Cupping

I am shamelessly a very curious person. I love to try new things and I google everything. Matt comes home to find me doing something insane and weird at least weekly, if not daily. If you read my old blog, you know about the disastrous Oil Cleansing Method I tried in January that left me with acne for the first time in my entire life. Of course that didn't stop me...

I've seen photos of Gwyneth Paltrow, Jen Aniston and various other athletes and celebs with circular bruises on their backs but never knew what it was from- turns out, CUPPING! Naturally, I had to try it. I did a bunch of research and apparently it's very effective for cellulite and other body woes.

I decided to purchase some Accucups online and with shipping it ran me about $25. I had no idea how to use them at first, which is why I ended up with a gigantic bruise covering my forehead:

Before:

 

The photo I sent my friends to show them what I was doing.

After:

 

Please note the circular bruise covering my forehead.

Apparently I was doing it wrong. I took a dab of olive oil and rubbed it over my thighs and suctioned the largest cup there. OUCH. HOLY SH*T. I knew I had finally figured it out because it hurt like a bitch. The oil allowed me to glide the cup slowly over the oil area and I felt it working. Matt stood and watched me squirm and yell, laughing at my ridiculousness. Free entertainment. 

Cupping pulls stagnant blood around and out from between fat/cellulite cells and gets it moving more easily. I'm going to keep trying this daily and see how it works- my thighs are covered in tiny bruises this morning so I know somethings working!

Update 1: Got a bruise on my back! The dark color is an indication of stagnant blood, which means I am doing it right!

Apple Cider Vinegar

I have heard about the magic of apple cider vinegar for many years but have never gotten around to a) buying it or b) trying it for anything other than soaking fruit and veggies. I bought this bottle of Bragg's Raw ACV and decided to suck it up and take a shot- IT BURNED LIKE HELL! But I instantly felt my tummy start to rumble and I knew something was happening inside my body. Each day, whether it be morning or night, I drink a tablespoon diluted in a glass of water and each day my tummy rumbles and my body starts to cleanse.

Things it does that we all need:
Shiny hair, healthy bloodstream, cleanses lymph system (this, to me, is the most important for some reason), cleanses the colon, makes your skin glow, eases joint pain and body aches and just makes you all around more healthy. It really is magic!

Personal Challenge: Let the Games Begin

So I like to do this thing where I try out new diet fads and cut things out and experiment. Has it ever lasted? No. Has it worked? Meh. Do I have any self control? None at all.

With my wedding dress fitting being May 18, I have less than a month to figure shit out, so two days ago I decided I'm starting with some things I CAN do: no bread, no grains, no dairy, no candy (and no soda- I quit that 7 months ago). How am I doing so far? Sunday and yesterday I had half a Slurpee and a handful of Doritos and tonight I had two bags of peanut m&ms, despite eating like a dream all day leading up to it. Clearly my issue is sugar!!

I am going to try and curb my cravings using soda made w stevia and see how that works! I am also using myfitnesspal to count calories- 1300 a day... More if I exercise! M and I are doing 6am workouts all week so lets see how that goes. I am determined to be healthy inside and look awesome outside- it can be done! And it will be :)

My favorite green juice from Nugget Market- The Dr. Oz with extra spinach!

No More Frozen Foods!

I decided to ban frozen foods from the house but there was a major problem- my fiancé LOVES his Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches and frozen burritos. I spent the afternoon recreating them, but way healthier! We wrapped them in tin foil and stuck them in the freezer. Genius!

Breakfast sammies:
Fresh turkey sausage, roll into patties
Eggs (I puréed mine in my little blender and baked them in a muffin tin for 7 mins)
Whole wheat English muffins
Thinly sliced cheddar cheese

I used my little blender to whip the eggs together quickly.

Cook, stack, wrap and freeze!

Healthy Frozen Burritos:
Medium sized tortillas
Ground turkey, cooked w a little taco seasoning
Shredded cheese (we used Colby Jack)
Black beans
Egg whites

Mix the egg whites in with the cooked turkey. Put all ingredients onto a tortilla, pretend you work at Chipotle and roll into a burrito, wrap in foil and freeze!

Voila! Healthy, easy and preservativeless!

Good Morning Sunshine

Every morning for the past month, I have made myself a Body by Vi shake to drink on my way to work.I have lost about 7 lbs just from having these for breakfast- no working out, no major lifestyle changes, just the shakes! In order to make them a little healthier, I bought some vitamins and supplements to toss in, and they make the shakes taste awesome despite its greenish-gray appearance.

How I make my shakes:
2 scoops Vi-Shape by Visalus in Sweet cream
2 tbsp Navitas Naturals organic flax powder (it will clean. you. out!)
1 tsp Navitas Naturals raw camu camu powder (60x more vitamin c than an orange!)
1 scoops Greens+ Original Superfood (more vitamins and nutrients in one scoop than in five servings of fruits/veggies)
1 cup almond milk
Mixed frozen fruit (not much- I usually use a few cubes of mango, raspberry or pineapple)
Handful of spinach (I promise you CANNOT taste it!)

I was very hesitant to try Visalus/Body by Vi because of all the hype surrounding it- I always felt like I couldn't get an unbiased response because everyone wanted to sell it to me and make money! But I don't sell it, nor do I plan to. It's just a great protein powder that keeps you full until lunch and makes the shakes taste great. I am sure that you could use any protein powder, but this one has helped me lose weight, not gain, which I am all about!