Making Natural Health & Fitness Work For You!

Natural Fitness is slowly making a name for itself in the fitness world as more and more people adopt a plant based diet and less complicated lifestyles. We know what the fitness & diet world has to offer,
 but what does Natural Fitness have to offer?

-No Calorie Restricting
-Eating A Diet Full Of Fruits & Veggies
-Focus On Health vs Weight
-No Counting Carbs/Proteins/Calories
-Body Weight Exercises
-Stretching & Happy Workouts-you pick...Running, Yoga, Hooping, Zumba, Dance etc, HAVE FUN!!!
-Green Smoothies Or Juices

Where do you start? The most important part of changing your lifestyle is to let go of the old and embrace the new! So many people cannot truly let go of their old lifestyle, fear taking on a new approach, and end up going back to their old ways. Natural Health & Fitness has a proven method of weight loss, health, and living, but it has to be embraced without fear. Change is difficult, living a lifestyle which is not endorsed by society is difficult, but the health benefits are worth it!!! Find a Natural health Practitioner to guide you and support you along the way!

Who is this lifestyle for? EVERYONE!!! But...if you have struggled with weight, tried every diet out there, lose weight and gain it back, feel tired and have low energy, or health issues, then you MUST consider making the change! The reason why so many people have amazing results with Natural health & Fitness is because it is not carbohydrate restrictive, it does not focus on weight, and it does not about counting calories. Imagine waking up and being able to eat a large amount of fruit, topped with chopped dates, and nuts! Yum!! or a dinner full of amazing veggies, roasted, baked, and raw! The best part is how fueled and happy this kind of diet makes you feel! If you have ever been put on a low-carb diet, you know the terrible feeling of wanting to binge on carbs as soon as you can!

Exercise is very important, ALL exercise is important! Some trainers frown upon certain types of exercise like Zumba, hooping, pole-fitness, dance, or yoga, claiming it does not get the results that strength training does. BUT...if your workout makes you happy, isn't that the first step? If you start by doing a workout you enjoy, eventually it will lead you to other workouts...I have seen this happen! Feeling happy is a fantastic thing, being told a workout which makes you feel happy is not important is irresponsible! I believe if more trainers praised their clients in engaging in "happy" workouts, then their clients would be less stressed, more confident, and maybe have better weight loss results!

Discover how amazing you can feel and look! Sometimes it isn't about what you ARE doing, it's about what you are NOT doing? If you are NOT eating enough fruits and veggies, and NOT doing your "happy" workouts maybe you need to start and new program :)

Stuffed Recipes!!!

So I love to stuff peppers and mushrooms!!! really I would try to stuff anything, lol! Here are some of my faves so far:

This is a Portabello mushroom stuffed with a Mexican bean filling: black beans, peppers, onions, and corn sauteed with Spanish seasonings. Bake the mushroom with the bean filling. Top with a Avocado salad: avocado, tomatoes, red onion, jalapeno pepper, cilantro, garlic, and lime juice, seasoned with black pepper & salt. 

This is a raw stuffed red pepper with the same avocado salad! Two great ways to use the same salad!

This is a sweet potato and veggies stuffed Portabello mushroom: Roast sweet potatoes, shredded carrots, parsnips, turnips, add cauliflower, onion, ground walnuts, season, and then mash! Stuff the mushrooms sprinkle with nutritional yeast and bake until the mushroom is tender!

I love Spaghetti Squash! This is a Mexican style squash! Roast it first, then gently scoop out the "noodles" and place in a saute pan. Add onions, corn, beans, carrots, and peas. Season with  Spanish style seasoning and  a little olive oil. Stuff back into squash shell, bake for a few minutes :)

Yummy Green Pepper stuffed: One pack of mushrooms chopped, 1/2 onion chopped and both sauteed in a little oil. Season with cumin, pepper, chili powder, and basil. Once browned, add fresh chopped parsley, about 1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, and 1/2 a carrot shredded. Season again with cumin, pepper, SALT, and basil. Add in spinach. Stir and let sit on low while you prep the peppers. Chop the tops off your peppers, remove seeds, stuff with filling, put in a backing dish, and bake at 375 until the pepper looks tender.

Another stuffed mushroom!!! This is a sauerkraut and mushroom filling! So easy, drain a can of sauerkraut and saute with onions and mushrooms! season with pepper, onion/garlic powder, cumin, and stuff the mushroom! Bake until its tender!

These are some of my favorite recipes! Try them, play around with the ingredients and make it your own :)

Keep It Simple. Health, Beauty, & Fitness.

On a daily basis we are bombarded by things, products, constant advertising, someone always telling you to buy more, do more, look better, younger, and thinner. No one ever says, do nothing, relax, buy less, and feel better :) Why? My guess is that as we simplify our lives we start educating ourselves and we stop supporting companies who's practices are unethical and who's products don't live up to the hype.

About 3 years ago I gave up skin care products. I use to look for anything that would promise me beautiful, acne free, wrinkle free, glowing skin. Drug stores offer so many products, I bet I had tried 80%, NONE lived up to the promises, most dried out my skin, or made it even more sensitive. I had been working at a local spa and had access to professional skin care products. So I bought them, not impressed either. These were expensive (even with my discount) and to get the "promised results" I would need a "system" of products to follow each day...wash with this, tone with this, moisturize with this. Really??? When did our skin become so complicated??? There had to be a simple way.

I had been using coconut oil in my kitchen for a few years, and after a little reading online, I decided to go for it! This became my moisturizer! At first I felt a little awkward going to my kitchen for my new beauty regimen, but after a little while it just felt right. Face wash??? I know, we need to wash our skin, with a product made in a lab, by people wearing gloves and masks? I don't think so. I began using a warm wash cloth to remove make-up and dirt, and sometimes Witch Hazel (on a cotton ball) just to freshen up during the day.  I then apply a thin layer of coconut oil, wait a few minutes and then do my makeup (which is kept very minimal). I found in the winter months I needed an oil which wasn't so "dry", so I did some research and discovered Grape Seed Oil was recommended by bunch of natural health forums for skin use! So I went to my kitchen and grabbed my oil (which I had been using to cook with) and put some on my face! I love it! I have been using it all winter and it works great!

I realized that nature got it right and science is messing with us! I understand science is important, but I don't want to be a science experiment! There are so many ways to keep your skin looking and feeling great with products made from natural resources and minimally processed! Try it, why not :)

Next on my keep it simple list- Food!! I have to say, if you keep your food simple, you will NOT have to struggle with cravings, upset stomachs, mood swings, or restrict calories. Just last week I was eating my 4th banana at work and someone said "are you really going to eat 4 bananas today"? I answered, "no, I am going to eat 6".  She thought the idea of eating so many bananas was crazy, even unhealthy. I wanted to ask so badly, "would you prefer I eat a sandwich, a protein bar, or some sort of packaged snack promising weight-loss, or digestive health"? No thanks! I really think there is something wrong in this world when eating food provided by nature, in the MOST natural state is weird, crazy, and unhealthy...and processed food with an easy to read nutriton labels is the better option! Nature got it RIGHT so don't fear food which is created for human consumption without any tampering in a lab! Again...no thank you! Keep it simple! Bananas, apples, melons, grapes, carrots, cucumbers, etc. make great snack or meal options! EAT UP!!

Fitness, it is SO IMPORTANT!!! It is part of being a human! We are designed to move. The body and mind respond to movement, endorphins (happy hormones) get released, mind gets clear, stress relieved, we feel good. Ever sat around too long and when you get up you feel awful. Instantly want to stretch, your back hurts, neck is stiff, and you're tired? Exactly...those are the negative side effects of NOT MOVING. You don't need to buy a bunch of work out DVDs or learn some insane workout to be fit. There are simple moves you can do and see amazing results...fitness doesn't have to be complicated or boring. If you need some assistance make an appointment with a trainer and have an "at home" workout designed for you! A personal trainer will show you the correct form, fun exercises, and make a program for you to follow on your own and at home! Another good place to start is walking, running, or dancing!! Once you start moving, you will crave it. A simple thing like dancing can really get you in awesome shape...and its FUN! Don't over-think it...just move!

Simplifying your life can open your eyes to a new world. It can bring good health and a sense of calm! Get rid of things that are complicated, and embrace the simple life.

My Inspiration...The Ladies of Raw Food

Some of my favorite ladies of the Raw Food Vegan Movement!!

 Get to know some of these amazing women and what lead them to this incredible lifestyle! Not only will you be inspired, but you will see how beneficial a Raw Food Vegan lifestyle can be! Find them all on Facebook, check out their websites, books,etc. They all have different yet similar stories...they were all in search of HEALTH!! Please check them out :) 

Kris Carr of Crazy Sexy Diethttps://www.facebook.com/KrisCarr.FanPage?ref=ts&fref=ts

Drew from Sexy Raw Food and Fitnesshttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Sexy-raw-food-and-fitness/124975714243447?ref=ts&fref=ts

Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram Of FullyRawhttps://www.facebook.com/FullyRawKristina?ref=ts&fref=ts

Freelee Frugivore AKA Banana Girl of Go Fruit Yourselfhttps://www.facebook.com/GoFRUITYourselves?ref=ts&fref=ts

Sheleana Breakell Of Yound and Rawhttps://www.facebook.com/youngandraw?ref=ts&fref=ts

They are so inspirational! They LIVE this lifestyle and have seen long term health & weight benefits! They are confident, beautiful, and most of all they put themselves out there! People can be very critical...yet these wonderful ladies stand up for what they believe in and continue to educate others!

Good work ladies :)