A lemon a day keeps the doctor away!

When life gives you lemons....... use them to   G E T  healthy!

I wanted to share some health benefits of drinking lemon water in the morning. I have heard that it helps with balancing the pH in your body and that is good for a number of reasons, for example, cancer thrives in highly acidic systems. But there are a number of different benefits I discovered as I looked into it more. It's important to make sure the water is room temperature, because cold water can shock your system because it takes energy from your body to process cold water and it can prevent all of the many health benefits from starting to work. Here are some of the benefits that I found (and love them!):

• clears out toxins in the body
• hydrates your lymph system and releases toxins built up 
• aids digestion 
• hydration
• reduces heartburn
• helps with constipation, if you're having trouble with bowel movements the warm water and lemon help because taking in plenty of water is helpful for constipation and the citrus can give some help to get things moving inside
• stop UTIs, encourages the production of urine as a result toxins are released at a faster rate helping to purify the system 
• helps kill bacteria in your mouth, it freshens breath it can also relieve tooth pain and gingivitis
• weight-loss/reduces appetite, lemons are high in pectin fiber which help fight hunger cravings and is also been shown that people who maintain a more alkaline diet lose weight faster
• good for skin, vitamin C also helps to reduce wrinkles because it helps produce more colleges and also helps clear blemishes on the face. the lemon water reduces toxins from the body and helps with clear skin and reduce the appearance of scars 
• good for your immune system
• workout recovery 
• aches and pains, it helps to reduce inflammation especially as in arthritis
• reduce phlegm,  it helps rid the body of mucus
• strengthens the brain, Vitamin C and potassium help the brain and nerve function and helps to keep you alert in a natural way
• cleanses the liver, it flushes toxins out of your system 
• helps kick the coffee habit
• a dose of vitamin C, this is one of the first things that is depleted from your body when every you are stressed out, vitamin C helps fight colds they're high in potassium which stimulates the brain and nerve function and also helps control blood pressure
• reduces respiratory problems, warm lemon water can help get rid of chest infections and yucky cough

Isn't that fantastic? I have gotten in the habit of buying a bunch, juicing them, and leaving them in a container in the fridge. In the morning just add it to some room temp water and enjoy!

Hope this helps ya!

Summer Slim down

If you want to lose weight but DON'T LIKE TO WORKOUT OUT LISTEN UP!! I'm super excited about #teamFitforGlory's Summer Slim down group. I will be guiding a group of brave but purpose driven people on a mission of clean eating. Lately, I've gotten a lot of requests to create meal plans and share health tips so I am creating this 6 week slim down group. And the best part is it's FREE! All you have to do is participate. I am really excited about this group and their mission. Of course, if you do like to workout you can because that will definitely increase your results, I'll be working out too. 

My purpose behind this is to help everyone, I realize that not everyone likes to workout so I don't want anyone to feel excluded. I'll include:

💥my basic grocery list 💥meal plans & recipes 💥encouragement

💥daily tips and/or inspiration 💥GIVEAWAY at the end 💥aaaaand more. 

To sign up just click the link below, easy right?! #180fitchallenge #coachMelissaIvette #eattolose

https://melissaivette.wufoo.com/forms/lets-get-fit/

Let do a Giveaway!!

Good morning! 

Who's ready for some free stuff?! 

Out of the top 10 New Year resolutions #1 is to lose weight & #5 is to stay fit and healthy. I really want to help more people reach their goals, in fact I have a specific number of people in mind that I want to coach, but I need your help. 

So here's a fun #giveaway!! 

Help me spread the word about #teamFitForGlory

Would you repost, like, & share my IG page, FB page and/or Twitter page? 

Win Hip Hop abs and Insanity Sweat fest by, the one and only, ShaunT. I will announce the winner on Thursday and send out your prize in time for you to join my next fitness group! 

Each action is an entry. 

Join me & my team as we get #FitByFaith2015 here's how:

≫Follow me on Instagram @iHOPEdaily or @meli_vette and repost the giveaway picture with #iHOPEdailygiveaway then let me know you've done it, I'll be checking. 

For additional entries:

≫Follow me on Twitter @meli_vette

≫Like/Share my Coach page on FB {FB.com/coachMelissaIvette}

≫Follow/Subscribe to my blog {MelissaIvette.blogspot.com}

≫Sign up for a FREE Beachbody account with me as your coach  ❋no strings attached❋ this ensures that you don't already have a coach and I'll be yours for F R E E! {https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=412428}

Max out!

Good morning! I hope you all are starting your day right. I got my workout in! I did Insanity Max:30 Tabata power for the second time and love it, the first time I did it I maxed out at 12 minutes & 21 seconds while modifying, but today I didn't modify until 10:20, not bad!! I'm loving the intensity of it. I'll be blogging more about it later this week to share my progress with you all. Make today awesome. #iMaxedOut #teamFitforGlory #coachMelissaIvette #musclesareagirlsbestfeature 

If you ever want more accountability and my free coaching, I invite you to join my team anytime. Fill out this form (link below) and join me!

I believe in YOU!

melissaivette.wufoo.com/forms/lets-get-fit/

B R E A K through

Some time ago, at church, my pastor preached about knowing God. I always take sermon notes crazy fast then I have to piece it all together to make sense of it later on. Anyhow, he shared some points that I loved and also realized that I could apply them towards my fitness and health life:

"Small steps create a large effect."

"Breakthrough is a result of constant pressure on something." 

"Rejoice with each step."  

"Full effort full results." 

As I looked over these notes again, I couldn't help but share them with you all. It's inevitable that we will have to overcome things in our life. Obstacles come in all shapes and sizes. But one thing remains true. We can overcome. Through consistency we see the results that we want and we learn the discipline of self - control. I don't know about anyone else out there, but I could use a lesson or two on self-control in a few areas of my life....

Just like when you workout you don't see results overnight but rather overtime. So why do we so often expect life to change so quickly? We give up on ourselves or others too soon. 

Are you trying to achieve some things?

Give it time.

Are you working on fixing some relationships?

Give it time.

Are you trying to make changes? 

Give it time. 

After all, every step closer is just that...a .... step....closer. So rejoice and be grateful through each step, I'm sure that you will find you are becoming better & stronger. 

You may not always like the process but I am certain you will like the results. 

Thanks for letting me get this off my chest. You Rock!

I am excited to start a new fitness program called Insanity MAX: 30 and I am thrilled to see the new results that will come along with the struggles. Because lets be honest, you can't have results without a few struggles, right?

Follow my journey here or on my FB page H E R E

   

New level, new devil. 
Don't be intimidated, go on and get your BREAK-THROUGH!

So this new year, what are you willing to endure in order to grow?

Please share below.

How to be successful during this season!

Hey there!! The season of holiday parties is upon us so I wanted to share some tips with you to help you stay focused and not lose sight of your goals. 

Also, if you want more of these tips daily I'll be sharing them on my FaceBook page. Would you mind checking it out, liking it and sharing it with others?

www.fb.com/coachmelissaivette 

Thank you all so much for your support. I love helping you all reach crazy goals. 

 

Love, Melissa Ivette

reflections

A few weeks ago I posted this on my Instagram but now I wanted to re-visit it.

What do worship and working out have in common?

Focus. Perseverance. Commitment. Outcome. 

"Thinking about the story of Joseph in the Bible, he truly faced adversity. His brothers were jealous of him when he shared his dream and they wanted to kill him, instead they sold him as a slave, talk about betrayal by ones you love. Later, his boss' wife tried to get him to sleep with her and he refused yet she set him up as if he tried to take advantage of her, talk about being lied on. Then he was thrown in jail, talk about injustice. But even still, while, in jail he helped others out by interpreting dreams and doing what God called him to do. He wasn't focusing on himself and how he had been wronged, he focused on others and went about his business.  Even as one of the inmates that he helped out was leaving he told that friend of his to not forget him, and guess what? That man forgot about him...quickly. Then one day, (when it was his time to rise) because of his gift to interpret dreams, he was let out of that jail and placed second in command over the land, talk about favor and wisdom from God! From the prison to the palace, Just. Like. That. 

When we surrender our lives to God and stop focusing on the negative going on around us, putting our efforts into what we're supposed to be doing we can find the benefit from every bad experience. Nothing catches God by surprise, He knows all things and He's always working things together for our good. We can also rise from the prison to the palace. #itsnotover #yourdreamsareAWAITING 

#stayfocused

I'm excited for you dream chasers out there! Let's partner together to hold each other accountable to our dreams. 

Spaghetti squash.......what??!!

Have you ever tried spaghetti squash pasta? I know it sounds weird but it tastes pretty darn good. This is so quick and simple to make. I had my dad and grandma try it while they were in town a few weeks ago and they loved it. My husband, not so much, but then again he's not a vegetable eater.

I pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees then when it's ready I stick the whole 

squash in the oven and bake it for 45 minutes. 

Once it's done I cut the squash in half and let it cool for a few minutes.

Then I "gut" it out. 

I literally take a fork and scrape out the middle, it just falls apart perfectly.

While the squash is baking, I will cook my choice of meat, we really like ground turkey. 

I cook that stovetop then add my favorite spaghetti sauce to it. 

Then I take a strainer and lay a paper towel in it and let the spaghetti squash "drain"

The paper towel helps the excess water to be soaked up.

 (this step is optional) 

I let the drained squash cook stovetop with some olive oil and garlic/garlic powder. 

Stir and after a few minutes it's ready to be eaten. 

I only do this because I really like the taste of garlic 

but you don't have to do this at all if you prefer not to.

Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese on top.

Then mix and enjoy! 

As I mentioned earlier my hubby did not like it because he's not a vegetable eater so I made him some

whole wheat spaghetti to eat with the ground turkey (pictured below) and he was happy. Easy meal for everyone.

Let me know if you try it! I'd love to hear your feedback.

Let's talk teeth

Did you know that your oral hygiene has a lot to do with your overall health?

I recently listened to a podcast about fitness (go figure!) and the speaker talked about how important oral hygiene is to your WHOLE body. Any infection, bacteria or tooth decay that is not taken care of can cause the acidity levels in the body to get all out of whack and cause your ability to fight illness to be weakened or even make you prone to more illness. This really is a cool fact to know when you are helping others be completely healthy. Just brushing your teeth alone is not enough. 

I am pretty serious about my oral hygiene but this made me think even more about it and the importance of it. Here are some facts below that I read and I was blown away to learn this information.

"Studies also suggest that oral bacteria and the inflammation associated with periodontitis — a severe form of gum disease — might play a role in some diseases. In addition, certain diseases, such as diabetes and HIV/AIDS, can lower the body's resistance to infection, making oral health problems more severe." taken from this article

"Research has found an association between gum disease and rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of the joints." also this article

"Proper oral hygiene is important in helping you stay healthy if you have risk factors such as diabetes and heart problems." According to the American Dental Hygienists Association:

• A major cause of tooth loss in children is cavities; while periodontal (gum) disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults.
• Eating healthy snacks such as celery, carrots, or apples help clear away food loosely trapped in-between teeth.
• The leading oral health problem for infants is baby bottle tooth decay, which can be caused when babies are given a bottle filled with sugary liquids, like milk or juice, when put to bed.   

quoted from this

 

Below is a picture of the products that I use, including a tongue scraper. You may think that brushing your tongue is enough but it's definitely not. I had never even seen one of these things until my dental hygienist gave me one a few years ago and I am so thankful that she did. This handy little tool really helps to get all those hard to reach spots and be more thorough.

      He

                     

I usually will start out with flossing, then I rinse with mouthwash, then I use the tongue scraper and then I brush my teeth. I once heard someone say "Only floss the teeth you want to keep." Well, I know I want all of mine, ha!  I hope you all get to brushing better! Have a great day!


*There's a proper way to brush and floss. If you're unfamiliar with the correct technique, ask your dentist or dental hygienist for help. You can also visit the American Dental's Association's website to watch some great tutorials on proper technique.*

"The mouth is a portal into the rest of the body," said Dr. Donald Ratcliffe

from this article