Author: catteoconnor

Holistic Protocol for Gaining Weight Naturally

The human body possesses the capacity to heal itself. When we abuse our bodies, or don’t give it what it needs to achieve optimal health we see symptoms such as illness, disease, chronic pain, inflammation etc. Our amazing self-healing body is ever changing to stay in balance. It is of the utmost importance to educate ourselves, to help create an environment in which the body heals itself.

It is imperative that you consult with your physician before making any changes. You must take the necessary precautions to avoid complications with the pharmaceuticals that you are currently taking. Seeking the guidance of a healthcare provider, who is aligned with your medical needs and beliefs is extremely important. Together you can create a proper environment for your body to heal itself.

If you are having trouble gaining weight, ask you doctor to check/test that you do not have any digestion problems. For example: people with leaky gut syndrome may eat properly, but due to intestinal malfunctions, nutrients foods are not properly absorbed into the body, causing deficiencies, weight loss, and disease.

There are no quick fixes, and for most people it is a matter of trying many new things & coming up with the perfect combination of natural remedies in order to achieve your goals.

It is necessary to:

1. Eat a healthy well-balanced, nutrient dense, whole food, organic diet. Unfortunately, there is a lot mis-information that you are bombarded with, often it is hard to know what is healthy, and what isn’t. We would love to help you find your perfect nutritional plan.  Following the Mediterranean diet (pictured above) is a well balanced diet to follow. For those who are trying to gain weight naturally foods that help promote healthy weight gain are:
   • Eat enough protein. Eat lean red meats, chicken, and turkey. Avoid pork, canned meats, and processed meats (cold cuts, deli meats, hot dogs, sausage, and bacon). You should not eat more protein than is recommended for your body weight. (For example: 130Lb person should be eating about 77 grams of protein.)  Our body naturally balances itself out, when you provide your body with the proper nutrition, it naturally finds a homeostasis. Eating too much protein will result in the body being at dis-ease.
   • Eat a portion of whole grains, such as oatmeal, barley, quinoa, buckwheat, brown rice. Avoid simple carbohydrates such as white flour and white rice. You should not overeat carbs to gain weight.
   • Eat healthy fats. We need good cholesterol to help our nervous system, and good fats which assist our brain to function properly. Olive oil, flax seed oil (unfiltered, first cold pressed), avocados, nuts, and seeds are an important part of our diet. Try Ghee in place of butter. Avoid vegetable oils, soybean oil, corn oils, canola oil, and seed oils (like sunflower & safflower).
   • Eat vegetables with every meal. (At least 6 servings of vegetables daily). Try to eat a rainbow every day. Eating different color foods provide the body with different nutrients. Try rainbow carrots and rainbow radishes, mulit-color peppers. Eat artichokes, broccoli, spinach, kale, swiss chard. Eat salads with a variety of different lettuces. Cucumbers have soothing properties that can help reduce acidity, and may ease an upset stomach.
   • Eat 2 portions of fruit daily. Again, using the eat a rainbow model. Berries, apples watermelon, cantaloupe, oranges, grapes, etc. Dried fruits, such as apricots (5 per day is great for providing the body with potassium and are a great source of fiber). Avoid overeating Bananas, ½ of a banana provides just enough sugar to the body, while still getting the healthy nutrients from bananas.
   •  If you find yourself with a loss of appetite, you can eat foods like ginger, cruciferous vegetables, and  grapefruit (if you are taking statin drugs like Lipitor, be sure to consult with your physician, as grapefruit can have an effect on this drug.)

2. Exercise daily. Sit with a personal trainer to discuss ways to build bulky muscles, rather than exercise that burns a lot of calories & creates lean muscles. For example, you may want to use weights to build muscle, rather than running on the tread mill or the elliptical.  Seek a professional that can assist you in safe exercise.

3. Drink a minimum of 64 ounces of pure clean water daily. This sounds simple, but for most people this is very difficult. If you need suggestions of how to increase your water intake, contact us

4. Sleep at least 8-10 hours a night. We use holistic medicine & alternative therapies to aid in sleep, contact us if you need advice.

5. Manage your stress. In my experience, stress is the #1 cause of disease. People learn to cope and/or compartmentalize the stressors in their lives, it may not always be realized and can have a real impact on your health. Even if you believe you are a person who knows how to relax, you can still benefit from meditation.

• There are many basic ways to help you reduce stress.  Meditation and/or Reiki are great complementary Alternative therapies to lower stress.
• Amare Global is the leader in Mental Wellness. They offer Menta Therapeutics that provides an all natural mood support. The key ingredients in Mood+ have multiple scientific studies that show significant benefits for mood support such as relief from anxious feelings, sadness, restlessness, and overall stress relief. Click here to shop.

6. Find an Acupuncturist; specifically, one who specialized in 5 Element Acupuncture (AKA 5 Phase Acupuncture). Five Element theory has been used for more than 2,000 years as a method of diagnosis and treatment. Rooted in ancient wisdom, it is an effective and unique system of medicine that diagnoses and treats the cause of disease.

7. Find a Chiropractor; specifically, one who specializes in pediatric care or neurology. A licensed Chiropractor will address health conditions associated with the nervous and musculoskeletal systems. Using gentle, noninvasive and drug free, chiropractic adjustments to treat, resolve and prevent a wide range of health problem.

Boost your body’s immune system.

8. Take a good probiotic. Amare Global offers a revolutionary probiotic called Fundamentals.  The most comprehensive combination of unique strains of probiotics, prebiotics, and phytobiotics. Click here to shop.

9. If you have recently taken an antibiotic, we suggest a B Complex and a vitamin K supplement. Antibiotics deplete the body of biotin, folic acid, inositol, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and vitamin K, and therefore it is necessary replenish your body with those vitamins to restore optimal health.

Additional holistic methods to promote healthy weight gain include.

10. Ginger essential oils used topically, mixed with a carrier oil (like coconut oil), applied to the stomach area, has shown to improve and ease digestion.

11. For a homeopathic treatment:

• Alfafa Tonic, it may increase your appetite and improve digestion.
• Lycopodium, helps with digestive imbalance. If you have not been able to gain weight due to weakening liver function.
• Calcarea Phosphorica, if you have suffered from a disease that caused weight loss. Anemic children, those with feeble digestion should investigate using.
• Aleo Socotrina, may help those suffering from abdominal problems like feeling full, or pain during bowel movements.

12. Bach Rescue Remedy can help if your loss of weight is rooted in your emotions. Depending on you mood/emotional state choose the remedy that best suits you needs at the moment. Click here to find the perfect remedy for you.

13. Aloe and Sovereign Silver may help intestinal disturbances. Consult with your physician before embarking on this treatment, as it can interfere with medications you are currently taking.

14. Drink an infusion of ginger tea. Steep 1 teaspoon of grated ginger (or premade teabag) in hot water for 10 minutes. For maximum therapeutic results drink 3 cups per day.

15. Download the APP MYfitnessPal by Under Armour. The app is free, you can choose your plan of action (how much weight you want to gain & set goals). It is easy to log your water intake, exercise habits, and food. It calculates all the information & lets you know if you are eating enough calories to make the energy necessary for your lifestyle. This calorie counter is great for people who think they are eating enough and still loosing weight. (Perhaps you don’t consume enough calories to meet your exercise needs, and therefore you keep losing weight.)

It is important to look at your body as a whole and find the root of the problem. Recognize that everything is connected. What you eat and drink, how you exercise, how you manage your stress, the amount you sleep you get each night, your job/career and your social life; it all effects and affects your health. Tracking the root issue, and using a variety of modalities can assist your body in healing itself, and can prevent suffering from similar issues in the future.

As always it would be our honor to assist you. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Holistic Protocol for Depression

By: Catherine A. O’Connor CNC, CRP, RYT

Depression can be a horrible debilitating disease. It not only affects the person who is battling, it can also affect their family members and their friends. It is not something that can be seen or measured, which in my opinion makes it that much harder to detect. It also makes it harder to learn how to cope, and treat it. There is also somewhat of an embarrassment attached to being depressed, and although we all know that there is nothing to be ashamed of, the feelings do often present themselves.

You do not have to face depression on your own, and truthfully once you start talking to people about it, the easier it will become for you.

Take a journey on your path to wellness holistically. With depression it is advised that you increase your serotonin (the feel good hormone), and balance adrenal fatigue. Here are some suggestions on what you can do holistically to help with the feelings of depression.  

• First and foremost, talk to a family member, talk to a friend, seek a counselor, maybe do all three.

• Amare Global is the leader in Mental Wellness. They offer Menta Therapeutics that provides an all natural mood support. The key ingredients in Mood+ have multiple scientific studies that show significant benefits for mood support such as relief from anxious feelings, sadness, restlessness, and overall stress relief. Click here to shop.

• See out a Reiki Practitioner, and/or learn how to give yourself Reiki. Read more about Reiki here. You can take a class with me, it would be my honor to teach you.

• Eat at a baked potato daily. The magic of a potato boosts all the feel good hormones including serotonin. You must choose an organic potato, (we can talk about why you should change your diet to be completely organic at another time:). Conventional potatoes don’t have the same effect on the body that organic potatoes do. Also bake the potato in the oven, not the microwave (again, if you want to know why, that’s a long EMF’s lesson for another time).

• Seek a fantastic Doctor of Acupuncture, not just anyone, a 5 Element Acupuncturist is the best. They look at you as a whole. If you are anywhere near Long Island, New York, take the drive to see Dr. Christie Harrington of Classical Acupuncture in Port Jefferson. Even if you have to drive far, he is worth it. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

• Seek out a Chiropractor. Again look for a professional that is in it to help & makes money as a side effect of doing what they love to do. Look for someone that was “called to his/her work” Despite popular belief a Chiro does more than just crack your back and neck. A Chiropractor, a good one, will look at you as a whole and align your nervous system.

• Exercise: Yoga!:)  Yoga is exercise; practice the poses, yes great! Use your muscles, whoo! In addition to the exercise of it… Look for a yoga teacher that will do breath work, and try to find someone who also does a meditation during class. Breath work for depression is so very good for you. A Hatha (not hot yoga, don’t confuse the two they are very, very different classes.) yoga class usually practices breathing & poses, and some include meditation too.

• Smile at yourself in the mirror. I know it sounds silly, but many, many, many studies have shown that smiling is the #1 way to increase serotonin! Your brain sees you smile & says oh I must be happy. Crazy, maybe, but it really works.

• Vitamin D ~. Especially in the winter most people are vitamin D deficient. You can ask you Dr. to check your levels if you choose. Mercola.com has a really great product & you can read all about the benefits of Vitamin D on this website.

• Take a good probiotic. Amare Global offers a revolutionary probiotic called Fundamentals.  The most comprehensive combination of unique strains of probiotics, prebiotics, and phytobiotics. Click here to shop

• Finding a store like Phountain which has a Vitamin D sun lamp & other things like the sauna, and detox options which help elevate the mood can also be helpful for those who suffer from depression.

• Finding a salt room can be beneficial for those who suffer from depression. Organic Spa Magazine has a great article on salt rooms. You can read it here.

• Meditate to calm peaceful music before you go to sleep. You can find meditations on my website: Inspired-By-Life.net/Meditation

• Diffuse Lavender essential oil while you sleep.

• For the adrenals drink an infusion of Ginseng tea, and/or Licorice tea. To make tea you steep the tea in hot water for 3-5 minutes. To make an infusion steep the tea in hot water for 10 minutes.

• Oil and seeds from the Borage plant. This beautiful plant is high in essential fatty acids which are highly important for optimal health. Studies have shown Borage helps with mild depression. Mountain Rose Herbs is a great place to find this herb.

• Bach flower remedies are really great for so many ailments. Read the different choices & pick which one that will suite you best.

• Bach stress pastilles are great to have on hand, even my kids like them.

• Lastly, try to find the source of you depression Is it a chemical imbalance? Is it a loss of some kind: loss of love, loss of life, loss of lifestyle, loss of relationship? Is it fear, envy, or betrayal? Find what the root of the problem is, and you can then work toward a solution.

Peace, Love, & Gratitude to you, always…

Holistic Protocol for Reduction of Inflammation

The human body possesses the capacity to heal itself. When we abuse our bodies, or don’t give it what it needs to achieve optimal health we see symptoms such as illness, disease, chronic pain, inflammation etc. Inflammation is our bodies reaction to injury. Our amazing self-healing body is ever changing to stay in balance. It is of the utmost importance to educate ourselves, to help create an environment in which the body heals itself.

Seeking the guidance of a healthcare provider, who is aligned with your medical needs and beliefs is extremely important. Together you can create a proper environment for your body to heal itself.

To achieve optimal wellness it is necessary to:

1. Eat a healthy well-balanced, nutrient dense, whole food, organic diet. Unfortunately, there is a lot mis-information that you are bombarded with, often it is hard to know what is healthy, and what isn’t. We would love to help you find your perfect nutritional plan. For those who suffer from inflammation, it is important to limit the amount of nightshade foods you eat. There are over 2,000 species of nightshades, some popular night shares are: peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplant.

2. Exercise daily. Those who suffer from inflammation have an increase chance of injury during exercise. Seek a professional that can assist you in safe exercise. Need help with that? Contact us & we can come up with the perfect exercise routine that fits your needs & fitness level.

3. Drink a minimum of 64 ounces of pure clean water daily. This sounds simple, but for most people this is very difficult. If you need suggestions of how to increase your water intake, contact us.

4. Sleep at least 8-10 hours a night. Every living thing on earth needs good sleep. This is the time where you body rests and heals itself the best. If you have trouble falling asleep and/or staying asleep Amare Global offers a Menta Therapeutic called Sleep. The key ingredients in Sleep+ have multiple scientific studies that show significant benefits including helping you to fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and experience higher quality plus more rejuvenating sleep. Click here to shop. 

5. Manage your stress. There are many basic ways to help you reduce stress. Meditation and/or Reiki are great complementary Alternative therapies to lower stress. Amare Global is the leader in Mental Wellness. They offer Menta Therapeutics that provides an all natural mood support. The key ingredients in Mood+ have multiple scientific studies that show significant benefits for mood support such as relief from anxious feelings, sadness, restlessness, and overall stress relief. Click here to shop.

6. Find an Acupuncturist; specifically, one who specialized in 5 Element Acupuncture (AKA 5 Phase Acupuncture). Five Element theory has been used for more than 2,000 years as a method of diagnosis and treatment. Rooted in ancient wisdom it is an effective and unique system of medicine that diagnoses and treats the cause of disease.

7. Find a Chiropractor; specifically, one who specializes in pediatric care or neurology. A licensed Chiropractor will address health conditions associated with the nervous and musculoskeletal systems. Using gentle, noninvasive and drug free, chiropractic adjustments to treat, resolve and prevent a wide range of health problem.
Boost your body’s immune system.

8. Take a good probiotic. Amare Global offers a revolutionary probiotic called Fundamentals.  The most comprehensive combination of unique strains of probiotics, prebiotics, and phytobiotics. Click here to shop

9. If you have recently taken an antibiotic, we suggest a B Complex and a vitamin K supplement. Antibiotics deplete the body of biotin, folic acid, inositol, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and vitamin K, and therefore it is necessary replenish your body with those vitamins to restore optimal health. We suggest you look for MegaFoods brand. We also suggest you take a good Probiotic.

Additional holistic methods to reduce inflammation include:

15. Lavender Angustifolia and/or Frankincense Essential Oil, diluted with a carrier oil, drop 5-10 drops on the feet, spine or area of injury and massage in gently. Other essential oils commonly used are: helichrysum, lemongrass bergamont and clove. We suggest the brand AuraCacia.

16. Comfrey ointment, Tiger balm or doTerra’s Deep Blue are great products you can apply topically. Comfrey roots and leaves contain a substance that helps new skin cells grow, along with other substances that reduce inflammation and keep skin healthy. Comfrey ointments have been successful in healing inflammation. The herbal ingredients in of Tiger balm and Deep Blue to provide penetrating heat to muscles. One application gives you fast, warm, comforting relief for joint and muscle pain, stiff muscles, and arthritis. We suggest Dr. Christophers for Comfrey ointment.

17. Taking the supplement Glucosamine Sulfate, by the company Metagenics helps the joints. Glucosamine possesses natural anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties. One of the most popular supplements taken by people with bone and joint pain, glucosamine aids in treating common symptoms of age-related disorders like arthritis.

18. Taking a Turmeric supplement will help reduce inflammation. Not all supplements are created equal. You should look for a therapeutic dosage, from a company who values high quality, wildcrafted, organic, minimally processed, herbs. Amare Global offers Menta Therapeutics called Relief. The key ingredients in Relief+ have been scientifically shown to balance normal inflammatory function and support antioxidant levels to provide fast-acting & long-lasting relief from occasional aches and pains. Click here to shop

19. For a homeopathic treatment use Arnica. Arnica one of the most beneficial substances available in nature’s pharmacopoeia, with the power to relieve many of the common aches, pains, and injuries that arise. You can purchase Arnica as a gel or cream and apply externally. You can also purchase Arnica in pill form, and take it orally. We suggest that when using Arnica for inflammation reduction you take it both external & internal. (Borion is a great brand name for homeopathic medicine.)

20. Drink an infusion of ginger tea. Steep 1 teaspoon of grated ginger (or pre-made teabag) in hot water for 10 minutes. For maximum therapeutic results drink 3 cups per day.

As always it would be our honor to assist you. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

What is Holistic Nutrition?

It is simply eating nutrient dense foods that best serve your body.

Nutrition is a major contributor to our health. When you eat good food, your body functions more efficiently. Most people are so accustomed to eating foods not designed for human consumption, and they don’t even realize how sick they are making themselves until a bigger problem presents itself.

It’s really not our fault. We are inundated all day, every day, with information on what’s “healthy” and what’s not. The marketing industry makes billions of dollars on advertising food & products that are extremely toxic to our body. It is so difficult to decided what is true, and which foods are best for us. 

At Inspired By Life, we understand how hard eating healthy appears to be. 

We provide clear and easy information as to what you should eat and why. We take into account your specific needs, and formulate a plan for you that fits with your budget and lifestyle. We don’t offer any products, or kitschy fad diet plans to follow. You will be able to shop in your regular food store, and eat in your usual restaurants (unless it’s fast food chain, but we’ll talk about at another time, if we need to;)

Inspired By Life aims to help you heal your body with food. Especially for those who suffer from Chronic Pain, they are so many foods that you eat daily, and don’t realize that it is a major contributor of inflammation, and therefore increases pain. On the flip side, there are easy simple foods that you can incorporate into your meals, that not only taste great, but will drastically reduce your pain.

What is Iridology?

Iridology is the study of the iris, the colored part of your eye. Iridology is a non-invasive technique which allows a practitioner to detect current or future imbalances in a person’s body, simply by looking at their eye.

Each part of the iris corresponds to a part in your body. Specific markings in the iris allow the practitioner to identify the potential hosts for dis-ease. Iridology also allows the practitioner to identify certain genetic predispositions (family inherited weaknesses) toward certain dis-eases.

Once the condition has been revealed changes to diet, exercise, stress management, and herbal supplements can be introduced by the practitioner to the client. This allows people to customize their health plan & move toward building a life of health before sickness and disease.

Iridology does not detect cancer, pregnancy, or gall stones.  Iridology cannot diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. If you have any health concerns you should always contact your primary care physician to address those concerns immediately.

What is Reiki?

Reiki (pronounced ray-key) is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation. We exist because energy flows through us. Our energy nourishes the organs and cells of our bodies, supporting their vital functions. Reiki is powerful and gentle, it will never cause harm. Reiki is a spiritual process that provides love and compassion, it is not a Religion.

Reiki balances the flow of energy, and promotes healing. It works to sooth the sympathetic nervous system, and creates peace and calmness from within that boosts the immune system and promotes healing.

What to expect during a Reiki session?

Reiki is a beautiful experience. The client should wear comfortable clothing. During a private session at Inspired By Life clients lay on a massage table. If attending a Reiki circle at Inspired By Life everyone lays on the floor, yoga mats are provided. We also provide blankets for warmth. The client is welcome to bring anything that brings them comfort.

The Reiki practitioner simply lays hands on the client. Gently & peacefully using the Reiki energy the practitioner balances the client’s energy.

What are the benefits to Reiki?

The client may experience the feelings of ultimate peace, emotional safety, relaxation, joy, love, well-being, security, unlimited potential, freedom, creativity, beauty, balance, harmony, and other positive states.

                The physical benefits of Reiki are endless. Today many hospitals and nursing homes are using Reiki to help their patients. Cancer patients are given Reiki as a compliment to their treatments. Nurses are using Reiki to help their patients after sickness and/or surgery.  It promotes healing in every cell, therefore benefiting the entire body.

Reiki can:

• Drastically reduces stress
• Eases Chronic Pain
• Boost the immune system
• Improve the digestive system
• Improve the cardiovascular system
• Soothe sore muscles
• Promote healing from past and/or present disease and /or injury
• Promote healing before and/or after surgery
• Calm the sympathetic nervous system
• Nourish the organs
• Balance the Chakra’s
• And much more…

To Download the form click below:

client assessment questionnaire

The purpose of the questionnaire is to gather information, and bring your attention to many details of your health. What you consume, how it moves through your body, how you process foods, the environment around you, exercise, and your sleep patterns are all vital to your health.

A week prior to our first meeting please keep a log of all foods and drinks you consume, times you eat, and the location you are while you are eating. Also please take note of your sleep times, and exercise routine. This will help tremendously in the evaluation process.

Thank you for your willingness to share this information, and take part in this journey that will improve your life. We are looking forward to working with you to make lifestyle changes to meet you specific needs.

We encourage you to visit your doctor for a physical prior to making the changes we are suggesting. Please feel free to share my suggestions with your physician, and get his/her opinion on them.

If there is any additional information you would like us to know, or your doctor has any specific recommendations please advise us.

Beginner Yoga Class

If you struggle with learning yoga, but desire to see what everyone is talking about. Maybe you took a class & couldn’t keep up, leaving you feeling embarrassed or defeated. I know first hand how that feels, and my class is for you. I start all my classes at,  before beginner.

Embark on a journey of learning to love yoga in the privacy of your home, at your own pace, with a kind, patient & understand teacher.

Each class we start with a 5-10 minute lesson on what yoga is, why we do the poses, what are the benefits, and other yoga related topics so you are able to understand what you are doing and why you do them. We begin with easy breathing techniques that help promote relaxation while strengthening our lungs. Then we practice gentle yoga poses for 30-45 minutes (depends on your level as not everyone can start a 45 min practice.)

We end with deep relaxation & guided meditation. We use a Japanese stress relief technique that is called Reiki.

In every class we use essential oil room sprays, and organic essential oil aromatherapy, along with calming and inspiring scents of incense.

We work very hard to help people understand that yoga can be challenging in the beginning & it is ok to start small & build. We encourage every yogi to work with their own body, and stay in the moment on your own path to establish a journey that works with your lifestyle, to be and build a love for yoga, and to be Inspired By Life.

Please contact to make an appointment.