Miraculous Millet

When one thinks of Spring Break, one thinks of vacation, relaxation, drink in hand, warm weather, etc.  Life is great!  You dread going back to work and wish you could just squeeze out a couple more days or weeks of vacation, right?  My Spring Break 2013 has been FAR from what has been just described.   So far away you wouldn't even see it with that telescope from Macklemore's song Thrift Shop.  It all started with a fever on Saturday and proceeded into vomiting and much more.  I have had to wash bedding twice, my couch once and LOTS of underwear and shirts in between.  My body has knelt next to a little girl's body in the bathroom while her whole body convulses as she's throwing up for what seems to be the 15th time.  Meanwhile you have a hungry, active 20 month old who is throwing everything in sight and doesn't understand that his play mate can't do the usual hide-and-go-seek games at the moment.  As my daughter was losing pretty much everything in her body and not able to keep anything in, I decided to consult my Chinese Medicine book called Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford.  I looked up "vomiting" and "diarrhea".  What I found was right in my pantry....millet.  I was a little surprised, but what the heck?  Supposedly millet soup ceases vomiting and a bit of a thicker millet concoction, such as a porridge, is supposed to thicken stools.

As I was making it, I knew in my head that my daughter would snub her nose at it because she hates millet and she's the kind of kid that doesn't like anything out of the norm.  I didn't tell her what I was doing or what I was making.  All I knew is that there wasn't going to be any sweet talking about it.  It was either eat it or I am going to have to take you to the hospital.   She ate it....about 7 bites of it.  I have to admit, it was bland, very bland.  The results - EVERYTHING CAME TO A HALT!  From then on, she sipped water slowly and started to recover.  It could've been timing or it could've been the millet. Whatever the case may be, you can be sure that in the future I will be trying this again.  

I am thankful and grateful that we are on the mend and trust me, I will not be trying to squeeze any days out of this Spring Break.  Monday will be a refreshing day as I enter back into work.  Perhaps summer vacationing will go a bit smoother.  I can see it....relaxation, warm weather - I am ready!

The Baiden Mitten

One of my friends on Facebook loves a website called "Pinup Passions", so every now and again, I'd see her "like" one of their pics or posts.  She is a happily married woman to a truly amazing and loving husband.  Both of them just rejoiced in the birth of their second baby this past year.  What I have noticed is that her makeup always looks amazing....like she just walked out of a Pinup Passions magazine.  I am still trying to figure out the whole makeup thing, so I decided one day to take a look at the website to figure out if there was a secret I could unfold.  I clicked, I searched and there it was -  a cute little video about an inexpensive microdermabrasion mitten called The Baiden Mitten.  You must watch the video because I love the woman's accent....and wit....and of course, her makeup.  Here's the link:  http://www.pinuppassion.com/pin-up-skin.html   I have noticed my skin, especially my face, needs some attention these days, but my pocketbook will not cooperate.  Priorities...feed the kids or spend money on my face every month.  Hmm....considering my children never stop eating even when I ask them to (just kidding), I guess I'll have to feed them.  But for $50 I can have a DIY experience, that's a no-brainer.

Yesterday I received it in the mail, read all of the instructions with enthusiasm and excitement and tried it after my late night workout.  I started on my face and worked my way South.  What I can say is that it did what it said.  I saw all my dead skin balling up only to be washed away and taken down my shower drain.  My skin felt smoother, especially my face.  I almost slipped and fell in the kitchen because my feet were also released from the clamps of dead skin.  (Don't try this at home)  But most of all, I felt invigorated from the detoxing experience.  Heavenly!  But trust me, your arms will get a workout...and after I had just lifted weights, I was definitely feeling it.

So here's what it does promise - Immediate Improvement in the following:
 - blackheads and large pores
 - skin firmness and wrinkles
 - scars and stretch marks
 - skin tone and dryness
 - deep skin detox
 - discoloration
 - even tanning
 - acne control

I cannot compare this to a spa experience because I've never had one, but check out the reviews on google.  It seems like a really great product.  With a 60 day money back guarantee and a 2 year warranty, it's worth a try.

Good-bye fat! Hello Sexy Muscle!

Last summer I started seeing a Personal Trainer in order to start toning my body up.  I had lost a lot of weight and quite honestly didn't have the time nor desire to workout.  In retrospect, I really didn't know what to do in a weight room.  A weight room can be very daunting to someone who has never weight trained, especially women.  Why is that?  Well, I think it's just the fear of the unknown - at least for me it was.  But I refused to think that way any longer, so I told my personal trainer that I not only wanted to get toned, but I also wanted to be able to walk into a weight room with confidence.  I wanted all of those guys to think, "She's got her *#$% together!"  Personal training helped a lot and I was able to break through that barrier of entering the muscle zone with grunting men, sweaty shirts, loud heavy metal music (eye roll) and so many mirrors in case you didn't get a good look at yourself before you came.  Okay, confession....I love looking at my muscles when I'm lifting, so I get it.  ;)

Then came my back issue which put me out for about 4 months.  Hello chiropractor!  I will admit, I've been through some chiropractors in my lifetime and though I was a little skeptical in the beginning, I'm very pleased with where things are now!  I've gone from crying because there's so much pain to running almost 2 miles pain-free!  A-mazing!

Back's good - check!  So now what?  ChaLean Extreme, baby!!  I am on my second week of a Beach Body makeover....and LOVING IT!  Okay, so I must admit, I was a BIG BABY before I signed up.  My thoughts were, "I hate pain!"  "This is going to be so hard!"  "I don't have the commitment level like others do."  "What if I fail?"  Yup!  All of those negative thoughts lured through my mind.  Did I mention that in high school the track coach asked me to run track and I told him only if he could promise me I'd never have to run a day in my life?  Ha!  Needless to say he was shocked when 2 years later he needed a volunteer to run the 2 mile at a competition and it was ME and only me who raised a hand on the bus that day.

Deep down inside though, I want my body to change.  Not just for my overall health, especially my back, but what woman doesn't want to look sexy?  All of these desires and positive thoughts started to override the negative ones.  Everyday I have to tell myself the same thing, "It's gonna be work, but you are worth the work, baby!"  It's not easy, but I feel amazing once I've finished a workout.

So here I am on the second week of my 12 week excursion.  But really, this is more than just 90 days...this is a lifetime change, just like food is a lifetime change.  I choose health!

I write this to inspire others and let them know that EVERYBODY has those thoughts everyday.  Working out is a choice.  Will it be yours?

Changing It Up!

Life is a journey, isn't it?  Once we think we have it all figured out, life happens and things shift again.  This is why I am so glad certain "how-to's" such as putting on my shoes or peeling a banana haven't changed.  Can you imagine?.  ;)  Since 2009 I have been on a food journey, changing the way I eat and prepare foods and it has been one of the biggest undertakings of my life...besides being a single mother of two.....and, of course, you might as well throw in the whole birthing process of having those beautiful beings in my life.  WOWZAS!

Anyway, I am here to tell you that anytime you make a change, it is a process and definitely NOT one that happens overnight.  When people talk with me about what I do, they feel like they could never accomplish the things that I've accomplished.  If I talked to myself, which I don't, I'd probably feel that same way.  I mean, who the hell makes their own cereal?  Isn't that so primitive?  Where's your cave, woman?

Truth be told, I am a pretty healthy eater, but I don't always follow the rules.  I still enjoy foods that don't follow the RAW outline.  People are shocked when I tell them this.  So, I want to put it out there because many times we have this impression of how it is, when really it isn't.  I still eat the occasional pizza, ice cream, french fries, blah, blah, blah.  Why not?  For me, and I can only speak for myself, it's no fun being good all the time.  And quite honestly, I don't have the time to always be good.  Now, I don't eat that stuff every day or even every other day.  But once in a while, there's a place for it.  I would say 90-95% of the meals I make for my family are healthy, unprocessed and at home. Considering my circumstances and lifestyle, that's pretty good.

Even now, I have turned more into a vegetarian than I am a raw foodist.  I still love raw foods and definitely still hold a true passion for it, but sometimes I want a warm, cooked meal with a side of another warm, cooked meal.  My all time favorite, feel-good breakfast, especially on the weekends, is scrambled eggs with salsa, avocado and whole-grain toast.

So if you feel like making changes to the way you eat is just too daunting and impossible, think again.
Food is fun and it definitely holds a purpose....to fuel your body.  Don't be afraid to be imperfect in the process, though  It's about experimenting, listening to your body and eating with consciousness...with some wiggle room for unleashing that naughty side.