Staying Healthy in the Winter Months

I've never really gotten the flu shot as an adult. I know many people that swear by it. The one year my family (excluding me) by accident got the flu shot (the hubby was in charge of this) they all ended up getting dreadfully sick. I however, despite taking care of each one of them, did not get sick. Now, I'm no doctor and there is always a risk but I think I've done pretty well without it.

Staying healthy is especially important in the winter months. Now that I am pregnant, I want to be extra careful. It's said that in pregnancy your immune system is not at its fullest. So here are my tips and tricks on staying healthy when everyone else around you is getting caught up in the flu season.

Go Green

For the extra healthy boost and vitamins, add a green juice to your routine. I like to drink mine in the morning about a half hour before I eat breakfast. Don't forget to chew your juice:) Here is a great go to recipe...

Juice the following...

2 cups of pineapple

2 oranges

2 cucumbers

5 leafs of kale

1/2 inch of peeled fresh ginger root (a little goes a long way)

*Stir in a teaspoon of turmeric after you have juiced for an added punch and extra immune boost!

For more healthy recipes check out 

https://aloha.com/shop/recipes

. They have some amazing ideas!!

De-Stress with Yoga

Exercise and de-stressing are important in keeping your body and your immune system intact. Stress has been linked to illnesses and increases the likelihood of you getting sick so keep that stress level down by a regular yoga routine.

You don't need to go to a yoga class at your gym to accomplish this. Buy a Yoga video and do it at home anytime!

When I first started out I used this beginners yoga video and I highly recommend it! The video I used was

Beginning Yoga with Chrissy Carter

.

How do you keep healthy in the winter? Do you have a special remedy or routine?

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A Third Child?

I don't know if I'm ready for it and I'm not sure about it in general. After your second child, with two girls, people ask you "are you going to try for a boy?" I used to think I wanted a big family, with lots of kids and lots of love. I equated the amount of children you had with how fulfilled you would feel. The NUMBER started at 5, than crept down to 4. After my second, the hubby and I finally agreed upon 3... maybe.

Our first child was easy. We had it made. Despite the fact that at 7 days old she had heart surgery and we experience a tremendous amount of unexpected stress, which I'm still in therapy for today, we had it pretty dang good once the dust settled. She slept through the night at almost a month old. She never had any feeding problems, was in good health otherwise. She grew up to be the sweetest little girl, only occasionally testing her parent's limits. She followed directions and hardly threw tantrums....

That's when number two came along. That is when all hell broke loose, including my water bag at 28 weeks. I was on bed rest for 4 weeks while we held off the labor and she came at 32 weeks. Ryleigh was a preemie but didn't look like it since she was a large baby, 5lbs! We thought, since again we experienced tremendous unexpected stress, that GOD was granting us with another easy baby. We were terribly wrong.

Don't get me wrong, I love my children so much, but number Two has been more of a challenge than we expected. In addition to a new baby my oldest started having more tantrums. I remember looking at my husband, with two screaming/crying children and thinking what the hell happened to us. I have learned to laugh through the tantrums and the outbreaks, although I'm not sure it's helpful on the children but it keeps my sanity. I know that this too is a season and will pass.

So here we are, 2 and a half years later, confronted with the idea of having another. Ryleigh still drinks a sippy cup of almond milk before bed (it's the substitute for bottle we were supposed to wean her off of at 12 months) but we are trying. We have done everything wrong with our second and I feel insecure with our parenting decisions. I am sweating through answering another question about the third.

So do we shoot for a third? I don't know anymore. It changes on a day to day basis. It doesn't necessarily have to do with the kid's behavior.
I think about how we could be done with diapers soon.
I think about not needing a minivan, although it would be nice.
I think about just being over that baby stage.

But then I think about how warm and wonderful it felt to have a little someone inside of me and how wonderful it would be for Bella and Ryleigh to have a little brother or sister.

I will just have to wait until I know. Do you ever really know, though? Can someone please let me know how they knew when enough was enough?

They are so precious together!

Healthy Weight Loss Update

I wanted to give an update on how The Fast Metabolism Diet: Eat More Food and Lose More Weight
is going... extremely well! The first couple of days were hard to kick my caffeine addiction but this week has been really enjoyable.

I had amazing results last week that I am almost intimidated to post because most people will say it's too much for one week. I promise I did nothing but eat healthy and according to Haylie's plan. I lost 10 pounds in the first week!! I really couldn't believe it myself.

Read the book for yourself and see if this is something for you. Find the book here...

I'm still a little insecure to post full on pictures of the progress but I'm working myself up to that:).


*This post contains my affiliate link that helps support my family. The opinions and experiences expressed are entirely my own.

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Metamorphosis

Do you ever just need some time off, to take a break from all the crazy media chaos in your life? Sometimes I just want to crawl up in a quiet corner, to be left alone and see where my mind takes me. Not that I'm not feeling so inspired lately, maybe too inspired. I'm going through a little bit of a metamorphosis right now.

I remember reading a book in school once, called The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. My life is not dreary like the book, just sort of in the clouds recently. Uncertainty and confusion would be the resemblance. I'm feeling very blessed and a bit overwhelmed with all the daily obligations. I miss my blog though and will return soon....

Thanks!

I cut my grocery bill and my pounds!

found here

This year I have been more health conscious with my food. There are so many articles and stories out there filled with reports and information, about what's bad for you and what is worse. I'm not going to lie, the paranoia is sinking in that the government is set out to poison us!! Maaaaybeeee that's a little dramatic, (or is it?) but why would we knowingly allow these foods... substances to be on the market? Sounds to me like neglect and carelessness for our people, but I'm not going to go into politics today... because once I start I don't stop and it's not pretty:)

This post was actually going to be about weight loss and look where it's taken me....

Anyways.... back on topic. For the past couple weeks we have been really tight on grocery budget. Like $50 a week tight, for a family of four, with a lactose intolerance, and diapers!!! I was worried that this lack of funds would lead to buying crap foods. It was actually the opposite!!!!

Snack foods really give you a lot less for more of your money. I loaded up on bananas and tangerines instead and spent less than I would have on fruit snacks and other kid snacks! We also purchased large bags of frozen vegetables! Frozen veggies can be pretty cheap and you don't have to worry about them going bad!!!

It was hard eating PB and J's everyday for lunch and pasta for dinner but we managed to dress is up a couple nights. You can get pretty creative in desperate times!!

link

The most exciting part of all of this is when I jumped on the scale last night and realized I dropped 4 pounds!!!! Maybe we will continue to shop like this if we are saving money and losing weight! So what I really wanted to talk about was living a sustainable lifestyle but I guess I went off on bragging about weight loss and budgeting. I will have to tell you about my backyard farm dream some other time.

Here is a what our shopping list looked like.... Make sure you do an inventory of what you already have. This helps cut cost and really maximize on what you can make. Sticking to a list helps you stay on budget and I estimated ahead of time the cost.

• Pasta, all sorts.... 3 boxes
• Pasta sauce, 2 jars(we love Classico) Has anyone tried the new creamy spinach one? To die for!
• Applesauce
• 1 head of iceberg lettuce
• 2 lbs of ground pork (sale)
• Tortillas
• Salsa
• 2 loaves of bread
• Jelly (we had peanut butter)
• 4 pounds of Bananas
• Bag of cuties
• Multigrain Cheerios
• 2 boxes of instant oatmeal
• 2 large bags of frozen veggies (carrots and mixed veggies)
• Juice (for the kids)
• Silk soy milk
• 2 dozen eggs

Things that we made

• Tacos
• Meatballs
• Italian Chicken
• lots of pasta
• PB and J's every day
• Oatmeal for breakfast everyday
• Snacked on Fruit
• omelets

BPA in receipts!!!

When I first saw this article in my daily Yahoo news, I was shocked. Then when I Googled it I found that this is not new!!! Where the hell have I been? I'm usually on top of stuff like this!

Did you know that those receipts we receive everyday from the grocery store, drive through... pretty much anywhere, are lined with BPA?!?! Thermal paper is dusted with it. Forget worrying about them in plastic, this stuff comes right off in our hands and we touch everything. I just picture my little baby sticking her fingers in her mouth and swallowing that awful stuff.

Because I'm not a scientist or a doctor (although sometimes I like to think I am), here are some links for some of the articles I did read.

NY Times
CBS News
Discover Magazine
sciencenews.org

For those of you who don't know the dangers of BPA it has been linked to cancer and obesity, just to name a few. I can't stop thinking about how I let my girls go through my purse and all those reciepts they took out. Why do we continue to allow these types of chemicals to be manufactured. Why are there not more strict regulations on chemicals that have been PROVEN to cause cancer and other problems? Does the government just not care about it's people? Do these manufacturers and mass producers laugh at the thought of what these products do?

A Year From Now

A year from now, I hope I can look myself in the mirror and see the change.

So this running thing... Started off great... a month and a half into it, still no results. I got frustrated and pissy. Ended up not running for a month. I totally lost sight of what my mission was and why I was doing it. I started to feel sorry for myself . . . eck!

The other day, I ran for almost an hour straight!! I just got up and said "I am going to run"! Now, for a beginning runner this is huge!! I probably could have ran more but I didn't want to pass out right there on the sidewalk. In a fluke accident I sprained my ankle over the weekend. Just another battle to over come.

This is me w/my glasses and my husband

Recently, I got back into my contacts. I went two straight years wearing glasses, coming from a person who always wore contacts in the past. Not that I am superficial but the contacts have given me a new look... like literally I look different and emotionally I feel different. I think I really started sporting the glasses when I had my first baby. Ironically, that is around the time I started struggle.

For me, I think the glasses were a way of hiding behind a curtain. I didn't really have to worry so much about make-up because who could even see me with the thick frames. My weight struggled and slowly packed on an additional 20 pounds with out even realizing it! Emotionally I struggled too. My anxiety went through the roof and I couldn't handle stress like I use to. I think the biggest thing for me was looking myself in the mirror.  I didn't like the reflection and I just allowed it to get worse.

So here I am today, struggling to get my butt in gear, trying to get myself back. I really see myself now that the glasses are gone and man... I look older! Didn't realize how age had taken to me, but I can see ME now and what I have been hiding so long. I am back and I know I will have my struggles in the healthy living process, but I am seeing things clearer! Hopefully, by this time next year I WILL see results!

Coming at you with Pour Your Heart Out...

Spiritual quenching....

Are you like me.. someone who doesn't quite know what they believe in or questions every idea out there? The past ten years have been a dabble of what I call spiritual quenching. Not too sure which direction I wanted to take, but knew there was more out there than any man or thing could provide.

From my very own rose garden!

More recently, I have been hungry for it. Thinking back at the past years, and realizing there are certain beliefs that have caught my attention for more than a day. Born and raised Catholic, this has been my roots and what all answers and expressions come from.

The Law of Attraction and Karma has caught most of my interest in the past years. It seems so simple, yet so difficult. It all makes sense to me and I feel as if my life is a reflection of what I have unintentionally felt it to be. I struggled with making this work towards what I desired. I found it incredibly hard to change my thoughts and inner voice . Sure, I could do the wishful thinking part all day long, which would get me nowhere if i couldn't FEEL well about it.

photo: www.atlantisqueen.com

It wasn't until I came across the law of Karma, that I truly understood how the concept worked. I realized that my own feelings deep with in are what has prevented my happiness. I couldn't help but list off all the negative feelings I had towards other people . That was it. The feelings I had was affecting my direction of a better life.
Anger. 
Resentment. 
Jealousy. 
Defensive. 
Lack of courage.

Not accepting my own demons for what they are, also prevented me from feeling good. I needed to come to terms with "what I've got, what I am not and who I am"~Jason Mraz.... God, I love that song!

According to my yearly horoscope, which I tend to take very lightly, I am suppose to have a year of transformation... like a butterfly or phoenix. Honestly, this is the first time I would agree. So far, this year has been about strength and shedding all that is negative and I am finally realizing.

Big things for me this year are....

Karma Time Integrity

The only missing connection I have is how do I connect this what I have been taught? Where does God and Jesus fit into all of this?

Live stronger

Recently I have started a journey towards a new lifestyle. It has taken me many years to get to the weight that I am today and I can say it has been the heaviest I have ever been. I know that I have been through two pregnancies and I just had a baby 7 months ago, but that is no excuse to let myself go. If I honestly worked out and ate right it wouldn't concern me, but I have done neither. I want to be around for my children and I want to teach them healthy lifestyles.

With all this downer shit said... I have been on this new road for about two weeks now. I have only lost three pounds and I am still struggling with making the right food choices... but I am a work in progress and the fact that I have kept it up this long is enough for me. Day by day, right?

I think what I have been most impressed about is how determined and persistent I have been. I never thought I could run 20 minutes straight and I defied that thought with in days. I am more then I thought I could or would be and that only gives me more confidence that someday, down this long road, I will be where I want to be with my body and my health! I made this change not as a diet but a change in lifestyle, which I know will take longer then I have patience for.



I guess, I just keep imagining my ideal body a year or two down the road, because I know once I get there I will not regret a single workout or meal choice!

I have found a great website Livestrong.com that has helped me track my weight loss, calories and workouts!! It really been helpful and I suggest you sign up for the free profile. I also have the app on my windows 7 phone so I can track my calories through out the day with ease!!!

If you do join, make sure to become my friend (k_delarosa) and we can be cheerleaders to each other!!!