Video Blog Day Three

Here is what I nourished my body with today...I am so grateful:

BREAKFAST: A Lemon and Bentonite Clay Water, A Rice Milk Banana Smoothie

LUNCH: Walnuts, Pecans Nuts, Dates and an Orange

SNACK: More Walnuts, Pecans and Dates

DINNER: A beautiful home cooked meal consisting of Lentils, Mushrooms, Spring Onion, Mint, Basil, Sweet Potato. It was so delicious!

DESSERT: None

Tomorrows blog will be showing how to apply and use Bentonite Clay as a face mask :)
Be grateful for everything you are, and everything you are not.
Life is beautiful when seen through grateful eyes.
Love Love Love
xoxoxoxox

Video Blog Day Two

Day Two on the Detox Cleanse...No Chemicals, No Preservatives, No Binge Eating...tired and cranky.
Day Two for me was about cleansing my body with cleansing drinks and protein.
Here is what that consisted of today:

BREAKFAST: Lemon Water and Bentonite Clay, Almonds

LUNCH: Walnuts, Pecans

SNACK: Macadamias

DINNER: Pecans and a Warm Lemon Drink with A hint of Agarve Nectar

DESSERT: Dates


I am off to bed, I have been looking forward to this moment all day!
Goodnight, and remember to be grateful :)
Love Love Love
xoxoxoxox

Video Blog Day One

Today was about fulfilling cravings whilst drinking detoxing drinks like Lemon Water, Bentonite Clay Drink and Ginger Tea. Here is what I consumed today:

BREAKFAST: Detoxing Lemon Water and Almonds

LUNCH: Almonds, Walnuts, Dates, Carrot and Hummus

SNACK: Cheddar Cheese Grain Waves

DINNER: Chickpeas in an Onion Sauce with Rice

DESSERT: Salted, buttered popcorn, Starburst Loliies, Pineaple Lumps and KitKat

I noticed that after I had my binge at dessert, I felt SO SO SO full, bloated and really irritable. It put me in a bad mood actually, after the sugar high died, I was grumpy and not very good company.

Stay tuned for tomorrows blog about Detoxing the Day Aftert the Night Before...Yummy.

Love Love Love
xoxoxoxox

One Month

Today is the end. I committed to this challenge one month ago, having no idea what I would go through.
Originally I thought it would be all about the food...but I have learnt so much about myself in the last month.
So many metal and emotional issues have come up, and quite honestly, they have all caught me off guard. I had no idea that I had such a twisted relationship with food! so much so that my mind literally started to sabotage my challenge and justify why I should eat a certain food filled with additives and preservatives!
Absolutely crazy!!!!
I emailed The Earth Diet Guru Liana Werner-Gray today...I have found that I tend to struggle when I don't surround myself with high frequency, positive and amazing people. I find that I get really exhausted alot, and I've realised it's because I give so much of myself to people putting out all of my high frequency vibes...and when it's not returned, after a while I get really tired. That is one of the big things that I have learnt from this challenge....along with

• Sticking to my word: I committed to this challenge with everything I had. In our society, I found that there were ALOT of tempting factors. At times, the easiest thing to do would be to give in to temptation and binge out on all of the foods that were so familiar to me, but I know that I would have been so cranky with myself if I had given up. Towards the end of my challenge, if you read back on the last 5 blogs, you will see that my motivation, attitude and will power all collapsed in the afternoons as I started to resort back to my old ways and binge out on preservative filled foods. I didn't even really enjoy them when I was eating...ESPECIALLY when I finished them so quickly and was left feeling disgusting! It is definitely a process you go through, and I feel that one month was not long enough for my body to accept the change.
• Being at peace with my body: I have had a very dysfunctional view of my body for the last couple of years. After I lost about 15kg's the year I graduated, it's like my body transformed, but my mind was still stuck in the 75kg body...I still saw myself a very chubby, wobbly and quite unattractive. I thought coming into this challenge that transitioning from chemical filler, preservative ridden foods would also help me to transition the way I saw myself...but now that I sit here reflecting on the last month, I realise that it doesn't just 'happen', you need to actually sit down and put effort into that. I noticed my body changing after about 3 days of being on Earth Foods. My skin started to glow, my eyes became so bright and I felt so energised and light. That feeling was incredible. I am committed to changing my twisted view of myself, it will be a process, and I'm sure very confronting...but having peace with yourself is such an important element of having balance and TRUE happiness.
• 'Missing out': After the first three weeks, I started getting into the frame of mind that I was 'missing out' on the other foods that I had cut out of my diet...which is so crazy! This mainly happened after I went out to lunch or coffee with my partner or friends...even just going into the supermarket! When you go on The Earth Diet, you have to change your shopping habits, and you realise that there are SO MANY isles that you no longer need to go down, because they are all filled with processed foods. I found myself getting so overwhelmed at how much crap is sold at the supermarket! About 90% of the supermarket was now off limits to me, and I felt really restricted when I would walk down the fruit and veg section. One day I was having such a 'poor me day' and I had to sit down and figure out exactly the reason for me feeling like this! It hit me like a broccoli to the face! I felt so restricted because I had only ever tried about 40% of the fruit and veg sold in the supermarket! There were things that I had never even noticed before like Grapefruit and Rhubarb! That made me so much more excited! My goal in my next challenge is to try more of a variety of foods :)
• Researching: Previous to this diet, I was soooo naive and disconnected with what I was putting into my body. I remember when I was younger, my Mum would take me grocery shopping and always look on the label for different numbers. She never let us get things like Rollups and packets of Chicken Chips etc because of these 'numbers'. I used to complain and whinge in the middle of the supermarket because I wanted what all the 'cool' kids were eating like LCM's and Space Bars...but "Ohhh Nooo, we can't get them because of the stupid numbersss". Mum would always tell me to" get over it Sarah, I'm not buying any of it. When you are old enough to decide whether you really want to poison your body with all of those additives, then go ahead." I used to get so cranky with her! Looking back now, I think she is so amazing. She always stuck to her guns no matter how much me, my brother or sister would carry on. I have since apologised haha. Now that I am old enough to decide what I put into my body, I am so fussy! Researching certain additives and preservatives has opened my eyes up to quite a horrible reality. Majority of companies making the foods that are sold everyday to unsuspecting families are just plain CRAP! They are only concerned about the profit they will make, so they use the cheapest, nastiest ingredients...with no care in the world about our health! If I could get any message out there with my blogs, it would be to research! Don't just accept and trust that what you are feeding yourself or your families is 'good for you' or 'healthy' 99% of the time...IT'S NOT! Set aside some time, get acquainted with Google, and start searching :)
• You can heal yourself naturally: I am a big believed in natural healing. Any problem in you life, was attracted by you (The Law Of Attraction). You create your good and bad times with your thoughts and attitude. I find that I am so much more connected with myself when I am eating food naturally provided by the Earth. I especially notice that if I don't get my body moving sometime in the day...I have such a horrid sleep. I need to expel energy, get my blood pumping, my heart racing, the dopamine flowing through my brain and a big fat smile on my face :) I honestly believe that if I never exercised, that I would have depression. I would have no motivation in life, no drive to be amazing and to do amazing things...I would be a big ball of unused energy getting resentful, cranky and just plain depressed. I believe that you can cure most cases of depression with exercise and a diet consisting of 'live' foods. Also, there are so many natural cures for health problems that require no man made quick fixes. Go down to your locally fruit and veg store, stock up on your vitamins and minerals, get at least 2 fruit 5 veg and protein in your daily diet, get up offa that thing and shake it...and you WILL feel better :)
• Gratitude: One of the things that I started filling myself with when I felt I was missing out on anything was gratitude. It was more than just saying thankyou for this meal, thankyou for my car blah blah blah, I would actually be completely present, in the moment and feel the gratitude with my whole body. Breathe it in, taste it, let it flow through every part of me. I would appreciate the incredible aspects of nature, the sensations and textures of the different plants, the incredible view from the top of a hill etc. Life is so beautiful when you can be grateful for all of the non-materialistic things. When you can understand that the best things in life REALLY ARE free...you don't NEED anything else. How amazing :)
• Happiness ALWAYS comes from you: In my life, I have been known to look for happiness in anything I could. I thought that expensive clothes, perfect make up and hair, the latest everything would make me happy. I was always a people pleaser, and everything that I did was always to make 'someone else' happy. I often found myself going crazy because I would try to make 3 different people happy in one situation...and I never could. This would leave me feeling incredibly miserable and the opposite of what I'd set out to achieve...Happiness. It wasn't until I started this challenge, that I really started to feel happy in a different way than I'd ever experienced it before. It was coming from me, I was walking differently, talking differently, smiling more than ever and people commented that I was literally glowing. My gratitude for everything that I had and did not have, the delicious food that was naturally provided to me by the Earth, the beautiful beaches that I was running on and swimming in, and the pride for changing my ways...it all came through in my demeanor. Gratitude defiantly was the first step to all of this. Not feeling like you 'need' something else to make you happy, but accepting what you have and feeling grateful. It really helps if you have a notepad and write down a couple of things everyday that you were grateful for. Start with 3 and work your way up :)

As you can see, I have learnt ALOT in the last month. I have has success, failures, fun times, not so fun times, good emotions, bad emotions and everything in between.
I have decided that I am going to continue to eat Earth foods...this time for 6 months.
This time I will video my blogs :) That way I can make them so much more fun and entertaining :)
I will be able to video the beautiful places I go for runs, cooking and preparing beautiful Earthy meals, writing music to help me to heal myself after certain events, visits to my local organic grocer and so much more!!!!

ALSO, another thing that I am very excited to capture on camera, is introducing my mummy to Earth Foods. We are so close, yet polar opposites. I am a vegetarian, mum is definitely not, I LOVE Earth foods, mum loves EVERY FOOD etc.
For those of you who have partners who are hesitant to giving Earth foods a go, get them to watch the videos where I make an Earth meal for mum, and it may give them inspiration to try something new :)

I look forward to starting my 6 month challenge and getting to let you see what goes on in my life :)
See you when I film the video blog for Day One!!!
Love Love Love
xoxoxox

Day Thirty One

In the last couple of days, I have been resorting back to my old habits and binge eating.
I always feel so gross and irritated after I have filled myself with the artificial crap, and although I have done some research into what is in these addicitve foods...I feel I need to investigate further.


Todays additive is Aspartame.
Aspartame is such a common additive used as an artificial sweetener. I stumbled across this article yesterday while I was researching for my additive blog. Thankyou to http://www.jons-weight-loss-secrets.com/dangersofaspartame.html for this amazing article!!! :)

If you haven't heard about the numerous dangers of aspartame yet, I would like to welcome you to planet earth!
For decades research has been continuously accumulating, showing the dangers of this chemical. Yet it remains approved by government agencies, and millions of people consume this chemical every day.
If you think that government agencies actually look out for people's health, click here. It just simply isn't true.
As we talk about here and here, aspartame does you harm by "tricking" your pancreas into thinking that sugar is coming (sweetness sensation in your mouth, but no actual sugar delivered). This "trickery" causes a metabolic slow-down and makes it harder to lose weight.
But of course, this is just the beginning of the dangers of aspartame. And on this page, we'll go into more depth (and hopefully cause you to never want it ever again).

---

Russell Blaylock, M.D., in his book, Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills, said:

"It is my opinion, after reviewing an enormous amount of medical and research literature, that monosodium glutamate, aspartame, and other excitotoxin dietary additives pose an enormous hazard to our health and to the development and normal functioning of the brain. To continue to add enormous amounts of excitotoxins to our food is unconscionable and will lead to suffering and ruined lives for generations to come. The civilized world, especially the United States, has become the largest experimental laboratory in history."

And I believe that we are now living in a time when these words are becoming fulfilled. It's just that many of us still aren't recognizing these chemicals to be possible contributors.
Carol Simontacchi, in her book The Crazy Makers, said:

"Before long, the FDA was flooded with health complaints from aspartame. More than 7,000 complaints of adverse reactions to aspartame have been filed with the FDA. This accounts for around 75 percent of all reactions to food substances received by the FDA. It's astounding: a single ingredient accounts for 3/4 of all the complaints received by the agency, and yet Americans continue to consume aspartame in alarming quantities: more than 17 pounds per person per year at present.
Of the thousands for adverse reactions [to aspartame] reported to the FDA, most concerned abnormal brain function, i.e., depression, fatigue, irritability, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of the sense of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, and memory loss. Also included were a number of chronic illnesses, including brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth defects, fibromyalgia, and diabetes."

And Mike Adams, in his book, Grocery Warning, said:

"But why does aspartame potentially cause these brain cancers and other neurological disorders? The answer rests in the byproducts of aspartame consumption. During the process of digestion in the human body, aspartame breaks down into methanol (an alcohol) and aspartic acid. The methanol, in turn, poses a severe health risk to humans (page 44).

---

So what's the main point here? The problem with aspartame is what your body does with it after you've digested it. Aspartame is converted into methyl alcohol, and then methyl alcohol is converted in the cells to formaldehyde and formic acid, and both of these are potent toxins. Is it any wonder we're all so sick, fat, and mentally unstable?
And how about blindness?
Russell Blaylock, M.D., in his book Health and Nutrition Secrets that Can Save Your Life, said:

"Diabetics who drink large amounts of aspartame-sweetened drinks are more likely to go blind. Aspartame is composed of the excitotoxin, aspartic acid, as well as methanol (also a known eye toxin) and the amino acid, phenylalanine."

So how about that diet coke? Or that diet pepsi?
If these dangers of aspartame aren't enough to make you think twice, I don't know what will. If you haven't watched this video yet, I would recommend it:


So here's your action step. Avoid all products (food and beverage) sweetened with Aspartame ("Nutrasweet").


Today I had an incredible day with nature :)
I started my day with a run...it was so hard! I have lost so much fitness recently, so it was such a struggle to climb the hill...but when I got to the top, this was my reward :) How grateful I am!!!

Here is what the beautiful earth provided me with today...(until I drank ALOT of straight alcohol in the evening and binged out, yet again :( )

BREAKFAST: Almonds and an Apple

LUNCH: An Egg and Salad dish

SNACK: Grapes

DINNER: A Chocolate Smoothie with Almonds

DESSERT: Straight, home made Malibu with frozen pineapple pieces as ice

BINGE: Rice chips, Chocolate Wheatbix and Grain Waves.

Tomorrow is a month of this challenge...after everything I have experienced, every successful day, every failure...I have decided that I am going to continue my challenge...this time, I will NOT give in to that sneaky little voice in my head that justifies why I should binge out on preservative filled foods.

Sleep tight, be grateful for our amazing, beautiful earth and let the people you love know that you love them every single day :)

Love Love Love

xoxoxoxx

Day Thirty

Today started off with good intentions...however like the last couple of days, in the afternoon came the preservatives and chemicals.

I've been questioning why I keep consuming this CRAP!
Day after day, I say I will eat Earth Foods again...and then I just give in.
Could I be addicted?
Is it even possible to be addicted to preservatives and sugar?
I had to do some research to see if I could find some explanations...
Here is what I found:

Dangerous Food Additives and Preservatives

Drugged up, sick and fat.
Unfortunately, that sums up North America pretty good. And the dangerous food additives and preservatives that are used by the Food Matrix are a huge part of why we are all this way.

Here's how this works. The major "food" distributors for the Food Matrix profit greatly off of our addictions. But in order to get us addicted and keep us addicted, they have to overcome many obstacles.

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First off, in order for us to be drawn to their "food", and to be drawn away from real food, they need to use chemicals (dangerous food additives) to sweeten their foods more than foods were ever designed to be. In the same way that heroine gives the addict a high that, as humans, we were never meant to experience, so also these chemicals give us a sweetness high that we were never meant to experience.
And so when they give us this "high", we become addicted and want more. Moreover the rush that we get from eating their "food" causes us to lose interest in real food as well.
This further compounds the problem for the addict, but makes sure that the Food Corporations profit handsomely (ensuring repeat business until the addict gets cancer or heart disease, and dies).

And another problem that the Food Matrix has to overcome is that of shelf-life. You see the Matrix understands that, if the food they provide never spoils, odds are it will be easier to distribute their "food" further and further, and by so doing addict more people.
You see, the major food corporations ending up wanting you to lose interest in local producers (farmers who actually produce and raise real food). And the only way they can do this is by making sure that the food doesn't spoil on it's way to you (because it often has to travel thousands of miles to get to wherever you are).
And so, to make sure that it gets to you (to distract you from real food), not only do they put chemicals in it to sweeten it to abnormally high levels, but they also must use chemical preservatives, so that, even if it takes weeks or months for someone to actually eat it, it will still taste ok when they finally do (ensures the profitability of these corporations by making sure food is returned for credit because it expired).
This is essential viewing:



So basically, they add dangerous food additives and preservatives for two main reasons:

1. The additives, so they can addict you by creating a "taste sensation" in your mouth that you were never meant to experience by eating food.
and
2. The preservatives, so their food will never perish, thus making sure their products can travel thousands of miles, and then sit on the shelf for very long periods, all without going bad... thus ensuring corporate profitability.

And this section will be devoted to exposing these toxic chemicals, so that you can become aware and educate yourself, so that you can avoid these toxic chemicals and help others do the same.
(http://www.jons-weight-loss-secrets.com/dangerousfoodadditives.html)

This is crazy. I knew about this, but this is the first time I had actually researched into the addictive side.

I have been dreading writing this bit all day!!! :(
Here is what I poisoned my body with today:

BREAKFAST: Grapes, Blueberries, Walnuts and Almonds

LUNCH: An Orange with Sunflower Seeds

SNACK: A Protein Chocolate Smoothie and Carob Licorice Sticks

DINNER: Organic Spicy BBQ Corn Chips, Home made Fried Rice

DESSERT: Pineapple Juice with frozen Pineapple, Malibu and Ice

EXERCISE: A Run along the water, up a hill and along the beach...followed by an amazing swim.

I also think that I eat when I am bored, I switch off and unconsciously eat crap foods.
I will be determined to find helpful distractions to stop myself from binging out.
I can't wait to write tomorrows blog...it is all about Aspartame, I'm sure that will turn me off crap foods again!

Sleep tight, be grateful for clean, healthy and delicious foods :)
Love Love Love
xoxoxoxoxoxo

Day Twenty Nine

I have sabotaged myself.
Each day I wake up so determined to get 'back on the wagon' and be as motivated as I was on day one however for some reason...by the afternoon I binge out on crappy preservative filled foods! EVEN THO I know how bad they are for me!
After I did the blog about coffee I started drinking it again. It started with one a day then two then three...and I found myself going back to my old ways. I used to drink coffee and eat hardly any food in attempt to lose weight. I always knew that coffee wasn't good for me but one I started relying on coffee as opposed to food for energy I saw the weight drop off and got really excited. Although I lost alot of weight, I also lost alot of health. My skin went really pasty and I would bruise really easily. I would go for an hour run every day and do loads of sit ups, push ups and dips. After a while of doing this I would get sick and be in bed for a couple of days. When I started eating again, I put on weight so quickly, and my mood was like an avalanche...from being on top of a mountain, to rapidly sliding down seeming like nothing or no one could stop me from reaching rock bottom.

For some reason when I look at my history with food, there seems to be a pattern, and although when I get to rock bottom and change my habits to much healthier/happier one...for some reason I always end up back at rock bottom questioning my will power.


Something I feel is important to write about (even tho I am dreading even mentioning this) is that I used to be so obsessed with my weight. I would start the day without breakfast and opt for coffee and distract myself from being hungry. I would then be starving by the end of the day, so I would binge, and binge and binge and binge!!! I would then feel so gross so I would get on google and look at pictures of skinny celebrities. I would compare them with myself and get really critical of what I didn't look like. Then I would go for a late night run, and go to bed with extremely low self esteem. The pattern would repeat itself over and over...then I would get so sick of living like that so I would dedicate one day to lay in bed and go without food for a whole day, thinking that it would empty me out and make me skinny...then I would exercise like crazy and eat hardly a thing for as long as I could sustain it. I would normally get sick and repeat the whole pattern.

I don't know what to say to explain this...but I am looking into the addictive qualities of preservatives to see if I could have an addiction to preservatives.
I am so not proud to be typing this right now, but I hope that at least one person can relate to what I've been through and want to make a change like I do.

Here is what I consumed today:

BREAKFAST: Grapes, Blueberries, Dates and Walnuts and a Coffee with Rice Milk

LUNCH: Dates and A Chocolate Smoothie

SNACK: Organic Yoghurt and processed vegetarian protein snack.

DINNER: Peanut Butter and Honey on Organic Soy Lin Bread

DESSERT: Grapes, Blueberries, Dates and Walnuts

EXERCISE: A Beach run with an incredible swim!!! Such a beautiful day!


As you can tell, my attitude AND my diet are spiraling down.
I'm nearly at one month...and I have broken the Earth Diet a couple of times.
This is such a powerful challenge for me...it is really showing me that my will power, gratitude, research and living in the present moment all need to be improved dramatically.
Tomorrows blog will be about addictions to preservatives.

Sleep tight, be grateful for amazing beaches and clean, crisp and fresh air :)
Love Love Love
xoxoxoxo

Day Twenty Eight

Ever heard of 'The Deadly Night Shade Family?"
I hadn't either until just recently.
Allow me to introduce you :)
This family has four main members...you will know them as Potato, Tomato, Capsicum and Eggplant.
These four foods are staples in alot of peoples diets, and they each contain many vitamins, minerals and have some nice health benefits...but there is something that so many people do know know about them.
8% of the worlds population react to these foods. Each of them contain nicotine in some form, and giving up these foods is similar to giving up smoking...especially if you were raised on them.

Potatoes are a major staple in so many peoples diets. With potato chips, baked potato, mashed potato and potato bake being consumed nearly every family on a daily basis...its hard to imagine how many people are consuming potatoes, completely unaware that they are the reason they are feeling symptoms of inflammation and arthritis.
It's only been in the last 600 years that we have been introduced to potatoes. Christopher Columbus discovered them in North America. Although 600 years seems like a long time...in terms of evolution it really is not. Our bodies still have not had time to evolve and processes these foods, hence the reaction.
Raw potatoes should not be consumed as this is when they are most toxic, along with when they are green. If you were to ask you Grandma about cooking Potatoes, she would tell you that back in the day, they would always remove the skin, and NEVER eat them if they were green.
The same goes with Tomato...if you see any green on or in the tomato, make sure you remove it as it contains high doses of the toxin.
If you are part of the 8%, make sure you avoid Eggplant all together. Inflammation will be evident almost immediately. If you are part of the 92% however, be sure to cook thoroughly and avoid eating the skin.

It is a shame that we are not informed about this these days, so as I have found out that I am one of the 8%...I feel it is important to get this information out. The best way to test to see if you are affected is to avoid the food for about a month, and then eat them again...you will notice like I did that the symptoms instantly show themselves.

If you google 'The Deadly Nightshade Family' you will find so much information to further your knowledge about this.
HOPE IT HELPS!!!

Here is what I consumed today:

BREAKFAST: Grapes, Blueberries, Dates, Walnuts and Almonds

LUNCH: Salad and Sweet Potato Peanut Satay

SNACK: A Chocolate Smoothie

DINNER: Sweet and Curried Lentils with Rice

DESSERT: Peanut Butter and Honey on Organic Soy Lin Bread

EXERCISE: A Stroll to look at the beautiful sun set behind the mountains


Sleep tight, Embrace your health :)
Love Love Love
xoxoxoxox

Day Twenty Seven

A new start can happen whenever you choose. Every day, minute and second is an opportunity to start over.
You have the power to control your thoughts, actions, reactions, attitude and opinions...the only person responsible for your life is you.
For some people, there comes a moment in their life where they realise this, and take control. They stop victimising themselves and realise how amazing their life can be after they've dropped the 'poor me' act and live completely in the present moment.

Today I realised I need to regain control of my life. I committed to this challenge, and yet let myself down a couple of times by giving in the the little voice inside myself that justifies all of the reasons I should eat that food filled with crap.

Two days ago I was so lucky that such a sweet girl moved into the house I'm currently living in. We went for a drive today and I showed her around her new town, took her to see an amazing view and of course to the 100% vegetarian cafe :) When you meet someone new, you know how you do that whole 'About Me' spiel, your family, friends, likes, dislikes, hobbies, foods, relationships etc...and it makes you remember all of the things that make you who you are.

When I left high school, I assessed who I wanted to be, what I wanted to do, and what I represent.
Reputation is such an important thing in our society. Have you ever noticed after you've been in the presence of someone who is contently negative...you walk away feeling down and quite exhausted? That's because it takes so much more energy to be down. You literally exert your body with the feelings of anxiousness, anger, depression and negativity. Suppressing these destructive feelings and treating yourself like a victim, eventually takes a toll on your health only leading to disease.

So what are steps you can take to progress to positivity?
Firstly, learning perspective.
Have you ever noticed yourself so easily judging someone else's flaws and negative habits...yet when it comes to looking at your own faults, you seem so close to perfect you could marry yourself?
Next time you notice yourself pointing out someone elses bad points, literally look at your hand. You'll see that you are pointing at the other person with one finger right? Well then take a look at how many you are pointing back at yourself...that's right...3!
We often tend to pick on habits we see in other people, that we really can't stand about ourselves. Take note of this, then understand and don't dwell on it. Soooo many problems are blown out of perspective because people can't take a step back and look at the situation from a neutral point of view; thus they dwell on their opinion...making the other person wrong, and them a victim...and the negativity flows.

Gratitude always helps me to break out of my negative bubble. Listing the people, experiences, opportunities and everything in between that I am grateful for seems to reinforce how lucky I am, and that everything will always be okay...because I choose to see it that way.

Another thing I have noticed is that my bedroom seems to mirror my life. When I have no routine, no structure, no motivation and no organisation in my life...my room is messy with stuff all over the floor, the bed is unmade and I honestly have no motivation to change it; all of this chaos adds to my frustrations.
It tends to take me a couple of days in wallowing in my own self pitty to get motivated to change.
I wake up one morning and dedicate the whole day to cleaning my room, doing my washing and making my bed. I crank up the music, dance, sing and move my body to get my endorphins flowing. If you get up offa that thing and shake it...you will feel better! Crazy! I also nourish my body with lots of water and delicious  nourishing earth foods.

After writing this blog, I am SO motivated to wake up and do this tomorrow morning. I have decided to make tomorrows blog a video blog :) I'm getting excited already!!!

Here is what I nourished my body with today:

BREAKFAST: A Warm Lemon Water, A Chocolate Almond Smoothie and Grapes

LUNCH: A Rice Milk Coffee, Home made Laksa Soup

SNACK: Dates

DINNER: Home made Laksa soup and Organic Peanut Butter, Honey on Organic Soy Lin Bread

DESSERT: Grapes, Dates Walnuts


Sleep tight, stay positive and remember to be grateful for everything you do or don't have :)
Love Love Love
xoxoxox

Day Twenty Six

Goodevening Lovers :)
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!! :)
I hope you had an incredible day enjoying and being grateful for all of the people that surround you with love :)
Todays topic is one that has had my brain turning to mush since I started this challenge, and that topic is...
"When on the Earth Diet, do you accept a loving cooked meal even tho its made using ingredients filled with preservatives and chemicals? Or do you stick to you word and reject the meal...only to offend and disappoint?"
I have been faced with this decision so many times since I began this challenge, and every time I have chosen to accept and break my word over being rude, even tho I've always been left feeling horrible/rude and cranky at myself because I broke my word. I have found that I am a people pleaser, so I always seem to choose making someone else happy over myself.
I'm sure alot of people go through this when they have decided to begin this challenge, and quite honestly, I don't know the answer to the question.
There are different pros and cons for both answers, and they all include feelings of content along with disappointment. So the moment of truth...which answer supplies the less disappointment and most content?
I HAVE NO IDEA!
So I guess I will use this blog to vent my thoughts, opinions and frustrations and bring up this topic for everyone to think about and hopefully relate to...(Also, in hope that Queen of the Earth Diet Liana Werner-Gray will comment with all of her knowledge and inspiring words to shed some light on the dos and don'ts when faced with this decision, which I will put into a blog for EVERYONE to learn from)


Also!!! I would like to send out big cuddles and kisses to all of the people celebrating the most amazing wonder of this world today...Love :) It is such an amazing, free, fulfilling feeling that is universal, felt and spoken in every culture/language and shown with every cuddle, kiss and smile...how lucky we all are to experience the best thing that life has to offer!!! :)
My incredible boyfriend took me out to lunch today to one of the BEST cafes I have been to in my life! It was 100% Vegetarian, with all meals made from 100% natural ingredients which are all locally grown and DELICIOUS!!! AND!!! They sell organic fruit, veges and other delicious earthy foods :) Heaven you ask??? It just may be! :)

Here is what the BEAUTIFUL LOVING EARTH provided me with...(plus some very preservative filled but yet lovingly supplied foods also...AHHH, it's got me in such a conflict with opinion!)

BREAKFAST: Grapes

LUNCH: Chickpea Salad with a Brown Rice Salad

SNACK: Organic Sweet Potato Chips, Organic Corn Chips and Grapes

DINNER: Homemade Laksa with Tofu, Rice Noodles, Coconut Cream, Snow Peas, Shallots, Coriander, Lime Juice, Vege Stock and Coconut Oil

DESSERT: (Very shamefully admitting this one) Grain Waves with Roast Garlic Hommus...ALL FILLED WITH PRESERVATIVES!!!
 AND, straight Malibu over ice.

EXERCISE: None

One thing that I feel I should add to this blog is that I have found that the more sugar, preservative and chemical filled foods you poison you body with...the more you honestly crave them!!! I need to detox my body from these foods again (even if that means to be rude and reject a lovingly cooked meal).
I guess tomorrow will count as another day one for me as I take a stand for my health and well being no matter how hard. This is me, completely exposed and vulnerable...I hope that at least one person can relate and be inspired to change their habits. I knew that this would be a challenge, and that is exactly what it is!!!

I am declaring right now, that I am tomorrow going to regain structure, inspiration and routine to my life, and blog about things that are vital to keeping good health and a happy spirit. I honestly did not think that I would be going through all of this in less than a month, but I promised I would be honest which is vital to personal success :)

Anyway, Sleep tight, be grateful for the choice to be healthy and for lots of LOVE!
Happy Valentines Day!
Love Love Love
xoxoxoxox

Day Twenty Five

Today has been my most challenging day ever. I officially moved out of home, all of my furniture and everything. It has been really hard because I have been living in the same house for my whole life.
I had a very emotional day, and quite honestly I am exhausted. I am also really disappointed in myself because I binged on Potato chips filled with preservatives and chemical crap. I 'also had a lovingly cooked vegetarian meal made for me and I didn't know whether to eat it and break my diet, or be rude and stay on track (This is the topic of tomorrows blog)

I am sorry tonight is a short one, but I am being such a jerk to myself and everyone...and I don't want to read back on this post with shame and humiliation thinking 'How trivial, negative and horrible!'

Here is what I filled myself with today:

BREAKFAST: Mixed Nuts and Grapes

LUNCH: Egg Pasta, Vegetarian mince with veges and Pasta sauce from a jar. Also a side salad of lettuce, feta, olives and cucumber.

DINNER: A Red Rock Deli Dijon Honey Mustard Potato Chip Binge

DESSERT: Grapes

EXERCISE: A big long walk appreciating the company of my amazing mummy :)

Sleep tight, be grateful for Love and Happiness :)
Love Love Love
xoxoxoxox

Day Twenty Four

Foods on the go. It was another day of travel for me today :) I have found that I rely on snacks like nuts and fruit to keep me going when I'm travelling. I have  been eating ALOT of Almonds, Dates and Walnuts in the last couple of days while I have been moving out...
I have done some research on Almonds and here is what I found :)

Nutrition of Almonds

 

Consumers have new reasons to enjoy almonds as researchers have recently announced that nuts not only taste good, but they're also good for you.

Almonds are one of the most nutritious of all nuts. As more and more consumers become dedicated to healthy life-styles, experts have found that adding natural foods, such as almonds, to your diet may be the prescription for physical wellness in the 21st century.  See this!

 

Cancer Prevention - Almonds are low in saturated fat and contain many other protective nutrients - calcium and magnesium - for strong bones, vitamin E and compounds called phytochemicals, which may help protect against cardiovascular disease and even cancer.

 

Phytochemical Powerhouse - Leading nutrition scientists presented their research findings in a symposium entitled "Nuts in a Healthful Diet", as a part of the 1998 Experimental Biology annual meeting. Dr. Gary Beecher, of the USDA-ARS, has analyzed the phytochemical content of almonds and states, "I have never seen this diversity of phytochemicals in a single food source." 

 

Reduce Heart Attack Risk - A Loma Linda School of Public Health study showed those who consumed nuts five times a week had a 50% reduction in risk of heart attack. 

 

Lower Cholesterol - In one clinical study, Dr. Gene Spiller, Director of the Health Research and Studies Center, Inc., showed that almonds added to the diet had a favorable effect on blood cholesterol levels and that none of the study groups experienced weight gain in the study. 

 

Some nuts contain rhizveritrol, the anti-inflammatory agent found in red wines and thought to be responsible for the "French paradox". Many scientists have pointed to the French consumption of red wine as one factor in the lower rate of heart disease despite their diets rich in cream sauces and buttery pastries. The fat in nuts is unsaturated, or the "good" fat and there is no cholesterol in these fats.

 

If you think almonds are just for satisfying your mid-afternoon munchies, you're in for a surprise! These tasty tidbits pack a nutritional punch, combining tons of essential nutrients in one very delicious package.

One teeny ounce of almonds contains 12 percent of your daily allowance of protein. And absolutely no cholesterol, of course. You'll also get 35 percent of your daily allowance of vitamin E, that valuable antioxidant with so many cancer-fighting qualities. And most of the fat in almonds is monounsaturated, also known as the "good" fat.

This little nut is also loaded with minerals like magnesium, phosphorus and zinc, as well as lots of healthy fiber. And don't forget calcium and folic acid - they're in there too!

When you get right down to the details, it's no wonder so may people go nuts for almonds!

 

20-25 almonds (approximately one ounce) contain as much calcium as 1/4 cup of milk, a valuable tool in preventing osteoporosis.

 

Almonds are the best whole food source of vitamin E, in the form of alpha-tocopherol, which may help prevent cancer.

 

If you're pregnant, or thinking about it, almonds are a great source of the folic acid you need!

 

Almonds contain more magnesium than oatmeal or even spinach. Are you listening, Popeye?

 

Build strong bones and teeth with the phosphorus in almonds.

 

Want to see it all? We've got a complete list of all the nutrients in almonds.  Go Here!

 

The facts are in, and they're fabulous! This impressive list shows you exactly how many great nutrients almonds have to offer. Your daily three ounces of almonds have the important vitamins and minerals you need to improve your diet and fight disease. Including 105 percent of your recommended daily allowance of vitamin E. And don't forget, they taste great, too!   

 

Nutrient Values of Almonds:		Single Serving         (1 ounce)
Food Component		% Daily Value	% Daily Value in 3 oz.
Macronutrients
Calories	170.0
Protein	6.0 g	12%	36%
Carbohydrate	6.0 g	2%	6%
Fat	15.0 g	23%	66%
Alcohol	0.000 g
Fats
Cholesterol	0.000 mg	0%
Saturated Fat	1.5 g	8%	24%
Mono Fat	10.0 g
Poly Fat	3.0 g
Carbohydrates
Dietary Fiber	3.0 g	12%	36%
Soluble Fiber	0.057 g
Insoluble Fiber	2.436 g
Sugar	2.0 g
Vitamins
Vitamin A	0.0 IU	0%
Vitamin E	10.0 IU	35%	105%
Thiamin	0.06 mg	4%	12%
Riboflavin	0.22 mg	4%	12%
Niacin	0.95 mg	4%	12%
Vitamin B6	0.03 mg	2%	6%
Folate	17.0 mcg	4%	12%
Vitamin B12	0.000 mcg	0%
Pantothenic Acid	0.0 mg	0%
Biotin	6.0 mcg	2%	6%
Vitamin C	0.0 mg	0%
Vitamin D	0.0 IU	0%
Minerals
Sodium	0.0 mg	0%
Potassium	207.0 mg	6%	18%
Iron	1.0 mg	6%	12%
Calcium	75.0 mg	8%	24%
Magnesium	84.0 mg	20%	60%
Phosphorous	147.0 mg	14%	42%
Zinc	1.0 mg	6%	18%
Copper	0.27 mg	14%	42%

 

It may look like a humble nut, but almonds are an effective weapon in the battle against heart disease. In fact, you may decrease your risk by as much as 50 percent just by eating almonds five times a week!

A recent study showed that including almonds in a diet that’s already low in saturated fat and cholesterol helps knock your cholesterol down even more. And that lowers your risk for heart disease.

You’ve already heard that a low-fat diet and regular exercise are key to living a long and healthy life. Problem is, many people took that low-fat message to mean no-fat. And while too much fat certainly isn’t good for you, all fats are not created equal. Some are actually good for you. The American Heart Association has recently eased up on its recommendation that no more than 30 percent of our calories come from fat. They now say additional fat is okay, as long as it’s unsaturated – like the good fat found in almonds!

Other Almond Attributes

Almonds are rich in the vitamins and minerals that help build a healthy heart, especially vitamin E. And these little nutrient nuggets are cholesterol free. Since cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease, adding almonds to your diet is a great way to keep that risk under control.

For many women, the first sign of heart disease is a heart attack. But a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and rich in the monounsaturated fat found in almonds can help reduce your risk for heart disease. And that means the only surprise is how easy it is!

 

Of all the newly discovered benefits of almonds, one of the most exciting is the potential they may have to reduce cancer risks. Many of the nutrients found in almonds are believed to have positive effects on several different types of cancer.

Dr. Paul Davis, Ph.D, of the University of California, Davis, has studied the potential effects of whole almonds on an array of colon cancer variables. Dr. Davis concluded that the monounsaturated fat in almonds may have a positive impact in the reduction of colon cancer.

Other research, conducted at Penn State, showed that the phytochemicals in almonds inhibited tumor cell growth. A one-ounce serving of almonds provides more than 35 percent of your Daily Value of vitamin E. Many studies suggest this powerful antioxidant may protect against prostate and cervical cancers.

 

The calcium found in almonds may lower risks of colon and rectal cancers. Almonds’ fiber content may also help protect against colon cancer. The folic acid in almonds may help reduce the risk of cervical cancers. Researchers in Finland have even linked almonds to a reduction in risk of lung cancers.

While there is still much to learn, the preliminary findings are very encouraging. The Almond Board of California is supporting research into the nutritional benefits of almonds, and nuts in general. We’re learning that nutrition may be one of our most powerful weapons against this deadly disease.

 

With all this great news about almonds how can you not make them a part of your daily diet!

(As I am pressed for time tonight, all of the above information was found on http://www.nutsforalmonds.com/nutrition.htm)

Here is what the Earth naturally provided for me today:

BREAKFAST: A Warm Lemon Water, Almonds, Walnuts and Dates

LUNCH: Chickpea Maehem

SNACK: Mixed Nuts

DINNER: Soymeat, Snow Peas, Green Beans, Carrot.

DESSERT: Chocolate Balls, Grapes

EXERCISE: A Run with my Mummy :)

Sleep tight, be grateful for healthy nutritious snacks like Almonds :)

Love Love Love

xoxoxox