Updated Disclaimer: 6/04/2021

Health Buddy Melissa is a Sole Proprietor website owned by me. I pay my taxes as an Independent Contractor.  This updated disclaimer date 6/04/2021 replaces the outdated disclaimer.  Please read and understand it before requesting coaching services from Health Buddy Melissa.

1-  Health Buddy Melissa  is not meant to be medical advice, or to replace seeing a doctor, or other health practitioner.  Anyone who does so, is doing so at their own risk, not mine.  I will share opinions, or engage in topics and conversations of information that can be found in publications, on the internet, and from my own personal experience.   You may see affiliate links on this blog.  I only use reputable companies to affiliate for when and if I choose to do so.  As a Holistic Health Coach I can help you with many goals such as:  learning about a chronic illness, follow a diet set by your doctor, learn about menu planning and diets to lose weight or build muscle, learn about kidney disease and ways to help manage it, communicate better with your doctor or anyone, time management, deal with difficult people and so many more. I am in the process of targeting my plans to be more specific rather than so broad. You will see wellness replacing health.

2-  Privacy-  Privacy is very important to me.   I will never sell your information, or let others have access to it.  All client info is deleted from my private email account within 7 days of our contract together ending.  If you decide to work with me after that time, a whole new account will be made.  No one has access to my private email account but me.  However, you always have to be aware that things can get hacked.  It is in the news all the time.  I have never been hacked, but a release will need to be signed absolving me of responsibility should it be hacked.  I have purchased a business email through Google Suite.  They assure me it is private, encrypted and safe. 

3-  I am a Licensed Practical Nurse, for 34 years, and that means I have been coaching people for many years already.  I am 51 years old, you do the Math.  I am a  Certified Holistic Health Coach.  I also have certificates in Aromatherapy, Reiki level 2 Practitioner, Herbalism, Mindfulness Practitioner, and Guided Imagery.  I also took a free course on Sports Medicine, but no certificate was supplied. I have a second Health Coach certificate that taught me about exercise and plans. But, I am not a personal trainer. I have taken many Nutrition courses, but I am not a Nutritionist.  I can not prescribe a diet to you legally, but I can help you learn how to eat properly to lose weight and maintain good health.  If you have a prescribed diet from a doctor I can help you to understand and modify your life to follow that plan.  

4-  As your Health Coach it is my job to educate you, motivate you, and support you to reach your health goals.  I will not provide nutrition advice, or medical advice.  It is actually illegal in many states to provide Nutrition advice.  Some states it is allowed.  That will be discussed at the Meet and Greet.  I will not make meal plans targeted to certain nutrition requirements, but I will create general meal plans, unless allowed in your state.  I will, however, teach you to do so yourself.  There is much more to health than just diet, nutrition, and fitness.  I can work with you on any goal you may have.  See some examples below.  I can not help you with serious Mental Health Issues.  I am not qualified to do so, and feel it can be incredibly dangerous.  If you just need someone to listen to you, I do have a program for that, but I will not give opinions, or advice, and if I feel you are suicidal I will recommend the hotline to you.

5-  If you live outside the USA, I can still work with you.  You must speak, write and understand English, and all times of meetings will be Eastern Time Zone.  It will be your responsibility to know what that means, and when the meeting time will be. All payments will have to be made via Paypal in US dollars only.  It is your responsibility to follow your country’s laws for dealing with Health Coaches in other countries.  A disclaimer will be required if you do not live in the USA.

6-  If you need a young, skinny, hot Health Coach, then I am not the Health Coach for you.  However, if you want someone who will care about you, and work hard for you, then I might be the Coach you need.  I will not promise big results.  The results will depend on how much effort you put into meeting the goals you will set.  Health Coaching is about you, not me.  It is not a personal relationship where I tell you all about my life.  It is a professional relationship aimed at steering you towards meeting goals you want met.  If at any time I feel the relationship is no longer professional services will be ceased.  

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Eat Beets For A Better Memory!

This is an older post, that was updated on 9/27/2021/ Did you know Beets are good for  you?  Doesn’t matter that they taste a lot like dirt, they are really good for your brain.  Taking care of your brain can help your memory. Helping your memory may help prevent Dementia, and or Alzheimer’s.

No one at my house will touch beets, except me.  I am reading a book on juicing, and I am supposed to be adding beets to my smoothie everyday.  Unfortunately, I have not convinced myself to do so, yet.  I have seen the commercials for beet powder, instead of grinding up a beet, and thought maybe I would try some of that.  Maybe it doesn’t taste like dirt.  I haven’t actually bought any  yet, but if you have tried it let me know if it tastes like dirt. 

Since, I have CKD, and many who read this may as well, it is important that I tell you about some of the nutrition of beets.  Beets have no fat, well that is awesome.  They do however have a bit of Sodium, and Potassium.  1 cup of beets has 106mg of Sodium, and 442 mg of Potassium.  They are a good source of Iron, and Fiber though, also.  I use the website, or app, Eat This Much, to find out how much Phosphorus is in foods.  Beets have about 28mg per 1 cup.  That is actually pretty good.  Now the powdered beets, I don’t know the nutrition could be different.  So, make sure you are reading the label to make sure it meets your intake requirements.  I have seen ads proclaiming beets as a Super Food.

Why are beets good for the brain?  Beets are high in Antioxidants, which fight cancer, and Nitrates. Nitrates help increase blood flow to the brain.  Increased blood flow will help you to think more clearly, and help with attention span.  Beets are low in carbs, but they may help increase exercise performance. Watch the short video to learn more about beets.

Are beets prevalent where you live?  Do you like beets? Please share a delicious recipe for beets, or how you add them to smoothies. I get a lot of readers from other countries, so I am curious as to their local food sources.  If you wouldn’t mind leaving me a comment, I would appreciate it.

If you would like to learn more about how to improve your memory, or meet your health goals, use the contact form below to message me for a free health coaching assessment.

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You can find the Eat This Much app, in the Google Play Store.

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Sweating On Sunday: Beginner Aerobics

So, I found this video quite by accident, but I love it.  It says it is geared for the elderly, but I can tell you it is a great low impact, beginner Aerobic workout.  I have moved away some from the fitness walking, to doing this video.  The second half of the video is weight training, light and easy.  That section doesn’t do much for me, but you might want to try it.  I do adapt the aerobics to suit my needs.  For example, I don’t do the squat section every time, I march in place to the beat of the music instead.  Give it a try.  I hope to be doing some of my own walking videos in the near future.

So my goal for this week, is to hit the 9,000 step goal everyday.  I missed it a couple of days last week.  Do you have a exercise goal you would like to meet?  Do you need encouragement, and help?  Use the contact form below to message me, and maybe I can coach you.

Remember, for people who are sedentary, or who have certain medical conditions exercise might be dangerous.  Always consult your health care provider first, and follow all recommendations they give you.  This post may contain affiliate links.

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Iron Deficient Anemia and CKD

The 3rd type of Anemia, that people with CKD can experience, is called Iron Deficient Anemia.  You can read about the other two kinds in the archives, if  you want.  Now not just people with kidney disease get Iron Deficient Anemia, but it is common in people with kidney disease.  Why?

1-  Impaired absorption of dietary Iron.  Talk with your doctor, or dietitian, because unless contraindicated, it is my understanding that iron rich foods should be consumed with Vitamin C rich foods.  So, for example, have strawberries with your hamburger.

2-  If you are taking EPO, due to another kind of Anemia, you may have Iron Deficient Anemia as well.

3-  Chronic Inflammation can lead to Iron Deficient Anemia.  How do you know if you have Chronic Inflammation, common symptoms are GERD, muscle aches, not being able to sleep.

4-  Remember that when CKD progresses, or kidneys lose function, the chance of getting any Anemia goes up.  Make sure you see your Nephrologist as much as they request.  I see mine every 6 months.  I could probably switch to once a year, but I like to stay on top of it.  Anemia can sneak up on you, with vague symptoms like being tired a lot, pale skin, being cold.   These symptoms could mean a lot of other things too, but if you have kidney disease you should be monitored for Anemia.  Untreated Anemia can cause chest pain due to decreased oxygen to the heart, which of course can lead to a heart attack.

Love your kidneys and take care of yourself.  If you have health related goals that you would like to meet, message me for a free Health Coach meet and greet.  Use the contact form below.

I have been posting a lot about kidney disease, so for the next few weeks I am going to mix it up, and talk about Stress and how it effects the body, and how to manage it.

You may see affiliate links in this blog.

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Memory Care Monday: How Memories are Made

Happy Memory Care Monday! I hope everyone had an amazing weekend. I worked all weekend, and I am still deciding if these 12 hour shifts are going to work well for me.

The video below is very interesting, and explains how our brains make memories.  It is not that long, about 10 minutes, so give yourself some new knowledge, and let me know if you remember the name at the beginning of the video.

If you have a goal of improving your memory skills, and would like to work with me to reach that goal, use the contact form below to message me.

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Updates

Happy Sunday!  Our internet is so slow today, bleh!  Normally I would do a Sweating on Sunday post, today.  But, I wanted to post some updates for my readers, and prospective clients.  As you know you can contact me anytime to start working with me. I only accept 3 to 4 clients at a time, so everyone gets the attention they deserve.  So, what is new?

1-  I made a introduction video.  However, I am not very good at taking videos of myself, and it is not the greatest.  Hopefully it will load soon, so I can share it.  I will be doing more videos in the future, keep reading.

2-  I am now certified with AKF as a Kidney Health Coach.  I will be making a video presentation for their criteria.  It will cover early symptoms, tests to have done yearly to check for kidney disease, and prevention.  It will be a lot of info, and it will be free to all readers world wide.  Watch for that.

3-  As I have stated previously, I am a LPN- Licensed Practical Nurse.  As such, I am already a Health Coach, it even says so in my Nurse Practice Act.  However, I am taking a certified Health and Fitness program, to better my knowledge mostly about fitness.  I will be making some walking videos for my Walking Buddy Program.  I am uncertain as to the timing of that, but stay tuned, soon I hope.

4-  Another thing the Health Coach Certification will teach me is about owning a business, and getting leads which lead to clients.  Some of this I already know from owning an Etsy store, Blogging, and working as an Independent Contractor Nurse, but there is so much to know.  Like, writing a Business Plan.  They definitely did not teach me that in nursing school.

5-  I am also updating my plans, to better reflect my Business Plan.  I will not be raising prices, just making them look neater, and professional.  The current ones are still valid, and I won’t change them until the new shiny one is ready.  I also need to upgrade this blog, which should happen soon.

If you would like a free meet and greet, to see if I can help you reach your Health and Wellness goals, use the contact form below to message me.  Please remember to allow 24-48 hours for me to return your message.

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Anemia in CKD Caused By Deficiency of Vitamin B12 and Folate

Two weeks ago I talked about the most common type of Anemia for people with CKD, and that was Anemia caused by a lack of the hormone EPO, which is created in the kidneys.  Today, we will discuss Anemia caused by Vitamin B deficiencies.  Remember someone with kidney disease can have both types of Anemia.  A standard CBC can help in deciding they type of Anemia.  People with CKD should have a CBC, at least yearly, if they are stable, and may need to be more frequently if not well controlled.  I personally choose to have mine done every 6 months.

Vitamin B12, and Vitamin B9 also called Folate, are extremely important in the production of Red Blood Cells. This particular type of Anemia causes large and ineffective Red Blood Cells.   Red Blood Cells carry Oxygen throughout the body.  If you don’t have good quality Red Blood Cells, or not enough, then Anemia can occur.  This type of Anemia is somewhat easier to treat, as changing the diet, or taking these 2 vitamins in supplement form can fix the issue.  I took a class last week about reading a standard CBC, and while I won’t go into the details because they are complicated, and somewhat hard to understand, this class said that if you take B12 then you should also take Folate.  The reason is because unless your practitioner knows how to correctly interpret the CBC they may actually not realize you actually need Folate instead of B12.  There is no harm in taking them together, but there can be harm to the body if misdiagnosed.  So, when  your doctor prescribes B12 discuss Folate also.  Most OTC Vitamins can easily supplement this type of Anemia, but you should always tell your doctor any, and all OTC medications you are taking, even Vitamins.  If you are overly tired, for no reason, that is the main symptom of Anemia that people complain of.    If you are like me and you don’t like to take medicine, if possible, supplementing your diet with foods rich in B Vitamins may help, see list below.  I actually was Anemic when first diagnosed.  I am unsure of the type though, but it did return to normal, and has stayed normal.  I do eat whole eggs.

Foods high in B12 and Folate:

Some of these foods I don’t eat, or eat in very limited amounts, due to other nutrient issues.  I guess I would have to take a supplement if I had this type of Anemia.

B12:

Organ meats, such as liver

Clams

Sardines

Beef

Fortified Cereal

Tuna

Fortified Nutritional Yeast

Trout

Salmon

Milk and Dairy Products

Fortified Nondairy Milk

Eggs-  thank goodness for eggs

Folate:

Legumes

Asparagus

Eggs

Leafy Greens

Beets

Citrus Fruits

Brussel Sprouts

Broccoli

Speak to your doctor, and ask about treating your Anemia.  If you would like further coaching on how to improve your Anemia, use the contact form below.

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I Am Now A Kidney Health Coach

I am passionate about teaching others about Kidney Disease.  This adds to my education experience, and skill set.  I will be doing some videos soon, for world wide viewing, and I will be doing local community classes as well.  Next, is the Walking Coach.  Stay tuned, I am growing.

 

Memory Care Monday: Revisit Old Memories With Photos

Updated 10/18/2021 Hello all my wonderful readers!  Today, for Memory Care Monday, I am going to tell you about one of my most favorite things, taking and looking at pictures.  Now these serve two different types of memory, short term, and long term.  Taking new pictures, and then looking at them in 6 months, or so, will help your short term memory.  Looking at old pictures, from say when you were a child, or your children were babies, will help with long term memory.  I love to pull out all my old pictures, long before smart phones, lol, and try to remember what we were doing, and why were we there.  My kids get a kick out of these pictures too, so it can be a great bonding activity.  Maybe you have a loved one who is starting to lose their memory.  This is a wonderful activity for them as well.  Even people who are already in the throws of Alzheimer’s can benefit from this walk down memory lane.  Have fun with it.  Make it a game, even.  Dress up like the style for that time period.  Learn the lingo of the day. There are many great ways to help your loved one with Dementia, or maybe you work with Dementia residents. I saw this cool photo album that you can add voice to. What a brilliant idea. If you need a gift idea for a loved one with Dementia check it out on Amazon. I will be looking at these for Christmas for a loved one in my family. This is not an affiliate link.

Baby books are kind of becoming obsolete, so start a blog when your baby is born.  It will always be there, unless you delete it.  I have had a homeschool blog ever since I started with my kinds way back in the 2nd grade.  I have graduated 1, and have 1 more to go.  I have so much fun looking back at all the wonderful, fun things we did to learn.  Some day my kids will show it to their kids, and maybe they will even get some tips if they decide to homeschool their kids.

Have a blessed Monday!  If you would like help in setting, and reaching your health, and wellness goals, use the communication form below to message me about my 30 day coaching plans!

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Foodie Friday: Spinach and Strawberry Summer Salad

Welcome back!  I missed yesterday’s post due to the holiday, and I hope everyone had an awesome 4th of July.  I was actually at my out of home job, but I got holiday pay, yay!  Keeping with the Summer, it’s too hot to cook theme, this week’s salad is super easy.  You can alter it anyway you want.  Keep in mind that while Spinach is rich in Iron, it is also very high in Potassium, and Vitamin K.  If you take blood thinners you have probably been advised by your doctor or Pharmacist to not eat too many foods rich in Vitamin K.  You can substitute Iceberg Lettuce instead if that fits you.  I actually love Iceberg Lettuce.  It is cheap, crunchy, and it isn’t completely devoid of nutrients.  Strawberries are perfect for people suffering with CKD.  High in Fiber, and lower in Potassium than a lot of fruits.  You could add a little apple, or cheese also if you like.  If this was going to be my main meal I would add a small bit of protein, such as Pork, or Chicken.  There are so many delicious Vinegar blends, and Vinaigrette’s on the market now, just check the sodium levels, most are lower in Sodium and Fat.

To make this simple salad, adjust amount if for one, or more people.

Spinach

Strawberries

Pork or Chicken

Walnuts or I prefer Sunflower Seeds, or Ground Flax Seed.  Just a little like 2 or 3 tbsp.

Dress it however you like.  I prefer Raspberry Vinaigrette.

Enjoy!

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