Guess What I Found in My Closet?

3:54 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

We leave this Thursday for my younger brother's wedding in FLORIDA!!! Perfect timing for some sun and fun considering it is -45 degrees outside right now with the windchill! ;-) This morning I decided to pack my suitcase and ended up cleaning out my entire closet! Haha! It happens! 

I didn't expect to stir up so many emotions in the process. I love fashion and had a full wardrobe of tiny dresses, skinny jeans, short shorts, skirts, shoes, and a hundred other articles of clothing that I wore when I was at my lowest weight... I started trying them on and if you are a woman you know what it feels like when your clothes are too tight! If you have ever had any type of disordered eating or body image issues I'm sure you can relate to this.  Both sadness and a feeling of freedom washed over me... 




I cannot fully explain how I felt this morning, but it was much different for me I am sure than most people who have gained or lost weight. I have a little more "junk in my trunk" these days but it means I am healthier and learning to accept my true self and love my body! I told my guy friend my butt has gotten bigger and he said, "Most guys like bigger butts anyway, so I bet you it's very sexy!"  LOL!! It's exactly what I needed to hear!! I know I am not fat by any means. I realize we all have different body shapes and what makes people beautiful is their confidence! I'm striving to be healthy and comfortable in my own skin! How about you? Also-why not wear clothes you feel amazing in? I filled up three large trash bags; looks like I need to go shopping soon! ;-) 



Copyright, 2013, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.

www.optimumwellnessmn.com

Excuses and "Buts" are Limitations

1:16 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

EXCUSES- We all have them and use them. Every day. I am guilty as charged! 

I finished reading a book this morning and the last few pages were powerful. Sharing:

"Excuses don't get you anywhere in life. Excuses are saying that you're a victim to outside circumstances, and that's not always true. 

Your ego's voice isn't your own. It's the voice of fear, and you don't have to listen to it or follow its dictates. Your ego always speaks about what you can't do. It starts sentences with But... such as "But I don't have enough time," or "But I need money first," or "But what would people think?" The ego is a big "but"!

Don't allow your ego to talk you out of the joy that awaits you. The journey of pursuing your dreams is joyful. It's also ambiguous, uncertain, and unscripted. That's the artistic path of the soul." 

-Excerpt from, Assertiveness for Earth Angels by Doreen Virtue




Don't limit yourself! BELIEVE!  It's amazing what hard work and positive thoughts and positive ACTIONS can do! :-) 


Copyright, 2013, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.

www.optimumwellnessmn.com

Country Christmas

2:27 PM Jackie Mart 2 Comments

Yesterday afternoon I strapped my snowshoes on and ventured out into the snow at my parent's farm! I took a few photos but they no where near capture all the beauty that surrounded me! I felt at peace with the world and myself. There are no words to describe my experience yesterday. How do you reconnect with the world? Anytime I am in nature I feel grounded and in tune with the Universe. Be sure to take some time out and fill your bucket. The world can be a very draining place! 

Blessed

2:08 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

Copyright, 2013, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.

www.optimumwellnessmn.com

The Power of Your Thoughts

12:37 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

Sunday I had the chance to visit my old friend who is a Chiropractor/Holistic doctor in the small town of Carroll, Iowa where I lived 7 years ago! It was wonderful connecting with her again and just what I needed to feed my soul! She is the one who planted the seed and led me to my passion of health and wellness and towards my ultimate goal of owning my own holistic wellness clinic! She reminded me of the Law of Attraction and how my mindset is related to everything in my life. 

We are in charge of our lives and our thoughts literally become things! The things we continually think about every day are directly related to our experiences.  Right now is the best time to reflect on the past year and think about what you want your life to look like in 2014. 


Goal setting and formulating a plan is critical in achieving the success you dream of! God has a purpose and plan for each of us. I will be working on my own vision/dream board in January and wanted to invite you to my workshop on January 12th from 2-4 PM at Supreme Kitchens in Spirit Lake, Iowa.  Please see more details below!

Law of Attraction

Letting Go in Order to Heal

2:52 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

This is beautiful! Please read and share! 










What do you need to let go of? What are you holding on to that needs released? 



A Few Things I am Learning to Let Go:


-The need to be "perfect," and putting an enormous amount of pressure on myself. I'm embracing my higher weight and curvy body. I am looking more like a 30 year old woman instead of a 12 year old girl!


-Comparing myself to others. We all have different paths in life and we are unique.  I chose an unconventional path most people do not choose to follow but would not change it for anything!


-The heartaches and struggles I am going through and have gone through are just part of my story and will allow me to share it with others in the future. I am not a failure like I once thought.


-I am not my family. I do not have to take on their pain, issues, or problems. They may not be my ideal family of choice but I still love them unconditionally. They have been there for me when I have not been the easiest person to love or be around and will continue to be in my life when other people bail. I feel blessed to have them!


-I cannot help everyone as much as I want to. Not everyone needs to be "fixed."  I have a deep yearning to make sure every person is happy but have gotten to a point where I know the people that actually want help will come to me.


-Relying on others to make me happy. Happiness starts with YOU. It is a choice we make each and every day! Start each day with the thought that it will be the best day of your life! 

EVENT UPDATE: Free Movie in December Has Been Rescheduled for January

1:48 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

I had a lot of interest in the last movie night that I was unable to show at the Spirit Lake Library.  I have rescheduled it in January at the Estherville Public Library!! Please see below for date and time and be sure to register!

  



This month we will be watching "Sweet Misery- A Poisoned World." Complimentary popcorn provided with a discussion after! 

SWEET MISERY: Aspartame is an artificial sweetener, an additive. And it's a chemical. It's not a natural product, it's a chemical. The molecule is made up of three components. Two are amino acids, the so-called building blocks of protein.

One is called Phenylalanine, which is about 50% of the molecule and the other is Aspartic Acid, which is like 40%. And the other 10% is so-called Methyl Ester, which as soon as it’s swallowed becomes free methyl alcohol. Methanol. Wood alcohol, which is a poison. A real poison.

Excellent documentary showing how dangerous artificial sweetener Aspartame is. From its history, to its effects this video is enough to shock anyone into really looking at the food labels next time they shop. Aspartame is a toxic food that came into the world as an investment by Donald Rumsfeld, while ignoring the deadly effects the tests showed.

Watch the movie trailer here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT7Zt3QHanI


Please REGISTER HERE


Copyright, 2013, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.

www.optimumwellnessmn.com

Phone App for my Emotional and Disordered Eaters

10:37 AM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

I'm excited about the new phone app I downloaded on my phone this morning! So many people come into my office with body image issues, low self esteem, and disordered eating. I see a little of myself in each of them. This app was mentioned in another blog I was reading and I decided to check it out! It's called "Rise Up: Overcome Your Eating Disorder." It's free and is available to download in the ITunes Store. Download Here






















You can check in your emotional status, log your food intake at each meal and snack, set reminders and  positive affirmations to pop up throughout the day.  It also includes coping skills for relationships, emergencies, body image, mindfulness, and suggestions for journal activities.  This app can be beneficial for anyone who is trying to lose weight and have a better relationship with food, it is not strictly just for people who have an eating disorder (ED).

I wanted to share this new resource with you especially if you are a techie. It seems our phones are attached to our bodies these days! Please share any feedback with me after using the app! I would love to hear what you think of it!


Be Well! Let you Light Shine!

Jackie :-)


Copyright, 2013, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.

www.optimumwellnessmn.com

Get Back on Track

9:34 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

I seem to have fallen off the fitness wagon this week! Not sure if it is the cold weather or guys bumming me out, or just feeling run down... It's not like me to miss a day of working out but I will admit I didn't frequent the gym very many times!

Tonight I decided to get back on track and am going to schedule my workouts next week and mix it up. I plan on taking a few cycle classes and incorporating some BURST training, and weights into my regimen. I'm an outdoor exercise person, so winter usually kills me! If it snows more I can snowshoe! :-)

I stopped by the Regional Wellness Center (RWC) in Estherville this afternoon and talked to the director. I will be teaching one of my BURST training exercise classes on Friday, December 27th from 6:00-6:30 AM during their free fitness week! The class is free to members and $5.00 for non-members.  

If you haven't taken one of my classes and would like to try it out this would be a great time to do so! BURST is a quick interval training workout that spikes your heart rate, burns fat, builds lean muscle, and boosts your metabolism! All ages and levels are welcome. Please call the RWC to sign-up! Space is limited! 712.362.8484.  Here is a sample of what to expect:




If you are unable to make it to my class I also offer one-on-one sessions and even create customized workouts if you do not live in the area or workout in your home. BURST can be done anywhere with little or no equipment! If you need some motivation I would love to workout with you! I could use a boost myself!!



Copyright, 2013, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.

Being Confident in a Healthy Body

10:52 AM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

This video struck a chord with me since I have been modeling for six years now. I've been up and down with my weight. Weighed 103 pounds at my lowest.  I remember one runway show I was in a few years ago...The designer told me I could not model for them again unless I gained 7 pounds. 

Modeling is an industry where you are constantly criticized for the way you look. Too short, not thin enough, not the right bone structure, hair, eye color they are seeking. I have been extremely unhealthy and "thin" yet was not happy with my body.

"Health" is defined as: the state of being free of illness or injury. To me, healthy means eating fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, protein, in the right amounts, sleeping 8 hours a night to rest and heal my body, exercising daily and moving my body, getting a chiropractic adjustment weekly so my body can function at 100%, and working on my emotional health. You will notice there was no mention of a specific weight, number on a scale, or size in either definition.

As long as you are taking care of yourself, respecting your body, emotions, and needs you are doing well! Love every inch of your body and radiate the light within you! YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL no matter what anyone else thinks! Be confident in your own skin! :-) This model is a true beauty!!! 

Third Graders Define Healthy Living

9:15 PM Jackie Mart 4 Comments

Today I had the opportunity to be the guest storyteller in Mrs. Schnell's third grade classroom at my old school!! I read aloud one of my childhood books, The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food. 






We talked about what healthy food is and what we should use to "fuel" our bodies! They were very active participants and had some great answers to my all my questions! We even did a few short BURST exercises  and discussed exercise and sleep.  Then we created collages of healthy foods and other things we talked about! I have my BA in elementary education so this was right up my alley! Start teaching your children about health now so they grow up living a healthy lifestyle! As you know our habits develop at a young age. Be sure to set the example! Here are a few photos of their collages.

Tis the Season of Giving

8:27 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

This afternoon I dropped off all the donations for my little girl I adopted for the Adopt a Child Program in Spirit Lake! I asked my clients to help me out and they were more than generous as you can see! We fulfilled everything on her wish list! I've been focusing more on community outreach and volunteering my time to promote "real" health.  Life is all about giving and serving others!     :-) 

Boost Your Smoothie

12:24 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

I would call myself a juice and smoothie QUEEN! It is a great way to get tons of nutrition in one single serving! Here are a few superfoods to add to your smoothies. Mine are mostly green-I'm thinking about compiling an Ebook with all of my favorite smoothie recipes! Stay tuned ;-) 

Comfort Foods- Try This at Your Next Family Meal

2:15 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

Something to use with the leftover raw cauliflower you still have sitting in your fridge from Thanksgiving! 

Mashed Faux-tatoes


Ingredients:

1 medium head cauliflower, about 1 1/2 lbs.
1/4 c. organic (or raw) butter or ghee
1/2 tsp. sea salt
5-8 grinds black pepper
minced chives (optional)



Steam cauliflower until tender in steamer basket or small amount of water. In food processor, blend cauliflower, butter, sea salt and pepper until smooth.




This is just one of the many recipes from my Clean Eating Recipe Ebook.  All recipes are simple, gluten and grain-free! 30 delicious recipes total. Would make a great Christmas gift for the foodie on your list! Click here to purchase. 

How to Avoid Looking Like a Bloated Reindeer Come January 1st

7:42 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments