Chemicals on Our Skin

Our skin is the largest organ of our body and the most ignored when it comes to health. We don't realize how many chemicals our skin comes into contact each day. Through our skin these chemicals can go into our blood stream and over time can cause possible side effects. It's alway a good idea to be aware of what chemicals you are eating, drinking or putting on your body.

Mind Body Green posted a great infograph from The Daily Mail that shows the 515 chemicals women put on their bodies everyday. Hmm I wonder if it's a good time to start thinking about switching to organic shampoos, make-up and lotions? I know it's a tough habit to break but it seems we all should take a look at slowly introducing organic beauty products into our daily beauty rituals.

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Do you use organic beauty products? 

-Michelle

New Website Launched: Holistic Health Coaching

Ladies and Gents..... I give you:  My New Website!

Join me for a Health History consultation

www.REVIVE-healthcoach.com

I've been a busy bee lately (or should I say elf?!). I'm no website designer but I've given it my best and created my own website for my Holistic Health Coaching Practice.

Man is it nerve racking to put yourself out there. When you present something straight from your soul that means the most to you, it can become a tad bit scary. But this is what I'm meant to do in life and I'm happy to help people.

Hope you enjoy it!

Please pass it along to any of your family or friends who you think would benefit from health coaching program.

Lots of love,
Michelle

Fitness Love: Vega Sport Pre-Workout Energizer

Energy Drinks have always been a weakness for me. I don't have a lot of energy from being anaemic (not enough iron in my body), so I usually require a little boost before I workout. I used to grab an energy drink on my way to the gym from a corner store. I knew it was very bad for me but I just needed something so I wasn't dragging through my run. Everything changed when I found Vega Sport - Pre-Workout Energizer. 

I'll admit I was a little doubtful if it would give me the same energy as a Rockstar or Red Bull. Luckily I was wrong and it actually was tremendously better than the "others". It comes in a small package that is handy to carry around in your purse or gym bag. Throw a couple in your car and all you have to do is add it to water. No more empty cans in my car either - bonus! I made sure to drink it 20 minutes before my workout and I could feel the change in my body. There was no energy spike and then crashing. It's a gradual energy increase that is perfect for exercising. I love that it doesn't over stimulate your body either. When I drank Rockstar my speech actually became slurred, it was scary! With Vega Sport there's no caffeine headaches and I never have trouble getting to sleep at night when I work out in the afternoon/evening.

My two cousins who are both teenage boys, play a lot of sports. I always hated them seeing me drink an energy drink when I would preach to them to stay away from it. After my cousins hockey game the other weekend I gave him one of the Vega Sport packages to try out. The next day I got a text (rarely happens lol) saying "I love this stuff! and where can I get more?". This cousin is 16 years old and is devoted to a healthy body and fitness. He said he couldn't believe the energy it gave him and he was able to achieve a full workout session at the gym and all while never losing his endurance.

My Rating:  5 STARS

Benefits of Vega Sport Pre-Workout Energizer

• Instant energy and slow burning fuel
• No crashing!
• Organic sprouted brown rice syrup enters the blood stream quickly (due to high GI index) and gives you instant energy.
• Organic palm nectar provides slow released energy (due to low GI index) = no spike no crash
• Convenient packages
• Two flavors: Acai Berry and Lemon Lime
• Tastes similar to a berry or lime iced tea
• Equal or less in price to other energy drinks
• It's a blend of 13 plant-based ingredients

Do you require an energy drink before you workout? Or do you enjoy having one every once in a while?

I'm curious to know how you build up your energy before exercising.
-Michelle

Did You Know? Gummy Vitamins

Eeek! It's one of those things that make me cringe, Gummy Vitamins! and especially if you are feeding them to kids.

These buggers are sneeeky!

Gummy vitamins do not improve your health. The gummy's are usually coated or combined with corn syrup (sugar). Not only is sugar unhealthy for your body but it also starts cravings for more sugar. To create the gummy vitamin the manufacturers must heat the material to very high temperatures that pretty much kills all the nutritional value in the vitamin. This leaving you with  : A Daily Candy.

With kids, it's important to avoid teaching them that eating candy everyday is an okay thing to do. Small kids don't understand that it's supposed to be a vitamin. All they see and think is candy, candy, candy! Creating a daily habit of eating candy is very unhealthy for any child.

I know it may be heard to get your children to take vitamins if they are picky eaters but it's best to try to get them to receive more vitamins and nutrients from the food they eat. Load your kids up with as many organic veggies, fuit and lean protein as you can. There is some vitamin & supplement companies that provide vitamins for kids that do not contain corn syrup and other high content sugar substances. They also try to make it kid friendly by shaping the vitamins into characters.

All you adults who pop those gummies back every day... let's be honest.. something that tastes that good, can't be good for you! Don't worry, I used to be fooled too ;)

Have you fallen for Gummy Vitamin temptation?
-Michelle

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Travel : Cresent Beach, White Rock

I love the beach, the ocean and sun. It lives inside of me and I have an instant smile and calmess when my toes feel the sand beneath them.

There's a small town called Cresent Beach which is located in White Rock. White Rock is 40 minutes south from downtown Vancouver. White Rock also borders Washington, US. Cresent Beach a very laid back community with a majority of the residents being weatlhy retired people. The funny thing is that all the new aged hippies flock to Cresent Beach. It's full of yoga studios, unknown amazing restaurants and cute organic cafes. There is one main street which holds them all. At the end of the main street is the beach.

When I took time off during 2011 to venture into different industries in the business world, I would take my dogs along the path that follows Cresent Beach on days I had free. Hearing the waves crash against the shore cleared my mind and allowed me to let go of the stress of the day. I always loved going with my mom to Cresent Beach for a nice long walk and end up grabbing sweet hard ice cream at the end of our journey.

A couple weeks ago my mom and I wandered over to Cresent Beach just to sit by the ocean so we could take in the soft sounds and scents of the ocean. Afterwards we headed down to our favourite organic cafe, Sunflower. They have the best muffins I've ever had and they aren't tiny! We split a moist Blueberry Peach muffin and sipped on their delicious Saltspring Island coffee. Everything is handmade right there in the cafe and everyone who works there is incredibly down to earth. There's no other cafe where you feel like you're at home like Sunflower.

This time I spent with my mom was eye opening to me. It was a time when it really hit me how the chemo is affecting my mom. We used to be able to take long walks but now the walks have turned into strolls. The positive I take from this is that it makes us slow down in life. Appreciate each word spoken to each other. Appreciate the small things around us that we take for granted. Like the grapes we found in the garden patio in the back of a small bistro that we would have never seen before. Although this pains me to see her feel confined by the cancer at the moment, I know this will soon be over and she'll be right back to where she was. There's lessons to be learned right now and then it's time to move on with the positive healthy future.

Never forget to be in the present moment and appreciate the people and things around you.

-Michelle