Hott off the press! Interview with ME! :)

Interview with Heather Nieves, Nutritional Educator

www.nhcwib.com

Interview with Heather Nieves, a profile of Connecticut's women in business by New Haven County Women In Business. Heather Nieves is a nutritional educator and hosts wellness presentations to educate others about heath and Juice Plus. Click here to read the entire interview!

Change is Good!

I often delay in writing blogs because I have so much to say and share! I want to write about change, networking, health, my personal experiences and more! So I thought I would just begin by typing and seeing what comes to mind first today...

Last night my husband and I attended an awesome meetup group hosted by the amazing Rosa Conti! Alissa Monteleone spoke about Living Mindfully and making small changes by focusing on one at a time. It's interesting because Loren Slocum, who I admire and respect so much, wrote an amazing book called Life Tuneups that is in line with the same topic. I highly recommend it (and you can get it by clicking on it in my Amazon.com favorites link on this blog!) :) I met Loren this past summer at her book launch in Westport, CT and she is very down to earth, truly lives what she teaches and I greatly respect that!

During Rosa's introduction she so kindly mentioned our new meetup group, Networking Dynamics that my husband, Danny and I recently created. To me that was so sweet of her, I got so excited! Just like when Chris Makell tells me I'm so amazing and says Danny and I inspire her! I'm mentioning this because it surprises me when people do and say these things because I don't expect it. Alissa talked about that during her presentation as well. Give to others and don't expect anything back and it will come back to you tenfold!

I promote others all of the time. I've been told I should get into PR! But I genuinely love helping others and promoting them and their business! When I say this out loud or write about the kind things others do for me and say about me, it helps me realize what goes around truly does come around! :)

I want to keep this short, but during the presentation, Alissa also mentioned making time for spirituality. That really hit home because I recently created time for my spirituality and it has brought me so much peace and happiness. Whatever it is that brings you spirituality, whether it is a higher power, taking a bath, sitting in the woods, I highly recommend making that time for yourself daily, if not weekly. I attend many personal development events and work on my business, health, relationships and finally made time for my spiritual life! I just wanted to share that because I truly believe everything happens for a reason and a person came into my life recently and brought me back in touch with my spirituality and oh does it feel good!

I always end anything I write with Hugs or Magnificence or Outstanding, so please make your night or day full of all of the above! :)

Your Health = Your Wealth

Hi! And thanks for visiting my blog! I am really enjoying sharing some personal and business information with you. Yesterday I was blessed with the opportunity to do an education presentation at a networking group I belong to (BBA, organized by Amy DiPippo) in Avon, CT. So I decided to call it "Health Education with Heather!".

So here are some of the tips I shared (Note: I am not a certified Nutrition Counselor, I am just passing on information that I have learned and used myself):

We often find ourselves achieving success or working hard to get there, at the great cost of our health, time or family. To have true wealth in our lives it is not only financial freedom but mastering our health as well.

*80 million people have some form of heart disease (The American Health Association)
*1 in 3 women and 1 in 2 men will have cancer in his or her lifetime (National Cancer Institute)
*Over 20 million children and adults have diabetes. (American Diabetes Association)
*64% of adults are overweight (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
* About 59% of adults do not engage in any vigorous leisure-time physical activity (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
*Our national health care expenditures were 2 trillion in 2005 or $6700 per person (National Coalition on Health Care)

So why are we so unhealthy?

*Poor Food Choices *Not drinking enough water

- Did you know we are supposed to drink? Half of our body weight in ounces.

*Lack of exercise - *Stressful lifestyles
*Environmental factors - *Sleep deprivation
*Approach to medicine: “Treatment” instead of “Prevention”

FACT: The U.S government has spent billions trying to find a cure for heart disease, cancer and other diseases. Their Conclusion: Disease is easier to prevent than it is to cure. Their recommendation: Eat 7-13 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables every day. The problem: Almost no one does. What can we do about it?

Some suggestions:

1. Keep portions moderate, especially high-calorie foods. In recent years serving sizes have ballooned, particularly in restaurants. Split a dish with a friend or only eat half and eat the rest for the next day’s lunch, and don’t order supers-sized anything.

2. Eat early, eat often: Starting your day with a healthy breakfast can jumpstart your metabolism, and eating the majority of your daily caloric allotment early in the day gives your body time to work those calories off. Also, eating small, healthy meals throughout the day, rather than the standard three large meals, can help keep your metabolism going and ward off snack attacks.

3. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes—foods high in complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, low in fat, and free of cholesterol. Try to get fresh, local produce

4. Drink more water. Our bodies are about 75% water. It is a vital part of a healthy diet. Water helps flush our systems, especially the kidneys and bladder, of waste products and toxins. A majority of Americans go through life dehydrated.

5. Limit sugary foods, salt, and refined-grain products. Sugar is added to a vast array of foods. In a year, just one daily 12-ounce can of soda (160 calories) can increase your weight by 16 pounds. See suggestions below for limiting salt and substituting whole grains for refined grains.

6. Don’t be the food police. You can enjoy your favorite sweets and fried foods in moderation, as long as they are an occasional part of your overall healthy diet. Food is a great source of pleasure, and pleasure is good for the heart – even if those French fries aren’t!

7. Get moving. A healthy diet improves your energy and feelings of well-being while reducing your risk of many diseases. Adding regular physical activity and exercise will make any healthy eating plan work even better.

8. MOST IMPORTANTLY - Do it One step at a time. Establishing new food habits is much easier if you focus on and take action on one food group or food fact at a time. Try something out for 21 days and it becomes a habit!

If anyone is interested in learning how to strengthen your immune system with nutrition from 17 different fruits, vegetables and grains visit http://heathersharesjuiceplus.com for more information.

You are what you eat and more importantly, what you have eaten that is still with you.

Cleansing – we should cleanse at least once a year – cleanses can last 24 hrs to 10 days. Generally 3-7 days.

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Simply Raw

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 I am writing my first blog. I was blessed with the opportunity to view the documentary Simply Raw last week at Certified Health Counselor, Laura L's home in Fairfield, CT. Her husband, Michael who I know through Send Out Cards introduced us and we immediately connected via newsletters and facebook.

Gosh I love the power of the internet! I will blog another day about the amazing people I have met online!)

It was truly a beautiful experience. These 6 diabetics of all shapes and sizes were selected to go a remote location for 30 days, eat only raw foods, and be monitored by doctors and nutritionists. It was truly phenomenal to see that diabetes can truly be cured by what we eat!!! When it is said that we are what we eat, it is simply the truth.

The documentary really hit home because my mother and brother are diabetic. I love them dearly and am closer to my brother than I ever have been before in my life and I want to grow old with him, as hoakie as that sounds. I am one of those people that really wants to live to be over 100 and I truly believe that I will do it!

I have really embraced my health and fitness since January and am so proud that I have made the decision to do so. I really want to share this with others because so many people out there just don't know. And as silly as this quote sounds, it is true. . . "If you don't know, then you don't know." Prior to this year I just didn't know because I never was taught or never wanted to be educated on health and fitness. For today I just want to get everyone thinking about what they eat. We always hear eat your vegetables and fruit, but do we really know why? Because they are good for us. . . Why?

Watch a trailer of Simply Raw by clicking here.... ENJOY! I did! :)