Building Healthy Families

There is so much pain and brokenness in the world.  You know it. I know it.  If you're paying attention at all, you have likely wept at the tragedies surging around us.  Disease, infidelity, addiction, greed, or just straight up neglect seem to be satan's first response in our modern world today.  There's no doubt in my mind that we need everything Jesus is offering us and more if we are going to survive all of this mess.  One of the great things the Word of God offers is wisdom and with some prayer and His blessing, some discernment to go along with it.  In this Building Healthy Families Series, I hope to talk about ways to build up and support our families in order to combat all of satan's attacks toward the contrary.

Physically.  Our family's health and physical circumstances can be a blessing or a burden.  What are some physical ways we can build up their lives and the whole of the family?  We'll talk about food, exercise, safety, and general provision.

Emotionally.  Whether or not dealing with emotions is a strength for you, you deal with your family's emotions every day.  Do you know what emotional neglect looks like?  We'll talk about how your feelings (or lack thereof) can be traumatic or life-giving to your family and why understanding anyone's feelings is a game changer in life.

Spiritually.  We are spiritual beings either being starved or fed.  Do you know the difference?  We'll talk about some common misconceptions about what it means to be spiritual and why it should matter to you.

Follow us on social media to watch for the next installment of this series.  Not active on social media? No worries! Don't miss any of this series by hitting the subscribe button at the top right corner of this page!  By entering your email address, you will get every new blog post sent directly to your inbox!

The Slow Journey to Health: A Weight-loss Update

I have always been insecure about my weight and size - even when I had ZERO reasons to be. Still, when you're thin, young and healthy it is so easy to judge other people who gain weight and don't ever get rid of it.  I know, I know - YOU would never think that way, but let's face it, we all judge secretly from time to time, especially about the things that seem simple or easy to us.  That is until we have to deal with it ourselves.  Age, disease, stress and, well, having children can certainly catch up to you in the body department.  I'm at 16 months postpartum and I don't have any impressive stats to brag about.  I'm sure to the moms of 4+ kids, I sound naive, but keeping up with 3 kids is hard, man.  It takes up all the time and energy and space that you started with and explodes feelings, stains and chaos all over it.  Even if losing weight was a no-brainer for me at one kid (which it's not), at 3 kids and 38 years old, it's going to be a lot tougher.

I guess it sounds like I'm gearing up for a big excuse party and learn to love yourself kind of post.  That's important to have some days, because we are just so cruel to ourselves behind the scenes.  But, that's not why I'm writing today.  I'm writing today to say that the journey to health - from disease, weight-gain or whatever - is often longer than we feel it should be.  I can't claim an awesome number of pounds lost over the summer or anything, which to some might be incredibly discouraging.  16 months! Let's do this already, right?  Well, the thing is, I AM doing it.  All of my clothes are looser, certain areas (where I may have carried a 10 lb baby around in) have tightened up, I have more brain power and more energy.  It's working! It's not revolutionary or mind-blowing, but it's another confirmation that - in my life anyway - a balanced, slow and steady approach wins every time!

I can't speak for everyone else's body or journey in and out of health, but for me weight-loss means detoxing.  Those fat cells hold on to all kinds of junk and getting rid of fat cells requires getting rid of the junk too.   Every 4-7 days, especially when I'm exercising well, I develop detoxing symptoms  (like mild nausea, headaches, body aches, fatigue, etc.).  They aren't pleasant for sure, but they tell me I'm doing something right! Clean eating, exercising and some great herbs that support cleansing and detoxing are where the magic happens around here.  I say magic, but it's more like exhausting uphill battle that takes much longer than you feel like it should. 

When it comes to your health, it is never worthwhile to give up.  The process of healing and recovery - no matter what we're talking about - takes time.  And that can be so frustrating.  Still, I want to encourage you to know that it is worth it.  Do you feel overwhelmed and defeated because of your health?  Did you try a little bit and it was so hard that you gave up?  Maybe it is blood pressure or blood sugar issues.  Or trauma and anxiety? I have had to deal with a lot of those in my life and my family.  You're not alone and if you need a friend to encourage you, I would be honored.  Either way, I'll keep you posted on my progress.  It IS hard, but it's not impossible.  

What 3 Babies Taught Me About Weight-Loss

Unlike my mother or my daughter, I was never really skinny.  As most people can do, looking back on my size in high school and college, I was just fine and would gladly return to that size again if given the choice.  When you're living it, though, that unique and specific-to-you shape gets ripped to shreds by society and their version of normal.  So like an adolescent girl is prone to do, I proceeded into adulthood with shame and insecurities surrounding how I looked and how much I weighed.  Enter marriage and pregnancy to make things really interesting!

If you know Mr. Butler, you know his second home is the gym.  To an insecure newlywed, that can result in more pressure and sensitivity.  I always wanted to look perfect and be viewed as perfect by everyone but especially my young husband.  Yet, exercise and dieting weren't exactly something I loved.  Ice cream, treats and Friday night fun I could get motivated for, but it took way too much baby weight that wasn't going anywhere to teach me how much exercise and clean eating would become one of my greatest tools in life.  Still, J was 6 or 7 months old before I had really begun that journey.  There was a mountain of judgement and criticism that I just couldn't get around and that was just the stuff in my head.  On the one hand there are supermodels and air-brushed magazine covers convincing me that my imperfection should be my shame.  On the other hand, there are other voices in the media that pounce any time someone suggests that a person should really work at losing weight.  Body-shaming, they call it.  And, goodness those voices can get so ugly.  In either case, I'm not buying it anymore.

I am 10 months postpartum after my third baby and about 50 lbs over my (1st) pre-pregnancy weight.  The rollercoaster has been real, but being on this end of it, I have certainly learned a few things I wish I could share with my pre-motherhood self.

1) View weight and body image through the lens of health.  Early on Mr. Butler encouraged me to exercise not because he saw me as flawed (like my inner voice tried to convince me all. the. time.), but because he wanted me to feel good about myself and stay healthy like he had learned.  Diabetes and heart disease may have very well been in his near future had he not made some major changes when starting college.  Thus, his commitment to healthy living was born.  He knew I was insecure and he also knew the motivation that came from a great exercise program!

It is in this point that I have a real problem with most people claiming that a concern for someone's weight is body shaming.  There are bullies and very cruel people in the world that say mean things and terrorize those with insecurities.  Encouraging someone to maintain a healthy weight is not the same thing.  I agree that no two bodies are the same and your healthy weight may be heavier/lighter than mine.  But if you have health complaints (other than how your clothes fit) like joint pain, labored breathing going up a flight of stairs, or depression, I do not agree that you should ignore your size.  A combination of any of those symptoms are signs that your body needs some attention for long-term survival, not to fit some society-built expectation.  When someone develops pneumonia, it is serious.  Any caregiver worth anything isn't going to start in ridiculing the person for being sick.  Instead, they just want them to survive without any permanent effects.  A major weight problem should be viewed the same way.

After the first pregnancy, losing weight was 100% about how I looked.  I was self-conscious about everything around everyone.  Now, after the third pregnancy, losing weight is about getting my health back where it needs to be so I can be the mom and wife I need to be.  What I look like and how my clothes fit is just a physical manifestation of where my health is at and how much further I have to go.

2)  Don't Use Another Person's Experience to Shape Your Expectations.  When it comes to weight-loss, most people fall into one of two categories.  They either must work at it to lose weight or they don't.  It is a rare unicorn of a person who has to work only a little bit in order to lose weight.   The two really can't be compared  and yet that's what we do.  Having babies is the perfect example.  Everything surrounding your first child is a brand new experience and that includes losing weight after pregnancy.  'They' say that if you breastfeed your infant, then the weight will just fall off.  Yeah, that only works for people who the weight just falls off anyway! I have two sister-in-laws and a handful of friends who just didn't even think about it and they were back to square one in no time.  I had really hoped that it just wouldn't be a big deal after J, because I tried to eat well and exercised some thinking that would be enough.  As you know, I fell into the category of having to really work at it.  And now I'm here again at 10 months postpartum and it still requires a ton of work. Honestly, it is probably more difficult this time because of how much busier I am with three kids.  Busyness translates into less time to exercise, less sleep and more stress which are all recipes for weight gain in my body, certainly NOT weight-LOSS.

After J, I let what other people (different body types and different circumstances) experienced determine what I expected my circumstances to be.  When I was obviously wrong, the despair, judgement and self-loathing just about ruined me in more ways than one.  In retrospect, it was all just so silly.  Healthy weight-loss is really just a science experiment anyway that takes patience and tweaking along the way.  What ratio of diet changes and exercise program intensity does it take to decrease your weight?  Spending all your time comparing yourself to where others are at is just taking time away from getting further along on your own path to a healthy place.  For probably the first 6 months of J's life I was just insistent in my head that what I was doing should be enough to get my desired results because of what anyone else was or was not doing.  And we're not even talking about the subject of what recovery after having a baby really means.  I had no clue.  Just stop comparing.  Period.

3)  There are many things worse than extra pounds.  When your health is clearly in danger, it will be a different story, but life is filled with more than just numbers on a scale.  Especially after children, life becomes more complicated.  Having healthy and whole children is a luxury many parents don't have.  A loving marriage, financial security, a hope of heaven and peace of mind are all things that don't just happen.  Many families struggle with so many things.  After miss Z's birth and difficulty sleeping through the night, I learned that I'd Rather Be Fat Than Crazy. The season of having babies and small children is short and losing weight is something you can always pursue later too.  At this stage there's just so much demand being put on your body that an aggressive weight-loss plan may not be possible, not yet anyway,  Be patient and be thankful for the good.

Mr. Butler has been so supportive of me this past year and it has really taught me to be kinder to myself in this area.  My blessings are many and my children deserve to see gratitude instead of a whiny state of being that only breeds unhappiness.  By the end of 2018, it is my goal to be well on my way to my former weight, but these three babies have taught me how to be content in the mean time.

Providing an Organic Home Environment

 Maybe it's part of my emotional and feeling nature but I love for things in my life to be as gradual and organic as possible.  The sudden change of plans and the brand new experiences - that life is stocked full of - are hard on my sensitive nervous system.  So, whenever I can I work hard to provide an environment that can naturally produce certain outcomes.  This act of self-preservation has provided some insight, especially in regards to my children and their development that I just LOVE!

It isn't rocket science or anything, but I think it bears notice in our cookie cutter world.  When you surround someone with certain things, there will be a response.  The nature and quality of things you surround them with will dictate the quality and nature of their response.  Hang out with complainers and you'll find yourself complaining and unhappy.  Work in a place with windows and a great view, you'll have a little better outlook on life.  When it comes to kids and education, there are so many factors that can influence for good or bad that it behooves us to incorporate as much good as we can squeeze in!  

No parent, relationship or educational journey is perfect and our family certainly has its weaknesses. Still, there are a few things that have had a really good effect on our family's development and education that I think are worth sharing. 

Music - Between my teaching piano lessons, 3 worship services a week worth of a capella singing, singing as a part of bedtime routine, and the perpetual playlist at our fingertips via Spotify and Pandora, music is part of everything we do.  Enhancing their musical involvement doesn't just boost their musical skills, but activates their brain development as a whole.  Google it. ;)

Nature - Being outside, having the freedom to move outside, gardening, hiking, climbing trees, seeing mountains and waterfalls - all of this is so good for your body and soul.  Besides the obvious vitamin D that is desperately needed for a healthy immune system, children are hard-wired to move and boxing them up for too long really does them a disservice.  The great outdoors help us balance out where we get stuck.  Can't focus? Go outside for a while.  Difficult relating to other people? Go outside for a while.  Whenever possible, there is always an outside element to whatever we are doing.  From school to vacation, we plan to go outside and probably get dirty!  That is definitely one of the perks of homeschooling.

Books - This might seem like a no-brainer to some, but I feel it is best when taken a step further.  My kids have been doubly blessed because they have access to books and also have parents (namely their father) who read and appreciate books themselves.  I have always loved to read, but it takes more diligence to fit it in these days.  Mr. Butler though, always has his head in a book or listening to something on his commute to work.  His relationship with books has nothing to do with the rest of us and speaks volumes to his kids.  So far, the kids both consume books like their daily meals - just can't get enough!  I know for some that reading a book for fun is like exercising for fun - it just doesn't compute.  Still, both are incredibly healthy examples to set for our families AND to keep our brains young and active!

Learning - This is an extension of the last one.  Mr. Butler is very abnormal (at least in my circles) in that he loves learning new things and loves to consume information.  The more data the better! Add that to home being the location of school and learning anyway, the kids are constantly surrounded by various aspects of learning.  When learning new things is a natural state of living, our brains, our relationships, even our moods can be enhanced.  Sometimes the DIY or how-to videos the kids beg to watch get annoying, but it is evidence of their love of learning (and their nerdy father!).  

Educating and raising kids is difficult at best.  My conservative nature loves to find ways to cushion my path and I guess building these life aspects into our routines so that they aren't even options most days helps me relax! Plus, now that J is really diving into school, I can see the benefits all around me! I love that!

MyFreezEasy: A Meal Plan Review

The majority of companies and products I've gotten to review this year have been education and homeschooling related.  Today, while this absolutely fits in with a homeschooling lifestyle, my review is for any person in need of a quick meal and a better plan for those days with NO time!  MyFreezEasy has combined the art of meal planning with freezer meals to create custom meal options for your family.  They offer multiple membership options, but what I'm reviewing today is the MyFreezEasy.com Freezer Meal Plan Membership - the Premium Annual option.

As you can see in the graphic below, right from the start you have several different options to choose from in the various meal plans that changes every month. Freezer meals aren't exactly a new idea, but sometimes the meal prep can take a huge chunk out of your week, even if it is on Sunday night.  One of MyFreezEasy's goals is to provide something easier than spending an hour preparing food each night because some nights that is just an impossibility!  All of their recipes are family tested and require minimal preparation time.  Just today I prepared tonight's dinner for the crock pot as well as a full meal for the freezer in about 15 minutes.

With your membership you receive access to more than just a simple meal plan, but step by step help throughout the entire process.  Included are things like:

-Well-organized shopping lists

-Assembly instructions including how to prep and in what order.

-Printable labels for each meal

-Highlight and how-to videos for meals and techniques

-Dairy-free and Gluten-free modifications on all recipes

This past couple of months I've struggled with morning sickness and my house manager role really suffered.  One of the biggest areas was cooking.  The most efficient way to tackle MyFreezEasy is to purchase all the necessary ingredients and then spend an hour combining several different meals to put in the freezer.  Over the next month, you'll have plenty of options when time is just not on your side!  An alternative to that, and what I ended up doing, was pick a meal for dinner first thing in the morning and then create two meals, one for the freezer and one for dinner that night.  This method stocked my freezer too, just at a slower pace.  There are also options with how you physically plan meals like what meals are included, different printing options of recipes, labels, assembly instructions, and shopping lists.  You can use all or none of these.  You can spend a day and then not think about it again until next month or spread it out as you have time. That's the best selling point for me is that there are options and no one way to do it!

 Like any new plan or program, at first sight there are quite a few papers you could print out and finding what you want can take a little bit at first.  Once you are familiar with the layout and your needs verses what is available, MyFreezEasy is a slam dunk.  There are plenty of recipes to choose from each month and I've already gathered a couple of favorites to use again next month.  The time invested is not that much, but provides a great dividend of doable and yummy dinners that you didn't have to slave over!  And then when you consider cost - less than $10 a month (when you buy a year's subscription) - I can confidently say this is a great idea to consider for your family!

Follow MyFreezEasy on Social Media:

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/freezeasy

Instagram:  http://www.instagram.com/freezeasy

Pinterest:  http://www.pinterest.com/5dollardinners/freezeasy

Read what others had to say about it:

Taking the Long Road and the Curse of Convenience

With our modern conveniences, we are almost unknowingly conditioned to expect immediate and effective responses from everything.  When a child misbehaves, many look for an appropriate discipline, but if it doesn't prove effective immediately, then it's considered a failure.  Trying a diet is often just that and nothing more.  When something goes haywire after the first week or two, it falls by the wayside.  While the trouble is obviously lacking patience, it is also common to simply look at symptoms and not consider a root cause of a problem.  Why is the child misbehaving?  Why does every diet only last a couple of weeks?  We could be talking about anything from educational issues to budget problems to relationship complaints.  If we aren't considering what originally caused this problem or series of events, it is likely to continue to be a problem until we do.

This afternoon I was letting my very convenient Roomba robot vacuum in my kitchen as I straightened up when all of us a sudden I heard an unfamiliar crash.  A 3-tiered plant stand with 3 medium sized ivy plants had fallen to the floor because my little robot had gotten hung up on some ivy.  Modern conveniences aren't always that convenient in the end.  Sometimes we do things in the name of convenience or expedience that just don't really cut it and require us to spend even more time correcting a problem that could be avoided by doing something the long, but often more effective way.  Our society has that attitude with a lot of things.  Educationally, we expect everyone to learn on the same schedule and have to go to great inconvenient lengths to accommodate those outside the average.  It seems to be very typical to treat symptoms with the quickest remedy often not considering the underlying cause or subsequent side effects of treatments.  Especially in our marriages, when issues aren't fixed quickly it is common and tempting to just move on.  I've only been married (almost) 10 years, but we absolutely wouldn't be together if we had moved on every time things got really really difficult.

 My brother the orchestra conductor was sharing his opinion on teaching middle school string students.  He said some teachers are in a big hurry to get them playing more and more literature at the highest level possible.  He said he would much rather students enter high school with a great knowledge of basic skills.  The basic skills, in his opinion, are far more important to establish first.  It may seem to take a bit of time in the beginning, but in the life of a musician it pays off beautifully being able to play all the literature they desire with artistry and proper technique for many years to come.

I come from gardeners and I'm attempting to share that experience with my children.  I'm certainly not great at it, but I have learned a few real life lessons.  Things take time.  There's always a reason something isn't working and ignoring it in some way isn't going to fix it.  The end product is more than just the piece of fruit or vegetable you gain.  The process teaches us about life, problem-solving, perseverance and an amazing Creator.  I'm very passionate about learning and natural health for all of these reasons.  In health and in learning, things always take time.  When you try to circumvent the natural progression of things, it generally doesn't go well in the long run.

Get Up and Garden Month

Do you grow vegetables at your house?  Have you ever tried?  This month is Get Up and Garden month here at the Butlers and Write Balance.  Mr. Butler has just finished building and preparing some raised beds and here in Oklahoma it is about time to plant.  My entire life  I have had a grandparent, parent or in-law growing a vegetable garden in some fashion.  It is my hope that my family will grow up understanding the importance and value of growing much of their own food and I believe this is the best way to do it!  Years and locations are all different with what is possible in growing and maintaining, but investing in locally grown food is a must!  The health benefits alone demand that homegrown food can NOT go by the wayside.  With the health of our country growing worse, we can't ignore every family's need for nutrient dense food.  What better way to provide for your family than to grow some delicious veggies in the back yard!  And yes, they will taste different than the store bought usually and that is a very good thing!

So, throughout the month of April I'll be giving away some great resources from The Old Schoolhouse and Molly Green to help you Get Up and Garden!

How to participate:

Tell me how YOU are going to Get Up and Garden.  Share this post, share a picture of your gardening hopes, and/or use #getupandgarden and tag me on any of the social media sites below.  That's it! Once you do that, I'll send you some great resources for FREE!
Instagram: writebalance
Facebook: Finding the Write Balance
Twitter: @writebalance
Pinterest: amylizz9

Healthy Choices Matter: Let's Be Well

If you are a local friend of mine or follow on Facebook, you've probably heard me mention my association with IN.FORM through my work with The Herb Garden.  It is a weight-loss program put together by Nature's Sunshine that works and promotes health, not just a smaller waste.  If you are interested in more information about it, let me know.  That isn't the purpose of this post though.  I want to talk about how the choices we make with our body (and as parents our children's bodies) has a direct effect on their health, sometimes long-lasting, even if it feels like it shouldn't matter so much.

In the realm of health, medicine or science, there is a lot that I don't know and am never intending to diagnose or cure anyone.  Every circumstance is different and there is no way I could or should expect my thoughts to apply everywhere.  I have had a lot of experience and exposure through my own health, the health of my children and my work with The Herb Garden that has convicted me of some important things that the average American either does not know, acknowledge or put into practice.

Dinner time is one of our favorites!

With so much disease that often doesn't make sense, it behooves us to remedy the issues that clearly do make sense.  Let's do what we can!

Weight-gain is a health risk, not a body shaming opportunity.  At best, we all have different ideal weights.  Our genes decide how big our bones are, so we are never supposed to be the same size as whoever the chosen queen or king of culture is today.  How good or bad we look AND how much we care about that, is largely up to us.  Regardless of that, unhealthy weight-gain is a health risk.  That means it changes the way our body works.  From little things like shortness of breath and tiredness to a greater risk of diabetes, stroke, cancer and depression.  How you eat and how little you move can, in some cases be the deciding factors between developing these diseases or not.  If that applied to you or your family member, why wouldn't you make some changes?

What you eat directly effects how well your body works.  It is common in our culture to get cranky and rebellious about diets or some nut job trying to tell us how to live our lives.  It is common, but it doesn't benefit us or our families.  How many vegetables you eat in a day determines how many vitamins and minerals your body gets.  The levels of nutrients your body maintains impacts your immune system which often determines whether or not you get every cold in a 5 mile radius.  Or things like skipping breakfast and trying to work until lunch on nothing but a donut.  Protein is involved in EVERYTHING in your body, so not getting enough can lead to increased infections, irritability, weakness, loss of muscle and certainly hurts brain activity.  Not the best plan before a test or big meeting.  Now don't get me wrong, everyone is different and therefore effected differently by different foods, meal times, etc.  But, once you start paying attention, you can tell what foods helps you live a better life and what perpetuates health problems and bad habits.  And with your children, they are often even less equipped to understand the messages their body is sending them.  It's our job to teach them.

                                           

Where there is disease or a health issue, a change in diet or lifestyle has to be made to see great improvement.  From the big diseases like cancer and heart disease all the way down to allergies and respiratory conditions, if you are hoping for improvement, the very least you need to be doing is eating a colorful healthy diet and moving!  Especially children that struggle with asthma or crazy allergic reactions, in general a change in diet and lifestyle can go a long way in correcting struggles like this.  And in case you didn't know, sugar is in everything and in the doses we typically get, sugar makes everything worse.  Sad story, but undeniable fact.


We all have different struggles and different priorities, but feeling well enough to do the things we love is probably something we share.  I love the herbal remedies and nutritional education I've received through The Herb Garden and Nature's Sunshine, but even if you don't share that appreciation, cooking and eating at home, drinking more clean water, including more veggies and healthy fats, and making physical activity part of your life are simple straight-forward things that will change your life!  And just imagine if our children and grandchildren grew up understanding how valuable wise choices about their food and activity were!

It's easy to dismiss things like eating better and moving more as 'not that big of a deal' or 'not the most important thing'.  And I get that.  It is hard.  And making healthy choices doesn't always fit right away with your budget or schedule and it doesn't feel like it should matter so much.  But when there is hardly a person who doesn't have a major health complaint or major disruption to their life because they can't get out of bed or they are depressed or they are just in so much pain or they can't focus or breathe or cancer is continuing to show up everywhere - It is just becoming very clear that like it or not, it DOES matter.  Moderation, absolutely.  Enjoy your food - YES! But living like it doesn't matter and then wondering why our bodies seem to be against us, well that just isn't wise.  None of us can control the genes we were given or be master of all environments or circumstances, so health issues will come.  I just hope we can all understand more how our choices can benefit or hurt those issues.

Healthy December: What's On Your List?

Healthy living can become a nagging annoyance in our minds if we don't continue to educate ourselves about our changing world.  MANY corporations and entities are motivated by money and ignore health ramifications for as long as possible.  It's not a conspiracy theory, it's a historical fact that is still alive and active today. So, what? So, the status quo of living life in the most convenient way possible all the time is not good for us.  Just because a company sells something doesn't mean it can be trusted.  Like people, some companies lie or don't care what is best for you.  Never assume and always do your research.

That is why making some healthy goals for each month is important in our house.  I can't assume that what everyone else is doing is going to magically help me reach my goals.  And neither can you.  Unless everyone around you is mastering the goals you have for yourself, it is unlikely that you'll absorb them by osmosis.  And even then.  ;)

This month is December packed with holiday goings on and end of the year activities, but also I'm moving in two weeks!  Of course everything is crazy so why not just give up?  Remember, shoot for the moon and land in the stars?  I want to reinforce healthy habits no matter what the circumstances and know I'll be that much better off than if I had quit.  Here's my short list:

-Write Every Day.  This is inspired by the book below.  I need to be in a better habit of writing.  It doesn't matter if it is a novel or a single comment.  Just writing as a way to further process my life.  Does your husband or friends not want to listen for as long as you need to talk?  Then you need to write my friend.  It's not about having lame friends or support necessarily, but about your physical and emotional need to process.  Being healthy is more than just eating vegetables!

-Read a Proverb a Day.  There are 31 chapters for 31 days.  It's easy and simple AND it clarifies the walk of a Christian beautifully.  It reminds constantly to ask what is the WISE thing to do, not just the right or wrong.  I'm reading it to my children too!

-Make my Healthiest Lifestyle Mandatory.  Exercise.  Lots of Water.  Plenty of Space (days) between Less than Healthy Choices.  I know what will feed my brain and emotions.  I know what will feel good in a moment, but fill me with regret and discomfort for hours to come.  Just because there are more options available doesn't mean my body will act any different.

How are you going to make this a Healthy December?

Healthy November Challenge

Whenever conversations drift to losing weight, saving money or any healthy habit, all hope is lost if it's around the holidays.  And it is true that from about October 15th to January 1st, there are a lot of delicious distractions and (can be) expensive traditions.  What I find in my life, though, is that there is always a good reason not to stick to the budget or continue my healthiest regime.  Every season, every semester, every holiday, every age brings something that makes it harder to treat my family with kind words and self-restraint or practice mercy and forgiveness especially when they don't deserve it.  Finding the right(write) balance to me looks like balancing out the excess, the busyness and the peer pressure with a premeditated plan of healthy choices I can make no matter what else I'm not able to completely control.  I can always control me.

So, the Healthy November Challenge is born.  Mr. Butler and I have selected a short list of things that we are prepared to commit to either until Thanksgiving or for the month of November.  Things like praying together twice a day and enforcing a stricter bedtime for ourselves.  We have a few food related ones, but not enforceable on Thanksgiving. ;)  This list is posted on our fridge, signed by us with the expressed reward of a dinner at Vast, a fancy shmancy restaurant at the top of Devon Tower here in Oklahoma City.  We've never been (for obvious reasons), but it's so hard thinking of rewards that aren't food based or money based.  So of course we chose both!

Honestly, though, one day - even one meal - does not ruin a healthy habit.  It comes down to that one day followed by the next and the next until you have no healthy habit, but an unhealthy habit with an occasional good choice.  That's what keeps you from a goal or success.  Thanksgiving or any holiday is one day.  Choosing to let plans for that one day or multiple parties determine whether you'll make wise choices is completely in your hands.

Finally, one of the biggest stumbling blocks to healthy success is feeling alone.  When every meal you eat around other people is flooded with poor options or no one in your circle of people thinks about how much things cost, life can get pretty discouraging.  Doing whatever is convenient then ultimately rules the day.  NEWSFLASH: The convenient thing is RARELY the wise thing.  So, why don't you join us in this challenge this month?  Let's encourage each other and be better off by December rather than regretting most of November!  Share your commitments, experiences or rewards with me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook with the hashtag #healthynovember or in the comment section.  If there is enough participation, we'll do a couple of fun giveaways later this month!

Don't use the busyness of this month - or any month - as an excuse to make unhealthy choices! 

The Balance of Herbs for May 11th - 17th

Did you know that plants (herbs) are the original medicine? Many prescription drugs have parts of plants at their core.  As science chugs along, there are of course changes made and synthetic components added.  One of the things I love about herbal supplements and formulas is how much of their original state is maintained or combined in a gentle and complimentary way, rather than forced for convenience or sheer experimentation.

Would you like to know more about gentler alternatives for any health issue you might have?  There is so much information I can share with you if you're interested.  Want to look around at what kinds of products are available? Go here.  This week, May 11th - 17th, if you decide to become an NSP member through me, you will receive your choice of a bag of Love & Peas, vegan protein powder OR a 32 oz bottle of Liquid Chlorophyll. 

In the coming weeks there are going to be a lot of opportunities for learning about healthy living and natural alternatives over at The Herb Garden.  June 1st there will be a free class, Toxic Invaders & the Importance of Fighting Them Head On where you will learn several remedies for fighting illnesses of all kinds that don't require prescriptions and can often eliminate the extra trips to the doctor.  

Questions? Wondering if there is an herb for that?  There probably is! :)  Just ask - I'd love to help!

4 Reasons to Spend Time Outside

Now that it's officially spring here in Oklahoma, it is time to talk about the great outdoors for a bit.  With winter and all the snow the US got hit with this year, it might be tempting to give up going outside for good!  But fear not, the outdoors can give as much or more than it usually takes away.

For your health...Staying indoors stifles clean, free breathing.  Allergens and bacteria can build up, weakening your immune system.  And don't forget the vitamin D!  For a few circumstances, what's outside (pollen, pollution, etc.) can be worse than what's inside, but by-in-large, stepping outside for a bit will do everyone some good.

For your sanity...Looking at the same floors and walls all day, every day can really do something to your head.  And when my head is messed up, I get cranky, stressed and not a great version of myself.  Stepping outside makes me smile, reminds me there is more to life than whatever I was just fixated on and relaxes everything just a bit.  God's creation - the trees, the sky, the air - is such a stark reminder of beauty, power and divine presence!  

For your creativity...It's proven that creativity is key to success in so many areas of our life.  Especially, children's development.  Just taking a walk around your backyard or office building at lunch has the power to spark thoughts and inspirations that will propel you to a better place.  Furthermore, as a mother of a boy, boys need to spend a lot of time outdoors to express and cultivate their creativity.  NEED, I tell you.  They were designed for it.  Girls benefit greatly too, but boys become menaces without enough of it.  NEED it, they do.

For your independence...For children and adults alike, going outside nudges us to explore, take risks and ultimately stretch our independence a little bit.  We live in very toxic times where individual boundaries and expectations can get really blurry. Spending time outside cultivates a deeper connection with nature, more attention to our beliefs and the ability to go our own way.  Something we all struggle with from time to time.

We are all busier than we'd like to be and worrying more than we know we should, but yet we do it anyway.  This is one area of your life that you can change and make a difference.  Go outside more.  Do it for your family - better yet, do it WITH your family!  It will change you for the better, I promise.

Psalm 104:1-5 

Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent. He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters; he makes the clouds his chariot; he rides on the wings of the wind; he makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire. He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved.

4 Pregnancy Must Haves

Like I said last time, doing something for the second time is quite a game changer.  Just having been pregnant before, made my second one so much easier.  There's less, "what does that pain mean?" and more "Okay, what did I do for that last time?"  So, whether it's your first time on the pregnancy-go-round or you're in the market for some new ideas, here are a few things I never want to do without during pregnancy.

1) Red Raspberry & Ginger capsules are awesome aids for the entire pregnancy.  Red Raspberry is widely known for its medicinal value and especially helpful for nausea and labor/delivery health.  Ginger is also great for nausea, but I especially noticed it's positive effects in digestion.  Heartburn is almost always an issue with pregnancy and when I took Ginger, I hardly had any issues!

2) A great exercise routine makes the pregnancy roller coaster so much easier!  Being in shape BEFORE you get pregnant is what really made things easier for me (with my 2nd), but that's not always possible.  But finding a great habit of exercise that covers all your bases is so important to keeping everything about your pregnancy healthy and easier.  To lose weight after J was born, I used the Firm Express because it was only 20 minutes a workout, you never did the same workout for a month and it covered everything (cardio, weight training, etc.).  When I got pregnant again I continued it with some obvious modifications up until about 7 or 8 months and supplemented with the book How to Exercise When You're Expecting by Lindsay Brin which has great routines and general pregnancy related advice!

3) A nutrient-packed breakfast saved my life this last pregnancy.  Anytime I missed my breakfast smoothie, I felt it.  A large handful of spinach, fruit, juice, milk, maybe some flax seeds and a serving of protein powder.  It seems like a minor thing, but I think the spinach combined with adequate protein does something amazing for my body!

4) A way to cope with stress made a world of difference between pregnancy one and two.   Mr. Butler and I did the birth classes with J so we weren't needing more information, but I was in need of a better approach to this labor.  Blissborn and Ronda at Dynamic TranceFormations Consulting gave me exactly what I needed!  I attribute the self-hypnosis training from Blissborn with staying calm and relaxed during labor.  It is an awesome tool to have for labor and life in general.

Those of you who have been pregnant before, what could you not do without?

The Benefits of Spirulina & 'Green' Products Sale

The company we primarily use for our herbs and supplements, Nature's Sunshine Products is running a special March 6th & 7th on some "Green" products like Chlorophyll, Aloe Vera Juice and a great pregnancy addition, Spirulina, in honor of St. Patty's Day a little early!

Since I'm over halfway done with my second pregnancy and due to NSP's latest special, I thought I'd share real quick some info about the value of Spirulina during pregnancy!  I took it with my first baby and have started it with this pregnancy as well! 

Benefits:

-Supports the nervous system

-Provides 400 mg of pure, 100% blue-green microalgae per capsule

-Is a great source of protein.

-Contains plant-sourced vitamin B12

How It Works:

Spirulina is a blue-green algae that grows in warm, alkaline fresh waters around the world.  It naturally contains protein representing all eight essential amino acids, as well as chelated minerals, natural plant sugars, trace minerals and enzymes.  Spirulina is easily assimilated by the body and provides naturally occurring Chlorophyll.  The high concentration of protein and iron makes it ideal for pregnancy and a growing baby's brain to be awesomely nourished!

If this is something you're interested in, don't forget that Spirulina is 50% off today and tomorrow!  As always, members receive an even better discount so let me know if you'd like to join (it's free with a purchase!).

A Foggy Day Solution: Lymph Gland Cleanse-Hy

This past week here in Oklahoma City, it was foggy and misty - it felt like it was several days in a row. Since we live in the city, we certainly felt the smog-like conditions.  It seems silly that it should affect much of anything, but in our house it seemed to affect everything!  I really believe the culprit was in the air.  With recent allergy flair ups on top of usual city air pollution trapped by the fog and such, it makes it harder to breathe freer.  Anyway, it seemed to mess everything up from how we felt physically to our moods and mental clarity in general!

I didn't realize the correlation until it was mostly gone, but the effect seemed to be lingering.  And the reason I'm sharing any of this is because there is an herbal combination that I've used (for years) that helps so much with circumstances like this.  Once we started it, the symptoms began to diminish significantly!

What's in it: Parthenium root, yarrow aerial parts, myrrh gum and capsicum fruit.

Lymph Gland Cleanse-Hy

Why it's helpful: This herbal formula helps meet the nutritional needs of a stressed immune system and is particularly helpful to the circulatory system, which benefits the lymphatic system.  When the body encounters harmful contaminants (think lawn chemicals, car exhaust, pesticides, etc.) in any form, it can stress the immune system.  This combination is a great immune booster, giving the body what it needs to eliminate the problem with few physical effects.

I'm so thankful that I have such an arsenal of resources in herbs, vitamins, homeopathics, essential oils and home remedies to assist with the complicated landscape our bodies have to deal with.  As with anything you put in your body, it's important to remember that everyone is different, with different circumstances and needs.  I hope to share many of the things that work for my family, but please be be wise and knowledgeable just the same in determining what is best for yours.  What works for one, may not work for another.  

Information on this site is provided for educational purposes only.  Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Applesauce From Scratch

Why make anything from scratch?  Doesn't it take too long?  Isn't the stuff you buy at the store good enough?  More than anything, the best reason to make anything from scratch is because its better for you.  Take applesauce for instance.  Unless you look for it carefully, most jars have extra sweeteners (sugar) added in.  Sweeteners, that in my experience, are totally unnecessary if you use the right combination of apples.  Usually, making your own is significantly cheaper as well.

Well, here is something that is so easy and doesn't take but a couple of hours for a batch and will taste so good you will turn your nose up at the store bought.

There are several websites discussing details about making your own applesauce and varying recipes, like Pick Your Own, Simply Recipes and Preserving Autumn but here's my take on it.

-Pick out 2 or 3 different types of apples.  The sweeter the apple, the sweeter the sauce.  Why you use tart (granny smith) apples and then sweeten it up with sugar is beyond me!  Varieties like Gala, Fuji, Red Delicious, McIntosh, or Cameo.  All of my combinations have resulted in an apple pie filling flavor. WAY better than the store stuff!

-Core and chop apples. If you're in a hurry and don't mind chunky applesauce, don't bother peeling them.  I never do.

-Put into a pot (like a large stock pot, depending on how many apples you have) with cinnamon and cook.  Bring to a boil and simmer.  Stirring occasionally until everything is mashable.

-Mash (or put through a food mill if you're fancy and thorough), mix and stir.

-Pour into jars.  Heat in a water bath.  Set aside for cooling and sealing.

The Balance in Cycling

I don't know how the rest of the world functions, but this girl goes through cycles (not just 'that' cycle). Cycles of precision, cycles of rejuvenation, cycles of not hanging up a single item of clothing for a week because I just don't feel like it.  And as much as I'd like to will myself to stop cycling, I haven't discovered the secret combination.  What I am learning is that at the end of said cycles, I usually come out with new observations and better perspectives.  Here's what I've learned this week:

-I naturally try to make every choice or decision into a moral right and wrong.  And that's not healthy.  Making someone or something 'wrong', when it is not necessarily so is something to be feared more.

-Just because something is a good thing to do doesn't not necessarily mean it's something good for me in this season of life.  There's an organization that I support and feel compelled to be an active member of.  And I've tried, but I found myself dreading it and resenting much to do with it.  Why? Because I knew that if I didn't participate I could spend some down time with my son or get a day off where I could be more productive at home.  I tried really hard to fit it in, but it finally hit me.  There are plenty of members of the organization to support it and only one wife and mom in my household.  That trumps everything right now.

-Stress, lack of sleep and lack of exercise has the power to ruin my life.  Good, solid habits and God's merciful strength is the only thing that keeps it from doing so.  Without the habits I've been working on lately (better eating, exercising daily, early meditation time, etc.), I would accomplish nothing and spiral downward.  When I do spiral downward, it's only by God's mercy that I start over again.

Giveaway at The Herb Garden

I am a believer in healthy living and making natural choices whenever possible.  Throughout my pregnancy, birth and now J's life, I've used herbs and still work really hard to provide my household with a healthy real-food diet as often as I can.

The Herb Garden is a nutritional counseling and consulting business owned by my parents that seeks to educate and guide others in natural health alternatives.  This week they are giving away a bottle of Vitamin D3 to a lucky follower on facebook!  For a chance to win, like The Herb Garden on facebook and leave them a comment - you can enter daily!