Category Archives: Health

When Dreams Scare The _ _ _ _ Out of You

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Hello! Happy New Year! I know I have been on a little blog hiatus (I’m sure nobody has missed me) but I AM BACK!

So in lieu of the New Years Resolutions, I decided to share something that has been weighing on my mind this past month.

if your dreams don’t scare you they’re not big enough

I decided to do something crazy. Like, crazy crazy. Actually, I chickened out a few times trying to convince myself that it would be too crazy. I know for some, this type of crazy is something you could do on the weekend or in your sleep… that isn’t the case for me and I’ll finally tell you what crazy I’m up to.

I am going to run half a marathon this year!!

13.1 Miles

Last year, a month or so before our adoption, I fell in love with running. I was able to run 3 miles with ease (well, without crying). Because I have missed it so much, I decided to take it to the next level. Nah, a 10k wasn’t going to cut it. A full marathon just seemed murderous. But a half marathon, well… that seemed juuuust right.

After shouting my goals from the roof tops to my friends and family, I then realized how crazy that REALLY seemed. I looked at training schedules and my mind went at ease. Then my monthly arch enemy joined (my period folks) me and I realized how terrifying training would be during such a terrible time of the month. So for a few days, I took back my goal and let it go.

A few days ago, as I was walking from my friends house, which is about a little under 5 miles round trip, I remembered a little quote I read somewhere on the internet.

“If your dreams don’t scare you they’re not big enough”.

Well… let me tell ya something- This dream here has pretty much scared the crap out of me (I actually initially typed “sh*t” but knew some people would freak out).

I’ll be signing up for the San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon in the next few weeks and running it will fellow running enthusiasts and friends on June 2nd. I can’t tell you how excited, nervous, anxious, and even a little scared I am to do this! I may not be the fastest, strongest, or fittest person there but I am going to finish it!

Here’s to BIG dreams, accomplishing them, and moving forward!

What’s your big dream? Are you pursing it or are you too scared to go for it?

 

Passing The Baton {adoption news}

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running trail, river trail, bikin trail,

I think my heart might just explode.

Yesterday was such a blessing that I’m afraid that today might just be a bust.

For those of you who are not my friends on Facebook, I’ve got some news!

We are officially approved for the adoption process and have in fact already submitted our homestudy to two cases (meaning two children).

I can’t even begin to explain how overwhelming this part was though. I thought we had gone through the hardest part of the process, the waiting, but boy was I wrong.

This part of the process caught me off guard. Not the approval but the fact that you need to decide on some very tough issues people and most parents don’t deal with on their daily basis and some, in their whole life.

We decided, from the beginning, that we’d be open to children with disabilities, illnesses, diseases, etc because if we had gotten pregnant, there would always be a chance for our child to be born this way, so why not choose a child and love them through it? Mind you, this was the hardest decision we’ve ever had to make through this process.

Yesterday I was reminded of that. As we emailed the social worker back and forth throughout the day, my husband and I stared at each other in the living room after finding out several conditions a little one had.

The question floated in the air.

Do we? Should we?

He said yes.

My heart pattered a lot quicker.

What do you think?, he asked.

I (after a few moments of hesitation)… think we’d be able to do it.

The assurance in his voice convinced me. Let’s say yes.

I replied with an odd confidence to the email- we want our homestudy submitted for him.

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A week ago I picked up running. I physically never imagined myself being able to run at this weight. Thursday I beat my own mile. 11:40 (since then I have improved my mile twice). When the app on my phone told me as I ran, I smiled. I continued running, my speed picked up, and I just smiled!

At that point I realized that I was okay with God. I was okay with Him taking His time. I was okay with Him doing what He needed to do. I was okay with the slow adoption process. I was okay with the infertility. It all clicked that very moment.

I felt like I had finally let go. I was able to breath. I was free. I freed my thinking, freed myself from my own negativity and surrendered to God. It’s as if I passed the baton to Jesus and my time to run that direction was over.

I had a breakthrough in the middle of my run.

Days later we get the notice that we are approved. This was a God thing. God has the baton. He’s running for me. He’s running for our adoption. He’s providing for our needs. He’s in control.

I’ve never had such beautiful surrendering experience like this before. I feel free and even though this new part of the adoption process is overwhelming, I will run to Him. My sweet Jesus, my refuge through this all, how can I not turn to Him?

We tend to hold on to chaos as it were a baby. Most of us know we can hand it over to God. We know we can rely on His strength and yet we cradle chaos, because we think we can handle it. We don’t. Hand over chaos, negativity, depression, insecurity, finances, parenting, your marriage, your studies, WHATEVER, over to God. I know that sometimes we fool ourselves thinking we can handle it… but we can’t. He’s knows better and wants you to trust Him.

That’s all I have for now. I’ll keep you posted!

The 7 Weight Loss {not so secret} Secrets

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Hello my wonderfully amazing readers! I’ve got news for you!

To date this year I’ve lost 16lbs, bringing my weight loss to a 40lbs weight loss mark. Happy Dance! Woot woot! It means I am less than 15lbs away from meeting my short term goal and reaching the 55lbs mark. It is quite joyous!

I’ve had plenty of people ask me what the “secret” is. Well, I don’t have secrets when it comes to weight loss but I would LOVE to share with you some tips that have definitely worked for me on this journey.

  • Drink Water, Lots of Water- it’s simple, really. I carry a water bottle with me everywhere I go. It also means that I have to go pee everywhere I go but that’s okay. So keep hydrated!
  • Eat Dinner with the Senior Citizens- No, you don’t have to literally go dine with them, although they would be great company while you learn to eat dinner early. Don’t eat dinner past 7pm. My husband and I have learned to eat dinner daily around 5-6pm. The later you eat, the longer your body takes to process food. If you eat dinner earlier, you get more time to burn dinner off!
  • Eat A LOT- Many people have the misconception that the less you eat means the more you lose (in weight). WRONG. I don’t want you to be eating a steak dinner ever night with a side of Twinkie’s. Eat a lot of veggies, whole grains, fruits, lean proteins, and less processed foods.
  • Work Out- Ha, this should be a no-brainer but you’d be surprised how many people expect to lose weight without having to workout. Find a program that works for you. In my case, P90X has worked for me and I love it. Workout 5-6 days a week to get results.
  • Get Your Sleep- Make sure to be well rested. Your body needs time to recover overnight and a few hours just doesn’t cut it. Get at least 6-8 hours of sleep.
  • Get Support- Weight loss is tough and when the scale seems to get a little stubborn, one might feel discouraged. To avoid any discouragement, make sure you find a support group that will keep you encouraged and accountable for your daily workouts. If you want to join my free support group, leave me a comment and I’ll add you right away!
  • Set Reasonable Goals- One thing that can get a person discouraged about weight loss is having unreasonable goals. Many of us hope to lose 100lbs in 5 months and while it’s not all too impossible, it definitely will be hard. Set a short term and long term goal. For example- my short term goal is to lose 15 more pounds. My long term goal is to lose a total of 105lbs. Breaking up these goals will make your long term goal seem less overwhelming and more doable.

This has been an exciting journey. When I first started this weight loss journey, I’d cry in the middle of mountain climbers because how hard they were. Now I am 40lbs lighter finishing up one of the hardest workout programs ever (P90X). So don’t be discouraged when some days you are not seeing the scale go down or when you simply struggle to breath. Take it one step at a time!

Need any help? Want some encouragement? Head over to my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/coachbettybarrera

Guest Post: Staying Happy

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Staying Happy Should Not be Hard:

 

3 easy ways to beat the blues

 

Depression may be acute- meaning that it is situational, or chronic-meaning that it can be a regular part of a person’s life. Regardless of the cause, depression is something that affects everyone at some point in their life, and battling it is something that everyone must face. While everyone comes up with different tools to fight off the blues, it can be helpful to learn about some new ones. Consider the various tools available when life seems overwhelming.

Get Out of the House
Think about it as running away from home, even if the return trip is inevitable. Take a walk or a drive and think about options that may have been missed. If necessary, think about nothing and simply enjoy the surrounding area; simply escaping from a depressing environment, even for a little while, can have extremely positive effects on a person.

 

This is very helpful for situations regarding hospital stay. I know when my grandmother was undergoing cancer treatment; I had to get up and smell the fresh air because the hospital environment was taking a toll on my mental health.  At the same time, physical activity helps produce endorphins, which in turn help fend off some of the more insidious effects of depression. This physical and chemical improvement is also beneficial with patients. Phelps Veterinary Hospital helps fight the stress of mesothelioma patients by bringing dogs out and having a Dog Walk for Mesothelioma day.

Make a Journal

Lots of people wax poetic about writing down their thoughts and their feelings, but what if you are someone who prefers to experience the world through images and tactile sensations? Put your creativity to good use and start making your own journal.

 

For example, start with a plain notebook that you decorate with rickrack, lace and paint, or start from scratch and start learning bookmaking. One easy journal to start with is a Japanese-style folding book, where the long strip of paper is fan-folded and held in place with a ribbon. Use your creativity to make something that you can exercise your writing prowess, your drawing skills, or talents with collage.

Start a Garden

Gardening gets you outside and it also produces things that make you smile. You may think that you don’t have the space or a light for a garden, but the truth is that no matter what you’ve got, chances are good that you can grow at least one or two things.

 

If you have a lot of shade or cold weather, consider leafy vegetables like cabbage, which thrive in those conditions. If you have plenty of sun, go wild with tomatoes. If you are not interested in vegetables, flowers are sure to cheer you up. Working outside in a garden is also a wonderful way to get some exercise and to do it on a regular daily basis.

While depression is not something that is always easily controlled, it can be controlled to a certain extent, in many simple ways.

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About The Writer-

My name is Allison and I am a fun-loving, adventurous being. I am a fresh on the scene, biomedical anthropologist and when that doesn’t have me traveling I love to guest blog, ride my horse, or hang out with friends. I love to write about natural health, traditional practices and natural ways to relieve some of the most common ailments today. I have a new  blog of my own, it is called Musings of a Curios Mind if you would like to check it out.

 

Healthified Breakfast {blueberry} Muffins

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My husband drools when I mention these. I mean, what’s not to drool about? They are sweet, healthy, and perfect when you’re on the go in the mornings! I like to bake them Sunday night so that we have enough throughout the week for breakfast! I like to pair it with some fresh fruit on the side, maybe an egg, and of course, my coffee!

I got this recipe from the Thin Kitchen Recipe book made by Beachbody.

Fast- Track Blueberry Muffins

  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 3/4 flaxseed meal
  • 1 cup brown sugar (you can use 1/2-3/4 cup instead, depending on taste)
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (I skipped on it since I didn’t have any)
  • 1 tsp. ground ginger (skipped on this one too)
  • 2 apples, shredded
  • 3/4 cup milk (I replaced it with almond milk)
  • 1 egg (I didn’t add it at all)
  • 2 egg whites (you can swap the egg whites with 1/2 of applesauce)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/2 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients. Combine remaining ingredients and stir in the blueberries. Fill each muffin tin cup about 3/4 and bake for 15 to 20 minutes!

Now, don’t be tempted to eat all of them at the same time because they are too yummy!