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Me Playing George Winston’s “Variations on the Kanon by Pachelbel” – Dedication to My Mom :)

/ Janeen / 5 Comments

Hello!!

I’m so excited to share this video with you today!! It is from back in November when I was home for Thanksgiving. This one is not one of my original songs, BUT it is very special to my heart.

Growing up, my mom LOVED to listen to George Winston’s CD’s. We shared a love for his music and this was one of our favorites! George hadn’t printed his sheet music at the time, which was sad to me because I would have loved to learn his songs. After my long break from piano in college, once I moved to Valentine & got my piano back in my life, I was on the search for more piano music to learn & I came across a piano book that George had released of some of his favorites and KANON was included!! I ordered it immediately & decided that I would learn this song.

As soon as I started learning it, I was so excited & wanted to tell my mom, but then decided that I would keep it a secret from her & surprise her over the holidays! So, I was on a mission. This was the first song in over 5 years that I really had to work at, put my nose to the grind, take it section by section, & practice practice practice! I had it down by Thanksgiving, so I told my mom that I had a surprise for her & we went to church to use their grand piano there. As I started playing, I could hear my mom crying behind me, which made it really hard to pull it together & see my music through my own tears. I made it through though & it truly was one of the most special moments of my life. I think of my mom every time I play this song. She’s a very inspirational woman & I don’t know what I’d do without her! This song is for HER!! 🙂

It is moments like these when I’m most grateful for my gift. These are the moments that give me such fulfillment & joy from playing the piano – when I can touch the hearts of others, especially my loved ones! Hope you enjoy this “Variations on the Kanon by Pachelbel,” by George Winston.

Ohh and kudos to my wonderful husband, Brandon, for his fabulous page-turning abilities 😉

Thanks for listening everyone!!

– Janeen

Sweet Potato Hash: My Go-To Recipe for Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner! :)

/ Janeen / 1 Comment

Hello everyone!

One thing that I love to do is COOK & experiment with healthy, balanced recipes 🙂 So, today I thought I’d share one of my go-to recipes for ANY meal! Seriously, I make this at least twice a week & always make enough to have leftovers (that is, if my husband doesn’t eat it all first!) It is super quick & easy, not to mention healthy & DELICIOUS!! The other thing I love is that is is very customize-able (is that a word?) – you can throw in literally any veggies that you like or have on hand & it’s always fabulous.

OK, so here is how to make Sweet Potato Hash (this recipe makes around 4 large servings, so feel free to adjust as needed):

  1. Heat up your electric skillet (or large saute pan on stove) to medium heat. I like using an electric skillet b/c it is BIG, & like I said, I like to make a lot of this stuff 😉
  2.  Cook up some bacon! I usually just throw in however many slices I have on hand or however many fit in the pan. This time I cooked 9 slices of bacon. Cook approximately 3 minutes per side or however long it takes to get nice & browned & cooked through. Mmmm bacon…..

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     3.   While the bacon is cooking, start dicing your sweet potatoes. I diced up 2 medium sweet potatoes this time around.

     4.   When bacon is cooked through, remove from pan & place on a plate lined with paper towels. Leave a couple tablespoons of bacon grease in the pan (you might have to drain some off depending on how much grease your bacon produces).

     5.   Toss the diced sweet potatoes into your pan.

     6.   While your potatoes start to cook, dice up some onion. I used 1/2 of a medium sized yellow onion. Toss those in the pan with the sweet potatoes.

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     7.   Next, you can add any other veggies you’d like! This time I chopped up some sweet mini peppers & kale, but have used lots of other veggies in the past (mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots, spinach, broccoli, etc.). Let me just tell you though, I’d highly recommend kale because sweet potatoes & kale go together like PB & J. Sounds strange, but trust me, it’s a fabulous combination. Toss the rest of your veggies in the pan, add about a tablespoon of chili powder (or to taste), & salt & pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes & rest of the veggies are cooked through completely (usually about 20 minutes total for the sweet potatoes).

     8.   While veggies are cooking, chop up your cooked bacon. Add to the pan when veggies are cooked & heat through (about 1-2 minutes).

*Look at this bacon/veggie yumminess!

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     9.   Turn off heat & cover veggie/bacon mixture with a lid to keep warm. In a separate pan, fry 2 eggs over-easy (keep yolk runny in the middle) for each serving. If serving 4 people, fry up 8 eggs. I just did 2 here because I was just eating 1 serving for me!  Use a healthy fat option to fry, like organic butter or coconut oil (my personal favorite with this recipe). Sprinkle with salt & pepper.

     10.  Spoon some hash onto your plate & top with the 2 fried eggs! Sometimes I top this with some avocado slices, but I didn’t have any on hand this time around.

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     11.  Dig in & enjoy!! 🙂

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Hope you like this recipe! Like I said, it’s my go-to & you really can’t mess it up! It’s perfect for any meal, too!

If you want a printable version, click here.

I’d love to hear what you think! 🙂

Happy eating!

– Janeen

The Road to Triumph – Original Piano Composition

/ Janeen / 1 Comment

Happy Easter Weekend!!

With it being Easter Weekend, I thought this was the perfect time to share my latest composition, “The Road to Triumph.”

As you will hear, the melody of this song starts with kind of a mysterious, despairing sound. However, if you listen to it all the way through, it ends with a very triumphant, jubilant tone. When I play this song, I think about the journey of someone who goes through struggles, who has to pick themselves up, break through their barriers, & keep working toward the finish line until finally reaching that triumphant ending where they achieve the ultimate victory.

Why is this relevant for Easter Weekend? Well, with it being Good Friday yesterday, I watched “The Passion of the Christ” last night (if you have not seen this movie, you NEED to watch it! So powerful. It’s on-demand on Netflix. Do it.). I hadn’t watched that movie in quite some time, so had forgotten the power behind it & how eye-opening it is!! Although very difficult to watch (I cried through most of it), I decided that this is something I need to watch every Lent, particularly on Good Friday, because it makes the celebration of Easter even more glorious and…..well….. triumphant! 🙂

As I played this song today, I reflected on Jesus’ passion, death, & resurrection. I thought about the gruesome reality of His sacrifice for me, His road to the cross, dying for my sins, but ultimately achieving the greatest triumph over evil, rising again & saving us all from sin!

Whatever you choose to reflect on while listening to this song, your own journey, the journey of a loved one, or the journey of Jesus as he carried his cross to die for our sins & rise again, I hope that you find joy in listening to this “Road to Triumph.”

PS: don’t mind my pillow in the shot / excellent videoing skills :/ Ha!

God Bless you all & Happy Easter!! 🙂

– Janeen

Weekly Rhythm Register – Useful Accountability Tool for Daily & Weekly Goals

/ Janeen / 1 Comment

Hey guys!

Today I wanted to share with you a tool that I use & find very helpful when I need some extra motivation & accountability for those daily or weekly goals that I have. Ever since moving into our new house, I feel like my routine is a bit thrown off & I need some help getting back in the groove! I have a lot of daily goals that are much easier for me to accomplish when I get up early in the morning, but I have been SLACKING lately (new bed is just too comfy I guess!). So, I decided to turn back to this handy dandy tool: The Weekly Rhythm Register.

This is a tool that I discovered through the book, “The Compound Effect” by Darren Hardy. This is a great book to read for personal development, by the way! It really opens your eyes to the importance of each & every seemingly small decision we make in our life. Anyway, the Weekly Rhythm Register is just one of the many very useful tools/ideas/insight that I received from reading the book. Highly suggested (if you’re interested you can buy the book here)!

Anyway, I found the Weekly Rhythm Register to really come in handy when I first started my health journey (read about my journey here). I had so many changes being implemented & so many things to remember each day (morning supplements, night supplements, new eating habits, new work-out habits, etc), so I needed something visual to check these things off of my list each day, and to keep track so I could remember that I did (or didn’t do) everything that day! I keep a to do list in my planner app on my phone (which I will probably share in a different blog post eventually), but there’s something powerful about having a written reminder & physically checking boxes off of your list with a pen.

Here’s what the Weekly Rhythm Register looks like (click on the picture for a larger/better view & to print your own!):

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All you do is list each one of your daily or weekly goals in the “Behavior/Action” column on the far left. Then in the “Goal” column toward the right, put the number of times you’d like to complete that goal that week. Then, as you go through the week, place an “x” or check mark for each day that you complete the task. At the end of the week, add up all of the times that you completed each task & put that number in the “Achieved” column. Take the difference of “Achieved” vs. “Goal” & put that number in the “Net” column (could be a negative or positive number, or zero!). Add up each column & place totals in the “Totals” line at the bottom of the table. Review at the end of each week to see the areas that you did great at and the areas that need improvement. I have found that this is a FANTASTIC way to hold yourself accountable 🙂

Each person’s Weekly Rhythm Register is going to look completely different, because each one of us has different goals & priorities in life! So, modify according to what is important to you. Also, this can (and should!) change as your goals & priorities change, so feel free to switch it up as often as you need to!

Just for reference & for the sake of sharing, this is what my current Weekly Rhythm Register looks like for this week (again click on it for a larger/clearer version):

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As you can see, mine is focused on my spiritual & health goals, but this can be used for any area of life (personal, professional, relationships, etc.)

Hopefully this is just the kick in the butt I need to get back on track! Wish me luck 😉

Feel free to leave me a comment if you have any questions or would like to share a helpful tool you use for goal tracking & accountability! I’d also love to hear how this works for you.

Thanks for visiting! Until next time,

– Janeen

New Beginnings – Original Piano Composition

/ Janeen / 6 Comments

Hey all!

I thought it was about time to share some of my music with you! As mentioned in my first blog post (here), my new-found passion for composing music was my main inspiration for starting this blog. I’m still on the road to discovering the best way to share my music & how to go about recording my songs, but in the meantime I thought I’d share some videos of me playing some of my stuff 🙂

Nothing too fancy to see here… just me jimmy-rigging my iphone on the sofa to record myself in my yoga pants doing what I love. Ha!

This song is called “New Beginnings.” I wrote it in less than an hour after moving my piano into our new home in early February. My trusty ol’ piano & a single lamp were the only 2 things in the room at the time. I was home by myself, & I just sat down & let the creativity & inspiration flow. Soon, “New Beginnings” was born. The title was inspired by my overflowing gratitude for all of the “fresh starts” in my life. New home, new health journey, new-found passion for composing music, new ideas, & new discoveries yet to be found in my life.

Enjoy & Embrace New Beginnings!

Hope you enjoyed this song! I’d love to hear what you think. I’ve got lots more to share with you so sign up to follow me if you want to hear more 🙂

Thanks for watching & following my melody!

– Janeen

From Cardio Junkie to Yogi: How I Made the Transition & Why

/ Janeen / 2 Comments

Hello again!

I am busting at the seams excited to talk about this today because I feel AH-MAZING. It’s about my latest workout of choice: YOGA. If you would have told me 2 years ago that I would eventually fall in love with yoga, I would have thought you were crazy. At that time, I was a cardio junkie, doing intense cardio exercises 6 (or sometimes 7) days a week, thinking that was the way to stay fit & healthy. However, since starting my healing journey toward fixing my low thyroid issue (which you can read about here if you haven’t already), I have learned the beauty & healing power that comes with regular yoga practice & have said goodbye to the intense hardcore cardio that wreaked havoc on my body.

It was NOT an easy switch though. Not at all…

When people ask me what the hardest change was to implement when I started my healing journey, I think they always expect me to say “giving up gluten.” Although giving up the occasional BEER was the hardest part about cutting gluten out of my diet (oops…haha!), going gluten-free really wasn’t the biggest challenge for me. What was? Breaking my addiction to intense exercise.

So how did I do it? Well, for starters, it’s much easier to change something when you have a health professional explaining the scientific evidence that intense exercise makes things WORSE for people with thyroid issues. I knew that making the change was best for my health, but I still remember it being super hard to just WALK instead of run. Just like anything else though, it became easier with time, & my discovery of podcasts really helped me to enjoy the change & it soon became something that I looked forward to. Plus, I started to feel so much better, so that helped!

I was in a habit of doing workout videos in the morning & I really didn’t want to give that up, but knew I needed to make a switch from the high intensity workouts I had been doing. Luckily, my idol Chalene Johnson had just come out with a new, low-impact workout video program called PIYO.

If you haven’t heard of PIYO, check it out here. Chalene jokingly describes it as yoga for people with ADD, because she is someone that just does not like to sit still & always wants to be constantly moving when she works out! I totally connected with that, being a cardio junkie myself at the time, but I needed flexibility & a low impact workout, so this was the perfect fit! This workout really gave me the foundations of yoga & I started to feel the benefits of having more flexible (& stronger) muscles. This is a great workout to use to make that transition if you’re interested in trying yoga but still like a little more intensity (and sweat!) in your workouts.

Eventually, I started going to a yoga class here in my hometown once a week. There, I learned what true, authentic yoga practice was all about. Since I already had the foundations from PIYO, I felt pretty comfortable with it, but it was still a bit of an adjustment. The more I went, the more I loved it, & always felt so great after going to a class! I never thought I would say it, but I felt myself becoming a yogi (gasp!)

Then, a few weeks ago, my friend Robyn told me about this “30 Days of Yoga” challenge she found on YouTube & we decided to try it out together. The videos are only 15-30 minutes long, & for the last 22 days, I have been following the challenge & doing just 1 short yoga practice every day. And now I can do this:

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WHAT?!?!?! I was shocked, but it’s amazing what just a little practice every day can do! I feel strong, flexible, powerful, connected to my body, & just plain fabulous…. and you can too! Start here for your 30 Days of Yoga challenge. The instructor’s name is Adriene & she’s great!! She makes it fun & light-hearted & just really enjoyable. I also love the convenience of being able to do yoga at home. We’ve had some awesome weather here lately, so I’ve been loving just taking my Ipad & yoga mat outside & practicing on the deck when it’s nice out!

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I’ve gotten a few funny looks from my new neighbors… they’re probably wondering who the heck the new crazy yogi neighbor is, but oh well! It’s my thing now 😉

Hopefully this gives you a few ideas if you’re interested in dabbling in the yoga world or if you need help working your way into it! I’d love to hear about it if you end up trying PIYO or the 30 Days of Yoga!

Enjoy the journey! Namaste.

– Janeen

Top 5 Podcasts for Personal Development

/ Janeen / 2 Comments

Hello all!

Today I thought I’d share with you something that I have become ADDICTED to in the last 6 months… podcasts!! If you’ve never listened to podcasts, now is the time to start. There is SO MUCH good information out there. . . and all for free! I’ve been discovering some really good ones lately & honestly having trouble keeping up with all of them that I want to listen to. Seriously, I look forward to going on walks & listening to podcasts every day…I joke that it’s my therapy! 😉 I loved it so much that I would even bundle up & go out in the 0 degree snowy weather this winter to get my daily dose, like in this picture here:

Like I said … addicted.

Most of the podcasts I have discovered have been recommended to me by either friends or current podcasters I’m a fan of, which made it so much easier to sort through the thousands & thousands of podcasts that exist out there & cut to the ones that I’d enjoy most. SO, I thought I’d share the list of my current favorites with YOU! 🙂 Almost all of these are tailored to my interest in personal development, covering a whole slew of topics in that area, all the way from enjoying the simple pleasures in daily life to starting your own business. OK, so here we go:

1) The Chalene Show (Chalene Johnson)

* Let me just start by saying that Chalene Johnson is my IDOL when it comes to personal development. I first discovered her when I fell in love with her Turbo Fire workout. I then started following her on social media & realized that, although she is most recognized by the public as a fitness professional with her workout videos & programs (Turbo Jam, Turbo Fire, Chalean Extreme, Turbo Kick, PIYO, etc.), her primary focus is in life coaching. This made me like her even more & I became a major fan, watching all her online videos, reading her book, listening to her Car Smart series, subscribing to her emails, etc. I guess her personality just really clicks with mine, I love her message, she’s fun, & she gives great content! So, when she came out with this podcast, I was psyched!! And it did not disappoint. It has quickly risen to the top of the charts in the podcasting world on i-Tunes. She covers a wide range of helpful content, including developing more confidence, staying motivated, tips on starting your own business, social media strategies, healthy living advice, building relationships …. and the list goes on. THIS IS A MUST LISTEN.

2) The Simple Sophisticate (Shannon Ables)

*This is an easy-listening podcast dedicated to living a simply luxurious life. Shannon focuses on finding beauty in the simple things in every day life, which aligns with my values as well. This one is just plain fun to listen to. It’s not as “serious” as some of the other ones I listen to, as she discusses things like entertaining, style, decor, food, beauty, etc. She also gives a little “petite pleasure” at the end of every podcast where she recommends certain products or recipes that she’s discovered. This is a good one!

3) This Is Your Life (Michael Hyatt)

* Michael has had years & years of experience in the corporate world as CEO of a publishing company, but now runs his own company on leadership. In this podcast, Michael & cohost Michelle, share great content on leadership, productivity, focus, & more that can be applied toward your professional or personal life. Lots of great content in this one!

4) The School of Greatness (Lewis Howes)

* As he says in the intro of every podcast, Lewis is a former pro-athlete, turned Lifestyle Entrepreneur. In his podcast, he interviews tons of successful people in all areas of life to share their stories on what makes them successful and … well, great! Many of these stories are very inspiring & influential & just interesting to listen to! Lewis has a very inspiring story himself, which he shared on The Chalene Show recently (you can find that here). He’s just a great guy sharing a great message! Definitely recommend.

5) The Smart Passive Income Podcast (Pat Flynn)

* This podcast is tailored toward advice on starting your own online business & creating a passive income for yourself. Some of this content is very eye opening as far as the potential there is in this online world! Even if you’re not planning on starting your own online business, this is a good one to listen to because it really makes you think about the potential for creating a secondary income for yourself & having a back up plan. Plus, there’s lots of great extra content about lifestyle tips & productivity that everyone can find useful!

6) Serial (Sarah Koenig)

* BONUS! This one is for pure entertainment purposes only. Let me tell you, I was HOOKED on this one. There are 12 episodes in the series & I listened to all of them in about a week. It’s a true story about a murder case from 1999, where a teenager was convicted of murdering his girlfriend & sentenced to life in prison. However, there’s some fishy stuff about this case, namely that he was convicted based on the word of 1 witness & there was no physical evidence against him. Sarah investigates this case & uncovers all kinds of juicy information that grabs your attention, makes you think, & leaves you wanting more! Apparently there might be a 2nd season of Serial coming out sometime? Sign me up! This one is super intriguing.

OK, so those are my favorite podcasts right now!! There’s more that I listen to from time to time (The Art of Charm, Good Life Project, The 5 AM Miracle, Freakonomics, & The Charged Life), but the ones listed are at the top for me.

To download or subscribe to podcasts, download the podcast app on your phone (free) & you can search & download episodes from there 🙂

Feel free to share any of your favorite podcasts in the comments! I’m always looking for new ones to add to my collection.

That’s all for today. Happy listening!

– Janeen

I Found the Perfect Water Bottle!

/ Janeen / 3 Comments

I’ve been going through a water bottle crisis lately. The hunt for the right water bottle seemed endless, trying to sort through all the choices. What material should I pick? What size is best? What type of cap? Dishwasher safe? How durable is it? Easy to fill? What color should I get? And the list goes on ….

I’ve been through my share of water bottles. None seem to be quite right. They either break, or leak, or spill easily, aren’t the right size, or are some kind of obnoxious color that eventually I get sick of looking at, etc. Finally, I was fed up! I was bound & determined to find the best one for me . . . and (drumroll please) . . . I FOUND IT! And I’m in love. Here is the beauty:

The brand is Lifefactory, & they really nailed it with this one! I found it on Amazon for $24 & from what I can tell (in the 2 days I’ve had it…ha!), it’ll last me a LONG time! Click here to get one for yourself!

Here were my qualifications & search criteria in my hunt for this perfect water bottle:

  • GLASS ~ I wanted to get away from plastic because of all the research on harmful chemicals & nasty stuff found in plastic that can leak into your water & eventually into our bodies! I know, they make “BPA free” plastic water bottles, but I just decided I didn’t want to risk it & glass would be the best & cleanest choice for me.
  • STRAW CAP ~ This is a big one for me. I’ve learned that if I don’t have a straw cap on my water bottle, I just don’t drink enough water throughout the day. Apparently lifting up a bottle to drink it is just too much work for me or something, but I tell you what, there’s something about sucking out of a straw that makes you drink more water! Plus, I can sip on it as I’m working, typing, writing, talking on the phone, reading, etc. After my last straw cap water bottle broke, I was stuck with one without a straw, & during that time, my water consumption went down majorly! I think we all know how important it is to drink water & stay hydrated throughout the day (see here if you need more info), so this was a problem for me.
  • AT LEAST 20 OUNCES ~ I wanted a water bottle that was large enough that I didn’t have to go refill so often (had one that was less than 16 ounces once & I learned my lesson), PLUS 20 oz. makes it much easier to do the math on how much you’re drinking. I aim for at least 60 oz. per day, so it’s easy for me to know I just need to down 3 of those babies & I’m good!
  • DISHWASHER SAFE ~ Enough said. I don’t want to hand wash my water bottle, mmmk?
  • WIDE MOUTH ~ There’s nothing worse than a water bottle that has a super narrow mouth where you never fail to spill water or leave ice cubes all over the floor every time you go to fill up. So, wide mouth was key for me. Plus, I’m trying to drink more water with lemon (b/c of the many benefits, some of which you can find here) & a wide mouth makes it much easier to add into my water 🙂
  • NEUTRAL COLOR ~ I wanted a water bottle that I’d feel comfortable taking anywhere, including work or in a professional setting. I used to take an obnoxious bright pink water bottle to work every day, which is totally fine for some people, but it just didn’t feel very professional to me, so I wanted something that was more plain & neutral (black, clear, grey, etc).

This water bottle fit all my criteria, plus some extra features that I wasn’t necessarily looking for, like the retractable straw & easy to carry handle. I’ve only had this thing for 2 days & I can already tell a HUGE difference in the amount of water I’m drinking. Seriously, I’ve mindlessly drank 2 of them already & it’s not even noon. Prior to getting this water bottle, I struggled to even drink 1 full 20 oz bottle (can you say crisis!?) Yeah ….

So this is my recommendation if you’re looking for the perfect water bottle. Obviously, some of you may have other criteria for what suits you best, but this is what works best for me! As you can see, I’m enjoying it thoroughly while working (or blogging…oops) 😉

Enjoy & live well,

-Janeen

My “WHY” for Healthy Living

/ Janeen / 3 Comments

Hello hello!

Instead of just jumping right in & sharing healthy living tips & info, I though it would be best to first share with you my WHY for this passion of mine! Long story short, I’ve had an unhealthy relationship with food & my body image in the past, which led to unhealthy habits, which led to an unhealthy body, which led to medical problems, which led to my journey toward healing (which I’m currently still on). That’s the short version. Stay tuned, buckle your seat belts, & get ready for a bumpy ride if you want the long version….

Let’s start with high school. I never really had body image issues in high school, probably because I was naturally fairly thin without having to worry about what I ate or how often I worked out. I was on dance team & played volleyball, so was decently active, which helped, but I definitely didn’t eat well at all! Let’s just say my favorite after school snack was Mountain Dew & Tostito’s Chips & Queso. Get the picture?

OK, so then there was college. They call it the “Freshman 15” for a reason. Too much booze, lack of proper nutrition habits, & minimized physical activity, led me to put on that dreaded 15 pounds. Well, it was really more like 10 probably, but all I know is that it was enough to freak me out & get my butt in gear! Luckily, I had a great friend, Robyn, who lived on my dorm floor who had excellent eating & exercise habits. I turned to her for advice, she started teaching me things about nutrition, & I’d go to the rec center with her to work out every now & then. (Sidenote: Robyn ended up becoming by best friend & still is to this day. She also ended up becoming a Registered Dietitian & is still my #1 go to for information. I remember prompting her to pursue a career in Nutrition & Wellness our Freshman year in her dorm room b/c she had helped me so much & I could definitely see her potential there). Anyway, back to the story.

Throughout the rest of my college career, I took the knowledge I had & slowly started eating better & working out more. I found my soul-mate workout in JAZZERCISE & was hooked! I went almost every day. I lost the weight I had gained my freshman year, plus some. Eventually, I discovered My Fitness Pal (an online calorie tracker) & became addicted to that too. Soon, my interest in these 2 things changed from a healthy habit to an unhealthy obsession. I would try to eat as little as possible, didn’t pay attention to the quality of food I was eating & only paid attention to the numbers. During this time, I remember being hungry … a lot. I also got to the point where I felt like I had to work out every day otherwise the world would end. Even though I weighed less than ever, I was still never satisfied & wanted to lose MORE. I was skinny, but definitely not in a good place mentally.

As you can imagine, the years of this stress I put on my body really messed up my metabolism. After my wedding in 2012, I slowly started to realize that I had led myself down a bad path & what I was doing was not healthy. I turned to Robyn again to vent about this, & the conversation we had that day was the starting point to my healing. I remember her telling me to STOP the calorie counting madness! At this time, she was going through her schooling to become a R.D. with a focus in integrative health & functional medicine, so I really trusted her (plus she’s my best friend, so obviously I took what she said to heart). She educated me on the importance of QUALITY food, rather than quantity, & listening to your body to know how much to eat, rather than the numbers I plugged into a computer. She told me to break up with the scale & focus more on how I FEEL & how my clothes fit, rather than being obsessed with a number. I remember ending that conversation ready to make a change. I stopped my  mad obsession with numbers cold turkey, & I remember it being the most freeing & liberating feeling! But then things got a little ugly ….

As I mentioned before, the years of under-eating & over-exercising really messed me up. My metabolism was majorly sluggish & I had trained my body to only be able to handle like 1,000 calories a day (plus I was exercising hard core, so probably less than that). Therefore, when I started eating more (even though it was healthy food), I gained weight. I seriously felt like I gained 10 pounds overnight. I started trying to compensate for this & increased the intensity of my exercise. This did nothing. I think I had reached this breaking point where my body had had enough. Besides weight gain, I also started experiencing other symptoms, like fatigue, & the most concerning one…no menstrual cycle for over a year. I felt like  my hormones had literally turned off (which is not a good feeling when you’re a newlywed). Long story short, I was a MESS, I was unhappy, I felt like crap, & I had no idea what to do about it.

After months & months of feeling like this, I decided to seek help. In July of 2014, went to a health care professional in integrative medicine (read more about what integrative medicine is here: http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/alternative-medicine-integrative-medicine) in Kansas City where Robyn was working. I had several tests done, including several blood tests, urine tests, a stool test (fun), & a gluten sensitivity test. In September, I received my results back, which indicated that I had low T3 (an important but often overlooked component of the thyroid), a sensitivity to gluten, & some deficiencies in certain vitamins & minerals. Therefore, my steps toward healing included the following:

– Cutting out gluten completely (protein found in wheat, barley, & rye)
– Daily regimen of supplements including a probiotic, magnesium, iron, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin B complex, selenium (brazil nuts), & iodine (kelp sprinkles)
– Limiting intense exercise (since this actually makes things WORSE for people with thyroid problems) & doing more slow gentle movement exercises (walks, yoga, moving more during the day, etc.)
– Eating REAL food (eliminating processed foods as much as possible) & paying attention to the ingredients list in foods (the shorter the better) rather than the calorie or fat content.
– Eating a balanced diet (CPF+ as Robyn teaches to her clients, which stands for Carbs (C), Protein (P), Fat (F), & the most nutrient-rich versions of those 3 things (+))

I also began integrating red light therapy, which I learned about through Ari Whitten’s Metabolism Supercharge program (learn more about that here: https://s3.amazonaws.com/MetabolismSuperchargeUpdate/Bonus+%232/Bonus+%23+2+-+Red+Light+to+Speed+Up+Your+Metabolism+4.pdf)

Within a few months after starting this regimen, I was seeing improvements in many of my symptoms. I had more energy, I was leaning out, my clothes fit better, I felt less bloated, & I was showing signs that my sex hormones were up & running again (I won’t go into any more detail here, but you get the picture). From the time I began this process in September 2014, I had told myself that I’d give it until January 1 before trying something else or going a different route. Well, God is good, because my “time of the month” (or year in my case), arrived ON January 1. What!?!?! I was shocked. I could feel that it was working the whole time, but that moment on January 1 was the final proof I needed to seal the deal. Sorry if this is TMI, but it’s a huge part of my story, so I feel like I must share! I’ve been “regular” in that area ever since, & I finally feel like myself again!!

This change in my health has improved all areas of my life, including my relationships (especially with my husband), self-esteem, productivity, spirituality, & just overall happiness. I’m still learning every day….I think our health is something that is very individualized & is definitely a lifelong learning process. Slowly but surely, I’m learning how to listen to my body to tell me what it needs. I feel 100 times better than I did a few years ago. I feel like my metabolism is finally working for me instead of against me. I have a stable weight without having to deprive myself or kill myself in the gym. Most importantly, I’m so so so happy!

So, there’s the story of my WHY. Long, I know, so PROPS to you if you stuck with it until the end! Looking forward to sharing more with you in this area, like healthy recipes (& maybe a few indulgent recipes every now & then…gotta keep a balance, right?), products I like, cool workouts I’ve found, etc. Hope you enjoy!

Live well,

– Janeen

My Melodic Journey

/ Janeen / 3 Comments

Hello all!

First of all, thanks for visiting my page! I’m totally new to this blogging thing, so thank you in advance for your patience while I learn how the heck this all works! 😉 I decided to start this blog as a way to express myself & share the things that interest me & give me inspiration. As mentioned in my “About” page, I am a pianist & love writing my own original piano compositions. My passion for piano started when I was 10 years old. I asked my mom if I could take piano lessons, she agreed, & immediately I was hooked! I played all the time. I flew threw the early “beginner” lessons & eventually started taking lessons for more advanced music. I had some great teachers throughout my piano journey, who really pushed me & inspired me to step outside my comfort zone.

When I was about 14, the creative bug hit me & I started to compose my own melodies. I remember the first song that I wrote, “Reflections of Joy,” I came up with the melody as I was taking a shower … I guess singing in the shower has its perks, right? 😉 My first composition set off a domino effect, & I wrote 11 more songs in that year. Since they were all in my head, I remember being terrified that I would wake up one day & forget them all! So I played all the time. I remember playing my songs until my fingers were sore! Eventually, my wonderful mother had the brilliant idea to get me a tape recorder. It was the old school kind. I finally was able to record my compositions so I didn’t have the constant fear that I’d forget them! This gave me a lot of peace of mind. All it took was a quick reminder of how the song went, & I could bust out the whole thing. It’s like riding a bike, I always say! 😉

After writing those 12 songs, my parents & I decided that it would be cool to record my songs on a legit CD. We contacted a recording studio in Yankton, SD (near my hometown of Hartington, NE) & arranged an appointment. When I arrived to the studio, I was disappointed, because he only had an electric keyboard (which didn’t have the full set of keys) in the studio. When I expressed my concern, he said that he had a baby grand piano in his house, so could take his recording equipment & record in his house instead of in the sound-proof studio. This took careful planning, because we had to work around traffic noise & other outside noises, but he lived in a rather remote area, so it didn’t have too much of an effect. Before we started recording, I asked him if he was able to edit the songs afterword & splice in certain parts that I made a mistake on, or if I had to play it perfectly how it was going to sound on the final copy of the CD. He said he was able to edit, so I just started to play, with no worries at all! I played through 9 of my songs straight & he recorded it all.

A few weeks later, I went back for my second session, & he told me that because of the complex nature of the grand piano, he wouldn’t be able to splice out certain sections or edit the tracks like he could do with all other types of music. This took the wind out of my sails a bit. I have never been great under pressure, & as a 14 year old girl, it felt like this was a massive undertaking. I’ve always been a bit of a perfectionist too, so this seemed like an impossible feat to play the songs EXACTLY how I wanted them to sound on the final recording. Honestly, that information took all the fun out of it for me. I remember shutting down in a sense. I kept messing up in that session & having to start over. I was way too uptight. I just felt way too much pressure & I remember thinking, “This isn’t how this is supposed to feel. This feels like a job.” That experience took away a little of my passion, to be honest with you. I suddenly felt this massive amount of pressure to keep composing music. In short, it became something that I felt like I had to do for everyone else instead of for myself. Because of this, my CD was never finished & I didn’t write another song through the rest of my high school career. I have a copy of the original recording session of those 9 songs. It’s by no means perfect, but it’s something! It has always been something I’ve wanted to finish…to finally get all my songs recorded on a CD that I was comfortable sharing with the world.

OK, time to get to the happier part of the story. When I went to college, piano was put on hold for awhile, since it’s obviously hard to have access to a piano while you’re living in the dorms or apartments through your college career. However, it was always something that I was happy to come back to when going home for break. Again, it’s like riding a bike! It never really leaves you.

After graduating college in 2012, I got married to my wonderful husband, Brandon, & moved to Valentine, NE, where we both work at The Prairie Club Golf Resort. Brandon had already been living here, so I moved in with him in his duplex. My parents gave me the best housewarming gift of all…my piano. I started playing more… playing for church, playing for weddings, playing for anyone who wanted to listen to me. I found my passion again. Over 10 years after writing my first set of songs, I composed another, which I named “The Echo.” I was hesitant to share it with people at first. Since it had been so long, I wasn’t sure if I still had “it” or not, & was nervous, wondering if it were as good as my original compositions. I eventually shared it with family & friends, & they loved it! That reassurance was all I needed to keep going. We just bought our first home this year & I joke that it has good mojo, because I’ve already busted out 2 new songs in 2015, “New Beginnings” (fitting title, huh?) & “The Road to Triumph.”

Wow, I didn’t really anticipate sharing that whole story in such detail, but I guess it was kind of the main motivator behind starting this blog. Since beginning writing what I like to refer to as my “second set” of songs, I’ve really found myself wanting to share them with people! I’m still on the road to discovering how to get all of my songs recorded, so that I can officially share them with all of you. I don’t want to go down the same path as I did when I was 14, going to a professional recording studio who bills by the hour & costs an arm & a leg. I know myself enough to realize that pressure would suck the joy out of the experience for me. Therefore, I’m toying with the idea of purchasing my own equipment & recording my songs in the comfort of my own home, on my own time, & exactly how I want to do it. I’ve just started researching this & there’s A LOT to learn! So stay tuned! Oh, and if any of you have any advice for recording piano music at home, I’d love to hear about it!

Although my passion for music was my main motivator behind this blog, I also have a passion for MANY other things! Therefore, I thought this would be a good platform to express my interests & share with you the things that make my heart happy. Honestly, I don’t know exactly everything that this blogging journey will entail, but I guess we’ll find that out together! Again, thank you so much for visiting & following my melody 🙂

Until next time,

– Janeen