Showing posts with label passion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label passion. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Week Three on the Books...Going for Four!

**Wrote this last but didn't have time to add links so here goes...**

So last week I had a big challenge in my new Vegan lifestyle...a girls weekend!

Not so hard for those who's girlfriends are vegan too but in this case, mine are not. What's the easiest way to make it easy for me to not stress the small stuff? Plan ahead!

I spent the better part of Wednesday prepping and packing foods that would be easy to eat and grab in-between our outings aka shennigans. lol When I was getting ready in the hotel each morning I would snack on my tasty treats of a lentil loaf pie, lentil-pear salad, fresh berries and celery, gluten-free muffins and various others. This made for great success!! Before the girls would go out to eat, I stocked up on my own foods so I didn't have to find something that fit my restrictions at a restaurant. When I would choose to eat with them, I choose options like a fresh fruit bowl which was a very safe bet.

My mom is doing well in her commitment on the vegan thing. She remains committed and is open to adjustments in the eating as long as she doesn't have to eat any of the complex flavors I have been making (the bean salads, etc.) Her palate is so conditioned for the basic flavors that I am transferring her diet to all raw foods for the next two weeks. She hasn't quite gotten the point the resistance training is NECESSARY for her weight loss so her commitment to early am training with me sometimes gets brushed off in having to go to work early or getting home late at night from a movie...which of course, is not working and her clothes are not fitting as they should. BUT at least she's moving so that's a plus. I'd rather her exercise for health than for vanity at this point so we can focus on getting her cholesterol and blood pressure in check.

It's a process.

As I have now done a ton of research into the ratios of foods I need for training as a vegan I began my intense workouts again today with P90X2. It felt amazing to train with that energy and fire again. Though I must say, there is definitely something to be said about being a vegan and training this way. Can't quite put my finger on it but I do notice a difference in energy! In addition, my body is happy to have more carbs to play with :)

The standard rice, steamed veggies and bland chicken are NO MORE!!! Today my meal consisted of baked yam, lentil-pear salad, fresh spinach, a handful of roasted pistachios and apple juice. Now that's what I call flavor! Plus, I have lost another 2 pounds and am down to 142.5. I am in awe of this weight loss while eating SO many carbs.

Overall I'd say my cravings are still pretty much gone with the exception of something random like a really salty food. Today of all things I had a craving for something I haven't eaten in years and actually grosses me out to think about...fried bologna. The crispy texture on the edges and salty flavor is what my palate seems to want at this time so I will probably be able to find that in a meat substitute if it lasts for longer than today.

This is one journey I am enjoying :)


Friday, May 11, 2012

Pain or Pleasure?

Really. This is the question of the day!

In many things I have read regarding a quick...cold-turkey...jumping in head first...no ease into it...switch to Veganism they all say the same thing: there is a certain period of detoxification in the beginning that will last shorter or longer in relation to the amount of toxicity in the body to start with.

Symptoms may include anything from swollen joints to cold and flu-like issues. None of which are pleasant! The idea of re-living any of these can make a person run the other way saying "Why would I intentionally put my body through something like that?!?!"

I can even remember one of my nutrition instructors mentioning that in the detox process a person may experience some form of EVERY ailment they have ever had! Not guaranteed for all people in such extremes as when the issue actually took place but the process of releasing toxins allows all remaining stale, stagnant energy to be shaken out of every nook and cranny of the body; really, anything is possible. The funny part of this little phenomenon is that these reappearances can occur for minutes, hours or days depending on the depth of the toxins!

At the end of week two I am chuckling a bit as these little things come to the surface! I have experienced a half day of bronchial/allergy symptoms similar to the ones I had in high school, pain in my shoulder that mimicked the aches that lingered after a random big wheel accident at the age of 6 and today my finger joint feels like it did when I jammed it in one of my aggressive basketball games back in middle school.

In each case, the pain or ailment has only lasted a matter of hours...not bad for not taking time to transition in the eating plan though had I eaten large amounts of junk food prior to this journey it could have been worse, much worse!

Thankfully, due to my burning desire and chef approach to Operation GO Vegan, I am not feeling the need for any other foods! While I used to crave cheese, burgers and various other heart stopping foods, I can safely say that I feel incredible so far and have a deep satisfaction with the foods that I have chosen to prepare and consume. SO, while I may be experiencing a bit of pain in the detox process the pleasure of treating my body with respect and honoring it's healing process makes it all worth while!

Sunday, April 29, 2012

A New Chapter...

Starting over? Nah. Not really. It's more like weeding out the gunk of the last decade and doing a spiritual spring cleaning to live more efficiently and effectively!

In the last few weeks I have become one with my journey. Cliche...maybe. The truth is, until we are able to surrender to the path, we are not capable of seeing our true potential.

When I wrote my first book last month I conquered a challenge that had plagued me for over 8 years. Knowing full well that I was the only one standing in my way, I somehow took pride in the reality that I was simply "too busy" to sit down and complete it. I had started and stopped many times over but after three weeks of bombarding myself with webinars and teleseminars about how easy it really is I stopped making excuses and devoted four straight days to writing my book from start to finish.

Now, the crazy part of this story was when I trashed it. Literally. A rad business mentor of mine always said to me "write your first book for the trash" and so...I did. About a week later I sat down for two days straight and rewrote it! Amazing how things just flow when the mental gook is out of the way!!

The book writing and editing process was an excellent reminder of just how easy things can be when I set my mind to making them happen. Allowing the book to flow through me brought me back to the mindset of joy in taking giant leaps of faith. When I live my life by the seat of my pants, I always happily land on my feet.

This is why, in less than 24 hours, I was able to make a quick decision to move back to the LA area.

So now, after three weeks of crazy packing and driving back and forth between the desert and LA, I have settled for the summer in my old home town to take care of my family and build my business here.

Listening to the universal messages about my need to be here were a struggle for me as I kept trying to put it off until later this year. While I knew I wanted to be back near the ocean, I had no idea my my family would need me this much!!!

My life's journey has been filled with adventure, intrigue and a whole lot of love thus far. This new chapter in my life provides me with a renewed sense of my place in the family, my role as a daughter and best friend to my mom as well as a loving support system to my aging adopted-grandmother, who celebrated her 94th birthday last week. An overall experience that will afford me great opportunities for growth and spiritual expansion. 

Surrendering to this journey has brought me to a very big decision- carnivore or vegan? The reason: my mom's cholesterol, having always been high, was just measured at 398!! As she has always been one for the natural remedy I have committed to be her personal nutrition coach and trainer. Knowing that there are other factors at play here the only solution is to go 100% Vegan in her diet.

Since I haven't done the vegan thing in over 8 years I'm not sure how my body will respond and have no clue how my training will be affected BUT because of her health I am committed to this journey with her for a minimum of three months until she returns to the doctor for her next test. We are doing NO soy and gluten-free as well so I will be challenged to create new works of art in the kitchen :) If all goes well, I will look at continuing this way of life for the rest of my life!

Let's watch what happens!!! Starting tomorrow, I'll be posting my food experiments on my food blog at Body Everlasting Goes Vegan and will keep this blog here to share stories of my new journey and training as a Vegan.

Namaste.


Thursday, March 22, 2012

What Will I See When I Die?

I can imagine how jolting this subject line is to many of you. Seriously though, have you ever thought about what you will see in your life when you look back on it? Will you wish that you took better care of your health, spent more time with your loved ones or just honored your spirit more?

We can find many ways to make excuses on a daily basis to not get things done, to not be adventurous and to not be living the life we came here to live. Whatever your excuse, it is just a self-placed barrier to help us live small. Don't you wish you could be living BIG?

So what will it take?
-a shocking diagnosis from a doctor
-an intervention
-a child graduating high school
-a job loss
-a "come to Jesus" talk

In any case, you must find the life inside of you that is ready to be lived! Embrace it and know that you will not stand another day without playing this life with joy and abundance. Be present in the knowing that you are a being who has needs and wants and desires and that you can have the life that you crave if you would only set out to live it with intention and passion!

Get started today by taking one small step in the right direction. Plug into your heart for that one thing that can bring you closer to having a life that you can be proud of. Just one step can lead to a wide open space of the greatest adventure of your life, so why not start today?!

If this struggle is yours, then my new book is right up your alley- It's being released this week and you can pre-order your copy of this step by step Life Capturing book!  Pre-order your copy of my ebook to receive an additional FREE report "5 Simple Strategies to Banish Cellulite for Life" 
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