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My Melanoma Miracle, Part 2: Lisa Lynn

As I spoke about in Part 1 of "My Melanoma Miracle", I had a melanoma removed from my left calf in January of this year (2014). It was only through the grace of God that I insisted on the mole being removed as it showed no signs of change in shape or size. Little did I know of the attack that was coming against my body from the inside out. But God knew and He led me with that still, small voice that I am convinced radically changed my life - for the better.

I told you in Part 1 that I wanted to talk about how honoring and respecting our bodies in a whole new way - Honoring God with your Bod - will not only change your body, but your whole life forever. But this way of thinking required a period of self-adjustment for me. A way of thinking, and acting, that was not instinctive. And it all began with my attitude.....

In January, 2014 when I had the melanoma removed from my left calf my thought process changed from worry to a "grateful to be alive" attitude. I now want to honor my body and respect it in a whole new way. This new phase of my "new" life includes more gratitude and self-love than ever before. I can hear some of you saying, "You Lisa? You struggle with the same everyday issues and problems that I face"? Absolutely! I'm human just like you and struggle the same way with the same issues that you do. I was also 40 pounds overweight at one time and know first-hand that seeing what's in the mirror takes longer to fix than just losing weight. This lack of confidence is a driving force to helping others and stop the suffering we all feel when we struggle with weight and all the outside, and inside, issues that go along with it.

Today I choose to honor God with my Bod. After all, He gave this body to me, and us. Don't I/we owe it to Him to take the best possible care of it that we can? What exactly does that mean?

I believe it's crucial to stay physically fit but we also need to be spiritually fit. Fitness begins on the inside as I talk about in my book, "The Metabolism Solution" - God and Your Bod. I'm going to say something that a lot of over-exercising (aka "exercise addicts") may not like, but please bear with me for a second. When you learn that you have a deadly disease everything changes - instantly. You no longer want to kill and torture yourself in the gym, which is what we feel we need to do as that is something we have "control" over. Our affliction or disease - not so much. Suddenly it's not about perfect thighs or weight. It's about being able to live to see your kids grow up!

Too often, the reason we "feel" we need to torture ourselves in the gym anyway is because we ate too much. Eating clean and exercising daily is the goal, not abusive types of workouts that leave us drained physically and emotionally. God is not pleased when we abuse our bodies - in any way. Every abusive action, thought or belief affects us in some way or another. It's critical that you are in touch with your inner self to learn what's driving you and your desires. Is it out of love? Out of fear? Here is a new way to begin thinking, if you don't already. It applies to your feelings and how you treat your body, and others as well:

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

I can tell you with certainty, love never fails! Especially when it comes to changing your body.

I still face lots of questions today about "my future". And I'm sure you have questions about yourself and your future. That's why I want to share with you my "bullet proof" plan. Why do I call this time in my life "My Melanoma Miracle"? It's because I've seen first-hand that God can take a paralyzing fear and turn it into a faith so strong that nothing can stand against it. So, here are a few spiritual exercises that will strengthen your faith muscles and radically transform your body:

Form a Miracle Prayer Network/Group of at Least 8 People

Don't have one? I didn't either until now. This step is a necessity regardless of what you have to overcome. I chose to initially only share my story with people who I knew would lift me up daily, versus allowing me to stay stuck in fear and negativity. People I could trust would pray daily for me without being asked. Texting is a great way to send reminders daily. I send out a text message at 5am daily to my network to get the prayers going, and you know what - it works! Try it - you'll see. What have you got to lose?

By the way, if you find it hard to find those 8 people it just might be an indicator that you need to surround yourself with more positive people who really care - for you.

Get Off the Self-Pity Pot Squats

This is where I get stuck. I turned to my pastors and close prayer partners right away to help keep me off the pity party mentality. Pity parties don't work because they're usually attended by others of the same mentality that enable you to feel sorry for yourself and allow fear to gain a stronghold. Believe me, that's the last thing you want.

Stop Complaining and Start Praising

One of my all-time favorite preachers, Joyce Meyer, has a saying; "if you complain you will remain". Remember that love and gratitude never fails. Love wins every time and will make you feel better instantly. Gratitude shouldn't be an every-know-and-then occurrence. It should be a way of life, no matter what you face. Remember the old proverb, "I complained that I had no shoes, until I met someone who had no feet"? Can't think of anything to be grateful for? That's proof you're out of practice.

Exercise or Move Each Day - Your Life Depends On It

It's crucial to keep your body in working order by moving them each day to stop blood clots form forming and to detox. Yet if you're suffering from any disease, or you're not feeling good, remember that you do need to move moderately. Moderate exercise boosts immunity while over-exercising weakens it. There are plenty of exercises you can do when you're sick. Bottom line - do something.

If you need a workout be sure to check out my DVDs or the workout in my book. It's loaded with pictures and easy to follow. If you're chair-bound you can sit while doing almost all of the exercises.

Let Go and Let God, or Be Dragged Down

Whatever is bugging you - give it to God. Living in fear - no matter what you're facing is always full of stress. Even in those situations where you have no control you must stay faithful and keep you faith muscles strong so you can handle what may come your way. And the best way to strengthen the faith muscles........by bending your knees!

I hope that my sharing the past couple of weeks inspires you in a whole new way to take care of your body - inside and out. Never take your health for granted. That includes physical and spiritual as both need to be fed and maintained. Stay in touch with your yourself so you know what "normal" is.

I urge each of you to consider donating to the Yale Plastic Surgery and Melanoma Research Fund HERE. They are doing incredible research that will save lives. Please watch the video below to learn more.



But most of all.....

Stay Strong, Live Fearlessly, and God Bless You All!

Nix Joint Pain And Fatigue While Boosting Mood

We all suffer with sore, painful joints and low energy which affects our mood at one time or another. Whether it is from stress, over-use, injury, arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis, or maybe you're healing from surgery or an illness. Whatever the cause, your body needs additional nutritional support to heal and repair, from the inside out. When our bodies are sick or under stress (weight loss and exercise both cause stress) our nutrient needs are increased and diet is almost never enough to bring results.

Medications that stop us from feeling pain can also stop the healing process and slow the metabolism, which keeps us from losing weight. It's always best to take a holistic approach and that's where LynFit Recovery Agent comes in.

LynFit Recovery Agent is a combination of 16 of the highest quality ingredients in exactly the amount your body needs to be effective. Researchers have discovered that when certain nutrients are combined in a concentrated form (like found in LynFit Recovery Agent) they are more powerful. It is a multivitamin and joint, pain protector wrapped into one. We all need to prevent injuries and joint pain from happening in the first place, so it's best to provide your body with what it needs to keep your joints supple and pliable, keeping pain away.

LynFit Recovery Agent is a powerful, yet safe effective supplement that utilizes the body's multiple pathways and systems to promote aggressive healing and recovery to fight the inflammation that causes pain; arthritis, tendonitis, bursitis or any "itis" for that matter. It can relieve it without hurting your metabolism.

The highly effective nutrients found in LynFit Recovery Agent not only help relieve your pain and suffering, they may also help reduce cravings for alcohol and sugar. Clean out your liver clogging medicine cabinet and start reaching for natural alternatives. Be sure to drink lots of fresh water and keep your diet high in healing foods like the LynFit Complete Protein Shake or Lean Bar and salmon. Be sure to eat your 10 servings of vegetables every day but minimize night shade vegetables as they have been known to cause inflammation. Night shade vegetables are potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant and peppers, to name a few. More information on these vegetables can be found in my soon to be released book.

Ten Reasons You Need LynFit Recovery Agent:
  • Boosts your body's immune function and response
  • Protects your body from free radical damage
  • Helps reduce and relieve pain and inflammation
  • Helps your body absorb calcium more efficiently and helps prevent bone loss
  • Helps keep your body flexible and pliable
  • Helps you feel better and gives you more energy faster
  • Helps put the brakes on aging
  • Helps the body handle stress
  • Improves circulation and increases blood flow
  • Helps boost mood - you'll feel better fast!

I recommend taking LynFit Recovery Agent as soon as you wake up and again if needed immediately after your workout to replace nutrients. Make sure to read the product label for the correct dosage.

3 Ways to Boost Thyroid Function

 

Hypothyroidism may be the reason you’re overweight, but it’s not an excuse! I too have battled with a “dead” thyroid my whole life so I understand how frustrating it can be. You can still lose weight even if your thyroid is not working properly by taking a few simple steps. 

There are many causes of hypothyroidism, and you want to make sure you know why your thyroid isn’t working properly so you can treat it accurately. It doesn’t matter if your thyroid is underactive because you have Hashimoto’s disease, goiter or your hormones have slowed it down. Most times, your doctor will treat you with thyroid hormone pills and you will start to feel better within a week or two. 

But what should you do if you have all of the symptoms (tired, cold all the time, hair and memory loss, brittle nails and hair, leg swelling) and your doctor says your blood tests are fine? Most thyroid tests aren’t articulate enough to catch this, so pay close attention to how you feel and treat your thyroid naturally to keep it working at an optimal rate so you never have a problem with it slowing down.  

The thyroid is “The Master Hormone” that controls everything in our body. One of the biggest reasons our thyroids slow down is due to iodine deficiency in addition to aging. In fact, 40% of us are at risk for iodine deficiency and hypothyroidism. Not giving our bodies the nutrients that are important for a healthy thyroid will also slow your thyroid down. Since the body does not make iodine, it relies on the diet to get enough. We can easily maintain adequate iodine through our diets by using table salt because it’s fortified with iodine, but most of us need to restrict or limit our sodium causing iodine deficiencies to show up.  Many medications also slow down the thyroid and also cause iodine deficiency. Lithium and corticosteroids are thyroid-slowing and should be used sparingly if at all. Pain medications, antihistamines and anti-depressants may also slow the thyroid down. Medications that make you feel sleepy or slow may also slow your thyroid and your metabolism down even more. Ask your doctor about alternatives.

 

Here are three things you can do to boost your thyroid function:


1. Eat more of these great sources of iodine to enhance thyroid function: 

  • Low fat cheese  
  • Cow’s milk
  • Eggs   
  • Low fat ice cream    
  • Low fat yogurt                                  
  • Saltwater fish
  • Seaweed (including kelp, dulce, nori)
  • Shellfish
  • Soy sauce

2. Eat less of these foods; they slow your thyroid because they block your thyroid and your medication from producing thyroid hormone properly, especially when eaten raw. Cooking these foods inactivates their anti-thyroid properties. These foods are called goitrogens, which are chemicals that lower thyroid function. Eat these foods sparingly or only once every four days:

  • Almonds                      
  • Cauliflower (Any vegetable that falls into the broccoli family is a goitrogen and shouldn’t be eaten more than twice a week if you have hypothyroidism.)
  • Millet             
  • Pears               
  • Turnips
  • Brussels sprouts          
  • Corn                      
  • Mustard       
  • Pine nuts           
  • Cabbage                         
  • Kale                        
  • Peaches         
  • Soy (Isoflavones block iodine)
  • Canola oil                                                       
  • Peanuts         
  • Spinach     

3. Workout every day. All you need is a pair of sneakers and a watch, and you’re ready to go. For optimal thyroid function, you must exercise at least three days a week for 40 minutes per workout. I strongly suggest working out/walking every day so your thyroid gets a boost daily to correct the condition until your thyroid is running at an optimal rate. Circuit training is also great way to lower insulin levels and increase thyroid function. This is easy to do in the comfort of your own home by doing pushups, lunges and sit-ups back to back without rest, pushing yourself a bit to get out of breath. 

Bonus: Enhance your thyroid with supplements. Take thyroid-enhancing supplements daily to gently and safely keep your thyroid working optimally for life. The best way to treat anything is to prevent it!  Supplementing is the best way to keep your thyroid running at an optimal rate and to keep your weight under control. Start your supplement regime first by using a very strong, high quality multivitamin.  Most store-bought vitamins are not suitable or strong enough to help hypothyroidism, so look for a very potent high quality multi with high levels of iodine, selenium, zinc, vitamin B, D, E and at least 2 grams of vitamin C. Other nutrients such as omega-3 as well as amino acids also help regulate the thyroid and need to also be considered. One of my favorites that I put all of my hypothyroid clients on is gugglesterones. Guggulsterone or guggulipid’s have been used for centuries in ayurvedic medicine to naturally regulate the thyroid and keep it running at an optimal rate without the side effects of medications. Look for supplement multitaskers from a very reputable source so you don’t have to take 29 different pills every day.