Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Juice Recipe: Orange Spinach Basil Smoothie



This is a delicious and refreshing smoothie ideal for a breakfast pick me up.

I discovered this recipe on the wonderful YouTube Channel, Fully Raw by Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram . When I happened upon this recipe, I knew I had to give it a try and now,  I am officially hooked! I realize this is more of a summertime drink but that's OK with me! For me, this is a very refreshing, wonderful morning pick me up breakfast smoothie. 

I made three changes to this recipe, because this was a juice for one, I used 10oz of fresh squeezed orange juice and, 1/2 cup of spinach. I also added one whole lemon to the juice. I added the lemon simply because I enjoy lemon in my juices, I include them in almost every recipe!  Give this juice recipe a try, I think you will be hooked too! Let me know what you think!

From Fully Raw:
The Low Fat Raw Vegan Smoothie Recipe:
1 Pint of Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
1 Cup Fresh Spinach
Half to One Cup of Fresh Basil or Cilantro

Check out the full recipe demo below:


Saturday, October 27, 2012

Eat Organic And Save Tons Of Money: Visit Your Local Farmer's Market!

It was a beautiful day to visit our local Farmer's Market


You can afford to eat healthy organic fruits and veggies, just shop your local farmers market.

Every now and then someone will ask me, how we can afford to feed our family of 4 all that organic "stuff." Many people think its too expensive to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, and even more expensive to eat organic fruits and vegetables. My secret... I shop for our family's fresh fruit and veggies at our local farmers market almost every Saturday. Buying locally grown fruits and vegetables not only supports our local farmers and our community it also ensures we are getting the absolute freshest, unaltered, chemical free fruits and vegetables for our family. And we even save money on our produce bill! During an average Saturday morning trip to our farmers market, we spend about $30 dollars and bring home bags and bags of yummy fresh fruits and veggies! These items can last about a week, keep in mind I am the only Vegan in the house so I eat a larger portion of the whole foods, I also juice daily, so my thoughts are if you are a family of 4 non vegans simply trying to eat more fruits and vegetables the same items that last us a week might last you a bit longer if stored correctly.

Of course buying from our local farmers means we can only purchase what is in season and locally grown, for example it may be summer and lemons are in season but we don't grow lemons in Maryland. But we do grow watermelon and cantaloupes and tomatoes and... =) In this case, there might be an item or two that I will pick up from our local organic market, a good example are bananas, we love bananas, we use them in smoothies and in cereal and in almond butter and banana sandwiches. (our youngest daughter's favorite snack!) So, I will spend a few dollars on bananas or any other item that is not locally grown but on the menu for the week. Here is another way we save money on our produce bill. If we are going to purchase any items that are not available locally, we make sure these are items on the menu for the week so it does not go to waste. This week I purchased some oranges... they will be used in smoothies, salads and juice.
One of the juices I made with our Farmer's Market goodies and the store bought organic oranges.
*Get the recipe for this yummy juice here: Orange, Basil, Spinach Smoothie

This weekend take a trip to your local farmers market. Enjoy a relaxing stroll, speak with the farmers/vendors take in the fresh air and enjoy the touch and taste of some of the local offerings. You will discover the community is welcoming and friendly. You can really learn a lot from talking with the local farmers. You will also discover its not as expensive as you may think  In fact, its not expensive at all, we simply have to choose to "afford it"! 

Next post, I will cover purchasing organic items that are not produce related and how we keep that shopping bill under control.


A few items from our shopping spree at the Farmer's Market! We even got some honey from the honey man! :)





Friday, October 26, 2012

One Step At A Time...

How can you get started on your health and wellness journey?

One Step At A Time....



Thursday, October 25, 2012

If the woman I am now could talk to the girl I was then...

 
Reflection: 
That's me at age 13.
If the woman I am now could talk to the girl I was then...
I would hug her tight, and tell her, no matter what I love her.
She is the opposite of everything they will say she is.
She is loved.
She is beautiful.
She is smart.
And she is strong.
She is a gift and a blessing.
Her life is valuable.
She is powerful beyond measure.
And when it's all said and done, she will look back on all she will go through, exhale and say...
I'm still here!
 
 
 

Friday, October 19, 2012

Morning Inspiration

Sunday, October 14, 2012

One Workout, Many Benefits...

One workout, many benefits! With this weight ball work out, I worked body parts I didn't know I had! C.I.P.
 
 

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Update on my Battle Rope Session: Ibuprofen!


Battle....

This morning I went into battle...

Looking to add something new to my workout I went to visit a local gym that offers the rope work out also known as battle ropes and rope training. This is much more difficult than the professionals make it look! It was hard but it was a lot of fun! I will absolutely do this again! C. I. P. (Christine in Progress)

Trying Something New..

This morning I am on my way to try something new...

Good Morning Sunshine!

Good Morning Sunshine! Rise and shine, we have been gifted another beautiful day, don't waste another minute! Have a wonderful and blessed weekend.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Good Morning Universe!

What a beautiful gift to see the sunrise and witness all of the beauty that surrounds us! 
Every day is is gift! 







Good health is Priceless!

So excited!! Here is documented proof that hard work and sacrifice does pay off! I got my body composition analyzed today and I am so excited by the results. Not only have I lost 60lbs – that’s 7 pant/dress sizes! Yes, 7 sizes, my body fat has decreased by 16 points, my BMI is down by 12 points all this and .. I only started working out in MAY! Oh, and even more important, I am no longer pre-hypertensive or pre-diabetic!! My migraine headaches have decreased and my "episodes" have become less sever and less frequent. I am having far more good days than bad these days! I really feel like I am gaining control over this condition that once had all the control over me. YES, good health is priceless! #takingcareofme



Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Progressing!

(C.I.P. Christine in Progress) - Progressing! SO.. I guess this is a good time to announce I have lost... 60lbs! I'm kind of a little bit speechless. Some days it’s very, very hard but it is truly worth all effort. I actually didn't start this journey intending to "get skinny" I started my journey with the intention to get healthy and take better care of myself. The weight loss was just another bonus. The most important gift I am receiving out of this journey - Good health... that's priceless!

Monday, October 1, 2012

Never would have made it! (Morning Inspiration)

I woke up this morning!! 

I woke up this morning humming this song!!(Never Would have Made it, Marvin Sapp) God is good! Sight, life, limbs in working order, clarity, focus, health! Life! Life! Life! I never would have made it all this time ... without you! I would have lost my mind a long time ago! Jesus! I'm having a moment here!!