Lead By Example..

Unfortunately, this is a familiar sight often seen in 2010. These days it is very common to see a 1 year old sucking on a french fry or chicken nugget (they even offer the animal and dinosaur shaped ones) at any local restaurant. These restaurants also have designated areas for children, like a Play Land built right into their establishment or a small room that has every video game imaginable that attracts children.

A lot of the food is genetically modified and does not decompose after years of being purchased. Check out this next video.

The ultimate plan of these companies and a big part of their marketing strategies is to make the children want to go back. Don't worry, someone is getting paid big bucks to come up with all of these great ideas. That clown is smiling for a reason....your wallet!!!

Next time take a deep breath outside...now ask yourself, does it smell good??? Do you ever stop and wonder why there are so many seagulls outside (they eat anything). When you realize that there are no healthy food choices in there, please take a stand, turn around with your children, get back in the car, stop at a local grocery store, buy real food , go home and create a fantastic meal and your family will thank you for it.

Our son  is 12 years old and to this day he just has no craving for soft drinks what so ever. We are very thankful for this..there are so many children today that cannot live without it , they even have it with their breakfast.

A very big trend that is a dangerous one is the amount of teens that have energy drinks daily...these are loaded with caffeine and  could be a potential health hazard that can lead to heart palpitations, diabetes etc...teens and young adults often stay up late and have a hard time functioning during the day so they rely on these drinks to give them that extra boost that they need to get through their day. Some even go to the dangerous side and mix these with alcohol...this is a recipe for disaster as you will hear in the following video.

As adults and parents we have to lead by example. If our kids see us drinking these like there is no tomorrow, what are we showing them?? We have to show them that there are natural ways out there to get energy and to feel alive and awake during the day. The first thing is to get enough hours of sleep,eat live food and be active!!!

Think of this for one second,  if you ask your kids "Where do you want to eat tonight?" what do you think they will answer you "The Green Door Restaurant"??? I tell you, if ever you have the chance to enjoy this establishment's wonderful food while you are in Ottawa....spoil yourself, live and enjoy it and your body will thank you for taking time to taste incredible natural dishes!!

http://www.thegreendoor.ca/

Stay healthy...

Sylvie Thibert

The Fat Kid In Gym Class!!!

Having worked in a school setting for 20 years now, this picture is a sad reality. It is so important for kids to enjoy daily exercise, to get out there and move. They need to get the heart pumping and the blood flowing. Kids need to get their daily dose of natural vitamin D and enjoy running around and having fun. With video games,more and more kids are losing themselves in their own worlds completely cutting themselves off reality.They are secluding themselves in their rooms for hours, playing violent games,eating and not interacting with anyone.Our young society is becoming more anti-social and overweight because of this phenomenon and we need to get them active to stop this vicious cycle.

Check out the following video...very interesting facts!! Watch it with your kids.....

When I see this picture, it reminds me of the pain and embarrassment that I always felt in gym class going through puberty. The awkward years where you are trying to make sense of all the physical changes in your body and living as an overweight child.

When I was in Junior High, I knew from day one that changing in front of others would be inevitable and was going to be one of my biggest challenges.I felt very embarrassed and I would always use the excuse that I had to go to the washroom and I would quickly change there. This would often make me late for my next class but I was willing to live with the consequences as long as others didn't see my fat ripples.

I was very shy and self-conscious about my weight. I was round and not the most athletic.We all wore the same green shorts and yellow t-shirt. My clothing was snug and I would always be pulling on my shirt. I developed nervous ticks with my eyes and I felt physically ill every time that we had gym.

I'm sure that the intention wasn't to make us feel uncomfortable. I believe that it was the opposite effect that they were seeking, to make everyone fit in and be on the same page.

To this day, being the smallest size that I've ever been in my life, you will still never see me changing in front of anyone in a locker room. I usually get there all ready for class or I will wait for a washroom to be available to change in private. Just goes to show you how childhood experiences can affect you for the rest of your life!!!

If you are a gym teacher, please take this into consideration when it comes to kids changing in the same room. It may not be for everyone.We as adults have to respect the wishes of kids that do no wish to expose their bodies in front of others. This should be a personal choice and there should always be separate locker rooms available for those who wish to change in private. I'm sure that a lot of kids feel this way today and I completely respect their wishes, I completely understand what they are living.

As an adult, I can now look back and understand that there was never any harm intended by any adult. I was just not comfortable in that situation.

Stay healthy....

Sylvie Thibert

My Chest Is On Fire!!!!

My biggest health issue when I was at my heaviest weight was my acid reflux. The pain is still clear in my mind and it is a pain that I never want to live again! It was very common for me to be sitting in the middle of the night, propped up with pillows on my living room couch holding my chest tightly. I was only 42 years old and it was very scary for me to be feeling this.

Lets just say that my husband would not sleep much either, worried and not quite sure how to help me in my situation of excruciating pain. I was feeling at my worst mentally and physically. Of course this would disrupt my sleeping pattern and I would lose a good 3 hour sleep every night. This would not help me be in the best shape the next day and lets just say that my patience, mood and temper were not my best assets.

I knew that I had to do something soon, I couldn't go on living like this, that's for sure. This easily went on for a good six months. I would live this everyday, not understanding what effects it was having inside my body.

When I finally decided to set up an appointment with my family doctor, I was convinced that I would have a number of tests done and maybe blood work to find out what was causing this to make my body react in such a violent manner on a regular basis. To my surprise, I was at my heaviest, not one thing was mentioned about my eating habits and without any further testing I was prescribed Zantac tablets to be taken twice a day for the rest of my life!!!

Read this article about the side-effects of this drug. Make sure to read all the way to the bottom.

http://gerd.emedtv.com/zantac/zantac-side-effects.html


Lets just say that this was the wake up call that I needed. I had hit rock bottom, went straight from the doctor's office to Physical Limits.There, I set up an appointment with one of their weight loss consultants and I've never looked back. I never took one of those pills and from day one of switching my daily coffees and bad food choices for healthy choices I have been living a pain free life!!

http://www.revolutionweightloss.com/

I've had acid reflux attacks only 3 times since then and I know exactly what source it is coming from. I know that I have to stay away from fatty cheese, late night snacks and caffeine. I have now figured out what the triggers are and I can avoid these situations very easily.

Here is a commercial that shows how using Zantac is only a superficial fix. It only shows that you can still keep choosing the bad food choices and life will be good. Not ever mentioning all of the continuous damage that is being done inside your body.

I've also seeked the help of a fantastic Naturopath by the name of Joanne Gauthier that can be located at Medical Arts Pharmacy on 13th Street here in Cornwall. She is an amazing individual that has helped me heal from the inside/out....using my core and my inner strenght naturally....she is the best and I highly recommend her.

Here is a video that I wish I would have seen three years ago. Maybe it would have helped me understand better what I needed to do to heal myself. It would have forced me to look at myself in the mirror and realize that I was the only one that could fix my situation naturally. We all have the power within to heal ourselves.

Stay healthy...

Sylvie Thibert!!

This Brings Back Memories.....

You know, I look at this picture and it reminds me so much of myself before I decided to do something about my weight problem permanently.I would eat my meal knowing that there would always be a nice big piece of unhealthy dessert waiting for me.

As far as I can remember, I always had weight issues...I was 10 yrs. old when I was put on my first diet..out of concern of course for my health. My nicknames were "Porky" and "Petunia", lets just say that I was pleasantly plump.

As life went on I tried all of the diets imaginable; Atkins, Weight Watchers, Cabbage Soup Diet, Scarsdale Diet, Thin for Life Diet, "Starve Myself Diet", "Don't Eat Breakfast or Lunch Only Supper Diet", Liquid Diet , Powder Diet etc...you get my point...I'm sure that some of you can relate to what I am trying to say....obviously none of these worked for me.

When I finally decided three years ago that this was it, I was making a change and sticking to it, that's when everything started falling into place for me. The puzzle pieces were coming together one by one and that is what finally brought me happiness and health again.

I had to get rid of all the negatives in my life as well, whether it was people, situations etc....I had to make peace in situations that were stressing me out and bring in as many positives as I could to fill my life!

I had never set foot in a gym in my 42 years..I had always imagined that it would be full of sexy women with tight leotards and the perfect bodies and that I would feel very intimidated....at Physical Limits Fitness Club, you feel comfortable immediately because there are people of all sizes and you do not feel judged.

Jason Christoff (owner and founder of The Revolution Weight Loss Program) is a strong believer that healthy weight loss and exercise go hand in hand and it is so true.

There are two things that I do to maintain my weight loss;
1.I weight myself every morning as I wake. This keeps me in line...
2.I write my gym schedule out weekly so that I see it and I know that it is part of my busy lifestyle. I need to go to stay on the right path and to feel energized.

There is also an angel that works there by the name of Cathy Bourgon. She is a personal trainer that takes care of the weight loss exercise classes. Cathy is an AMAZING individual and she just sees everyone as equals and size really never matters to her. She is such a genuine person and makes you feel like you can accomplish anything no matter what size you are and what challenges that you are experiencing physically.

She has become a very good friend throughout my weight loss journey and I only have great respect for her as do all of the other girls and guys in the class. We are a big family with one goal, getting healthy while having fun.Thanks Cathy, you are the best!!!

If you are like me and have never had much luck with yo yo dieting, come and see what this program is all about. You are never alone, you have so much support, weekly newsletters, health seminars etc....

I know that it has saved my life and I've never felt healthier than I do now. I will always have positive things to say about this program.

The following video is very inspirational and makes you realize that anything is possible when you set your mind to it! No matter who you are and where you come from dreams do come true when you take that very important first step. You can overcome obstacles and live out your life the way you want to live it....turn your negatives into positives and it will open many doors for you ....

Stay healthy..

Sylvie Thibert

Making A Killing....A Must See....

This is one of the first health videos that I viewed that really helped me understand and opened my eyes to what is going on out there when it comes to prescribing pharmaceutical drugs.
It deals with how pharmaceutical drugs became a multi-million dollar industry in the world almost overnight.
You will see how many psychiatrists admit that there is really no blood test that exists to prove that you are suffering from any mental health disorder.It is really a big guessing game, they cross their fingers and hope for the best.They are not sure which side the coin will fall...its a huge gamble!!
You will learn how so many normal, every day challenges have been branded with fancy names just to give it a disease and a drug to supposedly make you feel better.
In life it is normal at times to feel depressed, challenged, tired, sore, less energetic ...etc...this is called life!!These are all normal symptoms that are o.k to be feeling at one time or another in life.
Maybe you need to look at your lifestyle more closely and see if there is anything that you can do to improve your health. For example maybe go to bed earlier, drink water instead of coffee, walk to the store instead of taking the car, join a gym and get regular exercise...etc..all of this will make you feel better naturally , that I promise you.
You will understand the history of how psychiatrists came together to create all of these diseases to help make their job a secure one. All of this came about in 1966.
This is the part one of this documentary that has many parts...they are all so interesting and really show you that the secret to health lies within yourself.
The following video is so worth 10 minutes of your life!! It will open your eyes to what is really going on in the pharmaceutical industry.

Enjoy!!!
Stay Healthy...

Sylvie Thibert

Alex The Fry Guy!!

On March 11th 2009, my then 10 year old son had just viewed with us, the documentary "Supersize Me".
He decided that he would do an experiment with fries. We went to the drive-thru of McDonald's and Burger King and bought some regular fries.

When we returned home he placed the fries in their own labelled Masson jar. He placed home made fries in another jar. His mission was to see how long it would take for the genetically modified fries to decompose?

Well, we still have those jars of fries tucked away in a safe place. We recently took them out and they still have not changed. The real potatoes became water after 3 days (live food...). The color of the fast food fries has changed a little but the shape and size is still the same...

Now if this boy is able to figure out that this isn't real food why is it that so many adults run there every day with their children for a treat? For a quick fix that costs a fortune really and  is full of empty calories.

I've actually brought his experiment to the High School that I work in and showed some students.They say that since they've seen this in front of them they have no desire for fast food fries anymore.

I am very proud of my son and his awareness of the food that surrounds him. Sure he will have the same food as other kids the odd time but he will always comment afterwards, "The ones that you make are better tasting mom...".

Whenever he wants to know something about nutrition or certain foods, I look into it and try to answer his questions to the best of my knowledge. If I don't know what to tell him there is always the Internet and Wikipedia that has a lot of great answers.

If he can do it at such a young age, there really is no reason that we can't do it either right?? We just have to take the time to invest in our health and the one of our loved ones. We have one life to live, lets try to live it to the best of our ability. We don't have to be followers , we can be leaders and live our life by showing the example for our next generation that is in great need of nutritional education.

Lets not forget that we are living in the biggest childhood obesity epidemic....lets start asking ourselves why??

Stay healthy...

Sylvie Thibert
The Health Nut!!!

One Off My Bucket List!!!!

On July 22nd, 2010 I was lucky enough to give away my 10inch pony tail to "Angel Hair For Kids Foundation". I really took my time to find a foundation that grabbed my heart. This was the one that did that. It provides children that have never grown hair, are victims of burns or cancer treatments to have a real hair wig to give them self-confidence.

The part that touched me the most is that it deals with less fortunate families. I am 45 years old and I still have my natural hair color. My mom passed away 3 years ago at the age of 87 and she barely had any grey hair. I hope that I inherited that gene...thanks mom...love you!!

Its one more thing off my bucket list.Now I can set myself another goal. Go ahead, set yourself a goal, give to others and it will come back to you.

The feeling that I had when my hairdresser Carol was finally cutting it off was mixed emotions but I was very proud of myself for doing what I had set out to do. My brother in law Jack was there to film the big moment.

The funny thing is that prior to losing my weight 3 years ago I was starting to have quite a few grey hairs. As soon as I changed my way of life to a more wholesome one my hair naturally darkened???

Stay healthy...

Sylvie Thibert

The health Nut!!