My Daddy. My "WHY".

Sure enough, the dreaded anniversary of my father's death is approaching and will be here before I know it (in 4 days to be exact).  I haven't written a blog post in a while, and he's been on my mind a lot lately, so I thought I should start typing.

Ever since he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the YOUNG age of 55, something in me shifted.  My world was rocked.  I started to get more aware of the connection with our diets and our health. Although, he was truly relatively healthy.  He was an avid runner, enjoyed good food + wine, but truly never had any health issues, aside from some dental work that would pop up from time to time. 

This year I will be 45. And I think so often... 
If my Dad knew at my age he only had 10 more years on this earth... would he EVER have believed you!  No way!  And neither would I.  

Sadly, he lost his 10-month battle February 5th, 2001, when I was only 29, a few months before my 30th birthday.  He was 56 years YOUNG! It has been FIFTEEN YEARS. That is how long I haven't been able to look into his sweet blue eyes. FIFTEEN. And I visualize him lying in that hospital bed, before taking his last breath, more than I would like to.  

I'm often asked to think of my "why", in regard to what drives me to succeed in the health + wellness industry I am in.  And it finally clicked that my amazing Dad is my "why". He's the reason I'm so passionate about educating people about all of the garbage in our food supply (especially when it comes to feeding our children).  Why we need to question things that medical doctors suggest, as they aren't educated in nutrition.  Period. Yes, there is a time and a place for everything, but I think we are too quick to pop that pill, instead of make some tweaks to our lifestyles and diets.  It's MUCH MUCH easier to just take a drug, and keep on keeping on, as we were.  Doctors are mostly paid by pharmaceutical company's to push their drugs, which are a part of a BILLION dollar industry.  They (and we) aren't taught that there are so many herbs + plants + spices + fruits + vegetables that can actually HEAL us- that don't have a laundry list of "side effects", 10 times worse than the ailment that you are trying to cure (like ALL pharmaceutical drugs do). 

My Daddy is my "WHY" because I am married to the love of my life, and although we met later than we would have liked- I want to spend 100 more years with him!!!  He showed me, while being married to my Mom for 32 years, what TRUE LOVE looks like, and that there are people out there who you actually CAN spend the rest of your life with, if you are lucky enough to find them. And my 4 precious + beautiful children, none of who ever got a chance to meet their "Pop Pop", are my WORLD, and I want to be here for as LONG as I can for THEM!  I want to watch them grow + learn + cherish them every single minute, of every single day.  

And I can guarantee, that my Dad wanted all of these things too!  And sadly, that was all cut WAY too short.  

The fact is, cancer runs in BOTH sides of my family...so chances are pretty high that my brother and I will more than likely be next.  And that fact SUCKS.  So, you can rest assured that I will do what I can NOW to prevent that from happening sooner than later. FOOD will be my medicine, NOT some pill or shot that is sold to a doctor.  LUCKILY, I found an AMAZING Naturopath doctor about 9 years ago, who had been my primary doctor ever since.  Where HEALING occurs WITHOUT drugs or surgery!  That is what it is all about.  

YES, I may be known to share some not so exciting facts from time to time.  Facts that people may choose to believe are untrue.  Because you know, ignorance is bliss after all. But in the end.  I'm NOT trying to be annoying.  I'm NOT trying to be a know it all.   I'm NOT perfect.  I'm NOT a doctor.  BUT I do want to help prevent ANYONE and EVERYONE the heartbreak of losing their hero, their Daddy, LONG before they should have to.  As THAT Is what happened to me.  Not only did my Dad never meet his grandchildren (zero out of 7), he never got to retire.  He never got to celebrate this 33rd wedding anniversary with my beautiful Mom.  He never got to know that I attended massage school. Or that I started my own business making aromatherapy products. That I finally found my true other half, that reminds me of him in many ways, and ended up marrying him.    That I am knee deep in helping others, young and old, new friends and old, transform their lives through my superfood nutrition business.  That I kind of (proudly) turned into that "rebellious, stubborn, question-everything, tree-hugging, hippie" that he would jokingly refer to me as.  That I found a home, surrounded by trees, just like our home was in New Jersey. That I took up running, just like him, and how badly I would have loved to run a race with him. That I still can't believe he made us move across the country, in the middle of my freshman year of high school (although, I know he did it for a reason, his family was everything to him). That he affects all that I do in my life today, and that I AM who I AM because of him.  His drive.  His motivation. His energy. It was contagious.   Ask anyone and everyone who knew him, personally or professionally.  He was adored by ALL who came into contact with him. THIS is what I (and my mom + brother) LOST. Because of cancer.  

I still hope to get certified as a holistic nutritionist, to expand my knowledge even further.  It's truly my passion now- all holistic living is actually.  And while I'm thankful my life has turned down this incredibly beautiful path... I wish there was a different reason I became this way.

Remember, sugar feeds cancer cells (and makes you fat, and is 7 times more addicting than cocaine), and (healthy) FAT is your FRIEND. 

I care, so I share. That's all. 

Thank you for reading, and learning more about my "why".

Shots, the non-alcoholic kind

The topic of vaccines is VERY controversial & I'm going to try and keep this post as unbiased as possible. Please read with an open mind :)   At the end of the day, I just want people to do their research, then decide what is best for them.

Vaccinating yourself or your children is completely 100% a personal choice. We all want to protect our babies (and our own health), in every possible way. It is the "way" of a parent. It's innate. It's primal. It's powerful.   

When the twins were first born, I didn't know what I know NOW about alternative medicine & holistic living (unfortunately).  Being preemies especially, I did whatever the doctors told me to do.  No questions asked, really. They are doctors after all, and should be trusted and have your child's best interest in mind. Not the interest of pharmaceutical company's, right???  As a result, the twins have received all scheduled vaccines up until age 5.  They will not be receiving anymore.  Now.  I'm different.  I question EVERYTHING.  

Our pediatrician for Layne is the one-and-only AMAZING Dr. Bob Sears.  Funny thing about the Sears family- is that they are also huge Juice Plus advocates.  When I was a Juice Plus distributor, the patriarch of the family, Dr. Bill and actually, Bill's brother Jim both spoke at Juice Plus events and conferences I had attended. This family of doctors knows first hand, the very strong connection between what we eat and how it affects our health.  They are still huge supporters, as they should be.  It's great stuff!  We still take it, even though I'm no longer a distributor.

Not vaccinating Layne was a pretty easy decision for my husband and I.  Dr. Bob has written a great unbiased factual book titled The Vaccine Book.  It's something I feel every parent should read prior to having their baby, so that they can make a fully informed decision about vaccines.  Again, just my opinion.  He provides alternative vaccine schedules (instead of all at once) and has clients who fully vaccinate, don't vaccinate, spread out vaccines, only do a few- you name it.  He will never turn a family away for not vaccinating their children, which I am finding out is commonplace (and strange, to me).

One thing that has stuck with me that I read recently, is that when I was a kid, I think there were 6-10 vaccines.  Today, children in the United States get 49 doses of 14 vaccines by age 6.  That is A LOT for a little developing and growing body to be bombarded with, in my opinion.  

Our family has NEVER gotten a flu shot.  And guess what?  We also have never gotten the flu- especially this past winter when everyone we knew was hit HARD.  Literally, people who received the flu shot especially, were dropping like flies. And sometimes they got the flu more than once (since, after all, the "flu shot of the season" can never protect you from all strains). Not our family.  We use healthy food, increasing our supplements (elderberry syrup, vitamin d drops - adults, vitamin d drops - baby, vitamin c, juice plus, etc.), staying hydrated and rest as our defense.  We don't feel the need to inject our bodies with foreign substances to stay healthy.  

On Facebook, I'm a "fan"of many vaccine pages and get to read a lot of information on the subject quite regularly, so I can stay informed.  Have you heard of the National  Vaccine Advocacy Group?  If you haven't, and have children I think you should check them out.  Do you know what ingredients are found in some vaccines?  Formaldehyde is one.  This is highly toxic in ALL animals, humans included.  

NOTHING infuriates me more, than government thinking they can force a family to vaccinate their child against their will.  NOTHING!  It is completely 100% wrong, in my opinion.  Do we live in a communist country?  Nope! It is our right, as a parent to make this decision for our babies!! 

The funniest experience ever was a few days after our son was born last year via an unplanned emergency c-section (our goal was a drug-free hypnobabies hospital birth). On my second to last night in the hospital, a night nurse strolls into my room with a syringe in her hand. I shockingly ask what it is for. She informs me that it's a whooping cough vaccine for ME, since I just have birth to a newborn.  The look of horror on my face must have confused her. I said, "I didn't ask for that not are you injecting me with it." Of course she got all huffy & puffy stating "well, I ordered it for you". Yeah? Well guess what lady, just because you ordered it for me sure as heck doesn't mean you are putting that substance in my body. You never even ASKED ME!!! No way!!! Sure enough, I had to sign a waiver stating I was declining this (to me) unnecessary vaccine. Unreal!! And scary (in my opinion). 

One vaccine in particular has 3 vaccines in one.  According to our doctor, one of the diseases (Diphtheria) is no longer prevalent in the US .  Should this part of the vaccine be removed?  Perhaps.  Will it?  Nope, because it would cost too  much money for the pharmaceutical company's to reformulate. DTaP is what it is called, with Pertussis (whooping cough) being the disease to worry about, the other 2 not so much   But there is no single Pertussis vaccine so you instead get all 3.

Did you know that if you DO choose to vaccinate, you can not only spread them out (and not follow the schedule of your pediatrician), delay them, or even purchase them from Canada where a lot of the bad added ingredients aren't allowed?  This way, the baby isn't getting bombarded all at once.  This is a good option too, if you choose to vaccinate   

Did you know you can get an exemption for your unvaccinated child to enter school? Check here to see where your state stands. 

I believe strongly in the amazing healing our bodies are capable of. I also believe strongly in living a holistic life, and that the mind-body connection is so real. You cannot deny it! Prime example, when you get upset about something what usually happens? You lose your appetite. Or when you are nervous you feel butterflies in your tummy. The BEST defense against illness is a clean & healthy & natural diet (whatever that may mean to you i.e. with or without dairy, meat, etc). Something like 90% of our immunity is in our gut, which is why foods with probiotics or supplements are so VITAL to our health. 

Again, such a personal choice & you must do what is right for you and your family!  Thanks for reading :)

*All I want to do is share.  I'm not here to judge or say you are wrong and I am right.  That is never my intention.  Perhaps by learning something new, I have helped you in some way, shape or form. 

How did I get this way?

What is my background, you may ask?  Why am I an authority on all things "healthy"?  To start, I began my passion in holistic living/alternative medicine around the time my 56 year old AMAZING Daddy, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  Something deep down in me must have known that the chemo & drugs weren't the only option.  I recall us both talking about acupuncture, and LUCKILY this is where my BEAUTIFUL sister-from-another-mister came into my life, Dr. Vicki Weissler, Acupuncturist Extraordinaire.  I had been wanting to try acupuncture, and a referral from someone my Dad had seen lead me on the path to Vicki. Sadly, my Dad lost his 10-month battle with cancer 2/5/01.  And to be frank, life has sucked since.  Sucked in a way that he is missing out on WAY too much, and simply it isn't fair or right and I still can't comprehend it at times.  Around this time is when I started realizing the connection between a healthy diet & staying healthy, and how food really could be medicine.  Could Hippocrates have been on to something??? 

Shortly after losing my Dad, my now ex-husband and I went through a round of In-Vitro Fertilization.  Amazingly, we got pregnant with triplet boys.  Devastatingly, we lost them just shy of 20 weeks gestation BECAUSE I GOT A MASSAGE THAT PRETTY MUCH PUT ME INTO PRE-TERM LABOR.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Within 24 hours of this massage, I was at UCI Medical Center & my whole world was spinning out of control, or so it seemed.  

Massage was something my Dad & I were both huge fans of- and both of us had received many times over the years- healing, and therapeutic & simply amazing.  Not this one.  I knew it wasn't right once she placed me on the ground (mind you, I'm almost 5 months with triplets, so I look like I'm 9 months with one), and started adjusting me AND after this, began grinding her fists into my sacrum HARD.  Upon visiting with Vicki after this life-altering trauma, I explained what had happened.  Her eyes popped open & she ran to get her book to show me that... low & behold, there are 6 points on your sacrum that INDUCE LABOR.  That is exactly the area on my lower back where this supposed "massage therapist/chiropractors" fists were pushing very very hard.  

By the following Spring, and another round of IVF, I amazingly got pregnant again, this time with boy/girl twins.  That too, was an experience in itself.  Spending 7 weeks, or 49 days, on hospitalized bed rest (i.e. having permanent IV's, taking a "bath" in your bed with a sponge, the nurses washing your hair in the sink your bed gets wheeled over to, etc.).  NOT FUN!  Still after all of my hard work, the little munchkins were born 9 weeks early on 9/27/03, after my torturous stay in that darn bed- and spent their 1st 4 weeks of life in the NICU.  2001-2003 NOT THE BEST YEARS OF MY LIFE, would you say???

As the twins turned one (2004), I decided I wanted to go to massage school to learn what this woman had done to me, causing me to lose my pregnancy and more importantly WHY it happened.  This is where my whole perspective changed about EVERYTHING.  I never quite knew what he word 'holistic' meant- and boy, know that I knew, everything made sense & fell into place. I found my "thang".  Then, after taking an elective Aromatherapy class, I fell even deeper in love.  These oils!  Holy cow!  AMAZING & HEALING & POWERFUL & just WOW!  I must share with the world.

My whole life, I have pretty much been sensitive to artificial fragrance, perfume, etc. I get an INSTANT headache when I smell it (gee, wonder why- TOXIC CHEMICALS ANYONE?). [Yes, I will get up and move if you sit next to me in a restaurant with a gallon of perfume on.  Yes, I will make an ugly face at you if you enter an elevator with a gallon of perfume on & ruin my day.]  Enter the twins starting pre-school, and me walking down the hall one day to pick them up as this NOXIOUS, TOXIC insanely strong odor comes wafting towards me.  Lysol is being sprayed all around the room extremely liberally, with NO fresh air ventilation, for these poor little developing lungs to inhale & breathe day in & day out.   WHAT THE WHAT?  I was in shock & fear & anger, and just had to make a change, somehow.

Enter RubyBlaise Essentials - lovingly named after my beautiful babies, their middle names combined.  I started concocting blends of mists, putting them in bottles & voila- I could now share my love & passion for these puppies with family & friends alike.  This was at the end of 2007.  I am SO not a creative/artistic person, but somehow someway, I designed the labels for my bottles, came up with the names of each blend, my tag line (elevate your mood + purify your space) & the colors associated with each blend.  I started printing the labels at Kinko's.   And there I was- blending, pouring, sealing & labeling - this was my other baby.  

One of my very first retail customers in March 2008 was the one & only Delilah of Road Less Traveled Store & quite possibly one of THE most awesome women you will ever want to know.  I am forever grateful for her giving me a chance & supporting me.  

Then, in August of 2008 a local Whole Foods store had recently opened, and I happened to go in to speak with the Body Care buyer/manager about possibly carrying my line.  I'm local, after all, and this is something Whole Foods really pushes.  Before long BAM, my babies were on the shelves, looking oh-so-pretty in their colorful way.  My mists were selling, I was getting reorders quite regularly, I hired a rep & then get my face to face meeting with the regional buyer for the So Pac region of 50+ stores.  She loves my products & seemed like she was going to give us the green light that summer of 2011.  Fast forward March 2013, we JUST got the green light that all stores can now move forward with my Top 6 Best Sellers.  Wowzers!

So I feel like that was a bit all over the place a little... it's been a gradual progression in my quest for all things healthy & natural.  Organically (no pun intended), I came to the place I am in now.  Wishing I had known more when the twins were first born but grateful I know what I know and have given them an AMAZING foundation in life.  From losing my Dad, to my triplet boys, to my previous marriage... loss, loss, loss has inadvertently lead to this!  I smile as much as I can, but of course have my days.  I am human after all.  

Having since remarried (2 years ago) and meeting my one-of-a-kind truly inspiring & supportive other half of mine (almost 5 years ago), life is so beyond insanely good. Our beautiful love child just had his 1st birthday, and simply put, I am one lucky lady.  Never did I know that one could be so happy & content & simply just loved, every minute of everyday the way I am loved (and love back).  Sigh.  Ok, enough of the mushy stuff.  But in all honesty, my hubby supports me and all that I (we) do to the Nth degree.  He will do 3 week holistic detoxes with me, he stopped using fluoride toothpaste, avoided eating meat with me for 6 months, was all on board with our hypnobabies birth (which sadly, never came to be), strolls the local farmers markets with our family on weekends, sprays his throat with colloidal silver when it hurts, knows that nursing our baby as long as I am able is the #1 best thing I could ever do, & he pushes me every single day to be  better & to laugh & reach for the stars.  BLESSED IS ME!

Now my mind is spinning with so many things I want to write about.  Hopefully this post has given you a bit of a snapshot into what has created the Jody of today, and you'll understand me just a little better.  It has been said, after all, that I tend to care about others more than myself sometimes. Hence, my thirst for sharing information that I know can only help & benefit you and your families.

xo

*All I want to do is share. I'm not here to judge or say you are wrong and I am right. That is never my intention. Perhaps by learning something new, I have helped you in some way, shape or form.