Write Down YOUR Crazy Ideas!!!!

I received a message today that looked something like this:

" Is it possible for a out of shape lazy person like myself to learn yoga in the least humiliating way lol"

and ended with:

"thank you so much nancy! i love when you post your bananas among us stuff"

so i want to post some photos and chat about goals.

this was a delicious smoothie i consumed yesterday!!  :)

this is me.

this is me again!

So my friend says to me that he wants to be able to crush a beer can on his abs one day..

..i am going to assume he was serious.. but either way.. the thing about goals is that they can be ANYTHING!! Goals are fun because they give you something to aim for. I write down all of my goals.. actually, I write down everything.. otherwise I would not ever get anything done.. lists are my friends!!  

I worked with this really amazing therapist at a really not-so-amazing Psychiatric Hospital.. and I used to tell him some crazy iadeas, and he would say, write it down.

"Write down all your crazy ideas!!!"

...and I thought he was crazy... but he was actually on to something. 
I have found that since I have been writing down my goals, when I go back to evaluate them, I am checking them off!! I am doing ALL of my goals. 
....and I have MANY.

I write down things as simple as.. 

"Pet Kittens"
"Smile a lot"
"Be really, really genuinely happy today"
"Drink some hot tea"
"Smile some more"


as well as grocery lists.. homework assignments.. personal obligations.. car stuff... reading.. whatever...
i make a list as soon as a wake up in the morning.

whenever I do not make a list... I never get anything done... which is maybe just because I need that structure to stay on task.. otherwise I will be stuck at the pet kittens part forever..


check out this book...  

..you can find it by clicking here on Amazon.


I bought this book a year ago, and it has been so helpful in so many ways with achieving my goals... and it is super fun to read. it's got all different sized font and lots of good stories and ideas... it is one of, if not, the best book I own.


However big or small your goals: 

petting kittens today...  or becoming a millionaire by age 55.

..getting a really fit body.. or thinking more positively about the future..

..reminding yourself to be more mindful.. 

..whatever your goals.. write them down. and just do them.

it's super rewarding.

Stay Beautiful. & Smile.  (:

Paleo.PILLS. & fActS!!

"Today, Americans get more than 50% of their calories each day from processed foods like flour, sugar and industrial seed oils that are virtually devoid of nutrients. Soft drinks alone account for 7% of our daily calorie intake. Yet these foods are directly at odds with what our bodies were designed for."

 50% of calories from nutrient-less food that does nothing but destroy your body.

 7% of calorie intake comes soda.

~

 "a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that prescription medication is responsible for over 110,000 deaths a year."

..not to mention the irreversible damage medication can do to your body that is not reported as death..

~

"As for the common objection that the Paleo diet is dangerous because it permits foods like red meat, eggs and saturated fat, the most recent research does not support a causal relationship between eating these foods and heart disease, cancer, or early death. "

...science is evolving just like we are... once upon a time, we didn't think there was a correlation between disease and hand washing..

~

"people who take prescription medications may be less likely to engage in healthy diet and lifestyle behaviors. For example, a study published in 2014 found that people taking statins to reduce cholesterol may feel a false sense of security and overindulge in unhealthy foods. They increased their total calorie intake by 10% over a 10-year period, whereas no changes in eating habits were observed in non-statin users over that same period."

..this might be my most hated issue with prescription medication. 'i take pills for that so i no longer need to engage in healthy diet or lifestyle.'  taking pills for something does not mean you are controlling the issue. it means you are artificially addressing/acknowledging it... (there are obvious exceptions..)

    PLEASE CLICK HERE AND READ THE ARTICLE I STOLE EVERYTHING IN QUOTATIONS FROM!!!! <3

Have a beautiful day!! And say 3 nice things to yourself in the mirror!! (seriously)

..another shitty blog post.

...after chatting on the phone for a good 30 minutes with a friend equally, if not greater than, obsessed with bowel movements as I.. 
...I have decided to blog once again.. about bowel movements!!

what does an optimal bowel movement look like???




                                       THIS.

it should be missile-shaped!

Whether you are someone who already maintains optimal digestion.. or you are thriving to achieve optimal digestion, I would like to include some handy tips for improving digesting!!

• eat only when hungry
• start your day with a glass of room temperature/warm water
• eat in a calm, seated, and settled environment
• eat at a moderate pace
• chew your food well and be mindful of its smells, tastes, and textures
• eat freshly cooked meals - avoid leftovers and stale, processed foods
• sip a little warm water thru out meals
• allow a few minutes after eating to relax
• try to eat your biggest meal at lunchtime when digestion is strongest
• allow a few hours in-between meals
• allow at least 2 hours between dinner and bedtime
• sip warm water thru out the day
• try not to eat on the run or in the car
• avoid ice-cold foods and drinks
• eat in a neutral or positive environment
• give thanks that went into growing, harvesting, and preparing your food <3

**i realize that some of these are near impossible for a multitude of reasons...

...& to read my first blog on bowel movements & you.. click here!!

Fiber is also a great way to achieve optimal bowel movements!!!..

..but in an effort to hold your attention, we will talk about fiber next time!!

Happy Pooping!! (:

The Art of Asking..

Am I good enough?

Do I deserve this?

Currently reading Amanda Palmer's book... 

"The Art of Asking.. or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help"

..it makes me want to be a street performer!!
..and to jump into the world and be vulnerable!


If you have never seen a music video of hers.. you are missing out.
She is a true entertainer.

Why is it so hard for people to ask for things? 

~

Asking for help means that you are weak. That you are unproductive. That you are not good enough to manage your issues on your own.
... once upon a time, I thought these statements to be true.

Once upon a time I was stubborn. I was narrow minded. 

Although I never thought I had the world figured out, I did think that my way was the best way.

I moved out when I was 18 making a whopping $7.00/hour.
Trying to pay rent + pay for school out of pocket + groceries..
.. I was miserable. I was hungry.

Every penny I made went to school so I wouldn't have to take out loans.. and to rent.. and if I had any money left over.. it went to groceries.. 

Society made me think I needed my own space to feel accomplished.. If I lived at home, I was unsuccessful.. or not an adult.
..if I needed someone's help, I would rather be hungry than a burden.

~

..my thought process has tremendously altered since that near decade ago..

..but this book is about these situations.
..why humans feels so scared to ask for help. to be vulnerable.

Everyone has a different set of circumstances, and while i once viewed myself as a victim of circumstance and lived life fairly negatively.. or, really, severely negatively.. i feel as though i have overcome A LOT of mental anguish by merely altering my perception of the world and what success really meant to me.

If you are someone who struggles with asking for things..

... spare change for a parking meter ...

... a promotion...

... a hug ...

... love ...

..i think this book can bring you a lot of joy..

..especially if you have love for street performers, strippers, lawyers, nurses, Amanda Palmer, yourself.. or anyone who has ever struggled to ask for something.

<3

What Does 2,000 Calories Look Like?

I know before I have said to stop counting calories, which is still the case.. 

I much prefer putting my focus on nutrient dense meals. 

Making sure you are eating a recommended number calories(between 1,600 and 2,400) without regard to the nutrients in your food typically means you are depriving yourself of what your body needs. (which can lead to a myriad of health problems)

Click here to read why you should focus on nutrient dense over calorie counting.

...some asparagus baked with coconut oil & spices... YUM.

So I found this article in the New York Times that puts photographs, very well done photographs, with what 2,000 calories of food looks like. I wanted to share it with you because I find the images visually stimulating, and if you are someone not willing to give up on counting calories, it may be helpful.

Click here to see the pictures..

Today's Social Experiment.

Today I embarked upon a journey that was nothing short of awesome.

These days, it's easy to handicap ourselves from human interaction.
We live right on top of each other, but everyone is a stranger.

I do write this blog, but I also make a conscious effort to limit my time spent staring at a screen. 

That is why, pictured here... you can see my telephone. 
That's right! It flips open. It has buttons. It does not have internet. 

I like to interact with people in real life. The internet is nice. I like the internet. I am in no way anti-internet!...
But I am certainly PRO-SOCIAL INTERACTION!!

I like to know what people are doing. Which is why travel entices me! What are people doing  everywhere and why?! What makes people do the things they do?! Why are some people so damn happy and some so sad?!

So there's this shop in the inner city, kind of near north side.. it looks like a bicycle shop. There are bicycles outside.. So does this shop sell bicycles?! and what an unusual location to sell bicycles.. somewhat hidden, nothing else around.. except, buildings that are not shops?..  I've never heard of this place..

Like most people I know of my generation, I am somewhat reserved about going into a random place that I have no idea what it is! But there are BICYCLES! 

I should go inside that place and see if they would sell me their bicycles!

I walk in and there are three people sitting in a circle. 
   They all smile at me.. 
I go on about how I found them and why I walked inside.
They seemed delighted. We talked about all kinds of things.. like bicycles and jobs and their program!

Which is awesome!

Freewheelin' is a youth development organization that uses bicycles to captivate a child's interest by working on the bikes and riding them. These activities teach life skills, good health habits, and leadership! 


You can volunteer, donate, or purchase bikes.

They do a lot of cool stuff with the kids, and they also have programs for adults. 
You can navigate their website from here for more information.


...the moral of my story: If you are curious about something, just go talk to people. I have passed this little bike shop so many times so curious about what their story is. 
         Now I know & now I have a story to go along with it.

Enjoy Coca~Cola!

I gave up soda my sophomore year of high school when I used a 2 Liter of Coke to clean the corrosion off of my battery terminals in my car.

I will never forget that pivotal moment in my life where I watched the acid sizzle away the build up. I remember like it was yesterday.. 
..ever since, I have never even viewed soda as a drinking option because in my mind, it wasn't.
Putting those chemicals in my body where they could possibly corrode my delicate organs like they did to my battery??
No thanks..

So I ran across this article today about a man who decided to experiment with drinking 10 Cokes a day for 30 days... 


Most people do not drink 10 Cokes a day, but the reason he chose that number was simply because the amount of sugar in 10 Cokes comes close to the equivalent amount of sugar a lot of Americans will consume in one day.
Whether it is in your coffee, in your fruit juice, in your gatorade.. yes, unless you are making a conscious effort to read every label of every item you put inside your body, you are probably consuming more sugar than you think.  If you haven't taken my Sugar Challenge yet, Please, please, please!!.. Click here to see how much sugar you might actually be consuming VS the      
                                                                        amount of sugar your body needs..

To sum it up for you, the average American consumes 22 teaspoons of sugar per day... 
.....and do you know what is recommended?

6 teaspoons for women

9 teaspoons for men

This man did this experiment to spread awareness about how unhealthy consuming large amounts of sugar can be.

And here are some highlights of his experiment:

                         DAY 1                     Day 30

weight:                  168 pounds                        191 pounds
body fat:                     9.4                                      15.3
blood pressure:        129/77                                143/96


That is a weight gain of 23 pounds and a body fat increase of 65%!!

Along with his body image, other things that changed were his mental clarity and energy.

We have a choice.

We can choose to feel amazing, look amazing, think clearly, beat depression, control anxiety, have clearer skin, think more positively, and ENJOY our lives.

                  ..health IS a choice.

and a lot of us have no idea.  

Please do your friends a favor and spread awareness.. This information is life saving.


To visit his website and learn more about the man who consumed 10 Cokes a day for a month, Click Here!