The things in your shopping cart could be KILLING the planet and YOU!

Just one month ago, I began reading, The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone. What a fantastic book! I guess I picked it up because I needed change in my life. I needed to clean up my life and the first way I could do that was by cleaning up what I was putting INTO my body. I already started using cleaner products on my skin and hair by going poo free. I was noticing AMAZING results. I even felt lighter walking on this beautiful earth. Those toxins can really bring a person down. Literally! Naturally,  I was automatically attracted to eating healthier as well. And may I mention that my sleep schedule was a total wreck!
Well, as I read this book night after night, I began having ah-ha moments left and right. "No wonder why I feel so unbalanced...No wonder why I'm not losing weight and no wonder why I GAINED weight... No wonder why my skin looks blotchy sometimes... No wonder why I was always repulsed by meat.." and so on and so forth. The things I learned about all these dairy and meat products... I was horrified by what I learned (which was only the tip of the iceberg) of what that they do to these poor animals. I even cried at one point. After learning what these animals go through to just provide us with these insignificant 30 minutes of pleasure on our taste buds, I swore to myself that would never eat animal products ever again. We are killing animals, they are killing us, and we are killing the planet. Not a good cycle my friends. ( Do not fear to read this book. Alicia presents this information in the nicest way possible and litttle as much time is spent on the cruelty of animals. But it's important that you know this stuff!) Every day as I continued to read this book, I began to cut out dairy. I was never a huge meat eater, so that part was easy. But I LOVED dairy. Milk, yogurt, cheese,myou name it. Believe it or not, it wasn't that difficult to cut out! I don't even miss it! As i began adding other glorious yummy meals into my diet, I had no time miss it. Huh? What did you say? What's milk? However, late one night, I was realllyyyy hungry before bed. I went down to the kitchen and I had no idea what to eat. "If I eat this, it'll give me too much energy...Then I won't be able to sleep. I can't have cereal... No... What about toast? Ah man... We're out of bread..." looks around the kitchen for ANYTHING besides that dang cereal! "ugh. I guess I have to eat cereal..." and no, of course I didn't "have" to eat it. I was tempted. Old habits die hard. I talked myself into eating that cereal. But once I finished eating it. I felt so GUILTY. I just thought about all the cows that suffer just to provide us with milk that we shouldn't even be drinking. Then I felt all bloated and gassy. Then I felt nauseous. Oh, it was awful. I haven't had dairy since.

Cheese. You're thinking, "How can I live without glorious and yummy CHEESE? Cheese makes everything oh so tasty!" Don't get me wrong. I thought the same thing when I walked into the kitchen to cook dinner the day I decided to be 100% vegan. But you know what? Cooking is actually more fun WITHOUT cheese. Using seasoning and spices make my meals so much MORE glorious than silly old cheese. Orengo, Basil, garlic, and parsley are my favorites to use so far. Cooking is so much more creative and wonderful without dairy. So there is hope! You can be vegan and still enjoy food to a MUCH GREATER degree. When you get rid of all that junk (animal products), your taste palate is cleansed and you can taste more than you ever could! 

Trust me, I never in a million years thought I would EVER become a vegan. For me, it was because I always heard about people becoming ill on a plant based diet and I was brainwashed, along with many others, to think  that I NEEDED meat for the protein. However, as I witnessed one of my idols, Ellen Degeneres, become vegan and as I saw her to glow brighter and brighter, I thought to myself, "Hey, veganism doesn't seem like such a bad thing after all." And as I read The Kind Diet all my thoughts and beliefs were affirmed about the food industry and why I always HATED eating meat.

In less than a month, I feel SO much lighter. I have a lot more energy. Emotionally, I feel more balanced. My thinking is clearer. My skin looks SO much better. It is softer and my blackheads on my nose are going away and my pores seem smaller! And yes, my sleeping schedule is improving immensely! I even got beachbody's vegan Chocolate Shakeology! It is so delicious and gives me the energy I need before my workout while giving me all the nutrients my body needs!
Being vegan has and is changing my life and I couldn't be happier. At the same time, I'm helping the planet! How awesome is that.
I will write a more detailed blog about veganism in the future. I just wanted to share my journey with you thus far with becoming vegan and show you that what you put in your body DOES matter amd plays a HUGE role in our lives.
Live long and prosper!
If you are interested to learn more about shakeology please comment down below or click here!

Why do we suffer? How can we decrease the amount of suffering we experience?

Have you ever deeply thought about the reasons why we suffer? There are many forms of suffering: emotionally, psychologically, intellectually, spiritually, financially, physically, and internally. Most people to do not realize the stress their body is under on a daily basis just because of what they are putting into their bodies and even what they wash their body with. And this can cause even the CELLS to suffer. Think about it. I dare you to go to your bathroom and read ALL the ingredients in your face wash, body wash, shampoo, hair conditioner, lotion... And all the other skin and hair products you may own. If you can't pronounce it, it's not good for you. There are DOZENS of chemicals in most of these products. If I haven't caught your attention yet, it only takes 26 seconds for your skin to absorb what you put on it. It goes into your blood stream and takes even longer for the body to get rid of all these yucky toxins than if you were to  ingest these toxins. If you wouldnt eat it or if you can't pronounce it, then don't put it on your skin. Remember your skin is an ORGAN too! Many people are going, "poo free" which is they don't use any hair care products, aka, they are going shamPOO free. All they use is baking soda and  apple cidar vinegar. You see, all those harsh chemicals in your shampoo tear and break down all the amazing proteins that protect and strengthen your hair. When going poo free, you are allowing your hair to grow and appear how it naturally would and you are caring for it as nature intended you to. Many people after going through this process, especially women, LOVE their new locks. It works for many people. I suggest you try it for a month or two! Message me if you have any further questions. I'd be glad to help you help yourself and the planet! I personally use Castile soap and conditioner with ALL natural ingredients that I purchased at Whole Foods.
 

Theraneem Naturals is vegan and  cruelty free. It's all organic and smells wonderful!       My hair is really fine. I have long straight thin hair. I would never have described my hair as voluminous. But now, my hair is much thicker and stronger than ever! Since I had such fine hair, I had to wash my hair EVERYDAY or it would get really greesey. No one wants that! Now I only wash my every other day or every 2 depending on how much I exercised and how sweaty I got. Since my hair is in it's natural state and is able to produce it's own protein, now it doesn't need to be washed every day. This is especially great if you're into conserving water as well! Using the Castile soap is also a great way of easing yourself into using only the baking soda and vinegar. For me, i just love the lathering soapy feeling. It makes me feel extra clean and sparkley. There are many options, varieties and combinations. So go out there and experiment and be creative! If you find any other amazing natural, vegan, cruelty free hair and skin products please share them! I wish you you a fun experience with going Poo free!

Stay tuned for my next blog when I'll talk about other ways to be kind to your body by discussing why we should be mindful of what we put IN our bodies! 

*** if you care about our planet and want to learn more about our water on mother Earth, I HIGHLY recommend you watch the documentary FLOW- For the Love Of Water. Our water is precious and needs to be saved and cared for! Watch it now here

"If you don't build your dreams, someone will hire you to help build theirs." - Tony Gaskins

 Today I thought I would share my story with you in the hopes that it will help at least one person to BUILD a better life for THEMSELF.

A little bit over a year ago, I graduated high school. Like most people these days, unfortunately, I too got brainwashed by society… I was CERTAIN that I had to go to college to be successful.  (Back then I wanted to be an entrepreneur and own my own gym.) Now, I must pause for a second to tell you a little bit about myself. I was always the good girl. I was friends with many people and was not clicky at all; I beat to my own drum. I have always been very down to earth and very out going and polite with everyone I come into contact with. I got good grades but I was not that student that was taking all AP classes and killing myself with school. I lived a pretty balanced life.
My parents didn't have much experience with college, so that discussion never really came up. I have always been a very independent and responsible kid so, my parents were never the micromanaging type. So towards the end of my sophomore year, I started realizing the extreme competition that was going on in order to get accepted into college. They taught us, or at least I got in my head that I NEEDED to go to college. Not even a community college would be sufficient enough. I felt that if I didn't get into college, I would be a LOSER, I would not be successful and always struggle with money and never get a decent job. So I began my journey of applying to colleges and several months later, my dad and I flew to Oregon and drove down the coast of California visiting all the colleges I was interested in. After that trip I knew I couldn't attend a UC because I sensed they had a, "We don't need you, you need us," type attitude. If I was going to go to college, I knew I needed to be at a school where I was wanted. So I began applying to colleges out of state…
After getting accepted and visiting the University of Arizona, I decided that that would be the college I would attend for the next FOUR years. I LOVED it. Looking back on it, I don't know why… Well, because it was BEAUTIFUL, and BIG and they were smart about making the students feel 'NEEDED". They provided me with so many great opportunities. I went to camp where had an amazing time and met some pretty great people. But several months later, I was MISERABLE. I HATED where I was in my life. I felt like I was wasting my time. My perception of the WORLD COMPLETELY changed. I began to strongly dislike people and society. I TRULY began to see how corrupted our governemnt is. I felt trapped. ( but really it was an illusion of the mind.) I felt burdened by so much. I wasn't able to take any of the classes I thought I would be taking. Instead it was high school curriculum all over again… My dad was paying $40,000+, I had no job because I was in over my head with school work, plus emotional and physical stress. ( I am one of those people who likes and needs to eat healthy and exercise EVERY day.By not being able to do those things caused me even greater stress) On top of that, my boyfriend and I were having trouble because of all the stress that we were both under. 
All this stress, caused me to gain a little bit of weight, which caused me to hate myself even more. I began to wear work out clothes, everywhere I went to silently rebel against this "robotic" society I found myself living in. I was constantly around sorority girls who dressed like prostitutes every night and were out partying until dawn. I was trying so hard to find peace in the middle of corruption and chaos. I felt like I was going nowhere. Actually, worse. What's worse than going no where? --Going backwards. I was not my out going, social, open-hearted self. I was broken and empty. I was a non-functional human being. I could hardly get myself out of bed on most days. 
Just TWO weeks before my first year of college was over, I decided to leave. I was already broken, I felt like if I stayed any longer I would have damaged myself even more by dying on the inside. I felt like I was in then deepest dark hole that a human being could ever experience spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically. My health was completely shattered. I was not going to lose several years of my life just for some good grades and a degree that would probably be worthless. Not to mention 4 horrible miserable years at a time when I am supposed to be at my prime. So I bought a one way ticket and went back to California and I left.
I don't know if this is apparent, but this choice took a great deal amount of strength, guts, and faith. I believed with every fiber of my being that I could make it on my own. I went against everything ( at least to me in that moment). I went against my parents advise, I went against normal social standards, I went against myself ( when I start something, I finish it. I don't give up). But THIS, ah THIS is KEY... You're probably thinking, how could she just give up like that? I couldn't have dealt with myself if I gave up just like that... But I did not give up. How could I give up on something that the universe never intended for me to start? College for me wasn't about the classes... It wasn't about the grades... It wasn't about the degree... I was sent there to learn valuable life lessons that I did NOT learn in the classroom. Also, I never had a huge failure or dark horrible moment in my life. This experience allows me to be able to relate even more people. This experience allows me to say, "yeah, I've been knocked down and hell did I ever get back up with a punch!"

 So how did I attract all this greatness in my life? I CHANGED my STORY. Instead of my story being, "I gave up and wasted my father's money." my story became, " I learned a hell of a lot and now I DEFINITELY KNOW what I want and I'm going to fight with everything I got and then some... I get to start anew." When one story doesn't work out, make up a new and even BETTER one.

Do YOU want to get in shape? I'm loving the P90x Fitness Program! :D

I just started the P90x fitness program four days ago and I am already noticing results!! Is that crazy or what? FOUR days! Now, it is probably only differences I can only see, but results are results! My legs look thinner and I have a lot more muscle in my arms that definitely weren't there when I started the program. Muscle burns fat, so I'm really excited! I purchased P90x because I really wanted to tone my body. I was never really overweight but I was never that toned either. As a child I wasn't apart of any sports. Although, I did do horse back riding for a few years, but that's about it. I was always about the peace and love. :) <3  So I have never really been that physically strong. I also struggled with being ill a lot while growing up. So I decided to take a chance and challenge myself with P90x! So far, I am really happy. I am loving the journey!
For those of you who have not heard of P90x, P90x is a 90-day fitness program and it's mission is to get you in the best shape of your life! Hundreds of people have had huge success with it. P90x is an intense program. To make sure you don't get injured, there is a simple fitness test that you take to make sure you meet the minimum requirement.
Another great thing about this program is that it comes with a nutrition guide to help you stay on track and teaches you valuable information about nutrition. If you got nutrition down, then you've done 80% of the work! You can work as hard as you want, but if you're eating fried chicken and mashed potatoes you're not going to get really far. If you support your body with the nutrition it needs, it will support you back. So show your body some love by eating your fruits and vegetables!
Also, P90x 's foundation and philosophy is based on muscle confusion. The program includes TWELVE work out DVD's, they include: Chest and Back, Plyometrics, Shoulders and Arms, Yoga X, Legs and Back, Kenpo X, X Stretch, Core synergistics, Chest, Shoulders and Triceps, Back and Biceps, Cardio X, and Ab ripper. Phew. Those are a lot! Every three weeks you change your workout schedule so your body can really grow and build muscle This way, you avoid hitting a plateau. . But if I had to say the best thing about P90x is that it comes from Beachbody. Beachbody has an amazing community of people that will constantly support and inspire you. There are so many tools at the tips of your fingers!

I can't wait until day 30 so I can post my results, so you can see!  

If you want to be apart of the the Beachbody community for FREE, you will get constant support from your own FREE coach , enter to win cash prizes, and find new friends and work out buddies! Also, if you are serious about getting in shape you can shop online.
Please share with me your fitness goals! I'd love to hear them!