How I Stay Mentally, Emotionally, Physically and Spiritually Fit!

I must admit, I have had a number of breakthroughs lately- in many areas of my life; mentally, emotionally, physically and definitely spiritually.

I've come to realize that people who are emotionally healthy are in control of their emotions and their behavior. They are able to handle life’s challenges, recover from set-back's and build strong relationships. But just as it requires effort to build or maintain physical health, so it is with mental, spiritual and emotional health.

What is mental or emotional health?

Mental or emotional health refers to your overall psychological well-being.

I truly believe that people with good emotional health have the ability to bounce back from adversity, trauma, and loss. And that ability is called resilience. People who are emotionally and mentally healthy have the tools for coping with difficult situations and maintaining a positive outlook. They remain focused, flexible, and determined in hard times as well. Is it easy? NO! But easy is NOT an option.


What is Spiritual Health?

When you feel spiritually connected, challenges in life ARE easier to deal with. How we treat others is essentially how we are treating ourselves. Show love and compassion because in each individual, you will find a part of yourself. You don't want to stop your blessings from coming because of how you are treating the people around you. It's just not worth it.

You have an individual purpose that is cut out only for YOU. If you are living a life that lacks purpose (meaning), there really is no purpose. It is very important for you to discover what you love and enjoy and apply it to your everyday life.

Personally, it's my Spirituality that comes FIRST because of it- I acquire the knowledge I need to live a healthy balanced life. God FIRST!


What is Physical Health?

Physical health is anything that has to do with our bodies as a physical entity.

In my personal opinion, a lot of people workout and go on diets only to be skinny and loose weight. Who said skinny was healthy? I have never read an article that said skinny was healthy. Fit is healthy and whether that means 150 pounds or 115 pounds, it's always based on your fitness level, height and eating habits. Period. I weigh 115 pounds but please keep in mind that I am 5 feet. Therefore if I weighed 150 pounds, it would be a whole different story.

Physical activity is essential to prevent and reduce risks of many diseases and improve physical and mental health. It can even help you live longer.

I have met women in their 30's who cannot cross their legs or touch their toes. Oh did I mention some of these women weigh no more then 120 pounds? There you go!


So, here are some of the things I do for my overall well-being:

- Raw Juicing daily

- Cardio and muscle classes 3-4 times a week

- Never take elevators (stairs only)

- Water and Almond milk ONLY (no other drinks. Occasional glass of wine)

- Power walks

- I read A LOT!

- I write A LOT!

- No music in the car. ONLY motivational CD's

- Listen to 10 minutes of an empowering message every morning

- I pray

- Have monthly meet-ups with my Book Club Ladies (friends)

- I laugh A LOT!!!!!! (like seriously. Even at myself)

- No matter the problem at hand, I keep it moving

- Eat healthy (could do better)

- I get in the dirt with my 5 year old and play silly games

- I spend quality time with my boys

- I allow my 21 year old son to TEACH me

- I surround myself with positive people and HATE drama and gossip!

- I follow my spirit (I've learned the hard way)

- I spend A LOT of time alone (my favorite time of the day)

- I spend time on hobbies (crafting, coloring and writing)

- I splurge

- I tithe

- I always try to make a difference (world-changers)

- I FORGIVE!

- I give of myself (especially to those in need)

- I pamper myself

- I love myself deeply

- I Spend quality time with my family

- I let Go

- I eat one banana a day

- Regular exams with my Doctor

- I take bubble baths

- I pay attention

- I am a student. I will be a student forever (always taking courses and learning)

I could probably go on... I suggest you write a list of all the things you do that make you happy. Things that contribute to your mental, physical, spiritual and emotional health.

P.S
There is absolutely NO WAY, I would be all of what I am, if it was NOT for my primary purpose; MY RELATIONSHIP with my Father (God). No way! I don't even know if I'd be here....So Glory to the Most High :-)


Love, Lizzy!

As Parents, We are Apart of The Problem

The more I study girls and boys I realize just how different they are to one another. Being a mother of 3 boys; two in which I gave birth too and one who joined our family six years ago, I know just how different they truly are.

I picked up a book just a couple months ago that I decided to start reading recently, 'Boys Adrift' The five factors driving the growing epidemic of unmotivated boys and underachieving young men. Hhhhmm I must say - quite interesting - so far. I am not only learning a lot about boys but girls as well. Wow, we are soooo different.

Here are a few blurbs I have typed up for all you mommies to read; from the book:

In 2007, a distinguished team of twelve neuroscientists, based primarily at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland, published a remarkable account of the development of the human brain. Since the early 1990's, these investigators have been doing MRI scans on the brains of young children.

Among the most striking findings in the report are the differences in the developmental trajectories of girls compared with boys. The researchers found that the various regions of the brain develop in a different sequence and tempo in girls compared to boys. In some regions in the brain, such as the parietal gray matter- the region of the brain most involved with integrating information from different sensory modalities- girls and boys develop along similar trajectories, but the pace of the girls and boys development is roughly two years ahead of the boys'. In yet other regions, such as occipital gray matter-visual cortex-the trajectories of brain development are remarkably different, with no overlap between girls and boys. In this region of the brain, girls between six and ten years of age show rapid development, while boys in the same age group do not. After fourteen years of age this area begins to diminish slightly in girls-the amount of brain tissue in this region actually shrinks in girls over fourteen-while in boys over fourteen this area is growing at a rapid pace.

These studies do not mean that boys are smarter than girls or girls are smarter than boys. It just means that girls and boys are different. Period.


Boys will always be boys!

Teaching a three-and-a half-year-old boy can be frustrating both for the parent / teacher and child. We're asking that child to do something his brain is just not ready to do. Not in all cases. Timing is everything, in education as in many other fields. It's not enough to teach well. We have to teach well to kids who are ready to learn, kids who are developmentally "ripe" for learning. Asking five-year-old boys to learn to read-when they'd rather be running around or playing games-may be the worst possible introduction to school, at least for some boys.

Today, kindergarten children are expected to do what first-graders were expected to do thirty years ago; a kindergarten where children are expected to sit for hours (full day now) doing paper-and-pencil exercises. Usually they are separated into two groups. One with children who are ready to learn and willing to read and write: mostly girls, one or two boys. The other group: children who are not so ready to learn. And that group will have mostly boys.

Now, there is ONE thing boys and girls are equally good at: figuring out who's in the Dumb Group. Within a few months the children in the Dumb Group are aware of their inferior status, and they don't like it. I am not saying we see this as the 'Dumb Group' but they DO!

Teachers intentions are good. But most five year olds are keenly aware of their status in the eyes of the adults. They will even make mention that the teacher likes the children in the "other" group more. And these boys are likely to go to school the following year with a negative attitude. But of course, wouldn't you?

For many boys, there's a huge difference in readiness to learn between age five and age seven-just as there's a huge difference in readiness for a girl between three and five. It's just the way their developed.

There are problems with girls too but the problems are different from those of boys.

Most five year old girls are able to do what the teacher needs them to do. They can sit still. They can be quit for a whole few minutes without interrupting or jumping up and down. They are more likely to possess the fine motor skills required to write the letters of the alphabet legibly and neatly.

Another amazing thing I read in this book:

Boys who have been deprived of time outdoors, interacting with the real world rather than with computers and video games, sometimes have trouble grasping concepts that seem simple to us. Many of these boys grow up to never know how to fix a car, work on a fuel pump or even hook up a garden hose. For a whole generation of kids, direct experiences in the backyard, in the tool shed, in the fields and woods, has been replaced by indirect learning, through computers. These young people are smart, these young people are smart, they grew up with computers, they were supposed to be superior-but now we know something's missing.

Now if you ask me, the biggest problem we have right now in our house hold, as parents, are computers and gadgets. Yup that's right. We've got to keep it to a limit ladies. I had to seriously put my foot down with my 5 year old. If it was up to him, he would play 10 hours a day. I set a schedule of twice a week for ONE hour. The rest of his time will be spent playing, reading, painting, coloring, going outside, sports etc. There was so much I got as a child- out of going outside and playing in the dirt, climbing trees, spending time with nature! Many of these kids have zero social skills. Why is that? Well, I don't think I need to get into that after reading this post.

Let's pull up our mommy pants and start guiding our children NOT directing them. Unfortunately, their teachers do enough directing. It's time to GUIDE!

If you are a mother to a girl, there is tons of information online on how girls think and are naturally programmed. If you are a mommy to boys, same thing.
These little guys / girls are our future and we've got to do our best. Or at least strive for it...

Love, Lizzy

The POWER and BENEFITS In Ginger!

There are a few things I do NOT want to live without and one is definitely GINGER! OOOHH I love me some ginger. Even if I am making smoothies, I feel the need to throw in at least an inch of ginger in raw juicing??? Oh there are times I throw in a few inches; Yikes! So as I was browsing through websites stating the benefits of ginger, I decided to put together a little something for you.

So go ahead and spice up your life with a little bit of ginger ladies.





Ginger Tea: Health Benefits of Ginger Tea You Should Know

Ginger is one of the most widely used herbs in the world. Basically, Ginger is a perennial tuber or root. Ginger has a wide range of antioxidant properties. Ginger tea is a beverage in many countries which is made from ginger roots. But some extra ingredients like lemon, honey and orange can improve the quality of ginger tea. There are a lot number of Health benefits waiting for you in ginger tea. Here I will try to introduce you with all of these.
Some Medicinal Properties Ginger:

According to medial science there are huge medicinal properties of Ginger which are truly very essential. These are as below:

Circulatory stimulant Relaxes peripheral blood vessels Antitussive
Anti-emetic Antiseptic Expectorant
Antifungal Anticlotting agent Antiviral
Analgesic Hypotensive Anti-spasmodic
Anti-inflammatory Promotes sweating Anti-bacterial



Ginger Health Benefits:

It provides a huge number of health benefits. Theses are as bellows:


1. Reduces Motion Sickness:
It helps to get an effective remedy from nausea associated with motion sickness. It also prevents vomiting during long distance trips. Due to ginger’s anti-emetic properties, it is advised to drink one cup of ginger tea before traveling. It prevents nausea effectively.

2. Reduces Digestive Disorders:
It accelerates digestion process by contributing to stomach acids release. This herb can be used to address indigestion & flatulence.

3. Helps in Relieving Pain:
It has its own anti-inflammatory properties. Ginger tea can reduce different types of pain like arthritic pain, joint pain, muscle pain etc. Drinking a cup of tea daily can assist prevention of joint and muscle pain but also help with fatigue relief. Ginger tea has been used to relieve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and Raynaud's syndrome.

4. Fight Against Cold:
Drinking a cup of ginger tea can be good for you especially when you are suffering from common respiratory problems like cough and runny nose. This will loosen your phlegm and clear the respiratory system. It helps in permanent sneezing and hay fever. Its spreads a warm feeling throughout the body & makes you really fresh.

5. Reduces Diabetic Nephropathy:
Different studies show that 2 cup of Ginger tea daily can helps you to get ride from diabetic nephropathy.

6. Improves Immune System:
It strengthens immunity by the help of its anti-oxidant properties. Even one cup of tea a day helps reduce the potential risk of stroke, since ginger acts by breaking down fat deposits which block the arteries. Ginger also results in restoring cholesterol levels to normal and preventing cancer. It slows the growth of colorectal & ovarian cancer cells.

7. Reduces Menstrual Cramp:
In Chinese medicine, ginger tea with brown sugar is used in the treatment of menstrual cramp. Women suffering from severe menstrual cramp can use ginger tea as a hot compress. A towel saturated with the infusion must be placed on the belly, close to the position of uterus. This reduces the pain and loosens the muscles. It will give a soothing effect.

8. Reduces Morning Sickness:
Ginger is one of the best natural home remedies for morning sickness. Pregnant women basically suffer from morning sickness. So, it helps them to get relief from morning sickness.

9. Reduces Migraine Pain:
Ginger can be effective for stopping the onset of migraines. Take one-third of a teaspoon of fresh or powdered ginger at the first sign of a migraine. It may reduce your symptoms because ginger helps block prostaglandins, which are chemicals that cause inflammation in your blood vessels.

10. Maintains Regular Blood Circulation:
A cup of hot ginger tea helps to regulate blood flow normal. The minerals and amino acids included in ginger improve the circulation of erythrocytes. So that, the risk of cardiovascular diseases is minimized. It has a stimulating effect on the heart and circulation.

11. Reduces Stress Level:
A cup of ginger tea can change your mood dramatically. It leaves the feeling of freshness and tranquility for a long time. Its taste dispels all your sorrows and negative thoughts during a bad day. Ginger brew is also a great remedy for stressful moments.

12. Increases Fertility:
Ginger is believed to have aphrodisiac properties and if a man drinks ginger tea daily, then it can improve quality of sperm and boost male’s fertility. As per some studies, men taking ginger on a normal basis increase sperm count and activity in comparison to data before trying ginger supplements. It is thought to be useful for males who suffer from erectile dysfunction too.

So whether you are drinking ginger tea or juicing with ginger, the benefits cannot be ignored. It is raw and it is powerful!

Get Yourself In Alignment With Your Purpose

From the very beginning you were created to be amazing / good, and you are still good.

God created a purpose into your being. Do you believe that? Like truly? You have been born to fulfill that purpose in a way that only YOU can. There are talents and gifts in which you possess unlike those of any other person. And every experience supports your purpose.

All God wants and expects from us is to use our gifts and talents in order to bring out that purpose. It's not difficult at all because most of us know what those gifts are; deep down inside. Do you know that every single person you have met has played an important part in facilitating your understanding of your purpose? Well, for example, yes I was married and divorced, however instead of us looking at former partners as a negative experience, look at it for the growth and change it brought into your life. Getting married transformed my very being and getting divorced is what helped me to truly discover my purpose. I was like a caterpillar when I got married who transformed into a butterfly when I got divorced. Now obviously it doesn't always work that way for everyone, but that was my own personal experience. My former partner helped me to discover who I was and exactly what I wanted to create in my life. Through that relationship, I discovered my purpose. And for that, I am forever thankful and have no regrets. Besides when there are children involved, there should never be regrets. Because obviously your purpose was to also motherhood.

You have been influenced by your environment by such a degree that you have lost touch with the truth of yourself and your purpose - Iyanla Vanzant

Everything you need to guide you to recover your purpose is available to you because you are worthy of possessing it. Balancing your life, your heart and mind plays a very important role in bringing forth the gifts you already possess that will enable you to fulfill your purpose.

I have a primary purpose and a secondary. My primary (which is the same for us all) is to be in relationship with my Creator. My secondary is to mentor, counsel and empower youth at risk. Among a few others we won't go into here.

When I discovered what my true purpose was, which was while I was living in a shelter some time ago, I chose in that moment to fulfill that purpose no matter what obstacles were in my way. YOU must choose to live your purpose or you will NEVER be fulfilled.

I promise you, your experiences fits into your purpose. Start off by tapping into that area of your life. Ask yourself, "Why is this happening to me" and you will find the answers. Once you ask, listen for the response and yes believe what you hear in those moments.

Make today a day that you choose to align yourself with your purpose.

Love, Lizzy

My Personal 12 Commandments

So as you may know by now, I am away in Mexico relaxing at The Grand Bahia Principe. A vacation my sons treated me to for my birthday. It has been so amazing to do simply 'nothing' and truly relax. I've been brainstorming, planning, writing, reading a lot, eating healthy meals, drinking lot's of water and a Pina Colada here and there. But above all just connecting with God very early in the mornings on the beach before the sun has completely risen. Oh what a feeling.

I promised myself I wouldn't blog or email or do 'work' related stuff besides a little tweeting here and there. Well, while on this beach early this morning , I came up with a list of 12 Commandments I would like to start living by:

Forget the past

Talk to strangers

No complaining

Spread joy

Give thanks for the ordinary and the extraordinary

Make footprints: "I was here"

Be the kind of woman I want my nieces to be

Create a Family Bucket list and start a butterfly collection

Embrace the fact that people can only give me what they have (emotionally and mentally)

Connect

Let Go and Let God

BE STLL!!!!!



Now go ahead and create your very own and stick it somewhere you can look at daily.