Peace and Love

I just wanna DANCE

2010-07-09T10:23:00.006-05:00

Hello hello! Yesterday was a wonderful day! Not perfect by any means but perfection is soooo overrated.

Coming back from my Mediterranean life, I've realized what a precious ingredient olive oil is. It is a meal transformer and makes whipping up something to eat suuuuper easy. Example? For lunch just saute some potatoes, broccoli, tomatoes, olive oil, and black pepper and BAM! you have deliciousness. I would have taken a picture because it was also very pretty but I haven't had my blog on my mind so much lately, so taking pictures of my food wasn't a natural instinct. Next time, next time.

So I don't know if I've explained this to you guys before but dance is my passion. Naturally I am an avid follower of the show So You Think You Can Dance which is disappointing me greatly this season due to distracted judges and choreographers who are more concerned with props and story lines than actual dancing. However, the brilliant choreographer Travis Wall keeps me coming back for more. Each of his routines are so unique and pure and they ALWAYS give me shivers. Here's his most recent masterpiece from Wednesday (performed by the best two dancers, Kent and Lauren, on the show...in my opinion):

Things like this are what make life beautiful. If you can live with that much passion, I think no matter what else you do you will lead a wonderful life. Filling your body with pure and fresh foods is important but having something you can deeply connect to is what's really going to make you happy. I am SO excited to start up dance again this fall semester. This summer I am taking a weekly dance class with one of my best friends from high school but it's just not the same. Last night her and I went dancing with her boyfriend and one of his friends (my boyfriend had work early this morning so he couldn't come...boo!) and it was fun but compared to a semester in Spain or even the places we could have gone to downtown, it was a little bit...relaxed for me haha. I just need to bust a major move yo!!!

Peace and love and happy feet!
iluvlife

Oh heyyyy

2010-07-07T23:01:00.003-05:00

Oh hey there sugar pie. Um...long time no see? Oops.

A couple changes in my life: I just got back from an INCREDIBLE semester abroad (and by just I mean about a month and a half ago) in Spain. For this reason all hopes of vegan/raw/whatever were thrown out the window. I was able to stay vegetarian which was just perfect for me. It was just such an incredible experience immersing myself in a new culture/language/lifestyle. I didn't want to come back to America but I will definitely go back to Spain someday, hopefully within the next year (after graduation) but I will for sure keep you updated...I guess that's kind of an empty promise since I'm so bad at updating THIS. Bleh :(

Anyway, important change #2...remember my Lucky I'm in Love with my Best Friend post? Well that whole thing somehow kind of worked out. I am soooo happy with him and so lucky that we're finally in the same place at the same time for this summer. Come fall will be another story (we go to different schools) but for now I'm trying to just enjoy the here and now. So you might...probably...definitely will see mentions of him cropping up in my posts. Sorry, I'm sometimes a gushy person :P

So I'm back because....I've obviously slipped a little way from where I want to be but I'm back to make my life better so let's do this!!!

A recent book that has given me an extra little shove is Michael Pollen's In Defense of Food

I strongly recommend it if you haven't already read it. It's a wonderful explanation of American society's warped perception of nutrition. Good stuff.

So some goals that I wish to start working on:

back to vegan
avoid processed food
avoid gluten
avoid sugar

I'm hoping to completely eliminate those from my diet this fall but for now that's kind of a steep goal to make straight from the get go and plus I'm living at home--land of meat and bread (seriously, it is a pain to find fruit and vegetables in this house and my mom calls herself a nurse *scoff*).

So here I am asking your forgiveness for abandoning you. I hope you understand but I'll try to be back as much as I can because I love blogging and now that I'm done with my study abroad blog, I need something to keep my fingers occupied :)

Peace and love!
iluvlife

P.S. Any world cup fans out there? Spain advancing to finals today for the FIRST TIME EVER pretty much made this the best day of my life!! My excitement is overwhelming!!! You better believe that I will be freaking out on Sunday (and sending some ridiculous updates your way)!

The Aftermath

2009-11-01T18:25:00.004-06:00

Well hello, Cupcake! How was your Halloween?

Let us review, shall we?

Thursday night with my dance girls was so much fun! It was seriously the most fun I'd had in a really long time! The haunted house was really creepy. I had never been to one before but it was really fun with the perfect amount of scary. Afterward we came back to my house for cider and Halloween treats with our scary movie. Haha we got so freaked out and kept screaming at every little part in the movie. It's so much fun to be girly sometimes :P My puppy chow was also a huge hit! I think I ate too much of it or something though because Saturday morning at work I felt suuuuper hungover. I couldn't figure it out at first because I hadn't been drinking at all and I've never gotten sick from too much sugar before but I suppose after the cleanse I was more sensitive than normal so yeah I ended up getting sick at work which was no fun but then I was totally fine after that.

So Friday began the Halloween festivities for everyone else I know. After work I went to the mall to get the finishing touches for my costume for Saturday night and then rushed home to get ready for the festivities. We had a Halloween party at my house which was insane! It was so much fun though! We got 3 kegs and easily had 100 people show up. I'm definitely thinking it was more than that though. My roommates and I dressed up as Legends of the Hidden Temple. For such a huge party nothing really got broken or anything. We're still cleaning up but it's really no big deal and overall we just had so much fun!! It was great!

Saturday a.k.a Actual Halloween was great too! It was a game day which means I had to wake up at 8 which was a little bit of a struggle after going to bed at 4am but I would never in a million years miss a Badger football game! We played Purdue and absolutely killed them so even though it was freezing outside, it was so much fun! I get so into my football. I'm so sad there's only one more home game this year! So after the game I came home and took a three-hour nap (much needed) before Halloween night #2 started. I dressed as Medusa last night and it almost didn't work because I couldn't figure out how to tie my toga or get the snakes to stay in my hair. I almost gave up and just stayed in but not going out on a Madison Halloween is blasphemy! So my costume finally worked out and I ended up going to one of our neighbor's parties and then playing games at my house with a few of my friends until the wee hours of the morning.

Today I had work (but not till noon, thank God). It's been a pretty uneventful day because that's basically all I did. I love work though because I can make delicious smoothies in a super nice blender! I came home and I'm eating brussel sprouts for the first time:

Yum yum! These are so good! They're just steamed with a little olive oil drizzled over them and then some salt and pepper. Super yummy and simple, I love it!

This weekend I've also been eating my Butternut Squash Soup but I added some quinoa in it a couple times which is also really yummy.

So other than that, not much to report! I have to do something with this squash and pie pumpkin that I've been using as a decoration so look forward to some sort of recipe from that!

Peace and Love,
Iluvlife

It is officially the weekend! Let the Halloween celebrations commence!

2009-10-29T18:50:00.004-05:00

I don't have class on Fridays so it is officially my Halloween weekend starting tonight!! I love holidays! Any excuse to do something out of the ordinary and you can bet that I love it!

This evening my dance team is going to a haunted house together and then we will be coming back to my house for scary movies! I'm super excited! So that is the occasion for my Halloween Puppy Chow (there's plastic wrap covering it in the photo so it doesn't get stale haha)

This Puppy Chow is gluten-free and vegan so that I can enjoy it too :)

Rice Chex (the whole box)
Trader Joe's Crunchy Unsalted Peanut Butter from unblanched peanuts (1 cup)
Trader Joe's Pound Plus 72% dark chocolate (about half of one of the sheet)
1 (or 2) tsp of vanilla
Powdered Sugar (however much you want)
Candy Corn (the reason it's "Halloween" Puppy Chow)

Melt the peanut butter and chocolate together and stir in vanilla. Stir in the Chex so it's completely coated. You're supposed to then shake the chocolate/peanut butter chex in a bag with the powdered sugar but since I don't follow recipes, I just stirred it in. Whatever, it doesn't matter. And then of course stir in the candy corn. Easy peasy, lemon squeezey! And it's yummy!

Well today was another good day. I took some of my Butternut Squash Soup in a coffee thermos to class with me so I could eat it over my lunch break. Yum yum yum! But I was suuuuper tired today because I didn't get to bed until late and I had to wake up early so I could declare my Spanish major. So before my internship, I stopped and got coffee and now I am FRICKIN WIRED! Woahhh baby! It's not a good feeling. So if I was ever in doubt that I want to switch to tea, the doubt is gone! Coffee for special occasions from now on only!

After my internship I stopped at TJ's and got some bananas and spinach to make some smoothies for the week. I also got some gluten-free 100% rye bread if I feel like having toast occasionally in the mornings. One of my best friend's dad sent me some home-made raspberry jam that would be lovely on rye. I'm excited.

So my Halloween weekend will be busy and crazy! Keep in mind that I do go to UW-Madison...and all stories are true. Haha. So I may or may not update this weekend but regardless, look forward to some crazy stories and more recipes!

Peace and Love and Happy Halloween!
Iluvlife

I Feel INCREDIBLE

2009-10-29T00:30:00.006-05:00

10-Day Master Cleanse #3 is officially over!!!!

Let the trumpets sound and confetti fall from the sky because I did it! Yes!

In celebration I wore my skinny jeans today (which fit quite nicely, thank you very much) and I got SO many complements on how nice I looked. I didn't dress specially (my skinny jeans aren't like super nice or anything), I didn't even shower, but I got multiple people tell me I looked nice and a couple that said I just looked happier and "glow-y." Sweet!

So this morning I had my OJ at work which was SOOOO delicious! Oh yum it was perfect! I also had some Citrus Mountain Oolong tea which I am absolutely in love with (yes it has caffeine, I'm not giving it up). My coffee shop gets our tea from Cha Cha which is very high quality and extremely delicious (I will never drink Lipton again). I'm thinking of ordering some for myself in bulk instead of coffee and I'm going to get some for Christmas presents this year too I think. So I'll update with reviews of different flavors of Cha Cha from time to time. Citrus Mountain is my current favorite. It is so refreshing and light with a zip of citrus but also a nice earthy feel. I like it for breakfast (or in the morning) because the citrus makes it kind of an orange-juicy-type drink (AKA something you would drink in the morning). It also has amazing health/weight loss benefits and slightly less caffeine than black tea (not that I really care haha).

Then I got home and had my Butternut Squash Soup. Yummmm. I cannot tell you how delicious this was. *drool* I want more now. Anyway I should say quickly that when I cook I rarely follow a recipe and I don't like to measure, so apologies if this annoys you but I cannot change (sorry). My mom gets so mad at me when I come home and alter recipes but I think I am physically unable to follow a recipe. I HAVE to change it somehow. Anyway here is my Butternut Squash Soup (all Farmer's Market produce). And P.S. I am not a food photographer.

2 Butternut Squashes
1 lb green beans (yummy)
3 tomatoes
1 bunch of scallions
Dill (I don't know how much, I hadn't cooked with dill before and randomly wanted to)
6 ears of corn (corn cut off the cob)
1 bag of Spinach (I actually got the from Trader Joe's)
Nutmeg (a couple good shakes)
Vegetable bouillon (I didn't have cubes. I had some stuff in a jar but I don't remember the brand. You can really use anything, it just adds the saltiness)

First I cut up the butternut squash and boiled it until it became soft enough not to destroy my blender (oh food processor, someday you will be mine). I blended the squash with the spinach, bouillon, and nutmeg and then added enough water until it was the consistency I wanted. Then I just chopped up the rest and boiled it in with that. Nice and easy. Obviously I cooked the corn separately so I could cut off the kernel easier but I suppose you could do this beforehand too. And I didn't boil the tomatoes in because I hate mushy tomatoes so I just added those after the soup cooled. And that's it! That's the wonderful thing about soup is that it's so easy to make and it's super yummy and you pretty much can't go wrong. P.S. this made a shit-ton of soup so I will be eating it for the next two weeks (and no complaints here because it's healthy and delicious).

I also made some Halloween Puppy Chow for my dance social tomorrow night but I will post pictures and that recipe tomorrow because this girl needs to get her ass to bed.

Also, I got Ski nny Bitch from my library today and read it in two hours! I absolutely loved it!! It is the perfect book to read while cleansing/right when you come off as a reminder of how to eat and what the junk people put in their bodies does to them. The presentation is cut-to-the-quick which adds an element of humor to the seriousness of the issues it presents. I want to share this book with all my girlfriends but I don't want to seem imposing in my views on health. Anyway, if I ever thought that veganism is just a phase I'm going through, I don't anymore. I know that for the rest of my life (after Spain since it will be pretty much impossible there), I want to be vegan. And I will definitely raise my children vegetarian at the very least (c'mon understanding husband! I know you're out there somewhere!). Bottom line: if you haven't read this book and/or you aren't completely sure which sort of eating-lifestyle you want to lead, you need to read it!

Oh and I'll leave you with a couple pictures of the gorgeous autumn trees around my house because it just puts me in an even BETTER mood! I just LOVE this season!

Peace and Love,
Iluvlife

Day nine

2009-10-26T21:57:00.001-05:00

TOMORROW IS MY LAST DAY OF LEMONADE!!!!!!!!!

Day eight

2009-10-25T17:37:00.002-05:00

Another good day. Not too exciting. But I only have...two more days!!! I'm so excited for soup and green smoothies!!

I just reserved a copy of Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnounin at my library. I've been wanting to read it for awhile so when a copy comes in for me I will let you know and post a review :)

Things to look for on my blog coming up:

My post-cleanse Butternut Squash Soup pictures and recipe
Vegan/gluten-free Halloween Puppy Chow pictures and recipe
Some autumn/Halloween excitement!!!

All for now! I have to go be productive.

Peace and love,
Iluvlife

Day Seven :)

2009-10-24T22:47:00.005-05:00

What a perfect fall day. Seriously, this is the post card definition of a gorgeous fall day :) My favorite season!!

First I got to sleep in which was EXACTLY what I needed, I cannot tell you how crabby I have been the past week. Oops! Hehe but everyone knew why and I apologized so it's all good. Then I went to the Farmer's Market with two of my amigos and got....

Brussel sprouts because I have never had them before and I've wanted to try them for awhile. So that will be a good little post-cleanse healthy eat :)

And I also got...Some festive fruits! Yay! We have a pie pumpkin which is exciting because I LOOOOOVE pumpkin-flavored baked goods. I don't know yet what I'm going to make with it but I will definitely update with pictures when I do! And I also got an acorn squash which is just really good cooked alone with a little cinnamon and maybe coconut butter or something? I'm not sure what the green one is but it's pretty. Anyway I was super excited that these can serve as festive decorations as well as food...and they take kind of awhile to go bad. BONUS!

So I'm also in a really happy mood because I'm listening to Christmas music. Yes, I know, it's wayyyy to early. And usually I am adamantly opposed to any sort of Christmas music listening before Thanksgiving but I am skipping two holidays this year because I NEED a little pick-me-up after midterms and I love Christmas so much, why not? As my good friend told me when I was explaining how no one else understands getting excited for Christmas as early as I do: "It's a lack of talent, really. You know they would [be excited] if they were capable of such long-term sustained excitement." Haha so funny and true. This is the friend who is studying abroad right now who I haven't talk to in forever (we talk over Skype) because he's been traveling around. So it's good to talk to him again :)

I'm ALSO in a good mood because I have gotten so much done this weekend so far with study abroad forms and homework that I've needed to catch up on. SUCH a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. It feels amazing!

And finally I'm happy because I am seeing RESULTS from my Master Cleanse! And I only have 3 more days! I will have pics of the butternut squash soup I made for post-cleanse up soon with my recipe!

Peace and love and crunchy fall leaves!
Iluvlife

Day Six

2009-10-23T16:32:00.003-05:00

I don't know why this is so difficult for me. It's not. It's just that I cannot stand the lemonade this time. I've always liked it in the past but this time I cannot make myself drink it. And that's bad. I've been having one 16 oz (sometimes two) glasses per day but that is not enough calories and I am soooo hungry. I don't want to end early though because that will give me a quitter's mentality and then I will fail and my vegan/gluten free/exercise venture post-cleanse.

I mean I only have four more days but I don't know if I can force myself to keep drinking the lemonade. And this of course is making my cleanse not what I want it to be about. I keep daydreaming about the food I will eat instead of focusing on how I'm going to make my life healthier once the cleanse is over. I'm just so frustrated! I can't understand why this is so difficult for me...it's my third time, it should be a breeze!!!

>>Edit<< I ended up heating the water and omitting the cayenne just this one time. I pretended it was tea and was able to drink it all. I'm feeling much better now :)

I just realized something...

2009-10-21T23:46:00.003-05:00

I only post when I do MC, Water or Juice fasts.

I don't want you to get the wrong impression of me. I am not constantly doing fasts or looking for ways to dramatically cleanse my body. I love food and I am a regular eater haha.

I just tend to blog more when I am going through a fast because it is a challenge to get through and this is my form of support. I don't tell people when I'm fasting/cleansing. It's too difficult to explain and it's too easy for them to blow it out of control, I find it easier to just do it for me and not tell anyone. So that is why I post here when I am cleansing. I don't need support to eat, that's the easy part :P

Just thought I'd clarify!

Day 4

2009-10-21T16:21:00.002-05:00

And my crazy, stressful, busy life continues. (Yes I am still going strong on the MC)

I've been contemplating lately what I want to do with my life. I mean I want to be a writer and going into publishing but I don't know what my goal is, my purpose.

I am reading a book titled Mountains Beyond Mountains and I strongly encourage anyone to read it. It's a text that is required for one of my classes but I would just read it for pleasure if I picked it up at the library or bookstore. It is a semi-biographical story about a man who starts a clinic in Haiti and his life story is absolutely incredible (and I'm only 1/3 of the way done with the book!). Seriously, it's such an enjoyable read. Go read it!

It makes me think of my love for Guatemala. I want to go back there so badly and I have been saying that I want to live there for a year after graduation. I feel that more strongly now than ever after reading this book. I think the whole point of life is to learn and share compassion. I so much admire those who can sacrifice things to make others happy and I wish to someday be like that. Even if it means offering to buy a friend lunch, it's just the little things that make someone's day that can make a difference.

Today at my coffee shop one of my semi-regular customers came in and chatted with me while he was fixing his coffee. Then he stopped halfway through his sentence and just said, "Can I give you a hug?" The strange thing was that it wasn't weird at all and it was such a heartfelt request that it completely made my day. Haha I don't know it kind of sounds weird trying to explain it but at the moment it was really touching.

Anyway as far as this MC goes...this time I am really struggling with the lemonade. I know I had said that I wasn't drinking it much because I am busy and don't have time to make it, which is completely true. But even when I do drink it, it makes me gag. It is just too sweet and, I don't know the taste is just wrong to me. I haven't had an issue with this before but I just wish I could leave out the maple syrup. I know that's where my needed calories are coming from so obviously I can't do that but the sugar is making me sick. Hopefully I'll get over this since I still have six more days of it. Oh boy. This week is going by fast though so I'm exciting to start eating fruits and veggies again!!!

Peace and love,
Iluvlife

MC Day twoooo

2009-10-19T18:30:00.004-05:00

ughhhhh

So my life is FAR busier than it was during my last MC. Yesterday I only had one 16 oz glass of the lemonade and then today I am just sipping my first 16 oz glass now and it's 6:30pm. Needless to say my brain is fuzzy and my stomach hates me.

I just honestly don't have time to make the lemonade during the day. Maybe I'll have to juice the lemons the night before (even though it says you're not supposed to do that)

Other than that I'll be fine. Plus side of being busy is that the next 8 days are going to go by SO FAST, I can't believe it's already the end of day two. Sweet.

However I need to start making realistic goals toward taking care of myself--exercise and sleep in addition to gluten free and vegan. And I need to stick to these goals!

I think I can do it though. I'm feeling very optimistic about this cleanse, very much in the right mind-set. And even though I've been hungry all day (since I haven't had any lemonade), I've only wanted fruit or soup or tomatoes...yum I wanted tomatoes so badly this morning! So that's good yay!

Oh P.S. since my last post I have been gluten free and vegan except for Saturday (my parents took me out to Olive Garden when they visited). So I'm proud of myself for that much. I mean as far as gluten free goes...I loooooove my carbs so it's hard to resist a bagel at work or some pasta at the Union when I go to study. But I've been in super soup and tea mode lately so I think post-cleanse will be excellent!

Peace and love,
iluvlife

I Suck

2009-10-08T18:21:00.005-05:00

Oh wow hello everyone I kind of forgot about you...

Well my life is completely insane right now. I have SO much on my plate that I don't sleep, I don't workout and I don't have time to eat well...AT ALL.

I survived two cases of H1N1 in my house (two of my roommates had it) but I am completely surprised since I am being so hard on myself that my immune system should be SH*T!

Main idea: I need to start taking care of myself again. I'm screwing the whole raw concept. I officially got accepted into my study abroad program in Spain for next semester (SUUUUUPER excited!) so that will pretty much not work anyway. But I need to focus on being vegan and gluten free. I am learning more and more about myself as my eating habits suck more and more (I mean I guess there is a small plus side in that way) but I've found that gluten is no good. My body does not like it. And high fat foods (like nuts and seeds) are no good either (unless there's like a small sprinkle in a salad or something).

With this in mind I think I'm going to start another MC on the 18th. I know I know it seems like so soon after my last one (probably because I pretty much haven't posted since then) but I really really need this. I have the right mentality but my body just wants some BREAD.

I also seriously need to start exercising more. I literally have no time but my mom made the excellent point when I talked to her on the phone yesterday that it will really help me focus and have a generally better mindset and thinking back to last year when I ran almost every day I can see that that is pretty much true.

So the plan until the 18th is to remain vegan/gluten free. Focusing mostly on soups (since it's frickin COLD) and then I will dive into an MC before Halloween. Haha great timing.

This weekend I'm taking it easy...focusing on sleep and getting caught up into my MOUNTAIN of school work.

I doubt anyone is still following me but I hope to start regularly posting again!

Peace and love,
Iluvlife

Back in town

2009-07-27T23:28:00.002-05:00

Well I'm back from my weekend home. Let's just say it wasn't completely sinless but now I'm back and ready to get going!

My weekend home was lovely. Like I have said before, when I'm with my high school friends and my family, I think that's when I'm happiest.

These next couple weeks I will be focusing on getting back into an exercising routine :) yay! I'll be trying to do two-a-days as often as my schedule allows until the school year starts. Today I went on a jog right when I woke up and then this evening I took a hip hop class and did some strength training. Feeling great!

Anyway I'm sorry for the short post and the lack of posts this past weekend. I'll give more detailed updates in the next couple days :)

Peace and love,
Iluvlife

Lucky I'm in love with my best friend?

2009-07-23T00:07:00.003-05:00

Crap.

That's right. One of my best guy friends visited me and one of our mutual friends with his mom and sister before they took me home for the weekend. He's been one of my best friends now for six years and I've suddenly realized that we completely fit together.

And I missed my chance to tell him.

He's leaving to study abroad for fall semester in two weeks but I won't see him before he leaves. That means I won't see him for six months. Then I will see him over winter break and then (hopefully) I will be going abroad for about six months.

Worst. Timing. Ever.

I can't stop thinking about him. I can't get over this new way I see him. And I don't want it but I can't help it. Grrrrr.

Sorry, that's all I can think about. But I wanted to update so you know I'm still alive. I'm home (so I probably won't be updating every day this weekend). And I'm still trying to make the most healthy decisions I can. But right now my head and my heart are confusing one another so I'm going to go for now.

Peace and love and ????
Iluvlife

Oh P.S. this is a cute little story about raw/healthy eating that made me smile the other day

OJ + Soup + Workout= GREAT start!

2009-07-20T21:21:00.009-05:00

Helloooo everyone :)

Well I'm done with the MC and it feels good. Today I drank mostly orange juice which was DELICIOUS. Oh yum I loved every pulpy sip of it!

But I had my internship for six hours today. NOT FUN. It is a soul sucker, let me tell you. Very monotonous. I finished up a lot of loose ends today though so I feel like I actually accomplished something rather than repetitive data entry. And I was sipping my OJ the whole time so that made it a slightly pleasant experience.

After my internship I came home to have a very small bowl of my soup before my workout. I think I hyped up the soup a little bit in my mind. It was OKAY, definitely not great. It would be fine except I made A LOT of it and I just don't know if I can force myself to eat it all. So I think I'll truck along for the next two days and freeze the rest while I'm at home. Then when I come back I'll add some avocado because it just needs a little creaminess (and I think I remember reading somewhere that you're not supposed to introduce fats back into your diet right away post-cleanse?).

Then my workout!!! Well I'm mad at my stupid internship because since I had to stay up until the last minute I was scheduled (usually I'm able to dip out early) I had to miss my cardio workout= hip hop. And apparently it was a really fun day to day according to one of my friends I always take the class with. But I was able to catch the strength training class (which does incorporate some cardio). I had so much energy! Each move was just so much easier (not that it wasn't still challenging) and my energy just grew more and more as the class went on. It was wonderful! Unfortunately I literally have no time to work out the next two days but I will try my hardest to work out while I'm home (I am still a member of the YMCA there after all).

Welll I really need to finish up my homework for class tomorrow (god I hate having to say that in the summer). But before I go I'd like to leave you with some before and after photos!! On my first cleanse I didn't take them and I really wish I would have because I think the change was a little more drastic then. You can't see it as much in the photos but in real life it is more apparent. And then obviously the photos don't capture the cleansing of my mentality :)

Obviously I have some toning to go but it's a great start :)

Peace and love and looking forward to the weekend!
Iluvlife

Master Cleanse: Day ten

2009-07-19T16:45:00.006-05:00

THE LAST DAY IS FINALLY HERE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!!!!

That's right! I'm finished! Tomorrow is on to the OJ and I will also be having soup for dinner (I need to speed the post-cleanse up a bit because I'm going out to dinner with friends Tuesday night and I'm not sure what my options will be).

So my last post I kind of wrapped up what I learned and what I hope for myself in the future. I think I'm going to have this be an annual thing...it's a great little reminder of how I want to live my life. I'm going to push it up to the beginning of summer each year though probably so I can take full advantage of summer's bountiful raw treats at the farmer's market :)

Today I had work and then I went back to the last day of the street sale to force myself to treat myself and buy things...and I did! I bought a cute top that kind of has an Indian flair to it and I bought a fun little wrist purse that's made out of recycled materials. I consider it a success (but I think I'll go shopping when I go home this weekend....with my Mommy hehe).

Then I decided to make my soup since I won't have time to make it tomorrow. And here it is...

Well I got some OJ for the A.M. It's store bought because hell if I'm going to juice all those oranges, are you kidding me? But this is really good stuff, it tastes so fresh and pulpy. It is as close to store-bought raw OJ as you can get!

All my ingredients! We have spinach, tomato, zucchini, red onion, and garlic. In the red container I have some carrots and pea pods that I let sit overnight in ACV to get a little soft (instead of cooking them!) since I don't have a food processor and I don't want to kill my blender.

The finished product: my blender soup. It kind of looks gross but I'll bet it tastes delish...I'll let you know tomorrow :)

Oh and obviously I'm not eating all that in one sitting! It will definitely last a couple days!

Peace and love and soupy sweetness!
Iluvlife

P.S. What do you think of the new layout?????

Master Cleanse: Day nine

2009-07-18T16:02:00.006-05:00

Guess what guys? I'm ready. Ready to be healthy again.

I stocked up on some fresh produce today for my veggie soup for my post-cleanse. And I feel really good about it. I no longer want the bakery from my coffee shop or some french fries from down the street. I'm ready to eat healthy again and, to me, this means eating to nurture my body and not just to eat and making the best decisions about what foods go into my body. Now, the raw food diet is clearly a wonderful path that I will be attempting to take but that doesn't mean that I won't eat rice, beans, roasted nuts/seeds (if I can't find raw), coffee, nutmilk from the store, etc. I will be staying away from gluten and animal products--probably aiming for the "raw until dinner" method.

And I'm ready for this coming weekend. Usually when I go home I go crazy on food. It's there, it's comforting (and I'm in a comforting environment), it's not what I usually eat, and I don't have to pay for it (haha there's my college student self crying out). It's disgusting. This weekend I will eat when my body needs me to without indulgence. I will try to go to the grocery story (with my parents' money of course) and buy some yummy ingredients to make a GINORMOUS salad that everyone can eat (hey, why not improve their health for one weekend too?). I said a couple posts before that I will be making a cake for my friend's birthday. I will be making it vegan but most likely not gluten free. It's a special occasion though and I will only be having half of a slice.

See what I mean? I'm not being rigid right now because I know it's not realistic for me at this current point in my life. Later, when I live on my own and have a real income, I will be able to invest in a food processor, dehydrator, juicer, and super nice blender and be able to afford all the raw ingredients (besides produce) that will keep me satisfied.

Because I've realized this is my problem with raw: I love fruit and I love veggies and I am fine and dandy for awhile but to remain satisfied I need something a little more dense. I've found that nuts/seeds/dried fruit in trail mix form tend to make me a little sick at times and I have trouble stopping myself from eating an appropriate amount. So really I have nothing left which is why I cannot go 100% right now (and there are some who may disagree but this makes sense to me). I'm not trying to make excuses for myself. I know that if I truly set my mind to it, I could go 100% just how I am but to tell you the truth, I don't have the patience for that sort lifestyle right now so I am perfectly content with going gluten-free/vegan/as raw as I can for the next three-ish years until I feel I can do it.

And I will do it, just watch.

So that is what I've learned about myself through my cleanse. I knew it before, I guess, but now it is solidified in my mind. I am beginning to respect my body again and that is really the greatest thing I could have asked for from this cleanse.

One more day left everyone! And I'm going to go ahead and toot my own horn to say that I totally rock when it comes to the right amount of ingredients. I have exactly enough syrup and lemons to get through tomorrow--with no extra!! Thank God because I have a feeling that maple and lemons will not be in the menu anytime soon haha.

Well I'm off to see Harry Potter soon! I know I'm so late in seeing it but I haven't had time. Then I have work tomorrow for the first half of my last day of the MC, and then I'm going shopping again (and actually buying stuff this time) for the second half.

Peace and love and healthy thoughts!
Iluvlife

P.S. My computer isn't sick anymore! At least I don't think so...I'll have my Daddy check it when I'm home :)

Master Cleanse: Day eight

2009-07-17T18:10:00.003-05:00

2 MORE DAYS!!!!

Yayyyyy!

Well today was an exciting day! MC-wise I haven't felt terrible or anything so that's good. I went to see my new house that I'm living in this morning. It is ADORABLE! Hard wood floors, perfect-sized rooms, beautiful layout. I'm excited. And best of all...I officially do not have to live with my current disrespectful roommates anymore! So I move in there next month :)

Then I went to a street sale which was fun to see everything but I get so frustrated when I go shopping. I always talk myself out of buying stuff because I don't want to spend the money. But I haven't bought anything for myself in so long that I really wanted to get something. It's just that when I try something on it never looks as good as it did in my head which is so frustrating and upsetting! Oh well.

Well my computer is sick with a psycho virus so I'm trying to clean that up right now.

I'M SO EXCITED FOR SALADS AND GREEN SMOOTHIES!!!!!!!!!

Peace and love,
Iluvlife

P.S. I entered another giveaway for coconut oil

Master Cleanse: Day seven

2009-07-16T13:33:00.005-05:00

'Ello 'ello

It's day seven!!!!! Three more days to go!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hehe. Well today started out at the good ol' internship (most boring experience of my life). I've found that I'm able to get through it more easily though. The MC has really cleared my head and my focus is much sharper (though I still think I have ADD).

I'm getting so excited for next week! Not just because it will be the end of my cleanse (and the start of my new raw-focused and healthier life) but because I get to see a bunch of people I haven't seen in awhile! One of my best friends is visiting some family in the area so he and his family are going to stop by to visit me AND I might be able to hitch a ride back home with them because I was planning on going home next weekend anyway! Woo hoo! No sketchy bus for me! And of course just going home is cause for pure excitement! I love my family and high school friends, they are irreplaceable and truly wonderful!

SYTYCD last night was incredible! Jason and Jeanine blew my mind with their absolutely breathtaking routine, I can't get over it!! Ahh love :)

Anyway today was great! I feel great--body, mind and soul :) My Smooth Move tea kept me up for about an hour last night (icky) but it's part of the process so I guess I have to take it. I haven't been doing the Smooth Move every day. I did it at the end of day one, two, three, and six. Then I plan on doing it again tonight. And once more time at the end of day ten. This is mostly because I have morning stuff after the days I don't take it and I don't want to be miserable if it didn't completely do it's thing the night before. Also I only have that many tea bags left. And also because I just don't feel right about taking laxatives every day, even if it is for only ten days.

So, almost done! I'm looking forward to a big ol' salad! Today in class everyone brought snacks there were: dark chocolate kisses (I brought them...courtesy of my roommate), single serving packets of trail mix (I also brought those), Twislers, Now and Laters, mini doughnuts (the nasty Hostess kind that come in a bag), and brownies. Quite an array of disgusting. And guess what???? I didn't want any of it. Well...the trail mix looked mighty yummy and there were still a few bags left over that I took home with me for post-cleanse (because trail mix is legit) but I was disgusted by the other items and had no desire for them what-so-ever! YEAH MAN!

And that's my day. I also went on Clare's blog for nutter butter so hopefully I get that hehe :)

Peace and love and love and love and love!
Iluvlife

P.S. And can I just say that this post is so great and helpful for mindset while coming off the Master Cleanse! It really spoke to me today.

Master Cleanse: Day six

2009-07-15T21:25:00.003-05:00

Hello buttercups!

Day six is coming to a close. I felt soooo much better today, what a relief! I didn't get a chance to workout because I had work and then my internship and then I had to watch So You Think You Can Dance (completely addicted) but that's okay.

One of my best friends' birthdays is next weekend. I'm in charge of baking her a cake! Well it won't be raw but it will be vegan (probably not gluten free). I'll definitely post the recipe because I'm really excited about it and I'm kind of making it up (it will have lots of fruit hehe)!

On the downside, another one of my friends' birthdays is on Friday. Day 8. She really wants to go out to eat but I don't know what to do. I don't want to tell any of my friends that I'm on the MC because they won't understand it and will think I'm trying to starve myself or something. I know that's what I would have thought if I wasn't open to things like this. I suppose I can just fake a stomach ache and not get anything but I feel bad. Don't worry though, I won't break my Master Cleanse, I'll take her out to dinner another time to make up for it. *sigh* the troubles of the non-SAD eaters.

It's such a pain, you know? I'm sick of people thinking I'm weird for not wanting to kill myself with deep-fried oreos and BLTs. Why does it matter to other people if I don't feel like eating meat and cheese huh? I mean, more for them right? How is it that a person who eats 100% raw is looked at as stranger than a 300 lb person who eats 5 egg and sausage mcmuffins for breakfast every day? I hate the American attitude toward food I really really do. I just don't get it.

Okay done with my rant.

OH MY GOODNESS FOUR MORE DAYS!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited for smoothies and salads again :)

Peace and love and only four more days!
Iluvlife

Answer to a Comment

2009-07-15T13:49:00.005-05:00

Hey everyone! This is not my post for the day but I had a great comment that I would like to address. I was going to just comment back but then my comment turned into a novel, plus I think it's important for anyone going on the Master Cleanse to keep this in mind:

Hi there.
I am on day 1 of the cleanse and I just found your blog. Its VERY helpful!! Thank you!! I was wondering, how much weight have you lost? Also, I noticed you are still drinking coffee, how is that going? I have a massive headache b/c I am having caffeine w/drawls! NOT FUN! Also, I refused to give up some chewing so I had my usual 2 boiled egg whites in the AM, I need SOME protein! Again, thank you for posting I am really looking forward to your next entry.

First of all, I'm glad I could help someone :)

I am hoping for some weight loss during the cleanse but I have not weighed myself before or during so I'm not sure how much I've lost. I don't own a scale and I don't want to become too obsessed with a number. My clothes are starting to feel more lose though so I'd estimate that I've lost at least 5 pounds so far (I'm not very good at guessing though). I think it's important to make the Master Cleanse not about weight loss. Yes, it is a wonderful side effect (and one of the reasons why I'm doing it) but most importantly the Master Cleanse should be about making yourself healthy. It's a great doorway to a new diet (if you're a SAD eater-go veggie, if you're a veggie-go vegan, if you're vegan-try raw, etc.) or just a way to put your foot down and majorly cut down on junk food. Either way it's about a lifestyle change and, yes, weight loss fits into that but your weight will just go right back up (and quickly) unless you change your eating habits in the long run post-cleanse.

And yes I am still drinking coffee, not on the cleanse of course, but I will be going back to it afterward just because it isn't something I WANT to give up. I know that coffee supposedly isn't good for you and I am aware that I may be slightly (hehe) addicted to the caffeine but I know that if I actually wanted to give it up, I could. I just love the taste and the comfort and everything about it and I really don't think coffee compromises my health enough for me to eliminate it from my diet (I only drink about a cup a day anyway). Leading up to the cleanse I had switched to black tea for about a week so my caffeine withdrawal isn't so bad now. Day one I had a massive headache which probably had something to do with that but part of what the MC does is break addictions so I'm over it by now.

And now...THE PROTEIN QUESTION. Oh American culture, how silly you are. We are taught from an early age to eat protein protein protein. Protein must go with EVERY MEAL to build STRONG MUSCLES. So so silly. We actually do not need that much protein every day. It's ridiculous. And what's more ridiculous is that American culture seems to think the only way you can get protein is through MEAT AND DAIRY. Grosssssss. See, the thing is is that meat and dairy are complete sources of protein. The only vegan complete source of protein is quinoa (which can be sprouted in raw form). So how do vegans and raw foodies get complete protein? COMBINATION!!! Yay! If you combine enough fruits, veggies, nuts/seeds you're set! For example, many Latin American and Asian cultures do not eat much meat or dairy. They get their complete protein from a combination of beans and rice or beans and corn. Both make complete sources of protein. As far as being on the MC and needing protein...you don't. You get enough nutrients from the maple syrup, cayenne and lemon (it's not just random ingredients thrown together...there's a reason for them). The MC is not designed for very extended amounts of time either. 10-30 days without protein is fine, just don't try and build muscle during this time. Adding any sort of food to the MC (including coffee!!!) greatly alters the effects so it's not a good idea to do. Check out peanutterb's post here: http://therawfoodsite.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2055 I think that pretty much covers it.

So I'll post later today about how day six is going, I just wanted to answer that post first, but not I have to run to my internship!

Peace and love!
Iluvlife

Master Cleanse: Day five

2009-07-14T17:38:00.004-05:00

Wow difficult day! I woke up this morning feeling super energized and wonderful and READY TO GO! But gradually throughout the day I've just been wanting to cram food--any food--into my face!

Just the thought of the maple syrup makes me nauseous so it's been difficult to get enough of that in. I don't think I can work out today because of it (not enough calories to spare).

Grrr I'm frustrated. Day five is supposed to be a cinch! Well at least I'm halfway through right?

And maybe part of the problem is I had work in my coffee shop today so I was surrounded by bakery and sandwich items. Plus it was all I could do to keep myself from slurping down a soy cappuccino (my fav--and I'm not giving it up by the way, my coffee will remain)! THEN I had class and since it's a discussion of short stories (creative writing class) people bring in snacks every time. Today it was doughnuts and Oreos. I don't even like doughnuts but I could not keep my eyes off of them the entire two hours of class! So now all I can think about are pastries and breads which I won't eat after this cleanse (unless it's vegan and gluten free....and mostly raw). And now I'm watching Ace of Cakes on the Food network. Ahhhh why do I torture myself?

Oh man I hope tomorrow is better. But I have work again tomorrow morning too so we'll see. I gotta be strong! I'm halfway there, I can do this!!!!!!!

Peace and love
Iluvlife

Master Cleanse: Day four

2009-07-13T19:12:00.005-05:00

Yummy! I am dripping sweat haha. I just got back from a hip hop class that was super intense today (or maybe I'm just a little weaker than normal). I was going to stick around afterward for a strength training class but was just too pooped to consider it, plus I've heard that you're not supposed to do lifting during the Master Cleanse due to the bodily acids it stirs up? I don't know. Anyway all I know is that I feel SO GOOD after that workout and all that sweating is releasing toxins through my pores hellz yes!

Day four was no problem again. That frickin Smooth Move tea though produces some uncomfortable cramping when it's doing it's thang. Ewww TMI :P

Today I am craving pizza! But the raw kind (which is a good sign, GO MASTER CLEANSE!). I found a version that I cannot wait to try here. The recipe isn't listed so I'll have to make up my own as best I can. I will definitely try that...probably in about two weeks...and let you know how it goes :)

I think working out will make the rest of my cleanse breeze by. Pushing myself to workout, however, means I have to up my maple syrup intake (much to my distaste) but it releases soooo many toxins and keeps my metabolism going so that these 10 days on a much lower caloric intake than normal doesn't slow me down once I start eating eating again. I'm definitely focusing on cardio for the next 6 days and then I will start lifting again once I'm done with the cleanse. Oh baby after my last Master Cleanse, I started lifting afterward and running and the pounds just continued to melt off as I became more toned and strong. It was almost effortless!! At that point in my life I felt more in shape than I think I ever have before and I was eating so healthily (even though it wasn't 100% raw). I'm excited to get back to that point again and stay there because I know I can :)

Well I have to get my sweaty butt in the shower because I'm going out to a movie with some of my friends for an outdoor showing!

Peace and love and sweaty giggles!
Iluvlife!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Master Cleanse: Day three

2009-07-12T15:28:00.005-05:00

Another good day :)

This cleanse is easier than my last cleanse I think. I feel so much better and the effects are already starting to slightly show!

Well as I said yesterday, I'm not a fan of the lemonade, maple syrup, cayenne combination. Last time I did the Master Cleanse, it really didn't bother me but this time the maple syrup is just too sweet for me to handle so if I take it in one spoonful and chase it with the lemon water, it's much more bearable.
Today I tried the lemon in some herbal iced tea (no sugar, all natural organic) tropical red rooibos. It was yummy and I drank most of it before I decided to take a picture and share. And yes that is a curly straw you see, it's okay to be jealous :P

So I've realized that food website are like porn right now. Seriously, I could not stop looking up raw recipes last night that I wanted to try and all I could do was stare and drool. It's not that I'm hungry, it's just that I miss tasting and chewing and savoring. I cannot wait to start making green smoothies again and I've been craving a big ol' salad with avocado and fresh corn (kind of a tex-mex mix). Mmmm in just one more week!

Well I'm past the day three mark which means it should be pretty smooth sailing from here. Tomorrow and Tuesday (days four and five) could still be a little difficult but after day five it's all downhill!! Woop woop!

Tomorrow I will also be adding in a workout so we'll see how that goes :)

Peace and love and rooibos lip smacking!
Iluvlife

Master Cleanse: Day two

2009-07-11T16:13:00.002-05:00

When life gives you lemons, do a Master Cleanse!

Wow today I feel soooooo much better! Yesterday after I posted my headache got worse and worse and I just felt like crap. So I went to bed and slept for almost 12 hours and now I feel great!

I had work again today and later I'm doing some laundry. I haven't started exercising yet because I really want to wait till I'm past the 3 day mark (which means I can start on Monday).

I'm surprised I feel so good today. Last time I felt crappy until day 4, we'll see how this goes. Also, I've decided to only to the smooth move tea every other day starting tonight (oh boy). I understand its purpose but I don't like the idea of taking laxatives every day.

And then last night I kept having dreams where I'd be in a situation where I had to eat something even though I was on the Master Cleanse. I was so upset each time and this morning I woke up and was so relieved that I hadn't failed. That used to happen when I first went vegetarian and then vegan. I would have dreams where I was eating meat or cheese or eggs and I would feel so guilty and upset and then in the morning when I woke up I would be so relieved.

Today I also tried my lemonade a different way. I'm not too fond of the combination of the syrup, lemon, and cayenne all together so I drank it that way once this morning. Then this afternoon I just had 2 tablespoons of the syrup off the spoon, drank my lemon and water together (I loooooove lemon water) and had my cayenne pepper in a shot of water. It is much easier to get it all down and MUCH more enjoyable. I don't think this would compromise the effects of the MC at all, but I'm going to try if I can find out for sure.

I'm skipping the salt all together this time. Last time I almost puked each time I tried it so eventually I just woke up in the morning and chugged a bunch of water. That got things moving so I think that's perfect for me.

I haven't really had cravings today either which is nice because those things are killing when you're trying to fast/cleanse. I did have to make hummus at work today though and it smelled soooo good I just wanted a little taste. I resisted, don't worry, but I don't know if I can give it up being raw. I love love love beans. *sigh* I'll try to find some raw recipes but I'm not sure if I will give up beans yet, we'll see. The cleanse will tell all haha.

Peace and love and day two smiles!
Iluvlife

Master Cleanse: Day One

2009-07-10T17:17:00.005-05:00

Dun dun-dun-dun, dun-dun, dun-dun can't touch this!

Haha every time someone uses "MC" as an abbreviation for Master Cleanse I think of MC Hammer and "Can't Touch this" pops into my head.

Well it is day one, lovelies! Let's get ready for the start of some change!!!

Day one was a little rough. I had work early this morning so maybe it was because I was tired and didn't get a chance to have any of the lemonade until this evening but I had a major headache and a serious case of the sleepies. After drinking some lemonade I felt much better though :)

Not only does the Master Cleanse give your body a chance to refresh and renew, but it gives you a chance to re-evaluate your health and your life. So here's some things I want to accomplish through Master Cleanse:

Weight Loss- yeah yeah I know that it isn't a good idea to go on the MC just to lose weight but it is a wonderful perk, I do need to lose some weight, and it isn't the only reason I'm doing it so there :P
Eating habits- I want to come off the cleanse respecting my body by monitoring what I put into it. So yes, while those french fries or sweets taste incredible, it's just poison that is limiting my health
Exercise- I want to set up a daily routine for myself hopefully during the cleanse (if I have enough energy which I think I will) but definitely afterward.
Life- I want to enjoy life more and go out there and grab it. When I feel better about myself and allow myself to have more energy by consuming only foods that enable that, life is just 10000% more enjoyable

Well that's it for now. Tonight (and this weekend) I'm going to make sure I get a lot of rest so my body can adjust to the cleanse.

Peace and love and lemony beginnings!
Iluvlife

Let's start the pre-cleanse!

2009-07-06T21:01:00.004-05:00

Okay...Master Cleanse starts this Friday. Anyone with me? I'm excited!!!

This week I need to focus extra hard on easing myself into the cleanse, it's so important to not view it as a "this is my last chance to eat ______!" week. I don't have that urge though. I'm so excited to just finally push myself to get rid of my unhealthy food addictions. Aaaaand focus extra hard on working out.

So far so good :) I went to the farmer's market this weekend with my family and got lots of yummy fruits and veggies so I'll be finishing those in the next couple days and then onto lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper!

Peace and love and pre-cleanse goodness!
Iluvlife

I'm moving forward!

2009-07-02T22:30:00.003-05:00

I am proud of myself this week :)

I really like every other day fasting (even though I didn't today) and I'm also happy that I started really focusing on working out. I didn't work out yesterday but I did some strength training today and I feel great!

Next week I think I'm really going to focus on running and getting back into running shape. I ran a 5K this past Thanksgiving (my first race ever!) and felt incredible! I'm going to make it my goal to do a 10K this coming fall (and maybe a 5K or two before that). I always thought I hated running but my body embraces it...it just takes motivation to stay in shape for it!!

Anyway I've been doing a pretty good job about eating gluten-free (and obviously vegan) on the days I haven't fasted this week. I will just focus on that until my Master Cleanse (which will start next weekend) and then use that as my transition to raw! I'm excited guys, this will be an adventure!

Well I have a big weekend coming up. I'm meeting tomorrow with someone to hopefully sign a sublease so I don't have to worry about complications when I study abroad this spring and my family is visiting for the weekend (not to mention all the 4th of July festivities)! So forgive me if I don't update.

Peace and love and cheers to getting on track again!
Iluvlife

2009-06-30T20:22:00.003-05:00

Woo!! Be proud of me, my lovelies, because I just had a greaaaaat workout :)

I ran (for the first time in ages), just a mile but it was solid and my legs felt at home. Then I did a good 20 minutes on the cross trainer and then I did an hour long yogalates class!! Pair that with 2 water fasts, mostly raw food and no gluten this week and I feel incredible!!

Not only that but I had my first review of my first short story in my creative writing class today and for the most part it was pretty well-received. I got a lot of positive feedback and some wonderful ideas for revision.

Oooo the future's so bright :)

Peace and love and ENDORPHINS!!
Iluvlife

Much better

2009-06-29T00:59:00.003-05:00

Today was a much better day.

I did another water fast which went really really well (I'm liking this every-other day thing...I might keep it going).

I also hung out with some friends and we went to see a spectacular fireworks show, probably the best I have ever seen. It was such a beautiful night :)

Ahh I love it. I feel very peaceful. I need to spend more time outdoors at night I think. I also did some cleaning today which was very therapeutic.

So we know so far the things that are making my journey easier are:

clean environment (even if it means having to clean up after my disgusting roommates)
enjoying the beautiful summer nights (OUTSIDE!)
water fasting more frequently

Sweet. And then tomorrow I'm going to start working out regularly again. I'd really like to start running too but I probably won't do that tomorrow because I'm going to do a hip hop class and then some strength training. So I'm hoping this is the start of a happy/feel better streak :)

Peace and love and peaceful night,
Iluvlife

Master Cleanse?

2009-06-28T00:54:00.004-05:00

I'm thinking a Master Cleanse is the way to go.

I did one back in September and had amazing results. We'll see...

My apologies for the short/infrequent posts. Once I figure out my life I'll try and be more regular (haha like you haven't heard that before).

I'm thinking of another water fast tomorrow since yesterday's really helped to clear things up.

Homesick

2009-06-26T22:27:00.004-05:00

I'm doing a water fast today. I don't know if it's the cleansing of emotions or PMS or what but I cannot get a grip.

I miss my home. I miss my real friends. I miss my family. I miss living in a clean environment (one where I am not the only person who occasionally cleans). I miss having fun. I'm sick of the situation I'm in and I'm sick of feeling like I'm always waiting for life to hit me instead of going out and living it. And I'm not sure what I need to do to fix that--I can't really purge myself of the people who drive me crazy since I live with them, and I can't move back home to where I'm actually happy because I have obligations here. It's so frustrating.

So I'm sorry this post is a downer but I just had to vent. I wanted to talk to my Mom but her phone is turned off (sometimes she forgets to have it on during the day).

And maybe it's the stress from all of this that's making it so hard for me to make healthy decisions. I keep straying toward the junk-foody options instead of fresh fruit and veggies and I cannot find the motivation to go work out.

Ahhh I just don't know what to do.

Busy week

2009-06-15T21:05:00.002-05:00

Hello :)

So this weekend home was a little bingey, not going to lie. It was sooo nice to be home though. I love my family so much and I feel like I grow closer and closer to them each time I visit (figures that would happen AFTER I've moved out).

I also got to see some of my best friends from high school. I kind of fell out of contact with them. As you can tell from my lack of daily updates, I'm not very good at keeping up with things. When I came to college two years ago I wanted a new life and new friends, not that I didn't want my old friends, it's just that my parents always had stories and always told me that your BEST friends are made in college. I haven't found that to be true. I have yet to meet the quality of people that I befriended in high school and I feel terrible that I haven't put more effort into keeping up our friendships. I'm happy to say, however, that it hasn't changed anything. We talked and laughed as if time hadn't gone by and I know now that if I actually work at keeping in touch with them, they will remain my best friends my entire life.

I plan for the beginning of this week to be very cleansing for me. I will be sticking to mostly just fruit (more berries and citrus) and water and working out EVERY DAY. Today I did a hip hop class and then a strengthening class and I feel great! I've decided not to continue with ballroom dancing because the lessons are pretty pricey for something I don't absolutely LOVE and I've found that this hip hop class (which is at the same time) is so much more enjoyable and fits nicely in my budget.

This week is going to be non-stop busy for me. I have a jam-packed schedule of work, internship, my first week of my creative writing class and working out until Thursday when I go home again (for my little brother's graduation party...this past weekend was the graduation ceremony).

Peace and love,
Iluvlife

Okay another reassessment

2009-06-09T15:26:00.003-05:00

Raw is awesome. True fact. I so much admire anyone who is able to live that lifestyle. For me it is wayyyy difficult at this point in my life because I am a poor college kid and cannot afford to buy fun dehydrators and food processors or lots of raw nuts and schtuff (not that those are completely necessary to be raw, it just helps times a billion). Also I kind of feel like I have to hide being raw from people. My mom would absolutely FREAK. She's a nurse (I know I've mentioned this before) and would think I'm malnourished or attempting an eating disorder or something. I can't even tell her about the veganism because she already thinks I don't get enough protein being vegetarian. I have told all my friends that I'm vegan though and they accept it but it's annoying to have to deal with all their questions and exclamations of how "weird" and "unfortunate" it is. *eye roll* So a closet raw foodie life is very difficult.

I've decided I'm not going to focus on it. Instead I'm going to focus on being a healthy vegan. I will stay away from uber processed food and gluten (which rules out most non-raw food anyway). And I will try to make the best decision in the moment that I can. I still love my green smoothies and will mostly be having those. So I'll be aiming at raw, I guess but not feel bad if I slip up a couple days, just as long as I don't go on a non-raw, barely vegan eating binge...or any kind of binge (cough cough, trail mix).

I was just at a really good place this past fall. It wasn't raw but it was vegan. Mostly fruits and salads but dinner would usually be rice and steamed veggies. I was at my ideal weight, I was active and I felt great and best of all, it was fairly effortless once I got going. That's where I want to be again and if I can be happier and feel better not-raw than I do when I'm trying to be raw, then I think that's where I should be and come back to a raw focus later in life.

So that is where I stand right now and that is what I'm going to be focusing on when I go home this weekend.

Last night was my first ballroom dancing class. So much fun. I am so excited to become better at it (because I'm not used to that style of dance so I felt kind of awkward). And what a workout! It was different than I expected though, more of a toning workout because the way you have to hold yourself. Oh baby and let me tell you, salsa is definitely good for the abs (six-pack here I come!), my dance friends and I decided we're going to go salsa dancing at one of the bars on campus every week (because you can get in free before 10 and...why not?) so I am super excited for that! Wooo hooo!!!!!!!!

Then...my gym classes started this week! I haven't been able to go yet though because I did ballroom last night and I had my internship during the day. But in a little bit I'm going to go to three in a row! I'll do Zumba, a strength training one, and then a yoga! I'm so excited, I love these classes--they keep me so motivated and they kick my butt!

So here's my non-raw intake for the day (I won't post this every day but I felt like it now):

Smoothie: banana, spinach, peanut butter (not raw), strawberry, soy milk (not raw)
Coffee
Smoothie: banana, spinach, pineapple, mango, green tea leaves (I've heard it's good for you to eat the tea leaves too?)
Handful of raw sunflower seeds

I'll make another green smoothie when I get back from my workout (probably banana, spinach, peach) and probably have some more sunflower seeds.

Peace and love and simple well-being!
Iluvlife

I'm so sorry I never update!!!

2009-06-08T18:02:00.004-05:00

Um fail.

Gosh I'm so bad at updating this. Okay well I'm diving into raw headfirst again :) Lots of green smoothies and fruit! I'm also starting up daily workouts. Today is my first ballroom dancing class I will be taking this summer, I'm not sure how much of a workout it will be but I'm hoping it will be fun! Then tomorrow I'm going to hardcore workout. Not sure if I'll have time in my day to workout on Wednesday (I have work and then I cannot miss So You Think You Can Dance). Thursday I will be going home for the weekend. I love love love going home and seeing my family and high school friends because I always miss them and I love them so much but it is impossible to stay raw when I'm at home without drawing the attention of my family (I have mentioned before that they will not support me at all in raw and would not understand it). I'm also always faced with the temptation to overeat when I'm home and not workout. It's terrible.

Well I'll take this week step by step for now. I'm focusing on staying active and raw while I'm at school at least. But I HAVE been getting my sleep lately which is awesome, at least I've got one thing down :)

Okay goal for this week: Update tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday for sure. I might not update over the weekend because I'll be home but we'll see.

I'm sorry for neglecting you, my lovelies!

Peace and love and healthy thinking,
Iluvlife

Weekly Goals

2009-05-27T15:21:00.003-05:00

I love lists. I have a regular to do list, a "To Buy" list, a list for things I need to bring home/bring to school from home, a list of all the classes I need to take in the next two years and which semester I will be taking them in, a summer to do list, and a list of things I want to accomplish in my life (Bucket List).
I have a Google Calendar to keep track of my life (if you don't have one, I would highly recommend it), separate ones for work, everyday, ask-off times and my weather updates and task list (general to do and to buy).
I have separated my spending money into how much I want for which things (clothes, ballroom lessons, going out with friends, etc).
I have a file box sorting out every important piece of paper and document I need.
And I cannot stand leaving my room without my bed being made.

OCD much? Maybe. But these things help me stay focused and on top of my life. Another thing I love is setting goals for myself so I've decided that I will set a weekly bettering of my life goal from now on (and yes this is bugging me that I have decided to start this in the middle of the week). But maybe that's better. They can be hump day goals. I like it.

Okay so this week I have noticed that (especially getting up at 5:45 every morning for work) I am not getting enough sleep and it is affecting every other part of my life. I overeat when I'm tired to make up the energy. I drink more caffeine than usual. I don't feel very well so I don't workout. And I am generally just more grumpy and anti-social. So this week especially I'm going to focus on getting more sleep (at least eight hours). I have work early again tomorrow morning so I'm going to watch So You Think You Can Dance with some of my dance friends and then come home and go to bed around 9 or 9:30. Yes, it's kind of grandma-ish but I don't care because I NEED MY SLEEP! Then Friday I don't have work so I am sleeping in till forever and Saturday and Sunday I don't have work till noon which is nice as well. I think this is a good goal to start with because it will make everything easier from now on!

Oh and I kind of unofficially said it yesterday but I'm trying to drink more water too (which I have been doing a wonderful job on) so this week is a double-goal week.

Peace and love and lots of Zzzz's,
Iluvlife

I'm Back!

2009-05-26T13:58:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone :)

After two very stressful weeks of studying/finals and a gluttonous long weekend at home I am ready to get my life back in order!

Here are some updates of what's been happening in mi vida lately...

Finals went pretty well. I put in a lot of effort and my ending grades weren't as high as I wanted but what I wanted was a 4.0 for the semester so those expectations were pretty high. But I did the best I could and still did very well so that's all I can ask for and I am content with that.
I got into my creative writing classes! I don't know if I told you about those...they're required for my major (English with a creative writing emphasis) but you have to apply to get into the classes which was really frustrating for me because I did not get in this past semester and I really would not like to be in school for more than four years for a frickin English major, you know? So I am taking a Creative writing class this summer (starting in 2 1/2 weeks) and I got into the one I need for fall semester so yay!
I'm still working at my coffee shop and loving it! I'll be getting more hours this summer which is FABULOUS and things are looking good there
I start my internship at the Press house on Monday. I'll be dealing with digital publishing and I have yet to discover exactly what I will be doing there
I went home this past weekend for a nice five days. It was so good to see my family again (I'm homesick already though) and some of my close friends who I haven't been able to see in awhile

So with all that I'm excited to dive back into focusing on my health and making my summer the best it can be! I have a summer to do list all typed up and posted on the wall right by my desk ooo and one of the things on there is to learn salsa and ballroom dancing and I am hoping to take some ballroom dancing classes this summer. I hoping that I will be dancing almost every day!

I just got back from a trip to the grocery store with one of my roomies. I pretty much only got fruit and spinach because my body is craving fruit and green smoothies (perfect because they're so cleansing). I'm also trying to up my water intake because I realized that lately I have been incredibly dehydrated which, of course, is no good.

For tonight I think I'm just going to take it easy and curl up with a good book (my goal is to read at least 20 books I haven't read yet this summer and I want to re-read all the Harry Potter books of course since I do almost every summer).

I can do this! I will be back on track and feeling amazing again in no time! I am frustrated that I have to backtrack so much on the progress I've already made but I know that it will just make me stronger.

Peace and love,
Iluvlife

Ugh

2009-05-06T22:01:00.003-05:00

I'm struggling, friends. I'm too ashamed to blog about it so let me just get through finals week (which finishes Friday the 15th) so I can get my life back together after the tsunami of stress that is just starting to hit...

Peace and love until then,
Iluvlife

I'm going to have Jason Mraz's babies

2009-05-04T00:08:00.003-05:00

Oh

My

God!!!!

I just got back from the Jason Mraz concert and my ears have still not recovered from the hour and a half-long orgasm that is the musical genius of the voice of Jason Mraz. And it's not just his voice, it's his lyrics, his presence, his incredible backup band and his message. The last thing he said as he was leaving the stage was to live your life with gratitude.

Gratitude.

Wow, so incredible. Why don't I remember that simple word more often? It seems to be one of those concepts that is always being placed on the back burner. But if you listen to any of Jason Mraz's lyrics, it's not just about living your life with gratitude but without worries and making it the most it can be. And I don't think he's one of those artists who sings about something just because it sounds good, he actually means it and lives his life by it and that is so admirable.

Anyway I finished up the juice fast strong (sorry about the lack of updates), loaded up on some greens at the Farmer's Market yesterday and tomorrow I'm hitting up the fruit stand. Tomorrow's supposed to be gorgeous so I'm planning on soaking up some sunshine. And yeah...that's it from my end of life for now!

Peace and love and GRATITUDE!
Iluvlife

Day 4= No Focus

2009-04-29T18:44:00.004-05:00

I absolutely cannot focus right now to save my life. I have a five page English paper due tomorrow and I have the intro written so far (don't worry though, I'm a master procrastinator) so I decided to blog now rather than later so that I have no excuses for distraction when I'm cramming in my last couple words to fit the minimum requirement (I'm not a bad student, I promise, it's just SOOO close to summer) in the wee hours of the morning.

Today was much better than yesterday as far as the fast goes (though still not great). My insides are still making noises but at least that means stuff is moving (haha gross). So that's the update on that.

Anyway I'm excited, just about life in general. I get in these moods sometimes and I can't say I mind it one bit :) My roommates and I just decided today that I will have my own room for the WHOLE summer *joy* since another one of my roommates is not staying here for the summer! And I wanted a bunch of So You Think You Can Dance dances on Youtube in preparation for the upcoming season (premiering May 21st) since, as a dancer, I'm completely addicted to that show and in watching dances on Youtube in general. Seriously, I went home to watch the high school state dance team competition this year (just because I miss it so much) and was completely obsessing over the finalists' routines (which were on Youtube). Ahhh such a bad use of time but it makes me so happy :) Did you guys know that I love dance? hehe. Oh and exciting news: I was elected one of the captains of my dance team for next semester!

Ahh too much excitement! Okay for realz I need to finish my English paper!

Peace and love and way too much excitement for focus!
Iluvlife

HUMP DAY! (for the juice fast anyway)

2009-04-28T21:01:00.003-05:00

Today is the hump day of my 5 day juice fast--day #3. It's all downhill from here (hopefully)!

Well day #3 turned out to be much more difficult than days 1 and 2, and not because I had to tie my hands behind my back to keep myself from shoving solid food down my throat but because of how I feel. I don't know if it's allergies, lack of sleep, detox symptoms or a combination of the three, but I do not feel well today at all! I feel all bloaty and my stomach keeps making weird noises so I'm hoping that's due to detox and not swine flu (ha kidding). Ahhh all I want is to go to bed (but I have to write an English paper).

Good news is I had a meeting with my roommates today to discuss summer living situations (since some of us are staying and some are going home) the conclusion is I get my own room for half the summer which is AWESOME because I've had to share a room the whole year and it's getting to be a pain because I'm the kind of girl who values her alone time (plus if I end up having a summer romance, that might come in handy *wink*). Ahhh one more thing to look forward to this summer!

Anyway just a quick update! I have to work on my English paper so I can actually get some sleep tonight.

Two days till grapefruit and oranges (post juice-fast meals). 18 days till summer and my own room!

Peace and love and hump day giggles!
Iluvlife

Juice Fast day #2

2009-04-27T19:13:00.005-05:00

Hello Lovelies sorry I didn't update on the crucial first day of my juice fast but the report is that it's going very well :)

Yesterday, the first day, I slept in a little then went to work. I went to my friend's last improv show of the year which was fun and then I came home and ended up hanging out with some of my roommates, which was actually nice to sit and just chill with them (though they're back to being irritating and inconsiderate today *sigh* baby steps, people, baby steps). I really wasn't all that hungry yesterday and actually didn't have any desire for food-food until around dinner time, but it wasn't overwhelming and I just drank my juice and was satisfied.

Today I had work early-early this morning. I ride my bike to work and there's this HUGE hill I have to go up to get there. Now, usually I have to stop at some point on the hill and walk my bike up the rest of the way (seriously, it is so steep) but today I pushed myself to bike up the entire thing! Woo! I felt so accomplished! Still not overwhelmingly hungry today, just wanting to chew. I'm exhausted though, but that might just be because I stayed up late watching a movie with my roomies and then only got maybe 4 hours of sleep because I had to get up early for work. I took a little nap though (which is another huge accomplishment because it is usually impossible for me to take naps). Hopefully I can be productive tonight, I have a dance meeting in a couple hours to determine captainship for next year and such and then after that I'm probably just going to pass out early for the night (I have work again early tomorrow morning). But I'm excited that this juice fast is going so well! Usually the first 3 days are supposed to be the most difficult so I've got one and two down, let's see what tomorrow brings!

Peace and love and juicy kisses!
Iluvlife

Incredible Weekend

2009-04-25T13:15:00.008-05:00

Ahh it's only Saturday early afternoon and it's already been such an incredible weekend!

Yesterday was beyond gorgeous outside way surpassing spring and heading straight for summer standards. We had our last dance performance of the year (bitter-sweet) outside on campus which was AWESOME because it could not have been a more perfect way to end then season. Then two of my closest friends on the team and I laid out in the sun for a couple hours to soak up some much needed vitamin D, and I am happy to report that I am no longer pasty white hehe :) I was so happy to hang out with them because I usually don't really see them outside of dance practice but they're both staying on campus this summer too so we're going to be like the Three Musketeers and, I don't know, it's just really refreshing to start building such strong relationships with new people (or people who you just haven't really hung out with that much), especially since things have been shaky with my roommates lately.

So after the sun started going down I stopped at my apartment quick to get ready to go on a nice long bike ride but I found one of my roommates at home, completely upset because two of my other roommates had ditched her to go to the bars (they had planned to have a cookout that night). So I invited her to go on a bike ride with me but she didn't have her bike at school yet so we went on a walk instead along the train tracks by the lake. It was so beautiful and the lake breeze was so strong but it felt so good on the hot summer (yes, I'm calling it summer) afternoon! And it was a good 4 mile walk at least so while my heart rate didn't really get up, it was still getting my feet moving and going outdoors!

Then one of my two before-mentioned dance friends invited me to a small get together/party with her at one of her friend from work's houses so we played flip cup and beer pong in their front yard to celebrate the beautiful weather. And yes, I am fully aware that beer is not raw or healthy, or even close to being those two, but face it people, I'm a college kid and while I don't party nearly as much as any of my other friends here (I actually often get called "Grandma" because I choose to stay in and relax most weekends instead of partying), I'm not a saint and I'm going to take advantage of the only time in my life where I can be stupid, thank you very much :) So anyway we did that and it was fun and semi-spontaneous on my part because I usually don't like to go to parties or get-togethers where I don't know many people but I was kind of in a mood to be outgoing yesterday so I went and I met new people and I had a blast.

Funny story about last night: everyone decided they were going to leave to go somewhere else toward the end of the night (I think a bar) so the guy who owned the house locked the door behind him before he left and I waited for my friend because she was going to use the bathroom first. So we left and the door locked behind us and then we realized we had left our purses inside the locked house. My friend called the guy who lives there but his phone wasn't ringing and they had already walked too far to hear us. So I started picking the lock with a $5 pair of sunglasses, not really expecting it to work but just because I was, okay kind of drunk and I thought it was funny. AND THE DOOR OPENED! Haha seriously? We broke into the house with a pair of $5 plastic sunglasses. How hilarious is that?! I still can't stop laughing!

So tonight is my dance formal--the official last hurrah of the season. We're going to get dinner and drinks and then heading back to my friend(who invited me to the party last night)'s apartment to dance and be silly. And just a disclaimer: I usually only go out one night per weekend if at all so this is an exception but I love it because I'm having so much fun! Usually when I go out (with my roommates) I end up wanting to leave early or I get too tired and end up having a sucky weekend but this weekend is awesome and if every weekend this summer is like this, then I may have to step up my game a little ;)

Well tomorrow starts my 5-day juice fast! Woo! I am so excited! I walked to Trader Joe's this morning in the thunder storm (I was definitely one of those little kids who played outside in the puddles and rain so this was an enjoyable walk) to get my juice. I don't have a juicer (and I can't afford one) so I have to buy already-made juice, which I realize is probably not raw but I got all-natural, unsweetened, unfiltered apple juice which has no artificial flavors or preservatives and the ingredients list only has one ingredient (unfiltered Gala apple juice). So I figure it's the best I can do. I'll probably get some citrus juice next. It's just so hard to do this raw thing 100% correctly on my budget and my atmosphere. I'm trying though and I know my body is thanking me for every effort I make! So juice fast, here I come! My allergies are absolutely murdering me today (the ONLY downside to spring...and the rain isn't helping) but I hate medicine. I mean I have allergy medicine but the idea of adding those chemicals to my body isn't very appealing (I didn't get a flu shot because of that this year). So I'm hoping if I just stick it out these first couple weeks of allergy season, I can build up some sort of immunity. Or do you think the juice fast will help? We'll see, in the meantime I'll try to resist scratching my eyes out.

Peace and love and splashing puddles!
Iluvlife

P.S. I probably should have put this disclaimer up wayyyy earlier but I get all my images from Flickr so I am not claiming them as my own, just using them as decoration for my posts. Except my profile pic, that one's mine :)

What a beautiful night!

2009-04-23T22:46:00.003-05:00

I cannot get over how gorgeous it is outside tonight! Tomorrow is supposed to get up to the high 80s (wow!) but tonight it is so mild, I wish I had a yard behind my apartment so I could just lay in the grass and stare up at the stars (not that you can really see them...friggin light pollution). But my windows and sliding glass door are wide open so at least I have some springy air flowing through my room :)

Well today was much better, Rawbies! I did have a little non-raw snacks this evening but it is too much of a lovely night and I am too much in a good mood to really feel guilty about it (and Pandora is being absolutely amazing tonight!). I had a dance performance tonight which went pretty well. And I had some sweet dreams last night which left me in a good mood today and made me hopeful for the future (yeah I'm a sucker for that sort of thing).

So tomorrow I'll do even better with my rawness and I'm going to be outside for 90% of the time I'm not sleeping. AND I'm going to go on a suuuuuper long bike ride. Ahh I'm excited!

Okay so short post tonight but I'm enjoying just listening to Pandora in this beautiful evening breeze.

Peace and love and spring breeze kisses!
Iluvlife

HAPPY HAPPY EARTH DAY!!!

2009-04-22T18:07:00.005-05:00

Did you hug your tree today?

Well Sunshines, I have some bad news to report: I am not being a good girl this week at all. The water fast epically failed. Here's the thing about water fasts ladies and gents: you cannot go into them thinking of them as pain and torture and starvation. You need to think of it as a restful and healing cleanse for your body--a vacation if you will. My mindset was completely off so the water fast didn't happen yesterday and instead I keep eating non-raw foods that aren't especially good for me. My willpower has fled! Noooooo! I was going to do my water fast today but then I remembered that I have dance and I absolutely cannot function in practice if I have had nothing to eat all day. So I did an 18 hour water fast which I guess is better than nothing.

So I'm stepping up my game and I'm going to make a plan and declare it right here and now so if I break away from it, I have to face public humiliation and judgement haha. So tomorrow and Friday I will be having a grapefruit for breakfast, a green smoothie for lunch, a delicious salad with the homemade guacamole I just made today, and snacks will be apples if I find them necessary. Saturday I will go to the farmer's market and get some fruit for breakfast there and I will also stock up on some juice for my juice fast. Lunch will be a green smoothie and then I am going out to eat as my end of the year banquet for dance so I will get a salad there and try to have it be as raw as possible. Then Sunday starts my juice fast until Thursday!!! Woo! I am super excited about it!

Also I need to get back into a hardcore exercise routine! Whenever I exercise a lot, I never want to undo it all by overindulging in food so I think this will be the key to force me to stick to raw in the beginning. I was so good for so long and then with one little slip I just kept falling and falling, you know? So here I go! I'm going to take those first few steps and from there it will be smooth sailing! During the summer I will be going to different exercise classes but I think for now I will go on a nice long bike ride every day. I love my bike and it's a good workout but doesn't feel ridiculously strenuous, which is good for when I'm on my juice fast.

Okay that's the plan and I'm sticking to it!

Peace and love and Earthy hugs!
Iluvlife

Dear Body, I'm so sorry!

2009-04-20T14:42:00.005-05:00

Ish...not my most healthy weekend, I must say...but at least I stayed vegan the whole time (I promise, the Easter weekend fiasco is a RARE occurrence.)

One of my best friends from high school visited me. Why is it with company you always have to eat out and eat often? Oh American culture, how ridiculously unhealthy you are! So anyway we ate out and we ate a LOT! I was horrified when at the end of the weekend she told me how healthy this weekend had been for her. I mean at least my diet had somewhat of an influence on her (I didn't buy any non-vegan food for her so all of the disgusting, greasy meat she ate had to be when we ate out) but I was disgusted by the contrast of her eating habits versus mine and what she considered healthy because this past food weekend was torture for my body. Well actually it wasn't too bad...it was just too much I think, I'm really not used to eating that much (I think when I'm going strong on raw, I'm actually a little calorie-deficient). So anyway there was that.

Reason #2 why I am apologizing to my body is that I don't think I have ever been so sleep deprived in my life! I have gotten less than 5 hours of sleep each night for five nights in a row and have been dancing like crazy (since it's the end of our season). Yesterday when I was trying to finish up on some reading, the words were moving on the page. Oh baby, not a good thing! So I got 14 hours of sleep last night but of course, like food, sleep binges are not the best thing for your body either and now it's just like WHAT THE EFF IS GOING ON?? So for the rest of the semester (and beyond) I'm going to focus on aiming for 8 hours per night. I think if I focus really hard I can do this. Plus, my roommates are driving me absolutely insane so I will not be home as much to study/do homework which means I will be away from my computer which means I will not be so distracted which means I will not have to pull any late night study sessions which means my 8 hours are definitely realistic. Woo!

So water fast is happening tomorrow (after a deliciously healthy, lite day) and then this Saturday I'm going to stock up on some fresh-squeezed juice at the farmer's market for a 5-day juice fast starting on Sunday. I'm starting up my daily workouts this week (since dance and midterms are dying down) and once the gorgeous weather starts up again (I think it's supposed to be Wednesday), I will be constantly outside whenever I can (perfect excuse to get away from the roommates and study). So yay for a next couple weeks of self-respect, productivity, enjoyment of life and extra peace and love (yes, that includes for my roommates)!

And Peace and Love to YOU!!
Iluvlife

P.S. 26 days till summer!!!

I LOVE my life!!!!

2009-04-16T00:41:00.003-05:00

Another wonderful day! Seriously there are so many good things going on/things to look forward to that I barely have time to stress out about my Spanish exam tomorrow.

Well first of all my water fast yesterday was wonderful! Like I said, I get so much clarity from them that I think it just started me off on the right foot today. I felt like I had so much energy even though I only got less than 5 hours of sleep last night. But anyway I feel like as well as getting me back on track with raw, it jump started pretty much every other aspect of my life...

I had work which was wonderful because I fall more and more in love with my coffee shop each time I go in! My manager asked me if I could stay about an hour longer than I was scheduled to which is awesome because I was having so much fun...plus I need the hours (poor college kid dontcha know?)

Then it was a GORGEOUS day. Holy man! I could not get enough of that springtime air and being able to shed the winter-coat layer is one of the best feelings. I love sunshine and summertime!

THEN I had to register for classes for next semester which was stressful because it's so competitive and all the classes I really wanted kept filling up so I had to keep re-arranging my schedule. *frustrated sigh* but I think I finally worked it out and now I have a five--yes FIVE--day weekend! How awesome is that?? So I mostly have class on Tuesdays and Thursdays with one class on Wednesdays. I win. Hardcore. So Mondays and Fridays will be my hardcore workout/study/productivity days (which includes sleeping in) and hopefully that will just give me more time to actually relax. Being in college, I feel like crazy weekends just don't give me enough rest and sleep to recharge for the next week so this way hopefully I will :)

Then I had dance practice which I was dreading tonight because it was going to be super intense since we have a performance on Friday. But we were so productive and yes the practice was intense but the routine looks 10000000% better and I am so excited because I was the one who choreographed the majority of the routine and it took SO much time and effort. So yay!

Finally as I was walking back from practice I ran into one of my guy friends from high school and he offered me a ticket for a concert that's coming up that I really wanted to go to but didn't take the initiative to get a ticket. Turns out he got two tickets for free and he didn't know who to give the second one to so he ended up giving it to me!

Aaaaaand of course there's all the excitement for summer that just keeps bubbling up in my mind in happy sunbursts. It's days like these when you just want to scream at the top of your lungs I LOVE MY LIFE!!!!!!!

Peace and love love love life!
Iluvlife

Water fast!

2009-04-14T22:02:00.008-05:00

I love water fasts.

They clear my mind so much and I have had such a productive day (it's not over yet)!

1. I slept in till 11:30 (that's 11 hours of sleep!) which was productive because my mind/body needed that re-charge after the stress and sleeplessness I've put it through.
2. I went to class. Not that I don't go, it's just another bullet point for my list :P
3. I went on a "Hooray for Spring!" walk with two of my roomies and picked up a library card application that I will turn in tomorrow (I didn't have the correct form of ID with me)
3. I went to copy editing at the newspaper AND got a lot of reading for class done in between articles
4. I got more reading done when I got home
5. I put my name on about 3456798982709847250974357328405 class waiting lists so I can graduate on time

Aaaaaand I'm going to get a lot more reading done after I'm done posting this. Aren't you proud of me?

Like I said, water fasts clear my head and make me more focused. Gotta love that! So I'm not breaking this fast until tomorrow morning which means it will be a 30-hour water fast. Niiiiice! Tomorrow I will focus on juicy fruit and then crisp veggies for dinner. Plus I have an intense dance practice tomorrow. Yay for getting back on track!

See how realistic it is?? Straying from raw is not the end of the world and I think so many of us are so focused on the "rules" they have to follow that they forget that raw is a lifestyle and since it is YOUR LIFE you can mould it to however fits you best. For me that means every once and awhile not eating raw and (even though I've given up nuts and seeds for awhile) I won't be too picky about nuts and seeds being 100% raw. For example: I just made hummus yesterday from some canned chickpeas I had left over from my non-raw days. I am not about to throw away perfectly good food that I already had and I'm not going to beat myself up for eating it, so there! I will enjoy my cooked-bean hummus with my crunchy raw vegetables and not have one ounce of guilt for it because I know that I am still bettering my life and diet by making the changes I have already made. I mean I'm not going to buy any more chickpeas after this (unless I decide to try sprouting them sometime) but even if I did, I would not consider it a negative thing at all. Now if I were to constantly eat pizza for dinner or chow down on oreos for snacks every day, that would be a different story. See what I mean? I'm fine with the occasional steamed veggies or cooked beans if they're offered to me because I know that they are still healthy for me (they just might be more lacking in nutrients than raw veggies or sprouted beans) but I'm not going to buy them for myself if I can help it. Sometimes you need to deviate for social reasons--such as going out to eat with friends and there is no raw salad available at the restaurant they chose.

On the other hand, discipline is one of the many wonderful things about raw that sneaks its way (positively) into other aspects of your life. So it's all about a healthy balance (as is with everything in life). And along with that goes a healthy balance of work and play which is another thing I'm trying to focus on. I'm getting better though!!

Peace and love and Yin and Yang,
Iluvlife

It's all about ME!

2009-04-13T22:29:00.004-05:00

4 exams, 3 papers and 33 days until summer!!! Are you as excited as I am??? (I don't think that's even possible)

I have discovered Pandora Radio (I know...it's been around for awhile) and it is incredible. I strongly encourage everyone to play with it RIGHT NOW because music is the expression of the soul :) Ahhh it puts me in such a good mood!

Today I had one of my ridiculous exams. Ick I was so pressed for time that it is completely unrealistic to hope for an A but I'm hoping my professor will be sympathetic because if I had had a little more time I could have ROCKED that exam. And then I had a take-home essay exam due today. I don't even want to think about them though because they're done and I am freeeeeee for awhile :)

With these weights (exams) off my chest, I can now focus again on my body and apologizing to it after how I have treated it this Easter weekend (sorry body!). I have decided I am definitely doing a 24 hour water fast tomorrow (actually that started at around quarter to six this evening, sweet!) so that will make me get back on track and give my body a chance to heal, plus I've been good all day which is important to do before a fast. I am so excited for how I am going to treat myself this summer! It will be all about focusing on living, healthy rawness, yoga, running, spirituality, my writing and a general peace and happiness. I mean shouldn't that be what we always focus on? *sigh* sometimes life just gets in the way I guess :P But no...we should make our lives fit to how we want them to be, not fit what we want to how our lives are trucking along. Do you know what I mean?

So that's my goal for the rest of the semester. To focus on me and my happiness (not selfishly of course) despite the stress and obligations I have to focus on. I'm going to start doing things that make me feel peaceful. Let's incorporate a few candles here and there, time to listen to music, and some moments to smell the soon-blooming! flowers. I'm going to do things I love and love my life for it!!

Peace, love and HAPPINESS :)
Iluvlife

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T17:10:00.007-05:00

Happy Easter Baby Dolls :)

Well I'm back at school after a weekend of visiting my grandparents (and some other relatives on my mom's side). Of course, it being Easter weekend and my family being the typical SAD family they are, I did not at all follow a raw diet...or even vegan. Oopsies! And although my stomach is not exactly thrilled with me right now, I don't care because that's not what it's all about. I got to see my family this weekend; I got to spend time with people I LOVE! I won't get to see them for another six weeks so I had to soak every minute up that I could!

So it is Easter: bunnies and baskets and chocolates and frilly dresses. Gotta love it. I just wanted to squeeze every bright eyed baby-boo that I saw in church today. Ahh I love babies! I cannot wait to have my own (but don't worry, I will haha)! But what a beautiful weekend!!! So sunshine-y and sweet! Spring is finally here and life is wonderful!

So now that I'm back at school and I'm re-stocked on my fresh produce, I'm going to start concentrating on my raw again :) One of my best friends is visiting me this weekend so I may stray a little then (I don't want to torture her by having nothing for her to eat) but for the most part I have confidence in myself and since this is a journey and all about what's right for ME, I can do whatever I want (and so can you, sweetcakes!). I am thinking of doing a five-day juice fast starting April 26th though, if anyone would like to join me! And then a (minimum) 10-day juice fast about a month from then. I think it's important to give your body a little digestive break every now and again, so I want to focus on doing that a little more. I try to do a one-day water fast about once a week as a little re-charge but I haven't been able to do one of those in awhile since life has been pretty chaotic lately. I'm planning on doing one for Tuesday though :)

Since it's Easter, I've been thinking a lot about religion. Now this is not a religious blog, and I don't want it to turn into one, but I want it to play a part in my journey so I may talk about it every once and awhile. I was raised Roman Catholic but I do not think it is the right religion for me. Do not get me wrong, I think Catholicism is a beautiful religion but I just don't agree with all the practices and I want to find something with a little more focus on nature and a little less focus on dogma. Suggestions are welcome :) I have not had time, but I would like to research some different religions to find a good match for me (I'm thinking maybe this summer?). I'm not exactly sure WHAT I believe so I'm truly open to ANYTHING. One of my roommates and I are going to explore Buddhism a little this summer and try to learn some more about that, though I've heard Buddhism is kind of complementary to any religion and is more a way of life rather than a religion? I don't know, we'll see. And I don't want to completely forsake Catholicism either, I will explore that more too to see if it's really something I don't believe, or just something I don't understand. We shall see, I'm excited :)

Well, Lovebugs, I have some MAJOR studying to do but I just thought I'd update quickly so you didn't think I forgot about you.

Peace and love and bunny kisses!
Iluvlife

Pretzels and Oreos

2009-04-09T00:15:00.009-05:00

OH NO!!! I'm straying guys...hardcore. Tonight is an all-nighter (or at least till around 4am). So I have a bag of honey wheat braided pretzel twists and off-brand (vegan) oreos to get me through. WHAT AM I DOING TO MYSELF????? Curse you midterms! Ah I feel like a terrible role model to anyone who may be looking to me for inspiration. But guess what? I'm not giving up. I am not throwing raw out the window. No way Carla May! This is just a bump in the road. And you know what? It's a learning experience. Stress makes me eat. Okay, I know that now. In the future I will be more prepared and better able to cope. Rock on! Plus now would be a good time to quickly think back on all the progress I've made so far (a very considerable amount) and make some reachable future goals to help make it harder for me to stray.

Here's the thing (and I think this is my problem at the moment): my family doesn't know I'm going raw. They don't even know I've been vegan for over seven months! See the thing is, my mom's a nurse so she thinks she knows it all. And I mean she does, if you go by SAD standards, but she wasn't train in an alternative nutrition track so she has been brainwashed to follow the SAD food pyramid (left). She freaks out enough that I don't eat meat (I'm not going to get enough protein or iron and I'm going to become anemic). So to me, it's not worth the argument. I'm at school full-time so I make the decisions about what I eat. If when I go home I have to eat a little cooked food and some *gulp* dairy products to prevent her from being unnecessarily worried and upset, then that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. I know I just won't feel too hot for a couple days but it doesn't mean I can't follow the lifestyle I choose. I mean YUCK, look at all that bread I'm "supposed" to eat. I'd rather just cut off the top of that pyramid (and the bottom) and make it more of a rectangle.

So this weekend (Easter weekend) I know I'm going to have to stray from the raw, and even vegan, path and I think that's why I've allowed myself to slip a day early. I'm not trying to justify and early slip, but I don't feel like I'm really losing anything if I do, I guess...if that makes sense. Not that I don't still feel guilty. I will just tighten my efforts for post-break (and try as hard as I can during break not to indulge in chips and salsa if I don't need to), pick myself up and keep on trudging!

Now onto exciting news: I had my first day of work today!!! Oh my goodness I keep falling more and more in love with this coffee shop. It's a hippie's paradise! The owner is this adorable, late-twenties woman who is so positive and full of life that you cannot help but be excited about life as well when you're working with her. She's this tiny woman but she was telling me today about how she has her Kung Fu test tomorrow to earn her next belt and I could help but laugh out loud. I mean, you would just never expect someone like her to do Kung Fu but she totally just went for it because it sounded fun and didn't think twice. What an inspiration to live by! And I feel so cheesy (raw nut cheese, of course) saying this but she is quickly becoming my role model. Not only did she start this small business (which seems to be thriving, by the way), but she has gone the extra mile to make it something special even if she has to sacrifice a little to do it. The store is run on total wind energy, they recycle everything they possibly can (including the coffee grounds), she buys local un-pasteurized (or whatever it's called) milk (which isn't vegan but still way more eco-friendly), she buys loose leave, amazing tea from a small, local seller, she buys organic honey from a local bee keeper, practically everything sold is organic, she promotes local artists and music groups, and she values a sense of community with her customers above anything else. It's incredible! Plus she's friends with this lady who does feng shui professionally and is also into the healing/mystical powers of different types of stones and she wants to get her in to do a special presentation/spring cleaning feng shui ideas as a spring event for the coffee shop. So that just made me really happy today, it is so nice to have a role model and I think by incorporating her spunk and love of life into my own, along with a raw diet, things can only get better :)

Well dearies I still have more to do than I can handle tonight but I just had to write a blog entry for you all as a little reflection and motivation-booster! Wish me luck!

Peace and love and kung fu possitivity,
Iluvlife

Love is in the air

2009-04-07T16:37:00.004-05:00

Hello my lovelies :)

As the arrival of spring becomes more of a reality, relationships are beginning to bloom along with the flowers. Two of my roommates are each starting new relationships and our entire house is brimming with excitement. It's not just these new romantic relationships that are blooming, but relationships between the roommates are improving as well. We were all ridiculously sick of each other a matter of weeks ago and I swear I could strangled a few of my roommates for awhile but it seems like everyone is miraculously getting along again and it puts me in even MORE of a positive mood than I have been the last couple days :)

It's the season of love, babies! It's our biological nature, everyone's doing it! The birds, the bees, the bunnies, we humans think we're so above our fellow creatures but we don't realize that we are powerless to instinct to find love in this breeding season. And like I said before, possibility is just shimmering in the air! I haven't been in a relationship in a loooong time but with all these changes, I feel like I'm getting a better hold on life and since I'm staying on campus this year...well, love bunnies, you know what they say about summer romance ;)

Ahhh I have to share with you this wonderful smoothie I made for lunch today! I just kind of whipped up what I had. It's ULTRA vitamin C--as in I will never get sick again! I put in some OJ, a grapefruit, frozen strawberries, some fresh mint and a sprinkle of cinnamon then vrooooooom! in the blender and I had the most refreshing, summery, citrus-mint smoothie imaginable! So delish! This week is use-up-everything week because after Easter weekend I'm going to con my parents into buying me groceries when they drop me back off at school hehe :P

Addictive qualities

2009-04-06T21:55:00.008-05:00

I have a problem.

I love trail mix (and of course when I say trail mix I mean raw nuts and dried fruit...none of those icky chocolate M&Ms and such). Love. As in I will eat it until I'm ready to hurl. So today I'm chowing down on my raisin/almond/sunflower seed trail mix with no end in sight and I realize that, yes, I do love this but it's not even that I'm hungry for it, it's that I just can't make myself stop. Ahhhh no!!!!!

I'm a follower of Tera's Raw Diva blog and she had a beautiful teleseminar last month about the addictive qualities of wheat and gluten.

It is so true!! I mean how many times (in your cooked-food lives) have you had a gigantic plate of pasta and even though you know you're full, you just want to eat and eat and eat and eat? That's the gluten, baby! And unfortunately it's found in soy sauce and other asian sauces (because they contain wheat). It is possibly the most frustrating and uncomfortable feeling ever!!! One of the wonderful feelings about fruit and veggies and living food is that they don't have these addictive qualities! Now being gluten-free is not a require aspect of the raw-vegan diet but I have decided to incorporate it into mine because it totally makes sense to me.

As of today I think I'm going to try and cut out nuts and seeds as much as I can as well. I'll get most of my fats from avacado and fruits instead. I just don't like overeating out of control and I feel like with nuts and seeds, that's what happens to me. Of course I will have them occasionally but I think as I'm in my first couple weeks of transition to raw, it will be easiest for me if I just leave those buggers out!

OTHER news: I had my orientation today for my new job!!! Yay! I am ridiculously excited! It's this ADORABLE coffee shop, idependantly owned, and the manager is an absolute sweetheart, we are totally on the same page! This also means I will DEFINITELY be staying on campus this summer which I am also super excited for because I heard it's fantastic in the summertime (plus it has the best Farmer's Market EVER)!

Life is brightening up, my lovlies! It is so true that if you improve just one aspect of your life (switching to raw food, for example), the other aspects of your life follow suit. There is a tingling of possibility hanging in the air around me and I cannot wait to see what the future holds! My schedule is so busy the next couple weeks that life cannot possibly be boring for a second, so stay tuned to see what happens next!

Peace and love,
Iluvlife

the future is shining bright!!!

2009-04-05T23:14:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone :)

So I'm starting the vegan raw food diet (some great resources are goneraw.com and therawdivas.com if anyone wants to join me on my adventure). It's amazing so far, I feel so much more...clean I guess is the right word. I don't get that nasty *ugh I'm so full* feeling and I have so much more positive energy! Peace and love to the world :)

As with any life change, other aspects of my life are changing as well and mostly in positive ways! I just got a new job, I'm doing some spring cleaning not only in my apartment but with my relationships as well, and summer is so close I can already taste the sticky watermelon-y juiciness! Life is grand, my friends, and I hope you think so too!

Today I deviated a little way from raw. I gave into some pita chips and hummus in celebration of my new job but starting tomorrow I'm back to living goodness and I'm going to start running again! Gotta get my booty in shape for that 8K at the end of the month ;) But it's okay because the important thing about anything like this is not to beat yourself up for your mistakes but to look at how far you've come and keep on trudging! I'm coming up on my third week since deciding to go raw and this has really been my only "major" slip so I'm going to go ahead and pat myself on the back and start with my delightfully juicy grapefruit breakfast tomorrow. Yum yum!

I am just ITCHING for summer. Oh baby it cannot come soon enough!!! I am so sick of this cold and nasty weather. I want to walk barefoot in the grass and sit under the trees and let my winter-whitened skin soak up some good ol' vitamin D! And this summer I am NOT going to take advantage of it! I will have to work (at my new job!!) and I will (hopefully) be taking one summer class but otherwise I will be outside living life in the beautiful outdoors. Ahhh how amazing does that sound? Ooo and I'm going to take a daily yoga class and hopefully some ballroom dancing classes. I can't even handle how excited I am right now!!!

Peace and love and summer day dreaming,
Iluvlife