So for those of you who know me, I am not very religious. I'd consider myself more spiritual than anything. I respect all religions though. I think the concept of faith is beautiful. And it's not even that I don't believe anything or that I need proof, I'm just non committal because I like certain concepts from all different beliefs and denominations.
I was raised Catholic and I'm going to say this now just in my own opinion, not one of my favorites. Christianity is about Christ, not the Saints, so I don't agree with worshiping them or praying to them every time I lose my keys. St. Anthony, take a breather. One thing that I find very humbling though is Lent and giving up something you love for 40 days. Whether you are Christian, Muslim, Jewish, etc. Try this. The symbolism of it is fantastic. Even if you do 40 day challenge, or write something that you are grateful for each day for 40 days, you'll find it rewarding. The concept behind it is that Jesus walked the desert for 40 days and 40 nights without food or water and was tempted by Satan 3 times and he denied it. What a champ.
I gave up gluten. Yes. I said gluten. My cousin recently discovered she has Celiac Disease which means she is allergic to wheat products. I am not allergic but she inspired me to do this. I know it isn't easy for her because she LOVES pasta and bagels etc. Now I know you are wondering how she made it this far and never knew about her allergy and the answer is, we never knew why she was always getting so sick all the time with massive migraines, headaches, and irregular digestive symptoms. I urge you to get tested. Sometimes your stomach can even blow up like a balloon and make you look pregnant. My cousin reminds me a lot of Christ. She is a leader. She has a heart of pure solid gold. Her soul is beautiful. And I couldn't be prouder. I am so blessed to have her in my life. So giving up gluten for 40 days is my Lent give up and tribute to my angel and best friend.
I'm feeling fantastic by the way. I may just stay gluten free. So many options now and neat recipes and tricks.
I am going to start a new segment on my blog called "Challenge Accepted." I will do one once a month given the circumstance. This month I am testing the Oil Pulling Method. This is when you take a spoonful of vegetable based oil, swish it around in your mouth for 20 minutes (ONLY 20 important you don't do less or more) and you spit it out, rinse really thoroughly (I rinse with sea salt water.)
Do it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach before you've had anything including water. Pretend it is like mouthwash except for the gargling part. The oil becomes watery as it emulsifies. Supposedly, this is an ancient method used to detoxify your mouth, whiten teeth, and is even mythicized to reverse diseases. (May even become therapeutic to TMJ) For more information here is a website I find the most resourceful Oil Pulling Method
So my challenge is I will do this for 20 minutes a day for 20 days in a row and take pictures of my teeth every day to see the difference in color and hopefully repent those toxins!
Since it is the middle of the month, I will be giving you my latest favorites. Including a book because a mind at work is a body at work. Always exercise your brain no matter what. A favorite product. An inspirational person. And an app.
Book of the month:
Purchase from Amazon
Now I know Dr. Oz can seem a little gimmicky but this book has taught me a whole lot about my body. Think of it as an anatomy book written in terms that you can understand and retain. Great read. I got it on my kindle and I recommend that version because there is a bunch of interactive media and videos. Really cool and interesting stuff.
Product of the month:
Trader Joe's Organic Coconut Oil
(The oil I use for oil pulling)
Inspiration of the Month:
Allison Estell, my cousin, soul sister, and best friend.
App of the month:
GymPact
Let me tell you how much I LOVE THIS APP! It is one of the most motivating ones I have come across. You do need a credit or debit card but it won't be charged unless you break a "pact". You can make three pacts to yourself. An exercise pact, a food logging pact, and a fruits and veggies pact. You get to choose how many days a week or times per week you are willing to do and for every broken pact you get charged an amount of money you get to choose as well. ($5 min) The greatest part is that if you made your pact for the week and kept it, YOU GET PAID!!! It varies each week because you get paid for other people's broken pacts! Love it. I'm up to 7 days a week logging food, 35 veggies/fruits a week, and 3 times of 30 min exercises a week. If the payout was $1.00 I'd get $45/week for just doing my normal routine, yes please!
Weekly I would like to start featuring a recipe, a look at my grocery list, and a special song of the week that relates to how I am feeling or something that gets me pumped when I exercise.
Recipe: Gluten Free Turkey Meatballs and Corn Spaghetti
Grocery 'A List' Items:
From Vitamin Shop:
Vitamin E. (Pure vitamin in with dropper)
Vitamin B12 capsules
From Trader Joe's:
Ground turkey
Chicken breast
Sack of sweet potatos
Organic Quick Boil Jasmine Brown Rice
Roasted Plantain Chips
Latin Style Black Bean Soup
Flaxseed
Rice cakes
Corn pasta
Trader Joe's Marinara Sauce
Song of the Week :
Work Bitch by Britney Spears
Need I say more? This song will make you so energized and want to destroy something.
Do it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach before you've had anything including water. Pretend it is like mouthwash except for the gargling part. The oil becomes watery as it emulsifies. Supposedly, this is an ancient method used to detoxify your mouth, whiten teeth, and is even mythicized to reverse diseases. (May even become therapeutic to TMJ) For more information here is a website I find the most resourceful Oil Pulling Method
So my challenge is I will do this for 20 minutes a day for 20 days in a row and take pictures of my teeth every day to see the difference in color and hopefully repent those toxins!
Since it is the middle of the month, I will be giving you my latest favorites. Including a book because a mind at work is a body at work. Always exercise your brain no matter what. A favorite product. An inspirational person. And an app.
Book of the month:
Purchase from Amazon
Now I know Dr. Oz can seem a little gimmicky but this book has taught me a whole lot about my body. Think of it as an anatomy book written in terms that you can understand and retain. Great read. I got it on my kindle and I recommend that version because there is a bunch of interactive media and videos. Really cool and interesting stuff.
Product of the month:
Trader Joe's Organic Coconut Oil
(The oil I use for oil pulling)
Inspiration of the Month:
Allison Estell, my cousin, soul sister, and best friend.
App of the month:
GymPact
Let me tell you how much I LOVE THIS APP! It is one of the most motivating ones I have come across. You do need a credit or debit card but it won't be charged unless you break a "pact". You can make three pacts to yourself. An exercise pact, a food logging pact, and a fruits and veggies pact. You get to choose how many days a week or times per week you are willing to do and for every broken pact you get charged an amount of money you get to choose as well. ($5 min) The greatest part is that if you made your pact for the week and kept it, YOU GET PAID!!! It varies each week because you get paid for other people's broken pacts! Love it. I'm up to 7 days a week logging food, 35 veggies/fruits a week, and 3 times of 30 min exercises a week. If the payout was $1.00 I'd get $45/week for just doing my normal routine, yes please!
Weekly I would like to start featuring a recipe, a look at my grocery list, and a special song of the week that relates to how I am feeling or something that gets me pumped when I exercise.
Recipe: Gluten Free Turkey Meatballs and Corn Spaghetti
- 1 lb ground turkey
- ½ medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- 1 rice cake, food processed
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Your favorite Marinara sauce, or sauce of your choosing.
- 16 oz. Trader Joe's Corn Spaghetti
- Salted water to cook pasta in.
Preheat oven 400 F.
Combine the first 6 ingredients. Form them into 1inch ball shapes and place them on a non stick pan or spray olive oil on cookie sheet so they don't stick. Bake for 15 min.
While they are baking heat sauce up in medium sauce pan.
Bring water to a boil and cook pasta to desired consistency.
Once they are done baking place them carefully in the sauce and continue cooking for another 10-15 min.
And Enjoy!
A great tip:
I food processed a whole sleeve of rice cakes. Added sea salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese, garlic and onion powder to make my breadcrumb substitute in advanced. Comes out great.
From Vitamin Shop:
Vitamin E. (Pure vitamin in with dropper)
Vitamin B12 capsules
From Trader Joe's:
Ground turkey
Chicken breast
Sack of sweet potatos
Organic Quick Boil Jasmine Brown Rice
Roasted Plantain Chips
Latin Style Black Bean Soup
Flaxseed
Rice cakes
Corn pasta
Trader Joe's Marinara Sauce
Song of the Week :
Work Bitch by Britney Spears
Need I say more? This song will make you so energized and want to destroy something.
Well this concludes my post. Please give me some feedback on what you think. As always, I love everyone's reviews! I hope you enjoyed this one!
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