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Charlotte's Strawberry Smoothie

Happy Friday, lovely people!  I hope it's been a productive, positive, and uplifting week in your world.  I'm back to working in my office, although it currently has no insulation and only 2.5 walls, but at least I'm in no one's way.  I like being back in my space with my stuff, even if I have to run the heater 24/7 to keep it comfortable.  Hopefully, the remodel will commence in a week or so.  It all depends on what else we break around here.  😳

Anyway, earlier this week, I let Charlotte choose the ingredients for her own smoothie one morning, and I'll be damned if the kid didn't make one of the  tastiest smoothies I've ever had!  You go, kiddo!  So I figured I would share the recipe with you guys.  I've now had this one three times this week, and I don't think I'll tire of it anytime soon.  Plus, strawberries will be in season very soon, and this is a great way to use them.  Let me know what you think...

Charlotte's Strawberry Smoothie

Serves 2

2 cups strawberries, frozen or fresh

3 stalks celery

3-4 bananas, frozen

Handful of almonds, 10-15

1 Tbsp hemp seeds 

1 tsp vanilla

2-3 dates depending on size

1-1/2 cups water

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Blend everything but the bananas until creamy.  Then add the bananas, and blend again until smooth.  Voila!  You're done.  Enjoy.

My Definitive Guide for Healthy, Cruelty-Free Naturally Curly Hair

Lately, I’ve gotten a lot of questions about what I products I use for my naturally curly hair.  Since it took me 32 years to figure out what to do with this mess on my head, I thought I should share my struggle, and hopefully I can help some other curly-headed girls.  

This post is not sponsored, and all opinions are my own.

 

I was bald until I was about 3.  Seriously, ask my mom.  She used to glue bows to my head so people would know I was a girl.  Now, as the mother of another bald baby, who’s finally getting her curls at almost 3, I totally understand.  When I finally did get hair, it was very curly and blonde.  My nickname was (and still is, if you talk to my big brother) Fuzz.  I don’t think my mom knew what to do with it.  Her hair has a slight wave to it, but nothing like my little spirals.  After a few years, when my hair had grown out a bit, she would blow-dry it straight, use a curling iron, or hot rollers, etc… the typical 80s-90s style.  I was a pageant girl, too, so sponge rollers were used on special occasions.  This eventually killed my natural curl.  For years, I fought with my fuzzy, dry, frizzy, annoying, half-wavy/half-straight hair.   I HATED my hair!  If it was the slightest bit damp or humid outside, I would wear a ponytail, and it would still leave me looking like I stuck my finger in a light socket.  Eventually, I cut my hair pixie-style for a while to not have to deal with the craziness, which I liked.  But since my husband likes long hair, I wanted to grow it back out.

My short cut a.k.a. Helmet Head or The Senator's Wife.

It took years, and lots of patience, but by the time I got pregnant with my little girl, I had finally gotten it to my shoulders, still wearing it straight.  I did discover that I could just dry the front of my head and let the back air-dry for some extra body, so that was helpful.  I still wasn’t happy with it, but I was determined to grow it out.  During my pregnancy, my hair became very silky, shiny, and thick.  I noticed that it started to curl more and more as time went on.  I researched “how to care for curly hair” and found lots of helpful information.  I quit brushing my hair and began to towel-dry it with a t-shirt instead of a terry towel.  This helped cut down on the frizz.  The best thing I did was to find a stylist who knew how to cut curly hair.  I saw how it would curl more if it was cut just right.  I found that shampoos with sulphates were bad for curly hair because they dry it out, and styling products with alcohol do the same.  I had a hell of a time finding styling products that eliminated frizz but didn’t leave my curl feeling crunchy. 

Finally looking like I wanted it... 39 weeks pregnant.

 I finally got my hair looking pretty much how I wanted by the time Charlotte was born, but a few months later, my hair began to fall out in handfuls.  (If you’ve never had a baby, you may not know this is totally normal, but still extremely frustrating.)  I tried and tried to maintain my length, but eventually my hair had thinned out so much that the bottom 5 or so inches were stringy and lifeless.  I had to give up and chop several inches off.  It was a sad day.  

Right beside the big cut.  Notice how stringy it was. Ugh.

Since then, I’ve been gradually growing it back out and taking care to not stress it any more than is necessary. Here’s what I’ve learned over these last few years:

 

Find a great stylist.  I’ve been fortunate to have a couple of really great stylists during this struggle.  There’s an art to cutting curly hair, and not every stylist has a gift for it.  Layers are your friend.  When curly hair is all one length, it tends to make your head look like a triangle, and that’s not a good look for anyone.  Layers give it shape and movement, taking weight off of the top, so don’t be afraid to part with some hair.  My stylist cuts short layers very lightly into my hair and frames my face giving the illusion of side-swept bangs.  She’s pretty amazing, and I love what she’s done with it.

 

Make friends with your natural hair color.  Yes, I have highlights, but that’s all.  I realized that hair color was either stripping my hair shaft or weighing it down.  I’ve found that just doing very soft highlights around my face and the top of my head is enough to break up my natural dish water blonde and give my hair some lift without drying it out completely.  Your hair is healthiest in its natural state, and healthy hair equals healthy curl.

 

Wear it curly!  Curly hair likes to be curly.  The longer you go leaving it natural, the curlier it’ll get.  If you pull the curls out, they will take a few days of curly wear to come back into full expression. 

 

Wash sparingly.  Right now, I’m on about my fifth or sixth day without washing my hair.  What?!  Blasphemy, you say?  Not really.  Curly hair is naturally dry, so daily shampooing washes away the natural oils that condition the hair.  I use Acure Repairing Shampoo and Conditioner with moroccan argan stem cell and argan oil (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00X6HIXD0/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_a_it?qid=1457980148&sr=8-1&keywords=acure+shampoo+and+conditioner&pi=SY200_QL40), and it’s the best stuff I’ve ever used on my hair, hands down.  My hair stays so soft and moisturized.  I shampoo once or twice per week depending on my activity, but I condition every day.  I will use a nickel-sized amount of conditioner and massage my scalp with it daily.  This removes any excess dirt and oil without washing away all of the moisture.  When I do shampoo, I use a very small amount and only massage it into the scalp.  I don’t shampoo the ends of my hair ever.  If you’re used to shampooing every day, this might sound weird, but trust me.  Just start leaving a day or two between shampoos and gradually wash less and less.  The benefits will speak for themselves.

 

The best shampoo and conditioner ever.

Dry your hair with a t-shirt.  This was one of the first tricks that I implemented, and it changed my world.  I actually recommend this for anyone, whether they have curly or straight hair.  It’s a great way to eliminate frizz.  Terrycloth towels have a rough texture which aggravates the hair shaft, whereas a soft cotton t-shirt has a smooth texture and helps keep the shaft smooth.  I used  one of my husband’s old t-shirts for a while, but now use one of Charlotte’s linen baby blankets.  It works like a charm.

 

NEVER EVER, EVER brush dry hair!  If you want to walk around looking like Doc Brown from Back to the Future, by all means, brush your curly hair like no tomorrow.  But if that’s not the look you’re going for, only use a comb and ONLY comb soaking wet hair.  If you can get by without even combing it, that’s probably best.  I’ve found that using my fingers to comb my hair while my head is upside down after I rinse the conditioner out works best for me.  I just gently comb through from my forehead out, and then from the back out, to loosen the hair from my head and scrunch out the excess water.  If you are going to comb your hair, it’s best to do it while you’re still in the shower.  Combing while the hair is still very wet helps keep the curls from being pulled out.  

 

Scrunch, don’t rub.  When you use your t-shirt towel to squeeze the excess water out, make sure to scrunch the hair, don’t pull or rub.  This will help reduce frizz and kick up the curl factor.

 

Use the right curl products.  Everyone is different, but I’ve found two things that really work for my curls.  First, Mineral Fusion Curl Care Beauty Balm (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=is_s?k=mineral+fusion+curl+care) is amazing for enhancing curls.  It’s my favorite product ever for my hair!  Secondly, I love Beautiful Curls Activating Leave-In Conditioner (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=is_s_ss_i_0_20?k=beautiful+curls+leave+in+conditioner&sprefix=beautiful+curls+leav), which holds moisture in like nothing else I’ve used.  Both of these products are vegan and cruelty-free, too, because I wouldn’t use anything that wasn’t.  I love knowing that no one was tortured so that I could have fabulous hair.  For curly hair, it’s very important to use products that don’t contain alcohol or sulfates.  The goal is to maintain moisture for healthy curls, and these products do an incredible job.  Plus, the Mineral Fusion Curl Care gives my curls definition without any crunchiness, whatsoever.  I also use Mineral Fusion Volumizing Beauty Balm (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=is_s_ss_i_2_21?k=mineral+fusion+volumizing&sprefix=beautiful+curls+leav&sprefix=mineral+fusion+volumi) on occasion for extra oomph, but it’s not necessary. 

 

Get a diffuser.  Letting my hair air-dry is fine, but if I really want to give it lift and body, I use a diffuser.  I flip my head over and dry it on low heat, low blast for a few minutes.  This creates great lift a the top of my head and really helps give body to the top layer, which has a tendency to look stringy if I air-dry my hair.  A diffuser can also lend softness that you wouldn’t otherwise get with air-drying.

 

Use a curling iron on unruly pieces.  I don’t like using much heat on my hair, but even after all of this, I inevitably end up with a few pieces of hair that curl at the root and not the end.  For those pieces, I just finish them off with a quick swirl around my ½” curling iron.  It doesn’t take much, just a second or two, and they fall right in line with the rest.  I finish off by rubbing a very tiny amount of coconut oil on my hands and then scrunching my hair all over.  This will lend a bit of shine and tame any stray frizz that may have still made its way to your head.

 

The perfect tool for perfectionists.

Don’t touch your hair.  After you’ve styled the hair, that’s it.  Leave it alone.  If it goes a bit flat during the day, just flip your head over and back, maybe scrunching to break up the curls, but don’t over handle it.  Touching the hair will make it frizzy, and we tried so hard to get rid of that, so why would you want to ruin all of that hard work?

 

Lastly, have patience.  Like I said, it took me years to get this right.  Don’t expect perfect hair in one week.  It took me a very long time to grow out all of the damage I had done and get my hair to this healthier state.  Just stay committed to your curls, and eventually, you’ll see the benefits.

 

There you have it.  My definitive guide for healthy, cruelty-free curls.  If you’ve been fighting your hair for years, I sure hope this helps. 

 

It's Not Always Rainbows and Butterflies

I started putting my little story down a couple of weeks ago, not knowing if I wanted to publish it or not, but then I read a post over at Bonzai Aphrodite, and Sayward inspired me to get it out there on the interwebs.  There's an important message in here, and it's one a lot of people need.

It’s been a while.  How are you?  I feel like I’ve neglected this blog long enough.  The truth is, I just haven’t felt compelled to write.  Inspiration has eluded me as of late, and with everything else going, the blog has taken a back seat.  In all honesty, I’ve been a little depressed.  Back in September, I started my yoga teacher training.  During our second weekend of class in early October, I managed to injure myself in a very strange way, and have been dealing with the fallout from that ever since.  Let me enlighten you.

 

I have a history of heart palpitations.  Nothing serious, but something I’ve experienced for years, without any diagnosis that would explain them.  My mom also has had them for years, but no one knows why.  In July, I had an episode while at work where my heart fluttered a little longer than usual, during which time I became light-headed and dizzy, my hands began to tingle, and I blacked out for a very split second, not even long enough to fall.  My co-worker, who I was talking to at the time, said my face went completely white when it happened.  My heart immediately began to beat extremely fast, so I sat down and did my deep breathing exercises, which helped return the rhythm to a normal rate.  I’d never experienced anything specifically like this before, so it was terrifying, as I’m sure you can imagine.  I made an appointment with a cardiologist and saw him a couple of days later.  This appointment led to me learning I had a slight murmur I never knew about and to me wearing a heart monitor for what was supposed to be two weeks, but became nine days after I sweated it off.  It WAS July, afterall.  

The style of monitor I had to wear. It's amazing what science can do.  No more wires and belt packs.

During the time I wore the monitor, I had two more incidents that weren’t quite as scary, but felt like more than a regular palpitation.  Once the monitor was off, I had to have an echocardiogram, which showed zero abnormalities in the structure of my heart.  That was great news!  So, without any clear cause and no obvious heart condition, the doctor sent me on my way and said to call if I had another episode. 

 

Flash forward to early October.  I had been in teacher training all weekend working on basic poses, such as downward dog and chaturanga.  We spent a lot of time on proper alignment in these core poses, and I went home on Sunday feeling great.  Monday morning, the 12th, I woke up with a mild pain that seemed to radiate from my left shoulder blade around to the left side of my chest.  It wasn’t too bad, just annoying.  As the morning progressed and I made my way to work, the pain seemed to steadily increase.  Around 10am, I was standing at my desk, when another heart palpitation episode occurred.  Combined with the chest/shoulder pain, this led my boss to think I was having a heart attack.  (Honestly, I can see how he reached that conclusion.)  So, he had a co-worker drive me to the emergency room.  Let me tell ya, I felt completely idiotic walking into the ER, a 32 year old self-identified “health-nut” of normal weight with no risk factors, saying “I think I’m having heart attack symptoms.”  I was quickly taken back for an EKG, which didn’t show anything wrong, so they sat me in the waiting area for about four hours. Yep, four.  During that time, the pain in my left side would wax and wane.  It would get increasingly terrible over an hour or so, making it very difficult to breathe, then ease for about 20 minutes.  I could not get comfortable.  It was the longest four hours I’ve experienced since giving birth.  Finally, they called me back and I was ushered into a small room and given a very fashionable hospital gown.  For all the time they made me wait, they at least made up for it once I was in a room.  I had three doctors and at least three nurses checking in on me.  They did a chest X-ray, drew several vials of blood, and a very attractive young doctor did an ultrasound on my aorta.  (I may have felt terrible, but not too bad to flirt a bit.  Ha!)

No bueno.

After four more hours and lots of poking and prodding, no diagnosis was made.  I was told that everything looked fine and to make a follow-up appointment with my cardiologist, so that’s what I did.  I should note here that they did a great job of checking my heart, however, they didn’t seem to check into what was causing my pain.  I went home that night, still in pain, and nervous about my heart.  I decided to lay off caffeine completely, even though I only have a cup or two of green tea or yerba mate and maybe some chocolate each day, until I knew what was happening to me. 

 

I woke up the next day feeling quite a bit better and went about my day as usual thinking “that’s weird” but not giving it too much attention.  Wednesday, however, I hurt so badly that I could barely concentrate at work.  I was experiencing muscle spasms and felt like my ribs were trying to evacuate my body.  I was starting to think I’d broken a rib, but couldn’t begin to imagine how.  Luckily, Wednesday is the day I see my chiropractor.  I thought maybe he’d have an answer.  My chiropractor has us perform warm-up exercises that include a traction device where we loop a padded rope behind the head where it rests on the notch at the base of the skull, and gently squat to relieve pressure on the spine.  I attempted to perform this exercise when I arrived, and I felt like my body was going to break in half as soon as I dropped my hips.  I wanted to cry.  I decided to just do my wobble cushion warm-up, where I sit on an inflated cushion and wobble my hips back and forth, then side to side.  I could barely do this motion without excruciating pain.  When it was my turn to have my adjustment, I told Dr Pete what was going on and he did an evaluation, at which point he noticed I had a couple of rib tips that seemed to be dislocated from my spine under my left shoulder blade.  He proceeded to give me the most painful adjustment I’ve ever experienced.  I actually grunted very loudly and my eyes watered when he popped the ribs back into place.  I’m pretty sure everyone in the waiting area thought he’d just murdered a patient.  He told me to take it easy and drink tons of water that night, so I did.  The next day, I felt about 75% better.  Yay!  And that’s about as good as I felt for weeks.  I returned to my cardiologist the following week, where he pretty much scratched his head.  The theory he proposed was that I have an extra electrical pathway in my heart causing the signal from upper to lower chamber to get caught in a loop, and he told me to cough when I felt it happen to reset it.  Cough, that’s the big medical solution.  Without an invasive procedure, there’s just no way to know for sure, so that’s what we’re going with for now.  It was at this point that I realized the two issues are probably not related, just a weird coincidence.

 

Over the next few weeks, I had good days and bad days.  On good days, I could resume almost regular activities.  On bad days, I would have horrible twitching pains in my back and both sides.  I couldn’t get a good deep breath whether it was a good or bad day, though.  I constantly felt like there was a band around my chest restricting the movement of my lungs.  After five weeks of this, I was fed up.  On a Sunday in mid-November, I made an appointment for a local walk-in clinic.  I saw the nurse practitioner there, and she was going to diagnose me with costochondritis, an inflammation in the muscles around the ribs likely caused as a result of the original rib injury.  I asked her to do an X-ray just to be sure that there wasn’t anything broken, because I just couldn’t understand why I’d have such horrible pain without a broken bone.  She obliged, and it took about an hour to get the images back.  Surprise!  I had walking pneumonia!  People, I had no symptoms of it besides difficulty breathing, but I thought that was because of the pain.  Her theory was that the rib injury made me breathe too shallow for a long period of time, and my lungs got weak.  This made it easy for bacteria to set up in my lungs causing pneumonia, and I’d had it long enough that I’d developed pleurisy.  Yep, pleurisy.  That’s what was causing the excruciating pain in my back and sides.  I was given a round of antibiotics, muscle relaxers, and anti-inflammatory medications.  I hate taking meds, but I was so desperate at that point, that I would’ve swallowed capsulized mouse feces from a back-alley meth dealer if it promised relief.  I must admit, the drugs were amazing.  I finally slept well for the first time in weeks thanks to the muscle relaxers.  Within a few days, I was back to the 75-80% range of better without any super bad days.  I was so glad to be able to feel somewhat normal! 

 

I tried to do a Fun Run for Christmas, but it turned into a Fun Walk because I couldn't breathe after 1/2 a mile.  Sad.

And so it went for another month, feeling almost normal, but still having some pain and tightness in my chest.  The week before Christmas, I was waking up with a strange tugging or pulling sensation in my right front side.  I would be up for five or ten minutes when a “pop” would occur and the tightness would go away, but I’d have a mild pain in that area afterward.  By Christmas Eve, I was hurting constantly again, although milder than before, so I went back to the walk-in clinic.  That time, I saw a doctor who was filling in for the usual physician, and who was quite handsy, by the way.  After fondling my ankles and calves, supposedly checking for swelling (insert eye roll here), he didn’t have a good answer.  His guess was a very ominous-sounding “pulmonary embolism.”  When a doctor tells you he thinks you have a blood clot in your lung on Christmas Eve, it doesn’t make for a very relaxing holiday break, just so you know.  He told me I should make an appointment with my family physician and have a CT scan done of my lungs.  Great.  That sounds fun.  Merry f***ing Christmas.

 

The following week, I found a new general practitioner to see.  He immediately poo-pooed the pulmonary embolism diagnosis saying I had no risk factors and without any leg swelling, it was extremely unlikely.  At this point, I was feeling a lot like a patient on House, M.D.  It seemed like I was playing a game of diagnosis roulette.  This doctor had another chest X-ray done in the office and found that I still have some fluid in my lungs.  He prescribed a round of steroids.  Yuck.  This round of meds seemed to help a bit more than the previous round, so that was good, but I still wasn’t 100%.  All through January, I was having recurring chest tightness, and the pain in my right side ribs would come and go depending on the level of my activity.  It made practicing yoga very difficult.  Ever tried doing vinyasa flow without incorporating your upper body?  Pretty much impossible.  I probably should’ve called my doctor and told him I still wasn’t better, but, always the optimist, I’d have a good day and think “hey, this might finally be over”.  I would feel 95% better for a few days, but then I’d wake up one morning feeling like dookey again.  This cycle went on for weeks. 

 

Toes on the sand in La Jolla.

In early February, my husband took us on a much-needed vacation to the San Diego area.  It was AMAZING!  They were having a heat wave, and it was 80-90 degrees the entire trip and not a cloud in the sky.  I felt like a million bucks being out in the sun and dry air.  We even spent a couple of days enjoying the sand dunes near Glamis.  I had such a great time visiting our friends and camping in the desert.  I did yoga in the sunshine while wearing only my bikini.  It was so peaceful, and I felt as strong as I’d been in months.  Finally, I thought, this is over.  I felt so great that I had about a 90 minute practice out in the sun one day, but the next morning I woke up incredibly sore on my right side and couldn’t take a deep breath without feeling like there was an 800 pound gorilla sitting on my chest.  I’m sure you can imagine my disappointment.  I was so angry with my body!  We headed back to San Diego that night to pack up and prepare for the flight home the following afternoon.  I was extremely uncomfortable that night and the entire trip home.  Being confined to an airplane seat with that dry air pumping in wasn’t the best thing for me. 

 

Once we were home and returned to the regular routine, I thought things would go back to being 95% better like they had been before our vacation.  That, however, didn’t happen.  I started having mild muscle spasms again, nothing like the first time, but noticeable.  My chest hurt constantly, and I had a dry cough all day, every day.  I toughed out another weekend of yoga, but luckily it was our anatomy training and the instructor taught a much less rigorous practice than we are used to.  Still, I felt so weak and my breath was not coming easily.  It’s quite difficult to do breathing exercises when every breath is strained.  During all of this, I found that pranayama actually made me more anxious instead of calm, which is the polar opposite of why I do pranayama.  I felt like I was falling apart, and after months of this, it was quite disheartening.  I would think to myself, “I do everything I’m supposed to do for health.  I eat right, exercise, avoid toxins, meditate, get out in nature as often as I can.  I even supplement with vitamins D and B12 like a good vegan, but my body is rebelling against me.  What the hell is wrong with me?!”  I felt betrayed, confused, and depressed. 

 

I finally made up my mind to go back to my doctor the third week of February.  Again, he checked my lungs, which sounded completely clear.  He was at a loss as to why my breathing still felt constricted.  He did figure out that I had pulled an intercostal muscle on my right side, probably during that practice I did in California, and that was what was causing the pain on my side.  Thank goodness one thing wasn’t a mystery anymore.  He and I sat down and discussed my lifestyle and the environments where I spent most of my time.  He said he’s had many patients who have experienced similar, lingering symptoms and they ended up being related to mold exposure.  Well, ding ding ding!   My office has a moisture problem.  I’ve known about it for a while, but didn’t take it too seriously.  There was a ceiling leak that had just been fixed, and the ground has been built up over years to where it now sits higher than my floor.  Every time it rains a decent amount, I have standing water in my floor.  We came to the conclusion that this may likely be the cause of my continued respiratory issues.  He prescribed me another steroid pack and sent me on my way with instructions to avoid mold as much as humanly possible.  (Not the easiest thing to do living in Tennessee in the rainiest season of the year.)  I will say, the company I work for was awesome when I told them what the doctor had said.  By the next afternoon, there was a mold remediation company on-site for an inspection and estimate.  Within two days, I was moved out of my office and the demo was done.  

Turns out, there was mold inside the east-facing wall and the ceiling, as well as under the floor tiles.  All of the drywall and insulation in those areas and the tiles had to be removed, and dehumidifying equipment brought in for three days.  

 

At this point, I’m working out of another office in a building that is raised off the ground and has no known leaks.  And I’ll be down here until the remodeling of my office is complete.  Within a couple of days of being in the new office, my cough died down quite a bit and I started to feel much better.  I also noticed my eyes weren’t as watery and red.  I hadn’t even paid attention to that symptom.  Of course, as my luck goes, my husband got sick that same week with a horrendous cough and congestion, and he passed it on to me.  Yay.  Now, I’m battling a disgusting mucousy cough and drainage.  Part of me thinks this is actually a good thing.  Through all of the sickness, pneumonia and all, I’ve never had a “productive” cough.  I’m hoping that getting some of this stuff out is what will finally turn things around.  I do know that I don’t feel bad right now.  My energy has been a bit low, probably from the strain of coughing, but I’m still able to work and manage my daily activities.  I’ve been going back to the gym once per week when I’m on kid-free time, focusing on my upper body to strengthen my chest and back, but I’m taking it easy.  I’m still doing lots of stretching, but I’m taking it slow getting back into my vinyasa flow practice.  It sounds weird, but working out and getting my heart rate up seems to open my lungs up a bit.  I think that from here, it’s just going to take time to fully recover. 

 

So what’s the point of telling you all of this?  What did I learn from the experience?  Well, for one, I want people to realize that what you see on Instagram and Facebook doesn’t always tell the whole story.  I was posting pictures of myself in handstands and wheel pose while I was experiencing all of this.  Those were my good days.  What people don’t see are the times I’ve cried because I felt so weak I couldn’t do a chaturanga pushup.  I'm definitely not taking pictures of myself in those instances.  No one sees me lying flat on my office floor because it hurts to breathe while standing.  I think it’s easy to look at social media and think that’s a true representation of someone.  It’s only a tiny percentage of someone’s life and only the part they want you to see.  I felt like sharing my illness would be whining, or being a bad representation of the health message I represent.  In truth, everyone gets sick.  Everyone has bad days, and maybe if we share those once in a while, we will stay grounded.  I wouldn’t want anyone to look at me and think “she’s got a perfect life” or “she’s really got her shit together”.  I really don’t have my shit together, but it’s my life and my craziness, and my lessons will be learned from it.

 

Secondly, so many people in the plant-based movement sell it as a cure-all solution, but I’m here to tell you that it isn’t true.  Veganism isn’t just about food and health, anyway.  It’s about causing as little harm other beings and the planet as possible.  When it comes to health, even when you do everything “right,” other factors can still act on your body.  Some things are still out of our control no matter how much we focus on what we put into our mouths.  And we have to take into account the quality of our environment.  I’ve been eating organic, vegan food and doing yoga for years, but I wasn’t paying close enough attention to the environment around me and the air I was breathing five days every week.  So many factors go into health, and no one thing is a magic bullet. 

 

Lastly, I’m usually all about holistic healing, but I’m so thankful that western medicine was there for me when I needed it.  I’ve seen “gurus” in the natural health movement who are so dogmatic that they shun any use of medication.  I think that’s dangerous.  I will still take garlic for sinus issues and colds.  I’ve been taking it for a week, actually.  I’ll still let a fever run its course because I know the purpose of a fever.  But if I’m in so much pain that I can’t stand, sit, sleep, or breathe, I’m going to listen to the guy or gal who did 8-10 years of training on the matter.  This healthy lifestyle is about balance.  Take what works for you and leave the rest, and when it doesn’t work for you, maybe seek out help from someone better versed on the subject. 

 

At this point, I’m hoping that I’m almost over this sickness, whatever it may be.  Once this cough and congestion is out of my system, maybe I’ll finally be done.  Only time will tell.  The good news is, I’m only one month from being finished with my yoga teacher training.  At that point, I will be back to posting recipes and other tips on a regular basis.  I’m even planning to start making videos.  2016, I will not let you defeat me!

A Big Announcement and Banana Cream Pie Smoothie Recipe

It's been three months since my last post.  Oops!  I didn't mean to be gone so long, but life gets in the way sometimes.  Between work, chasing a toddler with a teenage attitude, rescuing animals, and trying to enjoy my few moments of free time each week by reading, doing yoga, and learning Spanish, I've just been plain busy.  I'm going to do my best to post more often, but I can't make any promises because I'm adding one more big responsibility to my life...

I'm going to yoga teacher training!  That's right, yours truly is enrolled for the winter session at the Sanctuary for Yoga in Nashville starting in late September.  By April, I'll be a licensed teacher and can start making a living doing something I love.  I'm extremely excited about taking this next step. I'm also terrified, but that usually means I'm right where I need to be.  It's going to be six months of dedication and crazy schedules, but I'm doing it.  It'll definitely be a lesson in balance.  I'll try to keep everyone posted on my progress as I go.  It's going to be a blast.

In the meantime, I've got a new smoothie recipe for you.  Charlotte and I have been loving this one lately.  Creamy and sweet, it's great any time of day, but especially for breakfast.  It gives us tons of energy for yoga and running errands or jumping on the trampoline.  I hope you enjoy.

Banana Cream Pie Smoothie

1/2 cup non-dairy milk (we like coconut milk best)

1/2 cup water

3-4 dates

4 frozen bananas

1 tsp vanilla

1-2 tbsp flax meal

Optional:  any green of choice (celery is great since it won't change the color.)

Add everything to the blender in the order listed and blend until smooth.  Enjoy it topped with coconut or raw cacao nibs for a serious reminder of your favorite banana pie.  

What We've Been Up To- Spring Gardening, Mother's Day, and Things to do in Middle Tennessee

Warning:  This is a very long and picture-heavy post.  I hope you enjoy. ;-) 

I've been overwhelmed with joy since the weather finally changed from the cold, dreary, rainy days of a Tennessee winter to the warm, sunny, dry days of late spring.  I don't know if I'm imagining things, but it seems as though every winter gets worse and worse around here.  I'm one of those people who gets down and depressed during long periods of gray and cold weather, and I spend every January and February trying to convince my husband that we need to move south, like WAY south.  So far, he's not taken me up on the offer, but I don't give up easily.  Thankfully, though, spring arrived with gusto this year.  It went from rainy and cool to down-right hot and sunny over the course of a week!  (Not that I'm complaining.) As soon as the ground was warm, I was itching to start gardening.  

We removed everything from last year's garden bed and tilled it up really well.  Other than a slight mishap with the irrigation lines (Oopsie!), everything went smoothly.  Charlotte had a blast helping me lay out new landscape fabric and re-spread the mulch.  (A friend has recently introduced me to the ideas of permaculture, and I'm going to do some more research on it.  Maybe I can figure out a way to not need to do so much work next year.)

We worked our tushies off, but we've got a nice little area going.  So far, we've planted herbs and some greens in that bed, plus the beets and carrots that I planted today.  I also have seeds started in containers that will be moving over there in a very short while.  We ordered a bunch of heirloom seeds from Baker Creek this year, and will be growing some neat, unique varieties of vegetables.  Aside from the more tame scarlet kale, lacinto kale, purple teepee beans, and golden sweet peas, we're growing five varieties of tomatoes, red okra, wonder berries, and kamo eggplant.  It's going to be so fun to see how everything turns out this summer.  I hope to have an incredibly colorful garden.  

We also tilled a new spot in the back yard, and I've planted three varieties of heirloom and non-GMO corn, crookneck squash, butternut squash, and sweet peas.  My husband LOVES corn, so I have to keep him happy.

I've planted plenty of lettuce and kale in my raised bed this year.  When we pulled up the old garden, we discovered several tiny purple kale plants that had volunteered to regrow, and we moved them into the raised bed.  I tell ya, this stuff will grow anywhere.  Since that day, I've found more of those tiny plants in the old garden, even after it was tilled and recovered!  And of course, I moved them to be with their friends. ;-) 

Volunteer kale after its move and few weeks of steady watering.

I feel like gardening has become my escape.  I'm at my happiest when I'm out there in the dirt, talking to my plants, and nursing them along.  I may have missed my calling as a farmer.  

The strawberries we planted last year have come back with amazing zeal, also. We've already picked and eaten several, and there are a bunch more waiting to ripen.  Charlotte has been excited to check their progress every day.  She tries to sneak and eat them, but I have to explain that they'll taste better if we wait. The whole "patience is a virtue" thing is lost on a two year old.  

Yes, gardening has taken over our lives in recent weeks, but I absolutely love it.  Being outside in the evenings brings me immense joy, especially when it's spent with my little one, showing her how to grow her own food and care for such delicate items.  Starting things from seeds has been a wonderful lesson for her.  She asks to water them every night when we get home, and she loves to pinch small pieces of lettuce or kale leaves and nibble them.  She's appreciative of fresh food in a way that I didn't think possible at her age.   

Eatin her fresh fruit at a friend's birthday party.

We have managed to fit in a few other activities aside from gardening, though.  We've had birthday parties to attend, and we even visited the Renaissance Festival a couple of weeks ago.  She didn't seemed interested in much besides the castle, where she thought she should live.  

She is a princess, after all.

We've been to farmers markets and eaten at the newest plant-based, health-oriented restaurant in our area, too.  

I had the raw pad Thai with a kale salad and raw cacao mousse for dessert.  Charlotte shared my meal and had the raw apple crisp for dessert.  Everything was delicious. 

Thrive is amazing, if you're ever in the Franklin, TN area.  Pam is a genius.  She offers several raw items, along with gently cooked whole foods.  The restaurant has been so successful, that they'll be expanding soon.  I just love when a business offering healthy food is successful!  

And what would spring be without getting outside for some relaxation?  We've been walking or jogging as often as possible and doing yoga in the back yard whenever we can squeeze it in.  

Charlotte is dying to do head stands and  tries to do everything else she sees me demonstrate, even attempting meditation.  It's pretty entertaining, to say the least. 

As you can see, it's been an awesome spring, so far.  Mother's Day was no exception. 

My husband arranged for his mom, dad, sister, Charlotte, and myself to all tour Cheekwood Botanical Gardens.  I'd been once before, but this time was so much fun.  Watching Charlotte explore was the highlight of my day.  She loved to smell the flowers and touch everything (that she was allowed to touch).  They even had a train exhibit where several trains ran all over a massive wooden "town", some overhead, even.  I bet we spent an hour looking at them.  Train obsessed, this kid is.  

Banana in-hand, always.

The Japanese Tea Garden is my favorite part, but I didn't take my phone in with me.  It definitely brings a sensation of calm over me when I enter.  I could spend all day there.  

At one of the ponds, we met some snapping turtles and bull frogs.  As you can imagine, these were all the rage for a toddler. 

It was such a fun day spent with family.  I can't wait to do it all again.  

Last night, we met some friends at Arrington Vineyards for a raw food potluck, which was a really nice time.  My brother and niece even tagged along.  The kids had a blast chasing each other and digging in a mud puddle they found. The forecast had called for rain, so not many people showed up, but it turned out to be a fantastic night.  The weather was perfect, and we had a prime spot on the hillside overlooking the vines.  No complaints here.

I think we're off to a fantastic start to an amazing summer!  I am excited to see what the next few months bring, and I'll be sure to update you all as things happen.  

Until then, here are a few more pics from our recent fun...

Pics from our photo shoot with the incredible John Meyers Photography

"Werk it gurl!"

Seeing a REAL train at daddy's work.

Saturday morning silly faces.  She's a pro.

Our newest family member, Finn.  He's very friendly and active, two things I never expected from a betta fish.  Aren't animals amazing?

Our other babies, Riley and Abby, basking in the warmth of spring.

State park fun!  We had our photo shoot at Edwin Warner State Park, and I highly recommend checking it out.  Gorgeous place!

More garden fun!