupled with obesity dramatically raises diabetes risk

It's Just To Hot Outside.

noreply@blogger.com (Patty Dooley) — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 15:42:00 +0000

With all this HOT weather it's impotant to stay hydrated while outside. Heat will zap your energy, drain you, can cause heat stroke and more. So it's important that you drink lots of fluids. They say when you become very thirsty it's to late, you're already dehydrated.

Stay away from sugar drinks as much as you can. We drink the Shaklee Performance. Keeps us hydrated and on the go. And I also keep this on hand during the winter for when someone might run a fever. Very good on keeping the body balanced and hydrated.

So please, if you have to be out in the heat, keep lots of fluides with you!

Shaklee Performance® is clinically proven to hydrate better than water. Plus, Performance has more electrolytes and provides more energy than the leading hydration drink. Our proprietary OPTI-LYTE™ electrolyte blend plus our unique mix of carbohydrates delivers instant and sustained energy and supports optimal hydration.

Shaklee SportsNutrition

Why Drinking Too Much Water Is Dangerous

noreply@blogger.com (Patty Dooley) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 16:31:00 +0000

This is a very good article about drinking water. Well worth the read.

Why Drinking Too Much Water Is Dangerous

Shaklee Corporation: Providing a healthier life for everyone and a better life for anyone. Health, Wellness, Nature, Opportunity

noreply@blogger.com (Patty Dooley) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 19:53:00 +0000

Did you know that 90% off us lack the needed nutrients in our diets?
Shaklee Vitalizer is now even better!
Free membership with purchase of Vitalizer. That's a $20 savings!
Listen to what Vitalizer can do for you!

Click Here for New and Improved Shaklee Vitalizer

Tilapia & Summer Vegetable Packets | Eating Well

noreply@blogger.com (Patty Dooley) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 22:48:00 +0000

Happy Friday all,

I hope everyone has had a great week. Been a bit busy around here and that's why I love fast and easy recipes And seeing how I love Tilapia fish this one I just had to post. Change this recipe up with your favorite veggies. Simple, fast and healthy!

Hope you enjoy.
Patty

Tilapia & Summer Vegetable Packets Eating Well

Triple Cranberry Chicken Lettuce Wraps From Ocean Spray

noreply@blogger.com (Patty Dooley) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 23:10:00 +0000

Well, I'm not sure about everyone else, but I love to look for recipes all over the place. And some of the best places are major food companies. And one place I love to go to is Ocean Spray. They offer some of the best recipes and seeing I love cranberries what better place to check out.

So this Friday Ocean Spray has a great recipe for Triple Cranberry Chicken Lettuce Wraps. And with the temps being over 108 degrees here in Texas.. this recipe sounds easy and cool to make.

Hope you enjoy this weeks recipe!
Patty

Triple Cranberry Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Trio of Los Angeles raw food advocates reportedly charged with conspiracy for advocating raw milk

noreply@blogger.com (Patty Dooley) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 21:33:00 +0000

What's wrong with our country? The government controling what we eat and drink!

Trio of Los Angeles raw food advocates reportedly charged with conspiracy for advocating raw milk

The Cancer-Preventing Vitamin Your Doctor Is Likely Completely Clueless About

noreply@blogger.com (Patty Dooley) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 15:57:00 +0000

Vitamin K may be "the next vitamin D" if research continues to illuminate the growing number of benefits to your health.

Dr. Cees Vermeer, one of the world's top researchers in the field of vitamin K, founded a vitamin K research group in 1975, which is now the largest group investigating this area of nutrition science.

How many people have adequate vitamin K… care to guess?

Just about zero, according to Dr. Vermeer and other experts in the field.

Most people get just enough K from their diets to maintain adequate blood clotting, but NOT enough to offer protection against he following health problems—and the list is growing:

•Prostate cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer and leukemia
•Arterial calcification, cardiovascular disease and varicose veins
•Osteoporosis
•Brain health problems, including dementia, the specifics of which are still being studied
Vitamin K comes in two forms, and it is important to understand the differences between them before devising your nutritional plan of attack.

Two Basic Types of Vitamin K
Vitamin K can be classified as either K1 or K2:

1.Vitamin K1: Found in green vegetables, K1 goes directly to your liver and helps you maintain a healthy blood clotting system. (This is the kind of K that infants need to help prevent a serious bleeding disorder.)

It is also vitamin K1 that keeps your own blood vessels from calcifying, and also helps your bones retain calcium and develop the right crystalline structure.

2.Vitamin K2: Bacteria produce this type of vitamin K. It is present in high quantities in your gut, but unfortunately is not absorbed from there and therefore most of it is passed out in your stool.

K2 goes straight to vessel walls, bones, and tissues other than the liver. It is present in fermented foods, particularly cheese and the Japanese food natto, which is by far the richest source of K2.

Vitamin K2 can convert to K1 in your body. As a supplement, K1 is less expensive, which is why it's the form used for neonates.

Making matters even more complex, there are several different forms of vitamin K2.

MK8 and MK9 come primarily from dairy products. MK4 and MK7 are the two most significant forms of K2, and act very differently in your body:

•MK4 is a synthetic product, very similar to vitamin K1, and your body is capable of converting K1 into MK4. However, MK4 has a very short half-life of about one hour, making it a poor candidate as a dietary supplement. After reaching your intestines, it remains mostly in your liver, where it is useful in synthesizing blood-clotting factors.
•MK7 is a newer agent with more practical applications because it stays in your body longer; its half-life is three days, meaning you have a much better chance of building up a consistent blood level, compared to MK4 or K1. MK7 is extracted from the Japanese food called natto.
For those who are interested in getting a supply of vitamin K2 we do have it in our store.

Vitamin K Research is Clearly Impressive
In 2008, a German research group discovered that vitamin K2 provides substantial protection against prostate cancer, which is one of the most common types of cancer among men in the United States. According to Dr. Vermeer, men taking the highest amounts of K2 had about 50 percent less prostate cancer.

Research results are similarly encouraging for the benefits of vitamin K to your cardiac health.

In 2004, the Rotterdam Study, which was the first study demonstrating the beneficial effect of vitamin K2, showed that those who consumed 45 mcg of K2 daily lived seven years longer than those getting 12 mcg per day.

In a subsequent study called the Prospect Study, 16,000 people were followed for 10 years. Researchers found that each additional 10 mcg of K2 in the diet resulted in 9 percent fewer cardiac events.

There is also research emerging that vitamin K can help protect against brain disease. However, it is too early to say exactly what types of damage it prevents, and how, but it is an area of intense interest to vitamin K scientists right now.

Getting More Vitamin K into Your Diet
Eating lots of green vegetables will increase your vitamin K1 levels naturally, especially kale, spinach, collard greens, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.

For vitamin K2, cheese and especially cheese curd is an excellent source. The starter ferment for both regular cheese and curd cheese contains bacteria—lactococci and proprionic acids bacteria—which both produce K2. You get the benefits of these bacteria when you consume them.

Both types of cheese have the same amount of K2, but curd cheese has less fat. If you eat 100 grams of cheese daily, you get 45 mcg of vitamin K2, which will lower your risk for heart attack by 50 percent, according to existing studies.

You can obtain all the K2 you'll need (about 200 micrograms) by eating 15 grams of natto daily, which is half an ounce. It's a small amount and very inexpensive. It'll only shrink your wallet by about two dollars a month.

If you don't care for the taste of natto, the next best thing is a supplement. Remember you must always take your vitamin K supplement with fat since it is fat-soluble and won't be absorbed without it.

You need not worry about overdosing on K2—people have been given a thousand-fold increase over the recommended dose over the course of three years have shown no adverse reactions (i.e., no increased clotting tendencies).

Although the exact dosing is yet to be determined, Dr. Vermeer recommends between 45 mcg and 185 mcg daily for adults. You must use caution on the higher doses if you take anticoagulants, but if you are generally healthy and not on these types of medications, I suggest 150 mcg daily.

It is quite likely that doses of several times that amount are safe for the average person, but we just lack the research to confirm it at this time.

Vitamin D is Vitamin K's Best Friend
Dr. Vermeer makes the point that vitamin K will never be able to do its work alone. It needs collaborators—and vitamin D is an important one.

There is a synergistic effect between vitamins D and K.

These two agents work together to increase MGP, or Matrix GLA Protein, which is the protein responsible for protecting your blood vessels from calcification. In fact, MGP is so important that it can be used as a laboratory measure of your vascular and cardiac status.

If you are concerned about your bones, you must balance a nutritional triad:

1.vitamin D
2.vitamin K
3.calcium
Increasing calcium is good for your bones but not so good for your arteries, which can become calcified. Vitamin K protects your blood vessels from calcifying when in the presence of high calcium levels. So you really must pay attention to the synergism of all three of these nutrients if you want to optimize your benefits.

Laboratory Testing for Vitamin K is in its Infancy
Vitamin K measurements in blood plasma can be done accurately, but the results are really not helpful because they mainly reflect "what you ate yesterday," according to Dr. Vermeer.

Because there are no good laboratory assessments, he and his team have developed and patented a very promising laboratory test to assess vitamin K levels indirectly by measuring circulating MGP. Their studies have indicated this to be a very reliable method to assess the risk for arterial calcification—hence cardiac risk.

They are hoping to have this test available to the public within one to two years for a reasonable price, and several labs are already interested.

Additionally, they are working on developing a home test that would be available at your neighborhood drug store.

At this time, however, there is really no commercial test that would give you meaningful information. But since nearly 100 percent of people don't get sufficient amounts of vitamin K from their diet to reap its health benefits, you can assume you need to bump up your vitamin K levels by modifying your diet or taking a high quality supplement.

WHFoods: What Protein Can Do For You

noreply@blogger.com (Patty Dooley) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 13:18:00 +0000

This is one site that I go to often. It has so much great information and recipes. This week in his weekly newsletter WHFoods talks about the importance of protein in our diets.

WHFoods: protein

This is one reason that we use the Shaklee Protein Drink. I know for myself, it has helped me. Especially during a very difficult health matter that I went through. I was so depleted of protein and didn't realize just how bad until I started taking the ESP.

If you would like to learn more about ESP contact me or visit 4U2behalthy.com

Blessings to you,
Patty

The “Better Back” Workout - Fitness Plans - Eat Better America

noreply@blogger.com (Patty Dooley) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 14:44:00 +0000

Seeing how I set all day at work, by the end of the day my back is so tired and hurting that I can hardly move.

I think I will be giving this workout a try. But as always, check with your Dr. before trying anything.
Keeping your body in shape will make you feel better!

The “Better Back” Workout - Fitness Plans - Eat Better America

Caribbean Dip with Lime Chips - Featured Brands - Eat Better America

noreply@blogger.com (Patty Dooley) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 14:24:00 +0000

Well, I haven't done this in quite some time but life had some major changes for me. But trying to get back into the swing of things, I wanted to post this recipe that I found. I'm looking forward to shearing more recipes each Friday.

Enjoy!

Caribbean Dip with Lime Chips - Featured Brands - Eat Better America

Fruits & Veggies More Matters » Study Confirms Broccoli & Other Vegetables Prevent, Target, & Kill Cancer Cells

noreply@blogger.com (Patty Dooley) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 13:23:00 +0000

A very good article on how eating more vegetables helps fight cancer. I think that many of us can add these to our diets each day.

Fruits & Veggies More Matters » Study Confirms Broccoli & Other Vegetables Prevent, Target, & Kill Cancer Cells