*  October=more leaves in my house than on the tree.

*  October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Plexus is offering a Buy One Get One sale on their Breast Check Kit.   The Breast Check Kit was featured on The Doctors.  Buy one for yourself and get one free to share with your sister.  Your daughter.  Your BFF.  You can order HERE.

I thought I would share a little bit about the Plexus products that I have used so far (I'm slowly getting to know the whole line of products).  I'm going to start with the Detox line- ProBio 5 and Bio Cleanse.  ProBio5 is quite possibly my favorite product so far!  

This would be the best description of the two products- ProBio5 is the "toilet bowl scrubber" of the intestines and BioCleanse is the "flusher" (so to speak).  There is a lot going on in the intestines and some of it is not good.  Have you ever heard of leaky gut?  I hadn't either.   
So many health issues arise from the gut: 

• 9 Signs You Have a Leaky Gut*
• 1. Digestive issues such as gas, bloating, diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). 
• 2. Seasonal allergies or asthma. 
• 3. Hormonal imbalances such as PMS or PCOS. 
• 4. Diagnosis of an autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, lupus, psoriasis, or celiac disease. 
• 5. Diagnosis of chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia. 
• 6. Mood and mind issues such as depression, anxiety, ADD or ADHD. 
• 7. Skin issues such as acne, rosacea, or eczema. 
• 8. Diagnosis of candida overgrowth. 
• 9. Food allergies or food intolerances

Leaky gut is basically broken joints in the gut allowing undigested food, toxins, microbes and other nastiness to leak from intestines into your bloodstream.  One of the common causes of leaky gut is candida.  What is Candida?  Candida (technically called Candida albicans) is a microorganism in the category of yeast, fungi, and mold. It is normal for it to live in small amounts in the digestive system and on other body surfaces.  We all have Candida in our systems. It is helpful, and assists with digestion and nutrient absorption. It is usually kept in balance by “good” bacteria and digestive enzymes. However, under certain circumstances, it can overgrow and throw the balance in our bodies off. Then the Candida can invade the “good” bacteria and create a whole set of not-so-nice symptoms for us.  It will invade into deeper tissues and organs where it doesn’t belong, such as the liver and kidneys, and become very abundant.  Once it gets that far, it entrenches itself as fungi do (think of how hard it can be to get rid of athlete’s foot or a fungal toenail). The yeast produces certain chemicals and affects cell functions in ways that create many symptoms, some of which can become serious.  The term “Candida” refers to the general overgrowth of various fungi and yeasts in the body, which flourish under certain circumstances to the point of causing illness.  Candida has become a very common and often serious disease in our modern world.  
-sugar cravings
-inexplicable fatigue
-bloating
-anxiety
-brain “fog”
-skin and nail issues such as eczema, psoriasis, hives, rashes, athlete’s foot
-digestive issues such as bloating, constipation, diarrhea
-irritability, mood swings, anxiety, depression
-recurrent vaginal infections or UTI
-severe allergies
The Plexus ProBio5 is a great way to tackle this Candida overgrowth! ProBio5 contains five awesome probiotics, Lactobacillus Sporogenes, L. Acidophilus, L. Planterum, B. Longum, and S. Boulardi. ProBio5 also has an enzyme that is efficient and effective in destroying the yeast and fungi. 
The combination of the probiotics and enzymes in ProBio5 are a great way to support the body’s need for a balance in the digestive tract.
The probiotics and enzymes in ProBio5 are assisted by the addition of B6 and Grape Seed Extract. B6 increases the amount of oxygen in the blood, so in turn our bodies are more oxygenated and resistant to yeast and fungi. Grape Seed extract is a powerful antioxidant that has anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties.  

ProBio5 is a wonderful product that will keep your digestive system running smoothly. It can block the growth of harmful bacteria and boost the immune system, and leave you feeling your best!  

BioCleanse is not a cleanse in the way we normally associate a cleanse to be.  You don't drink some crazy concoction and starve to death to clean up the intestines.  BioCleanse helps to oxygenate, energize and detoxify the body.  Why do we need to oxygenate our bodies?  We need oxygen for energy and optimal health.  Oxygen rich blood cells help burn up some of the toxins in our bodies.  We all need energy to function both physically and mentally.  Taken together with ProBio5, BioCleanse will help flush the intestines and stomach of the toxins that have taken hold there.  It also helps relieve constipation and irregularity.  (remember I said BioCleanse was the "flusher").  

I started taking ProBio5 in September and within two weeks notices that I wasn't craving sugar like I used to because I wasn't feeding the candida with junk food/sugar cravings.  I added BioCleanse is October.  I have also been sleeping better.  I used to only take a probiotic if I was taking antibiotics but  will continue to take ProBio5 for immune health.  ProBio5 and BioCleanse are part of Triplex with Plexus Slim (which I'll cover later).  

*The above information was referenced from available Plexus file sharing.  

Disclaimer- I am an ambassador for Plexus Worldwide.  If you want more information on any of the products or becoming an ambassador please visit www.plexusslim.com/jenfeymiller.    

I don't normally share our weekends.  Mostly because our weekends are spent at work.  This weekend was full on busy pack full of goodness.

Friday was the first ski lesson of the new ski year.
 Not a whole lot of snow up top.  The lodge we are sitting in is at 11,000 feet and the peak is 12,000.  You can still see a lot of rocks and small trees.  Come on snow!

Saturday was spent running errands and Mama got an afternoon alone!  First as a family we went to purchase a limited edition charity CD that we get every year.  With the exception of last year- because it was -10 outside- this was the first year we didn't get up super early and wait in line with all the other crazy people to purchase our CD as soon as it went on sale.  We drove to the store, walked in, bought our CD's and walked out!  CRAZY!

Then Mama spent an afternoon with my Plexus peeps at an opportunity meeting.  The speaker at our meeting is one of 40 Diamond Ambassadors (the highest level of ambassador) and she was inspiring. Plus we heard testimonials from others who have been using the products.  Nothing short of amazing!
From the  Plexus meeting I went to a food swap and hung out with my foodie friends.  I made four mini apple pies and took some jarred hot pepper relish.  I came home with some apple strudel bread, some oatmeal cardamom bread, cupcakes, peach sirracha jam, and some gumbo!

Sunday was C's social day.  She was invited to two birthday parties.  The first was for a one year old and the second was for a classmate.  She was so excited for cake and then didn't eat either piece.  I've had a glimpse of how it will be going forward...mama's chauffeur service!

Have a great week my friends.

We had just save our $1000 baby emergency fund when Murphy showed up.  (which I'm learning is always the case).  My car needed a $600 repair.  Which we didn't stress over since we had cash to fix it.  But then I screwed up.  I had a rather large medical bill coming due (from my shoulder surgery last summer) but it came sooner than I realized so there went the other $400.  Now I need new tires, new brakes and the timing belt on my car is coming due.  Hello overtime!

While I was feeling incredibly stressed out over the amount of money I was going to need in a short amount of time, I decided that I needed a refresher course of Financial Peace University.  On the Dave Ramsey website I found a church right down the street with a class starting the next week.  I emailed the facilitator and she signed me up.  The beauty of FPU is that once you've paid for the kit, you can attend class again and again.  There is an option to buy an updated kit for a fraction of the price and this includes a log in for the website.  I used my kit and I don't need the website since I have a log in at www.mytotalmoneymakeover.com.

While it is hard for me to work as many hours as I used to and still see my husband and not have my parents watch C more than retired grandparents should (without feeling they are raising her), I am feeling a little less stressed.  The reason... I signed up to be an ambassador for Plexus Worldwide.  What?  Never heard of Plexus?  Neither had I.  But I had seen posts on friends Facebook pages about this pink drink they were drinking.  And they were losing weight and they felt great.  I watched for a while then finally bit the bullet and inquired what it was all about.

Plexus Slim is a powdered drink that is mixed in water.  It was originally developed for Type 2 diabetics as a way to help control blood glucose and lipid levels.  But it had an unexpected side effect in that it also helped them lose weight!  It is gluten free, vegan and vegetarian.  It is all natural and it tastes good!  Other benefits of Slim are better sleep and more energy.

I had decided to try Slim because I had been feeling run down.  I was at the doctor in July for a diabetes exam.  I thought I was feeling run down because my thyroid medication was off.  I was a little disappointed when she told me that it was fine.  I just couldn't figure out why I wanted a nap every day by 10AM.  That's when I decided that I should follow up on all of the FB posts I had been reading.  I ordered a 3 day trial pack.  And while I didn't feel any better after three days I didn't hate the way the drink tastes so I ordered a months supply.  Within a week it was a night and day difference in the way I felt.  I actually slept all night (with the exception of the nightly trip to the restroom) and didn't have any trouble falling asleep if I did wake up.  I have more energy every day.  I didn't try it to lose weight, that was never my intention, but it has helped maintain where I am at weight wise without longer & harder workouts, which I don't have time for.   It has also helped me reduce food (sugar) craving, which as a diabetic I shouldn't eat that much sugar!

There are a whole combination of products that Plexus sells.  There is a weight loss line, a detox line and a pain relief line.  For more information please see my website.* www.plexusslim.com/jenfeymiller

I go back to the doctor mid November.  I am anxious to find out what my blood sugar numbers are as well as what my cholesterol is.

*Disclaimer- I am a Independent Ambassador for Plexus.  I get paid a commission each month from Plexus Worldwide.  While I do get paid, I am not pushing Plexus...my intention is to inform the benefits of Plexus.  And what better way than my own testimony.