52 weeks of bodily bliss... week 21: Better than ICE CREAM !!!!!!!

If you know me, you know, I LOVE ICE CREAM!!!!!  I mean I L O V E ice cream!!!!!  If I could, I would live on nothing BUT ice cream.  Unfortunately I can't, so the need for better alternatives has been tickling my curiosity, and this week I will share some fun ideas with you.

As the weather warms up and our hearts are more free and wanting to enjoy life's great fun and cool treats, ice cream moves way up the list.  Not so hard, at the grocery stores the freezer isles are displaying the latest indulgences, the TV reminds of the yummy, the streets have ice cream trucks circling playing the fun music, not to mention the beaches, where the fresh cones with scoops melting down the forearms are calling our taste buds for a party.

While this is all fine and dandy, if not kept in check, our waist lines soon will rebel against the indulgence of our taste buds, and we bulge out of the bikinis.  Where did all the hard work go at the gym all these weeks?????  Now what?

Fret not, there are some easy tricks to keep the cool cravings satisfied.  One of my favorite things to do is, freezing bite-sized watery fruits to snack on.  For example, pitted and diced plums, mangos, cantaloupes, grapes, or blueberries make for a cool and nutritious revive.  These are amazing alternatives for ice creams and even a little over indulgence will not do too much damage.

These fruits, and others you love, are loaded with nutrients and vitamins to even further boost your indulgences, and keep your waist line slim and tight:

1 cup plums have 76 cals, 19 g carbs, .5 g fat and about 2 g fibers

1 cup blueberries have 82 cals, 20 g carbs, under 5 g fat and about 4 g fibers
1 cup grapes have 104 cals, 27 g carbs, 0 g fat and about 2 g fibers
1 cup mangos have 107 cals, 28 g carbs, .5 g fat and about 3 g fibers
1 cup cantaloupes have 54 cals, 14 g carbs, .5 g fat and about 1.4 g fibers

So simple, so delisc, so good for you.

Happy Snacking !!!!!

xoxo
Monika

Remember your greatness

You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence.
You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves.

~Abraham Lincoln~

52 weeks of bodily bliss... week 20: The Six Tests Doctors are NOT Giving You

I want to share a really great video that I
watched yesterday. 
It's Dr. Joe Mercola
talking at David Wolfe's Longevity Conference. 

He talks about six tests that doctors should
be giving you but aren't. 
I made sure to write
down the tests when I watched so that 
I can 
make sure to have them done! :) 


You may 
want to do the same…

You can see the video here: 


http://www.rawfor30days.com/Mercola_Live


He talks a lot about Vitamin D in the video also.
It's amazing 
the list of illnesses that he says
can be helped with proper
Vitamin D levels.

He also talks about the BEST ways 
to get
Vitamin D. Really important to know… 


Enjoy the video. :) 
Stay healthy!

Monika 

Healing Heart

The beauty of healing is such that, while it is a painful process, it has the capacity to elevate one to a new and higher level of life, love, and of personal power and influence.  The process must be entered into and completed in honesty and through the release of all excuses and explanations. 


Only reality exists, no matter how hard people try to cover that up.  When one is true to the[ir] reality, healing happens with ease of flow through all processes.  Love never hurts, it is everything else, that is mis[placed] into the situation, in the name of love, that does. All, essentially, to avoid love.

A healing heart is the rawest, purest, most alive heart.  In her true nature she is open to what *IS* and operates based only on that.

Only from such pure place can love emerge real and whole, no matter her current state. 

52 weeks of bodily bliss... week 19: STOP for a minute

An easy to spot and eliminate mega calorie thief, happens when we are multitasking and munching. I.e. while riving, on the phone, watching TV, studying, at the movies, the list goes on.

In our hectic lives, we are on the go a lot, or are distracted, while mastering the art of multi tasking, all day every day.  We learned to eat on the go, or even worse, soften the stress of every day life with munchies that go down with ease.  When it comes to food intake we can pack in an incredible amount of unmonitored calories when we are otherwise preoccupied.

STOP. If you want to cut out calories and stay on track, there are small rules that can easily be added to your daily routines that will not sabotage your shapely-efforts:

1. Try to not eat while doing something else
2. Schedule your meals, and put aside 5-15 minutes to enjoy your food, and take a break form your day
3. bag, container your foods that are pre-measured. This way, even if you MUST eat on the go, the amount you eat will not be a secret
4. Take frequent breaks throughout your day, so when it all gets too much, snacking will not be your immediate outlet to turn to for comfort
5. Drink all your water 2-4 L daily.  Hydrated body does not respond so drastically, also reduces the hunger pangs and help keep your cravings in place
6. Eat every 3 hours approximately to lessen creeping cravings 

Don't stress, rather try to implement a few of these tips so you can enjoy a more productive day and create a healthier life in the long run.

Until next time, enjoy yourself!

Love,

Monika

52 weeks of bodily bliss... week 18: fiber is fab

Eating sufficient fiber is very important. Diverticulitis, cholesterol problems, diabetes, heart disease, are just some of the ailments that can develop when fiber lacks in one's diet
How do we get this wonder-factor? Some great sources of fiber are:

• oats
• whole grain breads and pastas
•  fruits
• veggies
• legume (they are also loaded with protein)
• metamucil supplement is also a great addition as supplement

Aim for 5-10 g fiber per meal to reach your daily intake of 25 g for women and 30 g for men.
Just  a few examples:
Breakfast: .5 cup oatmeal with .5 cup blackberries
Snack: 1 apple with 8-10 almonds
Lunch:  lean meat with 2 cup green veggies and a salad
Snack: 3 dried figs
Dinner: lean meat with brown rice and 1 cup fresh spinach
Snack: carrots and celery with organic humus to dip


Try these guidelines and use your common sense.
Have an amazing week!!!!!


Monika


PS: before I get to that I want to remind you that there are less than 24 hours left to pick up a copy of the documentary film "Simply Raw" and the companion "Raw for Life" 2 disc DVD set. The Reversing Diabetes Action Day celebration special ends tonight at midnight… 
If you haven't picked up a copy yet make sure to do so by going here:

"Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days"