Achieving a Balance

I have come to the conclusion that in order to be at our best we must achieve balance within ourselves and all the areas of our life.

What we eat definitely affects that balance! last week I was busy with work and Christmas planning... and stop paying attention to what I was eating. I immediately became sluggish, anxious, cranky, did not feel like working out, something was not right overall. My BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT were not intertwined

Bringing balance to a relationship between body, mind and spirit and ensuring they worked together will help us take a leap forward on our journey and help us achieve optimum health and happiness.

whether we are looking at changing our career paths; physical, emotional or spiritual healing; exploring our life purpose; preparing for conception, birth or parenthood; making major life decision; or anything else we are striving for.

I am very convinced that we are what we eat! (Cliché but true) and what we eat will affect that beautiful balance between BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT

Lets enjoy Christmas but lets not allow for over indulgences to drain and exhaust us and rob us from the true spirit of the season!

PD: I am grateful for the warmth of my home!

Raw Meal Ideas

Some of my friends have been asking me what kind of things you will eat? So as I am still practicing and developing a new routine I will share with you some of what I have for meals, and later on I will start sharing some yummy recipes with you! I just need some time :) with Christmas season approaching is getting sooo busy! You can also go to Rose's website she is my RAW FOOD teacher and one of my inspirations!

You can see a pic of both of us on the Right. BTW...I am looking much better now...lolJ

I was detoxing after a week of Highly nutritious meals!!!

So below you can see a sample of what my day looks like.

BREAKFAST

-Green Smoothie (Serves 4 to 5 cups)

1 1/2 Cup of Water

1 Pear (or apple, peach, mango, 1/2 cup of grapes)

1/2 Cup of Berries

1 Banana

1/2 Lemon

1 1/2 Packed cup of Greens (e.g. kale, romaine, spinach)

You can also add few dates for added sweetness and a scoop of hemp protein!

-Sprouted Bread and Raw Almond Butter (*Please note that Sprouted Bread is not RAW but I love it! Silver hills is my favorite brand and I treat myself from time to time)

-Raw Oatmeal

SNACK

-Apple

-Banana

-Soaked Sunflower or Pumpkin Seeds

-Strawberries

-Celery and Bell Peppers

LUNCH/DINNER

-Organic Salads (Use Avocado and Sprouts for protein)

-Raw Pizza

-Zuchinni Pasta with Marinara Sauce

(Recipes for Raw Pizza and Zuchinni Pasta will be coming up! J )

PD: I am thankful for the spirit of Christmas! I love it!

Publish Post

The Dirty Dozen

This weekend was so great! I went with the girls to this awesome aerobic/dance class where Maya (The teacher) just had as moving our booties, sweating like crazy and having tons of fun! Salsa, Latin, Hip-Hop you name it! So good for the body and the soul!

After we went for a little bit of shopping and we had lunch at Viola’s where we had a real good salad with lots of yummy sprouts (They are so Good for you too!), I also enjoyed a little bit of cheese and a glass of wine…for a minute I was going to use the word “cheat” but I chose not to, because I am NOT ON A DIET! I am on an everlasting lifestyle change and you know some people that are 100% Raw, vegan, etc would not approve and understand and respect it, for me; that little bit of cheese although I know is not the best option I could off made it, was nourishing to my body because I was loving the moment and my girlfriends excitement about Raw Foods! We even talk about going on a 10 to 15 day challenge of 100% Raw. Isn’t that Exciting???

If you are currently not considering a RAW lifestyle at all but even want to increase the amount of vegetable and fruits you consume, I encourage you to really think about switching to Organic, especially for some of the vegetables that have lots of pesticide residue on them. Belo the DIRTY DOZEN list to ease your “organic” shopping experience and your budget!

So are you starting to think about your New Year's resolution? Perhaps you would like to Join Nancy, Viola and I on 10 wonderful days into Raw?

Cinnamon Girl!

PD, I am grateful for the power of friendship!

How Everything Started for Me?

I used to be skinny, model and be very active when I was a teenager and then....HORMONES ruined my life L ; I had been yo-yo dieting and having chronic constipation problems ever since I was diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, is a comlex hormone disorder that causes such symptoms as irregular menstrual cycles, infertility, excessive body hair, acne, and obesity) .

So about a year ago I was looking for a Colonic Therapist and one day reading the Cochrane Times news paper, there it was Katherine was a blessing she got me into a Cleansing program and on some of the sessions she would share with me some of her “raw treats” since I was such a sweet tooth I starting loving them more and more. One day I decided to make a cheese cake and I have to say although it was good was my first time, and some how I manage not to use the right blade on the food processor…so after that one treat I kind of went back to my comfort zone of “cooked foods”. Although I have to say we really did a lot of healthy eating (Whole Grains, vegetables) but with that a lot of cheating (Tim Horton cookies, Lattes, pizzas, chicken wings!).

So I thought we were “cleaning up” pretty well! And making lots of healthy changes until me and My Fiancé went to Europe for an adventure trip...I made about 3 pounds of home made granola which we carry in our backpacks and that help a lot! But despite our efforts we succumbed to the temptation of Italy and its wonderful pastas and cheeses! We gain an average of 6 pounds each and when we came back middle of June in plain BBQ season our habits did not got any better a beer here, a wine there, melting ribs, steaks you name it! By the beginning of September I had not only been not able to get rid of my extra six pounds but I had doubled the gain! I was at 150 lbs, and feeling tired, cranky and blue! I knew I had to do something before things got to out of hand!

Our yearly girls trip planning was approaching and I did not want us to go somewhere to “stuff” our faces with food once again! I proposed to the girls to go more for a retreat of some sort J is that how I came across Rose’s Raw Chef course which I am still so thankful about!.

Well, I will tell you more about my Raw Chef adventure later now I got to work! J

And What is your Story?

Cinnamon Girl!

Pd: I am thankful for all the women that have touch my life in one way or another

Why Raw

My good friend Sofia from Ecuador was wondering what Raw was all about?

Raw is all about feeding our bodies the highest quality food possible. Eating raw is exactly that: QUALITY! What could be better than fruits, nuts, seeds, sprouts and vegetables? There is so much you can do with vegetables, I never thought salads could be so good! There is a big variety of salsas and “gourmet “ recipes you can make with seeds, not to mention desserts…And the best part you don’t feel guilty or bloated! You are nourishing your body with enzymes, oxygen, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

As your consumption of raw foods increases you feel satisfied and have more energy on smaller meals because raw food has more water, nutrients, and fiber which are what your body needs!

Eating a diet of raw foods can reverse or stop the advance of many chronic diseases, including heart disease and cancer. Eating cooked foods like meats, fats, starches and sugars it robs our bodies from vital nutrients, slows down digestion and causes fermentation and all kind of degenerative disease.

Raw foods are not only good for us but good for our planet and a better tomorrow for our children! If we are not consuming processed meals we are not contributing to the accumulation of garbage and unnecessary packaging.

Besides, we will save tons of money on drugs. .."Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food." Hippocrates.

So, no more excuses to be healthy…I don’t claim to be 100% raw foodist, vegan or an expert on anything. I am just convince the answer to feeling great is not in a “magic pill”, a “program” or a “complex diet” is actually quiet simple the answer is in nature! I am just an average girl (with a little bit of spice J) wanting to be as healthy as I can possibly be!

I challenge you, as I am challenging myself to slowly try to incorporate more raw foods into your diet. You will be healthier and start a beautiful transformation!

Before I leave a “cute story”….I was running really late for work this morning and my Fiance had the day off, so He asked me what he could get ready for my smoothie….I say great honey can you peeled and chopped a mango, add ½ cup a pineapple, 1 cup of water, 1 celery stalk and let's finished up the dandelion leaves (about 1 cup), 1 scoop of hemp protein powder and that is it! J …He was like wow not apples (as I usually put apples in my smoothie) we should call this a “The Garden of Eden” J

Have a great day everyone,

Cinnamon Girl!

PD: I am grateful for WJ ( My Fiance) and his love and support!

What Everybody Ought to Know About - Raw Foods!

Hi There,

I am definitely the new spice on the "blogging rack" and I am very excited about it! Many things have motivated me to start this Blog, but primarily the fact that someone out there may just be at the same place I was before: looking for a true answer for Healthy Eating and not only "another fad diet". I am convinced RAW FOODS is the answer to long lasting happy life!

Friday I sent a video to my friends and family about Dr. Oz show with Rocco - The Cowboy that went vegan for 28 days. After, Gerry- A good friend of mine- made my weekend when He called me to thank me for the information I had given him on not only this video but my personal experience so far with Raw Foods...He referred to me as a "life changer" I wanted to cry! When you believe in something so strongly, there is no need to convince the proof is on who you are!

Today has been exactly one month from the time I decided to go Raw! Right Now I am high raw 85/15 and ZERO flour and I will continue this path, it can only get better. It is my desire to share my journey with you, to help and be helped, to teach and to learn.

Raw may sound extreme to some, but after all only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go!

Cinnamon Girl

Pd: I am so grateful for one of my best friends Viola Olah who motivated me to start this blog!