Nicole's one month check in

The crazy thing that I have noticed is that I almost can't remember living with the severe fatigue that once plagued my life. I have been on reliv for 27 days here are some improvements.

My skin looks super healthy and it's nice and supple.

My nails are hard as rocks and gorgeous!!!

The dizziness that I experienced after the brain fog was 90% gone, is almost gone and continues to improve each day.

I have not worn socks to bed in the past few nights! I have noticed I am warmer on the inside then frigid cold. I don't have chills anymore that run up and down my body. My feet are still a little cold during the day, but I used to have frigid feet at night. My body temperature is warmer at night and I can not be more thankful.

I feel better and I am not living in so much fatigue and achy pain, I am more calm and receptive to those around me. I find myself talking to people in line and smiling at strangers! It's a wonderful thing! I never used to do that before.

I find myself not flying off the handle at every little thing. I approach life with a calmness, I think it is because I feel so much better.

The way I eat has changed. I don't get famished anymore. When I eat (which I have to force myself to eat because I am not really hungry), I eat enough to fill me up and not eat, eat, and eat. I rarely snack on anything sweet. I am making better choices with food. I eat less.

I have had a rash on my upper arms which was described by doctors as "false acne" since I can remember. It is 85% of the way cleared up and doesn't cause me as many problems as it used to.

I have noticed that I have a ton more energy and especially in the evening I am clear headed and energized! I no longer fall asleep at 7pm.

I have noticed that taking any supplements outside of reliv, I get immediate results. Take for instance, I was instructed to take dandelion supplement for water retention around ovulation. It worked immediately. I think my body is more receptive to the good I take in. I strive now to only take in good things for me and not unhealthy.

I am seriously, or was seriously, addicted to pizza. The thought of pizza repulses me now.

That is my one month improvements and I am no longer a skeptic. I am happy to benefit from reliv! I can't imagine not taking my shakes!

One Month Later

So this Saturday will be a month since we started taking the Reliv products, and I just placed my second order. I am really happy with them so far. I think the biggest thing I've noticed is that I feel a lot more calm all the time. Little things don't bother me. And there are a lot of little bothersome things in a home with a newborn and a toddler! So I would say that I feel like I'm being a better mother to my children just because of this one thing.

I've also noticed I'm sleeping better, and feeling refreshed when I wake up. I did not feel this way when I had my first child. I felt like I was dragging through the days after being up with her at night. I definitely have more energy and my body just feels better in general. I also feel like I can think more clearly. I'm also really happy that I can give my daughter this great nutrition.

Our pediatrician told me yesterday that I needed to be taking some sort of vitamin supplement while I was nursing. I'm happy to be taking Reliv, and knowing that 98% of the vitamins and minerals are being absorbed and passed on to him, instead of 15% absorption that I was getting from my prenatal vitamin. He grew 3 inches and 5 lbs in 2 months, so he must be getting some of this great nutrition too!

I have a few new people starting on the products, so they will be getting an assignment soon to write a blog post for me!

Joanna's Story

Hello, my name is Joanna and I have been taking Reliv’s products since July 2008. Beth and I knew each other in high school, and we have recently met up again. She has asked me to share my stories, with details, so here it is!

Before Reliv, I had been looking for help everywhere. I have survived 3 traumatic car accidents, and I have leftover joint and muscle issues from college athletics, and numerous other injuries. As I have gotten “older,” (I am not even 30 yet!) my issues have compounded and increasingly gotten worse and more often.

I have suffered with depression since puberty. I have visited 4 or 5 different doctors and have taken numerous medicines over the past years in an attempt to control my depression, mood swings, and Obsessive-Compulsive habits. The medicines either did not have an effect, or I would have side effects with prescriptions, whereas I never used to have any side effects.

My sinus migraines have continued to get more debilitating and as I have gotten older, I have found it more and more difficult to find over the counter medicines that work for me. At this time last year, just about every other day I would start out on the couch with a cold pack on my face, a heat pack on my neck, the T.V. on for my son and praying that the ibuprofen would take the edge off the pain so that I would not be physically ill. Sound, quiet, light all hurt. My son did enjoy watching shows in the morning, but not when I would ask him to turn it down.

Because of these issues and because of all the negative side affects of drugs, I started looking for alternative and all natural medicines. I went to a Naturopath and had blood work done to analyze what my body was doing. To counter all of the deficiencies I had, I started taking anywhere from 3-15 different pills and nutrients a day, but I saw no real change.

Then I got pregnant, and my physical and emotional health worsened. I was tired all the time, napping 5-6 times a week, sleeping as much as 12-13 hours a day. I have always been a “good” sleeper, but I was still waking up tired and just not wanting to get up. Also, due to the pregnancy, I was suffering from nausea and sensitivity to smells all day. I could not cook dinner nor sit down with my family because the scents would make me ill. I would have to retreat upstairs and close the door until dinner was over.

My first day on Reliv, I did not take a nap. I thought, “If this just gives me more energy, then it will be worth it.” And it did give me energy, all day energy, and not a caffeine high. My first week, I took only one nap! I even laid down one day to elevate my feet and I didn’t fall asleep. This never would have happened before Reliv.

Reliv also helped with my food aversions, nausea, and cravings. Whenever I had an issue, I mixed up Reliv shake. I was able to eliminate my most unhealthy craving- chocolate frosted doughnuts.

My depression, anxiety and OCD habits have greatly decreased. When I start to feel a little low or just struggle, I take an extra shake. Because I have improved so much, I was able to host my eldest son’s first Birthday party this year- he just turned 4. Before this year, the whole concept of having a party- from the planning, to the event itself, was just too much for me to handle. In previous years, I remember that the anxiety from just thinking about a party and then the guilt from not hosting a party would just feed my downward spiral.

I still have bad days and my depression is still there. However, my “good” days significantly outnumber my “bad” days, which hasn’t happened in more than 15 years. I feel that I am more in control by taking shakes and that I am not harming my body by putting drugs into it. The anti-depression medicines I took previously moderated my moods somewhat, but I very rarely had “good” days. When I had “bad” days, there seemed to be nothing I could do about it, and I would wonder why I was taking the medicine to begin with.

The blood tests that I took also showed that my deficiencies and my body’s inability to process certain nutrients properly could lead to brain fog. I remember hearing the term “brain fog” and thinking, “So that’s what you call it!” I would often have face-to-face conversations with family members and then ask them to repeat what they just said. I would walk half-way up the stairs to get something, then stop, and think, “What am I doing?” I am still forgetful, but I don’t do this multiple times a day. My husband reports that I don’t repeatedly ask him, “Huh? What?” during conversations.

Below are my results in the first 6 weeks:

+75 % Mental Clarity, focus and memory- my husband now asks me where things are and I can remember.

+ 65% Mood swings, depression—energy/industriousness has improved, Little chores don’t defeat me now.

+80 % 1 sinus headache in 5 weeks @ 5 vs. 3-4 times per week, pain @ 6-8

+ 75% 1 headache in 5 weeks @ 5 vs 3-4 times per week, pain @ 6-8

+ 100% Ringing in ears has disappeared, no longer bump into objects/walls.

+ 50 % Neck pain, now 1-2 times per week @ 4-6 vs. ~ 6 times per week @ 6-9

+ 100 % Knee pain is now gone vs. 3 times per week pain @ 4-6

+ 80 % Ankle pain- before limping every day for 10 days, no limp

+ 100% Arches- do not have to wear orthotics everyday vs. pain/limping if did not wear for majority of day.

+10 % Joint pain- I can now lay on my left shoulder for short periods of time

+100% Numbness- Shoulder L, does not go numb when I lay on it.

+ 50% Blood sugar imbalances--I now do not get sick/tired if I do not eat every 2 hours.

+100% Constipation- I am no longer constipated and this has been constant since my last pregnancy started.

+ 50 % Skin conditions- By the second day, my skin felt smoother, 2 breakouts in 5 weeks VS. daily breakouts and redness.

+ 75% Eczema- between fingers maybe 1 time per week, less severe so I don’t even bother with lotion vs. daily issue previously.

+ 50 % Food cravings- My sweet cravings have been cut in half.

+ 80% OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive) habits now 1-2 times per week vs. 1-2 daily

+ 50 % Mood swings have decreased severity/frequency. I have had 4 “bad days” in 5 weeks vs 1-2 “good days” in a week previously.

These numbers and percentages represent my perceived improvements in those areas. The pain scale I used is from 1-10, with 10 being the worst pain imaginable. As you can read, I was a mess! But because I was consistently taking my shakes everyday, I got amazing results right away. My overall physical and mental improvement was 71.6% on 18 points of health.

Now at almost one year, I look back at where I was and I am amazed. I am so glad that I have written all of this down because I know that it is easy to forget how bad it was—at the time, I thought that was just the way life was. Pain and fogginess were a way of life for me, but others did not know. I kept away from family and friends, I did not want to lie or take the effort to appear “normal.” I have lost touch with many friends because of my conditions.

I have continued to improve. I look at this list from last September, and I have had even greater improvements since then. Some of the issues have completely subsided, and others are mere annoyances instead of impeding on my lifestyle. I am now wearing makeup and heels again. I had previously given up on both due to my skin conditions and joint issues. I realize now that I had given up on a lot of things, and I know that my family had suffered as well.

Tonight, Beth asked me how my older son George fared during this time. In some ways, he was lucky. I gave him all of my attention, effort and affection. Sometimes, even to my detriment. He was my focus, not my health nor my husband. To say that this was an ideal time for him would be false, but things could have been better. All of my energies were given to him and I had none left. I simply did not have much to spare, but I gave it to him and prayed for help- and naps!

I know now that I am able to be a better mom, wife, parent, friend, and person because I am healthy. This is why I have started sharing with friends and family. I know that there are others out there who are hiding and suffering, that need help. I will continue to share with others because I know that this does work! I am living proof.

The Matthews Reliv Story

I've known Mark and Beth Matthews for about 15+ years. I babysat for them a few times back when they had about half the number of kids they have now. They are a homeschooling family of 12. Beth's uncle is Fr. John Tasto, the priest who started the Missionaries of the Cross in Tijuana. I worked with him many times over the past several years and hold him and the Matthews family in the highest respect. Here is their story:

For many years we’ve been praying for a new way to help our son, Patrick, who is autistic. We’ve tried many things over the past eighteen years since his diagnosis. While some worked in small ways, we had never found something that made a difference in Patrick’s life. That is until we started taking Reliv products. When we began taking the products, it was because of many health issues within our family. Within the first few months we began to see significant differences in the health of our family members. Beth has received life-changing results from brain fog, leg and back pain, migraine headaches, and seasonal allergies. Over a period of several years, she had quite simply lost the ability to think clearly. Even mundane tasks like sending an Email, calling a doctor, or writing a check had become difficult. Being on bed rest for four months with our identical twins left her in a condition of nearly constant pain. Our whole family had tried numerous supplements over the years, but nothing worked. The migraines were becoming more frequent, and daily headaches were a way of life. Now, however, she is medication free for the first time in many, many years. Mark had back surgery several summers ago when a disc herniated and ruptured. After the surgery, the doctor told him that he had degenerative disc disease and that he would likely be back for more surgery. Mark continued to take 12-16 Ibuprofen a day and visit a chiropractor once or twice a week with little relief. After about three months on the Reliv products he no longer dealt with chronic back pain. In addition, he has regulated his blood pressure, and got rid of his C-Pap machine for sleep apnea. During his sleep study, Mark stopped breathing on average 38 times an hour, and now he sleeps comfortably without the dreaded mask. Knowing that Reliv was helping us, we looked more seriously at finding a way to keep Patrick on the products consistently. Sure enough, over time, we began to see changes in our son for whom little had worked before.

After about five months on the Reliv products, Patrick began to show affection for the first time in over five years, smiling at his parents and holding our hands. This was huge because Patrick had become very aggressive and unpredictable during his teen years. He has also begun to stay on task for longer periods of time at school and at home. He has begun to transition from one activity to another with fewer negative behaviors. Even though Patrick is non-verbal he has shown less stress when expressing his needs, and he is beginning to sign more effectively. Patrick is a happy young man, and his assistant says that other people at the school think he’s lucky because he gets to work with Patrick. Overall, in a number of significant areas, Patrick has shown a 38% improvement. Reliv doesn’t offer any claims of healing or cures, but the great nutrition it provides has allowed Patrick to function much better over the past year, even becoming able to work part time at a pizza restaurant.

New surprising result

So I was at a meeting today at the Matthew's house. I brought a friend, so we sat around the table and I was able to hear everyone's health stories again. I had heard the two minute versions but today I got to hear more detail!

One lady was talking about how she just deals with her kids better on the products. She said she is so much less stressed, doesn't yell at them, etc. One mom said she used to snap at the slightest thing. I was starting to get like that with Madeleine!! She has been really frustrating lately. She is totally entering the terrible twos and defying me all the time. If I tell her not to do something, she immediately does it. If I tell her to come here, she runs the other way laughing her fool head off. She throws fits when I ask her to do the smallest thing. (These reasons are why I'm ordering the kids product for her this month, but that's another post.)

Anyway, I realized that I have not yelled at her for the week and a half I have been taking this stuff! I am so much more calm around her. I don't get frustrated. Just last night Ken was getting a little frustrated with her on our walk home from the playground, because she was taking forever and stopping all the time. I said, "She's just doing normal two year old things - nothing to get frustrated about." This is such a change in me. Just this alone makes it worth it to me.

Also, I used to dread getting up in the middle of the night to nurse - actually just getting up in the middle of the night to do anything. Now it is no big deal and I don't mind at all. I still feel refreshed in the morning and even when I wake up at night.

Stay tuned, some of my friends are going to write out their health stories for me and I'll post them soon!

Nicole's one week check in

Remember my friend Nicole from a few posts back? Here's her one week update. She's getting some great results!!

I have noticed some differences since taking the shakes.

I have always been real sensitive to cold and lately I have felt an overall warmness. My feet are still cold at night, but I do notice them being more warm at times. My husband even commented the other night that I felt very warm! Which is great because usually my skin is very cold and I feel cold chills running through me. The only thing that warms me is to sit in the hot car with the heat on, even if it is 80 degrees outside. I have been turning the air conditioner on in my car and I never do that!!!

I haven't had a headache since starting the shakes and I usually notice a lot of headaches in my post ovulatory phase.

The past few days I have been POPPING out of bed. Usually I drag myself out of bed.

I am still feeling a sense of dizziness, but I do believe that the brain fog is not as dense as it used to be. I want to say that the brain fog is only 1/4 of what it used to be. It definately clears up in the afternoon when I am getting a long burst of energy from Noon til bedtime. So much of an improvement because that is when I would usually crash and be out til morning.

Usually in the afternoon about 1pm I am unable to work through the brain fog anymore that I lay on the couch until dinner time. I am noticing that at 1pm my energy is stable and couldn't lay down if I tried.

I used to have mild sugar cravings and I haven't eaten ice cream or anything sweet in the last few days. Not because it wasn't available, but because I really have NO desire for them. I used to eat sugar in hopes that it would make me feel better because the brain fog used to hurt so bad.

I took my niece to the zoo the other day. It was so hot and we were at the zoo for about 4 hours. I got home and cleaned the house, did 3 loads of laundry and made dinner. If anyone knows me they know that I can barely peel me off the couch, especially in the afternoon.

On Saturday night, I slept for 12 hours and since then I have slept for a good solid 8 hours. I normally sleep for 10 hours a night and still unable to wake up refreshed. I have been waking refreshed. A few mornings ago when I woke up at 430 am I was having a hard time falling back to sleep. I had a sense of energy running through me. It wasn't a caffeine shakey high, it was as if I felt my blood cells being refreshed and I ended up just waking up because I had energy to get out of bed..

I am feeling more of an ease through my day and not so much of a dragging to do every little chore.

I can't wait to see how I feel after one month on the shakes!

One week check in

My sponsor checked in with me yesterday to see how I'm doing after a week on the products. We went over my health survey and here's what's happened.

I thought my mental clarity, focus, and concentration has improved by about 50%. In one week I'd say that's pretty good! I think I've totally eliminated my cold feet at night, which is a circulation problem. I have not noticed that at all. Sugar cravings seem to be the same. Stress is about the same but was not high to begin with. The best thing is that my energy level is way up! I have a 7 week old baby and I do not feel tired AT ALL. Granted, he is a good sleeper - usually only getting up once/night. (I know! God had mercy on me after the last kid!) But I have a lot of energy during the day and don't think I could take a nap if I tried. It's not a hyper kind of energy either like I'd get on caffeine, more like a "feel-good" kind of energy. If this keeps up I'll be thrilled.

I have decided to order the kid's product for my daughter when I place my order this month. She's a good eater normally but some days it seems like she hardly eats anything. With all the stories I've heard about how much kids have benefited from the kid's shake I'm going to try it for her. Maybe it'll help the terrible twos, which seem to be in full force over here.

Check out these stories!

I know it's 11 minutes, but really worth it to see what Reliv has done for these people's lives! Beth from Indiana (towards the middle of the video) is a friend of mine - I've known her for probably 15 or more years.

Energy

Well, definitely so far I've had a lot more energy. So has Ken (DH). He told me yesterday that he would sometimes take a quick nap in his car at lunchtime, but he's definitely noticed a change in his energy level at lunchtime. Now he says he couldn't fall asleep if he tried! I think that's great. And with the little sleep I'm getting these days, I should be exhausted but I really feel good. Someone even commented that I looked "bright eyed" this morning and said that boy must be giving you some sleep!

Also, I have noticed I am not as hungry as usual. And I'm feeling like eating healthier, although the iced coffee I'm drinking right now is tasting really good!

Guest Post

A friend of mind decided to try out reliv as well! Here is her post:

What I want reliv to do for me?

I suffer from chronic headaches, fogginess, and not having enough energy for my age. Pretty much since I can remember I have dealt with these three major symptoms.

It has gotten to a point where I know that these symptoms are not something I should have to deal with and they are also starting to affect my daily life routine.

I am a 30 year old woman, a stay at home wife, so my energy level does not match my easy going non-stressful life.

I am starting reliv to hopefully clear up these symptoms. I want to be able to see life clearly and not behind a hazey curtain that I view it now. I am hoping that reliv with give me the energy to live the excitement I feel about being alive! I just don't have the energy to live my life they way I desire.

I am very excited to track my progress!

Mental Clarity needed over here!

We're on our 4th day of shakes. I lost my keys last night and today found them IN THE WASHING MACHINE. Hm.

A few nights ago, my son was up every hour from about 1am to 6am. When I woke up I realized that I should be completely exhausted, but I felt totally normal. And I haven't felt like I needed a nap at all in the past few days. We've also been walking about an hour in the morning the past few mornings, and we're hoping to keep this up! I'm not sure if this is a detox symptom or not, but I was sweating like I've never sweated before after our walk today, and it was only 71 degrees! I HAD to take a shower when I got home, so I put my daughter in front of Dora the Explorer and my son was asleep in the carseat so I took a 30 second shower. After that I felt fabulous.

Stay tuned for our very first guest post, my friend who is starting the product tomorrow!