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coaching

The Skinny about Oils and Fats

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Olive Oil

There is a lot of talk today about healthy oils, which ones are better and if nothing works, then coconut oil should be the  cure-all for everything! Ha! … sarcasm there. 🙂 I can eat coconut oil in baked things, but to apply it to my skin will dry me out more than I already am! If it works for you, that is great! 🙂

Not all oils and fats are created equal. Heavily processed, hydrogenated, “trans” fats and oils that are used in prepared, packaged foods can be extremely damaging to the body. However, fats and oils from whole foods and other high-quality sources can steady our metabolism, keep hormone levels even, nourish our skin, hair and nails and provide lubrication to keep the body functioning fluidly. Our bodies also need fat for insulation and to protect and hold our organs in place.

A healthy percentage of high-quality fat in a meal satisfies and leaves feelings of energy, fulfillment and warmth. When there are excess fats and oils in the diet, especially heavily processed fats, symptoms can include weight gain, skin breakouts, high blood pressure, liver strain and an overall feeling of mental, physical and emotional heaviness. Signs of insufficient high-quality fats are brittle hair and nails, dry skin, hunger after meals and feeling cold.

There are many sources of healthy fats and oils:

  • For sautéing and baking, try butter, ghee (clarified butter) or coconut oil because they do not break down when used at high temperatures.
  • When sautéing foods at moderate temperatures, try organic extra virgin olive oil.
  • Oils like flaxseed, sesame, toasted sesame, walnut and pumpkin seed are best used unheated in sauces or dressings on top of salads, veggies or grains.
  • Other healthy fats are found in whole nuts and seeds and in their butters like almond butter or tahini.
  • Whole foods such as avocados, olives and coconuts are great sources of healthy fat, along with wild salmon and omega-3 and omega-6 organic eggs.

Experiment with these healthy fat sources and see which work best for you and leave you satisfied.

When selecting oils, buy the highest-quality organic products you can afford, since cooking oils are the backbone of so many dishes. Good words to look for on the label are organic, first-pressed, cold-pressed, extra-virgin and unrefined. Words to avoid are expeller-pressed, refined and solvent extracted.

When I was in Israel in the fall of 2014, our tour guide stopped the bus near an olive grove. He explained how they grow olive trees and how they press for oil.

YossiIt made sense to get the cold pressed olive oil because it was the highest quality versus getting oil that had been extracted with heat.

It is also important to not only get your 3-6-9 omega’s, but also your 5 & 7 omega’s! I recently learned more about these important anti-aging omega’s! They can assist with cardiovascular health, immune system and inflammation issues. (2)  Send me an email (mannafoldblessings@gmail.com) if you are interested in getting a high quality Omega supplement that includes all of these in one gel caplet! 🙂

Cheers to healthier choices oils and fats!

L’Chaim! (to health)

~Coach Shannon

Resources:

  1. Institute for Integrative Nutrition
  2. Natural Health 365
  3. Ghee

 

coaching

Our Amazing Body

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Have you ever thought about what all goes on inside the amazing body you are living in?

Google images
Google images

For instance, your heart weighs about 300 grams (10.5 ounces or 0.66 pounds) and it pumps  approximately 5000 mL (5 liters) of blood per minute when you are resting!!!  This is called normal cardiac output. Your heart can fit into the palm of your hand. 🙂

Blood vessels are arteries, veins and capillaries. The average child has 60, 000 miles of blood vessels and the average adult has 100,000 miles! Dr Mercola says “When you gain a pound of fat, your body makes seven new miles of blood vessels. This means your body must work harder to pump blood through all of these extra new vessels, which may put a strain on your heart, and may reduce oxygenation and nutrient replenishment in other tissues. Fortunately, if you lose a pound, your body will break down and re-absorb the now unnecessary vessels.”

Jeremiah 1..5

Here are some fun facts I pulled from several different sites-

  • Nerve impulses to and from the brain travel as fast as 170 miles per hour.
  • The average human drinks about 16,000 gallons of water in his or her lifetime
  • A human sneeze creates a blast of air that can be moving more than 100 miles per hour
  • The strongest muscle in the human body is the tongue. (And the tongue only weighs two ounces!!)
  • Your lungs need a lot of breathing room. The total surface area of the lungs is approximately equal to the size of a tennis court.
  • The human brain cells can hold between 3 and 1000 Terabytes of information. The National Archives of Britain, containing over 900 years of history, only takes up 70 terabytes.
  • The acid in your stomach is strong enough to dissolve razor blades.
  • During the lifetime of a person – he will grow around 950 kilometers (590 miles) of hair!
  • Humans, Primates and Koalas are the only creatures in nature with fingerprints.
  • You thought the brain is a gray dull organ, as seen on television? you would be surprised to know that its mostly water. about 80% of our brain tissue is liquid. So next time you’re on the verge of dehydration – keep drinking so you won’t make your brain dry. ( 🙂 )

How about your 45 miles of nerves?? No wonder we get tired… SO many miles to travel in one day! 🙂 Yet, our body does this NONSTOP without us telling it to go or stop. God designed our body to have a cruise button – and he has the choice of letting the cruise stay on or deciding when our last day on earth will be.

Our Creator also gave US a choice- will we choose to take care of these amazing bodies or will we allow junk food, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, sugar etc. to break our body down faster than He intended it?

If you are feeling a little overwhelmed with all this information (just a fraction of what I could share!), please sit down on a chair, close your eyes and take a deep breath in slow – then let it out slow. 🙂 You are an amazing piece of God’s handiwork- He created you with unique fingerprints that only you have! So many little details. You are highly blessed! Don’t take your Amazing Body for granted!

Live

Keep smiling ~ Coach Shannon 😀

Resources:

  1. 40 Interesting Facts
  2. 16 Human Body Facts
  3. Dr Mercola
coaching

Branching out of the box…

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Change

Do you ever get TOO comfortable inside your little box and then wonder why you do not experience growth, whether financially, in your business or spiritually? Actually we can grow rather stagnant in our complacency of not wanting to accept any kind of change… This often leads to dissatisfaction with our daily routine, people around us, or our own decisions and life. We can get grouchy or irritable and blame everyone else for our problems that won’t go away.

This is the time to take a look inside and see what we are really made of… are there any roots of bitterness? Anger? Dissatisfaction?  Feelings of entitlement? It is time for a SPRING CLEANING of our heart and mind! Break off the top of that box, tear down the sides and venture out into the sunshine. Take time to smell the flowers and woodsy scents as you walk on a bike path or feel the wind in your face as you ride your bike.  Breathe in deeply and feel your spirits soar into the sky as your mood lifts. SMILE 😀 😀 😀  It actually takes more work for the muscles in your face to frown than it does to just smile!

Lifestyle

So… Mannafold Blessings and Coach Shannon is stretching a little and breaking outside the little box to see what the big world is like. I have done a little checking around and spoke to the Health Department about offering freezer meals to friends and family. The person at the Health Department I spoke to said I could make freezer meals on a donation basis only since I do not have a commercial grade kitchen. Since then, I have created a Meal Idea sheet and sent to a few people. But I am branching out today on social media to see if there is anyone else interested?? Need a healthy meal to pull from the freezer for a quick meal? Let’s do it! 🙂

Click here —–> Frozen Meal Ideas to see your options!

Give a donation of what you think the meal is worth in groceries & preparation time and send your order to mannafoldblessings@gmail.com! Together, we can start changing the world, one meal at a time! 🙂 #eathealthy  #healthyfastfood #foodprep

Also, come to the Healthy Fast Food class on Tuesday, April 26th at 7pm! We will all share ideas together to keep each other motivated to protecting our bodies from disease and sickness!

Healthy Fast Food

Get out and enjoy that SUNSHINE!! 🙂

~Coach Shannon

 

coaching

Healthy Grieving

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Grief

Grief- a word defined by Webster’s Dictionary as “a deep and poignant distress caused by or as if by bereavement; a cause of such suffering; an unfortunate outcome”. 

Yesterday, I received the sad news my 50 year old friend had died from complications of cancer. She was such an inspiration to me and had such a heart to know the things of the LORD. She pursued after God with such a hunger and was so excited to share something she had learned. She always had a huge smile on her face, even when she might have been in pain. Tina will be greatly missed!

Grief2

Throughout our lives, we all have come in contact with death or loss. As a child, it may have been our favorite cat or dog. Maybe we found a dead sparrow or bunny rabbit. Then as we got older, we lost a grandparent, cousin, uncle, aunt, friend or spouse. We each grieved in a different way. Some of us stuffed down the emotional hurts and did not allow ourselves to cry. Others cried with such grief that it seemed to go on for days, months, years. Then those “firsts” come around and hit us all over again as we remember the loss of the loved one.

Grief

Did you know there is such a thing as healthy and unhealthy grieving? Healthy Grieving is when you are able to mourn the loss of your friend, your move away from all things familiar, your miscarriage…. and this is in a manner you are able to control your emotions. Unhealthy grieving is when your emotions control you and you are physically unable to control your grief. It bogs you down until you cannot even do the smallest part of your day such as getting dressed and eating meals. Depression sucks the life out of you and you don’t remember what it was like to laugh.

Grief3

As I mourn the loss of my friend, I smile at all the memories that come to mind. I remember the many things we talked about and the Scriptures we poured over. If you are struggling to move past your grief and find a “new normal”, I suggest you get in touch with a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist. Here is the website of a friend who does this type of counseling-  http://goodgriefandyou.com/. You can click on this link to find a counselor in your area. https://www.griefrecoverymethod.com/

I remember a time – only a few short years ago- when I was finally able to unpack all the hurt feelings and unhealthy emotions. I have spent many hours in counseling as I pursued after a healthy emotional life. I remember where I was when I laughed for the first time in a loooong time. It felt so strange, yet freeing.  Now I am able to control grief and my emotions instead of them controlling me. Major depression and anxiety kept holding me back from living life. I am thankful to have my life back and for strong leaders and counselors who took the time to help me get back on track.

Zig Ziglar, famous author and speaker, wrote this book- The Confessions of A Grieving Christian after losing his daughter. I personally have not read the book, but reading the reviews show that the book is well written and has touched many lives in helping them cope with their grief.

Prayers to each of you who are struggling. Please reach out and ask for help if you want to get out of the pit of unhealthy emotions! Send me an email at mannafoldblessings@gmail.com. I will listen. I will care!

L’Chaim,

Coach Shannon

coaching

Once upon a sick day

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Once upon a time in a really close land, there was a nurse who wished for a nurse to help fix her chicken noodle soup, bring her cups of hot chicken broth or get her yet another Kleenex box. But there was only a 4 legged furry friend who stared in understanding that something…. just… wasn’t … quite… right.  🙂 Cats are very intuitive and know things even when they don’t speak the human language!

This post has been delayed in getting sent due to fighting against some type of bug/virus. I am definitely on the mend, but wanted to share what is in my flu-bug arsenal that has helped me fight back.

  1. SLEEP- when our bodies do not get enough sleep as we run ourselves thither and yon to all the many appointments, work schedules, after school events, etc… Our immune system gets lower and lower and we become susceptible to the latest strain that is floating around. 🙁
  2. WATER- drinking more water than you usually do can help flush out bacteria as well as hydrate your skin, sinuses and mouth.
  3. Eucalyptus Essential Oil– I put a few drops in the shower last night and breathed in the hot steamy aroma to help clear my sinuses.
  4. UNKERS– This contains All Natural Botanical Oils – Eucalyptus, Wintergreen, Pine Needle, and Camphor.  Menthol Crystals in a snow white pharmaceutical grade petrolatum base. I use this instead of Vicks because it has more natural ingredients in it. I have been rubbing it on the bottom of my feet to reduce coughing, then put on cotton socks. It really helped me last night! It’s also good to rub on your chest and put a small smear on your sinuses. Inhale deeply and you will be clear in no time 🙂
  5. ALJ by Nature’s Sunshine– This is a capsule that has a proprietary blend of Boneset Aerial Parts, Fennel Seeds, Fenugreek Seeds, Horseradish Root extract and Mullein Leaves Extract. These fight for a healthy respiratory system.
  6. SLEEP
  7. WATER
  8. SINUS SUPPORT by Nature’s Sunshine– It contains burdock root, synephrine (immature orange peel), capsicum fruit, golden seal root, parsley herb, horehound herb, althea root and yerba santa herb. This combination contains natural trace amounts of magnesium, potassium, silicon and zinc plus vitamins A and C, and thiamine.
  9. Organic Echinacea Plus herbal tea– This has Organic Echinacea purpurea herb, Organic Echinacea purpurea root dry extract, Organic Echinacea angustifolia herb, a proprietary blend of Organic West Indian lemongrass leaf and Organic spearmint leaf.
  10. SLEEP
  11. WATER  WATER (2)
  12. Activate-C Immune Complex- that has Vitamin C, Zinc, Vitamin E, Astragalus Berry extract and Aronia Berry extract. Astragalus is an ancient traditional Chinese herb that supports the immune system. The Aronia Berry extract is taken from the black chokeberry and has extremely high antioxidant levels.

I highlighted several of the ingredients so you can research them on your own. All of them support and boost the immune system.

And before I forget, let me add that getting enough sleep and water is crucial to boosting your immune system 😀

Now, I think I will go fill my water cup and go back to bed…

Please share below some of the different things you use to fight the cold/flu bugs.

~Coach Shannon

Resources:

  1. Mountain Herbs
  2. Unkers
  3. Melaleuca
  4. Nature’s Sunshine
coaching

A Walk Down Memory Lane

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mac n cheese
Credit: Google Photos

Think for a moment of a food from your past, one that makes you feel great after you eat it for no specific reason. Maybe it is macaroni and cheese, cinnamon swirl bread right out of the oven, ice cream or snow cones, chicken pot pie or blueberry buttermilk pancakes. Eating comfort foods (every now and then) can be incredibly healing, even though your rational brain might not consider it highly nutritious.

Credit: Google Photos

Food has the power to impact us on a level deeper than just our physical well-being. What we eat can reconnect us to precious memories, like childhood playtimes, first dates, holidays, our grandmother’s cooking or our country of ancestry. Our bodies remember foods from the past on an emotional and cellular level. Eating this food connects us to our roots and has nurturing effects that go far beyond the food’s biochemical make-up.

Credit: Google Photos

Acknowledging what different foods mean to us is an important part of cultivating a good relationship with food.  It’s important to notice that we each have a relationship with food—and that this relationship is often far from loving. Many of us restrict food, attempting to control our weight. We often abuse food, substituting it for emotional well-being. Others ignore food, swallowing it whole before we’ve even tasted it.

Credit: Google Photos
Credit: Google Photos

What would your life be like if you treated food and your body as you would treat your beloved – with gentleness, playfulness, communication, honesty, respect and love? The next time you eat your Memory- Lane food, do so with awareness and without guilt, and enjoy all the healing and nourishment it brings you. And please use moderation when serving yourself! 🙂 You may find your tastes have changed and the food no longer tastes like you thought it did.

Credit: Google Photos
Credit: Google Photos

 

What are some of your memory lane foods? Share in the comments below! ~ Coach Shannon

Resources: Institute for Integrative Nutrition

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Just Breathe

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Matthew
Matthew 11:28

Lately, the schedule has been so crammed packed full, it feels like there is no time to eat or sleep… let alone breathe! The past couple days have been soul-searching days when I have found the overwhelming desire to just unplug from life and regroup, re-prioritize and get refreshed.

Last night, I was reminded of this song by Johnny Diaz called Just Breathe.  (Click to listen) It is just what I needed to unwind…

Alarm clock screaming bare feet hit the floor
It’s off to the races everybody out the door
I’m feeling like I’m falling behind, it’s a crazy life
Ninety miles an hour going fast as I can
Trying to push a little harder trying to get the upper hand
So much to do in so little time, it’s a crazy life
It’s ready, set, go it’s another wild day
When the stress is on the rise in my heart I feel You say just

(chorus)
Breathe, just breathe
Come and rest at My feet
And be, just be
Chaos calls but all you really need
Is to just breathe

Third cup of joe just to get me through the day
Wanna make the most of time but I feel it slip away
I wonder if there’s something more to this crazy life
I’m busy, busy, busy, and it’s no surprise to see
That I only have time for me, me, me
There’s gotta be something more to this crazy life
I’m hanging on tight to another wild day
When it starts to fall apart in my heart I hear You say just

(chorus)
Breathe, just breathe
Come and rest at My feet
And be, just be
Chaos calls but all you really need

(bridge)
Is to take it in fill your lungs
The Peace of God that overcomes
Just breathe
Let your weary spirit rest
Lay down what’s good and find what’s best
Just breathe

(chorus)
Just breathe, just breathe
Come and rest at My feet
And be, just be
Chaos calls but all you really need
Is to just breathe
Just breathe

Can anyone else relate? It’s time to take a breath, slip away to a quiet place and enjoy being in the Creator’s Presence. Take a walk in the woods, on a bike path, enjoy nature and the great outdoors during these nice spring days. Breathe in LIFE! L’Chaim!

Here is another song that a friend shared with me. It is a word for someone….  Tell Your Heart To Beat Again by Danny Gokey.

Resting in Father’s Arms,

Coach Shannon

coaching

Make a meal ahead!

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P1050514

So does anyone else ever come home from work and look in the refrigerator for something to fix for dinner and either nothing looks good to eat or you have the thought… “There’s nothing in here to eat!” ? 🙂 I am sure we all have done that. Sometimes I wait a while, then open the refrigerator door to see if anything has suddenly appeared that looks delectable… but nope… nothing changed! Sigh!! 🙂 We live in such a fast paced world, the fast food industry makes it too easy to swing by and pick up a meal. You will save money by having meals made ahead in the freezer, plus you will have more nutritional value in the meals!

Today (on Tuesday) I decided to do something about that and made some food for the freezer. I had a long list of food ideas to fix and was very surprised how quickly I got all but a few things completed! Here are some ideas for you to fix for the freezer and have an instant healthy meal prepared that will only need heated or baked but could also assist with completing a meal!

I accomplished the crossed out items and froze them. I also made 2 Crustless Coconut Pies, made one recipe of Homemade Ketchup and 2 recipes of Homemade BBQ Sauce! 😀 When I got up, I put the chicken breasts in the crockpot with some water and turned on high. Then using a Indoor Grill (like a George Foreman), I grilled the chicken and hamburgers. (I had thawed the ground beef the day before, then formed into patties today). Third, I started frying the onions, peppers and chicken sausage for the breakfast burritoes as the grilling was almost completed. After I made the Ketchup and BBQ sauce, I finished pulling the chicken and mixed with BBQ sauce. Then, using the chicken broth left behind in the crockpot, I poured in the beef & barley soup ingredients and turned it on high. I mixed up the Cheesy Pasta Bake last and then made the coconut pies ( I will share the recipe next week) 🙂 . SO hard to stop nibbling on it… just has a hint of sweetness and yummy coconut flavor! 🙂 (Are you drooling yet??) 😉

Today was an extra profitable and prosperous day… not my typical day in the kitchen.. but I am excited to have some go-to meals now!

A tip I strongly suggest- have hot dish water in the sink and wash dishes as you go to avoid a huge mess later. I don’t have a lot of extra dishes and kitchen utensils, so this actually really helps me to keep my dishes washed to use on the next recipe! 🙂

Another tip you could (and should) consider if you don’t have the time, energy or if you have little children to take care of- consider hiring Coach Shannon to make freezer food for you! I can provide my own recipes, or you can give me your recipes and I can make them. 😀 Email me at mannafoldblessings@gmail.com for pricing and times we can get together to discuss what works best for both our schedules. 🙂 I also have meals already in the freezer, so if you just want to try a dish, ask me what I already have available to sell.

I look forward to hearing from you! Feel free to forward this email to your friends who may benefit from some prepared healthy meals. 🙂

L’Chaim!

~Coach Shannon

coaching

What is silicon dioxide?

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Have you ever read the fine print on a bottle of supplements and in the “inactive ingredient list, you see “silicon dioxide” listed?

I am not an expert on the subject by any means, but after researching it briefly, I have concluded I don’t want to be eating ground up mineral rocks! Yes, that is what silicon dioxide is! Silica is found in 90% of the Earth’s foundation of rocks and sand. It is found in 3 ways of crystalline, amorphous and synthetic amorphous.

silica gel

Crystalline silica is most frequently found in a form of rock called quartz. For those of you who are archaeologists, these terms are more familiar to you! Websters Dictionary quotes “quartz- a mineral consisting of silicon dioxide occurring in colorless and transparent or colored hexagonal crystals or crystalline masses”. (2) It is put in the white packets commonly found in pill bottles with the words “DO NOT EAT, THROW AWAY” on it. While these crystals have the capability to absorb moisture so the pills won’t get soft in the bottle, I am scratching my head trying to figure out why they say “DO NOT EAT”, yet put it in the pill or powder itself under the name silicon dioxide…???!!! :/

Amorphous minerals have no definite shape or form as a crystal. (2) Syntetic amorphous silica (SAS) is a man-made filler that is used in rubber, tires, shoes soles, human and animal nutrition, oral toothpaste, cosmetics, paper, and paint to name a few! (3) The article goes on to say, and I quote “SAS should not be confused with crystalline silica which has significant adverse health effects due to its specific structure. ” (3)

Silicon Dioxide is used as a “filler” product to prevent the machines from getting clogged up as the pills are made or the capsules are filled. Not only is it  used as a anti-caking agent, but it can be used as a pesticide (due to the pill ingredients having exposure to agriculture, food handling and food prep) and as a “carrier” in regards to flavors or fragrances of food.

While I am only barely scratching the surface of this subject, I offer it to you as a strong suggestion to look at what you are putting into your mouth! This is not a scare tactic, but there is real food available in pill form that is void of silicon dioxide. If you would like to know more about these, please send me an email at mannafoldblessings@gmail.com.

Have a wonderful day! ~Coach Shannon

Resources:

  1. Silicon Dioxide
  2. Webster’s Dictionary, 11th Edition, 2012
  3. Synthetic Amorphous Silica