Mary's Story

I’ve had allergies all my life! I’ve lived in a number of different places and no matter where I lived I had the typical allergy symptomsl… itchy eyes… nose that constantly dripped… congestion that caused too many headaches… difficulty sleeping because I couldn’t breathe… no enjoyment of the outdoors… etc. In other words, I was miserable, miserable, miserable!

I eventually found an allergy specialist who recommended allergy shots… one shot a week for two years. They did absolutely nothing for me other than make my arm itch. Have you ever thought of a possible overdose? Neither had I, but I received a dose that was many times more potent than intended. Talk about having difficulty breathing! A visit overnight in the hospital was not what I envisioned for my allergy relief. No more shots for me. No thanks. Not interested.

Prescription drugs and OTC (Over The Counter) medications became my allergy program…spring… fall… year round. Many allergy sufferers can’t sleep at night because of closed air passages and that was certainly true for me. Most nights I used drugs to help me breath. All the drugs claim to give allergy relief, but I found I had very limited success. Even while on drugs, I had allergy symptoms.

And then there was Shaklee. In 1999 my sister introduced me to Shaklee. She had recently started using some of the products and told me about them. What interested me the most, though, was alfalfa. When she told me that alfalfa helps with allergies I jumped at the chance to try it! After a couple of months I got off all medication and relied totally on alfalfa. I’ve never looked back!

 In 2005 I began using NutriFeron for a completely different health issue, but what I’ve found is that NutriFeron along with Alfalfa has really boosted my immune system. I don’t even realize when it’s allergy season anymore!

Then and now. What a difference! I suffered many years thinking this was just my lot in life. Then I found a solution that really worked. Not just some of the time, but all of the time! Itchy eyes, runny and congested nose… all gone. Nasal passages open at night… breathing good! Picnics? You bet.

And I’m smelling the flowers! I have a life without allergies.

Mary Cook

Help for: Son's ADD issues, Mom's Energy, Hormones, Immunity!!

My Shaklee journey began in August 2013. I was dreading the start of third grade for my son. In the end of second grade he was given an ADD diagnosis, with the looming possibility of having to put him on medication in order to well in school. At the same time, I was (and had been for 4 years) struggling with chronic fatigue, severe hormone imbalance, and frequent illness. Then I was introduced to Shaklee nutrition for children and for women. By November, my son’s school performance had improved 100%! He was finishing his assignments with the same speed, focus, and organization as his peers. He even noticed the improvement himself, which was the biggest blessing of all. Similiarly, my energy had improved tremendously in the first few weeks of taking Shaklee supplements. By the third month, I was having to “force” myself to go to bed at a decent hour! Likewise, the symptoms of my hormone imbalances were disappearing. By December, everyone else in the community around me was getting sick and I did not catch a single virus. This was the first December in years that I didn’t have to miss parties and festivities from being sick. Even now, I’m continuing to notice new and continual health improvements each month: better mood, less fever blister breakouts, etc… The benefits are just amazing!

I did not join Shaklee to begin a business, however, I began to be aware of people around me who were struggling with the same health issues that my son and I had been. It was only natural to share the products which have changed our lives so tremendously and positively! As other people have begun using Shaklee products and have experienced similar amazing results, I have found much JOY in sharing with and helping others! If a person’s health is compromised, then everything else in their lives will be compromised as well: relationships with family and friends, job productivity, ability to help and serve in the community around, and the list goes on…as the old saying goes, “if you haven’t got your health, you haven’t got anything!”

Mindy Hoang

Great cholesterol results!

When I went for my yearly physical, the doctor (a new doctor) was reading the blood results and she looked at me with that perplexed look on her face and said: “Are you sure you don’t take any prescription for cholesterol?” And I replied “NO”. She told me that my count couldn’t be better, the good and the bad cholesterol were short of being faked! In addition to great cholesterol, my blood pressure is great, and I can’t say that I exercise regularly and that my diet is all fruits and vegetables. But the Vitalizer Gold seems to be balancing my not so perfect lifestyle. I also noticed my energy level is constant, and PMS are minimized. I feel great, and I think it shows. Thanks Shaklee!    Louise Lamy

Getting great results!

From a happy client:

Good news - I am down another pound!

Thanks for all of your support, I really appreciate it.  Know that I am working the program to the best of my ability, and am having results that I'm happy with.  The program is pretty easy to follow with the preplanned meal shakes and bars.  It helps me to remember to eat and not wait until I'm starving to go hunting for food.  And I do feel more vitality and have noticed it's easier to get out of bed without pain in the morning.

"I feel normal again!"

Happy Friday Becky!  J 

I’m continuing to have success on the 180 plan and am amazed at how much better I feel today than I did when I started Monday.  My tummy had been very tight and irritated for almost 2 weeks prior to starting the cleanse and today I feel just about “normal” again.    I also look forward to my shakes and enjoy preparing my healthy meal and snacks for the day.  J  I bought some Fiber Way cereal and it’s really good.  I eat a cup plain with my shake in the morning and some fruit.  Then for lunch I brought a piece of salmon and some raw veggies and have been drinking lots of water.  I woke up this morning and saw a difference in my tummy already and had a glimpse of what I WILL look like slim again!  It was amazing and I know, THIS time, I will not stop UNTIL I reach my goal! 

I love you.

"At age 55, I knew deep down that I felt lousy."

The Dwelling Place

                      by Beth Acanfora 

      “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you,

which you have from God?  You are not your own; you were bought with a price. 

So glorify God in your body.”                                      1 Corinthians 6:19-20

 

    It’s actually rather funny that I became an RN when you consider the family upbringing that I originated from.  I happen to come from a long family line of people who did not go to the doctor unless they were half dead.  You may laugh, but I am not kidding.  My brother Chris says our family saves a bundle on long term health care insurance because nobody lives long enough to need it!  And yes, if you must know, I am a doctor avoider.  I only go for yearly preventative checkups and make those as short and painless as possible, and if truth be told, I would much rather take care of other people’s health issues than my own. Avoidance is often times the most convenient option.  Couple that with the idea that I believe I am already a very healthy person who never needs a doctor and you’re looking straight at that great big river in Egypt called d’Nile.

     Yes, denial can tell us a lot of things we want to believe.  But at age 55, I knew deep down that I felt lousy.  Peri-menopause had been beating my door down for five years and I was experiencing all manner of discomfort; the worst being breast tenderness.  Now I am not talking about a little soreness each month, I am telling you I didn’t even want to breathe on my breasts, let alone let my husband come anywhere near them!  One time he inadvertently brushed up against my chest and I actually winced and recoiled from him with the shock of it.  That was the one issue I had brought up repeatedly at my once a year 15 minute session with my GYN.  What can I do about this blasted breast tenderness?  I tried cutting out caffeine, progesterone cream from the health food store that was ridiculously expensive, and numerous other fix-it-and-be-done-with-it measures.  I asked every woman I knew if they had ever experienced this kind of issue, but it seemed as though I was the only one.  Now, I know for absolute sure that I am not the only female on the planet that has experienced this discomfort, so I am writing to any poor, lonely soul who is shielding her breasts for more than three out of four weeks per month from society. I know you are out there needing this information.

      As an aside, I also need to tell you that my sweet Mother, who is long deceased, made homemade dessert every single day of our lives while we were growing up.  Now I am talking serious desserts here.  I must tell you, we lived in upstate NY, right in the heart of dairy country and we had our own huge garden.  Mom  made berry pies from our home grown raspberries and blueberries, apple dumplings with maple syrup drizzled on them, hand churned ice cream with heavy cream she got from our local creamery and fresh strawberries...this, just to name a few.  Every year on our birthdays my Mom would make our favorite cake.  Mine was Red Velvet- with the four layers and that wonderful thick, creamy white icing that was so smooth.  To this day, I will not eat anyone else’s Red Velvet Cake.  Nobody can make it like she did. 

    So you can see where I am coming from when I tell you I love sweets.  It’s not just the actual taste of the sweets, but the comfort derived from them.  There is nothing like a homemade chocolate chip cookie to make your day worthwhile.  It’s just a good thing I never worked in a bakery because I would weigh 500 lbs!

      Needless to say, as I grew older, my waistline began to expand.  Now I am not obese, and many people would say I looked good, but at the end of the day, when the clothing came off, I was witness to the bulges that were appearing in odd places.  Like my armpits, for instance.  I never knew you could store fat in your armpits!  Really??  And let’s not even talk about beachwear.  It was not a pretty site and you know something is not right when you never take off your cover up.  Gone were the days that I could eat anything I wanted and stay slim. 

     Which brings me, finally to Shaklee 180.  I noticed a friend of mine had lost a whole bunch of weight, and asked her how she did it.  Simple as that, she referred me to Becky O’Brien who is a Shaklee consultant and nutritional coach.  After giving Becky my laundry list of health concerns, she simply said, “Beth, I am sure Shaklee can help you with your weight issues and hormonal imbalances as you go through menopause.  You will also benefit as your body receives the nutrition it is screaming for and cut out your cravings for high sugar foods. You will lose the fat while keeping your muscle mass.”  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.  Literally. nothing had worked for me to take weight off while retaining what little sanity I still had left. Until Shaklee 180.

     As a nurse, you would think I would have understood our bodies’ need for a healthy, balanced diet.  I would say I knew it in theory and could teach it to my pregnant patients, but I did not know it in practice.  I had gotten into some very bad habits from years of working 12 hour nights; including round the clock coffee and Coke intake, taking benadryl to fall asleep, and eating lot’s and lot’s of pasta with my wonderful Italian husband who is a fabulous chef!

     In the past five weeks, Shaklee has taken me from a victim mentality with regard to food, to understanding how our food choices affect our entire being.  I thought I was eating pretty well. Really, we always have fresh veggies and fruit and organic meats, but I was blinded to the entire picture that God wanted me to see.  Food, of course is there for our bodies’ nutritional needs and for our enjoyment, but we must be good stewards when it comes to food choices and the amount we consume.  When we don’t make good choices, our bodies certainly tell us loud and clear.  I have experienced ZERO breast tenderness since starting the Shaklee 180 program 5 weeks ago.  I went out the other day and bought new dress pants a whole size smaller and I am feeling wonderful!  I am simply not hungry and I had a molasses sugar cookie sitting in a snack bag on my counter for a solid week!  I kid you not...I gave it away.  I am learning to eat raw veggies with hummus instead of candy and pretzels and my body is loving it! 

    Now the other thing I had an issue with is water.  Believe it or not I NEVER drank water.  I didn’t like water because it wasn’t sweet!  But as I have flushed my system out with oodles and oodles of water, I find I have way more energy and acuteness of the mind than when I was consuming Coke and lemonade.  I just don’t have it in the house anymore.  Not even diet soda. I am learning to cope with finding the bathroom in every store I shop in upon my arrival because I know I am going to need it!  I asked Becky the first week on Shaklee if there is a diuretic in it!  She just laughed and said “No!” as I described my199 trips to the ladies room per day! 

    As a priest’s wife, I will tell you I am much more able to cope with the daily stresses my husband and I face together because I simply feel so much healthier on Shaklee.  And as Paul in 1 Corinthians questions us so aptly, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit?”  I can honestly say, Paul, I do now!!!  I get it!!  I have to steward my body because it is a place of God's dwelling.  It is holy to Him, so by obedience it must be for me as well.  It’s the only way to live.  The only way that makes any sense.  I was bought with a price and that means everything to me.      

       Please schedule your complimentary wellness consult with Becky O’Brien at her office: 703-367-7109 or cell number 703-217-5393 or contact her at optimal-wellness@comcast.net.    It will be the best call you’ve ever made! 

Turnaround™ Talk with Dr. Jamie McManus, M.D., FAAFP