Leaving another year behind, and what a year it has been!
I think it's a great day to look back and appreciate all the things that have happened and all the growing and changes that occurred. I know that this year has been a whirlwind of activity and change. Good and not so good things have happened, but they all contributed to every single one of us becoming who we really are, the best that we can be! As much as sometimes the events happening in our lives might be hard to understand and make sense of in this, they help us grow and learn about ourselves in so many different ways!
This past year, I have definitely experimented alot in the way I live my life. I've learned what works for me and what doesn't. I live a compassionate life, causing as little harm as possible and as much bliss and I can. I really want to thrive in a lifestyle that reflects that.
As much as my consistency hasn't been as great as it can be, I am grateful for the hard times I've had with raw veganism. The moments when I don't eat raw make me appreciate the amazing feeling being on a 100% high carb, high vibe raw vegan lifestyle. I have had amazing moments fueled on fruit and love this year.
My goals for the new year? I have many, but here are a few that are most relevant to what I post on this blog:
- Become a certified Holistic Nutritionnist and spread the love.
- Become consistently more and more raw. Beat my 23 days and make it a forever change.
- Become as fit as I know I can be.
- As much as numbers shouldn't matter, I will attain my goal weight.
So now is the time to also look forward, but start now! I suggest making a vision board specifically for the new year. Make it a fun activity! Definitely makes me feel like a kid again, doing arts and crafts with my colorful markers and scissors!
Happy New Year to all of you, may this year be filled with welcome changes, positive challenges and everlasting happiness!
Oh and don't forget the fruit!!!
Saturday 31 December 2011
Tuesday 20 December 2011
Banana-Avocado Hair Mask!
I was in the mood to experiment with a shampoothie or hair mask. So I decided to try this one out since I had spotted it a few days ago during a random Google search for DIY skin/hair stuff that involved simple recipes and fruity goodness! I've been Shampoo free for almost 6 months now and I'm loving it. My scalp does tend to get a bit dry so I figured the avo would help with that.
First things first! Gather your ingredients! A Nice ripe spotty banana, organic preferably. You could also use a banana that is slightly off or overripe. A quarter avocado, don't use more than this or else your hair will have a oily look to it. I also used about a teaspoon Almond oil, which is an extra to ad if you have it, but if you don't, no need to purchase.
My hair was too shiny for the camera! Pictures kept coming out with blurry/shiny areas. This mask was great, gave me awesome volume and brought out my natural curl. I would definitely go without the almond oil next time though, too much fat cause me to have to tie up my hair the next day. But it was uber soft and just felt great! (Notice my lovely gradation of color in the pictures, growing out hair takes some commitment). With all the cold wind outside and dryness caused by central heating, my hair really welcomed this mask and I would definitely do it again! It also helped tons with my dry scalp issue, it feels much softer and less itchy. :)
Bland away! Alternatively you can use a fork to mush it all up, only you'll probably have chunks and it may be harder to rinse out afterwards.
Green mushy goodness!
Apply all over.
This is an optional step. I wrapped my hair in a plastic grocery bag to seal in heat so that the mask penetrates deeply into the hair. It's a great way to recycle, seems like there's always one around even though our household uses the reusable ones for actual groceries...
Don't forget to clean up your mess! Although the reaction to this one might be hilarious. Hahahaha!
Make sure that you rinse it all out very well after 10-15 minutes.
Results!
Sunday 18 December 2011
WHAT!?!?! We aren't made to drink Cow Milk!?!?! Go Vegan.
Isn't it just the craziest ideas ever that we aren't made to drink COW milk? That a substance produced by another species, for their young isn't an essential part of our diet? Preposterous. Insanity I say!
I am going to go beyond the easiest arguments against it, like the fact that no other species drinks another's milk passed toddler-hood.
Did you know a calf that feeds on its mother milk will double in size in 47 days. A human baby on breast milk does this in 180 days. No wonder we are getting fatter and less and less healthy! The ratio of carb/fat/protein is also totally different, 30/49/21 for cow and 40/53/7 for human mothers, on average. The massive difference in protein content is the first to acknowledge. We as human beings have become so obsessed with getting enough of the wrong macro-nutrient. Babies, who go through massive growth spurts, only need 7% of their calories to come from protein. I think that speaks for itself. The higher carbohydrate content is explained by our needs for glucose to fuel our bodies and brains. The fat content is higher than what an adult needs simply because it is a more concentrated form of calories and children only develop the stomach size for carbohydrates as their main source of calories once they are weaned (which is supposed to be when they decide to, on average around 4 years old)
Let's add to this, shall we? Commercial milk contain high levels of pus, antibiotics, growth hormones, pesticides and other bacteria. Basically it's the perfect food with which to feed disease, including cancer and diabetes. Even if you are buying organic, there are still high levels of natural growth hormones that are supposed to help a calf grow,would you like to be size of a full grown cow?
Now let's also put the calcium "issue" to rest! Cow's milk does contain calcium. But the problem is that the milk digests acid, and since our bodies want to remain in an alkaline state, our body does it's best to re-balance our pH levels by pulling more calcium from our bones and thus, rending the calcium it contained completely useless since our bodies pull more calcium that it provides. Green leafy veggies and citrus contain tons of calcium that our bodies can use, as do almonds.
Next! There's is a reason why so many people on this planet are lactose intolerant. So many actually don't even know they are and the uncomfort they live with everyday goes unexplained, I should know I was one of them. We lose the ability to digest lactose after we are weaned as babies/toddlers.
One more point as to why milk isn't made for human consumption, cow milk contains opiates called casomorphin. The purpose of this drug is to get the calf "hooked" on it's mother's milk so that it will feed frequently and survive/thrive. It has the same effect on humans as any other opiate would. An addiction is created and this explains clearly why many people say: "I couldn't live without cheese/milk/sour cream". It isn't because you need it, it's because you are addicted.
And to be honest with all the alternatives available now, there is absolutely no excuse to keep supporting an industry that takes away calves from their mothers as soon as they are born which has them crying for weeks, that keeps cows pregnant their whole lives and just dumps them(aka slaughter) when they stop producing enough for the standards put in place, that can only be achieved with drugs and genetic modification. There is no excuse to keep these animal in restrained spaces and have them suffer their whole lives for something that we never needed.
Do the right thing, for you, for the animals, for the planet.
Go Vegan.
I am going to go beyond the easiest arguments against it, like the fact that no other species drinks another's milk passed toddler-hood.
Did you know a calf that feeds on its mother milk will double in size in 47 days. A human baby on breast milk does this in 180 days. No wonder we are getting fatter and less and less healthy! The ratio of carb/fat/protein is also totally different, 30/49/21 for cow and 40/53/7 for human mothers, on average. The massive difference in protein content is the first to acknowledge. We as human beings have become so obsessed with getting enough of the wrong macro-nutrient. Babies, who go through massive growth spurts, only need 7% of their calories to come from protein. I think that speaks for itself. The higher carbohydrate content is explained by our needs for glucose to fuel our bodies and brains. The fat content is higher than what an adult needs simply because it is a more concentrated form of calories and children only develop the stomach size for carbohydrates as their main source of calories once they are weaned (which is supposed to be when they decide to, on average around 4 years old)
Let's add to this, shall we? Commercial milk contain high levels of pus, antibiotics, growth hormones, pesticides and other bacteria. Basically it's the perfect food with which to feed disease, including cancer and diabetes. Even if you are buying organic, there are still high levels of natural growth hormones that are supposed to help a calf grow,would you like to be size of a full grown cow?
Now let's also put the calcium "issue" to rest! Cow's milk does contain calcium. But the problem is that the milk digests acid, and since our bodies want to remain in an alkaline state, our body does it's best to re-balance our pH levels by pulling more calcium from our bones and thus, rending the calcium it contained completely useless since our bodies pull more calcium that it provides. Green leafy veggies and citrus contain tons of calcium that our bodies can use, as do almonds.
Next! There's is a reason why so many people on this planet are lactose intolerant. So many actually don't even know they are and the uncomfort they live with everyday goes unexplained, I should know I was one of them. We lose the ability to digest lactose after we are weaned as babies/toddlers.
One more point as to why milk isn't made for human consumption, cow milk contains opiates called casomorphin. The purpose of this drug is to get the calf "hooked" on it's mother's milk so that it will feed frequently and survive/thrive. It has the same effect on humans as any other opiate would. An addiction is created and this explains clearly why many people say: "I couldn't live without cheese/milk/sour cream". It isn't because you need it, it's because you are addicted.
And to be honest with all the alternatives available now, there is absolutely no excuse to keep supporting an industry that takes away calves from their mothers as soon as they are born which has them crying for weeks, that keeps cows pregnant their whole lives and just dumps them(aka slaughter) when they stop producing enough for the standards put in place, that can only be achieved with drugs and genetic modification. There is no excuse to keep these animal in restrained spaces and have them suffer their whole lives for something that we never needed.
Do the right thing, for you, for the animals, for the planet.
Go Vegan.
Thursday 15 December 2011
Organisation: well it's damn helpful that's for sure.
The past week has been a little(read:too much) crazy. So many thing have happened to change my perception of my path. I got a tons of disappointment and am now using it to make my life better and more fulfilling instead of wallowing in self pity and depression. I can't help but see the transformation in me. A year ago, I would have wallowed and cried, which don't get me wrong I did, but just for a night instead of a indeterminate amount of time. I gave myself time to "grieve" and now I am making decisions to not have it happen again.
I was supposed to be in South Africa with the love of my life for Christmas. It was the only thing I wanted and the only "thing" I asked for. It was promised to me, but not everyone keeps their promises. I was massively disappointed and disappointed others. It really wasn't pretty. I've lost trust in a family member and am now moving on. It's a slap in the face from the universe. There are changes I have to make, and now I am making them.
So I've set myself up with tools to help me along! Posted right next to my door is this:
The topmost one has the title of "Where I want to be in 6 months". It includes various goals from fitness, to relationship goals and school related stuff.
Directly below is titled: Staying Raw and list all the most important things that are going to keep me on my path to ultimate health! It includes eating enough calories, drinking enough ater, being active everyday, getting enough sleep, keeping a positive attitude, keeping my goals in mind, to never give up and states this"You are strong and Beautiful".
The third is an exercise schedule. Something that will keep me on track with my fitness goals! I've discovered a love for cycling the past few weeks and want to organize some bike tours with my bff. A great goal to thrive towards fitness wise! It's always easier when you have a challenge in mind. Like a 5k run or a 70k bike race.
Next I set up these next to my mirror:
The two top ones are my pain/pleasure lists of what happens when being 100% raw. Something to keep me on track and keep the reason why I have chosen this path for myself. Having reminders around are going to be great because then I can never lose sight of my motivations.
The last one at the bottom is a beginning to my vision board. I'm going to be assembling it over the next few days, it'll include everything I see myself doing/accomplishing. Not necessarily specific to any timeline, just all my dreams and aspirations smashed together in harmony.
And now my bed is calling.
I was supposed to be in South Africa with the love of my life for Christmas. It was the only thing I wanted and the only "thing" I asked for. It was promised to me, but not everyone keeps their promises. I was massively disappointed and disappointed others. It really wasn't pretty. I've lost trust in a family member and am now moving on. It's a slap in the face from the universe. There are changes I have to make, and now I am making them.
So I've set myself up with tools to help me along! Posted right next to my door is this:
Directly below is titled: Staying Raw and list all the most important things that are going to keep me on my path to ultimate health! It includes eating enough calories, drinking enough ater, being active everyday, getting enough sleep, keeping a positive attitude, keeping my goals in mind, to never give up and states this"You are strong and Beautiful".
The third is an exercise schedule. Something that will keep me on track with my fitness goals! I've discovered a love for cycling the past few weeks and want to organize some bike tours with my bff. A great goal to thrive towards fitness wise! It's always easier when you have a challenge in mind. Like a 5k run or a 70k bike race.
Next I set up these next to my mirror:
The last one at the bottom is a beginning to my vision board. I'm going to be assembling it over the next few days, it'll include everything I see myself doing/accomplishing. Not necessarily specific to any timeline, just all my dreams and aspirations smashed together in harmony.
And now my bed is calling.
Tuesday 6 December 2011
The key to success?
I just had this random thought about hat the true key to succeeding in anything really is. While there may not be one "true" answer for everyone, one thing comes to mind for me, and that would be consistency!
In all my life adventures, I think that my biggest successes happened when I was being consistent in my output of effort. I'm the type of person that has wayyy too many ideas. I get caught up in the excitement of the novelty of the ideas, but don't regularly follow through because I get caught up in what I'm already doing (which is already usually lots). My problem when i wasn't following through was that i was seriously inconsistent and disorganized.
When I started using lists and writing down things, kind of like a vision board without images, I started actually getting stuff done. There is no better feeling that conceptualizing something that you're passionate about and then seeing it done! Getting myself organized enabled me to be consistent because I knew what needed to be done and then could make decisions and act on what needed to be done next.
Another thing that realllly helps with succeeding, is knowing yourself well enough to know when you are ready to take the next step. This, in my opinion, is vitally important to accomplishing your goals. Knowing how you work, as much as that may sound weird to some, gives you a huge edge on success. As an example, I know that I won't 100% commit to something until I've tested the waters. When the concept of raw veganism first came into my life, I laughed and said I would never do it. That it was too extreme. Well look at me now! I gave myself the time to come around to the idea and then started dipping my toes into the pool of awesomeness that is being raw. And from that experience I know now that sometimes people may tell you you're crazy, say they could never do something, but if you give them time enough to warm up to new ideas, they may just surprise you and cannon ball right in!
There are tons of other tips to success. But I really believe that these few ones are fundamental. Find a way to be consistent, learn to know yourself, and give yourself some time to consider new ideas, new approaches. And last, but not least, Thrive to be the best possible you that you can be. Always.
In all my life adventures, I think that my biggest successes happened when I was being consistent in my output of effort. I'm the type of person that has wayyy too many ideas. I get caught up in the excitement of the novelty of the ideas, but don't regularly follow through because I get caught up in what I'm already doing (which is already usually lots). My problem when i wasn't following through was that i was seriously inconsistent and disorganized.
When I started using lists and writing down things, kind of like a vision board without images, I started actually getting stuff done. There is no better feeling that conceptualizing something that you're passionate about and then seeing it done! Getting myself organized enabled me to be consistent because I knew what needed to be done and then could make decisions and act on what needed to be done next.
Another thing that realllly helps with succeeding, is knowing yourself well enough to know when you are ready to take the next step. This, in my opinion, is vitally important to accomplishing your goals. Knowing how you work, as much as that may sound weird to some, gives you a huge edge on success. As an example, I know that I won't 100% commit to something until I've tested the waters. When the concept of raw veganism first came into my life, I laughed and said I would never do it. That it was too extreme. Well look at me now! I gave myself the time to come around to the idea and then started dipping my toes into the pool of awesomeness that is being raw. And from that experience I know now that sometimes people may tell you you're crazy, say they could never do something, but if you give them time enough to warm up to new ideas, they may just surprise you and cannon ball right in!
There are tons of other tips to success. But I really believe that these few ones are fundamental. Find a way to be consistent, learn to know yourself, and give yourself some time to consider new ideas, new approaches. And last, but not least, Thrive to be the best possible you that you can be. Always.
Saturday 3 December 2011
Blurb. And how to stop being idiotic.
Ok, so I've absolutely thrown myself off the wagon this time, no falling involved. And it's really the most idiotic thing, because I'm not even enjoying the cooked CRAP I've been consuming.WTF right?
I have no real excuse. Besides, there are NONE that apply to not treating my body as it should be and nourishing it with the best food I can possibly find. I'm just being an idiot really. And seriously, this is it. Cause I can't continue doing shit for no reason other than it's easy and numbing, which is sadd. Thankfully I'm still eating fruit as a majority, but not 100%. No excuses is what I said, and I am not going back on it, because, again, there are none that are valid.
My life has been going through alot of major upheaval lately, basically I'm reconsidering everything that I've been doing and want to change alot of it, right now. I'm just really trying to figure out the best way to get to my end goal and achieve my new and most awesome goals. But then this whole thing is causing some serious soul searching that has me going a little crazy at times. But again, no excuses are good enough, and so those are more like trends that I know will trigger me off my path.
ALAS! (lol) there id also good news. I randomly decided to throw on a pair of jeans I haven't worn in 5 years, and they magicallllllyyyyy fit! Not perfectly I must say... but i got them on and tied and they didn't make me look like a mushroom! I'll attribute that to fruity goodness and working my bum off at work helping out with the construction of our new office! (which is ALMOST done yayyy!) I hadn't really noticed the change until then, even though my Mama kept saying I had lost some weight. Since I'm taking a break from the evil scale and with being so busy, sometimes you don't notice your hard work and awesome choices paying off!
Lesson of the week? Stop being an idiot and continue with what works. Plus, as much as life can seem complicated and all, there are so many thing worth smiling about. So smile!
I have no real excuse. Besides, there are NONE that apply to not treating my body as it should be and nourishing it with the best food I can possibly find. I'm just being an idiot really. And seriously, this is it. Cause I can't continue doing shit for no reason other than it's easy and numbing, which is sadd. Thankfully I'm still eating fruit as a majority, but not 100%. No excuses is what I said, and I am not going back on it, because, again, there are none that are valid.
My life has been going through alot of major upheaval lately, basically I'm reconsidering everything that I've been doing and want to change alot of it, right now. I'm just really trying to figure out the best way to get to my end goal and achieve my new and most awesome goals. But then this whole thing is causing some serious soul searching that has me going a little crazy at times. But again, no excuses are good enough, and so those are more like trends that I know will trigger me off my path.
ALAS! (lol) there id also good news. I randomly decided to throw on a pair of jeans I haven't worn in 5 years, and they magicallllllyyyyy fit! Not perfectly I must say... but i got them on and tied and they didn't make me look like a mushroom! I'll attribute that to fruity goodness and working my bum off at work helping out with the construction of our new office! (which is ALMOST done yayyy!) I hadn't really noticed the change until then, even though my Mama kept saying I had lost some weight. Since I'm taking a break from the evil scale and with being so busy, sometimes you don't notice your hard work and awesome choices paying off!
Lesson of the week? Stop being an idiot and continue with what works. Plus, as much as life can seem complicated and all, there are so many thing worth smiling about. So smile!
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