Me? A Teacher? Why Thank you!

We all think we are good at something. Good enough to teach a class? Maybe some of us are a little more confident than others. But if I had the opportunity to be able to teach a class, I would love to be able to teach it about healthy eating and finding the right balance between a healthy diet and life-long healthy decisions.

It would be based on my website: Healthy Food Healthy You which is a nutritional consulting company. Everyone has different nutritional needs and weight management goals and at Healthy Food Healthy You, we will work together to create a life style plan for you based on your nutritional needs and goals. There is always time to start your healthy lifestyle ­­— why not now?

Tutorial to include:
- Educated guidance to clients seeking nutritional advice, weight management tips and enhancing health and fitness performance
-Food supplement and nutritional advice such as vitamins and minerals
- Knowledge and resources to formulate and design your own personalized meal plan based on the new 2010 government healthy regulations
- Initial consultation to determine short and long-term goals
- Grocery Store Tour
- Reading(and Understanding) those Pesky and Oh-So-Long Nutritional Labels
- Exercise Tips and Suggestions
- At Home Cooking Experience for the working professional, on a budget (because who doesn't want to save money?)

Why do I feel like I'm great at this and the right person to teach a class on this?
Being a Certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant I have extensive and functional knowledge of nutrition, weight management, daily exercise and how to combine all of these important skills to meet a clients lifestyle goals. I also can offer a sound nutritional plan for optimizing health; advise and present a balanced and nutritional strategy and provide nutrition counseling and education.

I have also been a long-time sufferer of psoriasis which is an auto-immune, non contagious disease that appears as dry, red scales on the skin. Learn more about psoriasis here. After undergoing medication trials, experimenting with topicals and injections, I am currently 90 percent clear and have all the confidence in the world. Having psoriasis has given me the drive to educate myself on eating right and making life-long healthy decisions as well as the want to get my nutrition and wellness certification. I want to give my clients the knowledge and confidence I have—and believes it starts with healthy food which makes for a healthy you.

I like to draw inspiration and stay on top of nutritional news by visiting The Doctors and Doctor Oz.

I also like to suggest following Women's Health(@WomensHealthMag) and Men's Health(@MensHealthMag) on Twitter. For easy health tips, recipes and so much more to incorporate into your busy life.

This post was written as part of NHBPM – 30 health posts in 30 days: http://bit.ly/vU0g9J

If It Aint Broke, Don’t Fix It

What is working well in your community, health care, blogs, social media, or your work in particular? What do you like about it?

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend the Educational Summit for Patient Advocacy and the Implementation of the Affordable Care Act, as a mentor for the NPF. Phew, just saying the long title gets me winded. While a lot of the topics were a little over my head, I was excited to hear how, myself as an individual, can truly make a difference. Sara Kofman, from the NPF, was there to speak as part of some of the many patient advocacy organizations.

What is working, which is something she touched on that I think the NPF does so well, is that they inform and educate their volunteers and advocates so well. They equip us with the information we need in order to do our job better. I think that is something a lot of organizations and companies can learn from. In order for your employees, staff, volunteers, etc to be at their best, they have to be equip with the best and correct information. If they don't know what their own companies message is, then how are they supposed to reproduce that to others? Another thing that is working is people actually wanting to be informed and wanting to make a difference. To be apart of a generation making these changes is inspiring.

That's the thing that is so great online. If you don't know something, research and the answer—albeit, probably not the right one at first—is right there. It may take some digging, but you'll get there eventually. Social forums, blogs and discussion sites are the best for this. It allows the public to have an open conversation and get input from people ALL AROUND THE WORLD. The power of the Internet, right? I think that is by far the greatest tool. The power of being connected at our finger tips is changing the world and how we interact with one another. It's time to be apart of that and start making changes.
People my age love it. We were born and raised on computers. I can only imagine what it's going to be like when my future kids come into this world. But for people like my parents and grandparents who grew up on news print and handwritten letters, the Internet can be a funny thing. But there really isn't anything better than getting a handwritten letter in the mail. I still get them from time to time and I LOVE. And I still write them. It's different, but still cool with a vintage feel. To know that someone took the time out of their day to sit down—and not on their drive to work, their 5 min coffee break, during a board meeting or at dinner— and write something, leaves you with a good feeling.

So I leave you with the good of what is working in our health field and all around us, and how it will only continue to improve with education, research, discussions, blogs and social media. But I also leave you with this questions: when was the last time you wrote a letter to someone?

This post was written as part of NHBPM – 30 health posts in 30 days: http://bit.ly/vU0g9J

The Future of Online Activism

Our favorite social media sites are constantly undergoing renovations to become quicker to navigate, easier to interact with, all encompassing, mobile, and everywhere. Imagine the same thing about your community – how will they evolve, improve, and grow?

I remember the first time I saw a commercial on TV telling everyone to get more information by going to this World Wide Web address. It was the craziest thing. And it just took off from there. I started a computer learning class in high school—had to practice our typing skills; then how to write online correspondence; and get familiar with this new and amazing thing. And then I got my first computer! It has evolved since then and it will continue to do so.

With Google+ now, we see how email is evolving. You can now categorize everyone into circles and just see what they have been doing, who is connected to who, etc. I think google will only continue to improve. How? I am definitely not the expert. Because right now we can send emails, search online for ANYTHING, call and facetime with anyone in our phone book; watch movies; read books, all at our finger tips.

Who am I do say how that will improve? I can only imagine. But to me it's like that movie Walle. Where basically all the humans got so lazy that all they had to do was sit on their butts because this magical chip inside their head did everything for them. I sure hope it doesn't come down to that.

As far as social media goes, Facebook is by far the coolest thing for keeping touch with everyone. I am talking to my family from ARGENTINA on a day to day basis. Not having to worry about the time difference, or if I missed a major thing that happened in their life. Now we all know what happens—right as it happens. Which is really cool—and weird—in a sense. It will continue to connect people after years of not knowing where they were; it will connect adopted children to their biological parents(and has already done that); connect families after natural disasters. Leaders have even taken to Facebook to create groups on their organizations advocacy issues.

Twitter is also a great tool for online activism as well as pushing out important messages. Especially when natural disasters happen. The Red Cross is great about sending out tweets and updates on their efforts. In that aspect, it will only continue to improve the technology and presences to reach as many people as they can. Twitter has also been great with all the elections. To think that President Obama was the first president to fully incorporate social media into his presidential campaign was a huge leap in that department. He was reaching demographics they never were able to reach in the past. Online activism? Of course.

Social media has been great at pushing out important news in the health field too, which is what I love. I am able to stay on top of the current health bills that are being past; what I can do as a psoriasis patient and mentor; the representatives I can reach in my community to speak to personally and so much more.. If it wasn't for the National Psoriasis Foundation's online efforts to reach out to more people and bring awareness to this disease, I would never have been a mentor. Now I have the opportunity to do that as well. Health activism at its best.

It gives us those outlets we didn't use to have. It gives us a voice we didn't we have. And it will continue to give us a place where people can hear what we're saying and truly make a difference.

I look forward to what the future has in store and can only be thankful to be apart of all these incredible changes.

This post was written as part of NHBPM – 30 health posts in 30 days: http://bit.ly/vU0g9J

3 Truths and 1 Lie

The Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge

Tell us 3 things that are true about you, your condition, your Health Activism, or your life. Now tell us 1 lie. Do you think we will be able to tell the difference?

For those reading this blog who know me, will most likely be able to tell which one is the lie. But here goes.

I am in the process of starting a health and nutrition website with my AFPA Health and Nutrition Consultant certification.

Chris and I have backpacked through Europe and our favorite place was Tuscany.

I have had psoriasis for over 10 years and am now a National Psoriasis Foundation mentor.

I have family from Buenos Aires, Argentina and Spanish was the first language I spoke.

Can you guess which one is a lie?



Keep guessing?



Think you have it?



Well, by now you should know I do have psoriasis and have had it for a long time and I am also in the process of starting a health website. So if you guessed those, you're wrong!

Next, Spanish WAS actually the first language I spoke growing up. My mother is from Argentina and we would go almost every Summer. We had the best time.

So Chris and I have never backpacked through Europe. That is actually one of our long-term goals. He has only been out of the country once, and that was recently when we went to Vancouver. He has also been dying to go to Argentina since meeting me and hearing all these wonderful stories from my family. So our next, long, long-term goal is to take about a month off and go to Europe... before we have kids :)

Hope you enjoyed learning a little more about me and my life!

Think your close friends could guess the lie? Try it today!

This post was written as part of NHBPM – 30 health posts in 30 days: http://bit.ly/vU0g9J

5 Things That Changed My Life

The Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge

5 things that changed my life. For better? For worse? List 5 things that changed your life as a patient, caregiver, or Health Activist and how.

There has definitely been more than 5 things that have changed my life not just as a patient or Health Activist, but as a daughter, sister, friend and wife.

1. Being diagnosed with psoriasis. It was definitely a change for the worse when it first happened. I was in high school, and these red, scaly patches started to appear on my skin. All we knew was that my mom had it, it was obviously genetic and there is no cure. Lovely. After undergoing numerous medications, trials, tar baths and disgusting shampoo's, it's now under control. But back then I was so ashamed and embarrassed. I barely spoke to my family about it. I just didn't know a lot about it, so how was I supposed explain I felt?
Fast forward to present: I still have it on my elbows and scalp. Elbows are manageable with weekly medication, and scalp... well let's just not go there (haven't found anything that works). But I am now a National Psoriasis Foundation mentor and love it. I no longer shy away from it. I want to talk about it and help anyone I can. So, now I can say it has changed me for the better.

2. Being there for my parents while they have battled through their health scares with cancer and a triple by-pass. They both and my mother-in-law were the strongest people I know while going through their own problems. They never once had a pity party (well who doesn't?) but always made sure everyone else around them were taken care. It's because of how they have responded to what life as thrown at them, that gives me the strength to take on life now. Definitely changed me for the good.

3. This next thing changed me and my husband... well it just changed us. I include it because my husbands best friend was a caregiver himself, a Registered Nurse. And we actually lost him very unexpectedly—and it hasn't been easy. No matter what he did, he absolutely loved his job helping others as a nurse and he made a lasting impression where ever he went. He could make friends with anyone and was loved by everyone. If I can make that type of impression on—not only the people in my life—but complete strangers than I owe that to him. We miss you a lot Kenny. It's definitely been a change.

4. Another change would be becoming a certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant. After being there for my parents, I want to be able to equip anyone I can with the simple knowledge it takes to lead a healthy life. No one can ever predict cancer or an sudden illness, but you can do everything in your power to live the best life you can—which I think my parents are doing a great job at.

5. Living with psoriasis has also given me the power to research and want to learn more about other less known about diseases. Something I probably would have never done if I didn't have psoriasis. Thinking, "Oh, if I don't have that, it doesn't affect me." I have a completely different view on things like that. I now want to educate myself and others. Psoriasis(or anything bothering you at the moment) can be a very stressful thing if you let it. Or it can completely change your life—for the better.

Take a look around. If you have always wanted to research something, get to know your new co-worker or read that book you never got around to—take the time now. You never know what you do, who you meet or what you'll see next that might change your life—in more ways than one.

This post was written as part of NHBPM – 30 health posts in 30 days: http://bit.ly/vU0g9J

My blog is being turned into a TV show!

Ha, I got your attention! It really isn't being turned into a TV— don't we all wish we were on TV for a little while?! This is my second blog post, so read on :)

2. My TV Show. Your blog is being turned into a TV show! Congrats – you’ve
earned it. In fact, you get to co-write it. Write about the TV show based on your life or blog.

Eeeekkk, I thought the book titles were hard. I can't tell you how many times I've heard in passing, conversations with friends, FB updates "my life should be turned into a reality show" or wow, that is definitely reality TV show ready.... Everyone wants their 15 mins of fame. And if they say no they don't, then they're lying!

Now, back to my TV show. I would love the TV show to incorporate all my book titles, hehe! Basically chronically my life as a twin, the good and the bad (definitely some drama for the ratings); my family dealing with the health scares of my parents; my diagnosis with psoriasis which was in high school—like high school isn't rough enough on a teenage girl, I now had to deal with a disease we knew nothing about—then later going on to become a National Psoriasis Foundation volunteer mentor; my sister getting her first teaching job; my moms cancer treatments; meeting my husband (add in some ups and downs) and then our marriage(lasting longer than 72 days, mind you. Too bad, Kim K!). Then a season finale can be that Chris accepted the job to be the Mauitime Art Director and we move to Maui!

Season starts off with us living in paradise and chronicles the tough times—no job for me or friends for awhile, small place, planning our wedding, adjusting to a completely new island lifestyle, rubbing elbows with the rich and famous(can you say Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Josh Radnor, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban?) and the good times—Chris excelling in his job, being honored for his design work, meeting life-long friends, visiting breath taking places and everything else in between. Shots back home to include my sisters promotion at school; brother moving to Colorado; updates on my parents; Chris's brother graduating high school and starting college. Season ends with Chris accepting another job to become the Associate Art Director at the Seattle Met Magazine! Surprise—time to move, again!

Next season starts off with our new life in a COMPLETELY different city. Going from living in tank tops, swimsuits, shorts and flip flops to jackets, scarves and rain boots; handling the death of a very close friend; still no job for me; public transportation; moving expenses; new puppy; one year anniversary; family visits; planning and leading my first event; learning a new city and the list goes on.

So there you have it. No, I haven't given this any thought..... what would your TV show be like? I'd love to hear!

This post was written as part of NHBPM – 30 health posts in 30 days: http://bit.ly/vU0g9J

National Health Blog Post Month

Earlier this week, the National Psoriasis Foundation, with whom I am an volunteer mentor, posted this:

Calling all bloggers and aspiring bloggers: It's National Health Blog Post Month! Let's make sure everyone knows about psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis! If you feel up to the challenge, sign up and blog about your experiences with psoriatic disease. It's a great way to tell your story - and teach others about these diseases.

I love being apart of the NPF and helping as many people as I can. Not to mention I love blogging about my experiences, whether it's health updates, psoriasis tips and advice or just the adventures Chris and I have here in Seattle. So I LOVE this challenge and encourage any bloggers, aspiring bloggers/writers to take up the challenge as well.

I am three days behind, so I will post all four posts today to get back on track :)

This is part of the Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge Prompts.
Nov 1: Titles of my future book. Say you’re writing a book about your life, community, condition, or Health Activism. Come up with 5 working titles and a quick book jacket synopsis.

Not a lot of people know this but I have always dreamed about writing a book about my life, corny, yes I know. I've thought about writing it about my life and being a twin; about planning a wedding and all the things people don't tell you; my life-long battle with psoriasis and my parents health conditions; becoming a health consultant..... But with all the silly books and reality TV show books, why not me? To come up with a title is kind of hard but here goes:

1. It Takes Two, Babe

You can choose your friends, but you definitely can't choose whether you're going to be a twin or not. Live their journey with them through birth, elementary school-college, boyfriends and bad jobs, fights and first time big-girl jobs and moving and marriages with an everlasting bond that can never be broken.

2. Your First Dress Is The One: What They Don't Tell You About Planning Your Dream Wedding, Secrets Revealed

Yes, it's true. I heard everything in between from "the first dress you try on will be the one" (it really was); there will be things that go wrong (my ring bearers didn't have a pillow while walking down the aisle!) to many more. These are real secrets, revelations and pet peeves from brides planning their dream wedding. Some names have been changed to protect the innocent or guilty—however you read it.

3. Overcoming Battles, Being Patient

My 76 year old father overcame a triple by-bass at age 70 and prostate cancer(1999) and was in remission for 10 years, then it came in 2009 and is still in treatment but doing great; my mother battled through Uterine Cancer at age 60 and won; I have been a long-time sufferer of psoriasis, an auto-immune disease that appears as red, scaly flakes on the skin, and has no cure; my mother in-law fought through a triple by-pass. Through everything I have learned that things could always be worse and that nothing helps cure anything better than patience, friends and a good laugh.

4. Healthy Food, Healthy You

Eating healthy isn't just about, you guessed it eating healthy, it's about wanting to eat healthy and change your life for the better. Receiving my AFPA Health and Wellness Certification has given me the strength and motivation to want to help others change their life for the better. Healthy food equals a healthy you, and I equip you with the simple knowledge it takes for you to understand the simple equation of your life.

5. The One Year Itch, Surviving a Marriage The Right Way

I don't have to tell you the divorce rate for you to understand the sanctity of marriage. I have been married for a year now and it has, by far, been the best year of my life. We always heard it's the one, third or seven year itch that's gonna test your marriage. Well, the one year didn't get us so bring it on three and seven! I'll give you our advice and tips on having the best marriage you can have while surviving the ups and downs life throws at you.

This post was written as part of NHBPM – 30 health posts in 30 days: http://bit.ly/vU0g9J

National Psoriasis Foundation Mentor

I am excited to announce that I am officially a mentor for the National Psoriasis Foundation. It's mission is to find a cure for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and eliminate their devastating effects through research, advocacy and education.

My role as a mentor is to provide disease and treatment education to mentees and to encourage and support them through their initial diagnosis, major flares or during a difficult time.

I have to say, I love this opportunity NPF has created. I have had psoriasis going on 10 years and I honestly wish I had these resources: education, event information, treatment availability and other people going through what I was going through. It can be an embarrassing thing to deal with if you don't know what's going on with your body and much less how to explain it to others.

I first became involved with NPF last August when I participated in their National Psoriasis Awareness Challenge— we had challenges every day of the month of August. I learned a lot about myself (I have accepted having psoriasis and want to educate those around me); find a lot more resources I didn't know were out there and now I'm able to help out others.

I am also excited to incorporate my love for nutrition to this aspect of my life. Eating healthy plays a big part in someone living with psoriasis.

I look forward to this next step in my life and I hope that I am able to help others going through the same thing as I am.

To learn more about psoriasis or how to help find a cure, visit the National Psoriasis Foundation

Thanks for reading!

Psoriasis Doesn't Define How I Live My Life

One of the challenges for National Psoriasis Awareness month which ended yesterday, was to come up with a way to express/raise awareness about psoriasis. We could write a song, poem etc. This is what I came up with. I hope it raises awareness about some of the major aspects of psoriasis and gives those of us living with it, a sense of confidence.

Psoriasis Doesn't Define How I Live My Life....

I define how I live my life.
Sure, psoriasis can be irritating, itchy, annoying and embarrassing
But why wouldn't we want to find a way to live our life without having to worry about what we have to wear next.

Psoriasis wont define how I live my life, I define how I live my life.

Life and daily activities can cause stress; Stress can cause a flare up; psoriasis can cause stress
Lets find a way to end this never-ending circle.

Psoriasis doesn't define how I live my life, I define how I live my life.

We need support and funding from local leaders, representatives and mayors.
Let's show them and the world that "psoriasis is a serious health issue—one that demands more national attention, research dollars and public understanding."

Psoriasis wont define how I live my life, I define how I live my life

Life is about loving the gifts we're given, the obstacles we over come, the milestones we reach, being confident about who we are and the impact we have on this world.
Psoriasis is only a little speed bump in the game of life.

Psoriasis doesn't define how I live my life, I define how I live my life

August is National Psoriasis Awareness Month

I am so glad to learn that August (my birthday month) is National Psoriasis Month. For those who don't know here is a little breakdown as to what Psoriasis is from www.psoraisis.org (to learn more!)

Psoriasis is a chronic, autoimmune disease that appears on the skin. It occurs when the immune system sends out faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle of skin cells. Psoriasis is not contagious.

There are five types of psoriasis: plaque, guttate, inverse, pustular and erythrodermic. The most common form, plaque psoriasis, appears as raised, red patches or lesions covered with a silvery white buildup of dead skin cells, called scale. Psoriasis can occur on any part of the body and is associated with other serious health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease and depression.

According to the National Institutes of Health, as many as 7.5 million Americans have psoriasis.

I have lived with Psoriasis since 2000 and it hasn't been easy. I use to have it on about 90% of my body including: scalp, arms, stomach and legs. I was miserable for a long time. We didn't know what to do. Then we heard about the Photo Light Therapy treatment. My insurance covered it completely (thank God!) and this was a blessing! Within a couple of weeks I was almost 100 % clear.

Still to this day, I have it on my elbows and scalp. Bad thing about the scalp: it's super itchy and kind of flaky. Good thing: it's not visible. Bad thing about elbows: it's visible; makes me self-conscience; super itchy and flaky; irritating. Good thing: NOTHING. I have tried everything under the sun: topicals, steriods, creams. Nothing works at all. I actually tried the Humira injections and they worked great. With in one week, I was cleared! The day I woke up and didn't see anything on my elbows, I literally started crying. It was such a relief. But anyone who has Psoriasis knows that it's a chronic disease and there is no cure for it. I got off Humira because I thought my Psoriasis would stay away - but it didn't. Then I switched insurance and here I am - present day - still living with visible Psoriasis. Possible side effects of Humira is a lower immune system and contracting TB.

I am going to the Dermatologist on Thursday and hopefully will get some relief for what I have now, maybe get back on Humira. Seeing as how my wedding is in 52 days (ahhhh!!) I would like to be clear of my Psoriasis, even if it just means for the wedding day. So I will write later to let you know what my derm says.

I am writing about this to bring awareness and light to this chronic disease that 7.5 million people live with. I get asked "What's wrong with your elbows?" "What happened?" Even when I tell them I have Psoraisis, they have no idea what it is. I wantto get to a point where people KNOW about it and can even explain it to other people. Psoriasis isn't contagious, Awareness is.

Ever since I got diagnosed (it's also genetic, and my mom had it for a really long time), I am trying to do my best to educate myself and bring awareness and light to this disease. Next time, you see someone with what might look like Eczema or dry skin (even me!) ASK! And don't be scared. The more people who know about it the better. No one knows the causes or the best treatments, so the more people who know, the better.

The National Psoriasis Foundation has a challenge every day for the month of August to bring awareness. My goal is do as many as I can. I have done eight out of the 10 I can do. I will hopefully do more! Keep track here on my blog and click here to learn more!

Psoraisis isn't going to define how I live my life - I define how I live my life.