Life Updates & Goli Nutrition - Use My Code! 42% or 57% Discount!

 Hey Gal Pals! It's definitely been awhile since I last wrote. It turns out that my job, which was previously a part-time, 27 hrs. per week job, turned into a 35 hours per week gig. It has been great and many benefits have come from it. But I have missed contributing to my blog and wish that I could get more motivation to do just a little bit each week. I think that some of that is just my idea that I have to have everything planned and prepared just so, edited, photos done just right, etc. etc. I'm happy to say that I am still on Instagram fairly regularly!  I'd love for you to stop by there to see what I've been up to! 

I've been enjoying the summer break and playing a lot of catch-up with different areas of my life. We've been doing some hiking, and I've joined a gym called 'HotWorx', which is a quick way to get in a work-out. It combines the actual workout with a sauna temperature (between 120 and 125 degrees) so you can sweat out impurities, along with infrared light--said to have great effects with detoxification, pain relief, circulation, etc. So far I've liked it but I'll give it a year to see what I think of it overall.

I think if I want to continue in this blog realm, which I really do, I need to let go of attempting to control things, even the slightest bit. If I am even more authentic, (less staging, more vulnerability) there will not be the need to manipulate so much of what goes up on the blog. I think that actually it could become a little bit more relate-able because so many of us are dealing with life and trying to cope with ever-changing circumstances.

We still, however, need to keep our health up. That is one thing I am passionate about. Whatever happens, if we lose our health, it will become 10 times harder to cope. Thankfully, I'm still keeping up with that to the best of my ability, to the point that I can happily say I haven't been even a little bit sick in the past 5+ years. And honestly, maybe it's just the luck of the draw. But if it isn't, I'm happy to share whatever it is that I'm doing with you so you can decide whether or not you'd like to incorporate some of my methods into your own life! 

I also wanted to mention that I'm still using Goli Supplements (you know, the ones that Jennifer Lopez has been promoting) and really liking them. I am on the subscription plan where I receive a bottle of my favorite supplement each month. I can change it from month to month. I love the taste of all of them. Currently, I'm loving the Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies. All the effects of ACV with the very pleasant taste of a gummie! 

 

I need to mention that this weekend (4th of July Weekend) that if you use my code "agalneeds" you will get a great 42% discount. You can actually try a 3-pack of any combination for just $33.06 with that code - agalneeds. And as always, shipping is free. If you opt to get on a subscription plan (no obligation, cancel anytime) you will get an amazing 57% discount on your first order! 

I hope you are having a great summer and enjoying time with your friends and family! Until next time!

EZ Yogurt Maker + Chocolate Probiotic Shake #Recipe

We have heard lots about probiotics on the forefront of health news. They were first introduced as something good all the way back in 1907, when Elie Metchnikoff  published a study showing that drinking fermented milk could increase longevity! Probiotics have been found to soothe symptoms of IBS, encourage a balanced mood, keep your brain healthy, prevent diabetes or metabolic syndrome, contribute to healthy skin, temper allergic responses, and protect your heart, to name just a few benefits!

Given the importance of probiotics, it would seem that we would want to have them around and readily available for consumption. As a matter of fact, most people do....somewhat. Yogurt is the most popular food source in America containing probiotics. However, many brands of yogurt have been manipulated so that there are less probiotics and much more added sugar! 

Another popular way to get probiotics is through supplementation through tablets, capsules, and pills. I did just that for quite awhile. And while this can be a great way to get probiotics, it is expensive and sometimes you can fall by the wayside if you don't continually stock up and remember to take them. 

Recently I found the easiest way to have fresh probiotics at the ready! I make them myself! It's so easy with the EZ Yogurt Maker! All I need is a gallon of milk (you can choose 1%, 2%, whole, almond or coconut milk), the EZ Yogurt Maker warming sleeve, and a packet of the starter.

Basically the EZ Yogurt Maker is a sleeve that heats up to the perfect temperature to make yogurt, keifer, or a probiotic drink. I like to start the process right before bedtime and by the time I wake up in the morning, I've got keifer. If I want to leave it a little longer, I've got yogurt! 

I love how well it fits into my already established morning routine of a protein smoothie. It gives the added nutrition of billions of probiotics, with 11 different strains. You can't get it any fresher than this!

I'm sharing my recipe for 'Chocolate Morning Probiotic Smoothie.' I love it and so will you!

Chocolate Probiotic Smoothie

1 cup of probiotic drink, unflavored( I used 2% milk to make the probiotic drink)
1 cup of spinach or other greens
1 scoop of chocolate powdered protein
2 tsp. of unsweetened cocoa
1 scoop of chocolate Meal Replacement powder or similar chocolate powder (Your choice)
Cover with ice
Blend for 1 minute or until blended

Things I've noticed: 

• Easier to keep off weight - normally it's hard to keep off the weight, especially when I have an unexpected eating opportunity. But since I've been drinking my probiotic smoothies, it seems like the scale is more forgiving of those times. 
• More energy - I have a couple extra hours of energy added to my day, which is huge! More time to get things done! 
• Better rest - I rest more intensely, and wake up on my own, ready to get going! It's great!

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Best Reason To Work Out Ever + #MyPostMonday The Week's Best Original Content

People spend hours at the gym working to sculpt their bodies into the most esthetically pleasing form they can possibly create. Or they continue to improve their health so they can do the things they enjoy outside the gym. Maybe they are trying to lose lots of weight so they can have a more healthy life, or live longer to enjoy their family and friends. All good reasons to get into shape!

But the best reason I've seen in maybe ever is the story of an 81 year old man who, for the love of his wife, started hiking regularly up a steady uphill trail of a mile and a half. He did it because he wanted to be the one to take care of her. When she was just 60 she was diagnosed with Parkinson's.

 4 years ago, when he turned 78, he hiked up the trail 39 times. But the next year, at age 79, he matched his age and hiked up the trail 79 times. Last year he did it 83 times at age 80 and this year he was on pace to match his age or better, but there was an early trail closing so he had to settle for 68 climbs. But whatever, he now feels like he is years younger, has lost 60 lbs, and his blood pressure has dropped 20 points, from 160 to 120! 

But back to his wife and the reason he is doing it. They were high school sweethearts 65 years ago and have been married for 58 years. For a long time she kept doing the things she normally did, until a few years back when she took a turn for the worse.

He knew that he wanted to take care of her, but in order to do that, he would have to be fit himself. And with a tip from his son about that hike on the Timpanogos Cave National Monument trail, which is close to his home, that's what he decided to do. 

I think of what reasoning came first to this man before he ever thought of the health benefits he would receive for himself. He is a very rare and wonderful person indeed. 

But I think that is what most people who do things altruistically find. They find that a stream of unplanned benefits happen as a result of first thinking of others and helping them. But it takes development and the forming of habit to think of others first. I suggest developing it earlier rather than later, because "one morning you'll wake up with more life behind you than in front of you, not being able to understand how it happened!" (Fredrick Backman) And old habits (or non-habits) die hard!

Today is "My Post Monday!", a curation of the week's best original content. It's all about posts from Crafts to Camping, Wellness to Wealth, Fashion to Food, and whatever else is on the brain!  I  open up with a post of my own and then follow it up with a linky of the week's top original blog posts! It's all about what the writer thinks, believes, and knows--in other words, they are active, writing blogs. If I happen to find a great original, non-sponsored post, I'll link it up and share it with you here and on Twitter via the #MyPostMonday hashtag!  I can miss some amazing posts, but I don't want to!  So, in addition, if you'd like to link up yourself, you can do that too!  I'll visit your site, comment, promote and publicize! (Affiliate links welcome!)   

Things That May Wreck Your Health + #MyPostMonday The Week's Best Original Content

I'm as interested in my health as anyone! I know what it feels like to not have your health and I much prefer having it as long as I possibly can. So I really try and do the things that will help me keep it. For instance, I exercise regularly, I take supplements that have high absorption levels. I get enough rest, avoid stress when possible, drink filtered water but not bottled water, and try and get social interaction on a regular basis, which takes a bit of work, since I'm an admitted reclusive extrovert!

But it seems that if one is too dialed into health newsletters, health mags, and health sites, you can be inundated with credible and non-credible information all posted together and it can drive you crazy trying to figure it all out. If you tend to be OCD, it will definitely drive you to new levels of obsessive behavior.

For instance, DON'T, under any circumstances, shower with your eyes or mouth open because of contaminants in the water. Anything from farm waste, toxic algae, to drug resistant bacteria can come out of your showerhead, so please be warned!

Don't forget the mold monster hiding behind the walls in your house, under your flooring, and in your shower. If you breathe in too much of his toxic vapor, you will succumb and be infected with diseases like parkinson's, and symptoms that can mimic cancer! Where is it found? Basically, everywhere. To test for it's existence, pay anywhere from $305 to $1167 on average!

And before you buy regular table salt from the store, please consider the following: It contains fragments of plastic. Yes, toxic plastic! From what source? Plastic water bottles, of course!  (source)

Love to eat sushi? I do! (At least I did....) Don't be too eager to go out to sushi because eating raw fish of any kind may put you at risk of getting parasites! Mainly in the form of tiny worms, these little critters can cause you to get bad cramps, and a combination of distress in your intestinal tract. So think before you indulge! (source)

And let's not forget about rice. Rice is said to have multiple chemical residuals, after harvesting, from harmful pesticides. Rice is causing Arsenic poisoning and wrecking the health of millions of people. But the good news is you can soak your rice overnight before cooking it. That will take out almost 80% of the arsenic.

Ok, I'm going to stop right now before I get myself into a self-induced, paranoid, stress attack. I can really understand how people can become agoraphobic! 

You know the thing that wrecks your health more than anything? Worrying about the latest thing that could wreck your health! My own peace of mind and stress levels dictate that I continue my reasonably good health practices and not worry too much about what experts say may be lurking out there trying to wreck my health. Except, maybe I WILL rinse my rice, avoid raw fish in the sushi, buy different table salt, test for mold, and keep my mouth shut when I shower!  

All The Nuts - Health Benefits of Almonds, Pecans, Walnuts, Etc.

 I grew up in the San Joaquin Valley, home of Diamond Walnuts. As a matter of fact, nuts of all kinds grew there, in addition to any fruit or vegetable you can imagine. It was a wonderful place to grow up. We used to work in the walnut orchards owned by Diamond, as a volunteer project for our church youth program. The trees went on endlessly, as far as the eye could see. Who would have thought that 30 years later, the very existence of the almond and walnut orchards would be on the verge of collapse?

I've been so sad to hear about the conditions recently in northern California and the affect they have had on the nut crops, especially almonds. First it was the extreme drought conditions in 2014 that brought on the necessity for almond farmers to destroy thousands and thousands of acres of almond trees. Now in 2017, it's the opposite. Record rainfall is killing or has already killed the state's almonds. A record 27 inches of rain fell this last winter, the most ever recorded! And it's ironic that water is responsible for killing the trees, because almonds consume huge amounts of water and have even been accused of depriving other resources of adequate water! 

Being as it may, the health benefits of eating those water-greedy nuts is huge! I would urge anyone not to make their dietary plans so constrictive that they can't fit in a handful of some kind of nut into their daily food plan! By the way, peanuts are not nuts. They are legumes. Consider the benefits of eating a handful of nuts!

1) Great source of healthy fat! Of course we know that some fats shouldn't be consumed and other fats should be consumed in moderate amounts. Nut fats are helpful for weight loss, heart health and for brain health!

2) 20% less likely to die for any reason! That is huge! Studies found that a person who ate a small handful of nuts 7 times a week or more, were less likely to kick the bucket!

3) People who eat nuts have better cardiovascular health, lower risk for diabetes, lower mortality rate which then raises your longevity!

Sometimes you want something a little more exciting than just a handful of nuts. There are a lot of ways to dress up those nutritionally-loaded nuggets. 

Maple Cinnamon Pecans
2 cups raw pecans
1/3 cup maple syrup (or to taste)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2  Tbsp. cinnamon
Cinnamon Sugar for sprinkling

Combine pecans, maple syrup, salt, and cinnamon. Heat over medium heat in a skillet for 6 - 8 minutes until thickened. Spread onto wax paper to cool. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, if desired, and store in an airtight container.

Rosemary Garlic Almonds
2 cups raw almonds
1 Tbsp Coconut oil
2 tbsp. fresh chopped rosemary
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Combine all ingredients and cook in a medium sauce pan, stirring regularly until toasted and fragrant. Spread and cool on wax paper. Store in airtight container. 

Either recipe is gluten free, vegan, and paleo! I'm such a fan of all the nuts and this is one obsession that I don't feel a shred of guilt for! So enjoy some nuts, and here's to your health!

sources: Grub Street 
Mercola.com
AgAlert 
CenterCut Cook 

5 Easy Tricks To Lose 10 Pounds Before The End Of Summer

It feels like summer is half over, even though it just started! Some of us are looking at school right between the eyes! If you didn't quite make your weight loss goals yet, add these 5 tricks to help you achieve that 10 lb. weight loss goal before summer's end! I'm right there with you! I'm doing it too!

This site uses both affiliate and non-affiliate links for reference purposes! Thank you for visiting!

1. Remember that slow and steady helps to win the race.
When you lose too quickly the body is tricked into thinking there is a crisis and will go into crisis mode until you start eating "normally", or at least how the body perceives is normal for you. The body will strive hard to get you back to that "normal" weight. Basically that is why it is so dang hard to keep the weight off once you get to your target weight. 

An Array Of Naturally-Based Pain Relief Products

Have you ever had bursitis? You'd know it if you did! It's a muscle injury that is very painful and if it's bad, you won't be able to sleep without medication because any position you take is painful. The best way to treat it is with an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen and cold packs. The first time I got it I didn't know what it was and I did all the wrong things. It was in my arm. I put heat on it, I took aspirin, and I kept using the arm hoping that it would just go away. It didn't. It got worse and worse. I just got another bout of it recently and fortunately, now I know what to do. Out comes the ibuprofen and the cold packs!
This site uses affiliate and non-affiliate links for reference purposes. Products or monetary compensation may be accepted in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are in no way influenced by sponsor affiliation. Thanks for your support!
I was so fortunate to have been introduced to Zim's Max Freeze Products. They are absolutely the best to relieve pain in muscles and joints! So, my pain is in my right upper arm, where the joints are. It is a dull ache that I know could get much worse if I let it. I applied the Max Freeze Roll-On, a greasless, vanishing scent formula, with organic ilex, aloe, arnica and tea tree oil. It felt wonderful. I waited until it absorbed and then topped it off with one of the Max Freeze Patches in medium. I peeled off the backing, and put the moist adhesive cloth soaked in lidocaine and menthol on my arm. It was so soothing and helped my pain immensely! I know to keep my arm still and not to over-exert it for awhile. This time my bursitis will not be so bad and certainly not as painful, thanks to Zim's Freeze Products!

Two other amazing products in my treasure chest of Pain Relief Products are the Max Arnica and the Max Aloe.
Arnica is a known pain reliever and Max Arnica comes in a convenient roll-on or gel! It's great for muscle aches and sprains when your work out pain needs some help. Whatever your normal routine is for minor aches and strains, adding Max Arnica is a wonderful adjunct to the healing process!

Aloe Vera has been highly praised as a soothing remedy for burns and cuts for years. Max Aloe contains Acemannan gel, which is hospital grade aloe vera. It is amaaazing! It feels so good and cool! And especially when you have a painful burn or cut, that you don't want harsh chemicals on. My dad used to love to put hydrogen peroxide on anything and that stuff hurts so much. Aloe Vera Gel is so much better and Max Aloe is the best of the best--right now buy one and get one free!! You can also join their e-mail list to get 15% off your next order! 

Zim's started over 60 years ago because of a need. In Austintown, OH, local cement workers came to the local pharmacy complaining about their dry, cracked hands and feet. The cement was very drying and there was nothing around that helped soothe the discomfort. The pharmacist saw the need and started working on an all-natural, herbal based lotion and when it was finished, named it Cement Workers Lotion. However, it was so effective that it took off and soon developed a loyal local following. After many years, it was renamed Zim's Crack Cream and sold on a national level. As a matter of fact, Zim's Crack Cream can be found in nearly every major retailer in North America, along with their full line of healing, naturally-based products that work!
Follow them on Social Media! Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest Also, stay tuned for an awesome giveaway coming up soon!!!
Question: When you are injured or sore, do you reach for pills, natural remedies or both? Why or why not?