Coconut Oil-The Quintessential Beauty Product. *Beauty Tuesdays*

Good Evening World.

Specifically for my Canadian readers, I hope everyone had a safe, healthy, and happy Thanksgiving. For everyone else, I hope you are enjoying the autumn and hugged someone special today!

Tonight’s topic of discussion is one of my absolute favourite beauty go-to products–Coconut oil! This creamy, sweet smelling butter/oil has a million different uses and benefits. Any product that can go easily from cupboard, to stove top, to hair, to face, to belly, and provide an amazing service in all areas is a must have.

I’m sure you have heard of cooking and baking with coconut oil, but it’s more than a healthy alternative to sunflower oil. It tastes great, it’s packed with nutrients, and honestly it’s probably your hair’s new best friend. Besides being great for your body, both inside and out, it has many other advantages. For instance, coconut oil is readily available in most grocery and health stores, it’s relatively inexpensive, stores well, can be used in oil form (when heated) or at room temperature when it’s hard, and last but certainly not least smells amazing. If you’ve ever tried coconut oil for any reason, you know it’s a great product, however if cooking is the extent to which you use it, allow me to introduce to you a few other BEAUTY related ways this simple oil will amaze you.

Coconut Oil as a beauty product:

1.  The ultimate deep conditioning hair repair mask: I have naturally curly, tight coiled, dry hair and whenever I need a deep condition, I melt some coconut oil in a small saucepan and work it into my hair from root to tip, cover my hair with a bag or silk scarf, and sleep on it. In the morning my hair feels like a million dollars–well if a million dollars felt like soft, silky hair! It’s also great for every day use as it’s not especially oily, has a mild smell, and keeps frizzies at bay.

2. Eye make up remover. Simply moisten a cotton pad with warm water, put on a tiny bit of coconut oil, wipe your eyes with it and voila–the best makeup remover you’ve ever tried.

3. Moisturizing Body scrub. How many of us have paid way too much for the newest body scrub only to have it smell bad, not work, dry us out, etc. You can make an amazing body scrub with 2 simple ingredients coconut oil and sugar. Simple yet effective. Try it sometime.

4. Lip balm. Not going to lie, I licked my lips a lot because I love the taste of coconut. Oops. But it makes your lips feel so smooth and soft.

5. In your bathwater. Of course if you use coconut oil in the bath, you won’t be able to have any bubbles, but if you are in need of a relaxing and moisturizing soak after a long day try adding 1/4 cup of melted coconut oil to a warm bath. I find this to be especially helpful in the winter when my skin is really dry.

6. Stretch mark prevention. This isn’t something i’ve done myself, but my mom swears by coconut oil as the reason she has very few if any stretch marks. I’ve seen this on multiple blogs as well, so if I ever become pregnant i’ll be sure to slather myself more than usual with it. (if that’s even possible)

7. Softens cuticles and banishes dry skin. I paint my nails constantly and the skin around my cuticles is often dry. Of course there are nail products available, but coconut oil works just as well. I also find it’s great for ashy knees and elbows. Girl, don’t pretend you don’t know what I mean–you know you get it too.

8. Toothpaste. Okay, so before I continue I have to admit, I personally haven’t tried this yet, but I’ve seen it mentioned all over the internet so if anyone has every tried it, please let me know what it’s like. I saw this quick easy recipe over at family sponge and it involves only 4 basic household ingredients. Stevia, coconut oil, baking soda, and essential oil (I would probably use mint).

I’m sure there are many other uses for coconut oil that I haven’t even touched on, but these are some of the things I use it for daily. Sometimes it’s the simplest ingredients that make for the best beauty product. Rather than spending hundreds of dollars on multiple products that do similar things (probably with a lot more ingredients and perhaps even chemicals) I have 1 product that does everything.

I hope you enjoyed this installment of Beauty Tuesday, and cannot wait to hear from you!

Namaste beautiful people.

Eureka!!

Remember that 6 week personal challenge I started in April? No me neither…I kid, I kid.  Today’s post is all about the ups and downs of that challenge, and a few pretty big “AH HA” moments that I had.  Some of my experiences were negative, some positive, but all made me just a little stronger and a little more passionate to reach my goals.

I initially decided it was going to be an uber strict fully raw plan to see if I could do it. I enjoy raw foods, and eat a pretty high fruit diet already so I thought it would be easy. However, in order for me to maintain this type of eating, and not feel like a zombie with my workouts, I  need to eat at least 3,000 calories. At first things went great, but then I started to become so exhausted due to work, lack of sleep, and my strenuous fitness goals that felt sick all of the time and couldn’t eat. Let’s just say that backfired. This didn’t really begin to happen until around the 3.5-4 week point, but when it hit, it completely crushed me. I wasn’t sleeping, eating properly, but still forcing myself to workout and I couldn’t take it anymore. I was miserable, exhausted, shaky, and the list goes on. However, I realized that eating cooked food wasn’t BAD just because it wasn’t the initial plan I had created if that meant I’d feel better. I started incorporating chickpeas, sweet potato, and even some crackers and hummus and all of a sudden my tummy didn’t hate me quite so much.

AH HA Moment #1. When I realized that this challenge was just that, a challenge. Sure I had hoped to eat fully raw for 6 weeks, but my body needed other things. I didn’t fail by altering the plan, instead I found what worked for me…for once I started listening to what my body NEEDED.

The main reason I was completely MIA during the last 2 weeks of the challenge was related to 2 things, lack of sleep and stress from work. I wasn’t sleeping even tho I was exhausted, I was stressed because of deadlines, I couldn’t sleep because of deadlines, but I couldn’t focus on deadlines because I was exhausted, and then I stressed more because I was worried about not falling asleep. A fun, fun time. Then one night, I came across a post about stress by Girls Gone Strong  and essentially whether it’s stress from working out super hard, a tough job, too many commitments, etc our body can’t differentiate between the different TYPES of stress and eventually it just gets overwhelmed and starts shutting down. Turns out, when you’re super stressed even when you’re exhausted you can’t sleep, and then you’re not recovering–mentally or physically. So I wasn’t alert at work because my mind didn’t repair, and my body was aching constantly because it didn’t repair either.

AH HA moment #2. When I realized I honestly just had to let go of everything I was allowing to upset me, and focus on making myself HEAL–physically and emotionally. If I screw up my diet, miss a deadline, or skip a workout life will go on.

Instead of setting my alarm for 6:45 on the weekend, I didn’t set my alarm at all and I slept for 14 hours. I ate carbs all day (not cupcakes, but good things like quinoa pasta, sweet potato, etc), I listened to happy music, painted my nails a pretty colour and just let go of everything that was out of my control. Of course there is still stress in my life, but how I handle it now will be different. Also, I won’t stress myself about being PERFECT all the time. If I mess up my diet, I’ll do better tomorrow. Simple as that.

Now that i’ve gotten the “big things” out of the way, here are a few other things I learned.

-I love lifting heavy weights. I discovered body beast and although some days I curse at Sagi, I love feeling my muscles grow. My shoulders and arms are so pumped after a workout and I feel so strong and confident.

-When I’m less regimented with my diet, I actually eat better. Saying “I can’t have any alcohol ever, sugar ever, fries EVER”, only means i’ll think about them all the time. Instead, I have decided to eat clean and allow myself a treat meal each week where I have whatever I want. Lately other than a glass of red, it’s been a bowl of quinoa pasta with lots of roasted veggies, or sweet potato fries with spicy ketchup. Basically, giving myself freedom has allowed me to enjoy clean food and even crave clean food.

-The mind is such a powerful tool. I held a 6.5 minute plank. I was sweating buckets, but it felt so good.

-Yoga and meditation are so good for me. During that hour that I am focused on my breathing I become centered.

-I am stronger than I give myself credit for. I’ve gotten stronger with push ups, weights, planks, yoga poses such as headstands, and even attempted a hollow back pose.

-Having someone to talk to, and encourage you really helps. My husband is so supportive of my lifestyle and fitness goals and although he likes to tease me (because he’s bigger and stronger than I am), he likes that this makes me happy.

The most important thing I learned is that it’s great to set goals for yourself, train hard, and always strive to do better but when those goals are controlling your life negatively you need to reassess, take a deep breath, and figure out a better way. I am still working on my abs, my arms, heck my entire body–i’m still focusing on eating a clean diet (check out my instagram/twitter for pics), and i’ll always be creating little personal goals to strive for, the difference is now i’ll not be so focused on the “rules” that I don’t have any fun. Challenges are fun, and great ways to become a better stronger version of yourself, but you have to enjoy what you’re doing or else you’ll be miserable.

So ladies and gentleman. I had a great time doing my  6 week personal challenge, it was tough, there were tears, “Ah Ha” moments, and even a few shifted priorities, but I made some pretty big discoveries and i’m so glad that I did.

Tomorrow is a new day, be grateful for another day to smile, laugh, and feel love. Enjoy every minute, even if some of those minutes involve burpees or Bulgarian split squats. haha.

*Namaste*

June is for Lovers! Well technically, Virginia is for lovers…

I apologize for being away for the past 2 weeks and essentially missing the last 2 weeks of my 6 week personal challenge. I didn’t quit the challenge, but it’s a long story so I will write a post specifically focused on that later in the week but for today it’s all about JUNE and what I have planned. (Please note, I’ve literally tried to post this for the past 3 days, but if I include any photos in the post it will fail, so let’s pretend there are photos AND that today is May 31st and not June 2nd…)

June Challenge! My goals for the month:

1. Building Muscle. I’m not sure if I mentioned this in my last post before disappearing for 2 weeks, but I discovered a beach body weight training series called BODY BEAST that I LOVE. I have been doing it consistently for 2 weeks now. So as you can probably guess, I will be continuing this program during the month. The program is 90 days, and i’m 16 days in. There is a long time to go yet, but i’m already noticing a change in my body, and I can’t wait to see myself at the 30, 60, and finally 90 day mark.

2. Focusing on my abs. Planks, Planks, and more planks! I completed the 5 minute plank challenge last month, and i’m aiming for 8 minutes this month! Additionally, i’ll be incorporating good old fashioned clean, nutritious foods (upping protein intake), plenty of ab exercises, and some cardio. I’ll have them popping before you know it.

3. Stretching/Yin Yoga. With all of this added weight training I’ve been a ball of knots. Seriously there have been days that my hip flexors have been SCREAMING at me. I am not forsaking my headstand/inversion love, but for now my focus will be on stretching and rebuilding rather than if I can get into a crazy yoga pose. (Though i’m sure i’ll attempt a few).

4. Eating clean. During my 6 week personal challenge I attempted to eat completely raw and didn’t really consider any alternatives until I HAD to start eating cooked food. This month, I want to eat as clean as possible to fuel my body so it can be the best it can be, but my own rule is NO RESTRICTION. I will eat raw foods, cooked foods, fruit, veggies, beans, etc. and as long as they’re clean ingredients THAT is my main focus.

4. Learn to Relax. Exactly what it sounds like–just going to take time this month to breathe, take long walks, bubble baths, and honestly just enjoy life. With work, my exercise routine, and all the little things life throws our way it’s so easy to let stress take over. Unfortunately for me that is exactly what has been happening the past 2 weeks, it’s started to affect my sleep which is affecting everything else. So, this month, no matter what is thrown my way I am going to take a deep breath, relax, and let it roll off my back like rain droplets. (I have a post coming soon about how stress has been wreaking havoc on me).

5. FOCUS. I tend to be the type of person who wants a million different things at once. I want to walk in 6 inch heels, but not have sore feet, to be a yogi, lift weights like a beast, run a marathon, get another degree, move up at work, travel more, eat better, cook more, read more, learn to roller blade etc. As you can see it’s hard to fit EVERYTHING I want into 1 day, and my problem is I often try. The problem with trying to do everything at once is you’re not really completing anything because it’s taking twice as long since there’s less time to devote to a certain item. This month, i’m choosing a few things and hoping to see better results rather than spreading myself thin among 100 different things.

In case you didn’t notice there is a bit of a trend going on this month– I need to focus my attention on a few things at a time, and learn to relax when I can’t get to everything.

Here is a general idea of what a typical week will look like for the next 30 (technically 28) days.

1. Exercise: Will focus on  Body Beast workouts 5-6 days per week, 2-3 Insanity workouts each week, and 1 or 2 days of spinning (what can I say, I love spinning), as well as planks, ab work, and restorative yoga.
2. Food: I’ll be eating lots of veggies, salads, fruit, smoothies, and just doing whatever makes my body feel good. I am also going to add more protein to my diet, I really have noticed how much better i’ve been feeling with extra protein.
3. And finally the resting phase: This will include foam rolling, yin yoga, chats with my mom and sisters, bubble baths, walks with my husband, and maybe even a few massages. Basically anything that puts my mind at ease.

And before I go, prepare yourself for several blog posts that I am working on for this week.

1. Things I loved in May. (Products, foods, music, etc.) I plan to write one of these at the end of each month just to give a little review of things I fell in love with for the month some new, some oldies but goodies.

2. My 6 week personal challenge recap. What I learned, what I liked, what I didn’t, etc.

3. A recipe. It’s a surprise, so I’m not going to tell you what it is…but if you follow me on instagram you’ll probably be able to guess. Ps. My instagram is @regarae.

Have a wonderful rest of the day, and here’s to a wonderful week and month ahead!

*Namaste*

Personal Challenge Week#4

Good Evening friends!

It’s been 3 weeks since I first started this newest challenge, which focuses on helping me break my sugar addiction,  and build the body I want. I’ve had a few missteps, made some progress, changed rules along the way and now i’m moving into the 4th week and couldn’t be happier.

This is going to be a short post, but I’d like to quickly mention my “changes” to the 6 week challenge, as well as, add on new goals for this week!

1. Originally, I was supposed to be eating fully raw for 6 weeks, but in the past week i’ve added a few cooked foods. Not because I was craving bread or chips, rather my body was actually telling me that I needed something more to feel better. I added small amounts of quinoa and sweet potato and voila–much better. The thing I love about eating so clean–especially raw, is that you become so in tune with your body, so when it says “actually girl, eat more” or “this food doesn’t work for me” or “I need a little cooked food” you notice. I commend those who are fully raw, and maybe someday i’ll get there but for now, I feel better with the small amount of sweet potato/quinoa i’ve been having (only after 4pm). Also, I believe that you should do what’s best for your body and NEVER stick with a diet that is so restrictive that you are miserable…so, if that means a little tweak from time to time, then by all means do that. Oh and if you’re wondering why I didn’t just eat more fruit, well the issue is that to feel the same affect (needed energy) I was finding that I needed to eat 6 bananas (or mass amounts of fruit) which is fine –I love bananas– BUT I was not physically able to eat because I was full. I eat A LOT when fully raw, and sometimes my belly is full but I haven’t eaten enough calories for the day…   that’s where the cooked carbs come in.

2. Part of last week’s challenge was that I’d foam roll, and i’m ashamed to say that I did not pull out the foam roller at all…until today. :S  So that goal still stands. I will foam roll. I will, I will, I WILL!

Okay, on to the NEW goals.

1. 5 minute plank, v-sit, and 10 minute wall sit challenge. I’ve been working towards these goals every day. I’m getting stronger, and where I once thought “there is NO way i’ll actually do this for the total time in 30 days” I now see that it’s definitely an attainable goal. It’s going to be hard, and i’ll sweat (and probably curse) my way to the full time, but i’ll make it. Today the plank only had to be 2:30 minutes BUT I held it for 4. I was so incredibly proud of myself. 😀 I WILL make it to 5 minutes by the end of the month.

2. ABS! Okay so bla bla bla…I want abs, I’ve always wanted abs, I sort of work towards abs, I wish I had abs. The amount of times I reference ‘abs’ in a month is ridiculous really. I always say i’m going to get there, and was even supposed to do a challenge with my friend (didn’t work out) but honestly, I have not been REALLY EXTRA SUPER DE-DUPER focused on getting the 1 thing I talk about constantly. This is a big one, and obviously will be going on for a while (as in the personal challenge ends in 3 weeks, but i’ll be working on abs for a long time) but I am actively working on building FULL abs starting TODAY! ANDDD I’m going to take a before photo (haven’t done it yet) and in 4 weeks i’ll take another, and then 4 weeks after that, another, etc. until I am popping out a core to rival any wash board. Oh yeah, and to keep me accountable…*gulp* i’m actually going to post the photos.

Okay well this was a pretty boring post– no amazing photos, or clever anecdotes, but sometimes simple, concise, to the point is best…right? RIGHT? That’s what I thought.

I have been working on a few things for my upcoming blog posts starting with some protein powder reviews (some good, some pretty darn gag worthy), and some hair product reviews. I wanted to try everything for a few weeks to ensure it wasn’t a 1 time error or success.

I hope everyone had a wonderful day filled with smiles, sunshine, and SWEAT! If you didn’t work out today (unless it was your rest day) do something, anything RIGHT NOW. Seriously, do a 1 minute plank, followed by a 1 minute v-sit,  a 1 minute wall sit and then 2 minutes of burpees or jumping jacks. That’s 5 minutes of your time but I promise you there will now be sweat in your day. DO IT!

Peace, love, and Tricep dips!

May the force be with Yogis– Personal Challenge Week 2

I should probably stop listening to Taylor Swift–go ahead and laugh…but the girl is starting to take up more head space than I have. Concentrating on a report for work, while humming “The Best Day”  and then getting annoyed when I can’t remember all of the words (rather than focusing on the report) is eventually going to get me into trouble. 😀  I kid, I kid…but seriously, I enjoy Taylor Swift–especially the ‘Fearless’ album. But anyway, back to the actual reason for this blog post.

I started a personal challenge last week, and after the craziness that was week 1, it’s time to move on to the second week!

There are a few things I want to change on the original challenge, as well as add 3 new items.

PERSONAL CHALLENGE #1 (Original)

1. Eat Completely Raw for 6 weeks. (Tuesday, April 23rd – Monday, June 3rd)

2. No “cheats” for 6 weeks  *I had a cheat on the weekend, it was a strawberry popsicle made with fresh strawberries and agave. I am not happy with my lack of will power but it wasn’t a TERRIBLE cheat. So I’m extending the NO Cheat week til June 10.

3. Lift Heavy 4 days per week

4. Focus on Abs and Inner Thighs

5. Become Stronger with Headstands

6. Eat more greens

7. Complete a Sun salutation 5 days/week I am changing this to 3 days per week because on top of the heavy lifting, hiit, and focus on my abs/thighs I  also practice yoga and it’s becoming difficult to also fit in an additional 5 days of sun saluations on top of the yoga sessions each week.

8. 100 squats a day  *I have a knee injury and my left knee has been giving me grief the past 2 weeks, I had to skip a few squat sessions simply because I didn’t want to be limping the next day. Instead I spent a little quality time with my foam roller. As much as I want to improve and stick to the plan, I don’t want to injure myself, so as long as my knee is okay, I’ll continue the squat challenge, but may miss a day or 2 here or there if the knee is acting up.

My add ons for this week are:

1. Work up to a 5 minute plank. (My core aches just THINKING ABOUT THIS!). I don’t plan to even attempt 5 minutes this week, but I think I can hold for 2.5-3 minutes now if I REALLY dig deep (thanks for the expression Shaun T–for anyone who has tried Insanity you know what i’m talking about), but it will take some serious work for the next 5 weeks if I want to last 300 seconds. I can do it tho…it just takes good old fashioned sweat and hard work and sweat…oh wait, I already said that.

2. ATTEMPT (and I did say ATTEMPT) the #Maytheforcebewithyogis instagram challenge. Each day a new pose is posted, most are a little advanced for me but I am not afraid to fall so here goes! If you’re interested in this challenge follow one of the 4 girls leading it on Instagram @gypsetgoddess, @masumi_g, @laurasykora, or @beachyogagirl . Oh and why you’re at it, follow ME on instagram @regarae.

3. Get out of my winter rut and get outside to enjoy nature more (great for physical activity and mental clarity). I love taking walks and going for bike rides. It’s possible that I’m still in “Winter” mode where I stay inside because it’s too cold to go out and do much, because every evening even when it’s nice out, I find myself snuggled up on the sofa. Tho last week, i was so sore from the lifting that it was more fetal position than snuggling.

Now that they’re written out, my “add-ons” seem quite simple, but I know they will be a challenge. Especially sticking with the yoga challenge if I find it hard to hold any of the poses, but this entire challenge is about getting stronger, getting out of my comfort zone to allow me to grow, and of course  breaking down barriers put up by fear so i’m ready to give this my best shot.

Have a great evening, and a wonderful Tuesday! Stay strong everyone!!

10 Things I learned during my 2 week juice detox

As promised, here is a list of some of the things I discovered during my 12 day juice “Spring Clean”. Enjoy.

1. You REALLY don’t know what to expect until you’re living it.In the days leading up to my juice fast, I researched recipes, side effects, things other people had experienced etc. in hopes of preparing myself for what was to come. Turns out…You can’t really predict how it will work for you.

2. Don’t expect that your experiences and results are going to be the same as someone else. I kept assuming that I would have the exact same results are several of the blog posts I read prior to starting the juice feast–turns out, many of my experiences were the opposite.

3. Even if i was full and satiated from drinking all the juice I wanted, I still missed the act of “chewing”. Seeing someone chew food, even food I wasn’t craving or didn’t want, made me want food again. Such a simple concept but i’ve been chewing my food since before I can remember.

Oh Dear God! So many people eatingggg……

4. The only REAL way the detox is going to work is if you’re doing it FOR YOURSELF. When I first started, it was to help my mom, but if that was the only reason I was able to continue (especially since my mom quit early) is because I started to feel better and see results and wanted to see how much better I could feel by the end.

5. Beets turn everything red/purple. I won’t go into detail, but let’s just say if it goes IN the colour of a beet, it comes OUT the colour of a beet.

6. There is NOTHING I can’t do if i want it bad enough. For instance, I made cookies, for a work function, in the middle of doing this detox and although I was tempted I didn’t have even 1.

7. Whoever said cravings only last 10 minutes was lying–sort of. In their defence this was day 3-4 when my cravings were the worst. I have a bit of a sweet tooth, and most of my juices during the day were highly veggie based but at night to ensure I didn’t crack, I would make a juice with more fruit than veggie juice for that “oh my god I need sugar, and I may have some sorbet” moment. Actually, the cravings eventually do stop, but some days I would have to get creative with ways to distract myself.

8. Do not break your juice fast–especially if it’s been 2 weeks, with super spicy garlicky tomato soup no matter how sick you are. I wrote in an earlier post that I broke the detox 2 days early because i was sick. The soup is my go to comfort food, but unfortunately it did NOT sit well on my stomach.

9. Detox symptoms suck, but what comes next is MORE THAN WORTH IT. Honestly, that statement pretty much sums it up. I was tired, had some breakouts, cramps, body aches, constipation, and even some sores in my mouth a few days in to the detox but by the end my body felt truly alive. My skin became so clear that I preferred to go without foundation/powder, my concentration at work was heightened, and I slept better than I have in months.

10. Have fun with it. As long as you’re doing this for your health, listening to your body, and enjoying life there is no right or wrong way to do it. Don’t be so focused on rules that you forget to enjoy the very thing you’re trying to accomplish. Sometimes your juice will taste like mud, other days you accidentally spill it all over your socks, but it’s part of the journey so breathe, smile, and remember your body is healing and loving every minute of this adventure.

**This detox was a new challenge for me. I had moments that I didn’t like so much (insane cravings, headaches, and breakouts) but I also have so many more moments that made me realize how clean, fresh, and revitalized a body can feel when properly cared for. I will definitely do juice cleanses periodically to give my body a break from the day to day digestion duties, cleanse my mind (and colon for that matter), and just RESET myself. I probably won’t do 14 day detoxes, but I see 3-7 day cleanses in my future periodically.

 

Don’t put in 1/2 the effort, unless you’re okay with 1/2 the results… (Personal Challenge)

Happy Earth Day! I spent some time in the dark today (actually it was bright until later in the evening so I just kept my curtains open), used only as much water as was absolutely necessary, ate all local produce, and would have biked home from work if I wasn’t sick…what did you do today? Of course it is important to be kind to the Earth every day, but why not do a little something special today? 🙂

So I recently had an “Ah HA!” moment. You know, that moment when something super obvious that had been previously alluding me just suddenly seemed so much more clear. Basically, I have come to realize that that I don’t necessarily work hard enough for the results i’m seeking. I eat okay some of the time, strength train but never really push my limits, and only really push myself when I feel like it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I think there is anything wrong with the way I look or even the amount of effort I put in–not really BUT I have a particular look that I’m going for and if I am ever going to get the muscle definition and ABS that I dream of, I am going to have to eat cleaner, lift heavier, and overall work harder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was recently chatting with Laura from Fit, Green, and Gorgeous (she’s amazing by the way, go check her out) about this very notion. Since discovering her instagram and blog I have come to realize that there really isn’t some crazy science to getting the results you seek, just good old fashioned hard work, clean eating, and dedication.  Sure, we all KNOW this to be true, but applying that concept can be tricky. It’s easy to assume someone was just born with that body, or has some special trick they do, when really it’s always just the same concept time after time.  However, actually watching someone grow, change, and make progress right in front of your eyes is a different story. It’s not that I want to have her body, or to be exactly like her, not at all…it’s that she motivates me to go after what it is that I want. 

I want to discover MY perfect balance, and it’s not going to happen over night  but i’m willing to put in the work. I created a personal challenge of things I want to achieve in the next little while. My first challenge is only 6 weeks long, but I will add to it weekly (little things like drink more water, do more pushups, etc) and I’ll continue with these challenges to ensure I don’t become complacent as I strive for improvement.

Before I get to the challenge, I’d like to say that my weakness is definitely food. I eat clean most of the time, but it’s those times I don’t eat clean that is a problem.

I have a problem with controlling myself and have been known to polish off a tray of cookies or 1/2 dozen cupcakes just because they were there. I am not saying that I will never again have a cupcake, but I definitely need to learn how to control myself. Okay, so moving on to the Challenge…

PERSONAL CHALLENGE #1

1. Eat Completely Raw for 6 weeks. (Tuesday, April 23rd – Monday, June 3rd)

2. No “cheats” for 6 weeks (1 exception. My wedding anniversary falls in the middle of this and I will allow myself a glass of wine)

3. Lift Heavy 4 days per week

4. Focus on Abs and Inner Thighs

5. Become Stronger with Headstands

6. Eat more greens

7. Complete a Sun salutation 5 days/week

8. 100 squats a day

 

Before I go–life isn’t only about sweating a ton, or eating multiple heads of lettuce, it’s about being happy, loving yourself and spreading that positive energy to others. You know those times when you’re having a bad day and someone says something nice or does something nice (even the smallest of actions) and it just brightens your entire day? Well BE that person. Take time to smile, to compliment, to spread positive energy. 

For the next 6 weeks, every day I am going to think of different things that I am truly grateful for and just take a moment to appreciate it’s force in my life–try it with me, I have a feeling we all have much to be thankful for. 

*PEACE*

*Cough Cough…my lungs hurt* (Final Day of the Spring Clean Detox)

Finally, the end to my 14 day juice detox has arrived…but what’s this? I didn’t make it…? Seriously?!?!

Unfortunately, I have been fighting a cold and the juice, as amazing as it is, wasn’t quite enough for me. I was absolutely miserable on Friday and decided to make myself some roasted garlic tomato soup to soothe my mind and body. At first, I was incredibly disappointed that i’d made it 12 days, but could not go the final 2, but then realized–I have nothing to be ashamed of, I did my best and would have finished had I not become ill. (I probably could have forced myself to do the final 2 days, but honestly, this spring clean detox was supposed to be about recharging my body and getting in tune with myself–and cleansing…and I didn’t feel I was getting any of those benefits while lying in bed miserable).

If you remember, the detox was supposed to end on Day 10, but I added the additional 4 days at the request of someone who follows my blog. I struggled with exactly how to tell her that I wouldn’t finish the last 2 days, and finally drafted a quick message to let her know that I wasn’t well and thought it best to stop early. Her response surprised me. I expected that she would understand, and was ready to be there as much as possible to lend moral advice… however, it turns out, she got sick as well and had already eaten some plain toast to settle her stomach. Both of us had been around sick people lately and had hoped that we would be able to get by without being affected, but unfortunately this was not the case. *booo*  I was not as sick as she, and although my lungs and throat ache, I am not completely confined to my bed. (Feel better soon LK *hugs*)

We decided that a little warm soup was just what the doctor ordered. I had a rather large portion of soup because I hadn’t eaten any food in days and it didn’t sit well with me, and I knew it wouldn’t but somehow the idea of homemade soup made me feel better. I am still not 100% but I am definitely improving…  I am going to freeze the soup, or else feed it to my husband with a toasted baguette.

I will do a write up this week about my experiences doing a 12 day juice detox, what I learned, what i’d do differently, what I liked and didn’t like, etc. So stay tuned!

Now that the spring cleaning is through, it’s back a raw lifestyle for a while, and actually rather than doing “predominately raw” I am going fully raw for a while to determine if this is what’s right for me or not. I will also be posting a Challenge this week with a few things i’d like to try over the coming weeks. These include food challenges, workout changes,  maybe even set some new goals (physical and emotional) that i’d like to strive for.

 

Have a wonderful week everyone! Get plenty of sleep, drink lots of water, smile constantly, and hug as many people as often as you can!

*Peace*

I had a dream…no really, I did, and it was about mangoes. (Day 6,7,8)

9 days ago I sat anxiously on my bed, drafting a blog post regarding a 10 day detox that I was going to attempt. I was hoping that I could survive the 10 days without gnawing at my own arm, but expecting that I’d call it quits by day 3. Yet here I am, 8 days in, and still going strong. The hardest part is over, and I am taking each day as it comes and feeling stronger than ever.

The initial reason for me doing this detox was because of my mother, but I realized 3 days into it when the cravings were at their peak that I wanted this for me. Mom was unable to do the entire 7 days as she had hoped, but managed to go 3 days before giving in to temptation. At first I was sad to see her end the cleanse early because I was worried she’d begin eating poorly if she felt guilty for quitting. However, the cleanse left her feeling so refreshed and revitalized that she has been eating incredibly clean since stopping to continue feeling renewed. She said that she can’t imagine eating an entirely raw diet, but she can understand if I feel this light and fresh all the time why I do it.  Knowing my mom finally sees the direct connection (if only a little) between eating a certain way and FEELING a certain way, made this entire experience worthwhile.

“Pick me up” Juice

2 organic carrots

1 organic beet

1 organic apple (gala)

This juice has become my mid morning staple. Just when I think I can’t make it through another meeting, or I’d rather not review any more files I have some of this and I perk right up. It’s sweet juice and I love it for that very reason; I don’t always  want my juice to taste like Kale. (Shhhh…I wouldn’t want to hurt Kale’s feelings). Sometimes I throw in ginger to the mix, it adds a playful punch.

One final announcement, rather than finishing the detox on Wednesday like I had initially planned, I will now be going until Sunday. I know what you’re thinking, and no, not because I love it THAT much. Although, I am not starving or having any terrible cravings, I cannot wait for solid food–can anyone say bananas and mangos!?!? I literally dream about them every night.

A young woman who reads my blog started the detox on the same day as me, and is doing it for 14 days and has asked that I continue the 4 extra days with her. At first I said that I couldn’t, but then I realized that I definitely COULD but was being selfish and just wanted food (which will still be there on Monday). We have been emailing back and forth and last night I made the decision to continue the extra days with her. I feel I have earned a GIANT bowl of raw zucchini pasta and as many bananas as I want when this is done, but for now if the 4 extra days means helping someone at the beginning of their healthy living journey, then this goes beyond a few additional days of juice and I couldn’t possibly refuse. That being said, Sunday is DEFINITELY the last day, the dreams about succulent fruit are beginning to seem so real, I can’t be sure I wont’ wake up chewing on my pillow.

Karaoke in a snow storm (…and day 5 of Spring Clean detox)

 

Today we received quite the storm here in Ottawa– complete with freezing rain, snow, and of course treacherous ice patches lying in wait for that unsuspecting passerby. I was in a rush to get to work, ran out the door to catch the bus and before I knew it was slipping on the ice. I probably could have steadied myself if I dropped my lunch bag, but it was carrying several mason jars full of juice (which to a person on a juice detox is precious cargo) so I decided to protect my juice and take the fall. OUCH!  Spring, please hurry, I cannot take many more of these icy days.

I’ve made it to the end of Day 5 and I feel good. Tonight was a birthday dinner for one of my girlfriends, and I knew everyone would be ordering amazing meals so I considered not going, but I wanted to see her and to socialize so I made a promise to myself that if I could survive the evening without breaking the detox that I could buy new yoga pants. (Hurray for simply bribery).  I had a large container of juice prior to dinner to ensure I wouldn’t be hungry, but everyone around me was enjoying cocktails, wine, pasta, pizza, mac and cheese, etc. and the smells were intoxicating. I ordered water with lemon and lime and expected that I would be drooling all over myself but surprisingly, it was not as difficult as I had imagined. (If you remember from a previous post, my initial plan for tonight was to order a simple salad, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that if I broke the detox for 1 thing I’d start breaking it for others as well and I really want to make it the entire 10 days). So I went, I didn’t eat, and I conquered!

After dinner, we went to Karaoke, and I have been humming “Stop right now” by Spice Girls ever since. Somehow you forget about the ice, slush, and cold weather when you’re listening to your girlfriends sing, slightly off key, songs of your youth.

Tomorrow I plan to do some early morning spinning, followed by an afternoon yoga class (or 2). I also have a 15% off coupon for Sephora, so it would be a waste not to at least go take a look around right? That’s what I thought! And of course i’ll be juicing…I’m craving carrot apple juice, so definitely some of that! 🙂