Be Real. Be Raw. Be You

I was listening to a new album today. Well new for me..lol. Mike Posner- A Real Good Kid.

My husband- also my spiritual Guru. Text me this morning and told me I need to listen to it, but to also check out his Instagram page. Which as usual, my day started with a rush and I did not. So I downloaded the album before I left for the gym, and called him to tell him I did, but hadn’t looked at his page. And ask- Mike Posner? Why does that sound familiar? His response was, ” I think he sings that song you like- I took a Pill in Ibiza”. Boom! Yes.. got it. Side note- I LOVE EDM music. It brought me back to life at a point in my 20’s when I was anxiety ridden and hid at home.

Continuing on.. My husband was telling me how a friend of his use to promote his music before he was famous. And something made him come across his album and instagram page. That he was really close with Avicii.. and he had also lost his father. That he put his new album out and said something along the lines of- if you don’t have a dull 40 minutes to listen to the album beginning to end.. don’t. It serves a full message.

So I started as I rolled out and did my warm up yoga.

Wow.

So real. So raw. He put it all there.. as therapy.. as a call for help. As a method of healing.

Interesting timing. As I am coming up for fresh air after a very busy year last year, and very busy November and December. Good year but the non stop going, traveling and being out of my routine also meant a lot of anxiety. Its interesting, the way my anxiety changes and impacts me differently each time I have a extended spout of it. 2018 I had a lot.. it was milder, but constant.. drawn out. After a busy Christmas holiday I legit felt like I just couldn’t catch my breath. Things would chill out and boom. Something else.

The positive in these spouts of anxiety, after the dip after (thankfully my depression is mild).. is the high of happiness.. and mostly the clarity.

I woke up with this clarity this morning. After coming out of a sinus infection sick coma.. lol. Excited to be home.. get back into my regular routine.. things I love. The gym.. my yoga. Taking care of my house. Putting my energy into my little girl and my husband. The simple things that help keep me in my happy place. Even as I ran around running last minute errands for a shower I am hosting tomorrow.. I found myself extra grateful to stop, and get in my workout.

As I entered the gym I was reflecting on my husband and I’s growth recently.. as a couple and individuals. We have both felt the growing pains of individual growth recently. And as I started into this new album. I found myself loving the idea we are ever growing and ever changing. That “finding yourself” isn’t a one time thing. That it is a forever going process. This thought use to exhaust me.. mostly from the cycles of anxiety I experienced in my 20’s. I couldn’t help but just want to reach a good place and stay there.. And let’s just face it, a lot goes down from when you enter your twenties to when you exit them. Of course everyone experience is different. In a nut shell mine was a roller coaster of highs and lows. Some of the best memories.. and some of my worst.

Today I found myself full of so much hope thinking of the fact my personal growth is on going.. that each day we have a new day to do better, be better.. learn, grow.. change. That God willing I have a lifetime to keep changing.. and most importantly love and embrace who I am in that current moment.. that current phase in life. That instead of being disheartened when I get off track, or feel behind.. to be hopefully and grateful that I can make my comeback, and each time I fall.. I learn and grow in new ways that I didn’t know I needed to.

This album brought all this full circle. That we need to own our shit. Our good.. our bad.. and everything in between. And even when we feel our lowest.. we shouldn’t hid it from the people we love.. from the world around us. But that we should be who we are in that moment.. own it. Be raw. Be real. That owning who you are, even in the worst moments.. is the way back to the light. And being open and honest.. being real.. Not only helps you save yourself.. but you can also help save others sharing your struggles.

Love yourself in all moments of life. Allow yourself to reflect on your current state in a positive light.. no matter how bad things feel. Reflecting.. accepting yourself. Allowing yourself to be understanding without negative.. critical judgement, empowers you.

There is always good to be found within you.. and sometimes that good is owning our lows.. our bad times. Being open and honest.. being real. When we carry all this around inside of us.. we tend to start carrying the weight of the world in on shoulders.

Life is ever growing. Embrace who you are, and how you change along the way. Love who you are in each moment.. don’t be afraid to embrace the moments that are bad.. the moments that are hard. The moments we aren’t proud of who we are. Be raw. Be real. Be you.. and in doing so the better you will always prevail.. always grow.. and always move forward 💕

love you. live long.

Healthy Habits Beyond Food & Fitness

There is more to being “healthy” than food & fitness.. True health is the complete unity of the mind, body, & soul. When one is off.. the others will suffer. Its all about finding a balance. Here are some tips to balancing your health journey beyond just eating good foods & working out.

Practice Gratitude

This is a game changer!! It’s as simple as stopping to smell the roses.. so to speak. Practicing gratitude is taking time to be grateful for all things in life. Taking a moment when you step outside to really breathe in the fresh air.. feel the sun on your skin. It’s also very helpful when it comes to your diet. How so? Well when we slow down and take the time to chew our food, enjoy all the flavors.. be grateful for what we are eating. It really helps you embrace good, real foods and you are less likely to over eat! There are so many ways to practice gratitude throughout your day.. it may surprise you!

Expand Your Knowledge

Knowledge is POWER! We have so much technology and information at our finger tips.. we have no excuse to not take advantage of it and learn as much as we can. Read, watch videos, and listen to audio books. Especially when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. We have to educate ourselves on health, and not solely rely on what doctors and the government says is “normal” and “healthy”. I have also been really enjoying books to help me expand mentally and spiritually.. helping me to find my inner peace. It’s a big world.. take advantage of it and learn something 😁

Meditate/Yoga

To learn how to control your mind and be one with your body is a incredibly powerful tool. To me, yoga and meditation run hand and hand. This may be due to the fact yoga taught me how to clear my mind and be able to meditate. I started with basic AM yoga videos years ago by Rodney Lee and it changed my life. I struggle with anxiety and my mind runs constantly. Listening to the instructor guide me through the poses on how to feel my breath and my body, essentially taught me how to mediate. Just learning how to practice basic deep breathing and repeating a Mantra over and over can help calm you so much! I even use “Breath in, breath out”.. and just keep repeating it over and over until my mind is calm. Learning to feel your breath and calm your mind will help you grow even deeper in your yoga practice. Yoga goes beyond calming the mind and is so good for your physical well being as well. Being a fitness lover.. yoga is a daily for me to get in some good stretching and help with recovery. Gaiam TV is a great way to get started.. it’s like the online Netflix for everything yoga and then some 😉

Keep Less Stuff

Don’t clutter your life with stuff. Our society says buy more, want more, need more! Too much stuff not only clutters your physical space but your spiritual space as well. I have always been too use negative experiences to make something positive..so to speak. My mother and my grandmother were so bad at holding on to stuff. My mom, was emotionally attached to her things for years. As I got older, I realized it’s because she was finding comfort and security in her things that she didn’t have in her life. I could have easily been on the same path but seeing her do it made me reflect on myself and learn to let go of stuff. I even dabbled in professional organizing for a bit.. and it’s so sad how people hold on to things. We are spiritual beings, we don’t need earthly things holding us down. So if you find yourself surrounded by too much stuff, go through.. get rid of things! You can donate it and bless someone who is in need, and that is so rewarding for your soul ❤️

Have A Routine

Yes, I consider a routine to be a healthy habit! Don’t get me wrong.. life is about balance.. which also includes being flexible and going with the flow. But a routine helps hold you accountable and can help you reach goals. It’s also very helpful when trying to maintain a healthy diet and exercise routine. A friend of mine was recently venting to me about not being able to keep up with her supplements and good meals. But she was always so random with both of them. So I recommended she try to establish a routine with it. To pick the meal she always eats at home: have her good meals prepped and take her supplements then. Having a routine is very helpful when your trying to get your health on track. Which normally people make the mistake of taking on too much, too quick. There is nothing wrong with starting small and slowly adding on. For example: set a goal to eat a salad everyday, or a smoothie. So you get raw greens and fruits everyday, amongst other goodness! Then slowly add to that. Everything you get something down, add the next thing.. and before you know it, it’s like second nature — aka a routine!

Surround Yourself with Positive People

Its life changing when you start connecting with your inner self & changing your life.. but with doing good.. may also come negative feedback. There will always be people who question, judge.. and just flat out hate. Haters are gonna hate. All you can is try to led by example and hope to spread the good vibes. So embrace th new faces and places you come across on your on your journey. Surround yourself with like minded people who support your new journey and encourage your growth. It’s amazing how when you start cleaning up your life, and getting in sync with your soul.. you naturally start to attach similar souls 💕

 

Evert day is a new day. A new chance to do better.. to be better. A new chance to be grateful, to learn new things.. to embrace all that life has to offer you in that moment.

Wake up every day with a grateful heart.. and a positive mind. Its a choice.. and its YOUR choice, for YOUR life

 

love you. love long.

 

 

 

Bone Broth/Veggie Stock

Here is a simple way that I was taught to make bone broth/veggie stock… Why both of them together? Well it kinda kills two birds with one stone.. so to speak.

After the birth of my daughter, I took advantage of my Doula’s healthy coach to learn how to make this liquid gold for your body! I use a lot of organic produce, and it was recommended to me to start saving the scraps to my organic produce and freeze in freezer bags so I could use to make veggie stock. GENIUS. I was wasting all of by throwing it in the trash!

My health coach would combine the organic scraps with any organic bones. So far I have only comes across good organic chicken bones. I still need to find a resource for some good, grass fed beef bones. So I use the bones from a whole organic chicken & about two zip lock gallon bags of veggie scraps.

What kinds of veggie scraps?

  • celery
  • romain
  • kale
  • onion
  • zucchini
  • green beans
  • bell pepper
  • cabbage
  • squash

Pretty much any veggies you use. You will learn some veggies might add a flavor you don’t like. I personally have never experienced that, and I make it for a overall purpose.. not for distinct flavors.

I also use a pressure cooker. Very handy! It took days to make it in a crock pot and does give off a interesting aroma. Lol 😳

Bone Broth/Veggie Stock Ingredients:

  • Dozen peppercorns
  • Dried herbs- teaspoon of each. (Fresh herbs use up to a quarter cup)
  • 1 head of Garlic
  • 1/2 onion
  • 1 tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar- helps breakdown bones (if just making bone broth- double or triple)
  • Organic bones
  • organic veggie scraps
    • never use citrus or fruit

Steps:

  • Add all ingredients into pressure cooker
    • if you let veggies thaw a bit, you can fit more in there.
  • Fill with distilled water to fill line
  • Cook in pressure cooker for 4.5 hours
  • Let cool to strain the juice

Straining and Storing the Broth:

  • Lay strips of Cheese Cloth in a strainer. Make sure strips are long enough that you can grab ends to squeeze once ingredients are in it. Strainer is really for back up, if anything comes out.
  • Pour ingredients from pressure cooker into cheese cloth and squeeze

Now what can you do with all you nutrient dense broth?!?

  • Drink immediately. Lol 😁
  • I use silicon cube trays to freeze. So I have small portions to use to heat up food on stove top or in oven, and add to stuff like soup I buy or anything that needs extra liquid

DA191CF5-A279-4AF2-9CED-2A07D8186499

  • I also measure out 8 and 16 ounces in freezer bag to have when I make homemade soups, or to have to drink when needed.
  • Divide it up as desired, and store in freezer

0E6C325C-926D-4F73-B36C-2963C9254017

97A96336-F7E5-4E57-BE94-FC9D51772B1F

There are lots of different recipes out there, this is a great basic one to get you started and get the job done!

Unfortunately, I made my last batch in a hurry and my mom was helping and got ahead of me so I didn’t get to do step by step photos. So next time I make it I will update this with a full set of photos!

Happy bone broth/veggie stock making!

love you. live long.