journal – The Clean Eating Mama

I am – Part 2 {It’s about balance!}

May 9, 2013 CleanEatingMama

Hey all! Happy Wednesday!

I hope it has been a positive and healthy day! I was really dragging this morning – I was trying to hold off on coffee but I ended up drinking a cup at about 11AM. I had great intentions of heading to the gym but I m going to try tonight instead.

Jordan and I went Geocaching this afternoon! First time ever! I downloaded the app on my phone a few weeks ago and decided to take Jordan out since it was a bit cooler today. He was really excited, although I am not sure he fully understood what we were doing but I guess neither did I!

I found some locations near my home so we started there. I really wasn’t sure what I was looking for but we tried our best!

We went to two different spots but we didn’t find anything. 😦 I told Jordan that we would try again on a different day!

Afterwards we went and played at the park. He was pretty happy about that!

We were thirsty so a stop at Starbucks was in order – Organic chocolate milk + a blueberry muffin for him and an iced Americano {with a splash of half&half} for me.

It turned into such a beautiful day today! I am writing this from my sunny porch while Jordan is riding his bike. 🙂

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I have been meaning to write a follow up post to this post titled I AM. The reason why is that there are a few things that I want to address and to get out in the air.

First off, I have been a huge fan of Kristen’s Raw for as long as I can remember. When I recently read Kristen’s blog post explaining that she is no longer vegan, it shocked and surprised me in a good way. I read her blog post word by word so that I could fully understand her reason to stop eating a raw vegan diet. She has a very deep connection with herself and understands her body, wanting to provide it with the best possible nutrition. And now that she has a daughter, she also wants to provide her daughter with the best care and nutrition, too. I applaud her courage to write such a confident and controversial post as she was well aware that some of her fans were not going to like what she was writing.

I know for a fact that so many people who create blogs and a social image online go through this very issue. Once you establish yourself a certain way it’s difficult to change even if it is best for YOU. There will always be a critic that will not side with your way of thinking. It happens to everyone on a daily basis. It’s part of the job description of being an online blogger.

I, too, have had some changes and I have been keeping them to myself because I just didn’t want to deal with the negative responses. However, I am an adult and I must deal with both the positive and negative in every situation.

About a year or so ago, I started eating animal products again. Eggs mostly. I was having intense cravings for eggs and one day I went to a farm and picked up a carton of local, organic eggs. My body thanked me after that! It was then when I started to be little more lenient with my diet and incorporated animal products back into my diet. Not on a daily basis but I was more in tune with my body, cravings and realized that I was missing something.

Just recently I started to eat meat again. Seafood mostly (salmon, tuna, shrimp, shell fish) and I have had some turkey, pork and chicken over the last few months. Most of my days are still plant based but I do incorporate meat every once in a while.

I feel much more balanced now. It’s strange but I do.

I do still understand the torture that the animals go through on a daily basis. I am not going to cover it up and not think about it because I still do. When I first decided to go vegetarian and then vegan it was because of the horrible living conditions and life that these poor animals were in. I would say it was 75% heart and 25% health.

And while I have no plans to order a steak or to eat an entire chicken breast, I might have a bite or two every once in a while. And I am OK with that.

Thank you for reading, and I look forward to your comments and questions! I feel so much better telling you all my little secret that I have been hiding! I know I might disappoint some of you and for that I am sorry. As a health and wellness coach, I teach others to accept themselves fully and I need to do the same! 🙂

Q&A Time!

Have you ever gone Geocaching? Any tips for me?
What was one happy thing that happened to you today?
As a blogger, do you too find it hard to transition from one way to another?

XxOo

Tasha

Healthy Eating, journal

I am…

February 20, 2013February 20, 2013 CleanEatingMama

Labeling yourself can turn into a sticky situation. With labels come high standards and consequences if you accidently, or purposely, steer off course. I see so many individuals get so caught up in the label making – I am this, I am that. But being truthful and honest about what you label yourself is the key. As well as what you believe in.

I try very hard to not label myself as a vegan or vegetarian. If people ask me about my eating styles I say “I eat vegan” because… well… I’m not perfect. 99% of the food I consume follows this basic guideline – eating plant based food. However, am I completely strict on this? No. Why? Well, because I feel there are times when rules can be bent. It’s a choice I can make as long as the situation feels comfortable.

I listen to what my body tells me. I don’t eat like a typical American eating a typical Western diet. I am perfectly fine with having a smoothie for dinner, or a huge bowl of raw veggies for lunch. It’s about satisfying your body and feeding it with the right fuel for your individual and unique way of life.

Do I crave junk food? You bet! I have a HUGE sweet tooth and if I am not careful it can start to take control over me. Junk food is highly addicting. There are many ingredients, most of them un natural ingredients, that act like drugs in our bodies. Sending these little moments of bliss to our brains. We start to crave it and develop habits and thus forms an addiction. I enjoy chocolate just like the next person but I don’t let it control me. I control it by eating a very high percentage of plants and grains. But this has taken a lot of training. It’s a habit for me to shop in the produce section and bulk food section at the market. I rarely skim the middle isles unless there is a specific item on my list. I never set foot in the meat department because I have no need for meat in my diet. I will occasionally by a carton of Organic, Free Range eggs and a few dairy items for Jordan but for the most part I buy fresh produce.

I am not joking when I say diets do not work. You need to change your eating habits for life. It takes time, effort but with some patience you will start to learn new ways and love the fact you are eating fresh, whole foods. And then cooking becomes enjoyable again! Mixing fresh ingredients and blending spices to create the perfect meal is so rewarding!

It doesn’t matter if you are a vegetarian, vegan, omnivore or carnivore… you must follow the same principles of eating healthy, eating from the Earth and eating what your body needs.

Just for fun, here are a few things I AM:
I am a proud mom!
I am a Daughter and Grand Daughter who is loved.
I am an artist.
I am a unique individual that has developed into her own person and loves her quirky ways.
I am a coffee drinker… not going to stop and you cant make me!
I am an introvert… too much at times.
I am determined, stubborn and sometimes thickheaded.
But all I want in life is happiness, love and respect.

Daily Affirmations, journal, Mind and Body

Your perfect day! An exercise to help make your dreams come true!

February 3, 2013February 3, 2013 CleanEatingMama

Happy Saturday night! I am a little late for today’s affirmation… but there is no better time for a daily affirmation! Affirmation’s can happen any time during the day or night – there is no rule on this! I tend to write my daily affirmation’s in the morning since I am in reflecting mode then. Coffee, pen, paper… I feel confident, powerful and ready to tackle anything!

But the night is also a powerful time for me. The world becomes calm, the light becomes dim and I start to unwind. I can sit and visualize without the added pressure that I should be doing something else; like laundry, feeding my child, errands and so on. This is my time. And I LOVE my time!

I have a little exercise that I want you to do. It can take as little time as you like, or as long as you want it to last. I want you to visualize your perfect day. Money and obstacles do not matter – everything is YOURS to visualize!

Now take that visual and write it down.

It can start from the time you wake up until the time you go to bed. Write anything and everything down – silly, serious… this is YOUR DAY! Write what you want to see or have. A beautiful home, a beautiful family, a rewarding career… ENDLESS opportunities!

If you are having a tough time visualizing your perfect day just start writing things down that you love and what you enjoy doing. What makes you smile and what makes you go that extra mile. Chances are it might be to spend more time with your family, take that hobby and turn it into a career, or maybe you are picturing yourself on a warm sandy beach smelling the salt water. Whatever those thoughts and dreams are write them down!

Here is a little glimpse in what my perfect day would be like:

I would wake up, start a cup of coffee, kiss my sleeping little boy on the cheek and sit to write out my goals for that day. I would take this time to feel centered, grounded and charged for the day! I’ll practice yoga, go for a run or maybe take a nice walk. I will use this time to prep myself for the day that I am starting!

I am successful and happy with the career I have. I am working for myself, making my own schedule and allowing me both freedom with my chosen career and having a wonderful work/life balance. My career will be based around helping others – life coaching, personal training, nutritional counseling, etc. I want people to look up to me, trust me, confide in me and look at me as a leader. I want to be able to teach people and help mold them into the person they want to be.

I will also be financially stable and sound. This DOES NOT mean I want to be a millionaire… this means that I feel confident in my financial situation presently while knowing I am paving the way for my future. Sending Jordan to college, buying a home, becoming debt free… while still maintaining a sense of freedom knowing that when I go to store my debit card will always work, my bills are paid on time and that I have enough funds to put in a savings account.

Most importantly, I love myself and who I am. I am PROUD of who I have become. I am proud that I have made my own dreams come true by not giving up, staying strong and following my heart and passion. I am a strong leader, a loving mom, a compassionate wife and a dependable friend. When I close my laptop for the night and finally lay my head down I know that I have just lived and created a wonderful day for myself. I am confident that the choices I chose where the right ones for me.

That would be my perfect day.

The next step is look at this and start putting them into action. What are the steps that I need to take in order for me to have this perfect day… or a day that is pretty darn close.

But you might say… well my perfect day is me being a ninja, battling villains and being a super hero!? You know what? That is amazing!! You should never dismiss your dreams, EVER! They may just need to be looked at in a different way.

So you see yourself being someone that people look to for help. You are helping keep people safe on a daily basis. Maybe your dreams say Ninja or Super Hero but when you visualize you might see yourself being a police officer or going into the military.

It’s perfectly normal to have amazing dreams! But if they are truly not realistic then start to analyze why you want to be that way and go from there!

Still need help? Let me guide you! I am offering coaching sessions (by popular demand!) to help you sort your dreams, give you tools to work with and allow you to be the best YOU can be!

Please send me an email and I would love to chat!

Be Beautiful, Be Healthy, Be YOU!

journal

Journal it out!

January 31, 2013January 31, 2013 CleanEatingMama

Today was a little challenging for me. Emotionally I was not in a very good place for a little bit. I was frustrated, angry and lost, and stuck in a place that I didn’t want to be in. I was sitting there trying to complete my work and I had this huge negative cloud over me. I had a good mental bitching session with myself (which really does nothing) and then I tried to think of a way to get out of my pity party… and fast!

I instinctively opened up a blank work document and just started to write. I wrote whatever I was thinking! Good, bad, ugly… it didn’t matter! I was the only one that was going to be reading it – there was no judging or critiquing. It was me being venerable, open and honest. After I was done I sat there and read it and then read it again. It was finally making sense and I was able to let go of it. I emailed it to myself (for a learning tool), deleted the document and picked up where I was with my work.

You guys, this is why journaling is SOOOOO effective in your daily living! And why I always have a notebook with me at all times. When you have negative thoughts, or any thoughts for that matter, you need to get them out of your mind. Thoughts that are just floating around in your head are just that… thoughts. And a lot of the time they can cause confusion, procrastination and over time your mind becomes so polluted that you cant even concentrate. Plus, a lot of your energy will be used and wasted by circling these thoughts over and over in your head.

When you take a few minutes to write your thoughts down you are releasing them from your body and your soul. Get those negative thoughts out of you!!! You don’t need them nor do you want them!!!