"Until a person decides in their own mind that there is hope, there isn't any hope. The first thing you deal with is a mindset. People need to look at the challenge of not being sick." Pastor Bob East
Our bodies are amazing! They regenerate all the time and replace dying off cells with new ones. It just  depends what we fuel our bodies with whether the new cells are healthy or sick.  What we put in our bodies creates those new cells.  So, if we are feeding them dead cooked food all the time they are producing sick cells and that is where we start getting degenerative diseases.

Live enzymes only come from live food. And live food is uncooked raw plant based. Enzymes is the proper fuel for our bodies. Like gasoline is proper fuel for our car's.

What has gotten me to this point in my journey of health is my desire not to be sick and to prevent degenerative diseases. I am not 100% perfect it has been a journey and it's me deciding the only person who can take this journey for me is me.

" It is up to you to take 100% responsibility for your life and become the person you want to be." Becoming The 1%: How To Master Time ~ Dennis Crosby

I am taking responsibility for myself and just sharing my journey with you and anyone who desires to join me, the more the merrier. I'm not here to change anyone except myself.

So, I'm taking 1 day and 1 meal at a time. I've gotten through 3 detoxes in the past, and this is my 4th one. I started this year off with a detox to jump start my year to a healthier self but also to a healthier lifestyle. It's easier to change your food lifestyle if you get the toxins out first. You don't crave the junk food that way and it's one less battle to fight.

So 1 day 1 meal is changing my daily habits 1 at a time.

"In life, 90% of your success will come from your daily habits. To become more productive, you have to build a new set of daily habits." Becoming The 1%: How To Master Time ~ Dennis Crosby

I'm Down 4 Pounds In 6 Days

I'm finally feeling my energy level coming up after the first few days of the detoxing initially has begun to clear out the junk in my body. Which has helped me loose 4 pounds in 6 days. I want to start adding juicing into my daily routine which will help add an abundance of nutrients into my body and will help heal down to the cellular level. I'm excited about the results so far and can't wait to see what the rest of the month will bring.

A fun snack to help you through the day or for a desert after dinner:
Take 1 medjool date and put pecans on the outside making a date sandwich. They taste so good and help you over come a sweet craving.

Detox 2016

It's been 3 days on my detox, and since I have an exclusively nursing 3 month old I can't add a lot of detoxing products in my body because I don't want to dump a lot of toxins in my milk. So, I have been eating raw (or more so I have been drinking green smoothies and chocolate based protein, peanut butter smoothies, along with juicing) and eating chia seeds, in almond milk, with pecans and bananas. And then in the evenings I've been eating plant based cooked foods. The cooked food helps slow detoxing down and you can eliminate the toxin it through staying hydrated.
The easiest way I have found doing a detox is to take 1 meal and 1 snack at a time. Try to get all the nutrients into your body that you can. (I had a few products left over from my last detox and I have been using the psyllium husk (which is a natural fiber) to help clean up the digestive system.
So far my detox is going pretty good, I'm starting to feeling lighter and I went running the first day for about 11 minutes and I walked yesterday for about 11 minutes. When my husband get home from work I might see if he would like to go for a run again.

To a happier, healthier you!

New Year Is Here, Time To Refresh, Renew, Get Back On Track

It's that time of year for New Year's planning, goal setting, and new year's resolutions. Have you ever had a personal new you, new year planning time set aside?

 It's been my goal I have been trying to implement into place the past 2 years, Not the easiest to do with 4 little ones and the youngest being only 3 months old to find some quiet time cut out of the day to sit down and just think through my goals and desires for this coming year. But I really want to try to get better organized and be more productive in 2016.

This next year is a mile marker for me. It is my last year in my 30's, or, I like to say "I'm 21 with soon to be 18 years of experience". So with only 1 more year in my 30's I'm wanting to make some major lifestyle changes. I'm wanting to run my first half marathon. I use to run before children and even trained for a full marathon back in 2003. I even got up to a 20 mile long run and then 3 weeks before the marathon I got into a car accident and I was not able to run the marathon that year. So, I figured to start off training this year for a half marathon then maybe for my 40th birthday present to myself I want to run a full marathon.

This year I also want to try to go fully raw plant based and see how I feel and look in a year. It's a lifestyle change I want to try for myself but also to be a support to my parents who are also trying to heal themselves nutritionally. I'm excited to see what this year holds. My goal for this lifestyle change is to blog once a week if not everyday as a journal on this journey, and take periodically selfies and post for anyone who might be interested in the transformation.
I want to blog about my journey so I can be accountable and to stay on the right track to getting healthier and in turn being more productive while teaching my kids how to be healthy.

The first thing I'm going to do is detox. Which I have already started today and will go all the way through January. I will blog more on that later this week.

To a happier healthier year in 2016!

It's That Time Of Year! Time To Cleanse!

First I would like to share how I got started on this journey of finding a healthy lifestyle and then I will move onto detoxing and rejuvenating, rebuilding the body. When I was about 18 or 19 years old I began to notice if I had sugar or greasy food my stomach would get upset and I would feel nauseous after eating these type of foods. So, I started being more cautious of what I ate...(not perfect just more cautious). Now almost 20 years later beginning last year 2013 I did my first detox and I noticed a difference physically. Not only how I felt but how I looked. My skin had a healthy glow to it. My stomach bloating went down substantially. I felt great and had more energy then I used to have. Only after 4 days of being on the detox my chronic lower back pain went away. (Which I have had off & on since I was 21, I will be 38 in February).
Since I have seen the effects & benefits of detoxing I have already done one 21 day detox this year back in September and January of 2015 will be my first for 2015. I'm going to shoot for doing 4 detoxes a year starting next.
You may wonder why should I detox? Please check out my previous post back in December 2013 and it will educate you the importance why we should detox our bodies.

You can also read my previous post to see what I did for my detox on December 2013. This year will look a little different then my last detox I posted about. In another post I will show the product I will be using and where you can get them.

The objective we want to accomplish through a detox is to cleanse and reset our body with Raw Food and a lot of nutrients to help us burn excess belly fat, reduce gas and bloating, boost our energy dramatically, and eliminate brain fog.
There is not a one size fits all package to health, we are all very unique and it is up to us as individuals to tune into what works best for ourselves today. We all need more fruits & vegetables in our lives.

This Raw Food Cleanse you can do for 28 days or join me for the full month of January. I am creating this program from various detoxing programs I have studied and put together bits and pieces and nuggets from these different program others have tried & they have gotten excellent results. It will be a new program for me but I'm excited to be starting this new adventure knowing it will benefit me in the long run and get me closer to the lifestyle I desire. This program will reset our bodies digestive system using the healing powers of raw foods and supplements. The raw food will nourish and cleanse your body.

Most of the detox program I will be following this January is  

Karyn Calabrese detox and below is the break down of her detox.

The Detox Diet Explained
Calabrese refers to her eating plan as Nature's Healing System. The diet is a vegan diet, which means it doesn't include meat or foods made with animal products, including milk, butter and eggs. The diet is based on three "R"s. The first is for "remove," which means you'll be removing several foods from your daily diet. "Replace" is the second and refers to the fact that you'll be replacing the foods you removed with healthier alternatives. The third "R" is "rebalance," which means adopting new lifestyle habits to support good health. Exercise, such as yoga, is recommended during each phase of the diet.

Week One
During the first week of the Detox Diet, you'll adopt a vegan diet. For example, you'll eliminate cow's milk and might replace it with almond, soy or rice milk instead. You'll also remove eggs, fish, meat, poultry and dairy foods. Hummus, vegetable stir-fries and vegetarian chili are a few options that Calabrese recommends. Green meal shakes are a key component and they're made with Calabrese's own green meal powder, as well as banana, apple juice, flaxseed oil and B vitamins. You're also encouraged to take chlorella tablets, digestive enzymes, fenugreek and kamut water and to keep a journal about the changes in your eating habits.

Week Two
As you start week two of the diet, you'll transition to eating a raw diet. This means you won't be eating anything that has to be cooked. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, herbs, spices, sea salt and pure coconut & flax seed oils will all be included in your menu. Calabrese also recommends that you only eat when you're hungry rather than following a regular meal schedule. You'll also be adding m wheatgrass juice, probiotics and vegetable juice to your eating plan. During this phase, you'll likely notice skin changes, flatulence and headaches, but these are normal, Calabrese reassures.

Week Three
Colonics and enemas are an addition to the diet during week three. Calabrese maintains that these help you detoxify your body. You're likely to experience symptoms, such as chills and cramping, during this phase. For four of the days during this third week, you'll eat just like you did during phase two. For the remaining three days, you'll fast.

Week Four
During the fourth week of the diet, you'll continue eating a raw food diet and taking the supplements Calabrese recommends for the first three phases. You'll also end the cleanse and adopt a healthy eating plan that you can follow for a lifetime.

If you are curious who Karyn Calabrese is, just follow the link and it will give you a bio of who her and what starting her detox is.

Are you ready to begin changing your life one step at a time? Let's get started!

21 Day Detox Challenge

I won't go into depth of the importance of why we need to detox. You can check out my post called "The Importance of Detoxing Part 1" and the second one that follows "The Importance of Detoxing Part 2"
This post will just be the explanation of the 21 day detox challenge.

This gentle, sensible program is appropriate for most people, including those who are gluten-free, diabetic, or vegetarian/vegan. Not recommended during pregnancy. If you are nursing, let me know and I will give you specific instructions. I am not a doctor, nutritionist, or dietitian, but I do love studying and have done so for the past 12+ years on health, nutrition and how food, fitness and chemicals effect us. I desire to help others better their own health and their loved ones around them by passing my knowledge on.

What you can expect from this detox:
We are going to gently cleanse our bodies from the inside out using whole foods and natural products. Within the first few days you may have some headaches and nausea due to the body releasing toxins but if you hang in there they will subside. (Try to tapering off the items we are going to avoid during the 21 days the week leading up to the detox, this will help with lessoning of the headaches.) Within the first week or two, you will notice positive changes in your body, energy levels will rise, along with moods and mental clarity. Emphasis will be placed on nourishing, detoxifying with whole foods. We’ll transition away from foods that are difficult to digest, allergenic or addictive  (peanuts, animal products and dairy products). "Amazingly you CAN get protein from plants". You may follow the meal plans exactly I put up on my blog, or just use the detox guidelines to create your own creative meals. By the end of these 21 days, you will have generated momentum to continue living in your new clean body!

What kind of foods will be allowed:You’ll have a wide range of plant based foods. (I will also blog fun raw recipes to try).
Some examples of food we get to have: hummus, fruit, vegetables,beans, lentils, and brown rice, (lentils have a higher protein content and less carbohydrates than rice. For ideal weight and  blood glucose management, choose lentils more often).  Olive, coconut, sesame, flaxseed, avocado, grape seed, sweet almond oils. Real, wholesome food. Green tea, detox tea and lots, and lots of spring, non-chlorinated water. (We should be consuming 1 ounce of water for every 2 pounds we weigh) ~ just divide your weight in half to get how many ounces of water you should consume. For example: I'm 135lbs, I should consume 68ounces of water a day.
Make sure you are eating for success:

• Eat a variety of foods. Choose from the rainbow of colors
• Lots of fruits and vegetables (think fruits clean, veggies feed)
• Eat frequently throughout the day to maintain a level blood sugar range (this will help with the headaches and nausea also)

First fun recipe to try: even I need to try this one out yet.

Detox Tea Recipe
Servings: 1 (it’s a lot of tea, but you can sip on this all morning)
Time: 10 minutes
What you need: a medium pot, a fine mesh strainer, and a heat safe bowl, pot or large glass pot

• 1 cinnamon stick
• 10 basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 inch ginger, sliced into thin coins
• 1/2 a lemon, juiced
• 4 cups cold, filtered water

Directions
Bring 4 cups of filtered water up to a boil with the cinnamon, basil, cumin and ginger.  Allow it to boil for 5 minutes.
Remove the pot from heat, add the lemon juice and allow the tea to steep for 3-5 minutes.
Strain the tea through a fine mesh sieve into another container.
Sip on the warm tea all day.

We can do this!

It's only 21 days of our lives, that can change our health for the rest of our lives. 

What kind of foods will not be allowed:
I touched base on this above but to go more in depth. Caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, or other stimulants, sugar, grains (except brown rice), nuts and seeds (seeds and nuts are just to be avoided the first 10 days), dairy, processed, refined foods, unnatural products, animal products and by products. Chemical free personal care products (you will have to read the labels on the products you may have in your bathroom or makeup kits).

 

WE can do this!

(If I can go 21 days without my coffee then anyone can..."I LOVE MY COFFEE")

It's only 21 days of our lives, that can change our health for the rest of our lives. 

The Program Basics
To sum up our 21-day purification program it includes eating whole, organic, and unprocessed foods; taking whole food supplements; and drinking plenty spring, un-chlorinated  water. We will eat vegetables and fruits for the first 10 days, with select proteins added on day 11 thru 21.

Below are the items I'm going to be adding to my detox to help eliminate excess toxins in my body plus to make sure I get all the extra nutrients my body may need while expelling those toxins.

Colon Cleansing Formula Fiber Drink Mix: provides a well-rounded approach to intestinal health. It features a balanced blend of three dietary fibers fortified with a full- day's supply of vitamin C and the beneficial gut bacteria lactobacillus acidophilus--all in a delicious naturally orange flavored powder that mixes readily with water or juice for easy use.

Arbonne Protein Shake: delivers 20 grams of vegan protein, plus coenzyme Q10, alfalfa, ginseng, flax seed and 20 essential vitamins and minerals per serving. (these protein shakes will help keep you full while on the detox and are easy and efficient while being on the go, an easy quick fix meal. Plus these are by far the best tasting protein shakes out there, that are pure, safe, and beneficial. And believe me, I have tasted quite a few in these past 12 years). 

 Arbonne Fiber: Boost your daily dietary fiber intake with 12 grams of fiber that account for nearly half of the recommended daily amount. (Fiber helps elimination of toxins in the body, and helps you fill fuller longer).

Green Max Powder: Maximize your energy levels with the antioxidant nutrition in Green Max Powder! This highly nutritious blend of 25 greens and herbs promotes energy all day long. Also features five species of beneficial bacteria, powerful antioxidants. Includes beta-carotene, lecithin, spirulina, chlorella, echinacea, alfalfa, and much more.

(This supplement product will help make sure you are getting enough nutrients through a variety of whole foods).

Herbal Detox Tea: A delicious, mild, decaffeinated herbal tea with 9 botanicals that support the liver and kidneys for overall health. (Supports elimination toxins).

 

 

These items below are not a necessity on the detox but I will put the benefits below them to explain why I will be adding them to my 21 day detox.

Sweet Carrot Juice Powder with Probiotics: For free-radical protection, healthy eyes and intestinal balance. Carrots are naturally rich in beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A as needed to help maintain vision. Additionally, the beta-carotene found in carrots acts as a powerful antioxidant, defending cells throughout the body against free-radical damage. It gives you a highly concentrated source of natural carrot nutrition, fortified with probiotics to enhance the immune system and GI tract function. Each serving supplies the phytonutrient equivalent of five ounces of fresh carrots with over 5 billion probiotic organisms. (You will get extra nutrients, it's an easy quick fix to add to fresh squeezed juice or just water. Plus you want to build up good gut flora that helps break down our foods and makes sure that we get all the nutrients out of those foods. "our good gut flora has been destroyed in over use of antibiotics and conventional meats that are pumped full of antibiotics").

Digestive Enzymes: Each single-serving stick packet contains a mild-flavored powder that can be added to any cold or room temperature liquid. Provides prebiotics, probiotics and enzymes to help support optimal digestive health. (Enzymes help support digestion. It also supports extensive digestion of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, fiber and lactose. Also helps build a healthy digestion to help minimize gas and bloating. Promotes balance in the intestinal tract. And Supports nutrient uptake from the foods we eat).

 

 

 Alive Vitamin C: Alive 100% Whole Food Complex derives its entire vitamin C content from four of Mother Nature's most potent organic fruit sources: acerola, goji, amla and kiwi. (not a necessity during a detox but will help you stay healthy while your body is expelling toxins.) 

 

JuiceFestiv: Boost energy and well-being. It's the ultimate fruit and vegetable super food! JuiceFestiv provides a full-spectrum of food colors and an excellent source of antioxidant nutrients Vitamin A (beta Carotene) and vitamin C. It features 46 fruits, vegetables, spirulina, wheatgrass, barley grass, plus antioxidants, probiotics and digestive enzymes.

 (This supplement product will help make sure you are getting enough nutrients through a variety of whole foods, the Green Max Powder would be enough for this but I'm doubling up on getting extra nutrients because a mom of 3little ones and working outside the home, I don't have that much time to sit and eat all the nutrients I need to, it's easier for me to drink my calories; that's why I love protein shakes and juicing veggies and fruits).

Organic Organo Gold Green Tea: The exceptionally soothing and flavorful character of Green Tea combined with the healthy benefits of Organic Ganoderma* provides a drink rich with anti-oxidants. (Because I love coffee so much and mainly think it's just having that cup of something hot in my hands to warm me up, green tea is a great alternative and it has wonderful benefits. Its high content of flavonoids — plant-derived compounds that are antioxidants. Catechins are more powerful than vitamins C and E in halting oxidative damage to cells and appear to have other disease-fighting properties. Studies have found an association between consuming green tea and a reduced risk for several cancers, including, skin, breast, lung, colon, esophageal, and bladder. Additional benefits for regular consumers of green and black teas include a reduced risk for heart disease. The antioxidants in green, black, and oolong teas can help block the oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol, increase HDL (good) cholesterol and improve artery function.)

 

 You don't have to do all the cleansing and supplements that I have chosen to do. It is best to choose a cleansing supplement, whole food vitamin, fiber, and a probiotic for your detox. (For most people and their busy lives now days it's easier to consume in a vitamin or powder form that can be put in a liquid form to consume. We need fast and efficient now days). Most of the detoxing will be from eliminating certain things out of our diet (noted in the "foods to avoid"). And adding in extra fruits and vegetables along with mostly consuming fresh, un-chlorinated water (noted in the "foods allowed").

I do sell the Arbonne producst and would be more then happy to order those for you and have them shipped directly to you. On your first order I will be giving a 35% discount on your products. The other items except the Organo Gold Green Tea come from www.swansonvitamins.com They carry a wide variety of products. I would love to help you in figuring out what will work with in your budget for the 21 day detox challenge. Feel free to place a comment below or find me on facebook @Lauriena Staley Cruz and private message me. I will contact you back as soon as possible. My desire is to just help others become healthier and live a long and healthy life.
Good luck on your 21 days and if you need anything feel free to contact me.

How does your diet make you feel?

Do you feel lethargic, tired and sick most of the time?

OR ARE YOU BURSTING WITH ENERGY.....

 

WITH SO MUCH ENERGY, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT ALL?

 

No matter what age you are, you can be abounding with energy!

 I have done my own experiment for a few months now and even got my parents to join me for a full 7 days with some pretty neat results. (For those 7 days we did all raw fruits and vegetables with 1 meal cooked of just vegetables, we also juiced carrots, apples and different greens).

Since the beginning of September to near the end of October I lost 10lbs, lost my spongy feeling (cellulite) in my skin, my skin started having a healthy glow, lost my bloat feeling (my tummy was even starting to look flatter...even after having 3 kids) and I felt like I had an abundance of energy to spare.

My parents results were pretty amazing too. My mom's allergies started clearing up, her eyes were clearer, her skin started having a glow to it, both my parents started sleeping better and they started having more energy.

HEALTHY VS UNHEALTHY



 

 

Then off and on I kind of fell off the band wagon with some things that came up and went back to the SAD's (Standard American Diet) and became bloated again, spongy, fatigued, got a sore throat, and just felt yucky.

 



 It's amazing how our bodies break down the fuel we put into it, whether it comes from raw fruits and vegetables or from junk food. If we consume mostly a plant base diet our bodies can break it down more efficiently and use it more quickly then if we consume junk food and animal products.

Take for instance, if you were to put water into your gas tank for your car to run on as fuel, your car will eventually end up dying pre-maturely because it was never meant to run on water. It was meant to run on gas. Our bodies on the other hand were meant to run on water, fruits, vegetables. (Amazingly, you can get protein from plants).Most of Americans are malnourished and don't even know it....we're one of the most wealthiest nations in the world yet we are have the most obese, sick population.

Our Nation is sick and we keep getting sicker and more unhealthy.

Prescription drugs are not the answer to better health.

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”
― Hippocrates

I did find out that I had to make sure I planned ahead on a raw fruits and vegetable diet but was well worth it. Our bodies can break down and digest fruits and vegetables a lot quicker then other foods I usually had to make sure I was having a snack every 3 hours or so. 

But I also filled up a lot quicker too.

With consuming fresh juice and a lot more water it helped flush the toxins out and I didn't feel weighed down. (that's where a lot of the spongy feeling in our skin comes from "or also known as cellulite")...the excess toxins from our foods we consume and our personal care products makes our bodies overly toxic. (Personal care products will have to be another blog considering they allow over 80,000 chemicals in our personal care products now days).

My goal is to eventually get on a high raw food plant base diet after doing a detox. What is a "high raw food diet"? 85% raw with 15% cooked. Yes, this is against what most of the people around me consume but I know how much of a health benefit it is and I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. I love having extra energy to keep up with my kids and having the best health possible to enjoy playing with my kids. And what the raw menu provides is endless...it's not just plain old fruits and veggies you get to create amazing dishes being creative and having fun. I will post some of those fun dishes as I put meal plans together and as I try them out I'll let you know how they are.