Self love

It has been a bit since I have posted because I have spent many hours studying and taking my online classes. I tried to upload some videos numerous times and it is just super slow. I have experienced problems with the internet. i won't complain. Living in another country has its own ups and downs. Since Valentines Day has passed, I wanted to share with you all a little something..

I came upon some words that had its way with me. I thought it could be of use to you all. I feel that self love and discovery is vital to anything we do in life. It has took me many years to uncover, love and trust who I really am. I am still learning.

how does one begin to love themselves..

Your heart doesnt always follow your head, which is a big part of the problem. I started by looking at my behavior as communication instead of getting mad at myself. What am i trying to say? Why would i do that? What is it i need or am not gettin? When i began to answer those things honestly, i started making some progress. You make choices then to try and give yourself what you are asking for. It can take time and be challenging, especially if you have some back tracking to do. 

Secondly, i started asking myself ' what do i like? What makes me happy?' It began with only one thing. So i did that thing. I started surrounding myself with superficial things that made me smile, which led to building better connections with people who made me smile, which led to time alone that was replenishing instead of hopeless. It is ok to have a short list about what you like about you, but it is not an excuse to not be working on adding things. ♡

As with all things, we fear and dislike and skirt around things we dont understand; you need to get to know yourself more intimately because the more you understand yourself, the easier it becomes to love and accept who you are in all your progress. Keep pushing. Keep adding to that list no matter how trivial it seems. You are worth being loved. -AB

Greens

Here is my go to salad! I swear even if you are not a fan of spinach, you will love this. It is an easy recipe to remember. Spinach a low calorie superfood filled of minerals, vitamins and antioxidants! Keeping spinach in my own diet has helped keep my skin clear and hair feeling light.

• 2 cups spinach 
• 2 tablespoons feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons cranberries
• 2 tablespoons balsamic dressing
• 2 tablespoon walnuts

                                             294 calories, 23g carbs, 18g fat, 11 g protein

Another tip I wanted to share with you all is adding some apple cider vinegar into your drinks. It is a perfect addition in boosting your digestive system and has claimed many health benefits. Personally, I enjoy a teaspoon inside a nice cup of hot green mint tea. I do this with my lunch and after dinner I include a tablespoon. Make you do not drink this straight!! This must be diluted. From my experience, it has helped me curve those evening cravings and regulated my digestive system. I recommend adding a small bit because your taste buds may not like it and your body may react quickly. Purchasing one small bottle can go a long way!

Just think.

Now, I wanted to remind you all that the key to staying in shape is eating a balanced diet combined with exercise. If your goal is you lose weight or gain, you must eat according to your physical needs/activity. If you are burning more calories then what you have taken in, obviously you will lose weight. If you are wanting to gain, you must eat more but introduce this slowly. I will be more than happy to teach you how to calculate your caloric intake based off your activity to help you reach your goals.

I think the most common thing people want is to witness progress immediately. This type of mind set should be changed and be focused more on developing a habit of eating healthy and committing to any form of physical activity. Sure, one can lose weight super fast in a short amount of time but I guarantee you, this is not long term and ones level of happiness can be quickly diminished. I have witnessed others starve just to lose weight or spend hours & hours at the gym trying to burn off calories. I have witnessed people avoid social gatherings for fear of food. Isolation is not a way of life! You should not have to sacrifice in order to succeed. The point is to develop a way of life as it should always be. I think that the idea of the "on the go, I don't have time, fast food, dessert with dinner, I want what I want NOW, is a bunch of shit.

I understand that working full time, 9-5 or more, 2 jobs, college, family and social life is a lot of work! We do this everyday! This is life. What is stopping you from wanting to eat foods as close to its natural state. What is stopping you from a commitment of a lifetime with yourself? What is stopping you from tasting the beauty of what nature has given us. Pick a piece of fruit over candy. Choose baked sweet potatoes over fried french fries. I have seen memes of people wanting food consisting of greasy pizza, fries, soda and hot Cheetos. What about a chunk of lean tender juicy steak, a fresh salad with crisp apples and nuts, a parfait with wild berries and honey, doesn't that sound delicious too? Just think, instead of people filming fighting videos, why aren't more fighting for physical education & funding for the youth? What is stopping you from enjoying physical activity? Why aren't more families participating in sports, evening walks after dinner, hiking, etc?

I guess what I am trying to say, is that life is truly a gift. We are here for purpose, we are here to make a difference. We can experience happiness. We feel love, we care, we cry, we give. I ask you to stop and take a look around you. The simple pleasures of life is evolved around nature, food and family. Your family is everything, so why not spend more time participating in an activity that will keep you closer & help you live longer. Where did we loose sight of "healthy" living? Is that not what living is? Healthy...