goal #1 for 2010--a clean slate!

hey friends and fam!

if this is your first time here, welcome :)  AND, thanks for taking the time to get a password and all that fun stuff.  in the past, my blog had always been available to read for anyone surfin the net; but for now, i’ve decided to keep it open only to people i know (and who know me!) and a few select very good online buddies as well.

i’ve been blogging off and on for several years and you’ll find that i have an extensive archive if you ever get super bored ;)  haha!  you can type in random words in the search box, pick a month or even click on a subject tag word in the side bar to find ramblings that may interest you.  and btw, i DO do a lot of rambling, but sometimes i have important things to say, too.  well…at least about things that are important to me!  but hey, this is MY blog! (hrm, rambling here already…haha!)

so this year (similar to the past several years) i didnt make resolutions.  i am so over resolutions!  i have goals i want to reach that are on-going.  in the last 3 years, i’ve really hunkered down on focusing on my health since finding out i have endometriosis.  the endo has thwarted my ability to have babies, and before i get too old i am determined to overcome that—on my own with no fertility drugs or procedures.  so far, i’ve made a lot of progress.  but still…close, but no cigar…for now.

so the clean slate literally involves a 10-day cleanse i am beginning TOMORROW!  before you freak out and think i wont be eating for 10 days, read on ;)  i did one a little less than 2 years ago with excellent success.  i’ll be chatting daily about it in my health journal!  there’s also a link up top there so feel free to visit anytime. 

i want to also direct you to my original post (back in 2008) about that cleanse, entitled spring cleaning :) .  if you want to understand what in the heck i’ll be talking about for the next 10 days in my health journal, i recommend reading that post! 

i’ll also hop over there today and post a little more, as this cleanse is a little bit different than the last one.  definitely stay tuned for lots of fun health-nut ramblings!!   bwahahah!

one last thing.  the clean slate also involves ridding myself all of my expectations, previous emotional and mental blockages relating to getting healthier and my worn-out-run-down motivational issues that i’ve so miserably dragged along all these years i’ve been improving my health.  i’m trading them all in for positive, well-oiled working models!!  hehe!  yeah, it’s scary, unfamiliar territory not being too hard on myself like i always have been.  while it wasn’t beneficial, it was comfortable.  you know how it goes. 

so how did i rid myself of all of those drag-me-down things, you ask?  oh, i just decided i was going to. and i did.  end of story.  i’m tired of screwing around with negativity and over-analyzing and having to have a “process” in order to gain any healthy emotional ground.  it’s a waste of time! 

okay so maybe it didnt *poof* go away in an instant. hehe.  however, i’m not going to think about it!  i’m just going to visualize myself already at my goals, deal with emotions as they come instead of worrying or anticipating them and continue to implement a daily practice of prayer, meditation and visualization.  focusfocusfocus on the things that will bring on positive outcomes!

alrighty!  welp, i hope to see you over at my health journal over the next 10 days.  at any rate, i hope you stop in again soon :)

happy weekend!!

~josey~

onna roll! (no, not a hot buttered one!)

heyhey!

i’m onna roll =D

OHYEAH.

i just had to tell ya!

if you havent visited my health journal lately, hop over there to see what i’ve been upta!  i’ll probably be posting mostly over there for the next 10 days or so :)  (click HERE to see why!) 

in the meantime, i hope you’re having a simply maahhhvelous spring.  here’s our forecast for tomorrow!

 

MUCH better than THIS just a little over a month ago!

ttfn!

~jos~
 

no more excuses!

happy monday :)

and st. patty’s day!  

welp, lately on my health journal i’ve been yappin about how i’m tryin to reach a certain weight loss goal.  (specifically, the ever-8freakinmonth-elusive 200lb mark!)  i have a lot of “reasons” (excuses?) why i havent fulfilled that goal and mainly they are health-related obstacles.  

but really, is that what has slowed me down the most?

probably not. (i hate being honest with myself. dangit!)

for some reason, the more i fail to succeed the more i blame it on something “out of my control.”  but honestly, how out of my control is healing my endometriosis/reducing pain and balancing my hormones?  hmm.  how out of my control is dealing with my foot/ankle issues so im not in pain all the time?  isnt that what my journey to better health is all about—taking control of those obstacles?

i also keep telling myself i need to be more kind and gentle to my psyche and stop beating myself up when i fall short because it ends up starting a vicious cycle.  and while that IS true, i also need to be brutally honest and ask myself—have i REALLY tried as hard as i could?  have i given it my all?  or have i put forth just a few weeks of consistency and then let the proverbial “cut off” time for my motivation take hold just so i can be lazy again?

i’m thinking the latter. :\


sparkpeople postlast week i read this post (left) on sparkpeople.  while it’s not a fancyschmancy speech, it cuts thru the crap and excuses.  it’s something i needed to hear at this juncture and i thought i’d share!  i decided to give you a screenshot of the post so that way if you decide you want to be part of sparkpeople, you can connect with the author if you’d like :) 

 

 

so wow, what did you think?  definitely some points that made smoke come out my ears. LOL.  at one time or another, every single one of these excuses is ME, whining. haha. (in addition to who knows how many more…) 

i dont think i even need to expand on her explanations.  i’m getting to the point where it’s simply cut and dry—either do it, or dont!  get healthier, or dont!  PERIOD.  i’m tired of swimming in excuses!

even if losing weight or improving your health isnt high on your priority list, what is?  and what excuses do you keep using that’re holding you back because it’s more comfortable there?  think…spiritual time, family time, time spent doing something helping others…

i hope this gave you something to chew on, too!

AND…what are you going to do about it? 

~josey~ 
 

come sit fer a spell =)

happy hump day!! hehe!!

well gosh, its been since friday since i checked in here!  i’ve been writing in my health journal, tho.  if you havent checked that out, click on over and have a cuppa tea with me! :D  i’ve been posting my food log every day, too (cept the weekend).  so if you’re weerd like me and you like to know what other people eat, the secret has now been revealed! haha!

*gets out the raw milk cheddar cheese with gluten-free almond crackers, and serves up some cranberry spice hot tea*  hehehe ;) 

let’s chat!! :) 

things have been a little busy here, which is a tad strange for me :)  since i work at home, i dont have a whole lot of excitement going on, especially during the wintertime.  and now that the holidays are over, you’d think things would be winding down!

you may (or may not) remember me talking about volunteering with a local agricultural institute all last summer.  in the fall, i ended up helping them with some outdoor education things as well.  this was right up my alley, as my college degree is in outdoor recreation management!  unfortunately i have never held a paying position using my degree. (long story!)

until NOW!! =)

the ag institute wants me to fulfill the role as their youth educator :D  the BEST thing about it is that its on a project-to-project basis (sub-contracting), so i’m not committed to an office job or even a part-time job.  their programs are sporadic and when a request comes in, they’ll okay it thru me, and then i’ll do all the planning.  i am SO EXCITED!  

this will be THE FIRST time i’ve made MONEY from my college degree!!  YAYY!!!!  (it’s been 10 years since i graduated…and yes, i’m still paying for the loans…ROTFL…)     

my first project is in february.  a dozen teenagers from a school in chicago are coming for a 4-day outing.  just this week i’ve been in touch with the school, and this afternoon i’m meeting with my boss at the ag institute to go over budget, lodging and program activities!  YAY, feels good to use my creativity again!  plus i love workin with the kids =) 

they also have asked me to do some other volunteer work this month, so a few days a week i’ll be there helping them out! *watches as my dusty dayplanner fills up…!* ;)

THEN, on top of that…there’s a pet supply/pet gift shop i go to every week to get dog and cat food.  its kinda cool, cause the owner of it grew up in the house we are renting! (yep, small towns. hehe.)

she asked me if i’d be interested in managing their website! :-O  so, i’m meeting with her this week or next to get started on that.  woohoo!  this may be considered a part-time job, but i think i’ll be able to do most of it from home :D

on the health front, if you’ve been checkin out my health journal at all you’ll have a little peek inside my crazy mind as far as my obsession with healing my endo and losing weight goes :)  these last few days in particular have been very challenging for me, tho, and i didnt mention it i the health journal.

in the last week or so, i’ve had some light-headedness that in the last several days have turned into full-blown dizzy spells.  spinning room, shivering, ringing in the ears and nausea—the works.  it’s freaked me out!  i’ve never felt that way, and was very concerned.

monday night i barely slept at all.  i had to sleep with the light on because i kept waking up every single hour feeling REALLY dizzy…and with the light OFF, it made me feel dizzier when i opened my eyes!  ACK!  poor hubby moved to the couch :(  of course by then my anxiety was high and my heart pounded every time i woke up. :(:(

i contacted my naturopath yesterday and she said it means my body is “shifting.”  meaning partly that i am starting to get enough (really, too much) of the supplements i have been taking.  in addition, since i have been detoxing my liver, it could also mean i’m finally ridding myself of some pretty toxic heavy metals.  YAY.  

plus on top of that, i’ve changed my diet somewhat drastically—no wheat or gluten.  this has forced me to eat pretty durned healthily—tons more fruits, veggies, and higher quality carbs than before.  if you’ve ever gone off caffiene or sugar (or even cigarettes) cold turkey, you’ll understand what i mean when i say i’ve been having withdrawal symptoms! LOL! 

so, yesterday and today i am not taking any supplements at all.  tomorrow morning i’m going in for a nutritional balance, even tho i just went a few weeks ago for a follow-up.  since its impossible to predict when my body has had enough of a certain supplement and is ready for the next step, its really important for me to pay attention to the cues my body gives off.  i guess this one was pretty hard to ignore! hehe! ;)

oh and by the way, i slept WELL last nite, and have been feeling better since i stopped taking the supplements.  i am feeling much more normal today!! (as you can tell by my superdooper gabby fingers. teehee!) 

so anyhoo…that’s SOME of what’s goin on with me…how about you?  how’s your new year goin? =) 

i also wanted to let you know about a new “search” feature i’ve added to my site.  if you look in the navigation bar, at the bottom of the 7th yellow cube (yep, WAY down there. hehe.) there’s a white search box :D  so, if you ever wanna see if i’ve yapped about something you’re interested in without sifting thru my archives, give that search box a whirl!  it’s pretty spiffy :) 

and lastly…remember my (WI)nter wonderland about a week and a half ago?  well, it is no more!  mr. heat miser dropped by! LOLOL!

our front yard, just this mornin :) 
our back yard…lonely with no snow!

 

 

 

 

 

over the weekend and early this week, we had 3-4 nearly 60 degree days!  we also had thunderstorms (lightning and all!) and even tornadoes!  crazy huh??  and its january—in WISCONSIN! it’s back down to the 30’s now, tho, but i dont mind :)

in the first pix, if you click on it, look in the lower right hand corner of the big window.  do you happen to see a certain puppy dog there? hehe!!  btw, that’s the big picture window featured here. :)

and yes, there’s one lonely chunk of snow in the back yard.  i think it’s remnants of a HUGE snow ball hubby and i made—it was almost as tall as me. hahah! 

so anyhoo, that’s whats happenin so far in my new year!!  things are looking up, for sure.  i’ve had some rocky times already with my anxiety issues, but i’m determined 2008 will be the year i get much healthier :)  AND accomplish many of my other goals!

have a wonderful rest of the week!!!  

~josey~
 

a mini-health journal!

happy saturday morning :D

to help me stay on track on my journey to better health, i decided to create a little mini-health journal within my website :)  it’s the second link from the top called “my 2008 health journal.”  you can find the archives for it at the very bottom of the navigation bar!

i’ll still be talking about health, nutrition, weight loss, endometriosis and FOOD (of course! hehe) in sillygolucky :)  so dont think you’re off the hook. BWAAHAHA! >;-D

the health journal is for more of a daily basis check-in place for me.  i’ll post what i eat, my weigh-ins, how im feeling physically (probably TMI for some of you, but oh well! its a good way for me to track the association of certain foods to my pain levels!), and talk more specifically about my diet and my endo treatment.

if any of you are curious about anything i mention, have questions about certain foods i eat or just general health/nutrition questions/comments, PLEASE indulge me ;)  i love learning more about these things and helping others do the same!

and i would be overjoyed to help you reach some of your own personal health goals along the way =D

~josey~ :) 
 

reality tv and weight loss

hey there! =D

last week i watched the (tivo’d) finale of the biggest loser.  this was my first season watching; im not much of a tv gal, really.  i just have a few reality shows i watch, scattered throughout the year as they come on (survivor, the amazing race, american idol, so ya think you can dance, hell’s kitchen, and america’s next top model).

anyhoo!  sorry bout the mini-tangent. haha.

let’s put aside the fact this show was edited for tv and all that jazz.  there’s something that attracts me to TBL in particular—people’s lives are actually changed FOR THE BETTER by participating in the crazy realm of reality tv!

it was totally amazing to see how nearly all of the contestants—especially the top 4—changed so drastically!  a few of them even lost 50% of their original body weight!!  can you imagine?!  HALF of yourself—gone!

i think what inspired me and impressed on my heart the most was their determination and perseverance.  yes—they wanted to win; but more than anything, they wanted to improve their lives and prove to themselves they could do this, and that they WERE WORTH IT.

emotionally and physically, i understand what many of these people went through.   there wasnt an episode i didnt cry once or more because i felt so sorry for someone, or identified so closely. maybe im a cheesey chump for getting so sentimental about a dumb tv show that a network uses just to make money.  so, call me a sappybutt!  i dont care! LOL.

i think i also cried because sometimes i felt sorry for myself/guilty for not working harder toward my goals.  i saw them succeed under pretty extreme circumstances and i was so proud!  i KNOW how hard it is to fight past the mental and physical burdens of why you’re fat—anyone who’s ever been overweight knows what i mean.

now if you’re sitting there reading this and STILL thinking im a total idiot for being suckered into this show emotionally, then maybe you’re missing my point!  

for those of us who struggle with our weight and all the baggage that comes with it, its a light in the darkness to see others come so far. 

we celebrate with them and cheer them on!  it boosts our own morale.  it renews our hope when we are mentally exhausted.

we identify with the human condition and begin to realize we have the same strength and motivation as these people, who come from the same walks of life.  it’s easy to forget we have reserves we haven’t yet tapped into.

no, i dont worship reality tv ;)  but watching this season of TBL gave me a boost of optimism for my own situation.  it’s been tough (understatement!) losing weight this year with my endometriosis and the pain and hormonal fluctuations its brought with it.  but i’m getting better, slowly. 

i just cant give up! 

i want to prove to myself i can do this. 

this whole “health” goal of mine is so much more than losing weight.  it’s shedding layers and layers of emotional cruddy build-up.  feeding my self-esteem.  giving worth to my character, my core—pushing myself to persevere and emerge as stronger and more confident.  i want to use these positive things to help other people. 

but first, i have to tend to my own wounds and issues.  2007 started that and now im onna roll :D    

i am VERYVERY excitedly looking forward to 2008 as being the year i blossom into a more balanced, kind and healthy person.  and not just in how i react and give back to the world around me, but how i treat and care for my own mind, body and spirit.

(more on all this soon! weeeeeeeee!) 

~jos~ 

the evolution of (me and) my blog

hey, folks! :D
back at the beginning of december, tish over at the kat house did this really cool meme that chronicled the “evolution” of her blog by choosing 5 of her landmark archived posts.
i commented on her post, but being the doober i am, i wasnt paying attention and put my comment on the wrong post. LOL!!
but, being the nice gal she is, she replied back anyhoo and suggested i do the meme when i gotta chance!  well, now i have the chance…so, here goes! (oh and btw, they arent in perfect chronological order, but i think you’ll still get the point! LOL.)
i started blogging in december 2005 on Yahoo 360.  blogging, for me, was (is!) basically a replacement for a hand-written journal.  i’ve been on a quest to lose weight and get healthy for ohhh about 7 years now…so it was obvious that would be the thing i’d yap about most.  my very first blog post EVER was a great start to the end of the year!.
that was basically my introduction.  and i’m not gonna count it toward the 5 posts im supposed to feature in this meme. HEHE! ;)  even to this day, i dont think i could ever change a word of it and say it any better!
having my blog on the big Y kinda kept me sheltered from the REAL blogosphere (at least in my opinion)—i wasnt aware of all the commenting, the memes, and all the fun stuff that really gets your name out there.  i just wrote when i felt like it and “closed the book” and hid it back in my drawer when i was done. hehe!
i really didnt start semi-seriously blogging again until january of 2007!
i’m guessing most of my readers dont really know that im completely and totally obsessed-submersed-bookwormed into learning about and applying holistic nutrition and health stuff into my life.
the reason why i’ve dove in head first into this stuff is because in march of this year (2007), after a diagnostic laparoscopy, i found out i have endometriosis. <—-btw, that’s my fave endometriosis site. hands down.
in fact, IRL, healing my endo (aka endometriosis) through proper nutrition is what i talk about, think about and read about a lot.  i mean LOTS a lot.   . o O (hmmm, probably why i dont have any good friends. LOL.)  especially because i believe the things i’ve learned can be applied in a myriad of ways to everyone. (yep, even men!)
i wrote time to heal the week after my laparoscopy.  i dont think i really revealed how scared i was about having endo and how big of a step it was to take a greater responsibility in my own healing by not choosing the typical path of treatment through my doctor.  but, there was just something in my gut that said—YOU have to do this.  you CAN do this.  your body WANTS to heal; you just have to give it what it needs.
the gears in my brain started churning and i knew my diet was due for an overhaul at this point.  i then found and read a book called Endometriosis: A Key to Healing through Nutrition.  this got me thinking quite a bit about what i eat and how it effects my body on a cellular level. *totally nerdy pose*
at this point, i couldnt get enough info—i was (and AM!) a total sponge!  i just kept reading and reading…about food…our bodies…about amazing things i’d never thought about before. 
after reading books like Real Food: What to Eat and Why and Nourishing Traditions i felt moved to write pass me the olden days, please…probably the most telling post i’ve written thus far about how i feel about nutrition, health and the industrialization of our world. 
then i revealed a little more, embarrassingly, in crying over chocolate cake.  this was a time, in the midst of coping with the drastic hormonal shifts, i asked myself “am i doing the right thing?” and “how much more of this can i handle?”… in addition with grappling with the fact that i may never have biological children of my own, which especially bothers me on those most hormonal days. :(  this post was a recount of one of many times i’d have days like this—days where i swore i was losing it.   days when it didnt seem fair that i had to have this disease and i let it get the best of me.
this year i’ve had a lot of doubts, but also a lot of revelations.  what’s the real reason is my reassessment of why and how i’ve come to be where i am this year…in my health, my emotions, my goals.  it felt good to admit all my grossly gluttonous habits…most of which i am thankfully tackling full-force ;)  it also feels good to look at my life by taking a step back…and truly realize where i’ve screwed up, then use that knowledge to turn it into something positive!
and finally, something that’s become quite apparent to me after all the physical and emotional pain, desperate pleadings to God, confusion and feeling alone…after all the things ive read and studied to educate myself so i can take responsibilty for my health, THIS is what it all boils down to for me:  nutrition + emotions = health. (and tho i failed to mention it—for me, spirituality is the foundation of that equation!!  that post would have been pages and pages longer had i included that aspect.  i venture to guess one of these days it will all come out. :D )
maybe most of the stuff in that last post seems a little new-agey, or far-fetched or like im getting scammed over.  but until you go through a time in your life when nothing else makes sense…when something comes along that clicks in your gut and you just know…then, well, you know…you JUST KNOW you have stumbled upon something that can—AND WILL—change your life.
and if you share it, it might change someone else’s, too.
and this, my friends, is the evolution…of me. (through my blog.)
i’m very, very grateful you stopped by :)

i wanna be in ONEderland by 2008!

happy monday, folks :)

i believe my poor, nutritionally abused body is having chocolate cupcake/pumpkin pie with whipped cream/mashed potatoes/dressing withdrawal today.  i feel like crap!  headache, body aches, acid reflux, general malaise...bleh.

this is what usually happens after i've eaten "irresponsibly" for more than a few days in a row. *hehe*  i'm positive im not getting the flu or a cold; i havent had one in over two years!  i actually ate some HEALTHY food last nite and today, so now my body is ticked-off and rebelling cause IT WANTS JUNK.

fortunately, last nite i also planned out our menu for the whole week--every single meal.  its been rough sticking with it today, because im a little grumpy and wanting sugary/carby junk.  i usually give myself a "transition day,"  but i have to stick it out!  i'm tired of letting myself slack.  just a few more days or less, and i'll feel normal and energetic again.

my weigh-in this morning was 208.6! EEEEEP!  i suppose i'm not toooo shocked, but man.  what a big ole dork i am for going nutto with the food over the holiday.  i have a goal to lose 10lb by the end of the year.  i will be sooooooo happy if i do!  no wait...i'll be sooooooo happy WHEN I DO!! 

i wont even go on a tirade on how im such an idiot and i could have been under 200 and well below over the summer.  i'm just too tired to type that much right now ;)  hehe.  i suppose the best thing i can do is to keep focusing on the positive and making good food choices and getting in my exercise!

here's my plan for the next several weeks:

• yoga 3+ times/week
• cardio 4+ times/week
• strength training 2-3 times/week
• continue incorporating my blood type dietary changes
• avoid refined carbs and fast food!!

AND most importantly...loving myself and being kind and patient with myself.  even tho i havent lost tons this year, i know i would have GAINED had i not stopped my self-trash-talkin-train-of-thought as much as i have.  stinkin thinkin has no place in a healthy relationship with ones self!    

i should be proud that i have at least maintained most of what i've lost despite the physical and emotional things i've had to deal with this year.  i'm sure the hormonal imbalances (esp thyroid) have thwarted even my best efforts so i cant completely say it was a total lack of motivation.  its just soo hard to give yourself ANY credit when you've failed so many times at something you want SOOO BADLY.

okay!  enuff rambling for now...;)  time to go rest for a while and i will see you all back here tomorry!

enjoy your monday!!

~josey~ 

 

i'm a loud, over-analyzing, emotional perfectionist! ;)

hey there!!  TGIF!! =D

the other day i stumbled upon a bloggy type personality test that's modeled after the original Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.  my results were suprising, because i have actually taken the true Myers-Briggs several years ago and had the same result!  usually these cheesey little online quizzywizzies aren't very accurate.  so, either this one's half way decent or i just got lucky! hehe!

if you know anything about the Myers-Briggs, you know its WAY more than a teenyboppery fun "who am i?" personality quiz.  when i took it, i learned a lot of very important things about myself and more than anything, it gave me the insight i needed to understand how other people in my life think and react in certain situations. 

so, here was my result from the quizzywizzy: 

 

You Are An ENFJ

The Giver You strive to maintain harmony in relationships, and usually succeed.  Articulate and enthusiastic, you are good at making personal connections.  Sometimes you idealize relationships too much - and end up being let down. You find the most energy and comfort in social situations ... where you shine. In love, you are very protective and supporting. However, you do need to "feel special" - and it's quite easy for you to get jealous. At work, you are a natural leader. You can help people discover their greatest potential.  You would make a good writer, human resources director, or psychologist. How you see yourself: Trusting, idealistic, and expressive When other people don't get you, they see you as: Bossy, inappropriate, and loud

 

so let's chat about this a bit!  i am Extroverted (surprise! LOL)...however, the MBTI says:

Everyone spends some time extraverting and some time introverting. Don’t confuse Introversion with shyness or reclusiveness. They are not related.

i like that. i thought it was very interesting!  "introverted" seems to carry a negative connotation (and maybe that's just more with us extroverts?), and i think its essential to embrace someone's way of getting inspiration and energy.  to me, that's one of the things that makes others so intriguing!  

then, the N stands for intuition.  this one makes me giggle...only because i now realize this is the part of my personality that is the strongest in my life right now.  it is, in fact, the very thing that creates stress in my little head! LOL!  

what it means is that i focus more on reading into (or shall we say...ANALYZING...particulary, OVER-analyzing? hehe!!) information instead of sensing it for what it is.  they give these examples that i think hit is smackdab on the money:

I solve problems by leaping between different ideas and possibilities.

Sometimes I think so much about new possibilities that I never look at how to make them a reality.

obviously something i need to balance out a little better!! ;)

then, i prefer Feeling.   before i go on, the MBTI wants us to make this distinction:

Don’t confuse Feeling with emotion. Everyone has emotions about the decisions they make.

this made me feel better, because sometimes i think i am too emotional.  i think most of it comes from the simple fact that my hormones are so out of whack right now and i lose my ability to be rational when i need to be.  (men, believe this!! LOL!)

the feeling aspect really focuses on having the need for harmony and balance in relationships, and essentially having a people-pleasing personality.  this obviously can be a detriment when i refuse to...er i mean when i fail to see the real (and sometimes unpleasant) truth about a situation or another person.  

i think sometimes this aspect of my personality is a nice compliment when i am in a group of otherwise less compassionate, less nurturing indivuals.  we need all sorts to make the world go round, right? RIGHT! 

then finally Judging.  i remember when i first took the MBTI i was like NOOOO! i dont want J!  i dont judge other people! ROTFL.  obviously that's not what it means...well, cause then that would be judging others! ;) 

really what judging refers to is how i need to have some structure in my life and in the way i make decisions.  i think it goes right along with the fact that i'm a virgo *hehe*  i like to make lists, normally i dont procrastinate, and i tend to be punctual and like to make plans ahead of time, etc... 

not that i dont like spontaneity tho, cause i do!  its just that i tend to resort to judging most of the time. 

so, to sum all this up, the Myers-Briggs paraphrases the ENFJ as:

ENFJ
Warm, empathetic, responsive, and responsible. Highly attuned to the emotions, needs, and motivations of others. Find potential in everyone, want to help others fulfill their potential. May act as catalysts for individual and group growth. Loyal, responsive to praise and criticism. Sociable, facilitate others in a group, and provide inspiring leadership.

so what does the quizzywizzy say you are?  oh, come on and do it and tell me what you got. LOL. (i COULD be really mean and tag this as a meme...but i wont!!! LOL.) and what are your thoughts about it?  have you ever taken the official MBTI?

i think its fun and SUPER important to take a plunge into understanding our own AND others' personalities better.  i mean, who doesnt want to be a happier camper? :D 

have fun!!!

~josey~ 

 

scatterbrainededness

yo!

happy almost friday!! WOOT.

so wow, we're 15 days into NaBloPoMo.  i am ON FIRE. LOL!  it really hasnt been too hard for me to come up with junk to yack about.  altho i do have to admit the last few days have been a little harder, cause i've had a lot of stuff on my mind and i couldnt make up my mind what to blog about!  OHhhh the agonies of life!! ;)

like right now, im sitting here playing with my retro-plastic-rainbow slinky. *slink-clunk. slink-clunk*  listening to Orleans groovin on satellite radio.  doot doot doot, dance with meeee.  and watching my perpetually hungry cat, cadet, eye me, waiting for me to get up so he can run meeeeoorrrwwwing to the kitchen even tho he just ate. 

distractions, distractions!  

OKAY. well i'll settle on something that kinda got me ta thinkin today.  i know, you're saying "OH YAY. here she goes again, another rambling novel!"  of course you know that's always possible ;)  don't act so shocked! LOL!

today i was reading over at Beenzzz's.  her post today made me rethink (for oh...prolly the 100th time at least!) my obsession with food, nutrition, losing weight, and health.   

i am frustrated.  plateaued.  inconsistent.  not to mention too often emotional and ticked at myself. 

i have been trying SO HARD in the last year to lose 10% of my body weight.  i started at 220 last christmas, and have gotten as low as 201.  my goal was 198.  GOSHDANGIT how come i just CANT seem to get under that freakin 200 mark!!??!?!  i was doin so awesome for a while, and then all summer i fluctuated between 201 and 206ish.  what in the heck!?!?

im starting to wear down now.  let me reiterate that i am not obsessing about "being skinny."  i am 5'3", and weighing over 200lb is NOT healthy.  i have ankle issues, sometimes achy knees, i get tired of getting winded or having my gut rolls in the way or using my boobs as a shelf for my dinner plate.  SORRY for the visuals, but this is life as a BIG GIRL.  its hard some days, harder than you know. 

i NEED to lose weight because i have endometriosis.  there's more than one good reason to get rid of some of that extra fat im carrying around.  less fat = less estrogen = less endometriosis = less pain.  simple as that! (well not really, but i'll spare you the details for now.) 

im beginning to wonder if i need to switch my focus.  Beenzzz's post reminded me about how so stinkin confusing it is these days to choose a path to health and wellness. there are SO many opinions, plans and diets out there.  one minute something is good for ya, and the next it contributes to ill health.  and of course all these sources are professional and proven.  yeah, right.  can deprivation and self-denial really contribute to holistic health?  I DONT KNOW!

are they just trying to make money or are they truly healthy and legit?

is something that's right for one person right for me, too?

is it wrong to just want to go with my gut feeling? 

HOW MANY FREAKIN OPINIONS and PLANS and BOOKS and DIETS and OPTIONS do i need to find THE REAL ANSWERS??

guh, i could go on and on.  i realize i have a problem...it's my nature to keep searching and searching and reading and educating myself and reasoning and weighing this opinion against this one...and ultimately, i will never find the REAL ANSWER cause there is no real answer!  and so the cycle goes...

(LOL. man i am SO rambling.)

(((SIGH))) (turns off the radio.)

okay anyhoo.  when it all comes down to it, i honestly believe that what we eat determines how healthy we are holistically.  yes, cause when we eat well, we feel happy mentally too.  then usually we dont feel like sitting on our tuchases all day long and zoning out in front of the tv or puter.  then we usually spend more time with the people we love more often, so we're happier in our relationships...see where i'm going with this?

of course that's obviously not the ONLY path to being healthy.  there's other things to factor in as well, like spirituality and addressing special health issues (like pain in my case, so i can feel physically able to do the things i need to do). 

why do i want so badly to be more healthy?  because i still want to try and have children, without using artificial means.  because i want to have a great quality life and do a lot of things i have planned for myself.  because i dont want to die like i've seen many of my family members suffer and die.  because i want to make all of my husband's dreams come true.  because i am so TICKED at the world for screwing up our food, our land, our air, and every thing else...

...and i know i am still wearing that long, red cape when it comes to these issues...and that hopeful, positive, i-want-it-oh-so-badly, innocent kid part of me thinks that i can somehow figure out a way to beat it all.

AAARRRGHHHHHH!!!  i think i need help.  professional help! LOL!!! ;)  is this your area of expertise, i dont know? LOLOL!

...so what's my point here?

i dont know. (no, not the girl, but really, i dont know. hehe!!)  LOL.  hey, this is just scatterbraindedness.  but its stuff i think about a lot, and its all so interconnected that sometimes i just have a hard time separating it all out into logical conversations.     

im gonna go make some kombucha.

~jos~   

 

what's your type?

tall, dark and handsome?

 

cute, bubbly and chatty?

 

whoooaaaa wait a minute here!  im not talkin about your type of date...*teehee* 

i'm talkin about your blood type ;)

i know, i know, how mean was that??  super CHEESEY, guh!!  well dangit, i had to get your attention somehow!  LOL!!!  you know all i do is yap about food and health, so how could you possibly believe i was going to yap about something as exciting as your date type?? hehe!!

i'm reading Eat Right For Your Type by Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo.  both naturopaths i've seen this year follow this theory of diet personalization.  back in april when i saw my first naturopath, i checked the book out from the library and turned to the type A section, read it, and promptly dropped it in the return bin saying, "I DON'T THINK SO!" 

i read that A types are best suited as vegetarians!?!?! :-O  hello, i was raised in small town Indiana--meat and potatoes, please!  TOFURKEY??  BLECH!

so there i was, thinkin i'd never have to go there and read that again. hehe.  this time around, i'm a little more desperate to find what foods really do work best for me.  since i have endometriosis to throw in and change it all up, it's been that much harder to decide what i should follow.

to educate myself on what sort of diet i should adopt for the best healing, this year i've also read:

• Endometriosis: A Key To Healing Through Nutrition
• The World's Healthiest Foods, Essential Guide for the Healthiest Way of Eating
• Wild Fermentation:  The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods
• Eat Fat, Lose Fat:  The Healthy Alternative to Trans Fats
• Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook That Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats

in some ways, all of these books have something in common.  in other ways, the last two (maybe even three) books are much different than the rest.  this is where im having some brain clutter.  the biggest difference is that the blood typing diet steers type A away from saturated fats.  the last two books (written by Sally Fallon) say that high quality saturated fats are what we are lacking and that vegetariansim is unhealthy!  im torn!

i know what you're thinkin--just keep trying until you find what works for you!  well, i've been doing that for like, oh, 5 years now. LOL.  obviously i havent found it yet!

hubby and i were chatting about the "eat right for your type" diet during breakfast this morning.  i was getting discouraged because for type A, there's some things i should try to avoid eating AT ALL.  foods that're staples in my daily grub--like butter, tomatoes or any tomato product, black pepper, oranges, bananas, anything coconut, peppers, potatoes, wheat, and any meat except chicken or turkey.   

there's good reason to avoid these foods, explained in logical scientific detail in the book.  and it does makes sense--i will even admit to being a bit sensitive to many of those foods!  but they TASTE good...so duh, i wanna eat em!! :P

anyhoo, i told hubby that this time i just have to buckle down and follow this dietary change.  too many times in the past i just throw in the towel if i cant believe in a nutritional plan 100%.  but who can??  well, at least i can't!!  i'm just notta one-size-fits-all kinda gal when it comes to my food!!

so, in order to find some continuity in my health and healing of endo, im gonna try to stick with this.  BUT, im not going to jump in head first, either.  the book itself even recommends NOT doing that.  i think that's smart!

since right now my supplement program is focusing on detoxing me--that's including removing all the crap that's built up in my liver, gall bladder, and digestive system to start with--it's important that i eat foods that wont upset that delicate procedure. hehe. 

now mind you, my detox is not one of those, "scuse me, i gotta use the lil girls' room!" kinda detoxes. LOL.  its a slow process, gradually integrating nutrients (via supplement) that my body needs to rid itself of heavy metals, gunk and more gunk, in addition to giving my body lots of chances to be able to utilize nutrients that support my endocrine system.  cause right now, my endocrine system is saying NO WAY to uptaking any sort of nutrient it needs.  i am so TOXIC that my body rejects some of what it needs.  man, that really sucks!

i feel that Eat Right For Your Type is closely related to Endometriosis: A Key To Healing Through Nutrition, so that makes me feel a little better.  when i read the latter, i felt like i had found all my answers.  that book is a MUST READ for anyone with endo...it not only educates you, but comforts you as well.

but i also want to follow what my naturopath suggests for now, so when i go back in a few months for a re-balancing they can get a good picture of my progress.  so, im hoping as i reread the former i can somehow integrate it into the latter and satisfy that need of not following just one single program ;) LOL!  am i pathetic or what! HAHA!

yikes, okay this post has been a lot of randomized rambling!  i'm sorry if you're lost and confused! LOL!  i suppose i am just trying to reason with myself and tell myself that IT'S OKAY to question these things, and that it's not going to kill me (hopefully. LOL.) to follow a plan for a while and see how i feel. 

before i know it, it will be a year since my diagnosis, and it has been my goal to see a marked change in my health by then.  so ive gotta get my bum in gear!!

thanks for attempting to follow along my very disorganized train of thought tonite!!  teehee :)

ttys!

~josey~    

nutrition + emotions = health

yesterday i had an enlightening and comforting appointment at a holistic health and wellness center.  as i’ve discussed before, i’ve been to a naturopath a few times this year, but since i have suspicions about a returning cyst in my ovary, i decided to get a second opinion just to make sure i’m covering all my bases in treatment and healing.

this time, instead of seeing a holistic practitioner operating on her own, i decided to visit a “center” that employs several different holistic/complementary therapy people.  the center also employs a true M.D., so they offer TONS of tests/labwork that can be done to help zoom in on your own specific biological needs and so they can get a true picture of your health. 

i chose to have a nutritional balance done, which is also what i had previously with my naturopath, but this center does it a little differently and more comprehensively.  after talking to one of the staff members (whom i was acquainted with before this appointment), i decided this was a good place to start!

two practitioners performed the balance.  i lied on a table with my feet slightly hanging off the end.  while one applied a magnet with a light touch to every the major organ area and energy meridians all over my body, the other practitioner, at each stop, held both of my feet under my heels with equal pressure and lifted lightly.  if the magneted area was weak, my right foot would rise quickly and higher than my left.  it was really weird—but you can tell they are not making it move.  you’d be able to tell if they were pushing it!

after the initial testing, they collaborated and decided what supplements may help my body find balance.  at this point they retested each area, lying the actual supplement on my stomach so my body’s energy fields could sense them.  now this is where i have struggled in the past with having a true belief that this method works, so i flat out asked them to explain it to me! LOL! 

what they described is that our body is made up of energy fields—essentially and scientifically, electromagnetic fields.  this is how our heart beats, how we have circulation, how our synapses work, everything!  those energy fields are outwardly sensitive as well—even moreso than our sense of touch with feeling hot or cold.  for example, you know how you can walk into a room or building or group of people and just “have a feeling?”  like a vibe if you may…whether it be bad or good…we’ve all had them in one way or another. 

acupoints for energy meridians.well, this is the same “sensing” your energy fields do during the nutritional balance.  the balancing procedure encouraged my body to tell them whether it has a “good vibe” or a “bad vibe” about the supplement.  then they experimented with the dosage until my body responded “YES! that’s it!”  to me this makes perfect sense! (tho honestly, my explanation does the experience no good! LOL!  its hard to explain if you cant be there to feel it!) 

at one point near the end, when most all of the supplements i’d needed were lying on me, they started testing me with some essential oil blends.  they layed the unopened bottle on me—there was no scent.  but suddenly i started feeling dizzy and i told them.  it was almost kinda freaky!  i wasnt hungry, or nervous, or anything like that.  they smiled and reassured me that it was normal, and actually very good—a sign that my body’s energy fields were attempting to balance. 

but then shortly thereafter, i felt like crying!  it was like that one time in yoga class when i just couldnt hold back the tears and there was absosmurfly no reason to cry!  i told them, and they nodded to each other in agreement that the essential oils they were testing on me were the ones i needed.  they handed me some kleenexes and told me to cry away! heehee!  my body was literally crying out that this was something i need.  they reassured me that i shouldnt hold back the tears—it’s part of healing, not just mentally, but physically, too. 

after everything was complete, they showed me a book that lists connections between the essential oils, a certain emotion or feeling, and areas/organs of the body.  i cried again and asked, “how can you know this??”  over the years, i have had unexplained pains in certain areas of my body in addition to the pain endometriosis has brought.  all 4 essential oil blends coincided with the areas i’ve had those pains. 

and then when i saw the emotions that were attached—loss of identity, fear of rejection, disappointment, need of recognition, just to name a few—i lost it.  it just made perfect sense, and i was at the same time comforted that i now have a way to release these emotions i’ve been harboring and that have been contributing to my ill health!  mentally AND physically!! 

the flower of cananga odorata, or ylang ylang, the mother of one of my favorite essential oils. negative emotions we hold inside our hearts and minds not only
effect our attitudes, but directly effect our health as well.  i now sincerely believe this!  a build-up of those negative emotions eventually leads to illness and disease.  of course its not the only factor; there are environmental and nutritional factors, too.  but the emotional one is the one we most forget about because we just stuff things down and try to forget about them!

i truly believe working with our bodies and how they were made to find homeostasis is really where we should start.  today i am starting on my new supplemental program to help my body heal!  i am also re-evaluating my diet and making some changes again.  i’ll update you on that soon :)

if you’re curious…what they found during my balance is that not only do i have emotional baggage to free, but i have a HUGE toxin overload in my organs, especially my liver and gall bladder.  they were shocked that a 33 year old woman could be as toxic as i am. LOL!!  i am NOT proud of it! ;)

there were several supplements my body needs to balance, but because of the high level of toxicity i cant even process it.  it would make me pretty sick.  my poor gall bladder and liver are coughing and sputtering and crying out for help!  and my adrenal glands are shot from pumping out cortisol like crazy (from anxiety and stress), and in turn its whacked out my thyroid and pituitary glands as well. 

the adrenal glands also use B vits to function…and ive had this horrible crack in the corner of my mouth off and on for over a decade, which now i know is a sign of B vit deficiency.  i’ve been deficient for THAT LONG! and my adrenals have been exhausted for THAT LONG!  that’s a long time for someone who’s as young as i am.  its scary! 

im glad to know these glands can be nourished and healed—i have begun to wonder if i have the beginnings of senility! LOL!!  i struggle a lot finding the right words when i talk…i forget things a LOT…and its not “natural aging.”  it frustrates me quite a bit.  im way too young to be senile yet! LOL!!  improperly functioning endocrine glands make ya feel like you are losing it—literally!!

we really have no clue how horribly we treat our bodies, and we expect them to stay healthy.  yikes. 

i venture to guess that many people of my generation are headed toward the same toxic overload if they havent already.  we’re the fast food generation, and the one that uses more chemicals in anything and everything than any so far.  but to our advantage, we’re curious and intelligent, and we want to be healthier, and many of us are willing to be open-minded to natural methods of restoring our health.

wow, i guess i’ve blabbled on forever, eh?? ;)   hehe!  well, yesterday’s experience honestly hit home with me.  i feel like i’ve got a new path to blaze and that there’s hope.  there’s TONS more to my new plan, but to avoid more novel-length posts, i’ll spread it out a little. ;) *hehe* 

so i suppose in a nutshell i’ve learned:

poor nutrition + negative emotions = ill health

and

balanced nutrition + stable emotions (and removing negative ones) = good health!  

i’m on my way to good health, and i’m glad you’re joining me by stopping by my blabby blog :)  i appreciate it.

~josey~

life's good :)

heyyyyy :D



i know i know, its been a few weeks. honestly, ive thought of blogging tons of times, but what i thought of to say was just so repetitive. redundant. the same ole. hehe. i have finally (mostly) gotten out of my stressful-thinking-about-what-if-about-my-health rut. obviously i am still doing some reading and working on tweaking my diet, but i am busier, and it helps! hubby and i started going to a SNAP Fitness nearby and it feels awesome to do some weight training!! i despise cardio machines, but i force myself to walk on the treadmill at least while usually watching some goofy HGTV show or game show that gets my mind off how much i hate cardio machines. LOL! i have also been doing yoga at home (cant afford to do classes and SNAP both!) and it feels good to be sticking with that again.



what really helped me get out of my rut was going to see my naturopath a few weeks ago for a 6ish month checkup! as soon as she saw me come thru the door she said, "JOSEY! oh my gosh! you look so wonderful!" i guess i just thought i had a bit of a tan, and that's it. LOL. but the last time she saw me was a month after my laparoscopy, and i was pretty beaten down. she commented that my skin, eyes and even hair looked "vibrant and healthy." sounds cheesey, but i REALLY needed that!!



i mean, we look at ourselves every day in the mirror and dont say things like that to ourselves. heck, i would guess most of us dont make it a point to notice if we DO look better. i suppose i have lost another 10lb or so since seeing her last.



she spent 2.5 hours with me chatting about the changes i've made and finding about how im feeling now. right away during the exam she mentioned me having digestive issues, and i was so glad she figured that out. its basically caused from all the years of eating crap--mainly FAST FOOD --and has just built up inside me and is causing lots of ickies. so, for the next month i am focusing in on that cause having those problems is no fun!!!



in fact...im seriously thinking about just ditching fast food forever. ohhhh the pain of thinking of no more big mac special sauce or oreo sundaes from BK!! :'(



but here's the thing--in the last month, every single time i eat out (usually fast food), just a few hours later i go on this funky sneezing fest! then for the next 2-3 days i am miserable--sneezing, stuffed, chapped nose, headache, etc... i told my naturopath about it and she said as time passes and we rid our bodies of built-up toxins (or even sometimes if we are just wayyyy too overloaded with them), we become more sensitive to when we consume them (or even use them on our bodies). i believe it!!



so, this is a VERY good deterrent for me to NOT eat fast food. in fact, i was telling my hubby just last nite that im almost to the point of not feeling as if it is a "treat" anymore. it just makes me miserable after snarfing it! in many ways i am thankful for this because my battle with fast food has snowballed into a lot of stress for me lately. not only do i not want to participate in the sneeze-fest, but it is more apparent to me that what is in that "food" is not being accepted by my body. its trying to tell me something!!



so let's see. what else is goin on here...? *thinks*



well, one thing that has really helped me this last week especially, is a good old buddy of mine whom i've gotten back in touch with this summer. she moved away my senior year of high school and we've not seen each other since (15 years if you MUST know. )!



i am actually going to visit her at the end of october and am SO EXCITED! how she has helped me is to completely re-inspire me to be enthusiastic about eating healthily and just getting healthy in general. despite her own limitations because of weight, health issues, and habits, in the last few weeks she has gone from eating fast food 2 or more times a day and not being able to handle walking around the grocery store to shopping once a week for almost all her meals, COOKING, and going on walks or 15 minute dance sessions around the house!!



...and her mood has drastically improved, and she doesnt feel as winded walking up stairs...and she is totally stoked about eating home-cooked food! ISNT THAT AWESOME??



and here i am, miss "i know all about nutrition and exercise," whining that i cant have fast food, making excuses to skip exercising, and crying about poor-me-why-is-life-so-unfair!!!



i have absosmurfly NO REASON to be like that!



kelly has helped me reassess my thinking and realize how fortunate i am to have the knowledge i do. what a waste for me to not follow thru. i am so thrilled to be here for her and help her along her journey, but she has no clue how much she is inspiring me as well. she has many more limitations than me, but she is doing it anyway! we'll both have bumps in the road, but i couldnt be happier to be able to share struggles AND successes with her in this area of life!! it is making a difference in her happiness already!!



welp alrighty, i should head outta here. gonna skip on over to the gym soon! have an AWESOME week!!!!



~jos~

too much thinking

hey all =D



well i certainly hope i'm not the only one in the world who just thinks too much! since i posted my last blog, something kinda mack-trucked me *lol* i mean, i've already discussed with you folks how i know i am a chronic over-analyzer ;P but i never took it seriously that it could be detrimental to my health!



i'll just cut to the point--i think too much about my health, especially the "what ifs." it stresses me out! and stress is bad for your health! (duh.)



i mean, yes, i know i have a disease (endometriosis), but its not fatal. just because i have it doesnt mean i will get some sort of female cancer or other superserious disease despite what my over-paranoid mind thinks. and im not laid up in bed in excruciating pain half the month like many women who have it. im very fortunate.



my mom said to me on the phone yesterday that i take better care of myself than anyone she knows. i was surprised to hear that! i am always comparing myself to the people who have wills of steel, who can reach their goals in record time, and exude the air of perfect mental, physical and spiritual health. of course, they arent perfect--and most of them have more than likely been down the road i am traveling right now!



i need to be happy in the here and now. i need to STOP WORRYING because i am missing out on enjoying the blessings i have in my life!!



my hubby rocks, my pets make me laugh, i have great family and relationships, i dont work outside the home and i have plenty of free time. i AM healthy. i love where i live.



so WHY AM I STRESSED OUT? there's absolutely no reason to be. am i just so bored that its the only thing i can find to do?? LOL!



okay im starting to ramble. *teehee* i may not have typed much (um okay, much for ME. LOL) but i have a gazillion thoughts running thru my over-analyzing little mind! what i'm getting to is that even tho i have this thirst for more and more knowledge on nutrition, health, healing, and weight loss, i honestly believe i need to slack off a LOT on that and just LIVE.



enjoy life and find some purpose instead of focusing on ME ME ME.



what's the point of having good health if all i do is sit around worrying if my good health isnt as good as i think it is? ROTFL!



my hubby told me the other day i have all the knowledge i need to be free of my endo symptoms, lose weight, and be healthier. i know he's right. i need to put my plan of action in play and be as consistent as i can, and NOT OVER-ANALYZE it and change it everytime i read something new!



i need to fill my time with some creative, artistic hobbies, being more active or even more volunteering. i realize now that i sit around reading too much, filling my mind with doubt that im not doing something right and then, once again, i am stress and anxiety-filled. it does bad things to me! (racing heart, upset stomach, fatigue, fitful sleep, weird pains!) and it UNdoes all the good things i AM doing! :\



whew, okay! enough lecturing myself!! LOL ;) hopefully this realization im having can be applied to something in your life as well. dont miss out on the wonderful, unique things in your life today...a loving spouse, cute kids, funny pets, sunshine on your shoulders, a thoughtful friend, or heck, just having so much more than we really need!!



(yes, i usually have to end my blog with a relatively cheesey, albeit sincere, thought! hahah!!! )



enjoy your weekend, and dont think too much!!!



~josey~

new month, new goals!

hey!! =D



no, that isnt scrambled eggs...its BUTTER! real, freshly made from unpasteurized milk, from an old-fashioned jersey cow that feeds on nothing but nutrient-dense green pastures and has never been injected with hormones or antibiotics.



did you know this butter is RICH in antioxidants--vitamins A & E, selenium & cholesterol! YEP, surprise. cholesterol IS good for us! it gobbles up those free radicals just like your green tea or vitamin C. this butter also contains lecithin, which helps the body use the cholesterol to keep us healthy.



in addition, the fat supplies our bodies with a means to utilize all the fat-soluble vitamins and provides nourishment for our endocrine system. that's to name just a few good things about this traditional, healthy food!



so pitch your margarine laden with rancid, chemically process oils, void of healthy nutrients and pick up some real, old-fashioned butter. its pretty hard to find the raw milk butter, but even organic cultured butter is good for you :) (it's what i use!) (and no, im not a dairy farmer, nor am i being paid by one to post my opinion about butter! LOL)



okay okay, so enough of the cheesey commercials. hehe!! but i wanted to throw that in there, cause eating butter is just one of the ways i am changing my diet this fall. more on that below!



FIRST...some big news for me! my weigh-in this morning was 201.6!! :D:D YAYYYY!! so i lost 2.2lb last week--and it was even my birthday week! GO ME =) *lol* i think the secret to my success last week was NO FAST FOOD. i even worked in going out to lunch once, out to breakfast once, and having dessert out once (all at nice restaurants, no fast food)! i tried really hard to practice moderation and it paid off. WOOT.



soooo in light of my FINALLY approaching "one"derland *hehe* i have set some specific goals for september. the one i want to discuss is my weight loss goal--i want to finally reach that original 10% loss, which will put me at 195. im positive i can do it! to do this, i have a few objectives:

• MOVE at least 15 minutes EVERY day, doing anything i want! (gardening, yoga, walking, video, biking, etc...)

• do my Zone exercises (from the Paul Chek book "How to Eat, Move, and Be Healthy!") every day to reduce stress and build strength
  

• stay away from fast food as much as possible, and when not possible, make the healthiest choice available

• focus on eating whole, unprocessed foods at home including lots of good fats, veggies, fruit and lacto-fermented foods

• take whole food supplements daily (desiccated liver, nutritional yeast, amla, dolomite)

• 
  drink bone broth or homemade kombucha each day before/during meals to aid digestion

• track food on FitDay for the first week of the month

so whew! sounds like a lot of things to keep in mind, but i have really already been doing it, just not so consistently except for the past few weeks. which has obviously reaped benefits! so you're probably wondering what the butter dealeo is, and probably what in the heck my supplements are, and lacto-fermented stuff is and what is this bone broth and kombucha?? well...read on to find out!



a few blog posts ago i talked about coconut oil. the book i read was by Sally Fallon, who is the founder of the the Weston A. Price Foundation. this website is packed full of interesting, intriguing, and ah-ha! bits of information that have really got me thinking!



basically, this foundation and its idea of how we should be eating is based on traditional ways of preparing and preserving foods, in addition to consuming traditional foods (raised organically and pasture fed) like organ meats and fat, eggs, butter, lard, etc... of course in our lifetime, most of these ideas have been shot down by organizations claiming this traditional way of eating is bad for our hearts and causes cancer.



but what they purposely fail to mention are the studies done by Dr. Price, in addition to tons of other studies they've "hidden" from the public eye, that prove those diseases have only progressed since we have become industrialized, and eat "industrialized" foods...this should make it clear to us that those "industrialized organizations" are only out to get our money! (that's the quick way of saying it. LOL) i dont want to go on and on here, so if you're interested, you really need to check out the Weston Price website yourself.



i will admit, had i not been at this point in my life where i am educating myself on how my body works and how i can heal myself from endometriosis and other ailments, im sure i would be quite skeptical about this traditional view. however, their school of thought has fulfilled that need of mine to get back to a simpler way of living which includes knowing exactly what i eat and where it comes from--and that it is REAL food.



i realize not everyone feels this way, as we want to trust the big health organizations, our doctors, and maybe even what our parents know and how they raised us.



but we also want convenience, and many dont realize it but even our taste buds are "brainwashed" hehe...all the artificial sweeteners, preservatives and flavor enhancers have dulled our ability to appreciate real food as we were meant to consume it. it has taken me nearly 5 years to enjoy eating things like peppers, tomatoes, onions, spinach, and TONS of other COMMON produce, and i still have a long way to go to totally embrace this traditional way of eating (organ meats? EWW! LOL).



soooo anyhoo, moving on...i still trust and respect my naturopath's advice when she advised me of nutrients in which i am deficient. but instead of taking the synthetic forms of vitamins as supplements, i have now switched over to the following whole food supplements!

• calcium/magnesium: dolomite powder (i add it to my coconut milk smoothies at breakfast)

• B vitamins: nutritional yeast (NOT the same as brewers or baking yeast! so far, i add it to my smoothies as well or dissolve in a small glass of water)

• B12: desiccated liver

• vitamin C: amla berry

• omega fats, vitamins D & A: cod liver oil (i take it straight right before a meal)

• thyroid function support: tincture of dulse, bladderwrack, wild lettuce and irish moss

• endometriosis scar tissue "clean up": tincture of greasewood, red clover and bucho

in addition, i have began making bone broth (aka chicken stock!) to drink with meals and my hubby and i also make kombucha at home. (i guess kombucha is the latest craze at health food stores--dont buy it! LOL! its expensive, plus usually pasteurized which kills all the beneficial bacteria. we can make a gallon of it at home for about $1!!!) both of these drinks are very beneficial for digestion and also help our bodies better utilize all the nutrients we consume, in addition to providing nutrients themselves!



i have also started cooking with butter and ohhhh man do things taste good *lol* i really dont cook with olive oil to fry anymore, and instead i use coconut oil because it is more stable at high temps. i use olive oil "raw" in salads or to marinate veggies or meats. dont forget, i lost over 2lb last week eating this way!! so to me, even just that says quite a lot :D



but even better, i feel fuller faster and for longer, so im not feeling like i need to snack all day long. woohoo!



WHEW okay! i have blabbed on long enuff ;) of course you know me, i have gobs more i could say *hehe*



so there ya have it, my new, revised BETTER plan for reaching my health goals and living a happier, higher quality life!! i think finding what is right for each of us takes time, educating ourselves on what works and what doesnt, and knowing and listening to our bodies and our gut instincts.



dont fall for every quick-fix pill, fruit juice, special diet and fad out there! there are ways to slowly change our habits to form a way of life--something we can do long-term and continually reap the benefits :):)



be well and have a safe labor day!



~josey~

pass me the olden days, please

howdy <):-)



i do a lot of reading--books, magazines, articles, websites--about health, nutrition, and just about anything and everything related.



i'm not really sure where my unquenchable interest in gaining knowledge in this area comes from; i think its mostly my personality. im one of those kindsa peeps who has to know the intricate details of how things work, and i ask a lot of "why...?" questions!! its just interesting to me to know the "behind the scenes" details that the average joe (or jo-sey? LOL) usually doesnt think about, or even care about. it makes me feel secure knowing exactly how things are--like when i go to the dr., i make sure i get my $20 copay worth of information! LOL!!!



anyhoo, tonite i was reading some stuff about water. it was just an article slamming one of the major soft drink companies and their version of "purified" water. ya know, the normal stuff. hehe ;)



of course they were saying how sometimes bottled water is really just tap water...and some of it is, btw...and how the plastic from the bottles leeches into it and the host of health issues that causes...and also how all the plastic is piling up in our landfills and polluting our ground water and wildlife!



AND how much all the shipping/trucks/delivering is contributing to air pollution and globabl warming, not to mention being a large source of depleting natural resources...and it goes on and on and ON...really ON...



so drinking water is just one thing to think about when we're trying to get healthier. at the same time, want to be responsible stewards of our finances (i mean, who can afford to pay a couple thousand for a whole-house water filter?), we want to be contributors to a better earth and future for our kids, grandkids, etc...



...and just to have plain old healthy water to drink we may feel inclined to consider all these complicated, political, ethical and financial things i mentioned in the previous paragraph??!! INCONCEIVABLE!!! (no but seriously, think about it! its absurd.)



sometimes i just get so mad at the world today. we have screwed things up so badly, and there are some things we can reverse and some things that can never be repaired. technology has brought so many blessings to our lifetime, so many awesome things for us to experience and be thankful for. but it has all happened so fast, and no one can ever predict the impact those conveniences might have on our world hundreds of years later--or even as little as decades!



its really easy to get overwhelmed and just say SCREW IT, or feel really hopeless like there's no possible way our generation can have a long, healthy lifespan. all the cancer, diabetes, obesity, disorders, addictions, heart disease, and heck even just everyday health issues we deal with like allergies and skin problems in my opinion have all developed from a multi-faceted source of pollution, preservatives, petrochemicals, antibiotics, and synthetic hormones that bombard our bodies everyday!!! ARRGGHHHH!!



*raises hand* pass me the olden days, please!



dealing with my endometriosis has led me to educate myself so much on things that i put in and on my body, or come into contact with in other ways. im sure that's why this year especially, my thirst for knowledge in health and nutrition--especially naturopathy and alternative health--has taken a good deal of my free time.



i have come to feel that the generally largely published research/studies on these subjects aren't much to be trusted, especially from maybe the past 75 years or so...(yes, 75 years!)...because so much of the motives behind publishing those studies is to drive CONSUMERS.



yes, consumers! not PEOPLE, with lives, children, feelings, health issues, looking for answers, wanting truth and integrity. so many institutions/companies/governments are just finding sneakier ways to empty our bank accounts and fill theirs up. to me, this is so easy to see!!!



just look at the rate of disease in this country!!! look at the sucky quality of health care, and how so many people hop from doctor to doctor, pill to pill, feeling miserable, helpless, and BROKE!! i mean, this isnt even scratching the surface!!!



whew okay, dont get me started :-O oh yeah, you didnt ask for my soap box. ;) LOL! well, im hardly a political type person, so i will be the first to admit that i'm not too good at defending my own opinion with tons of citations, resources and junk like that...



honestly, its just a gut feeling. i read and hear all sorts of opinions--like AND unlike my own--and take it all into account. what i believe is a bit here and a piece there that fits my gut feelings, and no, its not the easy way out; i think its smart to listen to all sides and then form an opinion that fits your life, your ethics and morals, and your needs.



i get tired of hearing all the "important people's" opinions (important according to the media!) and how they try to push it on everyone else. to me, going back to simpler times when life was more free of complication, disease, and greedy companies presents plenty of sound "research" for me to follow my gut. putting it into play into our modern-day lives is the challenge.



to me, the olden days sure seem like common sense. dont you think?



what happened to good, old-fashioned whole foods? what happened to kids knowing where their food really comes from--and its NOT from a plastic bottle or designer box or the best fast food joint's toy selection, but instead from the garden or a tree or a cow in the barn!!



what happened to YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT??? (sadly, that means most of us are MSG, high fructose corn syrup and trans fats!!)



personally, i think the modern food industry is getting really scary--we are depending on farms across the globe for some of our food, shipped in who knows what dirty truck, handled by who knows who, sprayed with who knows what, and mixed and preserved with ingredients we cant pronounce...contaminated with deadly who knows what...



if we would make more of an effort to buy locally we wouldnt have to worry about any of that! *DEEP BREATH*



dang, i wish somehow i could live like, lets say, Laura Ingalls Wilder did, only with the best of her world and the best of ours. is that even possible? i know, i probably am living in a bit of a dream world, but i see little pockets of it in the small community where i live in WI. this town and surrounding area is very eco-minded, with responsible local biodynamic and organic farmers. there's a lot of sustainable farming and living even, and tho a lot of folks (maybe even you!) see it as stone age living, i see it as such an opportunity!



its so sad more people dont see how it can benefit our health, our happiness, and then even farther-reaching--our communities, our water and earth, and future generations.



okay, so all this was a little heavy of a topic for me...maybe boring for you? LOL! let me know what you think!! im not always good at putting down exactly what i think, but hopefully you got the gist of it. hehe! i probably left a lot of things unsaid, but hey, my fingers can only type so fast ;)



anyhoo, this is all something i think about nearly every day--as part of living, learning, and searching for betterment of body, mind and spirit and i figured i'd share it with ya!!!



nitenite.



~josey~

i'm back!

wow, its been quite a while since i've written...but to me, it seems like only a week or so ago!! hehe!



well, all our guests have come and gone...in quite a blink of an eye 8^| we had an AWESOME time, first with my sister, hubby, daughter and son staying with us for 4 days...then the kids stayed for the following week.



then, while the kids were still here, one of my hubby's old buddies was passing thru town, and his wife and kids stayed with us for the weekend. during that time we had a cookout/get together for the "crew" of old friends since the one was back in town...so that was a blast having everyone over! :D



so, over the span of 2 weeks, we went from just me and hubby (and the pets of course LOL) to as many as 6 more people staying in the house...plus around 15 for the day when we had the cookout. we had so much fun and im so bored now that everyone's gone! HAHAH!!



okay well, so not to be a downer, but this week my motivation has been NIL. it sucks!! i havent eaten well, i havent even showered every day! i've been watching tons of tv, which i rarely do, and havent really been a very good domestic princess! LOL! ;)



i know most of it is because i went from being so busy and organized while everyone was here--which i loved--but then BAM! they were all gone, so now its back to the old routine and it is so slow-paced *hehe* i know i would be so much happier having a kid to take care of or SOMETHING...!!! hopefully one day that will be true :)



then, in just a few short weeks is my bday! i was reallllllly hoping to be under 200 (aka my 10% loss goal) for that. i still might, if i get my act together ASAP. i dont want this to be another bday where i say..."if i'd have only stuck with it i could have reached that goal!!" ah well. i guess i cant whine...because i HAVE lost about 20lb this year, and that is something to be proud of, right?? RIGHT! :D



well i did manage to get some things done around the house today...sheets washed...clean clothes and towels put away...beds remade...and ive got a few other things in progress...and i do feel better :)



i just feel like im starting to get too hard on myself, cause for some reason if i lose my motivational groove then i eat junk, start to get all hermity, and start feeling sorry for myself. you know, all that mean self-talk like "you are a fat slob! look at all those other pretty women!" and "you are such a bad wife...you have all day to keep this house clean and you havent done a thing!"



and the worst one for me..."you'll never be healthier, so why even bother??"



welp, im telling myself now that i am NOT a fat slob, that im a GREAT wife (im pretty sure hubby thinks so! ), and i AM healthier than i was a year ago...baby steps!!!



hmmm i guess this post is turning out to be a cheer-up letter to myself. LOL! well, im allowed to do that so dangit i am!! :) i suppose cheering ourselves up is something we're not really programmed to do, is it?



many times we expect others in our lives to be RIGHT there, anytime we need something (esp our significant other). well...sometimes they are...but if they arent (putting aside the reason!), we cant just curl up in our own ball of self-pity and play the martyr just to have an excuse to do nothing and whine!! this is typical of me!!



i rarely say it out loud, but its what goes through my head and sometimes its really damaging. not only does it push me deeper into my pity party, but then i treat others around me in a negative way.



that's not fair. no one's perfect, and when i need a pat on the back or some encouragement and there's no one there to dispense it, i need to give it to myself!!



im finding that's part of growing up i dont like it, tho. LOL. but i am doing it right now, because i know there is no reason to keep choosing to feel that way, when i have so many other things to be thankful for and happy about. so THERE, bad mood! BE GONE!! (LOL, i know, im a freak LOL)



okay, well its time for me to skedattle for now! we are going to hubby's company party for the summer later today, and im making chicken quesadillas. should be a great time!!



its almost the weekend...ENJOY!!!



~jos~

i'm a coco-nut!

hahaha! (this is my cat cali, AKA "coco"-lander...derived from cali-CO...how original! haha!!)


okay, so i am a big fan of my cat cali coco-lander, but that's not what this post is about! hehe!! i wanted to drop ya'll a line and let you know the book i am currently reading-- "Eat Fat Lose Fat" by Dr. Mary Enig and Sally Fallon. its mostly about how using coconut and coconut oil (not cali "cocos" heheh...altho pets do help keep us healthy, but that's another blog topic! ;) pardon the mid-sentence tangent! but hey, you're used to it...hehe!) can help you get healthier--lose weight, recover from illness, etc... well, im not one to fall for fad stuff or things that seem to good to be true, and i was skeptical when my hubby decided to check this book out from the library, especially when i saw the cover of the book said something about "coconut diets!" :-O



so let's back up a bit. as i have progressed along my journey to better health and have become more educated about current studies and opinions on food and nutrients, i have really changed my own view about FATS in general.



i mean come on, when you're fat, it seems like fat is the last thing you should be eating, right?? WRONG!



for the last year or so, i've been focusing on eating more healthy fats and trying (let me stress TRYING *lol*) to get away from eating those addicting trans fats. olive oil, nuts, eggs, fish/cod liver oil, primrose oil, flax oil (usually ground seeds, not the actual oil--its too unstable and goes rancid quickly), coconut oil--those are all ones i consume on a pretty normal basis.



i have NOT gained weight from it, having even up to 40 or 45% of my calories coming from these fats on some days. i have noticed clearer skin (coconut oil is now my ONLY moisturizer for my face and body), softer hair and my dry skin is gone. woohoo!



and it goes WAY further than the weight issue or outward stuff. because of the low-fat craze of the 80's, most of us dont have a clue that healthy fats are not our enemies. sure, people lose weight going the low-fat route cause they are consuming hundreds of calories less.



however, they're also robbing themselves of nutrients, and in addition losing out on many other nutrients they are taking in from their salads and slim-fast bars because our body needs fats to use many of the vitamins in minerals in our foods.



(fyi--any salad you have should contain at least 8g of fat so those greens are actually worth eating!! LOL so if you MUST have low-fat or fat-free dressing, throw some walnuts and pumpkin seeds on that salad!)



we need fat to make hormones, lower stress (hormone related!), have energy, feel full, aid digestion, and heck, we need fat to BE HAPPY! everyone who's gone on a fat-free diet knows that! ;)



anyhoo...back to coconut oil! we have actually been using coconut oil off and on for a few years in our smoothies and to cook with. its solid at room temp--yep, its a saturated fat! now, dont freak out! ;) here's some of the great things about coconut oil:

• its VERY stable (takes a LONG time to go rancid/slow oxidation) and has a high smoke point, which makes it great for cooking/frying at low/med temps

• the saturated fats in coconut oil are medium-chain--which means our bodies use it differently than normal saturated fats (for example, butter). it is metabolized more quickly, which is why it also helps boost your metabolism! in addition, it's not converted into cholesterol like animal-based saturated fats are in excess.

• it's rich in lauric acid, which is anti-viral, antibacterial and anti-fungal! this has given coconut oil a good name in the treatment of many diseases and also prevention. (it even helps clear up acne and get rid of warts!! i speak from personal experience!)

• and most of all, it enhances and supports our immune system with the nutrients it contains! (and boosting your immune system will solve many-a-physical ailment, as i have personally experienced in the last few months!)

so, ya think my list is boring and bookish? 8-) check out this site for an interesting and humorous read on the benefits of coconut oil! (side note on this link: at the end she mentions Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil. that's what i use!)



so ta kinda summarize my point of this post...it will take me a few more days to finish this book, but i can tell it is going to be a great source of information on getting healthier in general, and i am starting to see how adding a little more coconut oil (and a LOT less trans fats) will really help me with my recovery from endometriosis.



(i love to read all sorts of health books--even if they are somewhat one-sided--so i can take out of it what i feel applies to me and just add it to my opinions and use it!! anyhoo...hehe...)



i need to lose weight, which will help my body get rid of all that extra estrogen being stored in all my excess body fat! coconut oil will help boost my metabolism and help me feel satiated so i dont crave junk. and this means i will want less fast-food-evil-trans-fatty crapola, which will indirectly help my immune system function properly!



and with my immune system purring like a kitten, my poor adrenals can normalize and my anxiety will lessen even more.



oh and one other thing, the book reallly loves cod liver oil, especially when taken with the coconut oil because the nutrients in each help the body use the other. i take cod liver oil every day and it has greatly reduced my anxiety, among countless other benefits! (the best brand IMHO--Carlson's!)



one last thing! the other day i was reading thru the website of one of my fave places to get skin care (every once in a while, for a special treat!). and found an interesting concoction i am going to try starting tomorrow! it's called "morning brew." here's the recipe (also in the link):

• 2 tea bags of organic white tea

• 1 T cold pressed organic virgin coconut oil

• 1 T organic unsulphered black strap molasses

• 1 T organic raw honey

• 1 T organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar

however, im going to use fresh lemon juice instead of the apple cider vinegar (personal preference lol). since im not having smoothies much these days, i thought this might be an easy way to get some coconut oil while i have my tea every morning. plus, i've read lots of good things about blackstrap molasses in helping women with reproductive issues by providing extra iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium! all stuff i need!! i'll let you know how i like it ;) haha!



there's so much info out there about why we need fat to be healthy, so if my blabblings intrigue you, PLEASE go out and do some of your own research and see what works for you! :D you will be healthier for it!!



and remember, even for the most healthy of foods, MODERATION is the key. getting a great variety of whole foods (AND FATS!) will give your body a chance to heal itself of all of what we consider "normal aches and pains," function at peak performance, and live longer more fulfilling lives!! and that's what we all want, right?



~josey~