Heart Healthy Eating

Heart Healthy Eating is a subject that is near and dear to my heart. 

A few years ago I went to my annual check-up, expecting a good report unfortunately, my doctor called me back into her office and said I was borderline high cholesterol, as in one (1) number away from being diagnosed with high cholesterol (LDL).  My doctor told me she was going to put me on medication to lower my cholesterol. 

OK - NO!!!

I told my doctor - NO medication for me. She told me I had six months to get my number down or I was going on medication.  Again, in my brain with the sound of a bomb going off, I was thinking NO!!

How could this be?  I was and always have been thin, and healthy.  My earlier blog about understanding your body types lists the 3 different body types.  I have an ectomorph body type.  I remember friends and family commenting that I could eat anything and never gain a pound.  True EXCEPT, nobody can eat WHATEVER they want without having consequences.  I was what some might call a "skinny fat".  My body was thin, but my heart was, for lack of a better word, fat; the numbers proved it.  I was still confused as to how I could have high LDL numbers.  I worked out and I ate relatively healthy. 

My husband and I went through our pantry, refrigerator and freezer, and threw just about everything away.  The main culprit - FROZEN LOW CALORIE DINNERS.  That's right, Lean Cuisine, Weight Watchers, etc..... Full of Cholesterol, that is how they get all of that processed food to taste good, they load it with cholesterol.  I then realized I was slowly killing myself when all along I thought I was eating healthy.

Now, I eat fresh foods, avoid salt as much as possible.  I do not cheat myself, if I want chocolate, as in a brownie or a Tate's Cookie, I eat it, only in moderation.

My husband and I have traveled all over the world  and if you have been to Europe you know how good the food is.  It is fresh, the farm to table concept.  France, Italy, Germany etc., the food that is prepared is what is in season.  GMO's are outlawed in Europe.   Have you noticed the obesity rate in European countries is not to the level that it is in the United States?  Something to think about.

Every year I went to my doctor, my LDL numbers decreased.  My LDL is now 92!!  My doctor told me, "I do not know what it is you are doing, but keep doing it, and by the way, what exactly is it that you are doing?"  My doctor asked me what I was doing?? I told her I was eating a healthy balanced diet, avoiding GMO's, eating certified organic food, and I exercise more regularly.  How empowering is it to prove your doctor that yes, I CAN make changes for a better lifestyle without taking medication.

I encourage everyone to eat healthy.  The American Heart Association has an entire site dedicated to healthy recipes and videos.

Today's featured recipe is Green Chile Stew - Link below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uniquely and Wonderfully Made

Uniquely and Wonderfully Made

Know your Body Type

As I started my journey to the Mrs. International Crown I was already living a healthy lifestyle.  I eat good food, really good food, and work out regularly. 

Once I was crowned Mrs. Georgia International, I received a lot of recommendations from different people regarding my fitness routine and what needed to be done to get my body in the best shape possible. I ultimately found myself struggling with "getting my body in shape".  Wasn't I already in shape??  My doctor has told me the past few years that I was in excellent health and shape and to "keep doing whatever it is I was doing."

I started second guessing myself and everything I was doing and started to think there was something wrong. I double checked my eating plan as well as my workout routines.    I had to eventually get real with myself, and as my trainer told me, I'm in "incredible" shape and I am doing everything right.  My muscles are in proportion to my body type. Which lead me to the question, what is my body type? 

Body types.... What are they?

Glad you asked :)

There are 3 different body types:

1.  Ectomorph - Lean and long, with difficulty building muscle (this would be me)
2.  Endomorph - Typically pear-shaped, with high tendency to store body fat.
3.  Mesomorph - Muscular and well-built, with a high metabolism and responsive muscle cells.


Okay, while we all do not have a mesomorph body type, we all have our own body type and understanding our own personal body type is the first step to understanding the work out routine and meal plan you need to be on.  If you are not sure, I encourage you to get a fitness trainer.  I use Mary Marsha-Riley, marymarsha@Hotmail.com, she is phenomenal!

God gave us our bodies.  The bible says in 1 Cor. 6:19:  "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in YOU.  1 Cor. 3:17 - "...for God's temple is sacred, and you together are that temple."  Additionnally, 1 Cor. 10:31 - "So whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

We have the bodies/temples that God gave us. We as women, cannot compare body types, because we are all UNIQUELY AND WONDERFULLY MADE, no matter our body type, because our body types are God given. 

Love and appreciate yourself for who you are today.  You alone know your journey, and your journey is between you and God. 

Sharon McLaughlin
Mrs. Georgia International 2018
Ectomorph Extraordinaire

American Heart Association - The Truth Initiative

 

The Truth Initiative

 

 

 

May 31, 2018  -

I had the pleasure of attending the American Heart Association and Truth Initiative awareness event that was held in Atlanta on Thursday, May 31st.

The Truth Initiative is raising awareness in collaboration with their partnerships to make Atlanta and other major cities in the State of Georgia Smoke Free. 

Savannah, GA, has passed no smoking ordinances in the city.  As a result, research has shown heart attacks and strokes have decreased 40%. 

The Truth Initiative inspires tobacco free lives for healthy hearts, lungs, and body, as well as a healthy environment.  I had the pleasure to participate in a video to raise awareness regarding the dangers of smoking.   Please visit The Truth Initiative to learn about how you can get involved.

Go Red For Women - Meeting Wendy

Go Red For Women - Atlanta

WENDY

I truly believe that God opens doors and has us in the right place at the right time.  Within days of being crowned Mrs. Georgia International 2018, I volunteered for the Go Red For Women Atlanta Luncheon.  As Mrs. Walton County International I had already volunteered at different Go Red for Women events twice volunteering at the Tribute Wall.  To me this event was no different than any of the other Go Red For Women Events.

At this event everything was as normal as one could expect, I am encouraging people to sign the tribute wall, and then, I meet Wendy.  I see a short blonde haired lady and ask her if she would like to sign the tribute wall.  Slowly and with a slight slur, she says yes.  She asked if she could sign her name, I told her absolutely and showed her where I signed my name.  She took the sharpie and placed it in her left hand.  She told me she writes slow.  When she finished signing her name on the tribute wall she looked at me and said her name was small and scribbly.  She told me she has lost some functionality on her left side.  I looked at her name on the tribute wall, it was as she said, small and scribbly.  I looked at her right in her eyes and told her she wrote her name PERFECT.  I looked at her and told her she was beautiful and I LOVED her name.  Wendy broke down and cried.  I held her in my arms and realized her pain was much deeper than being a survivor.  Her confidence in herself had also diminished.  For someone to tell her she was beautiful meant the world to her.  I did the only thing I knew to do, I held her and I prayed for her.  I asked God to reassure her of how beautiful she is and to comfort her and love her with a love she cannot hold.  I looked at her again and told Wendy she is beautiful and she is strong, and all women are strong and can get through anything.  She laughed and said, "that's right". 

As women we tend to measure our beauty by how we look on the outside.  I also feel our beauty is found in our strength to persevere through whatever life challenges are thrown at us.  Our beauty is how we deal with the challenges.  Wendy could have stayed home that day, she was alone, but she chose to come, sign her name, and allow herself to be vulnerable.  Wendy is my example of what true beauty looks like.  She is amazing and I absolutely fell in love with her. 

I am forever grateful to my Father who allowed me to be exactly where I was so I could have a few minutes with Wendy that holds a memory to last a lifetime. 

 

Ending Poverty with Soles4Souls: Update

Ending Poverty With Soles4Souls

Stay caught up with all the most up to date information happening with my platform by watching my VLOG below.

Journey to Kenya with Soles4Souls Part 2

I hope this video inspires you to dream your biggest dream.

If you are not able to donate shoes and would like to make a donation to Soles4Souls, $1 = 1 pair of shoes.  A gift of $25 will provide shoes for an entire classroom of children.   If you would like to get involved and make a donation to Soles4Souls please go to: 

https://www.facebook.com/donate/181126535998982/

Journey to Kenya with Soles4Souls Part 1

Journey to Kenya with Soles4Souls Part 1:

The morning began at 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday July 14, 2018.  After traveling 30 hours we finally made it to Nairobi, Kenya.  The following morning Tom, John and Caira McCarrick, and myself, drove 2 hours on a 2 lane highway, which was shared by cows, ox, donkeys, and farmers, to Kawase, Kenya.  You cannot find Kawase, Kenya on the map, it is located 3 degrees south of the equator.  It was extremely hot, and the accommodations and conditions are not for the faint of heart. 

All the dirt roads led to the most beautiful children, full of hope and expectation of things to come.  As we pulled up in the drive we were met by 200 children singing to greet us.  I immediately started crying at the experience.  The children of Kawese, Kenya speak Swahili and English, although their English is limited.  The main tribe in Kawase and Kenya, is the Maasai Tribe.  The Maasai tribe made up approximately 50 of the students.  The Maasai boys proudly performed their native dance for us. 

After all the greetings and assemblies, I had the opportunity to speak to all the children at St. Patrick's Primary School.  And then the work began, measuring each student for shoes with the shoe charts Soles4Souls provided. 

As Tom and I went from classroom to classroom measuring the children's feet we noticed some children had no shoes at all, some had miss-matched shoes, boys were wearing girl shoes, girls were wearing boys shoes, shoes had holes in them, and some children had their ankles hanging out of the back of the shoe because their shoes were too small.  The uniforms were tattered, full of holes and bear threads.  Soles4Souls is a wonderful organization and I was overwhelmed and deeply humbled that I was able to bridge the partnership between Soles4Souls and The Kenyan Child Foundation.

The story in Kenya runs deep with insight and love beyond measure.  Please enjoy this first phase of my Tales From Kenya with Soles4Souls.  I hope you are blessed.

Soles4Souls - Journey to Kenya Part 1

Heart and Sole 25K Statistic Sunday

HEART AND SOLE 25 K

STATISTIC SUNDAY

WEEK 4

 

 

Thank you for the donations, let's keep them coming!  Donations come in all shapes and sizes:

• ANY CONDITION
• ANY SIZE
• ANY STYLE

DM me to arrange for pick up. 

Tales from Kenya Part 1

 

 

 

TALES FROM KENYA PART 1

 

 

 

 

 

Healthy Heart Healthy Life

January 31, 2018|Sharon McLaughlin

 

  

They say you can tell a book by it's cover....Not so true in my case. 

I have always maintained a healthy weight, and lived, what I thought was a healthy lifestyle, no serious illnesses, received good check-ups from the doctor, based upon appearances I looked healthy.

A few years ago I went to the doctor for my annual physical and received news that literally had my head spinning.  My doctor said I had borderline high cholesterol, you know the LDL bad stuff that clogs your arteries.  She told me that if my numbers did not come down in 6 weeks I will be placed on meds.  Me, taking meds for health reasons?  I spoke with my family and learned that high cholesterol is inherited, and was told, "accept it and welcome to the club." 

If anyone knows me they know that I am a Champion, a Warrior, an Overcomer.  I researched and realized that all these "healthy" frozen lean cuisine and weight watcher meals I was ingesting into my body was slowly killing me.  Yes, these meals are low in calories, and yes they taste good.  Ever wonder why? They are loaded with CHOLESTEROL, to make the food taste better.

It took all of 5 minutes, my pantry, freezer, and refrigerator were cleaned of all foods high in cholesterol, and replaced with fresh fruits and vegetables, non-gmo and certified organic foods, you know REAL food.  I got on a regular work out routine. My LDL cholesterol lowered by more than 40 points.

My doctor said she didn't know what I was doing, but to keep doing it. 

Lesson:  Just because you maintain a healthy weight and appear to be healthy, doesn't mean you are healthy.  I was what you might call a "skinny fat".  My outside looked good, but my heart was fat.