health – Luv Saving Money

10 Things You Can Do to Help Prevent the Flu

This post is sponsored by Diamond Links.

I work in a hospital and they take flu season very seriously. They’ve drilled certain things into our heads to help prevent the flu and daily to help the spread of all germs. Here are 10 things you can do to help prevent the flu.

Hand Washing – This is the most important. If you don’t even read the rest of the list you can do a lot just by washing your hands. Our hospital tells us we should wash our hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. That’s long enough to sing the birthday song.
Cover your mouth and nose – When sneezing or coughing cover with your hand or a tissue. You can even wear a scarf or take a handkercheif with you when you have to leave the house for a doctor’s appointment or to go the pharmacy.
Regularly wipe down frequently touched surfaces – Things like doorknobs, toilet flush lever, sink knobs, etc can be wiped down with an all purpose spray or wipes. Think about it, not everyone washes their hands like they should.
Clean electronics – This is something not everyone thinks about. Things like keyboards, TV remotes, touch screen devices, and headsets come in contact with a lot of fingers. We actually had a rash of pink eye go around our house one year and I realized it was being spread by a touchscreen tablet that everyone was using!
Eat Healthy – You body can better fight off the flu when it has the nutrients it needs.
Antibacterial gels/sprays – Keeping an antibacterial gel on you when you travel or in the car can help when hand washing isn’t possible. There are plenty of antibacterial options out there from products like Purell, to alcohol-free options, and natural options like Doterra OnGuard sanitizing spray.
Consider the flu vaccine – I know not everyone is interested in vaccines but for those that are there are plenty of places to get the flu vaccine even if you don’t have insurance. Rite Aid stores offer flu vaccines for $25 and if you have insurance, often it’s free. Of course your doctor’s office or your child’s pediatrician is another source to obtain flu vaccines. Some employers also off the flu vaccines to it’s employees.
Drink plenty of water – this is a good idea anyway. There is some research that says drinking plenty of water can help strengthen you immune system thus helping your body fight the flu.
Immune boosting supplements – there are some that swear by products like Emergen-C or Airborne. A friend recommended air born to me and I stock up during flu season.
Get Plenty of Sleep – According to the Sleep Foundation, when we don’t get enough sleep our bodies can get out of wack. Lower our immune systems and more.

With the spring not too far off in the distance Dr Summit Shah can help with your allergy needs too!

Inspiring Goal Smasher Guest Post: Shannon Butler Diamond Beachbody Coach

I have an awesome guest post here. When I was trying to think of everyday people that inspire and smash goals, Shannon Butler was the first person I thought of. She has been a Beachbody coach for some time now…in fact..she’s my Beachbody coach. She is at it every day, motivating, teaching, encouraging. The changes she’s made in her life and the goals she has hit are nothing short of amazing. Her story could give you ideas on how to shed pounds, be healthier, and even ideas to help you financially. So, without further ado, this is Shannon’s journey in her own words:

Who has a New Years Resolution to Rock their Health and Fitness Goals? Many do and many hands go up when asked that question. But the truth is, there is so much more involved when it comes to tackling that resolution. Commitment within yourself to strive towards goals, getting in the mindset, getting prepped to “diet” and saying no, and of course the costs involved to partake in this health and fitness journey. In truth, the latter reason is the #1 reason many do not continue forward or quit their health and fitness journey…lack of money!

For whatever reason, many feel investing in themselves is selfish, vain, and not worth it. People feel bad when I talk to them about actually taking care of themselves. But what they don’t realize is that they are the integral aspect of life that keeps everything else moving in the direction it needs to. They don’t realize the rippling effects when their health is compromised: taking unexpected PTO time off of work, or unpaid leave of work due to sickness and health issues, costs of medications, costs of physician’s office visits (and many like myself have a deductible so this is paid out of pocket).

Let me back up a bit and tell you a little about my story, my journey, and why health and fitness lay on my heart.

Photo Credit: Shannon Butler Diamond Beachbody Coach

I have battled health issues all of my life. I was diagnosed with high cholesterol at the age of four and hospitalized for the same. Multiple blood work draws and more throughout my life was “the norm” for me. I had up and down weight loss and weight gain which on my 5’2 petite frame caused my kidneys and my body overall to go into an uproar.

Fast Forward a bit. I got pregnant with my son 12 years ago, putting on over 100 pounds. Added to this, I had gestational diabetes, fluid overload, and my body was starting to fail me. I lost about 40 pounds of the 100 I put on by doing multiple diet and exercise trials, doing everything I could to to lose weight.

The saga continued as my health continued on a demise with my pregnancy with my second pregnancy. At this point, I was put on Lipitor due to uncontrolled cholesterol, was diagnosed with non insulin dependent diabetes, had poor kidney function, and elevated liver enzymes. And I still had a waivering 40-60 pounds on me that I could not pull off no matter how hard I tried.

Three years later, I became pregnant again which was a total surprise. My health was on a downward spiral. Gestationally, my daughter was found to have no arms or legs and was felt she would be terminal. I was followed by Hershey Maternal Fetal Medicine due to my high risk pregnancy and my health issues were insurmountable. I added to the above of having hypernatremia and high blood pressure. My body was failing me and now my unborn child. (Fortunately I had a miracle in the making, but that’s another story for another time).

After the birth of my daughter, I would try countless weight loss regimens, but quickly fall off despite my best efforts. My health continued on the demise, I was told I had the body of a 90 year old. And if I didn’t soon take care of myself, I would end up having a stroke or heart attack due to the stress I carried, the weight I carried, and the health issues that haunted me. To top it off, in 2012 I was in $45,000 in medical debt. Something had to give.

I was a working mom and wife, trying to make a go of it, I had three horrendous C-Sections in which I was told due to the scar tissue would take me around $15,000 to fix if I wanted a “stomach of any sorts” again. I was in my 30’s with a 90 year old body. My hope was diminishing.

I continued to try everything under the sun to take care of me, every weight loss regimen that I could think of without spending a ton of money. But, my health was on the decline.

To add to my saga, my husband lost his job in 2015. I was working PRN as a speech pathologist, so that meant one thing, we had no health insurance. My “metabolic disorder” skyrocketed, I put on more weight, and my kidneys were failing me.

As with everything, I began to pray. I was given an ultimatum in January of 2015 and I had to do something, but what?! And, my prayers were answered. I was sent a message about joining a journey that forever changed my life.

I started with a program called the 21 Day Fix. I was doubtful of course. I had the same feelings as many do, self doubt, worry if I could do it, and fear of not being able to afford it.

But, I then decided “why not me?” I was determined to commit to me and change the outcome of the course of my health issues. And, I truly believed and still do that if YOU truly want to change your life THEN….YOU first need to CHANGE YOUR MINDSET!

What makes this journey easy is that it is clean eating and fueling your body consistently in the right way. No diet pills, no gimmicks, just wholesome foods, non processed foods. You don’t need to count calories. You just need to simply: eat clean, work out at least 30 minutes per day in the comfort of your own home, and be committed to YOU.

I learned to fuel my body the way it needed to be fueled. Along with that, I drank and continue to drink a nutrient dense shake consisting of 70 natural plant based ingredients to help fuel my body with the things it would not get through the foods I ate called Shakeology.

And, in March 2015, my health issues were reversing themselves. After 34 years of battling my own self confidence, self worth, and self hate, along with the demise of my health, things were reversing themselves. Just after 30 days of starting my journey. And of course the financial turbulence came to a halt. Things with my body and life were changing into something amazing!

I decided to begin coaching others on this health and fitness journey even though I was 45 pounds heavier. And as I stood beside my challengers every single day, we saw amazing transformations together. And to date, I have helped over 200 people change their lives and find a new self love, a new hope, a new purpose, and a new healthier version of them! Amazing!

The other bonus that happened (Dave Ramsey Fanatic here)…not only did I no longer have health issues, but I was actually saving money on this journey…like $600 per month on groceries. Those are two amazing life and financial changes right there!

So, why do this for you? You deserve on every level to look at that person in the mirror and be proud. You deserve to love you. You deserve to be healthy for you. It’s not vain, it’s necessary! And above all of the things you can control in this life it’s YOU and YOUR health.

It’s worth every single penny. Plus I’m a Dave Ramsey fanatic at the moment and it’s budgeted. I budget to feed my family of 5 and for my Shakeology and I bet you that I spend less than you on groceries and my Shakeology combined weekly!!!! But the truth is, this investment is priceless and I have gained so much in return….myself, my health, friendships, and even am making an income now. PRICELESS!

I also understand that life is busy, I am busy. I am now a full time speech pathologist, juggling mom, wife, friend, and fitness coach.
But remember one thing, you aren’t here on this earth to tread waters everyday. You are here to live life with joy, passion, and purpose. And, everyone is on this journey deserves to be the best and healthiest version of them.

To date I have lost a total of 46.5 pounds, 14 dress sizes, and….I’m medically debt free! This is not a diet, but a Lifestyle that I continue to live by daily and I’m so blessed to be doing so.

Just take a leap of FAITH and take that first step towards an amazing journey to a new YOU! You deserve self love, you deserve to be healthy, you deserve to love that person looking back in the mirror at you. It’s not vain, it’s necessary. You are worth it, because you are an amazing person who has passion and purpose. And, I can help you if you need some direction and guidance on this.

You can contact me via email at smbutler257@yahoo.com or www.teambeachbody.com/smbutler257 or visit me on my likes page on Facebook at : Shannon Lowry-Butler’s Sparkling and Fit page

https://www.facebook.com/SparklingandFitShannon/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Goals Baby! Today Is The First Page Of A New Book

Happy New Year everyone! Thinking about everything I accomplished and things I could have done better at in 2016, I have very few regrets. We celebrated a lot of first in our home. Our first Easter, our first summer, our first family picnic. We discovered Topsail Island, NC which has been everyone’s favorite vacation yet. I now have TWO teenagers in the house (my middle son turned 13), a new niece, …oh just so much.

My regrets are few but one thing I did was I started a program in January last year. The best program I ever did. I did it for 4 months and lost 12 lbs and my body was healthier. Unfortunately I started slacking off and eventually fell off all together. I gained that 12 lbs back and then some. It wasn’t the program, it was my mind set. So this time I need to make some changes. I think the problem was that I did the same exercise program throughout the 4 months and I got bored with it. So This time I’m trying Beachbody On Demand. I’ll have access to tons of different workouts so I can switch it up whenever I feel like. it. I’m still going to stick with the 21 Day Fix eating plan because it was one of the simplest plans for me to follow. I am NOT a Beachbody coach but if you’re looking for one my coach Shannon Butler is a Diamond level coach and she’s awesome. She reached diamond for a reason! I have an super inspiring post from her coming up this week. You’ll definitely want to read it!

Shannon Butler Diamond Beachbody coach Photo Credit: Shannon Butler

So today is the first page in the 2017 book. Start your story off right. Forget about the negative in 2016, build on the positive. Every day is a new day for a fresh start. Join me all of January where I will feature inspiring posts from goal smasher like Shannon, introduce you to product and services to help you with your new year goals. Not just health but self improvement, financial, organizational and more.