Embracing Life's Challenges: A Precious Gift Wrapped in Sandpaper
♥Life is a Gift wrapped in Sandpaper
Today (Oct 3rd, 2024) I am celebrating the gift of life! Turning 58 is a special milestone for me.
Why is this birthday so special to me?
It brings me back to a crushing moment of my life was when I was about to turn 40. My Mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer. At that time, I was a fulltime teacher and a busy Mom with 3 school kids.
I loved my MOM very much and wanted to help her so badly, but I couldn´t. I felt absolutely helpless. I watched her go through the hell of Chemo and treatments. After three years of fighting cancer she passed away. There are no words to describe her suffering. She had transformed from an overweight woman into someone unrecognizable, her appearance altered by cancer that had completely ravaged her body. She just had turned 58. I was 39 years old at that time.
As long as I remember my mom she was a sickly woman. There was a lot of illness and pain in her life. Today I understand that she also had a lot of emotional pain. At the end of May 2005, she passed away from cancer at the age of 58. At that time, I was told: "You like her, you are like her, you have her genes. Now you are turning 40 and now you have to be very careful, you have to do this and that now...etc. This was well-meaning advice, but it didn't exactly cheer me up.
💔There I was, sitting in my ashes of grief. When people started telling me: “You're going to end up like your Mom!!!” “I almost panicked. I felt like a victim, trapped like a bird in a cage. “Now you have to make your medical check-ups at least twice a year”, people said.
Every time they said: “You look like your Mom,” I cringed inwardly. I hated it. I didn´t want to be compared to her. Even though my mother had been a beautiful woman with a big heart. She had many dreams. She was full of creativity. She loved beauty, flowers, and nature. She was a mother to many. She was a woman of strong faith in God. But, she was not strong physically.
At first, I was obedient to what people had recommend me. I went through all the different check-ups. And I felt horrible doing so. It was not only humiliating. I realized: “This is an atmosphere of sickness. If I keep doing it, I will intoxicate my mind. I don´t want to waste my time with being exposed to such an atmosphere. These thoughts and this environment actually will make me sick.”
This became the turning point in my life. I decided to rise from these ashes. I thought to myself: There must be another way. I don't want to and I won't end up like my mother. I am not a victim of my genes.
I went on a prayer walk, seeking guidance from my heavenly Father, my Creator. I said to HIM: “You have formed me and you have a unique purpose for my life. Show me a way that works for me.” That´s when a thought came to my mind and my heavenly Father reminded me of a verse in Jer. 6:16 “Stand by the roads and look; and ask for the ancient /eternal/the tried and true/ paths, where the good, old way is; then walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls…”
This is what I understood: “RETURN to the ways of the old, the original ways, my ways. Start studying the lives of the women of the Bible, especially focus on SARA! …She was 90 years old when she became Mother of the promised son. Shortly before that she was still so beautiful that she caught the attention of Kings.”
I promised God, that I would search and study and do everything that was in my might to develop a holistic healthy and beautiful lifestyle that would honor Him. I promised: “I will do the steps that are necessary and you´ll do your part!”
✨ This is my WHY, the motivation for developing and offering coaching plans for holistic health, fitness and beauty.
The “secrets” to holistic health and fitness I have learned and experienced over the last 19 years I will share with you know.
Today I am 58 years old and I feel better than when I was 40. I don´t take any medication, any hormones. Today I know there is an alternative path, the "old path" of God's original plan.
►Remember: NO ONE will take the steps that only you can take...
There is no miracle pill to reach old age in good health!
You yourself decide to be part of the miracle you long for!
♥Holistic Health, Fitness & Beauty are like the two sides of a coin.
For one side it is a great gift that we often don´t appreciate enough.
On the other side, there is a lot I can do to feel better, healthier and more energetic.
It requires a daily decision every to fight for a holistically healthy and beautiful lifestyle.
Here are some STEPS and insights I have gained during my holistic health journey over the past 19 years:
♥Reframe your mindset and ask yourself:
"How can I spoil my body by loving the food that loves me?!"
Here are some tips that will help you improve both your mental and physical health:
a. Eat whole, real, natural foods. 🥑🥬🍍🥜
Fuel your brain and body with a nutrient-dense, wholesome, fresh, plant-based food high in protein and healthy fats. Your brain is made of 60 percent fat, so getting plenty of healthy fats (including anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids) is extremely important for the health of our brain and our hormones.
b. Avoid sugar🍩🍬
Surely you have experienced at some point, that you ate something sugary and a little later there is a "crash" where you felt absolutely miserable. Studies confirm that high sugar consumption can contribute to depression. The more you avoid the hidden sources of sugar, the more energetic you will feel!!
c. Avoid industrial food as much as possible
Industrial food is loaded with sugar and chemicals that not only drive inflammation, but create oxidative stress, hormone and neurotransmitter imbalances, overloads your detoxification system, depletes your energy, damages your microbiome, and changes your gene expression to turn on disease-causing genes.
d. Exercise regularly🚴🏻♀⛹♀
Studies show that exercise is as good or even better than antidepressants.
e. Make sure you get enough sleep😴
Poor sleep only contributes to depression and makes it worse. That's why you should aim for at least seven to eight hours of solid, uninterrupted sleep every night.
f. Control your stress level🙄🥴
Feeling constantly stressed becomes a surefire way to get depressed or burn out. What calms and relaxes you? Find ways to consciously train your awareness and do deep breathing exercises. Fill your lungs with oxygen and your brain with good thoughts from God's Word. God's word is PNEUMA, meaning the breathed by God.
g. Stop poisoning your brain with negative toxic thoughts. Together with poor food choices and lack of exercise they are the perfect cocktail to create the perfect storm for health havoc.
h. Include supplements like magnesium, omega 3 fats, vitamin D3, B vitamins
i. Optimize protein and good fats by including eggs, meat, fish. Above all, NUTS and seeds are an excellent source of good proteins and fats. Products made from soy and legumes are highly recommended. Cheese and yogurt are also good sources of protein.
♥Make sure to utilize your valuable time wisely. Prioritize investing in your health for a brighter future. Remember, good health is the ultimate wealth, leading to a long and satisfying life.
If you want to be guided in this holistically beautiful process and discover God´s vision for your life, for your health and beauty, just ask me for more info or subscribe here on my webpage to one of my coaching modules.
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