The Dentist And The Soccer Coach!

Picture Courtesy Of Dreamstime

What does a trip to the dentist and being a soccer coach have in common?  Aside from both of them being stressful, you also have to be patient.

Yesterday, I took my 12-year-old child to the dentist, no big deal right!  Well yeah no big deal however the waiting room was packed and emergencies were in and out before I was.  The appointment was scheduled for 9:30am and by the time I finally got outta  there it was 11am.  How come an appointment is only good for the dentist…? I mean it’s ok for him/her to go over the alloted time but if I’m 5 minutes late, the assistant is calling me asking if I’m on my way.  It was all hurry up and wait yesterday with no regard for the value I place on my time. 

The good news is because of our patience we were out of there unscathed and with little to no pain just some poking and prodding to make sure there were no cavities. My pocket-book however was not unscathed and is a little lighter.

So what does that have to do with coaching you say…well everything and nothing.  Soccer practice or in any competitive sport where you practice is all about being patient in order to get the desired end result, just like going to the dentist.  The pain in coaching though is the agony of dealing with kids that don’t listen and beat to the sound of their own drum as well as parent’s who love to live vicariously through their kids.  Coach’s who think that just because I’ m a woman coach that I couldn’t possibly know what on earth I’m talking about and because I have an opinion well I’m just a (fill in the blank).  It feels like a bad toothache to me.

How do I deal with this?   The same way I do when I sit in the dentist chair…I take a deep breath and know that the end result will be worth the pain and the stress it’s causing me today. It’s really hard sometime as it’s a constant battle to always try and do the right things. 

I often break things down into little steps so it doesn’t seem so overwhelming and as my child is sitting in the dentist chair looking up at the Disney poster on the ceiling, I can only reassure her that we’re almost done.

As for the coach’s that think I don’t know much, well what can I say except see you on the field!

One A Day Vitamins-Who Does These Studies!?

Bridging the nutritional gap

Every morning after I get my kids off to school I like to start my day off reading.  I often fire up my computer and whatever catches my eye on my local news home page is what I go for.

As I scrolled down the page today, an article titled “Should You Kick The Multivitamin Habit?” which was published by Prevention, caught my eye, you know, that one a day vitamin so many of us take.  I have taken a multivitamin for a long time knowing that I need to bridge the nutritional gap left open by my diet.  Actually, lets not split hairs here, I take a few things for different reasons.  Again, I know that you can not possibly get all the nutrients needed from your diet.

In this article it states that a “tsunami of scientific data has resulted in a reversal in thinking among many experts in the health and nutrition community, including Miriam Nelson, PhD, director of the John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition and Obesity at Tufts University.  The multivitamin as insurance policy is an old wives’ tale and we need to debunk it,” she says.

It states that there were two massive studies done.   The first study says that multivitamins did nothing to prevent cancer or heart disease in most populations and the second study which was done with 160,000 postmenopausal women for about 10 years, said that a multivitamin did nothing to prevent cancer, heart disease and all causes of death.  Whether the women were healthy eaters or ate very few fruits and vegetables, the results were the same.

No where in the article does it state which multivitamins were tested.  I wish they would tell us those minor bits of information so I know which brands to stay away from.  If you’re like me and have been taking a multi for many years then you also know that there’s a lot more to preventing disease and staying healthy than just taking a one a day vitamin.

I only started taking supplements in search of something to aid in my digestion.  I was very sick as a young person and was fed up with the not so great solutions given to me by my doctor.  Only after significant research did I decide to help myself.  The one a day vitamin I take has lipids and sterols in it which help keep you energized. These lipids and sterols help the cells receive nutrients and excrete waste. They were not however what helped in digestive issues.

In order to prevent disease, not only do you need a clean diet full of fruits and vegetables but you also need to stay away from as many processed foods as possible.

To the average person these studies can seem like the be all and end all. People will now stop taking their supplements because of what’s written and what’s not written.  In order to prevent disease look for a carotenoid product, this is an antioxidant which will help you prevent disease, and a great fish oil product can help in the fight against heart disease.    Believe me there are plenty of great products out there all you have to do is find them.  Honestly, if a product your taking doesn’t make you feel better or you notice your still getting colds and flu then it’s not doing what it’s supposed to.

Before you think your flushing your money down the proverbial toilet, do your research.  Remember, our food is so stripped of nutrients now that its very hard to get everything from our diets. Fruits and vegetable are picked before its time, transported and warehoused till their ripe and almost ready to be eaten.  White bread can last on the shelves for weeks and pasta and cereals have no expiry date.  Something that dead can’t have any nutrients in it.

Is it time to ditch your one a day multivitamin…I think not! Just take what’s written and analyze it with the things you know to be true.  Keep looking for products that will make a difference in your life.

If you’d like to read this article here’s the link: http://lifestyle.ca.msn.com/health-fitness/health/rodale-article.aspx?cp-documentid=25876789

KFC Double Down, Double Trouble

Already in the U.S the Double Down is about to make its debut here in Canada.  A bunless creation that packs a whallopping 540 calories, 30 grams of fat and wait for it….1740 milligrams of sodium!  The average daily allowance of sodium is 1500 milligrams. 

Just thinking about this has me doubled down in gut pain and I haven’t even had a bite yet.

So, I have to admit and I’m saying it loud for everyone to hear…”I  love fast food”

However, the difference is I can count on one hand using my fingers not my thumb, how many times a month I eat it.

I wonder if the folks over at KFC sat down when they concocted this wonder of deep-fried fat and sodium and thought that they were doing us all a favor by not including the bun.  How thoughtful of them! 

In a world of obese kids and adult diseases now affecting our children combined with our lust for a sedentary lifestyle, where fast food chains are looking toward a lighter menu we are now welcoming this new delight….sigh!

The world health organization tells us that cardiovascular diseases accounted for nearly 1/3rd of all deaths. Heart disease is the #1 killer of both men and women alike impacting about 17 million people.

The #1 contributor to this problem is poor diet….

Of all the chronic diseases Diabetes is growing the fastest and going to be the biggest problem. In fact, today Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions…

171 million people already have the disease….and perhaps twice as many more have a condition doctors and scientists are calling “pre-diabetes”.

These numbers are expected to double by 2030….340 million people with fully diagnosed Diabetes…and perhaps twice as many with pre-Diabetes…that’s 1 billion people somehow caught up in the Diabetes epidemic!

Upsizing your meal means more calories, more fat, more sodium, more sugar and shortly thereafter the crash and burn effects of that meal.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that we ban fast food all together, we all need a treat but we have to be mindful of the long-term effects this can have on our bodies if we continue to eat this on a regular basis.  There are healthier options out there, you just have to find them.

Chocolate Milk, Fitness and Protein

Fitness, Recovery and Protein

Today I thought I would touch on fitness and protein being the catalyst for recovery.  I’ve been a soccer coach for years and the commercials on TV about chocolate milk being  great for recovery drive me batty.

Do you know how much sugar is in Chocolate Milk?  25g per cup of chocolate milk. So, not sure how you may feel but this is not a choice for my child in between games.

The need for protein and by protein I’m talking the kind of protein that won’t clog your arteries is great.  Protein is the key to so many things going on in the body.  For instance, did you know that your bones are primarily of protein?  You need an optimal daily supply for renewal and repair for you to perform at your very best.

Protein accounts for about three-fourths of the dry matter in human tissues other than fat and bone.  It’s the primary component of every energy-producing reaction in your body, it supports your body’s engine, keeping you fueled all day long.

It’s the source of your body’s primary building blocks for renew and repair.  An optimal supply keeps your body strong and youthful.

When we think of protein we really should be thinking of the 22 amino acids involved in human nutrition and while nine of these are essential for adults, (essential meaning they cannot be made in the body) children require a tenth, arginine.  To understand this a little further, think of the 26 letters in the English alphabet and how many words are made with those letters.  Well that’s how the 22 amino acids work.  Those 22 amino acids make all the strings needed to give you beautiful skin, hair, organs…you name it these amino acids have a part in the making.

When we consume protein foods, they are digested or broken down into amino acids and from there the wonderful human body knows exactly what to do with it.  Amino acids are absorbed through the intestinal wall, taken directly into the bloodstream and transported to where it’s needed.

If that’s not fantastic enough, the body now knows how to prioritize.  But let’s say that we’re not eating the right kind of protein and therefore the amino acids needed to perform a certain task are not available what then?  Well, that task will not be completed and a protein deficiency occurs.   Over time, if insufficient essential amino acids are not present the body will not be able to perform at peak efficiency.

If you have kids, the type of protein you feed them is so important.  Think about what they eat the first thing in the morning before they head out to school.  Cereal with milk and juice, or worse.  Well that cereal is dead food and juice has natural sugar and added.  Makes no wonder they are hungry by the time they reach school.  But hey, that’s another page on this blog.

Back to the fitness part of this!  So knowing what we now know, wouldn’t you say that there’s more to protein than meets the eye!

Eating protein is crucial to recovery from fitness and drinking a great protein shake after fitness is the easiest and best way to go.  But wait….your squinting and pulling a face that has yuk written all over it.  What you say, you’ve had those chalky shakes and you hate them.  It takes everything in you to chug that down, holding your nose and hoping you don’t gag or choke.

You’re right!  Yes, you read it right….!  Well your kinda right.  You see most of what’s on the market is that way, it’s simply disgusting.  Also, the choices are many and knowledge is key here.  Products with loaded protein are not always the best as the body can only absorb 26 grams at one time so anything over and above that is a waste of money.

Look and see if it has a glycemic edge.  The glycemic edge means that the protein is broken down slowly in the body where you will feel satisfied longer.  Also, look for those 22 amino acids and PDCAAS which is a score that is given to protein.  A product with a rating of 1 and over is very good.

With a great protein, you and your fitness regime will excel.  Your recovery will be shorter and if you can get something like this into your kids first thing in the morning you’ll watch their grades improve.  I know your saying yeah right but the truth is if their not thinking about their empty tummies they can concentrate on their work.

If you’d like more information on protein or on a protein shake that I recommend, drop me a line.  I’ve got some great success stories to share with you.

Gone Fishing!

Eating properly is something we all, I hope, try to take seriously.  If your like me, just flat out busy, dinner is often the last thing on the list of things to do.  Quick and easy come to mind and as long as I don’t have to shove it in the microwave because quite honestly that’s disgusting, then life is good.

We try to eat fish at least once a week and Salmon is usually our fish of choice although we tend to enjoy all kinds.  But lets be honest!  The media has given us lots of reasons to stay away from the Chicken Of The Sea stating that there are increased levels of mercury as well as other toxins that you shouldn’t eat and could possibly make you glow.  Ok, I’m exaggerating…just a little.

If you’re worried about consuming high amounts of chemicals in our food but would still like to get the recommended amounts of omega’s in your diet then supplementation is your best bet to bridging the nutritional gap.  I never, ever suggest that you should use supplements in place of.  You should be eating a balanced diet according to the food pyramid but when things fall short supplements are your key to your dietary success.

So now what?  What is it your looking for? A sea of supplements gaze at you from the store shelves!  Get it…sea…fish…ok, ok not my finest hour and I should stick to my day job.

Well, the reality is, people buy based on price.  That’s a scary thought especially when something is on sale and your expected to think that your getting maximum benefit for little or no cost.

Do your homework before you venture out and buy the first thing that bites you on the      a$%!  Ask questions like, where does the oil come from.  Is it the meat of the fish including the organs.  If it does include the organs, politely say no thanks!  Remember the organs are where the body stores toxins and my guess is that’s not what your looking for.

Are they farm raised or from the North Atlantic where the water is cold and salmon are free to swim. la, la, la, la…..you get the picture.

My guess is if someone can’t answer those questions for you you may choose to shop elsewhere.

The benefits of eating fish are many and not just for you but for your children as well.     Want more information on where to purchase a great product or want to know what health benefits come from eating fish….well go on then don’t be shy,  drop me line.

I’m all about sharing so no request is too big or small.  Quite frankly, when it comes to one’s health being equipped with information means you can make the right choices.

How To Create A Custom Signature

I located a great little video by a fellow colleague, on how to create a signature for your blog or website using www.mylivesignature.com

I’m including the video to help you out.

Sales Page Creation

I’m often asked what company I use to create my sales pages.  There are many companies out there offering similar things but it all boils down to the simplicity of it for me.

I’m not a newbie and I’m not that old either.  I like to write and create without needing a University degree to do it all.  I’ve amazed myself at how much “stuff” I’ve learned over the past few years and am able to now help people take the path travelled as opposed the the path I took. 

So when it comes to creating sales pages and your new to the game without a lot of money to invest, well here’s an investment everyone can make….FREE!  I use Blinkweb.  It’s fast, easy and within minutes you can have a sales page up and running. 

Blinkweb also gives you a fair share of different layouts and fonts to use and it uses a drag and drop system that is really easy to manoever around.  In one of my later posts I’ll post a video on how to use it but for now check it out.

http://business.blinkweb.com/?aff_58fc5e16089ce0a8c7f6

Good luck and drop me a line and let me know how you get on with this.

Time With Friends

You know there’s a lot to be said about “all work and no play”.  Spending time with friends and catching up or just having a good laugh does wonders to rejuvenate the soul.

Yesterday, we went to a friends who had graciously opened up her home to our soccer team for pot luck lunch and a swim for the girls.  We barbecued, drank whatever was in the cooler and the weirdest thing happened…we never spoke about soccer at all.  Remember I told you it was a pool party for the team.

Instead, we laughed about people we knew, people present at the party, ourselves, things we had done in the past or not so distant.  We all just enjoyed the time we had with each other.

What better way to enjoy life than to live, laugh, love the time we have with each other. 

We can get so wrapped up in our businesses that we forget what is most important to us, our friends and family! 

Life can be short so take time to do the important things with the people we love.

There’s A New Sheriff In Town

The old methods of network marketing have given way to a new breed of network marketers who would much rather build their business online than use some of the archaic methods taught. Don’t get me wrong, if these methods have worked for you that’s great but sadly for most of us it hasn’t.

If you’ve been in Network Marketing or just getting started then you’ve more than likely been asked to write up your list of 100 names, include everyone you know from your hairdresser to the guy who sells you dog food. Don’t forget your friends and family as well as the person standing next to you at the grocery store looking at the apples.

If that doesn’t work for you then your just not “working the system” hard enough. Remember a “no” is not really a no by no stretch of the imagination it’s really a “know”, they want to know more!

They don’t really know that they have a need for your product or opportunity and it’s up to us to convince them that they do. And if your standing in the grocery line, you have all but 3 minutes to do your sales pitch before they pay up and run for their car and leave screeching out of the parking lot to get as far away from you as possible.

Does any of this sound familiar to you? This is what I was taught and if you, like me, have been in this industry for awhile and have yet to crack the system your not alone.

Your sponsor will have you believe that this really works and you’ve invested time and perhaps lots of money to realize that it doesn’t.

The 3, 30 or 300 foot rule doesn’t work for most of us and the feeling that you have to recruit every time you walk out your front door is frustrating.

Trust me, I’ve been to countless trainings, conventions and have taught from the front of the room on these things, all the time knowing that I was lying to myself and others.

I truly believe that Network Marketing is every mans/woman’s way of getting ahead. However, I also believe that anyone can become successful in this industry without these so called methods of accosting people at every twist and turn.

Times have changed and no longer can we “sell” an item or a business opportunity to an individual on emotion. People buy for their own reason and besides, buyers are much more savvy these days and in order to build a solid business we have to first build a relationship.

I’ve even paid for an online network marketing lead, someone I thought would be pre-qualified and all I would have to do is have them sign on the dotted line. This of course was not true and most of these people just filled out the “fill out your info here” for some other free information they got in return. Waste of money and time on the phone.

Online Network Marketing Lead(s) – How to attract them.

Over the last little while I’ve learned how to bring people into my business and feel great about it. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved and I’d like to share some of those methods with you.

People will be attracted to you based on the relationship you have with them off and online. People are attracted to you based on how you write and what you write about.

You can generate an online network marketing lead based on a need that your prospect has and you can fill. For instance, if you are having trouble building your business because you don’t have enough people why not try PPC (pay per click), or a blog similar to this one. 

Attraction marketing is a simple concept. You naturally attract people based on what you’ve written which forms the start of a relationship. You give value to someone’s business by the information you provide them and they learn how to build their business the same way.

It’s an exciting time for us Home Based Business Folk! People who are sick and tired of building their businesses the old fashioned way.

The neat thing about this is that you no longer have to be an internet guru to put content on the world wide web. There are tons of free methods for you to provide valuable content to your potential customers.

If your wondering if you can duplicate this method with your down line, well the answer is yes and I can provide you with the How part of the equation. This system is for every Network Marketer, whether your a newbie or oldie, doesn’t matter.

If your not getting the results you desire, it’s time to ask for some information on how to truly move your business forward.