May
1
Getting Ready for Bikini Season. Hawaii here I come!
Posted by admin at 05:30 | Filed In Inspired Wellness Center, Jana's Journey to Wellness, News you can Use, Things on Jana's Mind | 1 Comment
I’ve taken the next step in my journey to lose the last of the weight I need to get off my body! As I mentioned in my last blog I met with my friend Stoney Eskew of Eskew Fitness for some testing and game planning. It’s nice to have access to some science so we can take the guess work out of losing weight.
First test was to test my resting metabolism. This test felt a lot like trying to breath thru a scuba mask for 14-20 minutes without the benefit of being able to see cool stuff underwater. But at the end of it we know exactly what my metabolism is and exactly how many calories I need to lose weight, maintain weight or (god forbid) gain weight. My magic number 1348. The next test was using the same uncomfortable scuba-like mask, but this time stepping up and down from a step bench. I was sure I was destined to fail this test by tripping and falling head first into all of Stoney’s fancy machinery . . .much to my surprise I got thru the whole test with out falling down! After this test we knew exactly how I need to exercise to burn fat (yay!) instead of just sugar (boo!).
Before Stoney left she went over the plan one more time, so here is what I’m in for for the next 32 days:
1. 3 days of strength training per week to rev up my metabolism.
2. 4-6 days of cardio (in my recommended heart rate intervals) to burn fat.
3. A 5 day “reset” program to start detoxing my liver to it can start pitching in again, even out my blood sugar levels, and start to heal the insulin receptor sites so my body is smarter.
4. EAT! I know if I eat much less than 1300 calories my body goes into starvation mode so I have to be clearing my 1300 PLUS any calories I burn thru exercise (and getting said calories from quality sources instead of candy, beer and pizza…dangit!). With my exercise plan and the upcoming summer fun of playing on a kickball, a volleyball and a softball team…I think I’m going to be doing A LOT of eating so I apologize in advance if you come to my office and I’m stuffing my face.
I know this all sounds a little intense but did I mention: I’M GOING TO HAWAII IN JUST ABOUT 6 WEEKS!!! It is my goal to be feeling good enough about myself to walk around in just a swimsuit for the first time in my life (no wraps no shorts). I don’t expect to look perfect and I know I still have a lot of work to do to lose these next 35-40 pounds, but I think it’s important to have measurable, short term goals.
Wish me luck and I’ll keep you posted on how things are going! Thanks for the support, y’all!
For more information about Inspired Wellness Center you can join the conversation online on Facebook and Twitter. Inspired Wellness Center services Arvada and the entire Denver Metro Area.
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Apr
10
What Everyone Should Know About Beating Cancer
Posted by admin at 05:30 | Filed In News you can Use | Add a Comment
Disease (is) not an entity but a fluctuating condition of the patient’s body, a battle between the substance of disease and the natural self-healing tendency of the body. Hippocrates
Our very survival depends on how we manage our cancer. Cancer is a multifactorial disease. Every person and every cancer is unique. Genetic, environmental, nutritional and psychological factors all play a role in the development of cancer, and the toxic soup-mix is different for each individual. We all generate errant or mutated cancer cells in our bodies every day, yet only some individuals will go on to develop the disease. Normally our immune systems destroy these errant cells, yet sometimes the system fails: the development of cancer is an indication that the body lacks the support necessary to destroy cancer cells. The key is to discover and repair what is not functioning by empowering yourself to make changes that support your body’s ability to resist the cancer process. Therefore, to comprehensively treat our cancer, we must attack from all sides; we must dissect our soup. If we don’t uncover and correct the environment in which cancer was permitted to grow, our chances for recurrence or new cancers are greatly increased.
Conventional medicine targets the cancer that we detect right now: surgery to remove the tumor and therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation to target errant cells left behind. What about the new cells that proliferate? Conventional treatments alone are not winning the war on cancer. We, as patients, must play an active role in restoring and maintaining health. The key to survival is often changing the environment in which cancer was able to develop. If we focus on the underlying conditions that may have contributed to the disease, we can likely prevent recurrence or reverse the course of the disease. After all, it is not the primary tumor that kills us, but rather the progression of the disease. Emotional patterns and dietary choices may neither be the cause or cure for every cancer, but any path taken, be it allopathic, integrative or alternative, will be more successful long-term if the mind and body are addressed.
Our physical health is compromised when we chronically repress our needs and feelings to accommodate others. This coping style weakens our immune defenses and leaves us more vulnerable to cancer progression.
Stress per se is not a critical factor in illness; it’s how we respond to it that matters. The key is to express it appropriately and then let it go, so that it doesn’t fester or build, or escalate out of control. Take a walk, run, get a massage, listen to music, take a bath, yell (or at least make your distress known) –anything that can release stress and stored or blocked emotions. We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you begin to express your emotions and speak honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.
The immune system is often suppressed in people who feel they are not able to change the negative conditions of their lives, and are involved in toxic relationships. Situations in which a woman has a physically or emotionally abusive man in her life or is stuck in a non-nurturing marriage or even in one where a husband is unable or unwilling to support his wife’s emotional needs can trigger a cascade of biochemical changes that help create a fertile field for cancer to grow.
This is not to say that everyone involved in a toxic relationship or who has relentless, unaddressed stress will develop cancer. However, to help avoid a recurrence of cancer or to reverse the disease, you need to change the environment in which cancer was permitted to grow. Identifying and releasing deep-seated negative emotions and thought patterns, while maintaining an attitude of hope and positive beliefs, can make the all-important difference in the pursuit of wellness. If you suspect negative relationships to be part of the cause, it’s time to make some changes. Make a commitment to yourself and eliminate the toxic relationships in your life; celebrate you and make sure you are a priority in life, not an afterthought. Consider stress reducing therapies such as Reiki, yoga, meditation, or kinesiology. Join a support group to talk through your frustrations and to connect with others.
Diet should be an important part of your anticancer strategy. The cellular level is where cancer begins and where nutrition exerts its greatest effect. Our nutritional status either weakens us, making us susceptible to the development of cancer, or strengthens our bodies’ defense mechanisms, enhancing our ability to prevent renegade cells from becoming tumors, to avoid recurrence and often to reverse the disease. Cancer loves inflammation, and inflammation plays a role at all three stages of cancer: initiation, progression and metastasis. Most foods either encourage or discourage inflammation. A diet high in trans-fatty acids, carbohydrates and sugar helps the body to create inflammation, whereas a diet heavy in vegetables, whole grains and omega-3 fatty acids puts the brakes on the process.
In general, a high fiber, low fat, diet rich in legumes, fruits and vegetables is recommended (as well as exercise and maintaining a healthy weight). Limit red meat (occasional organic, grass-fed meats are fine). Dairy consumption is somewhat controversial, but most would argue that avoiding or limiting dairy is best. Remember, we want to enjoy life; deprivation can lead to depression and reduced enjoyment of life. If eating cheese is of great pleasure to you, then by all means, have some, but try to find raw, organic cheeses made on small farms to avoid pesticides and unnecessary hormones.
Antioxidants and the immune system play critical role cancer prevention and in their ability to destroy cancers already present. Antioxidants protect cells and tissues, and remove the free radicals created by exposure to radiation, chemicals and inflammation. Foods such as flax seed, rosemary, apples, red wine, leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables help remove and disable troublesome estrogen from the body. The immune system, and specifically NK cells (natural killer cells), are able to attack and kill a wide variety of cells and patrol the circulatory system and organs of the body on an antigen seek-and-destroy mission, so keeping these super-soldiers in optimal fighting condition is necessary to beat cancer. A lack of minerals and nutrients will decrease the activity of these soldiers and compromise the immune system. Please include a wide variety of anti-cancer foods as each nutrient plays its own role in the prevention of cancer.
Remember, the goal is to empower yourself to take responsibility for your own healing and to encourage you to take action, without creating a sense of guilt. If you have cancer, think long and hard about how you got to this place in life, and what kind of joyful and fulfilling future you want to create as a survivor. You can’t change the past, but you can take control of your future. Understanding which behaviors, ingrained patterns and dietary deficiencies we can begin to change in order to strengthen our immune systems and to allow our bodies to heal is the first step in the pursuit of wellness. Resolving these issues and moving towards a happier, healthier life is why many survivors say that getting cancer was the best thing that ever happened to them.
Elyn Jacobs
elyn@elynjacobs.com
elynjacobs.wordpress.com
Elyn Jacobs is President of Elyn Jacobs Consulting, Executive Director for the Emerald Heart Cancer Foundation, a certified cancer coach and a breast cancer survivor. Elyn empowers women to be active participants in their health; she is passionate about helping others get past their cancer and into a cancer-free life.
Linked-in: elyn-jacobs
Twitter:@elynjacobs
Facebook:elynjacobs
Apr
7
Hitting the dreaded PLATEAU!
Posted by admin at 05:30 | Filed In Inspired Wellness Center, Jana's Journey to Wellness, News you can Use, Things on Jana's Mind | 4 Comments
Path to putting in the work with help, to get back in shape!
Written by: Jana Royer-Morian
Last year I wrote a blog about how easy I was finding it to lose weight, I just followed the “DUH diet” and I magically shrunk by about 25 pounds. Ahh, the good old days! I no longer think losing weight is easy and have reached the, “nothing I’m doing is working, so why try” phase. Maybe some of you have been in this place.
Well, after months (and months) of losing and gaining the same 5 pounds I have decided to take two very important pieces of information to heart.
- Enlist help
- Tell others what you’re doing
Enter my old friend Stoney Eskew. I met her years ago when I first went into private practice and was teaching at Colorado Free University. She is beautiful, fit, and most importantly a genuinely good person . . . oh yeah, and an amazing personal trainer. Stoney owns a company called Eskew Fitness and she specializes in metabolism testing and nutrition and fitness counseling. When we first met and worked together, she tested my metabolism and told me exactly what and how much to eat… and had I done what she told me to do, I am sure it would have worked. Maybe I wasn’t ready, maybe I was committed enough… maybe I was just too lazy. Knowing that she would have the answers to why I have plateaued and can’t seem to get any further with it, I called her again, but this time I am ready, I am willing and I have lots of reasons for wanting to be successful.
They always say that the best way to be successful and stay accountable is to tell other’s what you are doing, so here I am telling all 2000+ of you what I am doing, why I am doing it and how I plan to be successful. My hope is chronicling my journey will be a great way to reach out to any of you who have struggled with your weight and hopefully Inspire you to find a new way to approach your weight loss woes.
I meet with Stoney in two days and at that point we will do my metabolism testing, tell me how many calories my body needs and the best way to give it the fuel to keep up with my active lifestyle. More details to come!
For more information about Inspired Wellness Center you can join the conversation online on Facebook and Twitter. Inspired Wellness Center services Arvada and the entire Denver Metro Area.
Image by: (StoneyEskew)(squidoo)
Apr
5
“You look good!”
Posted by admin at 05:30 | Filed In News you can Use | 1 Comment
Written by: Helen H Cohen
This was a response I had received countless times from others while I was undergoing six months of chemo treatment for Stage III colon cancer. This spontaneous comment came right after I was asked, “How are you doing?” After sharing my current health status, that was their swift reply. Although I sincerely appreciated their genuine concern for my well-being, I couldn’t help but have many lingering thoughts about what the intentions of their comments really meant. I heard this often enough that it made me wonder why anyone afflicted with cancer would receive these responses. I fully understood that their intentions were good and heartfelt. What I would have liked to say is “What do you think I should look like?”
Perhaps they had seen too many cancer movies where patients are portrayed as looking awfully horrible. The more realistic movie that recently illustrated this point with some levity was the movie 50/50. The emotional component is best portrayed in the Showtime series, The Big C. Did that mean I had looked bad before? Did it mean that all cancer patients “must” look physically awful to everyone? Did it mean that our society is hung up on the superficiality of one’s looks, especially with a life threatening disease like cancer? I noticed a commonality pattern in this and it caused me to reflect more on this subject. My reaction was that it goes beyond one’s facial appearance. For me, it meant that the battle with cancer might be a physical one for the body but an emotional and mental one for the mind. I truly was glad to hear that to them I “looked” good but more important to me was that I had done the necessary “inner work” to align my mind and my body together in a united goal to get well again. That was my job to do and do alone. I was busy working on keeping up my optimistic mental attitude and gathering up all of my inner strength and fortitude to persevere. I became very determined to do whatever it took to beat my cancer. That was what I needed to do.
I have read that ‘Cancer may leave your body but it may never leave your mind.’ It has been said that if we humans wore our emotional scars and wounds on our outside (rather than inside, like we do) then we would be quite disfigured and ugly in our exterior appearance. I am extremely grateful that I am “disease free” today thanks to the exceptional medical care I received during treatment. The personal victory and success I feel today is based on my own strong unwavering conviction to have been willing to persevere to overcome my cancer. In essence, the comment “You look good!” really means my attitude must have been reflected in my looks for others to see as a shining example.
Figure skater Scott Hamilton won the gold medal in the 1984 Olympics. He accomplished this feat with great determination. When he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1997 he claims he fought his disease with the same degree of resolve. Scott Hamilton believes we are all defined by how we deal with our setbacks in life. His personal credo that he follows is: “The only true disability in life is a bad attitude.” I chose mine. I am a Stage III colon cancer survivor and a Professional Life Coach who specializes in Cancer Survivorship Coaching.
Bio - Helen H Cohen, Professional Life Coach I am very fortunate to be an over two year Stage III colon cancer survivor. I had colorectal resection surgery and completed six months of adjuvant chemotherapy.
I am a Professional Life Coach who would like to inspire other cancer survivors to move forward with their lives with a renewed perspective & better outlook. I firmly believe that post cancer treatment provides a great opportunity to:
- reinvent oneself
- renew one’s focus
- and to re-evaluate one’s life purpose.
I provide coaching services for cancer survivors on these very issues. To learn more about me, please visit my web site:
http://www.e3coaching.net/
Apr
3
Silent Infertility
Posted by admin at 05:30 | Filed In News you can Use, Uncategorized | 2 Comments
Written by Fran Meadows
One in eight couples struggle with the disease known as infertility. Some couples struggle through secondary infertility which is much more common now. Infertility in simple terms is a couple that is having unprotected sex for six months to a year without conceiving. Women who can get pregnant and have had multiple miscarriages can also be infertile. There is also the male fertility factor; does your man have good swimmers? There are so many other medical conditions that can attribute to infertility that are usually found once testing or treatments have begun. When couples begin treatment your doctor will run blood tests, will do an extensive medical history consultation, and also do vaginal scans, as well as semen analysis for the man. Other miscellaneous tests may be run too. Once the test results are in they will determine which treatment is necessary or if any other medical problems have been discovered.
Intrauterine insemination known as IUI is the placing of the sperm into a woman’s uterus when she is ovulating. This procedure is used for couples with unexplained infertility and minimal male factor infertility. IUI is a quick procedure that is performed in the doctor’s office without any anesthesia. It should not be painful; some women describe it as feeling like a pap smear.
In vitro fertilization known as IVF is a timed procedure that involves removing eggs from the woman’s ovary, fertilizing it with semen, incubating the cells in a laboratory dish, and then transferring the embryo back into the uterus at the appropriate time, usually three to five days after the egg retrieval. IVF is a procedure that involves many medications taken orally, vaginally, as well as injections and hormone patches. The process of IVF usually includes Ovulation Induction, Egg Retrieval, and Embryo Transfer.
Every couple’s experience with fertility treatments are not the same. Results and side effects from medications vary and so do the emotions. Many people who go through these treatments end up successfully conceiving and giving birth. However, for some who do not achieve these same desired results, they may choose to change their path for having a child. This does not mean they have not succeeded, it just means they have changed their focus of energy onto another means of successfully beginning or expanding their family. For instance, they may opt for a donor egg, embryo donation, surrogate or choose the path of adoption instead. There are so many options, and for some that might even mean choosing to no longer try having children, but instead be content living within a happy, healthy relationship with their spouse or partner. Whatever the choice may be, many people do grow up envisioning becoming parents someday and it is my belief that everyone does deserve that chance.
For someone going through this journey be prepared when you begin fertility treatments; it is a commitment. You need to stay strong and be prepared for all things that are thrown at you. It is important to stay grounded in your relationship with your partner because it can be a strain, even on a very healthy relationship. Many people that go through this road of uncertainty seek therapy to open up and speak about what they are experiencing and feeling.
For those people who have gone through this struggle, they can relate to what I have written. For those that don’t know about infertility, then please don’t judge, but instead find out more information as to why people may need to go under treatment. Infertility is not something to be embarrassed about. We are all people, whether we are everyday couples or celebrity couples this is a real issue that can affect anyone of us, and so it is worth being educated on. Also emotionally supporting those who are going through this type of obstacle can help to alleviate their stress. A simple smile or hug can help to give a sense of hope.
My name is Fran Meadows and I am a thirty-eight year old woman that struggled with unexplained infertility for several years. When I first heard that my husband and I needed to go through treatments I was devastated and skeptical, thinking that maybe if we just continued trying it would happen naturally. I took the silent road…I kept my struggle from my family and from my friends. I did not share any part of my journey with them. My husband and I dealt with the silence together. At times I wished I would have opened up but when going through infertility there are many choices brought in front of you and this was our choice. It doesn’t mean it was the right choice. Eventually, I did seek therapy to get my emotions out about it. Therapy was a positive place for me to go and open up without feeling that I was being judged by anyone. This was very helpful for me. When I was going through the treatments I thought I was the only one, but then I found out after struggling for so long, that I was not alone! I’ve lived it, I learned from it, and now I’ve gained a sense of strength from the struggle.
During my time of going through these treatments I began to keep a journal and just recently released a self -published book entitled, The Truth Behind The Secret “Infertility” A personal diary of my journey to motherhood. The book details my experiences going through treatments, the good times, the bad times, and the overall success through my struggle.
I did become pregnant through IVF twice, although the first time I was devastated with the loss of a child at twenty five weeks pregnant. I had delivered a still born. Unfortunately, this is another chapter in my journey. One that I wish I could erase. The pain from the loss of a child whether through a miscarriage or still born experience it is something that nobody should have to experience. Support through infertility and loss of a child is a very important part of healing yourself. Thankfully though I recovered from that sad experience and I conceived again through IVF, but this time with the successful birth of my now four year old son!
I now wish to help other couples out there with my book, by giving them a sense of hope with a humorous flare and some tears. I will continue to raise infertility awareness and be heard. My advice is stay with it; everyone deserves a family! Even if you have assistance, don’t be embarrassed because you’re not alone! Let the great doctors and nurses’ help you get you there. Keeping my infertility silent was my choice, not saying that it is for others but now I speak out loud letting others know about how I made it through infertility. Life is not predictable, move forward with confidence!
