Importance of Sleep

Is this you?

Two nights ago I decided I was going to follow feng shui advice and close my bathroom door while I sleep. It's supposed to keep the bad energy of the bathroom out of my sleeping quarters. I follow my normal routine of getting a glass of water, taking my daily probiotics and moisturizing and then I get comfy in my bed. And I sleep. As normal I wake up once during the night and you guessed it, I headed for the bathroom. Only this time, I'm half asleep and my nose collides with the very sturdy wooden door. "Ouch!" I open the door and do my business, but now my nose is throbbing and I'm wondering why I did such a dumb thing like close my bathroom door. I get back into bed and wonder if my nose is bleeding. Needless to say, after an event like that I didn't get the quality of sleep I should have. So what! Right?

It is a big deal, though.  Or is it? The next day I was not up to my normal anything. This situation made me take some time to research the importance of quality sleep.

Quality sleep lasts from 6-10 hours.

Ever have a big decision to make and say, "I'll sleep on it"? If so, it's probably one of the smartest decisions you've ever made. Good sleep promotes good mental health.  It improves memory because during sleep the brain is forming new pathways. It's also the reason you can wake up with a great idea. Sleep can actually improve your creativity. Need help solving a problem? How about getting six to eight hours of sleep. Deficiency of sleep has been linked to depression and even suicide. Yikes!

Quality sleep also plays a big role in physical health. During sleep our body is taking time to repair and eliminate wastes. Which is probably why I get up once a night to use the restroom. During sleep your body is balancing hormones, building up your immune system and repairing your heart and blood vessels.We all know that stress is harmful to our body, but good sleep has been proven to reduce stress. Increased inflammation is also associated with less than six hours of sleep.  If that's not reasons for getting your zzzz's, then you must be Superman!

One of the most amazing things I discovered in my sleep research is that dieters who got more sleep lost more fat. And 56% more fat than their counterparts with less sleep. Basically those dieters lost more muscle.

I haven't always been a good sleeper. In fact I used to go to bed at 9:00 to get a good night's sleep. But not anymore. I go to bed later, but sleep better. Maybe it's because I lost some weight, but more than likely it's the healthy supplements and food I've been putting into my body. Several months ago I started drinking Plexus Slim and didn't need to drink coffee anymore. I started taking ProBio5 and I sleep like I've never slept before; deep and satisfying. What have I learned from all this? I'm going to keep up with my Plexus products and keep my bathroom door open. My health is more important than feng shui any day!

Facing the New Year with New Tools

Most people wouldn't look at a hammer and expect it to drive in a nail for them. I know you wouldn't; you'd pick it up and swing it. You'd put some effort into it. So why do so many people think there's a magic pill out there that will remove their fat and make them healthy? Many people believe Jack has the magic beans and if they could only find them ... You can fill in the rest.

Tools are meant to be used. Effort has to be exerted. If you want to get healthy, there are tools out there to help, but you have to do your part. If you use a tool that gives you more energy, will you use it to get up and moving around and exercise? If you use a tool to clean up your intestines will you drink plenty of water to flush out toxins? If you use a tool to help your body absorb more nutrients will you provide your body with better food? If you use a tool to suppress your appetite will you eat only when you are hungry?

The tools are easily available online and can be shipped right to your door. There's a 60 day money back guarantee. But will you use the tools to make a difference in your health? If so, comment below or message me. I want you to have a healthy 2016!

Not Just a Pretty Drink

My morning Plexus Slim

There are two types of people in the world, those who just believe what they're told and those who want to know why. I'm in the latter group. I've tried Plexus Slim. Heck, I've been drinking one a day for 8 months. By the way, it's super yummy! I've even had good results; lowered my cholesterol levels, lost inches and weight, more energy and more. But I've only taken a cursory look at why. There's the old saying, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth." That's just not me. So I'm going to look at the ingredients in Plexus Slim and see if I can figure out WHY it works.

Green Coffee Bean

Chlorogenic Acid
Chlorogenic Acid is extracted from green coffee beans. What are green coffee beans? Well, green coffee beans are not the kind you put in your grinder. These are straight from the plant and not roasted. It seems roasting coffee beans eliminates a good chunk of chlorogenic acid. As I looked at the research with this acid several benefits appear. First is lowering the absorption of carbohydrates in the digestive tract. This in turn prevents a body's blood sugar from spiking and reduces the amount of insulin produced; sort of like eating a low carb diet. Other studies suggest that chlorogenic acid can reduce body weight by reducing the fat absorbed from food and reduce fat stored in the liver. It also helps improve the function of the fat burning hormone adiponectin. Chlorogenic acid studies have also shown lower cholesterol levels and triglyceride levels.

This is a scary thought.

Chromium
I've seen small amounts of chromium added to my multivitamins. And it's because chromium helps take blood sugar and move it to the cells to be used as energy. So if you have high blood sugar, it takes the sugar and puts it to good use. But it's not just sugar that converts to energy. Chromium also helps turn fats and protein into energy your body can use. Chromium has also been known to slow down the loss of calcium. Remember from science class, calcium is important for maintaining strong, healthy bones.

The fruit not found with the other produce.

Garcinia Cambogia
Garcinia cambogia is a fruit that I can't find at my grocery store; dang it! This too, helps with glucose levels. Studies have shown that it can lower insulin levels. This fruit can also lower the bad cholesterol and help raise the good cholesterol levels. A scientist working with garcinia cambogia says it needs to be combined with either potassium or magnesium. Plexus Slim uses a compound with potassium. He also says to take it on an empty stomach and avoid mixing it with food for at least 30 minutes to get the full benefit. Also, once mixed with water it will break down quickly. So drink it up right after you mix it. I have no problem with this, because it tastes so good.

Alpha Lipoic Acid
Several studies have shown alph lipoic acid can lower blood sugar levels. It also kills free radicals. I'm all for killing those radicals, but what does that really mean? Well, it means pain from nerve damage gets better. Germany has been using alpha lipoic acid to help people with nerve damage.

If you aren't eating your beets, at least you can drink some Slim.

Beet extract
This is what gives Slim the pretty pink color. But there's more to beet extract than just color. Oh yes there is. Studies have shown it can reduce blood pressure by widening the blood vessels. That's from the nitrates in beets. In turn it also helps get the blood flowing easier to the brain. No more brain fog.

I'm not even sure I've researched every single thing in Plexus Slim, but what I have makes me glad I started on this journey to better health. The most important thing is that I feel better. That is huge. My doctor even told me to keep up with what I'm doing. I will admit that I'm now taking more Plexus products. Yes, Plexus has a whole array of health and wellness products. I'm taking probiotics and magnesium. But there's pain relief, vitamins, skin cream and more. What did you like about this information? Comment below and let me know. Thanks for reading.

Changing it up!

Change- it's a simple word that encompasses many meanings and emotions. I used to feel change was frightening; and occasionally I still do. Think about it for a minute. For change to happen, most of us have to alter what we are doing. So why do we do that? In my case, I'd had enough. And most of us have to get to that point before we decide to change.

I was in my late 40s, feeling like my health was vanishing. I couldn't stop the scale from moving up. I had to force myself to do anything. My mood was crappy; I had to go to the doctor all the time, but nothing seemed to get better. And I was plain old tired of it. I needed a change.

So I took a leap of faith. And I'm not joking here. I bought a health drink. What? Am I crazy? Maybe, but I needed a change. And I got it. After one day of drinking Plexus Slim, I felt the energy. I didn't have to force a smile. It was real. And before long, I was losing inches here and there. It was easier to work; it was easier to exercise. Change

A little bit later, I noticed I lost some weight. I was really just surprised that I wasn't gaining. I used to have a reddish tint to my skin that some people thought was a sunburn, now my skin is whiter. After 2 months and 6 days of drinking Plexus my cholesterol level plummeted 38 points! I was astonished. I wanted change and that's what I was getting.

A little over a month ago I started using some more Plexus products; ProBio5 and BioCleanse. These products work together to restore health to the digestive system. But the changes I've seen are much more than better digestion. I've noticed my psoriasis doesn't itch as much or look as bad as it did before. Change I have real deep sleep on these products. I wake up so refreshed now that I don't even have a morning cup of coffee.  Change. Allergy season was bad this year. Before I'd have been relying on some allergy medicine and sinus rinse to alleve my headache. This year I've had a few sneezes, but no headaches. My eyes don't tear up for no reason like they used to do and make me scramble for a tissue. Change

Change doesn't happen overnight, in most cases. But change can happen. It's for real! If you are interested in change, let me know. Comment below or send me a message. I'd be happy to talk to you.

Turn it Around...

#plexusworks #thisisforreal

I've had a rough ride. I don't joke about this. One day my doctor told me I needed to lower my cholesterol. I got tips and suggestions on how to do this. Basically, give up red meats and cheese. Eat more vegetables and fruit. I tried; I really did. But sometimes I ate pepperoni pizza. When I had a stressful moment at work, I'd have a sweet. I'm not perfect, you know? Did it do me any good? NO!

My triglycerides and total cholesterol were still too high. My doctor sent in a prescription for a low dose of pravastatin. I had no idea at the time, but my life would change forever. I got my prescription and began consuming it every morning with my blood pressure medicine. After 3 months had passed, I had to give some more blood for a new lipid evaluation. At that time my doctor decided to double my "low" dose pravastatin.

Once I was on the new dose, I started feeling weird. My doctor told me to take CoQ10. So now I had to take something else to fix the side effects of my cholesterol medicine. I know it sounds insane, but I bought it and hoped for the best. As I look back on this time, I wonder what I was thinking. But I had never researched statins. I work, I'm busy; and basically it never occurred to me.

About the time the statins started lowering my cholesterol to an acceptable level for my doctor, I started feeling bad. My skin was red. My face was red; it was so bad people thought I was sunburned when I wasn't. My stomach was red. I NEVER expose my stomach to the sun, but it was RED. My neck and arms were red. I didn't know what was going on. When I sat down, my lower abdomen, hips and thighs would burn. I didn't know what was going on and I was scared.

I was so freaked out by the redness I called the school nurse and took a Benadryl.

The sad part is that I was extremely weak and couldn't concentrate at all. I ended up quitting the 2 meds I was on; lisinopril and pravastatin. I changed high blood pressure medicine with no problems, but dropping pravastatin was a mess. I ended up on my mom's couch for a good while. Thank God for a sympathetic mom. I had no idea what was happening to me and I'm still not sure now. I couldn't hardly eat or walk. My muscles were weak; I could always see my thigh muscles when I flexed them, but I couldn't see them now. I lost weight; no doubt about that, but at a price, muscle mass. Doing anything was a chore. I'm so glad my mom was a trooper and didn't give up on me.

The best Mom a daughter could ask for.

I was scared to drive by myself, but she made me drive alone to the store. She convinced me I could do it. And guess what; I did. Eventually, I made my way back home and to work. It was scary and my legs were shaking, but I did it. I'm still so damn mad that doctor prescribed medicine  that turned me into a semi-invalid.

I started exercising to strengthen my muscles. It seemed like all of them had turned to mush. I got to the point where working wasn't a problem, but my cholesterol started creeping back up. First it was 211, then it was 244; when it hit 250 my doctor wouldn't take no for an answer. I refused the statins. So what did she do? Well, she looked up other medicines. In my head that meant more side effects that I don't know about and more problems. By this time I'd been exercising regularly in hopes of losing weight and lowering my lipid counts. And it didn't seem to work. I couldn't lower cholesterol or lose weight. I felt like I hit a wall.

I didn't want to take any stupid cholesterol medicine. In fact I didn't even pick it up when the insurance finally approved it. Instead I contacted a friend who had been posting about a product that naturally lowers lipid levels and helps lose weight in several ways. I was curious and what did I have to lose?  I looked at some testimonials. Some people lowered their lipids and blood pressure and lost weight. One day I looked at some results and decided to order this product myself.

It took a few days to get my Plexus Slim, but I'm glad it came. Online ordering was a breeze. As soon as it showed up, I mixed it with some water and had a surprisingly delicious drink. As the days went by I realized I was in a better mood and smiled easier. I had more energy, not just in the morning, but all day. I began sleeping better; even on my old, crappy mattress. (I'm happy to admit that  now I have a new mattress.) Things were looking up, but my next blood test still loomed ahead.

I felt better. I was exercising more, but what's the actual blood work going to say? What's the doctor's scale going to read? I'd been taking my Plexus regularly for 2 and a half months before my blood work. And the results shocked me. My cholesterol went down 38 points and I had lost 6 lbs. My doctor tried to attribute it to the new medicine until I said I didn't take it. It was all Plexus and the energy it gave me to exercise and the will power it gave me over crappy food. I'll be going in for more blood work next month and I'm expecting to see even better results. I'm so glad I was led to try this product. I'm a skeptic; I never just jump on board with the latest fad. Plexus changed me in many ways for the better and I'm going to stick with it. Want to join me? Let me know.


Update: When I  went back for more blood work I found out my cholesterol is now normal. Total cholesterol is now 195 and triglycerides are 111. My doctor told me to keep doing what I'm doing. And I will!

Coming to a school near you... Tips for Teachers & Parents

I don't know about your particular city, but August in Missouri means back to school is right around the corner. Today I'd like to share some of my ideas about how to make the beginning of school work for you. I don't know about you, but I'm expecting tired feet and a hoarse voice.

Tips for Teachers

1.  Set up your room early. You know exactly what I mean. The cleaning crew came through during the summer and put most things back where you like it, but there's always a few things to rearrange. I started one week early this year. I'm slowly weaning myself away from vacation time to set up my room. You may want to change up your posters or bring in some new photos. Getting this done before you have to be back will make your life easier when school actually starts.

2.  Check out your class rosters and emails. Sounds simple to take some time at home to glance at your classes and emails, but I'm sure there are teachers who wait until they are at school. During vacation I try to check my email at least once a week. I like to know what's happening. There are multiple reasons to check your class rosters; maybe you get a student you've heard stories about. Well, now's the time to talk to last year's teacher and get some insight and strategies. In my case, I noticed I had students in my 7th grade class that were 8th graders. Better to nip it in the bud, to quote Barney Fiff. 

3.  Prepare as much paperwork as you possibly can. I'm not joking here. Everyone has their own open house and first few days agenda. I use important websites, syllabus and a student survey. You don't want to be waiting on the copy machine the day before school starts. Get all those items updated and copied early. You will be patting yourself on the back later. 

4.  Refresh your memory about board policies. I know this probably sounds ridiculous to some of you, but your school board has voted on lots of situations. If nothing else, look up teacher expectations. This is a must for teachers at a new district; and it doesn't hurt veteran teachers, either. 

5.  The more stuff you have done early, the easier it will be. I don't know about you, but when all my co-workers come back, I want to spend some time finding out how they spent their summer. I want to feel caught up on my home away from home. Having done some important items early, gives me the freedom to chat and spend time with the people who support me in my job. 

Tips for Parents

1. School supplies are important. You went to your local store and purchased way more than you thought; I understand. But (insert child's name) will have a much smoother transition into the next grade with all the supplies. If you are looking to cut back, I might suggest clothes. I know your kid grows like a weed; they all do, but do you have to buy to expensive jeans, designer tops, etc? And since I'm talking about clothes here, please find out about your school's dress code before major purposes. This could prevent some problems later on and save some money.

2.  Don't bother bringing the big items to school on the first day. I know you bought everything on the list. But if you know it won't fit into your child's locker, don't send it. The teacher will inform the entire class when the item is needed. Remember we had to get a list out for everything we need students to have for the entire year. Waiting won't hurt. I promise!

3.  Please take the time to attend Open House. Honestly, teachers love to see you on a positive visit. It's also nice to have an idea about who you are if a phone call is needed later in the year. Tell us your expectations for your child's year. What it provides for us is knowledge. I can remember that Johnny's mom expects him to make at least a B in class. So I can have a chat with him if he scores a C. 

4.  Don't expect everything to be perfect. The first few days of school are CRAZY! Buses are slow; kids don't know where to go. It's not going to be easy. If you expectations are low, guess what; you can feel positive about what does go right. 

5. Set a positive note for your child. Any doubts you might have, please don't pass them on. Your child knows you are supporting them, let them know their teachers are also. You may have heard one teacher is mean or (insert any other nasty comment), but that teacher could become your child's favorite teacher. Give them a chance to form their own opinions. Many of my students told me they heard I was mean, but loved being in my class, anyway. Rumors are just rumors. 

School is a time to educate and I love education. I hope all of you have a wonderful beginning of school. #backtoschool  #tipsforteachers #tipsforparents

<script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script> <!-- valerie --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-5724157825830329" data-ad-slot="7693595696" data-ad-format="auto"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script>

Plexus journey

I sit here this morning waiting for my coffee to finish brewing. I don't really know what lesson I've learned yet. Today will be my twelfth day taking Plexus Slim or the pink drink, as I like to call it. I've only told one person, aside from my coach/seller, that I'm on this.

This is what I looked like a few days before starting Plexus Slim. The one person I told is taking the photo.

I guess this began about the time my doctor decided my cholesterol was too high at 250 and triglycerides at 166. In my defense the triglycerides went down from 234 while my total cholesterol went up.  Truthfully, I wasn't getting enough aerobic exercise and I was gaining weight. I'd been seeing posts about some nutritional drink that lowers blood sugar and helps burn off fat. 

You have to understand I'm not a dummy entirely. Magic potions aren't for real. This seemed to be a supplement providing things your body needs and you have to drink the recommended amount of water daily. Everyone should know that's half your bodyweight in ounces.  Twelve days ago that was 115 ounces for me. But I got off topic, my friend Malinda and I used to joke about the people who'd drink their lunch. Food is important for a body to function. 

Plexus just provided a nutritional drink and a strong water requirement. I started my first few days having more energy and sleeping better. I was excited to have more energy. I really moved more and noticed I'd go faster. I also noticed a few afternoons of heartburn. I hadn't had any of that in months. 

When I got up this morning I stepped on the scale. I was down 4 lbs. Will this continue? I don't know. I'm hoping to have my answer by the time this blog is published. I'll keep you informed. Hoping for good things, but sure I'm going to learn a lesson one way or another. Chow!

I'm now on day 16. I've had a couple setbacks. Mainly I got a cold. I woke up about 3 am on a Sunday morning and couldn't go back to sleep. I took a night time cold pill and woke up about 9 am. Sunday and Monday I felt poorly. I still kept up with my pink drink, though. Tuesday I went to work and was exhausted when I got home. I realized I wasn't really eating much. After a good supper I felt better and Wednesday I was less tired, but still had a cough. What does this mean? I don't know. I do know that I'm going to stick with it and my daily sit-ups, leg lifts, stretches and planking. It may be a little harder with my lungs full, but it will be twice as hard if I don't get back into it quickly. Bye for now.

Day 18- I can feel some results! My pants are fitting looser; I actually feel lighter. It may be more like moving seems easier. I love it! Technically, I'm down 5 lbs. I wouldn't actually admit it until I saw it several days in a row. I don't seem to feel the need to gorge myself with food. It's easier to stop eating. And I'm not really needing to count how much water I drink because I just do it. If this keeps up, I will be sold on Plexus.

Day 22- I stepped on the scale and realized I'm down 6 lbs. That's exciting. Later today I lifted some weights because I thought my arms seemed puny. I know, that's got to sound crazy, but unless you were on statins, you'd never know how I feel. When I was on pravastatin I noticed I had less leg muscles. I'm not joking here. All my life I'd been able to feel the muscle on my thigh when I flexed my leg. It got to to the point where I couldn't after pravastatin. I don't want to go there again, ever. I'm hoping my biceps are just slimming up. I do seem to have more definition, but lifting a few reps can't hurt. I'm looking forward to seeing more inches gone. Until next update...


Today marks day 24 and there's been some interesting developments. A shirt I couldn't wear a month or two ago I now wore to school. Before it was gaping in the bust area so much I thought the buttons would burst. I wore it all day today with no worries. That was a good feeling. Sleep is like drifting on a cloud. Since I've been on Plexus sleep is deep and restful with only one exception. I caught a cold; I'm a teacher and it happens. The first night of my cold I woke up with problems getting back to sleep. That's the one exception to sleeping in peace. I'm sure there's more to come.

It's day 41 today. It seems like my belly has slimmed down. My cravings are nothing now. I've eaten twice today with a few peanuts to tide me over. I try not to worry about my weight loss, but I've maintained my loss of 5 lbs. Sleeping is great. Usually I wake up once a night and fall back asleep easily. Water is now a habit. I've started drinking my Plexus before coffee. I really don't need the coffee, but it's become a routine before Plexus. I don't really care one way or the other if I drink it. I never add sugar or milk. So I don't think of it as any added calories.

 Week 7; almost 8. It's getting to hard to count the days I've been on Plexus. I stopped and decided to do measurements today. I compared my first measurements with those today and discovered 4 inches have been removed from my body! Wow, that's exciting. My upper torso has slimmed down most of those inches, but I'm still managing to whittle away at those hips of mine. Last Friday I fit myself into my favorite capris that I couldn't button a few weeks ago. That says something right there. I'm still hoping for lower triglycerides and cholesterol, but like seeing some visible signs that I've done something good for my health. More results will follow.

Today marks 2 months on Plexus. So I had to do my official count. I don't like taking my measurements. Whatever number I see, I want it to be less. Today I added it to my spreadsheet log and found 5 inches are gone. Do I look much different? Not really. But I'm going to keep on lifting weights, do cardio and drinking my pink drink and water, water, water.

This is me in the same clothes 2 months later. Pants are much looser. And I am starting to see definition in my belly.

Now I've been drinking Plexus Slim for over 2 months. And the moment of reckoning is coming soon. I'm going to get my fasting blood work done in a couple days. This is going to tell me if my 250 Total cholesterol has gone down. Are my 166 triglycerides down? I need to know. My changing body shape has been slow; and I don't mind that. I take my measurements and expect better until I see them compared to my former measurements. I've lost 7.5 inches from my body. That's a major accomplishment for a couple months. I've also gone down a pant size. Of course, my goal changed to a smaller size.

I think I'm having trouble remembering what it was like to need a quick pick me up. I don't really need them. I used to crave something in the middle of the day and eat some candy, although I don't really care for sweets. Those weird cravings are gone; instead I'm stuffing myself with more water. Well, not stuffing, but drinking. More and more water. It feels good. And it is good. When I get my blood work results, I will probably share this blog and dare I add some photos? Maybe. Until next time...

It is 10 weeks, almost 11 that I've been taking Plexus Slim and I went in for my fasting blood work. My last cholesterol reading was 250 and triglycerides were 166. Although I waited for 20 minutes to get called back. It took little time to get a vein. If you knew my sensitive veins, you would be amazed. Some credit goes to the awesome phlebotomist, but I also think drinking my ration of water daily also helped. I'm down 7 and a half inches. I can fit into pants and shirts I couldn't before, but what about internally? I know my cholesterol is considered unacceptable. My doctor made a big deal about how high it is. Has Plexus helped me lose inches and lower my bad cholesterol? Only time will tell.

Me today in the same clothes.

Got my results back online this morning. Most of them were good. Cholesterol was 250 and now it is 212. It went down a big 38 points in 2 and a half months! My LDL was 159; now it is 121. Again down 38 points. Triglycerides are strange, though. Recall I was at 166; now they went up a few to 174. I know I like my red meats and such. Maybe something here with change next time. I am happy to have gone from high cholesterol down to borderline high. And I will keep up with my Plexus every morning.