I would really like to write about what my readers are personally interested in. I know I don't have many viewers but it would be great if you could post about what you would like more information on or just anything you're really interested in. So please comment below and I'll get cracking!! And regardless of how many comments I get, I promise I'll write about each one! Can't wait to hear from you.
P.s. It doesn't necessarily have to be about organic food or eco lifestyle. Just give me any kind of suggestion that fascinates you.
X
Sunday 7 April 2013
Wednesday 6 March 2013
Simple yet effective relaxation tips!
We've all heard how important and beneficial meditation is. But it doesn't matter how many times we're told or how many statistics are thrown at us, we are still a stressed nation! Why don't we ever just take the time out to chill and De-stress? I know what you're thinking; "I don't have time to meditate, I have other things to do". I totally agree! Now that I'm at uni I sometimes feel that I don't even have the time and we live in a society now where EVERYTHING is go, go, go. Whether it's because you have children, a full-time or full-on job or even some mental health issues, it sometimes feels impossible to find any time.What if I told you that meditation doesn't need to last for more than half an hour? Here are a few of my favourite and a couple of personal tips to help you if you live very full-on lives.
Who here can instantly feel relaxed or fall asleep at the drop of a hat when they hear the sound of a thunderstorm? If you said yes, you will absolutely love this. If you're lying in bed listening to the sound of crickets and can visual tumbleweed tossing about in your mind, or you might have a million thoughts racing through your head, driving you insane. You know, those thoughts you have about something embarrassing you did in the second grade and your brain thinks it's a fantastic time to rehash all of that? Well give this a listen and I can guarantee you'll instantly feel calm and relaxed. Just put your headphones in, press play and just zone out for a while.
If you're stressing about a deadline or whatever stresses you have at work, simply take yourself away that environment for 10 minutes. Get a glass of water and soak up the rays and clear you mind. Studies have shown that taking yourself away from a stressful situation for 10 minutes can put you in a better frame of mind and make you work a lot better when you return.
Breathe! I know, I'm either crazy or a genius, right?? It's weird when people say this but there is a right and wrong way when it comes to breathing. If you breathe and your chest expands, you're doing it wrong. When you breathe, you need to use your diaphragm. When breathing in, your stomach should slowly expand and as you breathe out your stomach should do the complete opposite. It takes a bit of practice, but once you get it, it's the easiest thing in the world. If you suffer from panic attacks, you probably already know this technique but it's good for everyone, in fact, it's how we are supposed to breathe. When doing this, you will feel more relaxed!
You don't have to meditate on a beach in order to De-stress, even though the idea sounds incredible. Unfortunately for some of us, we don't have that luxury. Simply sitting down and listening to calming music is all it takes and bonus, when you're eyes are closed and doing your diaphragm breaths, when exhaling say the words "I am calm" does all sorts of wonders. Giving yourself reassurance in a relaxed environment, will make you feel so incredibly calm.
Remember that stress isn't all that bad, it helps us excel and do a lot better in certain situations. But when it gets to a point where you feel like you can't even get through the day or you're taking it out on loved ones, it becomes a problem. You know yourself better than anyone and you only know what works for you and you only know when you will get to a breaking point. That's where these tips come in handy. I understand that you may not have the time to go to a meditation class because you have children or you don't have the money. I also know that some people only need a couple minutes to De-stress and they are fine and can not stand just sitting there for an hour. You do what's best for you! They work for me and have helped me get through the day without tearing my hair out. I hope they help you and I hope you at least give them a try!
See you next time!
X
Tuesday 5 March 2013
The best documentaries to watch about fast food and the obesity epidemic.
We all know about the obese epidemic, it effects some of us but if you're lucky, not all of us. Unfortunately, the people who don't face the difficulties of fast food and obesity are a minority. I've done a lot of research as to why this is happening, mainly watching a lot documentaries on youtube. It is so shocking to see people so overweight that they can't even walk a few steps without wearing themselves out. We shouldn't be living a world like this!
If you're at all interested in this topic, regardless of whether you are obese or you just want to know more; here are my favourite short documentaries on the subject I think you should watch.
The first one is Fast Food Baby. It is absolutely shocking! If you have children and feed them fast food regularly, you need to watch this. The documentary follows 3 families who feed their children A LOT of fast food. One family has take away 5 nights a week! They feed their 16 month old this stuff on a daily basis, the one thing that shocked me the most was how much coca cola they were giving him. It's around 6 cans, a day! I don't know about you, but I can't even imagine drinking 1, let alone 6 cans a day. When they're not giving their children fast food, they have a cabinet full of sweets that their children can just grab as they please. You can only imagine what all this food is doing to them. Their calorie intake is bigger than mine! It is so mind boggling how some parents can do this, but then again, I'm not a parent. I can only imagine how hard it must be to figure out what to cook your kids for dinner and having to do that every night. I struggle to do that for myself! The important message in this documentary is that regardless of whether you can't cook, or you hate cleaning up the mess after cooking a meal, you need to look after your child's health. In the long run, that is the most important thing.
My second pick is Too Fat to Toddle. This documentary is very short and sweet and straight to the point. And again, it's about obesity in children. I only just finished watching it and it is truly inspirational. Again, it follows a few families on their journey to getting their children healthy. It's so sad to watch a little girl running and getting so puffed out. When I was kid, I had so much energy and would run around like a mad thing until it was time for bed, I'm sure a lot of you reading were the same. I really hope that obesity in children is not a new thing and we can nip this in the bud, as soon as possible.
My last pick is a documentary show called Big Meets Bigger. It's very interesting and so eye opening. The show consists of 2 people, usually female who have had trouble with their weight, they live with a family who eat like they breathe. There are some very heart breaking moments, that make you so thankful for the amazing, healthy lives we live. It's worth a watch. There are quite a few episodes and they all shot in different countries. The one I have linked you to, is based in Mississippi. To those of you who don't know, Mississippi has claimed the title of the fattest state in America!!
So there you have it, my picks of the lot. I hope you check these out. They don't go for very long, which I think is great. But there is so much you can take from them all.
See you next time!
X
If you're at all interested in this topic, regardless of whether you are obese or you just want to know more; here are my favourite short documentaries on the subject I think you should watch.
The first one is Fast Food Baby. It is absolutely shocking! If you have children and feed them fast food regularly, you need to watch this. The documentary follows 3 families who feed their children A LOT of fast food. One family has take away 5 nights a week! They feed their 16 month old this stuff on a daily basis, the one thing that shocked me the most was how much coca cola they were giving him. It's around 6 cans, a day! I don't know about you, but I can't even imagine drinking 1, let alone 6 cans a day. When they're not giving their children fast food, they have a cabinet full of sweets that their children can just grab as they please. You can only imagine what all this food is doing to them. Their calorie intake is bigger than mine! It is so mind boggling how some parents can do this, but then again, I'm not a parent. I can only imagine how hard it must be to figure out what to cook your kids for dinner and having to do that every night. I struggle to do that for myself! The important message in this documentary is that regardless of whether you can't cook, or you hate cleaning up the mess after cooking a meal, you need to look after your child's health. In the long run, that is the most important thing.
My second pick is Too Fat to Toddle. This documentary is very short and sweet and straight to the point. And again, it's about obesity in children. I only just finished watching it and it is truly inspirational. Again, it follows a few families on their journey to getting their children healthy. It's so sad to watch a little girl running and getting so puffed out. When I was kid, I had so much energy and would run around like a mad thing until it was time for bed, I'm sure a lot of you reading were the same. I really hope that obesity in children is not a new thing and we can nip this in the bud, as soon as possible.
My last pick is a documentary show called Big Meets Bigger. It's very interesting and so eye opening. The show consists of 2 people, usually female who have had trouble with their weight, they live with a family who eat like they breathe. There are some very heart breaking moments, that make you so thankful for the amazing, healthy lives we live. It's worth a watch. There are quite a few episodes and they all shot in different countries. The one I have linked you to, is based in Mississippi. To those of you who don't know, Mississippi has claimed the title of the fattest state in America!!
So there you have it, my picks of the lot. I hope you check these out. They don't go for very long, which I think is great. But there is so much you can take from them all.
See you next time!
X
Friday 1 February 2013
My absolute favourite raw food recipe websites!
Before I began eating raw, I seriously thought that people who ate this way, just ate an apple or tofu. I couldn't really get my head around it.But after doing heaps of research I couldn't have been more wrong and I was so surprised by all the variety of foods you can actually eat.
It's funny when you don't know much about something and once it's brought to your attention, it's all you ever see and hear about it. That's what happened to me when I first started eating raw, I still can't believe how much information there is out there. And if you are anything like me and you like getting a bit creative and learning new ways of preparing food, it's amazing what out there things you can actually make and they're actually delicious, it's always good to have a bit of fun while learning all at the same time. But if you're not really into preparing food, whether it's because you're always on the go or it's just not really your thing, there's plenty of simple recipes just for you.
So here are my favourite raw recipe websites that I've happily come across that can really help you out:
Rawmazing! It's right in the name, it's all raw and it really is amazing. The site is beautifully laid out and everything you could possibly want is only a mouse click away. They have their own eBooks, they even have their own store. You can buy anything from kitchen equipments to skin care products and their food recipes looks absolutely delicious! There's everything from, appetizers, snacks, drinks, main dishes, etc. Click here and get started!
The Raw Food Kitchen. What I love about this one, is that it's Australian. You've gotta love anything local! The Raw Food Kitchen also do eBooks and by the looks of them, they seem very helpful for those who don't know where to start when buying raw. I have yet to check these Ebooks out, but it won't be long until I do. Now what I love about their recipes is that there are some that are so simple but most importantly very beneficial. Click here to see what I'm raving on about.
Nouveau Raw, is more the creative side of raw food. If you are someone who isn't really interested in the in depth side of preparing raw food, it doesn't hurt to take a look anyway. You never know, it might change your mind, or it can give you amazing ideas for preparing a meal for guests for a particular occasion. But it is always good to broaden your horizons when you make the transition to eating raw. It's quite a simple site to use but so effective to say the least. Click here and be amazed!
So I hope you find these websites just as helpful to you as they were for me! And remember I found these sites simply by typing in Google 'Raw food recipes'. There is so much information out there and it's so easy to find, you just have to look!
X
How I overcame my eating disorder and began living an amazing organic life! And how you can too
Do you ever feel like you're not taken seriously whenever you say you've decided to eat organic or raw foods? I've been there too and this is how I have and still am dealing with it.
I would like to start off my first blog by telling you all a
bit about me and what has led me to live a more healthy and organic lifestyle.
It’s been a very hard road but a very worthwhile one. I’ve learnt so much in a
short amount of time. I’ve only just turned 20 and have made a promise to
myself to be healthy in every aspect of my life. But because I’m still learning
and taking a lot of stuff in, I’ve mainly just focused on the food I eat,
exercising, removing those nasty toxins from my body and making sure I get a
good night’s sleep without taking any kind of medication. I can tell you right
now, from doing these few things, I really have noticed a massive change. Not
only in my health, but how I view my life also and how badly I was looking
after myself all these years (if you can even call it looking after yourself).
It’s amazing to think that I thought I was doing all the right things, by
following fad diets and exercising until I was going to pass out. I used to
treat my body so badly.
Basically I just wanted to be thin, that was my goal. Now I was never diagnosed with an eating disorder; this is purely a self diagnosis here but there were warning signs that were ignored. I remember starting a journal; I wrote in it every day, it was basically a diary to just put me down in every way imaginable. Reading back on it, half of it didn’t even make sense because my mind was just so jumbled. I made a collage of skinny celebrities titled 'Thinspiration' and I also printed pages of photos of Mary-Kate Olsen, because I desired to look like her and I kept it in this journal and I would look at it before bed, if I felt hungry, if I felt horrible about myself, before I worked out, etc. I circled parts of her body that I wanted to achieve to have and it was always her thighs. I just wanted thin thighs, it was the one part of my body that I absolutely hated. I would wake up every morning, the only thing I would consume that day would be a coffee and then I would do an intense workout. But after all this, I never lost weight; in fact I sometimes put on weight and that of course would make me feel so much worse, which meant I would write more horrible things about myself in my journal, print out more photos and look at thinspiration websites. These websites are for girls who desire to be thin and go to these sites to help one other and offer advice. Such advice would include eating half an apple for breakfast, the other half for lunch and then half a cucumber for dinner. Another piece of advice was to eat while standing in front of the mirror, because that way, it wouldn’t make you want to eat anymore. While reading this, I was taking all this advice on board. Looking back, I wondered how nobody noticed that there was something wrong with me, but I also know that people with eating disorders can hide it very well, which clearly I did.
I’m too sure what it was exactly that brought me back to earth, maybe I hit rock bottom without realizing, maybe it was my brother being diagnosed with cancer, or maybe I just came to my senses. Or it could be all of these things. I always took time off work because I was constantly getting headaches and feeling so sick, I thought I was going to faint. I always wanted to travel and even worked 2 jobs for most of the time, but because I was always taking time off, I never had enough money to do what I truly want to do. I even had to take a month off because I had a mental breakdown at work and my boss was so worried about me.
Basically I just wanted to be thin, that was my goal. Now I was never diagnosed with an eating disorder; this is purely a self diagnosis here but there were warning signs that were ignored. I remember starting a journal; I wrote in it every day, it was basically a diary to just put me down in every way imaginable. Reading back on it, half of it didn’t even make sense because my mind was just so jumbled. I made a collage of skinny celebrities titled 'Thinspiration' and I also printed pages of photos of Mary-Kate Olsen, because I desired to look like her and I kept it in this journal and I would look at it before bed, if I felt hungry, if I felt horrible about myself, before I worked out, etc. I circled parts of her body that I wanted to achieve to have and it was always her thighs. I just wanted thin thighs, it was the one part of my body that I absolutely hated. I would wake up every morning, the only thing I would consume that day would be a coffee and then I would do an intense workout. But after all this, I never lost weight; in fact I sometimes put on weight and that of course would make me feel so much worse, which meant I would write more horrible things about myself in my journal, print out more photos and look at thinspiration websites. These websites are for girls who desire to be thin and go to these sites to help one other and offer advice. Such advice would include eating half an apple for breakfast, the other half for lunch and then half a cucumber for dinner. Another piece of advice was to eat while standing in front of the mirror, because that way, it wouldn’t make you want to eat anymore. While reading this, I was taking all this advice on board. Looking back, I wondered how nobody noticed that there was something wrong with me, but I also know that people with eating disorders can hide it very well, which clearly I did.
I’m too sure what it was exactly that brought me back to earth, maybe I hit rock bottom without realizing, maybe it was my brother being diagnosed with cancer, or maybe I just came to my senses. Or it could be all of these things. I always took time off work because I was constantly getting headaches and feeling so sick, I thought I was going to faint. I always wanted to travel and even worked 2 jobs for most of the time, but because I was always taking time off, I never had enough money to do what I truly want to do. I even had to take a month off because I had a mental breakdown at work and my boss was so worried about me.
Even after seeking help and finally overcoming this problem, I was still feeling worse for wear. I just couldn’t figure it out. The main thing I noticed, was that I was constantly exhausted, not tired, exhausted. Almost as if I had used all my energy on something, when really I hardly did anything that day. I thought I was doing everything right, I would sleep the recommended hours for an adult, if I was tired during the day, I would nap for 15 minutes. Sometimes even if I was tired I wouldn’t nap just so I could get to sleep that night, but still no luck. I was lost and so frustrated. What was I doing wrong? I didn’t want to see a doctor in case they prescribed me sleeping pills and I just had this feeling that there was so much more to it than just anaemia or insomnia or something like that. So I turned to a friend, Anna, she was more of a mutual friend at the time. She was friends with my sister and I knew that she was someone that lives a very organic lifestyle, something I’ve never seen before. Because I was friends with her on facebook, she would post things that really intrigued me. So I thought to myself “why not just ask her if she recommends anything, it can’t hurt to ask”. I was gobsmacked at the response. She genuinely gave me an answer and helped me along the way. She told me about this spray called ‘melatonin’ that helps you get to sleep and these amazing supplements that rid of toxins from your body. I was amazed! I was kind of expecting her to just tell me to change my diet and nothing else, but she really genuinely cared. Obviously your diet has a lot to do with your health, but there are contributing factors, such as the toxins we have in our blood stream. So I ordered this spray and the supplements and could not wait to get them in the mail.
The first night I used the spray, I wasn’t too sure what I
was expecting. But let me tell you, it works like a treat. It doesn’t give you
a feeling of drowsiness; it just makes you feel like you’re going to sleep
naturally. It’s incredible. I felt so refreshed in the morning and couldn’t
wait to tell people about it. But most of my friends were a bit sceptical,
telling me that if it works that well, it must be a drug. Even though I was
telling them that it was completely safe and completely organic. That’s one
thing I’ve learned about changing my lifestyle, is that people are so quick to
judge and put you down for it. But you can’t argue with how someone’s life has
drastically changed in only the space of a month. With the help of Anna, who
has been like a rock for me during this difficult time, I feel so much
healthier, I can think more clearly, I feel more positive about certain things
and more importantly, I’m the happiest I have ever been. I don’t care about my
weight, I care about how I feel on the inside and how I’m treating my body and
ultimately that shows on the outside anyway. It’s a hard transition to make especially
when you have lived a certain way for a long time. But that makes it so much
worth it. When you haven’t really treated yourself right for a long time, the
moment that you do, you notice it and you appreciate it that much more!
Now that this blog has gone on for quite a while, I want to
end it with a bit of advice. If you’re someone who is just starting out, or has
judgmental friends and family, or you may not have many resources; do as much
research as you possibly can! Don’t jump into it straight away, because it can
be very daunting and can be all a bit too much which then will make you not
want to change your lifestyle at all. An eBook that I recommend that really
helped me with all of this in the beginning is called “So you want to be a raw
foodist” by Emma MacDougall, please read this first as it will make you feel a
bit better about how to deal with certain situations as, eating out at a
restaurant with friends when you have changed your eating habits and how to
incorporate raw foods into your diet gradually, etc. Read plenty more of these
type of books as it will help you gradually get into it all. I have also
recently joined a website called “meet-up” where you can meet up with people
with the same interests as you that are in your area, so if you plan on eating
raw, vegetarian, vegan etc. There are people who want to that too and these
people have plenty of experience, so not only can they offer cooking advice but
also personal advice, it is an Australian site but regardless of where you’re
from, there’s bound to be something similar. I have yet to attend one yet, but
I cannot wait to see what it all entails and I cannot wait to tell you all
about it! But please remember to do as much research as possible, don’t tell
too many people about this new transition, this will avoid any judgements and
ridicule, wait until you are confident and keep a journal (not one that bashes
you – a healthy journal that will help you)
X
The first night I used the spray, I wasn’t too sure what I was expecting. But let me tell you, it works like a treat. It doesn’t give you a feeling of drowsiness; it just makes you feel like you’re going to sleep naturally. It’s incredible. I felt so refreshed in the morning and couldn’t wait to tell people about it. But most of my friends were a bit sceptical, telling me that if it works that well, it must be a drug. Even though I was telling them that it was completely safe and completely organic. That’s one thing I’ve learned about changing my lifestyle, is that people are so quick to judge and put you down for it. But you can’t argue with how someone’s life has drastically changed in only the space of a month. With the help of Anna, who has been like a rock for me during this difficult time, I feel so much healthier, I can think more clearly, I feel more positive about certain things and more importantly, I’m the happiest I have ever been. I don’t care about my weight, I care about how I feel on the inside and how I’m treating my body and ultimately that shows on the outside anyway. It’s a hard transition to make especially when you have lived a certain way for a long time. But that makes it so much worth it. When you haven’t really treated yourself right for a long time, the moment that you do, you notice it and you appreciate it that much more!
Now that this blog has gone on for quite a while, I want to end it with a bit of advice. If you’re someone who is just starting out, or has judgmental friends and family, or you may not have many resources; do as much research as you possibly can! Don’t jump into it straight away, because it can be very daunting and can be all a bit too much which then will make you not want to change your lifestyle at all. An eBook that I recommend that really helped me with all of this in the beginning is called “So you want to be a raw foodist” by Emma MacDougall, please read this first as it will make you feel a bit better about how to deal with certain situations as, eating out at a restaurant with friends when you have changed your eating habits and how to incorporate raw foods into your diet gradually, etc. Read plenty more of these type of books as it will help you gradually get into it all. I have also recently joined a website called “meet-up” where you can meet up with people with the same interests as you that are in your area, so if you plan on eating raw, vegetarian, vegan etc. There are people who want to that too and these people have plenty of experience, so not only can they offer cooking advice but also personal advice, it is an Australian site but regardless of where you’re from, there’s bound to be something similar. I have yet to attend one yet, but I cannot wait to see what it all entails and I cannot wait to tell you all about it! But please remember to do as much research as possible, don’t tell too many people about this new transition, this will avoid any judgements and ridicule, wait until you are confident and keep a journal (not one that bashes you – a healthy journal that will help you)
The supplements I take to get rid of the toxins in my body
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