Cauliflower & Chicken Sausage Casserole

I made this casserole dish for dinner for my family a few weeks ago and it was a big hit. I love how healthy this dish is. Most casseroles contain pasta or rice as the main ingredient along with some sort of meat while veggies are drenched in cream or some sort of rich sauce and added as an afterthought. Not this one. This dish is healthy and extremely delicious. My hubby claimed it to be the best casserole dish I've ever made!

Ingredients

1 medium head of cauliflower, about 2 pounds

1 tsp fine table salt

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 pound of uncooked herbed chicken sausage OR spicy Italian sausage, removed from casings (I used chicken apple sausage, yum!)

1 medium onion, about 1/2 pound, diced

4 cloves of garlic, minced



2 stems fresh thyme, leaves only
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and liquid reserved
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions
Heat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil.

Cut the cauliflower head in quarters. Slice away the leaves and stem, and with an angled cut cut away the core from each quarter of the cauliflower head. Chop cauliflower roughly into bite-sized florets, each about 1-inch across.

Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil over high heat. Stir in the salt. Add the cauliflower florets and boil for 2 minutes. Drain into a colander set in the sink. Run cold water over the florets to stop the cooking process and shake the colander to drain any excess water. Return the cauliflower to the cooking pot and set aside.

Place a 10-inch saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and then, when the pan is quite hot, add the sausage. Use a spoon to break up the meat. Cook for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the sausage is cooked through and beginning to get crispy. If using chicken sausage there should not be a great deal of fat in the pan, but if using Italian sausage, drain all but 1 to 2 tablespoons of fat.

Turn the heat to medium-low and add the onion, garlic, and thyme to the pan with the sausage. Saute for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Scrape up any brown bits as you saute. Crush the tomatoes, and add them to the sausage. Stir thoroughly, then add the reserved tomato sauce and cook for about 5 more minutes. Turn off the heat and taste the sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Toss the sauce with the cauliflower in the cooking pot. Spread the cauliflower and sausage mix in the prepared baking dish and distribute evenly. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese evenly over the cauliflower. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.

Place in the middle of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until sauce is bubbling. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Yields 4 - 6 servings.

What is your favorite gluten-free comfort food?

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Are We Politically Ill?

I know I've been absent from my blog for the last few weeks. I've had a lot going on. However, my 21 month old son woke me at 3:30 this morning and after he fell back to sleep I laid in bed thinking about this presidential election, how people vote and why we will never see the changes that most of us so desperately want to see take place. Since my brain wouldn't stop running over the words that were desperate to get out, I gave in and got up to write this article. Obviously, this article wont change the outcome of what has already taken place. But if by me writing this article inspires even only a few citizens for the next presidential campaign, then at least I know I'm helping to shape the changes needed for America and it's citizens.

After having several political conversations with people of different religions, backgrounds and political views, the one thing we all have in common is the changes that we all want for this country. When I ask people if they think that we as a country are "politically ill", without emphasizing the meaning behind the question, most agree that we are. So, at this point my next question would be... "Who did you vote for this presidential election and why?" I ask this because prior to election day most of the responses I received in regards to whom would be voted for were that they didn't like "either" candidate and that they would basically be voting for the "lesser of two evils" because one of them is going to win anyway, or that they would not be voting for a president at all because they didn't like "either" of the "two" candidates. If we want to see significant changes made for the better of our country, our families, our livelihood and much more, we as citizens need to take some responsibility and change the way we vote. 

One of the topics I hear fellow citizens complain about is that the large corporations are running this country. If most people are aware of this and don't like it, then why are we always voting for the presidential candidates that are supported by the large corporations? I'll tell you why... it's simply because we see these candidates in debate on TV. There were a total of "seven" candidates this presidential election. Most people don't want to invest the time it takes to educate themselves on all candidates involved. We all lead very busy lives and find the televised debates "convenient" when making a decision. What is a debate anyway? It's simply a strategic technique of persuasion, and as we can see... we as citizens fall for it. Barrack Obama and Mitt Romney lead this presidential campaign because their campaigns were supported by large corporations, therefore giving them the resources needed for televised debates and calling attention to the media, only to leave the remaining candidates in the "dark".

It is time that we as citizens start taking responsibility for the unforeseen changes. In the words of John F. Kennedy - "Liberty without learning is always in peril; learning without liberty is always in vain." Thus meaning, if you have the freedom to choose but don't learn about your choices then the result of your choice may be nothing more than a negative outcome and if you learn about your choices and don't exercise your freedom to choose then you remain useless as a citizen of this country and to the outcome of the choice as a whole. We as citizens need to stop voting for a candidate just because we "think" they are going to win and we "think" they are the lesser of the two evils. Just about everyone I know thinks this way and that is why our country remains in peril. If we start taking the time to educate ourselves about all candidates involved and vote according to what we feel deep down inside our hearts is right for our country, it is then that we may start to see positive changes take place.

As I laid in bed earlier this morning thinking about writing this article, I pondered whether I should share whom I voted for. I'm usually very private about my political and religious beliefs as I don't believe my person or anyone should be judged based upon such beliefs. And I am by no means judging anyone for whom they voted for but only for the "reasons" they voted for any particular candidate. After careful consideration I felt it to be necessary for me to share whom I voted for and why I voted for them, otherwise one may think that by me not sharing such information that I am not backing up anything I have previously stated in this article. Please keep in mind that if you voted for any candidate that I did not vote for and you voted for that candidate after careful consideration of all candidates involved then give yourself a pat on the back for exercising your freedom to choose accordingly.

As some of you may have guessed, I proudly voted for Jill Stein. Did I think she would win? No. But that's not what matters. What matters is that I voted for whom I felt was the best candidate to give our country and our fellow citizens the kind of care it so desperately needs. She foresaw solving issues right down to the very roots causing those issues. Something I haven't seen any of the other candidates address, whether on TV or in writing. For example one of the issues that I am very passionate about is the chemicals that are "legally" being used on and in our foods as well as the leniency of chemicals being used in our house-cleaning products. As most of you may not know a lot of diseases and disorders that are on the rise, especially in our children, are chemically induced, thus creating higher health care costs. (If you don't know a whole lot about this topic, keep following my blog as I will be writing about these issues in the near future). She wanted to ban the use of pesticides and go back to when growing "organic" produce was the norm and to crack down on harmful ingredients being used in our foods, especially GMO's. She also saw that by wiping away existing federal student loans and creating lower tuition costs for college students that we would see more success and a higher return for the citizens and the government in the long run. She also wanted to end the use of foreign oil and start using our own resources to lower fuel costs and create more jobs. In addition, she wanted to support the growth of the green/wellness industry to help protect our environment and again, to create more jobs. When I think about what this country needs to turn around and grow with prosperity, I felt she had it right on the money.... I haven't listed all that was involved in her plans, but the issues I listed are some that I am passionate about. Regardless if you agree or disagree with whom I voted for, the point is simply that... I voted with passion.

In closing, one evil does not justify another and good candidates seldom receive the support they need to become viable. We as citizens can change this, it all starts with us. If we don't stand for what is "right" and take the necessary hits, how can we demand it of our politicians? Politicians won't change if they know we'll vote for them anyway. The problem of bad choices is thereby perpetuated, and the nation continues to deteriorate until the day we choose to change the way we vote.

How do you vote? Do you plan on changing the way you vote next election?

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What is Gluten?

Gluten, derived from the Latin term 'gluten', denoting 'glue', is a compound comprising of a prolamin protein known as gliadin and a glutelin protein known as glutenin that is conjoined with starch in the endosperm (the nutritive substance in the seeds of flowering plants) of an assortment of grains and plants belonging to the grass species. Gliadin is a substance that is water-soluble, while glutenin is a substance that is not water-soluble. Together these substances constitute approximately eighty percent of the protein that is present in a wheat seed. Being insoluble in water, wheat seeds can be purified by washing away the starch.

The seeds of most flowering plants have endosperms that are storehouses of proteins used to nourish embryonic plants during germination. Furthermore, "true gluten" is only found in certain members of the grass family, such as wheat. Occasionally, the proteins accumulated in corn and rice are also referred to as gluten. However, the glutenous proteins that are present in corn and rice differ from the glutenous proteins present in wheat, as they do not contain gliadin and therefore are not defined as "true gluten".

"True Gluten" is present in a wide variety of foods. It is known for the elasticity it gives to dough and the chewy texture it delivers in baked goods. Gluten is used as a worldwide source of protein that is most commonly found in foods prepared directly from sources containing it such as wheat, barley and rye. It is also used as an additive to foods for various purposes. Gluten may also be found in cosmetics and dermatological preparations.

Did you know that wheatgrass is gluten free?

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Jambalaya

Here is a tasty primal dish. This Jambalaya is tangy and spicy and chock full of fresh meats and veggies! Perfect for a low carb, gluten free, sugar free and/or paleo diet.


INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and cut in 1/4-inch half-moons
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 (15 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 zucchinis, diced
• 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
• 1 tsp hot sauce, or to taste
• 1 cup chicken broth or chicken stock
• 1 pound chicken breast, cooked, cooled, and chopped
• 1 pound cooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp
• 2 tbsp lime juice, or to taste
• 2 tsp salt, or to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and andouille sausage and cook and stir until the onion starts to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Mix in crushed tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchinis, Cajun seasoning, hot sauce and chicken broth; bring mixture to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook uncovered until the liquid cooks off and the mixture is thick, about 15 minutes. Stir in chicken, shrimp, lime juice and salt and simmer until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.

FOOTNOTES

This dish is not recommended for children as it is a bit spicy. You can reduce the heat by minimizing the amount of bell peppers, eliminating the hot sauce and opting for a sweet flavored sausage. However, the lime juice and salt harmonizes with the spiciness of the dish.


What is your favorite primal dish?

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Yes on Prop 37 - California

Watch this video to be more informed as to why GMO's have potentially been linked to autism and other diseases. We have a right to know what is in our food and to prevent sickness in our children. Don't you want to know?

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Ratatouille

Ratatouille has been my sons favorite movie since he was about six months old. Cute movie but I alwasy assumed that this french stew wouldn't be very tantalizing. I stumbled across this recipe while searching Paleo Diet recipes. I made one batch yesterday and we loved it soooo much that I made a second batch to store in the freezer.

This recipe is so good and so easy! This comforting Provencal dish makes for a great entree on a cold night, a tasty side dish, or as a meal for lunch with some cottage cheese. The leftovers just keep getting better! See footnote for oven and slow-cooker instructions.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 - 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 zucchini, scrubbed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 yellow squash, scrubbed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 eggplan,t scrubbed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp marjoram
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 pinch oregano
• 1 pinch black pepper
• 1 tsp tomato paste (optional)
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Note: The recipe calls for 1 tsp of tomato paste. However, when I made this I accidentally misread the recipe and put in a whole 6 oz can. We thought it turned out delicious. It was a bit on the thick side, regardless, it was still highly rated in our home. Next time I will try it with just one tsp of tomato paste.

DIRECTIONS

1. Pour diced tomatoes into a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat; add zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, and onion; stir once. Sprinkle salt over vegetables. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer until the vegetables start to cook down, 10 to 12 minutes; stir in rest of seasonings.
2. Cook uncovered over medium heat until the sauce has reduced and vegetables are tender, 30 minutes - 1 hour, stirring often. (Or if preferred, cover pan and cook over low heat 2 to 3 hours.) Stir in tomato paste and adjust seasonings. Drizzle with olive oil just before serving.

FOOTNOTES

 Alternate cooking methods: Layer the tomatoes and all the vegetables and seasonings in a deep baking dish or Dutch oven. Cover and bake at 275 degrees F (135 degrees C) for about 3 hours. Towards the end, stir in tomato paste and adjust seasoning, then uncover and return to the oven until liquid reduces as much as desired.
Do the same thing, but in a slow cooker, either on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 (or all day). Again, add the tomato paste and uncover to reduce the liquid.


Do you have a favorite Italian Paleo dish?

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Gluten Free Recipes

If you've read my "My Journey to Wellness" in the About section of my blog then you know that I am on a restricted diet due to my thyroid disease. Since I have been on my restricted diet I am amazed at how great I feel. However, it hasn't exactly been easy coming up with meals due to my restrictions.

Most gluten-free recipes call for some sort of white starch or soy to make up for the lack thereof. But since I cant have those either I have since turned to the Paleo diet for inspiration that I can bring to my kitchen and my love for cooking. I'm not following the Paleo diet religously, but I do find it easier to locate recipes that contain a list of ingredients that I can have and don't have to substitute anything for.

Since I have been on this restricted diet, I have tried a few recipes here and there and not only have I been pleasantly surprised by the taste but my husband and my two year old son have taken to our new diet pretty well too. I have to note that my husband is the pickiest eater I know... you know... the "meat and potatoes" type. In the past I could never get him to eat vegetables other than the usual boring broccoli with butter, but we have since found some recipes that have been pleasing to his palate.

I am going to try to devote a daily recipe blog entry for you all as we continue to discover family pleasing dishes. Bon appetit!


RECIPES
Ratatouille
Jambalaya
Cauliflower & Chicken Sausage Casserole

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Robyn Obrien

After watching this video that a friend of mine shared with me I was compelled to share it with anyone and everyone. It didn't shock me at all because I'm already aware of a lot of whats going on in the US food industry. However, it did remind of how disgusted I am with what our country allows in regards to the food and drug industry. If you don't have time to watch this video. Please, at some point make time for the benenfit of our future generations.

How long have you been eating well? At what point did you make that change and why?

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Emotional Wellness

The Emotional Dimension is part of the greater continuum of wellness. Building emotional wellness is a commitment to listening and becoming fully aware of your feelings in regards to your physical, emotional, social, spiritual, environmental and financial well-being. It involves intently observing your actions and reactions and asking yourself why you behave and feel the way you do at any given time.

Building emotional wellness is an intense ongoing process of change and growth. It demands alertness and a keen awareness to your thoughts and feelings. It requires taking responsibility for your own behavior and doing your best to be proactive instead of reactive to the feelings that move through you at any given moment.  Emotions are an integral part of being human. They impact how we think and behave. Emotional wellness involves choosing healthy ways to express the rich range of emotions that make us human.

Through this intense process you will:

• Learn to cope with stress effectively
• Gain an increased awareness of your emotions
• Learn to recognize conflict as being potentially healthy
• Learn to manage your feelings effectively
• Learn to express yourself freely
• Gain a realistic assessment of personal limitations
• Learn the value of interpersonal support and assistance
• Form interdependent satisfying relationships based upon mutual commitment, trust and respect
• Become aware and accepting of a wide range of thoughts and feeling in yourself and others
• Learn to be self-aware and self-accepting while remaining flexible and open to personal development
• Learn to make personal choices or decisions based upon the integration of feelings, cognition and behavior
• Learn to maintain a generally positive approach to life that is rooted in one’s sense of personal responsibility
• Gain the ability to manage life in a personally fulfilling manner
• Feel positive and enthusiastic about yourself and life
• Develop autonomy
• Become optimistic
• Gain self-confidence
• Smile and laugh more often

Through this broad dimension on your journey to wellness, you will come to find that taking responsibility for your actions and managing your feelings and your life in personally rewarding ways will help you to see life as an exciting, optimum adventure.

How do you manage your emotions?

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Dimensions of Wellness

The word wellness commonly invokes thoughts of nutrition, exercise, weight management, etc. However, wellness is multi-dimensional, and although the physical dimension is one of the broader dimensions, it is only one of many. The exact number of dimensions is debatable but the majority of the wellness culture uses and follows these seven most common dimensions: Physical, Emotional, Social, Intellectual, Spiritual, Environmental and Occupational. It is recommended that the seven most common dimensions are implemented into the new-found balance of life on your journey to wellness. However, one must decide if it is necessary to add one or more dimensions to suit their own personal needs, preferences, lifestyle and overall journey to wellness.

Even though the long list of possible dimensions are debatable, they all ultimately fall into two broader components, being emotional and physical. With the physical dimension usually being the first to come to mind, the emotional dimension is often overlooked. The relationship between each of the dimensions is complex, thus they are all independently codependent of one another; meaning that they each individually play an important role in achieving total wellness but that they must be in balance with one another and be functioning at the same pace. It is because of this complexity that we must diligently maintain a healthy balance between the dimensions, both individually and collectively.

It is important to note that you do not have to be physically fit or free from disease to strive for an increased state of wellness. Much like success, wellness is a journey, not a destination and you must decide for yourself the quantity and quality of life that you want to achieve along the way.

In no particular order, the following are all of the possible dimensions of wellness:

Emotional Wellness
Environmental Wellness
Family Wellness
Financial Wellness
Intellectual Wellness
Medical Wellness
Mental Wellness
Occupational Wellness
Physical Wellness
Social Wellness
Spiritual Wellness

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A Culture of Wellness

After reading this article written by James Strohecker (www.healthy.net), I found it necessary to implement it into the structure of my blog. It is a topic I am very passionate about and I feel that if more people were educated on the topic we could find resolution to this chaos. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did.

Creating a Culture of Wellness

The Wellness-Illness Culture Wars
We are currently experiencing a wellness crisis in our culture, what some may call a wellness culture war. This crisis that has two faces. One face is a culture that approaches health through a focus on disease management rather than teaching the fundamentals of healthy living. This culture has led to health care costs spiraling out of control as it glorifies and promotes unhealthy lifestyle practices, immediate gratification (the quick fix—a pill for every ill) and the consumption of chemical-laden foods and toxic products through slick media advertising; a rapidly deteriorating level of public health with epidemic levels of obesity, diabetes and heart disease is the result. Sadly, this culture has seemingly unlimited resources and controls our major media.

The other face is a smaller but growing culture that looks to the fundamental principles of healthy living to lead us to a higher level of personal health and well-being. This culture creates services which are rarely covered by our health insurance system; promotes consumption of organic foods grown without chemical fertilizers and pesticides and lifestyle products which do not contain harmful or carcinogenic chemical additives; displays a higher level of health and well-being; and suffers less from the epidemic lifestyle and stress engendered illnesses than the members of the “illness culture.” This culture has had limited financial resources and difficulties in getting their message out through our major media.

The first culture is focused on illness. The second culture is focused on maintaining wellness. The illness culture is a very modern phenomenon, growing rapidly since the advent of the pharmaceutical drug industry into our current “medical-industrial complex.” The roots of the wellness culture are very ancient. The systems of ancient Chinese, Ayurvedic, Greek, and Islamic medicine (Unani) viewed health as a state of balance and illness as the result of not living in accordance with natural laws—what I to refer to as “the human operating system.” In these systems good health and longevity were the primary focus of medicine, and the secondary focus was returning people to good health when they became ill.

Moving to a Culture of Wellness
To bring about an expansion of the “culture of wellness” in our society where it becomes the prevailing culture will require a new type of leadership from our federal government, the medical industry, and corporate America, that looks beyond the limited vision of special interests that are not in the common public interest. Our government must put out a clear and positive message about health and wellness and take the food, medical, pharmaceutical, and other industries to task when their products present a public danger and threaten public health.

Corporate America needs to step up to the plate and begin to direct their R&D efforts toward creating products that support health and wellness and do not increase the strain on our overtaxed health care system. Corporations must recognize that their advertising campaigns can either enhance the emerging culture of wellness or support the culture of illness—fast food, alcohol, cigarettes, sugar, processed foods, and chemical additives that lead to epidemic obesity, diabetes, heart disease, fatigue, and stress-related illnesses. For an average individual to pursue a wellness-based lifestyle in the midst of a culture of illness promoted through TV, radio, print, and Internet advertising, it is an uphill battle.

Although there has been some positive movement at government and corporate levels, it is far more realistic that we will begin to see more support occurring on the grass roots community level—in churches, YMCAs, hospitals, employee wellness programs, yoga centers, and fitness centers—since the whole community can directly benefit from a higher level of health and wellness of its members.

The real focus of change, however, will need to be on the individual level, as the increasing level of motivation from upwardly spiraling health care costs and failures of our health care system will lead people to continue to take more and more responsibility for their own health and well-being.

Making a Long-Term Wellness Strategy Medical insurance premiums continue to rise beyond the affordability of ordinary consumers, and today a family may spend $1,000 per month in health insurance. Over five years that equals $60,000, a sizeable investment with little to show for it. A good question to ask is this: What does this $60,000 buy me? Will my general level of health and well-being improve or diminish in 5 years? Am I basically buying emergency protection and still having to pay out-of-pocket for most medical services?

Here is a new idea. What if we were to create a five-year plan to improve our general level of health and well-being? If we explore this idea, it might look something like this:

Commit to Working with a Wellness Coach Wellness coaching has made great strides in the last year and appears to be poised to play a prominent role in the new culture of wellness. A wellness coach will help you determine the areas of your lifestyle, attitudes and behaviors that you are most motivated to change, help you create a wellness action plan to create the necessary change, and then motivate you and keep you accountable for reaching your goals of increased health and well-being.

After you have worked with a coach and feel a level of comfort and compatibility, explore the idea of setting up a long-term coaching program. If you are ready to make an investment in your health, consider a five-year program for high-level health and well-being. The program may call for more intensive work at the beginning of each year (January–March) with two coaching sessions per month. After that time you may choose to have one session a month or one every six weeks. The idea is to create the framework that enables you to receive ongoing coaching to help you reach your health and wellness goals. (To find a wellness coach, contact wellness@healthy.net.)

Use an Online Wellness Program Many wellness coaches are now working with the Wellness Inventory program, a whole person assessment program designed to help individuals gain personal insight into 12 dimensions of physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness in their life. The program offers guidance and tools to transform this new awareness into lasting changes in their lives through use of the personal wellness plan, my wellness journal, e-mail reminders, and the wellness resource centers. Working with a wellness coach who can keep you motivated and accountable for your agreements to reach your wellness goals amplifies the power and effectiveness of the Wellness Inventory many times over. (To experience the Wellness Inventory go to: www.WellPeople.com and enter the promo code “totalhealth.”)

Practices to Promote Health and Well-being Your personal wellness plan may include a range of lifestyle and mind-body practices to support maintaining a higher level of health and wellness and it will change over time to focus on the areas of your life you are currently most motivated to change. Some of these practices carry little or no cost, while others carry heavy costs. For example, paying attention to how you breathe, move, eat your meals, process your feelings, communicate with others, and taking daily walks, carries no costs. Other practices, such as yoga, Pilates, qigong, tai chi, and some fitness routines, can first be learned in class and then later practiced on your own (or with video instruction). These have small up-front instructional costs and sometimes some ongoing costs if you enjoy the class environment.

Finally, there are practices with heavy associated costs, such as fitness club memberships and dietary supplements, as well as trips to your massage therapist, acupuncturist, nutritionist, energy healer, naturopath, chiropractor practices, or holistic physician to help monitor your state of health and wellness and help bring you back into balance if necessary. Most of these costs will be in the first 12–18 months of your plan as you are learning and choosing the wellness practices that you would like to integrate into your life.

The beauty of this approach is that you are investing time and money in your health and well-being by creating a longterm, strategic wellness plan which allows you to see the holistic health practitioners you most trust to guide you to a higher level of health and well-being, and to pursue the wellness practices which address the areas of your life you are most motivated to change. Your greatest reward will come from the wellness practices you pursue on a daily basis until they become part of the fabric of your life.

The idea of a five or ten-year wellness plan may first seem extreme to some—a six month plan may seem more reasonable. However, as health care costs and insurance premiums continue to rise out of sight, the wisdom of taking our health and well-being into our own hands through enlightened selfcare, wellness practices, and holistic health care may prove to be the most prudent investment we make in our lives. Health is your greatest wealth, and it is worth cultivating. - James Strohecker

What would be the first change you would like to see take place within the health-care industry?

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Defining Wellness

More than ever before, Wellness has become a prevalent word in today’s society. We see it in magazines, on TV, on billboards and it has even become a popular topic of conversation. But what exactly is Wellness? How is it defined? Wellness is an inspiring and powerful word. However, it is one of the least understood words of the English Language and therefore, there is no universally accepted definition of Wellness.  In most thoughtful attempts to define Wellness, we commonly see a reference to a “state of well-being”, which is vague, to say the least.

The truth is wellness is a tough word to define because it exists on a continuum and is unique to each individual person based on our individual circumstances. With that being said, here is my definition of wellness: “Wellness is a multi-dimensional state of being which is oriented toward maximizing the potential existence of positive health in an individual exemplified by maintaining a continuum of balance and purposeful direction within the environment.”

First and foremost, wellness is a choice. It is a choice to assume responsibility for the quality of life that you want to live. It starts with a conscious decision to shape a healthy lifestyle. Wellness is a pre-disposition to adopt a series of key principles in the various aspects of life that lead to high levels of well-being and life satisfaction.

Once an individual has chosen to commit themselves to a life of wellness, it becomes a process. It is a never ending, conscious, deliberate process that requires a person to become fully aware of all the aspects of life and to make positive changes for a more satisfying, successful existence. Wellness is also a process of creating and adapting patterns of behavior that lead to improved health in each of the wellness dimensions. Everyone has individual needs and preferences. Therefore, each individual must find a balance of the dimensions that satisfies their needs and preferences.

• It is a never ending process because improvement is always possible.
• Being aware means that we are continuously self-educating and seeking ways to improve.
• Before making changes, we must consider a variety of options and select those that are in our best interest.
• Success is determined by each individual to be their own collection of life accomplishments.

While traditional (Western) medicine is focused on alleviating disease, the wellness approach to things encourages an individual to take responsibility for his/her own personal well-being. Wellness is much more than the simple absence of illness and/or disease. Wellness is a proactive and preventative approach that is designed to provide optimum levels of health, emotional and social functioning. Wellness involves our recognition that we have psychological, physical, spiritual and social needs that are necessary for us to have higher levels of functioning. Wellness emphasizes the whole individual. It’s the integration of the spirit, the body, the mind and the environment in which we function; and the understanding that everything we do, feel, think and believe has a direct impact on our state of health and overall happiness.

What does wellness mean to you?

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My Journey to Wellness

As a little girl, my friends and classmates would dream of growing up and being a doctor, an actress, or a rocket scientist. Not I.... all I've ever wanted to be is a mom. Two and a half years ago, I found out I was pregnant with my son and it changed my life forever. As soon as I knew I was pregnant, I said to my husband, "I'm going to go have my last cigarette". And I did. Becoming a new mom made me think about things a whole lot differently. I was now concerned about what I put into my body, and what I used on my body. In fact I never really knew how much I was harming my body aside from smoking and an occasional glass of wine or beer. My perspective of the entire world changed as well. I now knew that my soul purpose was to be the best mom I could possibly be.

During my pregnancy I never smoked or drank and I ate everything I was supposed to aside from the occasional infamous prego cravings. When my son was born in January of 2011, being healthy became a predominant priority in my life. Little did I know that the journey of wellness I was about to embark would lead me to the state of mind I now live in today.

After my son was born I went on living my life with a healthy perspective. I made all of his baby food from scratch and I continued to lead a healthier lifestyle, or so I thought. When my maternity leave ended in May, I decided to become a stay at home mom. I knew I was taking a risk since I would be losing my medical insurance.

In July of that year my hands and feet started becoming very dry and itchy to the point of cracking. I used every cream and lotion imaginable and nothing worked. I couldn't figure out what was causing it. Then by October I started feeling very sluggish and fatigued. I would get nauseated if I stood for too long, such as cooking or doing the dishes. In November, a friend of ours took some family Christmas portraits for us and e-mailed them to me. When I got the photos I noticed that my eyes looked as though they were protruding forward and you could see the white of my eyes all the way around the iris. I thought to myself, “Oh my goodness! I look like I’m on drugs!” Then later in December I attended a funeral for a lost loved one with my mom. We were sitting next to one another with our arms locked. With a very concerned look on her face, she turned to me and said, “Oh my gosh, Jess, why is your heart beating so hard and fast?!” I asked, “You can feel my heartbeat in my arm?” She replied, “Yes, it’s as if I have my hand on your chest.” I had previously been concerned about my heart but would brush it off by thinking that I was just panicking and overreacting in regards to my other symptoms. At this point I was sure it was a problem and I knew I needed to see a Dr. and fast.

By the end of December I found a Dr. that offered discounted services to the uninsured and scheduled an appointment. When I went to see her, my resting heart rate was 127. They asked me if I was having a panic attack, an anxiety attack or if I was nervous. I replied “No” to all. She then performed a physical on me and ordered labs. When the labs came back she informed me that my TCH levels were very high. She wrote me a prescription and referred me to see an Endocrinologist. Now I was scared. I was in need of specialized treatment with no insurance. In case you don’t know, there isn’t a single specialist that I know of that will treat you without insurance.

In January of 2012, just short of a week after seeing the Dr., my throat was in so much pain that I could not swallow water without choking. I knew I was in trouble and that I needed treatment ASAP. That same day I found an insurance company that insured pre-existing medical conditions, enrolled and went straight to the ER all within a few hours. My thyroid was so enlarged that it was interfering with my ability to swallow. They advised me to stay on my meds and referred me to see an Endocrinologist right away. Within a few days I did just that. After a full thyroid physical and viewing the results from my blood work, my Endocrinologist diagnosed me with “Grave’s Disease”. She explained that Grave’s Disease is Hyperthyroidism that is genetic and does not have any apparent cause. She further explained that my options would be to undergo surgery and have my thyroid removed, have a series of radioactive iodine treatments or battle the disease with meds for the rest of my life. None of the options she presented to me sounded reasonable or logical. I knew I was going to have to start researching my options a little further. Due to misinformation regarding my insurance plan, I was only able to see my specialist through the end of February and had to cancel my insurance. The upside was that my Endocrinologist had prescribed me enough refills on my meds to last me through the year. But I was now in charge of my own treatment.

Due to the lack of income as a stay at home mom, I decided to look for a way to earn an income from home. During the summer of 2011 I signed up with an online coaching program that supposedly teaches you how to make money online. To make a long story short… it was a rip-off! Continuing through the fall and into winter my focus had been on my health so I hadn’t really continued pursuing an income from home. In February of 2012 I signed up with AVON. I didn’t make very much money; I wasn’t thrilled about their products and was appalled by their customer service. I continued on anyway as it was bringing in some money. At the end of March, an acquaintance of mine posted on Facebook about an opportunity to make money from home. Intrigued as I was, I responded. She sent her sister and colleague to my house and they presented an opportunity to work from home as a Marketing Executive for a wellness company. I jumped right in head first and said goodbye to AVON.

The company offers big packs that you can order during your first few months of being a customer, so I ordered the smaller one that contains 36 products. One of the products was their supplements. They had talked about a specific technology that makes their supplements stand out from the rest. And, since I hadn’t taken vitamins for over 5 years due to the belief that they were a waste of money, I was anxious to try them.

After becoming a customer of this wellness company and really loving the majority of their products, it also taught me about some of the effects of the harmful ingredients we have in our homes and that we use on a regular basis. So, aside from taking care of my wonderful son, I have since spent the vast majority of my time researching ingredients and their effects in addition to learning about living a life of Total Wellness.

Here we are in October 2012. I’ve been on the supplements for six months now. I am still uninsured and haven’t seen a Dr. since February until just a few days ago. I wanted to know what my thyroid levels are, so I went to the ER. I’m happy to report that my thyroid levels are normal right now. There is a chance that I could be going from hyperthyroidism to hypothyroidism, but only time will tell. I have also since researched that gluten, soy, white grains and refined sugar can have an adverse effect on your thyroid so I am also living a new way of life in regards to my eating habits.

I have retained a great deal of information that most people don’t know about and wanted a way to share it with the world, which is why I created this blog. I hope you will enjoy my posts and please feel free to comment or email me. Our life is ever changing as we continue our journey to a life of total wellness.

Well wishes from my family to yours.

Jessica, Landon & Scott

 

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