Working it: Some before and afters.

For the last little while, I have been working my butt off.

Not only have I started coaching and training a few of my friends, I have been working extra hours trying to finish a few other projects of mine, including a very detailed grant proposal for my vegan prepared food business (cross fingers). I've also been writing again, and have a few other projects that side of things.

I have been so fortunate with the whole coaching side of things, where a few of my friends have approached me to start then on a health plan. It's inspired me to truly start working on the structure of my coaching and giving me the opportunity for trial and error. So far it has been going great! The one I started with is in week 3 of training and lost 8 pounds in the first week! She has already regained energy and is working so hard! We are working hard to get her to her goals and I'll be posting pictures and updates over the next few months.

I love it too because it's got me on a a vigorous workout routine as well, and I've been feeling great! I am testing all my methods on myself as well, following a holistic approach. I'm feeling great! I'm staying away from the scale for now, because since we are doing alot of strength training, numbers really don't mean much at this point.

I am working out 5-6 times a week for an hour everytime. We mix it up alot, doing tons of cross training from calisthenics, lots of cardio (running, biking, steps, rowing, hiking), yoga and some free weights. I've found a new obsession with the stepper, pushing it hard. I think I may register for the CN tower climb next year!

I want to add to this picture soon:

The first is summer of 2009 and the second, summer 2011. I want my summer 2012 picture to be even better than the change between those two!

I also made a before collage of pictures.

I am so very grateful to have discovered the 80-10-10 lifestyle. As you can see, I was not the picture of health. I was living a lifestyle of bad foods, partying and little exercise. I was unhappy and had a list of health issues including IBS, chronic pain, anxiety, debilitating PMS, low energy and insomnia. Now, most of those are gone. I still have some work to do to attain the level of health that I am aiming for, but the changes so far have been amazing!

I have rediscovered my passion for life. I have discovered my passion in life as well. I want to help people become the best they can be through veganism, raw foods and a balanced holistic lifestyle.

I will be posting updated after pictures over the summer. I am seriously going to be working hard and get to where I want to be!!!

Keep it fruity ;)

Great Reasons to go... Raw with the Bra

Sometimes, there are certain things that you absolutely know that can promote better health in your life, short and long term, that just don't seem to sink in until a while later. While not always terrible, I think that it's something that we've definitely been taught to do. Being in the process of unlearning alot of things, I do try to take change one thing at a time so that I can really put it into practice. Becoming a raw bra person has been one of them.

I decide to try it out today, out in the real world. I had been progressively wearing bras less and less over the past few weeks and finally decided to just do it. I actually had a great experience. I was much more aware of my breasts due to some sensitivity, especially during certain situation like in the car and while sitting. Although I think the last is a great one because it'll help me be aware of my posture more.  I simply wore a black cotton tank top and really never felt totally weirded out by it. I think that it'll become part of my daily habits, other than at the gym and with certain clothes.

So why become a raw bra person? 

There is significant enough reasoning behind the movement, number one being that it restricts the lymph system. Seeing as it cannot drain itself and relies on movement to do so, bras restrict movement in the chest area and so fluids that need to be drained often aren't. This is believed to be a cause of blockages in the lymph system which can lead to lumps, diseases and cancers. 

In my mind, it's better to prevent than have to deal with that kind of news.

I knew bras could cause these issues before, but seeing as I am rather chesty at 36D, I thought that it wasn't really in the books for me with various reasons (*cough* excuses) like being scared of sagginess and social convention. Seeing as I'm getting farther and farther away from social convention, and honesty don't care much about it, I figured I should make the next step! Besides, who are we fooling, bras are damn uncomfortable!

Another factor to mention is that since 8 out of 10 women aren't even wearing the "right" bra size, nobody can argue the fact that it cannot be natural or in any way instinctual for us to constrict our chests any more than it was for women who used to wear corsets. Wearing a bra too small, which is the bigger problem in regard tof it, can disfigure breast and cause even more health issues.

Obviously there are situations where wearing a bra is useful, like while exercising or certain social situations. I think that there is definitely a way to make it work is most situations, by using pasties, layering clothes or wearing clothes with built-in bras that are much less restrictive. I'll write an update on how it goes for me in the next few weeks.

I have a certain lady to thanks for finally making the plunge, she created a Facebook group called the Raw Bra Club which I joined earlier this week and is shock full of great information about going raw bra including her personal experiences. So thanks Drew! (I was also a somewhat lazy blogger and grabbed all these awesome pics off the Facebook page)

Feeling the L O V E

Some of the best things in life happen when you least expect them, and in my mind always at the perfect moment. I had been meaning to join a vegan meetup in my city that gets together once a month for a while now, but somehow kept missing it. I think that going this time around was perfect. I met some awesome people, and it's crazy how, as a vegan, or any other minority group really, you get so used to being just that, a minority. Other than online, I have few friends that are vegan, even fewer that have been vegan longer than I have. So going to this event was amazing, The energy was great the conversation very stimulating and just all around comfortable to be every little bit yourself. As much as I am undeniably myself at all times, it's not often that every facet can be revealed. This was one of those times and all I could feel was love.

I had sort of forgotten how much it changes things to be surrounded by like minded people, how much it can uplift and assure you that you aren't alone in your immediate surroundings, that you are working for something amazing and that total strangers can be loving, accepting and beautiful.

Feeling truly accepted and loved is a beautiful, gorgeous should be everyday thing. In our modern society we tend to judge and label alot. I am absolutely a culprit of it, as we all are. We label ourselves just as much as we do others, we criticize ourselves based on what society deems to be acceptable, beautiful, successful, normal, etc. What if we actually surrounded ourselves with a community of love and understanding? Where honesty is preached and we learn from others being honest about what they think and feel so that no one has to bottle up not only their own thought processes and feeling of themselves, but those of society as well. I think that from this only progress could come. 

Honesty coming from a place of love can absolutely still be seen as harsh and be misinterpreted. But in the end, the thoughts brought to light through it and the growth that can result from it are worth the risk of being seen as harsh. 

Surrounding yourself with people who will help you grow into the best you that you can possibly be is, in my eyes, so vitally important. Coming from a place of positivity and love makes it so much easier to go on with our life's ambitions and become successful in our own personal ways. Of course, being a positive and loving person first and foremost to other people will attract and transform people. 

So put a smile on your face, tell everyone how much they mean to you and that you love them. 

That in itself, will change the world, one person at a time.