Failure is an Event

8:52 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

This is a famous quote by the legendary Zig Ziglar! I know I have told my mom and family hundreds of times I "feel like a failure."  I may have messed up a few too many times in life over the years but those are failures, I am not. Don't be so hard on yourself! If you are not failing you are not growing! 

14 Way to Be Less Lonely

8:54 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

14 Ways to Be Less Lonely in a Busy and Isolating World by Trish Blackwell

1. Acknowledge that you are lonely
2. Address your personal social needs – investigate where they are not being met
3. Disconnect from social media, create non-screen time in your life
4. Pick up the phone and make more phone calls
5. Write more hand-written cards
6. Create more space for people in your daily schedule – even for strangers
7. Cherish little interactions and mundane conversations
8. Go out of your way for friend dates
9. Prioritize communication with your significant other
10. Connect daily without distraction, face-to-face with your significant other
11. Communicate your social needs to your partner and support them with theirs
12. Give of your time, heart or love to someone who might be more lonely than you
13. Focus less on your to-do list and instead value your day based on the quality of your emotional connections
14. Share your heart and your story openly – you never know how your vulnerability and openness might inspire someone else to realize that they are not alone. (I felt lonely and like I would never be understood until I read Geneen Roth’s books, which changed my life and gave me hope in my eating disorder.)

http://www.trishblackwell.com/



Copyright, 2017, 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 nutritionist 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

10 Gifts for the Health Freak on Your List

6:41 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

You're Welcome! :-D

1. Fitness Studio Class Passes

2. TRX Suspension Trainer

3. Clean Eating Cookbook

4. The Plant Paradox Book

5. Foam Roller

6. Rope-less Jump Rope

7. Touch-Screen Running Gloves

8. BE Brand Headbands

9. Vitamix Blender

10. Yoga Pants with Pockets



Copyright, 2017, 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 nutritionist 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

Home for the Hol-ED-days

11:25 AM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

The holidays have never been my forte.  SO MUCH FOOD... LOL!  Food has been my "frenemy" for many years. Those who struggle with self-love and eating disorder tendencies can relate. 

Holidays can easily cause high anxiety for us. Those dreaded comments from relatives you haven't seen in forever... "You need to put some meat on your bones."  "Why aren't you eating what we eat?" "You are looking healthier." "Have you lost weight?" "You can afford to load up on more sugar cookies!" These comments may seem innocent, but to someone recovery from an eating disorder they can spark feelings of shame, guilt, and cause our thoughts to spiral out of control .  I know most people do not fully understand what goes on inside our heads but please make an effort to think before you speak. I would be rich if I received a dollar every time someone told me to, "just go eat a cheeseburger" over the past 16 years.  That is one of the WORST things you could say to a person who is struggling with their weight or negative body image.  Words DO hurt. If it were a simple fix no one would have it! 

Part of my life purpose and mission is to raise awareness about this deadly disorder which is not talked about nearly enough! Mental illnesses have a stigma attached to them. 

Here are a few frequently asked questions from the National Eating Disorder Association website: 


Are eating disorders a choice?


Eating disorders (EDs) are complex medical and psychiatric illnesses that patients don’t choose; they are bio-psycho-social diseases. Several decades of genetic research show that biological factors play a significant role in who develops an eating disorder. A societal factor (like the media-driven thin body ideal) is an example of an environmental trigger that has been linked to increased risk of developing an eating disorder. Environmental factors also include physical illnesses, childhood teasing and bullying, and other life stressors. EDs commonly co-occur with other mental health conditions like major depression, anxiety, social phobia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Additionally, they may run in families, as there are biological predispositions that make individuals vulnerable to developing an eating disorder.

Are eating disorders really that serious?


Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness. Besides medical complications from binge eating, purging, starvation, and over-exercise, suicide is also common among individuals with eating disorders. People who struggle with eating disorders also have a severely impacted quality of life.


Aren’t eating disorders a ‘girl thing’?

Eating disorders can affect anyone, regardless of their gender or sex. Although eating disorders are more common in females, researchers and clinicians are becoming aware of a growing number of males and non-binary individuals who are seeking help for eating disorders. A 2007 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that up to one-third of all eating disorder sufferers are male, and a 2015 study of US undergraduates found that transgender students were the group most likely to have been diagnosed with an eating disorder in the past year (Diemer, 2015). 

It’s currently not clear whether eating disorders are actually increasing in males and transgender populations or if more of those individuals who are suffering are seeking treatment or being diagnosed. Because physicians may have preconceptions about who eating disorders affect, their disorders have generally become more severe and entrenched at the point of diagnosis. 

Can someone be too young or too old to develop an eating disorder?

Eating disorders can develop or re-emerge at any age. Eating disorder specialists are reporting an increase in the diagnosis of children, some as young as five or six. Many eating disorder sufferers report that their thoughts and behaviors started much earlier than anyone realized, sometimes even in early childhood. Although most people report the onset of their eating disorder in their teens and young adulthood, there is some evidence that people are being diagnosed at younger ages. 


It’s not clear whether individuals are actually developing eating disorders at younger ages or if an increased awareness of eating disorders in young children has led to improved recognition and diagnosis. Men and women at midlife and beyond are being treated for eating disorders, either due to a relapse, ongoing illness from adolescence or young adulthood, or due to the new onset of an eating disorder.


*If you have any other questions or would like to some suggestions on what to say and what not to say to your loved ones, please reach out! I'm an open book and would like to help in any way I can! 



Source: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org




Copyright, 2017, 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 nutritionist 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

Turkey Day Mashed Potato Alternative

7:52 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

ROSEMARY CARROT MASH (Serves 4)   

INGREDIENTS: (all organic if possible) 

6 medium (about 1 pound) carrots, peeled,  
And cut into 1-inch chunks 
2 tablespoons grass-fed butter or extra virgin olive oil 
1/2 to 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste 

DIRECTIONS:  

Bring a pot of water to a boil. 
Chop carrots and rosemary. 
Add carrots to boiling water and boil until tender. (about 10 minutes) 
Drain carrots and put them in a bowl. 
Mash with potato masher or whip with a hand/immersion blender 
Add rosemary, butter, sea salt & pepper and stir. Serve.  


Copyright, 2017, 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 nutritionist 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

Holiday Helper

5:12 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

Every year I adopt a family or child over the holidays. I'm focusing on giving back in my local neighborhood again this year and would love for you to join me! I will be donating unwrapped gifts to the Crisis Nursery's Holiday Helper Program from now until December 17th. (More details below) Make a donation and you will receive $10 off any of my single services or packages as an added bonus!   *Scheduling a service is not required in order to make a donation! CLICK HERE to view the services I offer. 


Holiday Helper Program 2017

Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery's Holiday Helper Program supports families who access our services during the winter season of giving.  Gifts received from the Holiday Helper Program are distributed to families based on their specific needs and what has been donated. Gifts are given to families beginning on Friday, November 24th, 2017 - Friday, December 22nd, 2017.


Wish List for Families:


New Toys: For children newborn - 6 years
*Educational activities
*Games

Gift Items for Parents:

*Personal care items (lotion,
bath salts)
*Winter accessories
*Kitchen items

Gift Cards Amounts of $25 or More: Retails stores

*Target, Kohl’s, etc.
* Amazon

Gift Wrap:

*Wrapping paper
*Scotch tape
*Bows and ribbon
*Large black trash bags
(for transporting gifts)


Items they CANNOT accept:

*Used items

*Items that promote violence (toy weapons or cartoon characters with weapons)

* Items that require batteries (many families cannot afford to replace batteries)

* Religious themed items (including gift wrap featuring Christmas, Santa, etc.)

* Pre-wrapped gifts (The families are grateful when they are able to give their children gifts.
It’s important that the families have the opportunity to wrap their gift so they are an active part of the gift giving process.) 



Important Information:


Nearly 90% of the families are of minority status.

Items that promote cultural diversity are encouraged.





CONTACT ME with questions or to schedule a time to drop off your donations! Thank you! 



Copyright, 2017, 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 nutritionist 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

Self-Care Plan: Eliminate, Modify, Add

8:56 AM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

Here is a quick, simple strategy to use when creating a self-care (self-love) plan to modify your behavior to improve your health and well-being:

1. Grab a sheet of paper and draw three columns. Label them, "Eliminate," "Modify," and "Add." 
2. In the "Eliminate" column write the behaviors you are committing to stopping completely. 
3. In the "Modify" column list the behaviors you will modify, and state specifically how you intend to adjust them. 
4. In the "Add" column prescribe yourself some behaviors that will nourish your mind, body, and spirit! 

Here is an example: 





I would love to hear your feedback if you create a plan! 


Source: Expectation Hangover by Christine Hassler




Copyright, 2017, 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 nutritionist 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

Doomsday

9:03 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

What you want people to say at your funeral is what you measure success by. Re-evaluate your life and make it a goal to make an impact on people! What do you value?  Your character and how you treat people?  Answer these questions and you will know what your legacy will be!