July 17, 2015
Conquer Your Pain in 9 Steps
Conquer Your Pain in 9 Steps, is all about recognizing your pain and how to overcome its limitations.
About Conquer Your Pain in 9 Steps
From her own years of unnecessary suffering, Carole Staveley makes it her mission to maximize your chances of overcoming health barriers in the shortest possible time. Her 9 Step Health Champion approach shared in this book will help you achieve your full potential. She helps you achieve this by taking you through the process of establishing a Health Champion mindset, building your most effective health team, and maximizing your odds of persevering through it all. Become your own Health Champion and keep your healthy vision alive—no matter what challenges you face!
My Thoughts
Pain is subjective and can be felt differently from person to person based on severity. A headache that may debilitating to one person, is a normal day-to-day functioning health condition for another. Learning how to deal with your pain and conquer it in order to live a fully functional and happy life is so important!
Carole is like so many of us, suffering with chronic pain and being bounced back and forth. When she realized there were no easy answers, she knew she had to take charge of her own health. This is one area that I have always felt strongly about, patients need to be in charge of their own health, they need to ask questions, research (from reputable sources) and question whether treatments are right for them. While similar, all of our bodies respond differently to chronic conditions and treatments, so you need to work together with your health team to develop a treatment plan good for you.
Carole is an incredibly motivating individual that provides ideas and thought starters in order to take charge of your own health. This could range from individuals who suffer from chronic headaches (myself) to others who suffer from chronic diseases and conditions that puts them into positions of chronic pain. Treating your body with not only medication but also healthy food, supplements and exercise is just as important. Carole teaches us how to be an active part of our healing with chronic pain. Her book is one that you can work slowly through and come back to time and time again for a refresher.
You can purchase Conquer Your Pain in 9 Steps on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Chapters.
Rating: 4/5
Book Trailer
About the Author
After suffering 13 years of debilitation caused by a chronic myofascial pain condition, Carole Staveley realized there was no “magic bullet” coming to her rescue. She took charge of solving her health challenges and went on to complete an IRONMAN triathlon in 2013. Carole’s book, Conquer Your Pain in 9 Steps, takes you through her proven 9-step Health Champion approach to suffering less and achieving more. Carole Staveley is President of Inner Victory Coaching, an organization she founded to empower others to become their own Health Champions and reach their full potential. You can connect with her online, Twitter and Facebook.
The Giveaway!
Q&A with Carole Staveley!
Q: There are many books out there about health and wellness. What makes Conquer Your Pain in 9 Steps different?
A: Conquer Your Pain in 9 Steps is not just another general health and wellness book, nor is it focused on tips to overcome pain. It presents a 9-Step approach to dealing with any health challenge you might be faced with – now or in the future. This 9-step approach emerged from a retrospective analysis of how I conquered a 13-year struggle with chronic pain. Once I took control and became my own Health Champion, the improvements in my health were so dramatic that I was able to train for and complete an IRONMAN triathlon just 4 years into my recovery! The book was written with a deep desire to communicate to others that they can achieve things they never dreamt possible by following the process and becoming their own Health Champions.
Q: As a mom, writer, owner of your own company, athlete and Wellness Coach, how do you balance your time?
A: I get asked this a lot, and my answer generally goes like this: The biggest mistake we can make is to envision a “balanced” life in which our time is equally divided into all aspects of our lives (family, workouts, work, etc). This type of utopian expectation is what sets us up for frustration and self-deprecation. There are many priorities in my life: My kids, my husband, my fitness, care of my home, work / income, friends, etc. What I’ve come to accept is that different priorities take precedence at different times, and this makes me feel balanced. For example, in the last few months, my daughter has struggled with a significant health challenge. My priority has been to make sure she fully recovers, which means work and fitness have taken a back seat. And that’s OK. I feel balanced. I’m doing what I need to be doing right now. Your mind is what decides whether you’re balanced or not!
Q: What’s the most courageous thing you’ve ever done.
A: I have to say the most courageous thing I’ve ever done was showing up for my very first triathlon in 2009. I was just beginning to unravel the mysteries behind my chronic pain condition, and wanted to do something physical to celebrate feeling better. So I signed up for a Sprint distance triathlon. I had only begun to swim (other than goofing around in the pool as a child) in 2008, and had never done an open water swim in my life. I hadn’t done a swim or run workout for 6 weeks prior to the race due to nagging injuries (part of the condition I suffer from), but I decided to show up for the race that morning. I was never so scared in my life, which made the reward that much greater when I crossed the finish line and hugged my husband and kids.
Q: What is your favorite travel spot?
A: My absolute favorite family trip was in Loreto, Mexico, in the Baja Peninsula. It was a magical land of natural beauty, where desert meets ocean. We were outside the tiny town of Loreto, and it was practically devoid of humans. The whole family was mesmerized by it.
Q: Is there anything quirky about you that you’d like to share with readers?
A: I have to admit, I’m a Starbucks addict! And I mean it has to be brewed in a Starbucks store! I’ve tried many times to buy their coffee beans and brew it at home, but it never tastes as good. Maybe it’s all in my head, but I really look forward to picking up my “Grande bold in a Venti cup” in the morning.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
July 16, 2015
Up Your Grill Game This Summer With Vegetables and Fruits #CelebrateCanada
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Weber Grills Canada for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
Canada Day marked not only our 148th birthday but also the start of the Canadian outdoor summer season (which let’s be honest, isn’t near long enough!). Summer is the perfect time to get outside, get active and spend quality time together as a family. Our weekends are usually spent by the pool in the backyard, relaxing and just enjoying each others company. Our weekend time together is very important to us and we use this time to remind us what is most important in life, family.
And what better way to top off this quality time with, then with delicious food straight off the grill (spoken like a true Italian Canadian girl, eh!).
The days of traditional grilling are long gone and there is pretty much nothing you can not cook on your Weber grill. While hamburgers and hot dogs are still fun, why not try to spice up your grill a bit by giving your recipes flavour and variety.
While my husband tends to lean towards steak, chicken and pork (he could live off this combination of food everyday), I like to balance out our meals with veggies and fruits (yes, you can grill fruits and they even taste great!). Some of the best fruits to grill include: watermelon, pineapple and pears. Just make sure your grill is clean and on a low temperature before grilling your fruits.
Creating mouth-watering vegetables that are not overdone or dry, is easy when you grill them in tin foil. Follow these easy steps for delicious vegetables that are perfect on the side or added on top of a steak or chicken sandwich:
For this recipe you need:
- large rectangular shaped piece of tin foil
- vegetables of your choice (I used mushrooms, onions, red peppers and zucchini) cut up in small slices
- one tbsp of olive oil
- garlic powder and Montreal steak spice to taste
Make a tray with your tin foil and line the inside of the tray with olive oil. Place your vegetables and mix the vegetables together to coat them with the olive oil. Add your spices to taste.
Use the remainder of the tin foil to create a lid for your vegetables. Place the tin foil directly onto the grill at medium to low heat and cook until done.
If you really want to shake things up a bit, why not try naan vegetable pizza on the grill? Using some of the leftover zucchini from above and tomatoes, you can create a nutritious appetizer that will please any picky eater.
Just lightly coat one side of the naan bread with olive oil, add the zucchini, diced tomatoes and some ricotta cheese. When you place this on the grill make sure you are doing so at a low temperature so you do not burn the bottom of the bread. Remove the pizza when the bottom is golden.
Grilling up nutritious fare is an important part of outdoor fun and can be made that much more exciting when you experiment outside of the box.
What is your favourite recipe for the grill?
If you are looking for more grilling fun, check out Weber Grills You Tube Channel, full of helpful tips, recipes (Sangria – yes please!) and more.
July 14, 2015
PanAm Football Matches #WW with linky!
As many of you may already know, the PanAm games have officially started in Toronto. We attended two football matches, Panama VS Peru and Brasil VS Canada. Both matches were full of excitement and we had a wonderful time.
Make sure you link up below so that I can come visit you too! Have a great day!
July 14, 2015
Alchemy’s Daughter by Mary A. Osborne
In medieval Italy, daughters are expected to marry and raise children. In Alchemy’s Daughter, this whole concept is challenged.
About Alchemy’s Daughter
In San Gimignano, Italy, daughters of merchants are expected to marry. But Santina Pietra cares only for her Calandrino, a brilliant young scholar who is preoccupied with his ancient alchemical texts. He challenges her in her studies and teaches her to aim further then just a wife.
Soon Santina meets Trotula, the village midwife, who might or might not be a “strega,” a witch. Trotula challenges her to forget Calandrino and become the woman she is meant to be. Some say she is a victim of the midwife’s spell, but Santina is determined to follow in Trotula’s footsteps even as calamities strike.
My Thoughts
I love a novel with a strong, female character and Alchemy’s Daughter provides this and more. In a period of history where women were expected to marry and provide heirs, Santina is a strong, confident young woman who goes against convention to follow her dreams of being a midwife. While many people rely on the midwife to provide care and deliver their children, the role of the midwife was cast as a witch in medieval times. Which we now know, that being labelled as a witch had deathly consequences in this time period.
I love how the novel was full of surprises. Like the choice Santina made to learn midwifery, the novel didn’t follow the plot I assumed it would. This made it an even better read than I could have expected! I finished this whole novel in one sitting because I became so attached to Santina’s character and wanted to follow her journey. While in the beginning you may assume it may become a romance, the focus is not on the romance but instead on Santina’s journey of finding herself in a time period where this was frowned on.
Alchemy’s Daughter is the perfect read for all historical fiction genres buffs but also for all young women who want a strong female lead.
You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Book Depository.
Rating: 5/5
About the Author
Mary A. Osborne is the multiple award-winning author of Alchemy’s Daughter and Nonna’s Book of Mysteries. She is a graduate of Rush University and Knox College, where she was mentored in the Creative Writing Program. Mary is a registered nurse and holds degrees in chemistry and nursing. Her freelance work has appeared in publications such as Hektoen International, Newcity, and the Examiner.com. Mary currently lives in Chicago. You can connect with her online, Twitter and Facebook.
The Giveaway!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
July 13, 2015
Beyond the Ashes by Karen Barnett
Where better to rebuild and face one’s fears than in 1906 San Francisco, a city rising from the ashes?
About Beyond the Ashes
Ruby Marshall, a young widow, is certain she’ll discover new purpose assisting her brother Robert with his cancer research, but she doesn’t anticipate finding new love.
Dr. Gerald Larkspur dreams of filling his empty home with family, but he’d always hoped it would be a wife and children. In the aftermath of the great earthquake, the rooms are overflowing with extended family and friends left homeless by the disaster. When Robert’s widowed sister arrives, the close quarters seem close indeed.
Ruby and Gerald’s fledgling romance is put at risk when Gerald develops symptoms of the very disease they’re striving to cure. Together they must ask–is it worth a second chance at love when time might be short?
My Thoughts
When I first started reading this novel, I didn’t realize that it was continuing where Out of the Ruins left off. So you can imagine how excited I was when I realized this, as I loved Out of the Ruins!
Ruby has faced many ordeals in a society that is constantly pressuring and signalling her out for her widow status. She wants to escape and be allowed to find out who she is and what she can do. The only place she feels she can escape to is to her brothers, who happens to live in San Francisco, a city that is still recovering from a devastating earth quake.
Gerald is a doctor who has not only struggled with the passing of a family member but is having a hard time dealing with death itself in his journey to find a cure for cancer. When he begins to find symptoms of disease on himself, he ignores them as he struggles to come to grips with this.
Karen is a wonderful writer who draws you into the story she is telling. Her characters are well-developed and while she does include a little bit of romance it is not overwhelming so you can truly enjoy the story she spins. Beyond the Ashes is a great read that you can enjoy by the pool or over a weekend. It is a novel of hope and inspiration, that you can fall in love with over and over again.
You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour page. You can purchase a copy of the book here.
Rating: 5/5
About the Author
Karen Barnett is the author of Beyond the Ashes, Out of the Ruins, and Mistaken. Named the 2013 Writer of Promise by Oregon Christian Writers, Karen lives in Albany, Oregon, with her husband and two kids. When she’s not writing novels, she loves speaking at women’s events, libraries, and book clubs.
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.