At the beginning of 2020 I officially left my full time RN management job to take my coaching practice full time AND. . . open a healing café! What a time to open a café, am I right?!

But, I finally took the leap to trust what I'm here to do, which is spread the word of alternative and proactive care vs. western/reactive medicine and care. Through coaching and our café (I co-own this with an amazing biz partner) I know I can make a difference and help people gain the knowledge they need to better lives as naturally as possible!

While we had to close the café during quartentine, we're back up and booming with business. If you're in the southern Wisco area, be sure to check us out at CommonHouse! We offer the traditional espresso bar creations with our amazing organic coffee along with many alternative drinks such as fire cider, hemp tea, real fruit smoothies and our signature healing blends! 

Where is Pure & Simple now?

As if the pandemic and opening another new biz wasn't enough, I jumped in to furthering my education and have added the title of Restorative Wellness Practitioner to my name & toolbox! I now can pair all of my education with stool and food sensitivity testing to help people further get to the root cause of their issues. I mainly focus on gut healing first and foremost with the core belief that all dis-ease typically starts in the gut! 

My mission with all of this is to be able to help educate people, so that they too know all these 'tricks' as their own common knowledge. Testing and working with a practitioner like myself can be an investment, but I'm hoping to be able to keep costs as minimal as possible and build my scholarship program so that those who can't afford it aren't turned away from the help. I fully recognize not everyone has the privilege to take on something like this, and in fact, those are often the ones who end up suffering from chronic disease the most! I'm continuing on my mission to spread the word and help as many people as possible here at Pure & Simple! Who knows what the future holds, but for now, I'm here in this online space willing and ready to help whoever is willing to listen and make changes! 

Whew, what an amazing almost 6 months in to the new year! Some of you know the ins and outs, the chaos that has existed here, some you don't. So, I'm here to simply share a piece of me! 

Of course my purpose here is to help people, but that looks different for everyone, even to me! I was never able to really fit my 'how to help' in to a box, so not too long ago I decided to stop trying to! Part of that is me opening up about me, my own struggles, life, passions  and how it's lead me to where I am today in hopes that one of you can relate and realize your own capabilities.

Where do I even begin?! A little about me, I'm a full time RN case manager for medically and mentally complex members of our low income community. This job serves my need and fire inside of me to help people, but also bring loads of stress so my mindfulness practice is imperative to my daily health, this is also where I struggle most! I'm a partner and Mom of two girls, age 12 and 14! (No idea how they got so grown up!) I became certified in holistic nutrition counseling and started this business over a year ago in hopes to teach people more about natural ways to benefit their health and well being. I recently partnered with my second home, NorthFit out of Fort Atkinson, WI. It's the crossfit gym that finally jump started my physical health journey and the place where I owe SO much gratitude, so I'm beyond honored to have joined their team!

Things have been racing since the new year! I set out a ton of goals for myself and made this year one of change and have fully embraced that process! Outside of the business and work, I wanted to LIVE more! I wanted more experiences with my family while my girls still like to hang with us. From November to August I will have 4 vacations under my belt and am loving every minute of enjoying the fruits of all of the hard work to make those times and memories happen! Life is too damn short not to do the things you love! Money is simply energy and will come and go, so while it's here to make these things happen, bet your ass I'm taking it! :-) 

I'm diving in deep to try to bring more to my own business (with the hopes of doing that full time) as well as at the gym and am simply happy to have this platform that continues to grow! Stay tuned for more centered posts that will offer valid info to benefit your health... and more posts of the craziness that I call my life! :-) 
-C

I have recently completed research on this topic as it is close to my heart and something I am so passionate about. My findings are compiled here in a research paper, it may be a little lengthy, but I promise it's worth the read and incredibly eye opening! I would love to hear from you on this topic!  
 
Childhood Obesity
By: Carolyn Meyer
The CDC reports that the overall trend in childhood obesity has remained 'stable' at 17% from years 2001 to 2014 (CDC, 2017). Overall, that statement sounds promising, right? Well, let's look at what seventeen percent of the U.S. child and adolescent population really looks like. That, what initially may seem somewhat small percentage, equals out to be about 12.7 million children and adolescents from the ages of 2-19 years (CDC, 2017). Almost thirteen million children are still classified as being obese! These are alarming numbers to say the least. The fact that the numbers are trending downward is a good sign, but how can this number continue to decrease for our young people in not only this country, but all over the world? With such advances in medicine and education, these great statistics should be lower. This paper examines multiple studies completed to test interventions related specifically to diet, physical activity, education around both and the effects on children that are exposed to those interventions.
The Great Child Trial emphasized and tested how whole grains specifically could help manage child obesity. The interventions included thirty minutes sessions on nutrition education as well as implementation of whole grains into all school meals for a total of twelve weeks. There was both a control and intervention group. The group exposed to the interventions showed a significantly lower BAZ, body fat percentage and waist circumference. Amazingly, those changes even continued and improved nine months after the interventions (The Great Child Trial).
 
The second article, A Community-Based Nutrition and Physical Activity Intervention for Children Who Are Overweight or Obese and Their Caregivers, observed children and their caregivers, that were specifically referred by their physicians, for a sixteen-week study. During the study, the children and caregivers both, were exposed to weekly nutrition education and physical activity sessions. The results showed that sixty-five out of ninety-seven exposed to these interventions had a lower BMZ two years after the interventions! Along with that, results also showed those exposed had an overall lower weight, lower saturated fat, lower sodium and carbohydrate intake as well increased core strength and endurance.
The School Based Multi-Component Intervention viewed four schools total, two as controls and two exposed to various interventions. This study viewed a total of four hundred fifty-three students in grades fourth and fifth. Intervention groups were exposed to nutrition education, diet, physical activity, food environments and life skills courses within the schools of these children. Results from this study showed lower cholesterol, increased HDL, lower overall bodyweight and reduced consumption of high calorie snacks and fast food. Increased physical activity as well as increased vegetable consumption were also shown in the students exposed to the interventions. 
All of the studies listed above show that those exposed to interventions, show a significant change for the better. That is shown not only by immediate results of the studies, but long-term effects as well. All studies provided both education to nutrition and physical activity and show that the combination can lead to positive results across the board. According to Renew Bariatrics, "obese ten-year old children who continue to gain weight through adulthood have lifetime medications costs that are nineteen thousand dollars higher compared to healthy ten-year olds" (https://renewbariatrics.com/childhood-obesity/). This simply shows that childhood obesity is not something to be brushed aside. The facts of children being significantly overweight causes lifetime complications and costs. In 2017 alone, almost fourteen percent of American high school students are considered obese and another sixteen percent considered overweight (https://renewbariatrics.com/childhood-obesity/). Those two numbers alone equal almost one third of our population of children here in America, that is an outstanding number that just does not have to be.
These three articles alone, prove that interventions, simple changes, and education can make a great difference for these children and their lives. Childhood obesity does not have to continue at the high rate that it has been. Through education on nutrition and physical activity in schools, with parents, and caregivers, can and will make a difference to make our youth healthier, with less preventable disease and live longer, better lives.




References
 
 
The Great-Child™ Trial: A Quasi-Experimental Intervention on Whole Grains with Healthy Balanced Diet to Manage Childhood Obesity in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Koo HC, Poh BK, Abd Talib R.
Nutrients. 2018 Jan 30;10(2). pii: E156. doi: 10.3390/nu10020156
 
A Community-Based Nutrition and Physical Activity Intervention for Children Who Are Overweight or Obese and Their Caregivers.
Xu F, Marchand S, Corcoran C, DiBiasio H, Clough R, Dyer CS, Nobles J, White J, Greaney ML, Greene GW.
J Obes. 2017;2017:2746595. doi: 10.1155/2017/2746595. Epub 2017 Oct 8.
 
Effectiveness Of A School-Based Multicomponent Intervention On Nutritional Status Among Primary School Children In Bangkok, Thailand.
Chawla N, Panza A, Sirikulchayanonta C, Kumar R, Taneepanichskul S.
J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad. 2017 Jan-Mar;29(1):13-20.
 
Childhood Obesity Facts. (2017, April 10). Retrieved January 28, 2018, from https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html
 
Childhood Obesity Statistics, Facts [United States & Globally 2017]. (2017, November 25). Retrieved January 27, 2018, from https://renewbariatrics.com/childhood-obesity/
 
 
 

 Essential oils...you hear about them all the time right? Next big craze! You see people online selling them, you see them in lotions, sprays...even in Walmart! So what's the big deal?!

​Well friends, let me just give you a few inside bits about these 'magical' oils that seem to have taken the world by storm! 

​Essential oils have been around as far back as the B.C. era! Once referred to as aromatics, they've really been around for years and  we've just chosen to let them be skimmed over. Now they are resurfacing again, but many cultures have continued using oils all along, we're just starting to see the true benefits become popular again.

I know what you're thinking, there's a reason they faded away, there must have been something better that took their place. There is a reason they were thrown on the back burner. Maybe um....medicine?! Correct! Medicine did come along and was much better or quicker at treating pain or preventing disease. But at what cost?

Did you know that at one time, not too long ago, well into the early 1900's, doctors would recommend giving children heroin as a cough suppressant?! Now, today we'd be thrown in jail for that! My point is, as medicine and technology grew, they found cures, treatments, advancements...but with it came risks, some that were later found to be worse that the initial ailment and could even cause death! 

​Don't get me wrong here, I'm a nurse and great lover of science and technology and everything progressive! But, my years in healthcare has led me down this path to finding other, more natural alternatives. I have literally watched people receive medication to kill their cancer, have it cured...to only die 3 months later from heart failure because that chemo was cardio-toxic. But hey, the doc's cured the lung cancer! This is just an example. You may think I'm being extreme or that is a rare occurrence, but I can tell you in just one year on a medical floor, in a rather small hospital, this happened more than I can county on one hand. So, not as 'extreme' as you may think. My point here is that medicine is amazing, but has a time and a place. We need to open our minds to every possible way to keep our bodies and our families healthy and realize we don't just have to take what the doc says to the bank! More times than not it pays to do some of your own research. 

​For me and my family, this is where essential oils has come in to play. Oils can literally be used for everything if you give it a chance to work. The most popular uses in our home are for headaches, cold symptoms & prevention, stress reduction and sleep! I'll explore specifics more later, but feel free to ask questions below! 

​Give them a try, I'm even willing to send you a sample if you message me. I promise you that you will see a difference. This is more than just a MLM market, a money making scheme, the next big craze... these oils can do amazing things and can aid in improving you & your families lives and health!

What's the difference?! Well, lets just talk about mind set for minute! 
​When we were younger and considered cheating on a test, did we think of it as something we enjoy? How about deserve? How about is needed? Probably not! Labeling and just thinking of your refeed day as cheating is already setting yourself up for a negative mindset and feelings of doing something wrong. 
​I know that I have tried almost every kind of nutritional plan out there...and almost all of them resulted in me having 'cheat meals' or days which always left me feeling so guilty or discouraged. Even when it was programmed into the plan. I could never just have one cheat meal and feel ok about it because I was so terrified I was cheating and simply doing something wrong. This is the exact reason why so many nutritional plans also didn't work for me. I would literally become so stressed out about what I was or wasn't eating. I would get frustrated when I couldn't enjoy my favorite restaurant or celebrate with friends and family and realistically, down right crabby! Then, I would give up.
​It wasn't until just recently that I discovered that when we are restricting our diets for weight loss, performance, maybe just overall health...that we physically need to replace certain things back into our diet. Without getting all scientific on ya, to basically increase our levels of certain nutrients that play such an important role in the conducting's of our bodies. Think of it as a re-set. Our bodies probably don't need that huge plate of delicious pasta with white sauce, hearty craft brew or giant bowl of ice cream, but! Enjoy that, and move on! It'll be ok! 
​Point is, when we're being mindful of what goes in our mouths, we also have to remember to not be so incredibly hard on ourselves. This world and amazing people in it have created some utterly delicious foods and drinks that likely aren't always that great for us nutritionally. That does not mean we can not have them ever! It means maybe sparingly, which gives us the opportunity to really enjoy them. So don't crush that thinking that you're cheating. Take your refeed day....fuel your body. Make smart decisions and watch portions so you're not going completely overboard, but relax guys. Don't make it harder on yourself!
​Who's ready for a good refeed day?! 

Do you ever have a great idea in mind...just to have it shut down by the ones you share it with? Does it totally crush you? Well, it does me and did! I shed some tears, slept on it, did probably way too much thinking and stewing as to why things happened the way they did. Then! I woke up and thought, no, I'm doing this! No matter what and if someone doesn't support me, that is ok! That is their choice and I need to allow them that with understanding and compassion.
​
​The old me would have let this bring me down, make my mind race, and bring in a ton of negative thoughts. Would have made me doubt myself and think 'why would I even think I could do that?' Now, I allowed myself that little bit of time and then got up, brushed myself off and moved forward! I have that mind set of determination! I put all the doubts, voices in my head telling me I can't or shouldn't, out of my head! I decided to make a choice to keep pushing and keep moving forward! 

​Who else is just like me and lets their mind spin out of control in certain situations? We sit and think why people looked at you a certain way and assume they must hate you! We rewind what we wrote or said about 100 times before we'll let it go. We over analyze pretty much EVERYTHING! I'm there with ya! But, I have learned this is in fact a choice. And some times, so that I can sleep at night, I need to just let it go. Sometimes I'll write out what I really want to say to someone, sometimes I'll be a weirdo and talk out loud, yes to myself, on what I'm really thinking. I just need to have my moment and then just let it be...and not let it change what I'm doing or planning to do!

​If it's important to you, keep your determination! Push those doubts out of your mind! You got this! 

So I'm sure you saw my face on the front page, so you've read a bit about me already! No one wants to talk about themselves TOO much, but I'll throw some more info at ya quick!  First of all, I'm the person that's going to keep it real. I don't sugarcoat much and I'm rarely afraid to say what I want or need to. I have a background in healthcare, totaling over 10 years now. I'm a registered nurse with experience in cardiac, stroke, medical hospital nursing, hospice nursing and RN case management for patients who are living in poverty, with physical and mental disabilities. I have a love and true passion for food! HA! Who doesn't, right? Over the past few years I've began to really dig deep into what is going into mine and my families bodies as well as what we are using in our home. Sometimes I wish I would have never taken this path as the more I learn, well let's just say it's eye opening and sometimes straight up scary. None the less, I believe everything happens for a reason and when I look back and see how I was placed in situations and with certain people, who have opened my eyes and exposed me to things that I had never even heard of before, I know it was all on purpose! And I can't ignore that any longer.


I started this business as a way to further help people, because after all, that's what nurses do! I have a dream, like so many others, to leave this world just a little bit better than it was when I was so awesomely put in it. (Note: I can be a little sarcastic and if I put in smiley emoji's every time I was kidding, my page would be full of them!) It's naturally in me to care for others, offer help, and feel the need to help even when I'm not really sure I know how. 

In my blog posts I'll be discussing questions that come across to me about food, nutrition, 'cures', how to help with x,y,z, etc. I'll also be featuring products that I personally have used and give real reviews. And I'm just strait up putting myself out there so you all can see...I know just a little about what I'm talking about. :-) Happy Reading! 

Oh! As always, feel free to email, message, or comment me with questions! ​