January's Oil of the Month is … Wintergreen

Fun Fact: Wintergreen has a strong, penetrating aroma that is most notably used as a flavoring agent for
root beer, chewing gum, and toothpaste. It's first recorded use was by American Indians. They used birth bark (wintergreen) to flavor their tea.

Wintergreen is a strong anti rheumatic, or in common language, it is very effective at preventing arthritis pain, bone pain, and cartilage injury. It is also an anti-inflammatory, so it does more than just relieve pain. It is also effective on things such as bone spurs, joint pain, and shoulder pain (specifically rotator cuff).

This oil is one of the most effective holistic remedies because of it's powerful soothing properties. For anyone who has suffered from arthritis pain, it can be a nagging pain, that's not easily relieved. Wintergreen is incredibly effective because it hits arthritis from both angles. Not only does it reduce the inflammation that has been caused by the arthritis, but it reduces the and reverses the arthritis itself. 

If you are interested in purchasing Wintergreen Oil for yourself, you can order it here:
www.mydoterra.com/abbyshroka 

- Click on "shop for products" in the top right hand corner.
- After entering the country of shipping, click on "single oils" to find Wintergreen.

Wishing you all Health, Hope, & Happiness
Abby

If you missed last month's essential oil, click here, to find recipes that contain essential oils as part of the ingredients.

Add Some Spice to Your Life in 2014

New Year, New You… New Spice?

What's on your agenda this year for 2014? Have you set some new intentions; a new years resolution? In an effort to find a newer, better version of ourselves, we all look for ways to spice up our lives in the new year.

Let's keep things simple this year. Instead of a complex new years resolution that is sure to fail, how
about spicing up your life literally? Spices are loaded with health benefits, and adding them to your daily cooking routine can increase your health and wellness dramatically. Below is a list of spices, and their basic healing properties.

Basil: Soothes stomach aches and gas.
Black Pepper: Helps relieve indigestion.
Cayenne: Very effective at preventing heart attacks.
Cinnamon: Regulates blood sugar naturally; is great for diabetes prevention.
Clove: Anti-microbial.
Dill: A natural treatment for heartburn, colic, and gas.
Fennel: Reduces bad breath and body odor.
Fenugreek: Helps flush out harmful toxins.
Garlic: Lowers "bad" cholesterol, is an antioxidant, and helps to prevent many different kinds of cancer.
Ginger: Anti-nausea remedy, very effective for morning sickness.
Mint: Eases hiccups.
Oregano: Helps soothe stomach muscles.
Rosemary: Antioxidant.
Sage: Antiseptic and antibiotic; great for boosting the immune system.
Thyme: Helps reduce asthma by relaxing the respiratory muscles.
Turmeric: A natural anti-inflammatory that helps to reduce the pain of arthritis and injury.

Try adding some of these spices to your diet in 2014. I want to caution you that this doesn't mean buying a spice mix at the store, or using more garlic salt in your food. This means chopping up a clove of garlic to add to your food instead. It's a little more work, but the health benefits far out weight it. Besides, what would a new years resolution be if it wasn't a bit of work?

New Year, New You… New Yoga?

It's a new year, and the perfect time to commit to a new Holy Yoga practice. The class schedule for the new year is:

Tuesdays @9am
Thursdays @7:15pm

Please remember that Holy Yoga is for EVERYONE! The practice is all about coming just as you are that day. There is absolute freedom to rest on your mat during the entire class, or to challenge yourself in each pose. No matter where you're at, whether you are a brand new beginner, or have been practicing for many years, YOU are welcome! Just as you are. Always.

If you don't live in Long Beach, there still may be a Holy Yoga class near you. Visit the holy yoga website here, to find a class in your area.

Whether you add spices to your meal, start attending a Holy Yoga class, or have a resolution of your own, I pray that 2014 is a year of new beginnings for you!

Wishing you Health, Hope, & Happiness
Abby

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The Third Rule for Achieving Your New Years Resolution

I'm a huge fan of boundaries. Why? Because so many of the problems we encounter are because we didn't take the time to guard ourselves. What happens when you get caught off guard? You usually says something harsh that you later regret, or you commit to something that you can't follow through with. 

"Above all else guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it" 

Proverbs 4:23

Satan is really sneaky. He doesn't approach us with all he's got right from the start. Instead he comes at us from an angle, something we don't expect. He tries to trick us with something that appears safe, but is actually very harmful. He uses a slow fade, and overtime he turns black and white into gray. Before we know it, choices are made that harm us, hurt people we love, and lead to guilt and regret.

I'm a huge fan of boundaries in all areas of my life. Setting clear boundaries was my main intention in 2013. Setting strong boundaries has helped me to avoid getting caught off guard, making stupid mistakes that I quickly regret, it has kept me from hurting those I love most, it has dramatically reduced the stress in my life, and it has protected me from getting taken advantage of. My husband and I both have strong boundaries set in our relationship with each other, as well as our relationship with others. I started out 2013 with the intention of setting boundaries in one or two key areas of my life. However, once I started setting boundaries in those two areas of my life, I realized that I needed boundaries in ALL areas of my life. I needed to guard my heart, my time, my relationship with Jesus, my health, my marriage, my money, my diet, and so much more.

When it comes to your new years resolution, setting boundaries around it is a must. It doesn't matter if you resolution has to do with your health, or with something totally different. We all have weaknesses that will threaten the success of our new years resolutions. Being able to predict these weaknesses and set boundaries around them will protect you and greatly increase your chance of sticking with your resolution in 2014.

Let's look at an example. Say that your resolution is to exercise 3 days per week this year. If your main weakness for skipping the gym is due to exhaustion after work, then you need to start by setting some boundaries around your sleep schedule. On the night before you plan to go to the gym, set a strict bedtime for yourself. This bedtime boundary will help to prevent exhaustion, and will help you make going to the gym 3 days a week a reality.

I know setting boundaries can seem overwhelming and very tricky. It took a lot of guess and check work through out 2013 before I really mastered my boundaries. Start out by being honest with yourself about your weaknesses surround your resolution. Then, set boundaries from there. Be aware through out January of other weaknesses that threaten your new years resolution, and be willing to adjust your boundaries as you see fit.

In the month of January, I will be offering a complementary, one on one, phone consultation geared towards setting boundaries around your resolution. To sign up, click here. I would love to work with you to help you set really clear boundaries that will help to guard your goal and set you up for success!

Setting boundaries isn't the only piece of the puzzle when it comes to achieving your new year's resolution. Take some time to review the "3 Keys to Make Your New Year's Resolution Stick." By applying all three principles, you will have a significantly greater chance for success.

Wishing you all Health, Hope, & Happiness
Abby

The Second Rule for Achieving Your New Year's Resolution

No matter what your new years resolution is, it's going to be a battle for you to achieve. Let's face it, most of us set really big goals, with high standards for our new year. I know I always start the new year saying "THIS year is going to be the year…" (fill in those dots with something along the lines of "all my problems will be solved and I'll get everything figured out"). That's a lofty resolution with some pretty hefty stakes. If I have any chance of achieving my resolution, it's going to require fight, perseverance, kicking, screaming, clawing, blood, sweat, and tears. It's going to be a battle. 

I'm sure you've heard the phrase "two are better than one," countless times before. I could not agree more with this phrase. No one likes going into battle alone. An army behind you, or even a soldier to watch your back side, increases your odds of winning the battle significantly. This is where accountability comes into play. Having an accountability partner to watch your weak side, to stand behind you, and encourage you will play a huge roll in your success.

"Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another."

Proverbs 27:17

This verse literally means to give encouragement or moral support to another man, in order to build him up into becoming the most pure version of himself that he can be. In Hebrews, this same concept is reiterated: "Let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another…" Accountability is crucially important when you are fighting a battle. 

It's also important to find accountability before you start. Don't wait for failure, or your first slip up, before enlisting a friend's help. Get one today! Whether it's a friend, your spouse, a colleague, or a health coach like me (wink wink!), find a solid partner. Find a partner who isn't afraid to put you in your place, who truly wants you to be the best you that you can be, and one who is positive. Don't wait! Enlist accountability today. Get a partner to help encourage you, fight with you, and protect your weak side.

Don't miss the other two principles that are necessary for making your new years resolution stick. You can find them here; in the blog post "3 Keys to Make Your New Year's Resolution Stick."

Wishing you all Health, Hope, & Happiness

Abby

The First Rule to Achieving Your New Years Resolution

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

Proverbs 29:18 KJV

Setting a specific goal is vital because it sets the tone for CHANGE. Statistics show that people who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than those who don't. So what are you waiting for? I've outlined some ways that you can set really explicit goals based around your new years resolution. Follow the steps below to increase your chances of achieving your goals.

Step #1: Set both short and long term plans that center around your goal.

Step #2: Break down your goal into monthly, and weekly figures.

Step #3: Write the goals out, and place them in plain sight, somewhere that you can see them everyday.

Step #4: Give yourself some grace.

The #1 resolution for 2014 is to lose weight. Let's take this resolution and apply the four steps. 

Step #1: Set both short and long term plans that are centered around your goal.
The long term goal would be to lose 25 pounds in 2014. A short term goal would be to lose 5 pounds by the first weekend of March when you attend your brother-in-law's wedding. The short term goal of losing 5 pounds by March 1st puts you on pace to lose 25 pounds by the end of the year. It is also centered around an event that will give you motivation to lose the weight (a family wedding).

Step #2: Break down your goal into monthly and weekly figures.
If you want to lose 25 pounds in 2014, that is just a hair over 2 pounds per month, and one pound every other week. Breaking this goal down into a monthly goal of 2 pounds, and a weekly goal (or every other week in this case) greatly increases the chances of staying on track with your goals through out the entire year. Once you've set these monthly/weekly goals, find ways to monitor and track them. 

Step #3: Write the goals out and place them in plain sight.
Write out your goal to lose 25 pounds this year. Place it on your bathroom mirror, your fridge, the inside of your pantry, your nightstand, your steering wheel, and wherever else you want to. Don't stop there, track you successes from month to month, and place those in the same places. Positive motivation is the best motivation. You're much less likely to reach for junk food in the pantry if you have a piece of paper with your goal to lose 25 pounds, and your current weight loss number staring you in the face. 

Step #4: Give yourself some GRACE!! 
A big reason that goals fail is because people give up at the first sign of distress. I hate to say this, but something will come up this year that will threaten your new years resolution. Life is full of unexpected twists that can easily ruin our well planned out goals. However, just because you fall off the wagon for a day, a week, or even a month, that doesn't mean you need to give up. Give yourself some grace; instead of beating yourself up, get back on the wagon. Don't  wait until 2015 to start again!

Setting explicit goals are a huge part of maintaining your new years resolution and finding success in 2014. Take some time to apply these four steps to your new years resolution. If you're unsure of how to apply these steps to your new years resolution, schedule a complementary "Goal Setting in 2014" health consultation.

Even though setting goals is a huge part of finding success, it's not the only factor to achieving your new years resolution. See my post "The 3 Keys to Make Your New Years Resolution Stick." By incorporating your goal setting with the other two principles mentioned in that post, your chances for success skyrocket!

Wishing you all Health, Hope, & Happiness
Abby