Bright Families

It's ok if you don't like the word “hot”, just listen for a compilation of all the key tips. It's not about exercising more and eating less - looking good starts further back with boundaries, setting aside time for sleep and rest, and other ways that you resist the nonstop.

A look at the topics and types of meetings we have in Moms Health Club - from short classes on Autoimmunity, Thyroid, Fertility, and Energy, to general information about children's health and open discussions where moms share their best tips and resources. We also have guest speakers on a variety of topics interesting to moms, such as emotions and food, pornography and managing temptation, setting boundaries, addressing conflict in relationships, and knowing which herbs to use safely with children. More information at https://www.brightfamilies.com/subscriptions-2

Strategies and a list of supplements to send with your kid heading off to college, with brand recommendations and how to we use them.

A 9-minute overview of key strategies, with recommendations for supplements and food. Reach out with questions and subscribe!

If you drag yourself out of bed in the morning and finally get a lift at 4 pm, this episode is for you! Quick and simple tactics for reducing that high cortisol feeling and getting back to a regular rhythm of high (at the right level) in the morning, and lower as the day goes on. 

A quick overview of test prep tips and strategies for the SAT, ACT, and CLT.

So many people with “normal” hemoglobin are actually low in iron. Think twice if you're not feeling great throughout the day.

Why do college girls have irregular cycles? 1) The Dorm Effect, and 2) Different food and activity habits between college and home. This is a quick take on how those two factors play out to make cycles more regular either at home or at school. As always, reach out with questions!

You might be just as uncomfortable as your daughter with starting this conversation. Here are some quick tips for overcoming your ambivalence and delivering the right amount of information.

What do you do when your husband wants to have soda, chips, ice cream, and candy in the house all the time? Here is a long-term perspective to consider, as you diplomatically negotiate and calmly hold your lines on food in your home, and arrive at habits that work for everyone. If you'd like encouragement and support as you get your family's food on track, join us this summer for the Family Food Reset starting June 14th! More details at brightfamilies.com

Has your child been struggling with weight? Are you worried about his health, social life, or future opportunities? Does your daughter hate shopping or dressing up? Here are some things to keep in mind for yourself, and ways to start communicating about this touchy issue.  

Leia Dingott shares why parents need a will, what happens if there isn't a will, and several scenarios that hadn't occurred to me - for instance, that a will can be handwritten to add legal weight, why you should name at least 3 options for who can care for your children, and different options for inheritance and trusts. Her website is Dingottlaw.com

Moms Club zoom call about Immune Boosters for the family, with good ideas from several experienced moms. Here's a link to the Amazon Idea List I'm referring to: http://a.co/6pBWkU5

Rhonda of Catholicsfreeforlife answers questions about how we can prepare for the conversations we need to have with our teens, and approach them with peace and clarity. If you'd like to reach out for a free consultation, Rhonda can be reached at coachingwithrhonda.as.me 

Sara and Jen talk about social situations we've counseled kids through, how Sara reaches out to her kids with different communication styles, and what she tells them about different types of family styles, gift buying, visiting neighbors, and awkward moments with friends. Lots of wisdom - Sara has so many great ideas!

It happens to the best of us.... and here are a few simple ways to get it back.

3 levers to pull with no time, and 3 more to pull if you have a bit of time but not much energy or motivation. Don't overcomplicate it! Do the easy, high-impact things first.

How do you approach this complex topic from a nutritional and personal perspective, so your teen will hear you and get the help he or she needs?

Denise Jelinek helps women notice and change their mindset around food and eating, and to see when they are trying to solve non-food problems with food, instead of turning to God and letting their emotions run a natural course. Denise runs both group and private coaching programs to teach women to stop emotional eating. Her website is Turn to God not Food

The stories I've shared with my older teens, collected from people in our circle as cautionary tales. I want my kids to have an idea of what's happening if something weird ever does come up. Often people end up in bad situations because they don't recognize them quickly enough, and stories help us recognize things without having experienced them before.

So often I think I need a better system or clearer ideas, and then what turns out to be most helpful is an inspiring word or example from another person living the ideas and systems I'm trying to live.

Ideas for more calories and nutrients for teens, particularly those prone to depression and anxiety, and how to manage blood sugar when it's gotten too low.

Let's go beyond touching safety and train our kids to notice weird behavior long before it gets to touch. There's usually a grooming period in which the perpetrator tries to build complicity and guilt int he child through a series of "odd" interactions and "don't tell your parents" remarks. Examples of spotting this behavior early as a parent and how to approach the topic with young kids.

Cassandra has 11 children in her blended family and speaks about how we can support women in difficult circumstances to parent in peace and faith.

The pitfalls of lab work - poor reference ranges, not knowing your own ideal numbers, etc - and why you should get it anyway.

Tuna dip, hash browns, homemade ranch, and more!

A quick take on strategies that will help. And be patient with yourself! Exercise, protein, music, small routines, slowing down, recognizing the role of feelings in distractibility.

The tricks that help us have a short experience when someone catches a stomach bug.

Rhonda is a home school mom of 3 and Catholic life coach who specializes in helping people overcome addiction to pornography. We talked about her work, the tools people use to overcome this and other habits, and how parents can help their kids resist or recover from using pornography.

Besides the 5 Love Languages, your family likely has many signs of love as part of your family culture. There are many that we cover in Girls Health Club and in Moms Club, to see the good in our own families, and get ideas of how we can show more love to others.

Top two ways you can help your daughter, by helping yourself so she can feel peace thinking about possible "mom life" in the future.

Rita is a mother of 5, Creighton Method teacher, and Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. We had a great conversation about her work helping women to feel better and often conceive through one-on-one and group learning.

How we discussed childbirth with my anxious daughter. For a while, she said she didn't want any kids, and now she says 5 sounds great!

It can be worrisome and irritating to have a young contrarian in the house. Here are a few thoughts.

Sleep changes are common as we get into our 30s and 40s. Here are some things that are working for me right now.

You know your muscle tone isn't the same as when you were younger. Here are some quick tips to overcome the muscle loss that tends to happen with lower hormones as we age.

A quick list of the tips that I've used to maintain core strength and some muscle even when I'm not taking the time to exercise.

A mom of 10 reached out for help reviewing her vitamin routine, hoping for more energy and postpartum weight loss now that her baby is 5 months old.

Part of our free summer series reviewing the topics from the past year of Moms Health Club. We look at the purpose of metabolism, why it takes so much energy, and what nutrients we need to make it run ideally.

From our Free Summer Series, a 90-minute discussion of Sleep and Recovery strategies, supplements and other tips for ladies who juggle many different roles and relationships.  Here's the slideshow: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1y2jZgfYct9CNW1_wKJLxIS_F8fLsovxwoyAm9_AF3Io/edit?usp=sharing And Video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oY90h6_b0h1nI0qXH9-D_3svhNgiLVvW/view?usp=sharing

An overview of how we've handled fashion, makeup, earrings, and other aspects of life with daughters, including what went as expected and what I would do differently based on experience.

An overview of how our family's cooking and recipes, our snacks and desserts, have changed as we experiment, adapt for food or additive intolerances, and learn what we enjoy most.

A little background on the process of negotiating the food culture in our house over time, based on what my husband and I brought from our families of origin, what seemed worth the money or not, what we like and dislike, and different nutrition needs.

Overview of what happens during the cycle, what to expect in terms of energy, appetite, and mood, and how to help it go smoothly.

A quick overview of immune boosting tips and supplements we use to avoid getting sick and stop illness quickly: Affection, hydration, low sugar, fruits and vegetables; cooking herbs like garlic, basil, and rosemary; supplements such as elderberry, zinc, and various cough drops, charcoal, and goldenseal, with details of how we use them.

A quick overview of how restrictive dieting, pressure we put on ourselves, and sleep loss contribute to raising cortisol and inhibiting weight loss for women, particularly after pregnancy during the adjustment with a new baby. Women who are struggling to maintain a normal weight in spite of strict dieting are often working against themselves and sending mixed signals to their body. 

Rip currents, pool and lake risks including sudden fatigue and hypothermia; how to spot weird people and situation, and listen to your gut, with examples of each. A live class recording of our Middle School safety discussion that might help you keep you kids safe.

Travel, anemia, stress, sleep loss, irregular eating and the Dorm Effect

A quick take on assessing your body type and how your muscle mass and weight distribution can offer clues about hormones and your cycle.

If you're having irregular cycles, a first step is determining how much you eat in a day versus how much you use. A woman's body often shuts down her cycle if it perceives there are not enough resources. The episode includes a couple of examples of irregular cycles in older teens caused by accidentally under-eating.