I am very interested in your “8 Weeks to Wellness” program which I have recently read about on your facebook fan page. I am really excited about this contest and hope that after reading my story, you might find me a suitable candidate for this amazing opportunity!  I really NEED to take back charge of my health and body!

A few years ago I was really unhealthy and at my highest weight. I tried to lose weight, but was having a hard time. After much searching and lots of hard work I got myself onto the straight and narrow by completely changing my life (with help and support from a naturopathic doctor, personal trainer, friends and family) and lost almost 40 whole pounds! I was exercising regularly and had eliminated gluten, dairy, wheat and yeast from my diet (which I had found out I had sensitivities to. Eating this way continues to be an ongoing, daily challenge.) I was doing really well until a surgery (not able to exercise) and vacation (very little exercise, poor eating habits and being in a small town that wasn’t able to accommodate my food sensitivities) derailed me, and sent me off track. I struggled at the beginning of last year (2011) but seemed to get some “mojo” back by springtime. I took up running and competed in the “Warrior Dash” race up in Whistler. Although I was very proud of competing, an injury from the race set me back (and put a halt to me participating in all my favourite types of exercise.) Around this time I had also started on a new career path and started a new job that was very hectic and overwhelming. I was working a crazy shift work schedule of working anywhere from 11 – 15 hours a day, which made eating healthy and exercising very difficult. Working such long hours and suffering from my injury often put exercising out of the question for me. After working such a long day, I was exhausted and rarely had the energy to be able to get to the gym at all on my days of work and when I did, my injury held me back considerably. While trying to adjust to a new job that needed my full attention, exercising (what little I could actually participate in) and eating healthy definitely suffered, as I simply could not find a healthy way to juggle all three and keep my life in balance. Although I loved my new job, I felt like something was missing and I wasn’t happy with myself. I felt like I had lost control of my personal life and that I wasn’t in charge anymore. It was an oddly hopeless feeling.

That being said, however, I feel like now that it has been six months, I have really settled into my job and with my injury on the mend, I am now ready (VERY ready) and capable to take on the challenge of getting my life back to what it should be; the way it USED to be. Since the new year, I have been slowly starting to try to get back to having the healthy lifestyle I used to live and love, and have been working on restoring my healthy eating habits and exercise regime.

I believe that participating in this challenge would reinvigorate me and that I could be tremendously successful with your help, support and guidance. I believe I would be more successful than trying to do it on my own. I feel like I would be a great participant for this contest as I love a good challenge and love to push myself, especially when I have something to hold myself accountable for. I feel like having the structure of your 8 week program would be a great place for me to start over again and help me take back my life so that I am in charge again and can find a healthy balance between work life and personal life.

Nature’s Fare Markets, please help me take back control of my body and life again!
I started my journey to wellness on Tuesday January 24th. I began my morning with the Morning Rise and Shine and the Blueberry Greens… what a great way to start a morning! I was secretly dreading how the two would taste together but they were actually a PLEASURE to drink!! I have been following the cleansing and diet directions as closely as possible and I feel great. I didn’t actually notice how much more energy I had until my boyfriend pointed it out. He commented on how much energy I still had at the end of a long work day (11 hours) and how I’d usually be exhausted by that time, however instead of lounging around on the couch, I was working out! I also noticed that I’ve been sleeping better and just feeling all around better throughout the day. I have no “3 o’clock” slump and even managed to get up earlier than I typically would every day since starting the cleanse. I’m really enjoying the diet guidelines as I’ve been eating healthy and somehow even MORE food than I was before. I’m really looking forward to week 2 and what that will bring. After noticing the effects so quickly, I can’t wait to see what the future holds in store!!! Until next time!
Week 2 of the challenge is coming to an end and I’m feeling fantastic!! This week I made a real effort to get to the gym as much as possible. (Almost every single day.) This was really challenging prior to starting the 8 weeks due to having little to NO energy leftover after a 10 – 11 hour work day. The supplements/cleanse/diet is making a huge difference in how I look and especially how I feel. They’ve contributed to not having a “3 o’clock” slump anymore which feels great and makes it really easy to breeze through my work day! It’s surprisingly easy to get up in the morning without hitting the snooze button. I also can’t help but notice how much more… ummm… err….. “regular” I’m feeling which is fantastic!! My tummy is feeling great!! I’m also really noticing a change in how my skin isn’t as dry as it used to be which I’m assuming is partly from the cleanse and partly from the fish oils 3 times a day. I can’t believe how many positive changes have occured in the last 2 weeks and very excited what is yet to come!! Looking forward to keeping up the work for week 3!!
We’re wrapping up week 3 of the challenge and I’m still feeling amazing!!! I love how in such a short time, this challenge has really impacted my life. I can’t believe how I’m feeling so much more motivated to make positive changes in my life – even in terms of purchasing eco – friendly cleaning products for my home!

I’ve been really consistent with going to the gym since last week which I could NOT commit to prior to starting this challenge. I’m really loving that I’m at the gym more than I used to be. It’s making me feel stronger and healthier. I’m meeting up with my old gym buddies and even have my sights set on a 5 mile run with army like obstacles along the way this summer!
I love how the herbal cleanse made me feel and now I’m realizing that I’m having far less    cravings for sugary/starchy carbs. I’m incorporating more protein into my diet which is helpful since I’ve been provided with the Prairie Naturals Organic Rice Protein. I also purchased a fiber supplement (which was recommended as part of the cleanse – but not provided.) The fiber has certainly helped keep me “regular.”

The challenge is going great and I couldn’t be luckier than to have been chosen to participate. I can’t believe how good and happy I’m feeling. Looking forward to more change in week 4…. stay tuned!!

We’re at the end of week 4 of the challenge and I’m still loving every minute of it!!! Today was a very exciting day since I was at the 20th Annual Wellness Show in Vancouver and got to actually have an in depth chat with RoseMarie Pierce. I got to listen to an interesting talk she gave on living gluten free which really appealed to me and my other half since I live gluten/dairy free. It was amazing to have him listen to what this condition is like and how it can impact someone’s life. I later went back to the Prairie Natural’s booth to ask her some personal questions. She was SOOOOOOOOO knowledgeable and friendly and took her time to answer every one of my questions. Along with the “8 weeks to wellness” products, I will be adding an enzyme to each meal and bump up my vitamin D intake. Great day – so exciting!!

I’m still going strong here in week 4 and feeling fantastic. Things are still going well and my clothing is definitely fitting better and not so tight in the midsection. I’m really happy that the regularity has improved so much and continues to improve. I think the fiber that I started including is helping with that as well.

I still can’t get over how much more energy I have throughout each day with no slump. I’ve also noticed that I’m sleeping so much better. Since starting the challenge, I’ve been waking up wayyyyy less every night and sometimes not even waking up at all!

I’m still working on some interesting ways to include protein in my diet and I’m working on the possibility of making some home made protein bars…. I haven’t quite figured it out yet but I feel like I’m close to a good recipe! I’ll be sure to share if I find something delicious!

I hope to have more good news for week 5!! Until next time!!

Wow! Look how far we’ve come already! Feels like it was just yesterday that we started and were doing the cleanse! This week was a bit of a personal challenge for me as I was going to be in training all week for work which meant an extra long work week for me. I worked a total of 7 days in a row which makes for a loooooooooooooong work week. Everything was going well throughout the week. I was taking my vitamins/fish oils every day and always starting my day with the blueberry greens and delicious morning rise and shine, however I noticed today that when I finally got home from work and relaxed, I could feel a tickle starting in the back of my throat and my chest was feeling tight…. uh oh! Possibly over worked myself at a time of year where colds and flus are really going around? I plan on getting lots of sleep tonight and taking extra vitamin c for the next few days hoping that these extra precautions on top of what I’ve been doing for the last several weeks will nip anything I’m coming down with – in the butt!

Even with my hectic work schedule, I still managed to get to the gym almost everyday (except today) and still feeling great. I find that after a workout, I’m really enjoying my rice protein in a healthy protein shake and have come up with a variety of different shakes depending on what “food mood” I’m in at the time.

I’m still feeling great and I’m really enjoying the better sleep I’m getting. It definitely helps to feel your best and energized everday when you’re getting a proper nights sleep in!

It’s kind of funny to think of yourself as a “healthy” person, and then to do a challenge like this and really notice a difference. All the products I’m taking daily are contributing big time to my overall health and just can’t imagine living without them!

Looking forward to checking in next week and I’m fine tuning my protein bar recipe for then….. I want them to be perfect before I share them with you!

Hopefully next week at this time I will be reporting more awesome changes and hopefully I wouldn’t have gotten sick. *Fingers crossed, fingers crossed!!*

Helloooooooooooooo again Nature’s Fare and Followers of the “8 Weeks to Wellness” Challenge!

I am still feeling G – R – E – A – T!! I’m really loving all the Prairie Natural’s products and can’t say enough about them. I can’t believe how much of a difference they make EVERY day! I’m feeling all around happier which is fantastic and I’ve even gone as far as to purchase other Prairie Naturals products because they work SOOOOOOOOO well! Although I have noticed a definite increase in energy since starting the program, when I am having a bit of an “off” day or maybe had a bad sleep and I’m tired, I mix myself up some Morning Rise and Shine and it gives me the perfect little boost to get through the rest of the day, I just LOVE it!! I love how it’s natural and picks me up but doesn’t give me a caffeine overload or jittery energy.

I’m still trying to find interesting ways to incorporate more protein in my diet and I love this recipe for homemade protein bars (which I absolutely love!) :

Protein Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oat flour
• 2 or 3 scoops protein (I use the oraganic vanilla rice protein by Prairie Naturals)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 pitcher pack Crystal Light (preferably without aspartame – any flavour you like)
• 4 egg whites
• ¼  cup truvia
• 1 cup baby food applesauce
• ½ cup water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix oat flour, vanilla whey protein, salt, baking soda and crystal light, in large bowl.
Mix egg whites, applesauce, truvia and water in a bowl.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix together.
Spray 8×8 glass pyrex dish with non-stick butter spray.
Pour ingredients into dish and bake for 25 – 30 minutes.

ENJOY!

Hope you guys give these a try and like them as much as I do!! It’s a tasty way to get more protein into your daily diet! I also change up the ingredients and use different flavours of applesauce or crystal light. Sometimes I add berries which is a nice change too. Still loving the changes I’m experiencing and how much better I’m feeling. I really recommend this regimen to anyone who is feeling “stuck”, looking to start over or for anyone who just really needs a change.

Looking forward to next week!

Week 7 of the “8 weeks to wellness challenge!”

Wow what an exciting ride. Ups and downs but definitely more ups than downs! I hope you guys liked my protein bar recipe, they make such a great snack and the rice protein from Prairie Naturals keeps you feeling fuller, longer!
I didn’t notice it until recently but what’s been great is my energy throughout the morning. I know I’ve talked previously about having more energy, but I love getting through my mornings (and sometimes very early mornings, like 5 a.m.) without needing coffee, tea or any caffeine at all! The best part of it is that I noticed it because OTHER people noticed that I didn’t need any sort of morning “pick me up.” What a great feeling.
I’ve been making a real conscious effort to eat healthy and I’ve noticed that since on the program and sleeping better, I’m definitely having less cravings for carbs. I still get them every once in a while, but not like I used to. I’m really making a conscious effort to eat healthy complex carbohydrates such as brown rice or sweet potatoes. This keeps me full for a long time which cuts down on craving and snacking.
I’ve also noticed that I’m just feeling lighter and happier. I’ve spoken before about incorporating other healthy aspects into my life which recently included upping my vitamin d intake. This with all the other positive changes I’ve made have really contributed to my increased happiness and well being.

I hope you all are doing as well as I am!
Hello everybody!
I can’t believe we’ve come to the end of our journey. Seems like we just started yesterday, doesn’t it? I’m so happy with my progress and so proud of myself for all the things I’ve accomplished throughout this 8 weeks. Let’s recap shall we?

During the cleanse (the first 2 weeks of the program) I told you all about how my boyfriend actually pointed out to me how much more energy I had, even after a long (11 hour) workday. I also noticed I was getting much better sleep and feeling healthier in general. There was no more “3 o’clock” slump and I had ample energy to get through the afternoon. The 8 week challenge really pushed and motivated me to get to the gym as often as possible and I made a real effort to get there between 4 to 6 times a week. It was so much easier because of all the extra energy I was experiencing! I also noticed that aside from having oodles of energy during the day, I was experiencing more energy first thing in the morning and didn’t have to hit the snooze button anymore for that extra 15 minutes. My skin was a lot less dry (from the fish oil maybe??) and my stomach was becoming much more “regular” which is something I had struggled on and off with for YEARS!

I then became more motivated to make positive changes in my life in other areas. I began purchasing and using eco-friendly cleaning products for my home! I even started working towards becoming a certified cardio kickboxing instructor. (I hope to be certified within the next month or two – so exciting!) I started having far less cravings for sugary/starchy foods and carbs and really started working on incorporating more lean protein into my diet. I bought a fiber supplement to help keep my bowels working regularly.

As a result of all these changes, my clothing was starting to fit better - especially in my mid section. Who wouldn’t love that?!! It was great when people noticed and commented! The surge of energy I was experiencing didn’t falter and persisted which was nice. Sleeping much better, feeling more rested in the morning and waking up far less in the night (and sometimes not at all) was happening more and more which led me to feeling happier! (Which in turn, made my partner happier too ….)

As I started trying to incorporate more protein into my diet, I began to see that it can be tricky to do so since it’s important to switch up your sources of protein regularly. I tried looking for protein bars but there weren’t many out there that fit my criteria. (High protein, low sugar, no dairy or gluten, etc….) I thought… “why not make my own?” and voila… I tried a few batches and found a recipe that worked (which I provided in my week 6 or 7 email… I got the weeks mixed up a bit – oops.) They were a great mid morning or afternoon snack to keep me full until the next meal time. I’ve also really come to see the importance and benefit of having enough of the “right” kinds of fat in your diet. They really keep you satiated for much longer. I don’t know how I ever did the “low fat dieting” before… oh wait, I do know, it didn’t work. I’ve incorporated healthy fats such as nuts, seeds, nut butters, flax and etc. into my diet and even add them to foods such as my homemade protein bars, salads or my morning oatmeal.

I really love all the positive changes this 8 weeks has made to my life and more importantly – how it’s impacted those around me. Friends, family and co-workers have noticed the change and have asked questions on how they too could make these positive changes in their own lives. (It’s been great to share my story/struggles with them as well as my advice.) Our household has really changed too. We use eco – friendly and natural cleaning products, we’re engaging in more physical activity (we’re trying indoor rock climbing this weekend) and having much healthier eating habits including eating an abundance of fresh veggies and fruit and cutting out almost all processed foods altogether.

I still can’t believe the challenge has come to an end but hey – I guess all good things must come to an end! I can’t thank Prairie Naturals or Nature’s Fare Markets enough for letting me experience this amazing, life changing journey and I look forward to living this new way of life from now on! I hope that my journey has inspired anyone out there who’s been following along to make changes in their own lives, even if it’s just one small one because you can’t get anywhere without taking baby steps to get started! Any goal or accomplishment should be celebrated! Good luck to you all, I wish you all the best!!