Category Archives: Health

weight loss, before and after, organic, transformation

12 Week Transformation Breakdown

weight loss, fitness, transformation, diet, shake

Essante Organics 12 week Transformation: Before & After

Well, this is it folks,  the end of my 1st 12 week Essante Organics Transformation Challenge!

Here are a few final thoughts I wanted to share with all of you who have followed my journey over the last few months. http://myorganictransformation.weebly.com

This challenge offered many rewards, both emotional and physical.

My most emotionally rewarding experience throughout this process was watching how my determination and perseverance effected and inspired others. My 4 year old daughter now asks to exercise with me daily. My husband and parents beam with pride as they brag to their friends about my progress. Other friends and family members tell me how I’ve inspired them to get healthy. Everyone around m has increased their activity level and/or their diet in one way or another.

Physically, my most rewarding experience has been accomplishing more than I ever believed I could. I’ve reduced my body fat by 20%. I’ve become a cyclist. I’ve become a swimmer. I’ve started attending a local boot camp. I’ve become a fitness addict!

At the start of this contest, if someone told me that I would accomplish or become any one of those things I would have laughed and reminded them of my disability and my hectic schedule with 2 small children. How on earth can a stay at home mom find time and energy to do all of that…much less a mom who happens to be a hemiplegic? Well, I not only did it, but I KILLED IT!!!

weight loss, before and after, organic, transformation

Essante Organics 12 week Transformation: Before & After

This challenge has also redefined how I define success.

“I don’t believe you have to be better than everybody else. I believe you have to be better than you ever thought you could be.” –Ken Venturi

My goal is always to be better than I was yesterday…That is success!!!

I’d LOVE to hear about your goals, challenges, successes! Please share in the comments below!

 

My 12 week Transformation

httpmyorganictransformation.weebly.com

As most of you know, I am a work from home mom of 2 small and wonderfully energetic children. I managed to lose most of my baby weight through eating healthy and breastfeeding, but I have a few pesky pounds that seem to want to hang around.

The company I work with, Essante Organics, offers a 12 week Transformation contest for a $2500 prize. Anyone can enter and any transformation can win (weight loss, weight gain, building muscle, getting healthy, etc.). So I decided to let $2500 be my motivation! I am a week in and have already lost 4 pounds!

Organic and GMO-free nutrition is already important to my family especially since my lil Bulldog  suffers from food allergies and eczema. Since I plan to continue breastfeeding throughout this challenge and beyond, I know Essante Organics pH 7.365 dairy free, gluten free, soy free, chemical free, pH balanced protein powder is the BEST choice to achieve my health goals.

As a busy mom, I often find it difficult to prepare and eat enough fruits and veggies, so I’m adding Essante Earth Greens and Super Reds to my daily regimen…they are an easy way to sneak my kids more fruits and veggies too! 😉

I have also discovered that my body won’t give up those extra pounds with diet alone, so exercise is a critical component of my journey. Honestly, In the past, I have struggled to find the motivation, time, and discipline to exercise regularly, yet I’ve committed to push my limits during this 12 week transformation and beyond.

As you know, I am differently-abled which will require me to modify all of my workouts and will make cardiovascular exercise more challenging. However, I’ve searched YouTube and found many adaptable routines (stay tuned for a link). NO EXCUSES!

With my disability, comes a lack of muscle tone and movement on the right side of my body and I’d like to change that. I may never be completely “balanced”, but there are NO EXCUSES not to give it my every effort so I am making strength training a vital part of my transformation. Essante pH 7.365 protein powder gives my muscles an alkaline boost that WILL help me reach this goal.

What is the 12 Week Transformation Contest:
Anyone can join this rolling-entry-date contest!
Contact me NOW for details!

How To Join:

  • Order Essanté Organics 7.365 pH Shake & lose weight
  • Complete entry form and submit before photos
  • Inspire others with progress posts & recipe shares on Facebook.com/EssanteOrganicsLLC & on your Facebook
  • Print the Ingredient, Recipe and Guide Book
  • At the end of 12 weeks, finish the sign up form: submit your after photos, etc. to corporate

Winners Receive:

  • 1st prize: $2500 cash  (male & female)
  • 2nd prize: $500 cash & 3 month supply of 7.365 pH SHAKE (male & female)
  • 3rd prize: 3 month supply of 7.365 pH SHAKE (male & female)
  • To win: winners must be present at the Great Green Event

My tools:
7.365 pH Shake Vanilla Ice Cream Rave Protein Shake: 100% Non-GMO Proprietary Vegan Protein Blend 22,150mg:  Sprouted Brown Rice Protein, Yellow Pea Protein, Inulin, Flax Seed, Organic Alfalfa, Organic Quinoa, Organic Millet, Organic Amaranth, and Vegetable Cellulose, Vanilla, Guar Gum, Stevia Extract.
7.365 pH Shake Chocoholic Kiss Protein Shake: 100% Non-GMO Proprietary Vegan Protein Blend 22,150mg:  Sprouted Brown Rice Protein, Yellow Pea Protein, Inulin, Flax Seed, Organic Alfalfa, Organic Quinoa, Organic Millet, Organic Amaranth, and Vegetable Cellulose, Cocoa, Guar Gum, Stevia Extract.
Super Reds Powder: 5.5 pounds of whole super fruit per serving
Earth Greens Powder: 5.5 lbs. of whole food, alkaline vegetation per serving
Thin & Sexy Oil Blend: A blend of Organic Lemon, Organic Juniper Berry, Organic Cypress, Organic Grapefruit, Organic Frankincense, Wild Myrrh, and Organic Lemongrass to decrease cellulite, increase circulation, aid in detoxification (toxic build up is the #1 cause of obesity), aid digestion, enhance metabolism, stimulate muscle strengthening and repair, and much more!                                                                                            Power Pops: “Eat Candy & Lose Weight” with ToxicFreeTM Power-Pops! An easy, 100% natural, tasty treat that increases energy, metabolism and weight loss.

Are you ready to Transform?

***Update: I completed the challenge an lost 10lbs, 20% body fat, and developed muscle. See next post

 

Well Rested Mama

lavender essential oil

[embedit snippet=”well-rested-mama-thanks-to-essante-essential-oils”]

LINKS:

Essante Lavender Essential Oil: http://tinyurl.com/lxgssqy

Essante Green Mandarin Essential Oil: http://tinyurl.com/m5bp7v7

Essante Sweet Dreams Essential Oil Blend: http://tinyurl.com/kab4vyv

Infononline 500ml Aroma Diffuser : http://tinyurl.com/l74orz7

**The FDA has not evaluated these statements. Products  are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

Allergic to the Cold?…No Really!

cold urticariaMy Story

Ever heard of cold urticaria? Well, neither had I until I was diagnosed in 2010.

When I was pregnant with my daughter in 2009, I began noticing that my hands would swell whenever I spent time outside in cold temperatures. When it was hot, I would break out in hives whenever I sweat or when the AC blew on me.

Even if I drank something cold (my biggest craving was ice cold water 24/7) I could feel my throat tightening.

At first, everyone (including myself) thought I was nuts.

It took me a while to piece everything together. Most of my symptoms could be somewhat explained by pregnancy: swollen hands, itchy skin, strange rashes.

It wasn’t until my daughter was 3 months old, and my symptoms were still persisting, that I started Googling. I know, I know…NEVER Google your own symptoms…you’ll always find that you’re “dying”, but in this instance, it proved to be helpful.

I Googled “hives + cold temperatures” and BAM! I found cold urticaria. Unfortunately, a name was really about all I found. No one really knows what causes cold urticaria, some say it’s permanent, others say it lasts 4-6 years, one can be born with it or acquire it for no known reason, pregnancy can bring it on, as well as, bee stings or fire ant bites (did, I mention that I stepped in a bed of fire ants while pregnant? Yup!), the list goes on and on.

[embedit snippet=”abc-news-clip-cold-urticaria”]

I scheduled an appointment with a local allergy specialist to see is she could offer me any more information. Since cold urticaria is so rare, I was met with a lot of skepticism by the doctor. She agreed to perform a “highly scientific” 3 minute ice test where a glass filled with ice water was placed on my forearm for 3 minutes, then the welt that arose was measured. This test was followed by a 1 minute test. Here were my results:

3 Minute Ice Test: Initial Diagnosis Feb. 2010

3 Minute Ice Test: Initial Diagnosis Feb. 2010

The welts or hives on my forearm were so large that nurses from all over the building stopped by to take pictures of the freak show with their phones. I was FAMOUS!

After the “freak show”, I was sent for a lot of blood work that confirmed I was highly allergic to fire ants and indeed had cold urticaria.

As far as “treatment” goes, I was given a prescription for a mild antihistamine that would not affect breastfeeding…much…and an epinephrin pen for emergencies.

Living in a mild climate, I was able to manage my symptoms well enough not to have to rely on an antihistamine every day, rather I carried the bottle in my purse and used it as a treatment rather than prevention. Fortunately, I have yet to need the epi pens.

About 2 years later I became pregnant with my second child. I must admit, I was a bit hopeful that since my cold urticaria surfaced during my 1st pregnancy that it might disappear during a 2nd pregnancy. Although I was not symptom free during my pregnancy, my symptoms were much less severe…hardly noticeable.

For me, cold urticaria seems to be linked to my hormones.  After pregnancy, my symptoms returned, but they were still lessened. I stopped taking the antihistamines and replaced them with Essante Bee Natural tabs about 4 months ago.

Bee Natural Tabs are 100% certified Toxic Free and include a wide spectrum of vital nutrients including pollen, royal jelly, honey, thousands of enzymes and coenzymes, vitamins, minerals, and hormones! Human consumption of bee pollen and royal jelly has been praised throughout history and medical and wellness practitioners, including Hippocrates and Pythagoras, have long prescribed it for its healing properties.

Bee Natural Tabs have freed me from antihistamines (and fear of their effects on my milk supply) and lessened my symptoms making daily activities in the cold safer and more comfortable.

Cold urticaria has received much more attention in the media over the last few years. My hope is that more people who suffer from this condition unidentified will recognize their symptoms, find answers, and know that they are not “crazy” or alone in their struggle.

Do you or someone you know suffers with cold urticaria? Please share your story in the comments section below.

**Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post. I was not required to give a positive review and all opinions are 100% my own. I am an executive with Essante Organics and only receive compensation through their outlined system (sales, bonuses, commissions, etc).

***The FDA has not evaluated these statements. Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.