Effortless Healing by Dr. Joseph Mercola (Book Review)

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are 100% my own. 

About the book-

LET YOUR BODY DO THE WORK
 
Do you have to tell your leg to heal from a scrape? Your lungs to take in air? Your body that it’s hungry? No. Your body does these things automatically, effortlessly. Vibrant health is your birthright and within your grasp; you just have to step out of the way. In Effortless Healing, online health pioneer, natural medicine advocate, and bestselling author Dr. Joseph Mercola reveals the nine simple secrets to a healthier, thinner you. The results are amazing and the steps can be as easy to implement as:
 
·         Throwing ice cubes in your water to make it more “structured”
·         Skipping breakfast, as it could be making you fat
·         Eating up to 75 percent of your calories each day in fat for optimal health, reduction of heart disease, and cancer prevention
·         Avoiding certain meat and fish, but enjoying butter
·         Eating sauerkraut (and other fermented foods) to improve your immune system and your mood
·         Walking barefoot outside to decrease system-wide inflammation (and because it just feels great)
·         Enjoying a laugh: it’s as good for your blood vessels as fifteen minutes of exercise
 
Effortless Healing is the distillation of decades of Dr. Mercola’s experience and cutting-edge medical knowledge. With his wisdom and that of your body, you can optimize your health, your weight, and your life…effortlessly.

My thoughts-

I am always interested in what Dr. Mercola has to say. I first started looking into some of the things that I felt like didn't add up when my daughter was born and my husband was still in chiropractic school and that was around the time that I discovered Dr. Mercola. I love that he has a background in both medicine and alternative medicine. I think that people with an integrative view usually have a more well rounded view of things and are more likely to look at things objectively. Dr. Mercola is also one of the hugest supporters of gmo labeling which is a huge deal to me and further shows me that he is on the side of health. He also frequently posts health documentaries you can watch for free on is website, so to me it is very obvious that our health is a top priority for him. Effortless  Healing is full of so much useful information that so many people might not know. There are so many key principals mentioned that can help lead to a healthier life. Mercola goes in to depth on each of the 9 principals (listed above) he feels you need to follow to optimize your health. I found myself nodding more than once as I was reading this information and can not wait to implement the things  I didn't already know myself in my never ending quest to be more healthy. He even includes instructions for making kefir and fermented foods at your house. I am definitely going to give that a try soon. Some of the things Mercola mentions are different than what you may have previously heard from the medical community, so he includes very thorough explanations of why he has come to believe what he does and, to me, it all makes a great deal of sense. I recommend this book to anyone that has questions about what exactly we should be fueling our bodies with or who are looking to improve their overall health. 

Effortless Healing is available on Amazon.com

Connect with Dr. Joseph Mercola on Facebook
Connect with Dr. Joseph Mercola on Twitter
Connect with Dr. Joseph Mercola on Goodreads
Mercola.com

MASH Up Conditioning- Tempo Workout DVD Review

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the Tempo Workout DVD in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

I was so excited to be offered the opportunity to review one of MASH Up Conditioning's workout videos because I am a huge fan of high intensity interval training. If you don't know what HIIT is, it's basically working out at a big level for a shorter amount of time. The idea is that if you work out all of your muscle groups at one time, the impact of the workout will be greater. I have been a fan of HIIT workouts since I discovered them and they are truly the most effective thing for me as far as losing weight and toning up. MASH Up Conditioning's high intensity workouts are great because as the trainers go through the exercises on the video, they tell you exactly what it is you are working on and why. I love that these videos are geared toward anybody who wants to exercise. There is even a beginner level that pregnant women can continue to do through their pregnancy. I know a lot of mine friends are always searching for exercises they can do while expecting, so to me, that is a pretty cool feature. (Always check with your doctor before beginning a new work out routine!) There is also a person doing intermediate versions of the exercises and of course someone doing the advanced version. They are all 3 doing the workouts at the same time, which is cool because you can kind of switch back and forth between the routines. If something is too hard for you in the intermediate level, you can step down to the beginner for that exercise or if something is easy peasy you can give the advanced exercise a try. These workouts are 15 minutes long. Since there are several videos to choose from, you could combine them for a longer workout if you wanted or you could do one in the morning and one in the evening. The way the M A SH Up dvd is set up, you can truly adjust working out to fit into your unique schedule.

I found the exercises to be both fun and doable. I also found that they worked my body out well. I could definitely feel the burn and worked up a good sweet. The only thing you need- and they are optional really- are hand weights. You can start out with lighter weights and work your way up to something heavier as your body begins to get used to the workouts. Another thing I really liked that was included with the workout dvd was an eating guide. It is definitely helpful to have a list of the great "clean" foods you can eat to best optimize your workouts...and your health in general. Finally, the thing that made me most excited about MASH Up is that it was started by two moms (north Texans might I add!) that understand that we as moms sometimes do not have a ton of time to fit extra things into our schedules and created this fitness company with that in mind.

I really enjoyed the Tempo workout and I know I will be utilizing it for my workout routine quite often. MASH Up Conditioning also offers three other work outs that are taught by MASH Up Conditioning certified instructors at gyms. They have been featured in Dr. Mercola's newsletters and will be guest author for an article that will be coming out in the next week or so. If you don't know who Dr. Mercola is, he is one of the big leaders in natural medicine and is a huge advocate of health and wellness, so to even be mentioned by him is a huge deal!

If you are interested in Mash Up Conditioning dvds, you can get them at the Mash Up Conditioning website. You can also mention these awesome workouts to your favorite instructor at your gym to see about making these classes available at your gym!

Connect with MASH Up Conditioning on Facebook
Connect with MASH Up Conditioning on Twitter
Connct with MASH Up Conditioning on Youtube

About the trainers:

Jamie Zacharias

Registered Nurse, MSN, Nurse Practitioner, Cooper Certified Instructor & Personal Trainer, Collegiate Athlete & Marathon Runner

Jamie has been in the health and fitness industry for 11 years and is a proud mother of 2 and devoted wife. She has been involved with personal training and group exercise at numerous facilities. As a Nurse Practitioner, she has worked in medical weight loss and chronic disease, and has served in academia. She is passionate about helping others achieve and maintain optimal wellness improving their health and be able to better serve where they are called to in life.

Stacy Redwine

BS Exercise Phyisiology & Pre Physical Therapy, MA Missiology, ACE Certified Instructor & Personal Trainer, Collegiate Athlete & Marathon Runner
 
Stacy has been personal training and lead fitness classes all over the country for 15 years and is a proud mother of 5 and devoted wife. She has owned her own fitness studio and has authored several fitness DVD’s. She is passionate about showing others how to fit physical activity into every lifestyle, helping others look and feel their best because healthy living is a vital part of their life, spiritual well-being and stewardship of God’s amazing gift to us, our physical bodies.