Getting Back on Track

It feels like forever since I last posted on this blog. I have just felt too ashamed to post much. I mean how can I try to encourage others to do something I am not doing. To be honest I haven't been doing very good with my eating and exercise has been almost nonexistent for the last month and a half. Normally I schedule my workouts and plan our meals. Then in mid May I went out of town to see my daughter graduate. I did great with my eating but I don't think I worked-out  any while I was there. We did walk a lot but that was all.

Then when I got back I had lots of stuff (housework, gardening and work) to catch up on and began getting ready for an 11 day motorcycle trip. I wanted to get ahead with work related task, I picked up some extra classes to teach for some extra money and well the excuses go on and on. I even convinced myself that I was too busy to make juice regularly.

Then comes the trip. We ate out for every meal for 11 days. We made good choices and had some fantastic meals. One of the highlights was getting to eat at Laughing Seed in Ashville, NC. It is a vegetarian restaurant with some of the best food I have ever eaten! The bed and breakfasts we stayed at were lovely but as you can guess they served a huge breakfast with lots things I do not usually eat. I didn't want to be rude so I ate it. I didn't clean my plate or take seconds but I ate a lot more than normal! Throw in no juice and very little exercise and it is no wonder I have gained weight and feel sluggish. My face even broke out a bit which hasn't really happened in about a year or so.

We got home and I promised I was going to get back on track but again the excuses are plenty. I am back to eating well and have made juice several times but other than some short walks no exercise. Then Friday I began planning my week. The calendar filled in quickly and I could see where I was heading yet again. I stopped and filled in my work-outs. It is going to mean some early morning walks and work-outs but I am going to get back on track. I don't like to feel moody or sluggish and I don't want to get back to where I was. I will do my best to post regularly on here and Facebook. Hopefully the accountability will help.

Do you struggle with staying on track when life gets busy? Do you find it hard to go back to working out after you skip for a while?

Vegan Breakfast Tacos

I am not a big breakfast eater but I do realize it is an important meal. During the work week I usually have some fresh green juice, a handful of almonds and cranberries. On occasion I'll grab a bagel and Tofutti. On the week-ends however I like to take it easy, sip on my coffee and enjoy a "real" breakfast. One of my favorite things to make is breakfast tacos. They are healthy, filling and easy to make. I promise you won't miss the eggs or cheese.


Ingredients: 
Potatoes or hash-browns
Green onions
Bell Pepper, any color
Tomato
Salt & pepper
Tortillas
2 tablespoons of Olive oil
Your favorite salsa *optional*

You can add any veggies that you like, the options are endless. When it is just me eating them I load up the mushrooms!

1. Either wash and cut your potatoes or start baking your hash-browns. The potatoes can be cooked in the over or on the stove top to avoid heating up the house.  I use hash-brown patties because they are quick and easy. I do make sure that the only thing they contain are potatoes.

2. Heat your pan with olive oil in it on medium heat. 

3. While your potatoes are cooking and your pan is heating up you can chop up your veggies. I have to say that I am pretty proud of my chopped veggies! There was a time when they look mangled. The Complete Knife Skills from Craftys changed that! If you want to improve your knife skills this class will do it!

4. Saute your veggies in the Olive oil

5. Chop up your hash-browns and add it to the veggie mix. This is when you can add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Cook the mixture for a few minutes to give everything a chance to mix together.

7. Scoop the mixture into a tortilla, and top with your favorite salsa!

Start to finish, including browning the hash-browns these take about 20 minutes to make. If you make a big enough batch you can freeze or refrigerate the leftover, pop it in the microwave and you have a quick and healthy breakfast that a fast food restaurant can't compete with!

What's your go-to healthy breakfast?

What Every Woman Wants but Won't ask for...

I have something to share with you that's incredibly real... incredibly raw... and it just might rock your world.

In fact, it's something that WOMAN wants - but is afraid to ask for...

It's luscious... and it's LIVE.

It's a free 5-day online festival that will REVIVE everything it means to be a woman... 

 It's called the Red Tent Revival and it's happening very soon.

                                        

It's hosted by Kristin Sweeting Morelli and if you know Kristin... she's known for breaking down barriers and empowering women... and for years, she's very much wanted to bring to life an epic, totally unique, online experience, available women around the world!

This Red Tent Revival is a reflection of a journey to pleasure that has completely changed her life.  And now she wants to help you change yours in ways you can't even imagine.

In the Red Tent you'll learn the ancient secrets to reviving your pleasure and returning to your feminine truth... but it doesn't stop there. 

There'll be dancing... lots of dancing.

There'll be sisterhood...

And there'll be a few unmentionables...

But mostly, there will be 5 days of unbridled fun!

You don't want to miss it! I'm personally inviting you to join me, Kristin, and tens of thousands of women in the Red Tent Revival. 

All you have to do is click here to join for free

30-day bodyweight challenge

It is that time again, time for another awesome 30 Day Challenge with Betty Rocker. It’s a 30-day bodyweight challenge that increases strength and effectively metabolizes fat over a 4-week period. 

Challengers receive 4 weeks of instructional videos, downloadable PDF’s with demonstrations and pictures, as well as a support forum on facebook for questions and sharing.There will be live support provided throughout the challenge along with bonus content – recipes, health tips and special prizes.

Bodyweight exercises are a fantastic way to get a stronger, leaner and more sculpted physique – and best of all, they don’t require any equipment or a gym!

                         Register for the 30 Day Challenge 

Wherever you are on your fitness journey, the 30-day Challenge will motivate you to get to the next level. With an incredible community, an easy format to follow and fun, challenging workouts, she will help you reach your health and fitness goals!

Heart Disease: Alternative Treatments

First let me say I am not a doctor and my sharing this video and story are not meant as medical advise. I am sharing it because I know from experience that traditional cardiologist often only treat the symptoms and view surgery and pills as the only way to go.

Williams Cardiology and Wellness Medical Centre from Shane Williams on Vimeo.

I have a left bundle branch block. LBB is not curable but it is treatable, usually with medication and then as it progresses/ you age a pacemaker. I have no underlining heart disease but heart simply does not function the way it should. I reluctantly tried medication only to have the side-effects be more dangerous than the LBBB. I was weaned off the medication and began to take my heart health into my own hands even further.

I made a lot of changes to my lifestyle that included leaving a stressful job, increasing my water intake, wearing a heart monitor when I work-out and becoming even more watchful of what I eat. I have been back to my cardiologist twice since conditioning the medication and both times have been given the thumbs up to keep doing what I am doing. My main goal is to avoid or at least drastically distance myself from a pacemaker. I guess you never want to think about heart surgery but at 41, I am not ready.

Again, I am not saying "ditch your doctor", I still see mine what I am saying is make sure you do your own research. Your body has a built in healing mechanism, get to know it!

The Real You

The real you is sexy, the real you is beautiful and the real you is worthy of being seen and loved! Do you know that? Do you believe that? I know it can be hard to accept in today's society when you never know if the media you are looking at is real or photo shopped. In a society that sets unattainable standards for us to reach but none the less it is true, you are beautiful. Your beauty goes far beyond what people see, It Starts On The Inside!

When I started this blog it was to encourage people to see their true beauty, to realize that we are far more than our outward appearance and that by taking care of our mind, body and soul we will see real change and growth. With that in mind you can understand why I was so excited when I saw Aerie's new campaign. Aerie a lingerie company, where I love to shop, recently released a new ad campaign featuring all completely real, totally unairbrushed models in an effort to challenge unrealistic supermodel standards for young women. You've got to hand it to the brand for bucking the trend and honoring real beauty instead of taking a giant eraser to any itty bitty imperfection. They are proving what we have known all along, imperfections are part of life and what help make us the beautiful women we are.  

Juicing for health and meeting Joe Cross

It's pretty hard to meet someone these days that hasn't heard of  juicing. It seems to be the "in" thing right now and for good reason. Juicing, if done right, is a great way to pump your body full of vitamins and help build your immune system. Let's face it if your body is starving for vitamins it can't effectively fight off illness.

I bought a juicer about 4-5 years ago but like many it sat on a shelf and was only used a few times. Then as I began digging deeper into clean eating and trying to support my health naturally, I ran across a documentary called Fat Sick & Nearly Dead. It changed the way my husband and I felt about juicing! We continued to use the small juicer I had first bought but soon found we wanted something that was easier to use, easier to clean and would produce more juice. We went with the Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite. We now juice almost everyday and have definitely seen the rewards. My face is clear, we both have more energy and even lost some weight!

I am so glad I ran across that video! I have seen my health, the health of my family and even a few friends and coworkers transformed. That's why I was so excited when I received an e-mail from Joe stating that Texas was the next stop on his US book tour! He is hitting three cities – Dallas, Houston & Austin. I am planning to go to the Dallas event with my husband and a few friends.

DALLAS: March 18th – 7PM
Barnes & Noble
7700 West Northwest Highway
Dallas, Texas 75225

If you can't make it tune into Good Morning Texas on WFAA (ABC) earlier on March 18th at 9AM where he'll be juicing and talking about his book!

HOUSTON: March 19th – 7PM
Barnes & Noble
River Oaks Shopping Center
2030 W. Gray Street
Houston, Texas 77019

AUSTIN: March 23rd – 11:30AM
Barnes & Noble
10000 Research Blvd., Suite 158
Austin, Texas 78759

You can find out more information on the Facebook event page.

If you are looking for some yummy and healthy juicing recipes be sure to follow my Juicing and smoothies board on Pinterets

Fierce, Feminine and Free

For a very limited time Kristin is opening up the Red Tent. If you missed signing up in November you don't want to miss it this time. The experts of  the Pleasure Tribe, along with Kristin, are committed to helping you revive what’s most precious to you: 

•  The relaxed YOU

•  The turned on YOU 

• The healthy YOU 

• The confident YOU

•  The fulfilled YOU 

• The sexy YOU 

• The connected YOU 

This is an incredibly exclusive opportunity to learn from experts you would not otherwise have access to because either they’re unavailable for this type of coaching, OR it would cost thousands of dollars to work with them.

The Pleasure Tribe is your chance to go deeper and learn more about how your body works and how you can make it work for you. It is a completely safe and private environment where you can get answers to the questions that you've been too shy or afraid to ask and contact with women from around the world who are interested in learning the same information as you.

Remember, as you learn, grow, and transform, it’s important to surround yourself with like-minded people who are going to support you in your journey and Kristen will be your leader through this experience and guide your transformation into the woman you've always wanted to become.


 Over the course of 6 months, you’ll dive deeper into the experiences of the Red Tent Revival. You’ll go on a personal pleasure journey like you've never experienced before…and emerge on the other side as a woman who is more turned on, tapped in and lit up from the inside out. 

Enjoy the Ride

We only get one go at life....Enjoy the Ride.

Get Fit Friday, using your own body weight

I think gyms have a place and are great for some people, me not so much. I do however believe in weight training and I have a set of free weights but many people use their body weight to train with. This quick video shows you how you can too.


 

Get Fit Friday

We all know that healthy eating and exercise are important to maintaining our health. One of the biggest problems though is how do I find time to work-out? For me the easiest thing has been to find short videos that I can squeeze in 4-5 times a week. Don't worry if you can't work-out that often; just do what you can as often as you can. Every workout makes you a little bit fitter than you were before you started it.

My goal on Get Fit Friday will be to share quick workout tips and videos with you. The work-outs will range in length and intensity. Are you ready, then lets get to it! 

 

Defining Freedom For Yourself

44 Body Weight Exercises

Cleaning Your Brevile Juicer

We have been juicing for about two years now. Our first juicer was a XL Juicer. It was a fine little juicer and perfect for getting started. It was at a price point we felt comfortable with while we tried to decide if juicing was really for us and it did what it was supposed to do, it made juice. The downside to it was it was messy,  it did not come with a pitcher that fit under the spout and had several parts to clean. It honestly got to the point that we didn't want to juice regularly.

Fed up with the mess and the lack of juicing I decided to Google "cleaning a juicer". I found the video below. When I saw how streamlined the Breville Juice fountain  was and how quickly he was able to clean it I decided to buy one.  The results from the juice fountain have been superb. We have been using it for about a year and a half and it is still juicing as well as it did on the first juicing and clean up is as easy as the video shows. I have very limited counter top space but the Breville juice fountain has certainly earned a permanent spot.

I only do two things differently from the video.
1. I always wipe down the lower half of the unit that houses the motor, including the underside, because juice will occasionally drip down there.

2. I never throw away the pulp! That goes into the compost bin for the garden.

Mindless Eating

For me mindless eating happens while I am on the pc. I'll grab a snack and then just keep munching even if I am not hungry. To curb that I now try to jot down a to-do-list or notes while I am watching a video or reading blogs. 

What If Money Didn't Matter

I met a friend yesterday for some coffee and we got to talking about our passions and work. She made a statement that I couldn't get out of my mind. She said that even if they offered me $$$$$ amount of dollars I wouldn't take the job because it doesn't fit in with my life's plan. She was serious too. She said it wouldn't necessarily be easy but she would turn it down. That's  how passionate she is about working for herself and living the life she wants.

Our conversation challenged me to dig deeper to find the courage I need to walk away from the things that I allow to hold me back.

What's In and What's Out?: 21-Day Vegan Kickstart

Have you ever wonder what a vegan eats? I think that along with how do you get protein are the most frequently asked questions I get when someone hears I am a vegan. This video will give you an idea of what to expect.

Out to pasture

 The bluebonnet ride was a lot of fun but it was also emotional a few times. One of the spots we stopped to take some pictures had a pasture of cows, including a calf that was nursing. The cows had plenty of room to roam, a variety of grasses to eat, and from what I could tell they seemed content.

Before I knew what was going on my emotions got the better of me. I found myself teary eyed and my mind racing with the thought this is how it should be. Even if these animals are being raised for food they are being treated humanly.

It is not the goal of this blog to push anyone into a certain lifestyle but I would like to think that we can all agree that living creatures should be treated with respect and care regardless of rather they are a pet, wild or being raised for food.

Real Beauty Sketches

If only we could see what others see....

Making The Connection Vegan Diet -- A Documentary About Vegan Lifestyle

The following video explores many of the reasons people choose to become vegan. I won't get into my reasons right now and to be honest I still eat a small amount of meat on occasion when we go out. I don't beat myself up over it instead I keep making changes, trying new dishes, and educating myself on ways to become healthier.

  WARNING: The video does briefly touche on animal cruelty, the clip is only a few seconds long but disturbing.