Mango Girl

I really enjoy being active.  I seriously love it.  I believe it is a vital factor for good health and happiness.  Our bodies are made to move.  They are made to push, pull, jump, run, stretch, reach, twist, and be physically challenged.  I love gifting my body with exercise and a level of fitness that I feel good about.  No, I do not have to drag myself to the gym or to a workout.  It is part of my day that I genuinely look forward too.  I often find myself cracking up during my workout because I am seriously having fun.

The above picture above is my friends and I in a “mud run” race.  Too much fun.

Within the last 2 weeks, these are workouts/activities I have done.  I am active every day.  I may miss a day here or there but you know what I mean.  I do an hour of activity daily.  It’s just how it is. Then the days I do yoga, I do that in addition to my work out.  I do yoga about 2 to 3 days a week.

• walking
• running
• yoga
• weight lifting
• jump roping
• body pump class
• spin cycling class
• cardio-sculpt class
• kick boxing class
• indoor rowing (on the concept 2 rower)

I have found it important to mix up my workouts.   The body gets used to things, it adapts to the things we do over and over.  I want to challenge myself, in terms of my strength, quickness, flexibility, endurance, and overall fitness.  That won’t happen if I walk on the treadmill every day.  That won’t happen if I only do yoga every day.  That won’t happen if I only lift weights every day.

I have to take it up a notch.  Get out of my routine.  Take a new class that I may look like a dork in at first.  Accept an invitation to a new workout such as stair climbing, rock climbing, biking, swimming…. basically an activity that is out of my norm.

I plan on being active for the rest of my life. Of course I take some time off here and there, or I am tired, or Iam traveling, or I am at an event.  These are considered the exceptions.  Working out daily is the norm.  I am not talking about at extreme, long routine here.  I am talking about moving the  body…challenging the body, and having fun while doing it.

When people ask me “hey Stef, what is the best workout for health and fitness?”….I tell them “the best workout is the one that you atually DO”….not the one you think about doing, read about doing, watch people doing, wish you were doing, aspire to be doing, plan to be doing, or dream about doing.

The topic of “cleansing and flushing” comes up time & time again.  Often times people become overloaded with the poor choices of their lifestyle  and believe a “quick fix” could alleviate their symptoms, melt away the extra pounds, or give them the energy they deeply desire.   They then hustle to the health food store and  buy a “cleanse” or “detox” in their desperation of regaining their health (please read blog from 9/8/2009).  This truly is not the answer and is actually dangerous.

Just like you, I wanted more energy.  I was tired of constipation, menstrual cramps & headaches, dark under eye circles, fluid retention, sports injuries and feeling average.  I decided to become a health seeker in a relentless fashion.  I learned the hard way in many of my adventures and I am lucky to have not hurt myself.

Through my deep studies in “Natural Hygiene”, I have learned a lot about the body and how to best allow for healing and health in general.  I do not support or advise ANY store bought cleanses or detoxes.  They are irritants and people actually only feel better while on a cleanse  because they stopped/eliminated  ingesting their “normal” harmful habits such as coffee, alcohol, fast food or fatty foods.  For attaining health, there is NO reason to do a cleanse.  To attain health, we must live healthy.  When people express a serious want about “cleansing”, I simply suggest they eat nothing but fruits and vegetables for 5 days.  An unlimited amount of raw, fresh, ripe, organic fruits and vegetables (NO FATS).  This is the by far the best cleanse.

Below are the “cleanses” I have  personally tried on my health journey.  I do not regret my experiences.  Although, I will not partake in any of these sort of health gimmicks again.  I am trying to inform/warn you that there is no true value in them.  I did not find health in them.  I am grateful that they all lead me closer to my truth of “natural hygiene.”   NH is considered the science of health.   It encourages us to provide the proper conditions for the body to heal itself and discourages us to aimlessly treat our symptoms.  The premise is to remove the cause.

#1    5 Day Liver Cleanse (Dr. Schulze) -$78. Ingesting cloves of garlic; tablespoons of olive oil; anti-parasite & liver tinctures; broth; fruits & veggies – Save your money and just ingest the fruits and veggies.  I had to stand in front of the kitchen sink as I gagged on the olive oil.

#2     Arise & Shine Colon Cleanse/3wks. (Dr. Anderson) $240 – Ingesting psyllium husk; flora grow; bentonite; herbal supplements; chomer (supplement); broth.  This one was heavy.  Taking in all of these irritants and supplements is unnatural and uncomfortable.

#3     Ejuva Herbal Cleanse/4wks $325 – Ingesting probiotics, vibrational elixir;  power, balance & renew tablets; combi powder.  In this cleanse I experienced a bit of heartburn, nausea and thirst.  These were symptoms of all of the unknown “healing” supplements I was ingesting.

#4    Optimal Health Institute (OHI – 7 day program) $750 -Ingest wheatgrass juice; enemas and wheatgrass implants for colon cleansing; health classes; yoga.  I did learn a lot about health here.  The teachings at OHI were taken from health enthusiast, Ann Wigmore.  I can only tell you that wheatgrass went everywhere possible on/in the body.  I did meet some very interesting people OHI.

I hope you can learn from my experiences.  I hope you can understand that the only way to gain health is to live healthfully. Health truly is happiness.

As you know, HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) is a silent killer.  It is found in an alarming number of foods in all of our grocery stores.  Protect yourself, by avoiding it in your quest of health.

HFCS is not the everyday corn syrup you see on the shelf in the grocery store, nor is it the fructose naturally found in fruit.  It is a highly refined clear liquid derived from corn starch.  Food manufacturers love to use it because it is cheap and has a long shelf life.  They do not use it because they care about your health.

HFCS has no nutritional value, is highly processed, and is simply a cheap sweetener.  It can  lead to sugar spikes, obesity, anemia, ostioarthritis, tooth decay, heart disease, Alzheimers  and a general decline in health.

The corn industry  continuously attempts to convince us that HFCS is benign or even natural.  HFCS is not a naturally occurring in nature.  It is an ingredient to eliminate from your diet to aviod the demise of your health.

Unfortunately, HFCS is in almost everything that has been packaged and processed.  Becoming a label reader is essential in regard to eliminating it from the diet.  If it lists high fructose corn syrup as an ingredient, put in back on the shelf.  Don’t support this industry.

Here are some foods that contain HFCS:

Many (not all) salad dressings; cereals; ice-creams; cookies; crackers; sodas; condiments; lunchables; and fast food to name a few.  I am sure you are getting the idea here.

It is best to buy fresh, whole food, and prepare it at home.  As far as sweeteners, use fresh ripe fruit and/or dried fruit.  Keep it simple.  The less ingredients the better.  The more ingredients you can even read on a label, the better.  It is getting tough out there.  Downright scary at times in terms of nutrition.  You seriously have to save yourself by doing the research and finding the truth.  Don’t rely on the “food guide pyramid” or  mainstream nutrition.

Look around out there and see what “average” looks like  in terms of health, vitality, happiness, fitness level.  I want more for myself.  I don’t want to be average, or normal, or status quo, or pretty good, or alright.  I don’t want to say the 6 words my mentor Dr. Graham told me to be aware of as I embark into my forties “I USED TO BE ABLE TO”.   I crack up when I hear people say those words.  And of course…things are different for me now than when I was 20’s.  Aging is happening, yes.  But I will not make excuses for certain things I can not do because of my age.  I believe that I am in my prime.

Hello.  Below is a  share of what  I am up to/living at the moment.  Just some things that are going on with me right now.  I feel an amazing sense of freedom to change any of this at any moment.

“At The Moments”

favorite drink:  coconut water

favorite song:  the high road by broken bells

newest friend: chancy

favorite work out: cardio/sculpt class  @ gold’s gym in LA

best bargain:  2 yoga mats for $10 dollars (at ross – for my students at work)

looking forward to:  March 11…the release of “Forks Over Knives”

at work:  teaching yoga (For those of you that don’t know, I am an APE teacher.  Adapted Physical Education)  Basically, a PE teacher for kids with profound disabilities.

upcoming read: “born to run” by chris mcdougall

fitness goal:  push-ups (25 in a row)…i think i am at 14

random:  my crown popped off the other day (it’s my front tooth – yikes)

fantasy:  walking in fisherman pants and a white tank top in Thailand…finding durian and sitting curbside to feast

thankful: sunny southern california in january

sad about:   the violence in our  country

thoughts: what is my purpose? will i fulfill it?

fear:  what if i don’t?

inspired by: the activists in the documentary “The Cove”

someone that makes me want to listen more and talk less:  Colleen Riley

someone that makes me want to talk more and listen less:  the dairy industry

plan:  smile at people when connecting eyes with them in public

plan #2: not to have the “in a hurry” energy…when standing in line, finding parking etc.

frustration: thoughts that do not serve me well and/or will not help me reach my goals

on love:  ”never regret what made you once smile”  not sure where that quote came from, but i really like it

The other day I was thinking about how and when I feel the most balanced.  I was wondering what things I specifically do to come back to balance when i am feeling out of balance.  Although there are many variables to this equation, there is one thing in particular that makes a serious impact upon me.

Sleep.  When I am rested, I am most balanced.  I seriously began understanding the value of sleep and nerve energy about 2 years ago at a health retreat in Costa Rica with Dr. Doug Graham. I blogged about nerve energy on 9/17/2009 if you are interested in this concept.  Below is just a short description about the differences between “energy” and “nerve energy.” (i am going off track a bit here).

“Energy” as most of us relate to the  everyday term refers to things the body consumes in the form of food and drink; what the body uses in terms of effort and/or exertion; what we feel in terms of stimmulation; expending mental activity; burning calories; generating heat; and  many, many more.

“Nerve Energy”:   a specialized term in Natural Hygiene that refers to the low-grade electricity generated by the brain that innervates the muscular, nervous, and gladular tissues such that all bodily functions are performed within their normal and healthful parameters (Victoria Bidwell).

In an upcoming blog, I will share about what and “how” I learned about the benefits of rest and sleep at this retreat  in Costa Rica 2 years ago.  On a simplistic level I can tell that  normally thought I was over-training; overdoing and just “doing too much”, which I believed resulted in injuries, fatigue and a constant level of feeling “average” (i am not really going for average).  In truth, I was under-slept, under-recovered and under-rested.  I had to address this issue to move forward with my quest of gaining good health and vitality.

Getting rest and sleep is a priority.  I am very committed to this aspect of my health and navigate my lifestyle in a way that this can be doable for me.  It is about the choices I make.  I choose to leave a party at 9 rather than 12.  I choose to get up at 5am to work out before work, so getting to bed by 8:30 is what I do.  I choose to go to a movies at 6pm rather than 8pm.   Yes, of course there are exceptions to this, as things come up and certain special events do not fall into that time category, and I am good with all of that.  My point is that those times are more considered a  ”now and then”, whereas the other way is more of a constant.  It’s important to remember that the things we do most of the time is what affects us most.  We build a foundation and momentum.  The things that we do now and then….are just that…now and than.

Nothing affects me more than not being rested.  I can miss a meal or eat an extra meal and not feel as out of balance.  I can miss a few workout’s or experience stress and not feel as out of balance.  I can be emotional, dehydrated and confused and not feel as out of balance as not being rested.  I am simply at my best when I am rested and there are sacrifices to be made to achieve that.  And these sacrifices are worth it to me.

People often tell me “oh stef,  i am a late person, i could never go to bed at 8:30″, or “i have to stay up late, it is just how i am”.  To that I say “you are, what you think you are”.  Because our bodies adapt to the conditions we provide for them; our bodies adjust to the environment and demands we place on them.  I try not to claim too much about myself as I want to have every opportunity to change and grow at any given time.

It is silly that we live in a society where sleeping is frowned upon.  Sleeping is associated with being lazy, or unproductive.  People have goals to sleep less and be more productive.  Does that make sense? People brag about only needing only 5-6 hours of sleep a night.  Like this  sort of practice is something to strive for.  People say “I can sleep when I am dead”, to that I say “just be careful.”

I was lucky to be born and raised (until I was 9) in Germany.  It was a precious tiny little town/village in northern Germany called Heide.  It was a safe and quiet neighborhood of people just trying to go about their lives peacefully and gently. There were many farms within the neighborhood with farmers making their living off of their animals.

I was around farms and farm animals often in these impressionable days of my life.  I clearly remember watching cows grazing on grass in the open fields and then in the evening on my dinner plate seeing a “brown” leather like item on my plate.  I knew that the “brown” thing on my plate was a cow…like the one I had seen earlier that day grazing on grass in the open field.  This made me feel “bad”.  I had an adverse reaction to meat at an early age.  My mom started finding pieces of meat in kitchen drawers, pant pockets, and folded in cloth napkins.  I was taking the meat off of my plate in an attempt of disposing it.  This was not a one time incident.  I just did not want to eat it.  My parents did not force me to eat it (thank you mom & dad).  They did demand I stop trying to hide the “uneaten” meat from them as often they found it rotten or full of ants.  They  let me eat my dinner and than asked me to eat a “bite” of meat now and then which I did.  But I didn’t like it.  My parents were concerned as I was a pretty skinny kid and only wanted things like potatoes, bread, and fruit.

We moved to the United States (California) when I was 10 and things quickly changed.  There was no sight of cows, and meat was “disguised” and it just seemed a bit easier for me to eat it.  When I say meat was disguised, I mean that it was wrapped in burritos or breaded, or shredded, or chicken was on a sandwich and I was more removed from the “animal”.  It still was not on my favorite list.  I inspected it closely, poked it with a fork and often would bite a piece that was NOT meant for eating and it would disgust me intensely which would enable me to finish the rest of my meal.

I became very involved in sports at a young age and upon our arrival in the U.S., began excelling.  In elementary and jr. high school, I literally played all sports and then narrowed it down to basketball and track in high school.  I ended up dropping track and focusing on basketball after my sophomore year.  Then went on to play college basketball.  This is when the protein “myth” became more prevalent in my life as I was considered an athlete.  And basic nutrition teaches us that athletes need more protein, specifically from animal protein.

I was heavily influenced and “brainwashed” by this model and ate meat like all of my teammates, friends, and family.  I even ate more meat after suffering some serious knee injuries in my basketball career, and was told by my doctors that  the protein from meat would help me heal faster.

Interestingly enough if you were to ask any of my former teammates, or my family or friends about my “meat” eating behavior, (that sounds funny, i know) they will all tell you that it was “odd”.  I would watch the person cooking the meat.  I would inspect the meat.  I would poke it, tear it, rip it, smell it.  It was simply not an easy or  natural experience for me to eat meat.

Finally in my early thirties I started to investigate and study nutrition and quickly realized that most of the major teachings in mainstream nutrition, especially on protein are incorrect.  I went vegetarian, then vegan and feel better than ever.  I get my protein from fruits and vegetables.  It’s that simple.  Eating a clean diet of fresh, organic, ripe, raw plant foods will  meet our protein needs if we are getting sufficient calories.

“The Cove” is an incredible documentary that I watched the other night.  The Cove follows an elite team of activtsts, filmmakers and freedivers as they embark on a covert mission to penetrate a remote and hidden cove in Taiji, Japan, uncovering a dark and deadly secret.  Utilizing state of the art techniques, including hidden microphones and cameras in fake rocks, the team uncovers a devastating truth.  The team finds and exposes the brutal and horrific captures and killings of beautiful, innocent dolphins.

The dolphins are captured and sold all over the world for “entertainment” purposes to places such as Sea World.  And even worse, the dolphin meat is sold in grocery stores and fish markets as “whale meat” to consumers all over Japan.  Dolphin meat has extremely high levels of mercury and almost made it into the school lunch program in Japan. There were  2 brave individuals from the school board or city council who spoke out against this and prevented it from happening.

There were parts of this documentary that were heartbreaking and deeply disturbing.   They were literally painful to watch.  Knowing that this is happening in “our world”, and that it is happening in many more places than  Japan is a harsh reality.

There were parts of this documentary that were inspiring and uplifting.  The activists, filmmakers and freedivers were amazing.  They showed the deepest level of compassion, commitment and conviction.  I was really humbled by these individuals and their desire to help these  dolphins.

It’s easy to “not” watch this documentary because it is “sad” and it is “scary”, and we become affected and feel compelled to then do something.  I welcome this type of experience into my life.  I want to become affected, or outraged, or upset, or inspired or “compelled” to do something after seeing this type of truth.  I don’t want to look away because even if it’s small, I know there is something I can contribute to this cause in terms of support. (www.takepart.com/thecove).

I am back.  It has been a while since I have written and shared here on my blog.  I look forward to blogging and sharing tons of valuable and important information with you all.  I plan to get more personal/intimate in 2011.  I want to share some more of my personal experiences in my health journey and personal life with all of you.

There are times I have been reluctant in sharing certain things because of judgement, people’s unnecessary concern, and my own uncertainty .  Also, my parents read this blog and I had some reservations….because well….they are my parents and I don’t want them to worry about me.  Especially, because what I have been embarking on is not totally familiar or mainstream.

My raw/vegan lifestyle simply makes me happy.  I love living clean, positive, and enthusiastic.   I have met the most amazing people on this path.  I have also had to let go of  a few friendships along the way because of the constant backlash I was receiving in terms of how I am choosing to live.  In my studies I have uncovered many truth’s about health and well being.  I have had to unlearn so much mainstream information – and it truly takes time to do this as it has been ingrained into our beings for such a long time.

My main focus of veganism has been primarily for health reasons.  I am feeling a shift to be more aware/active in animal rights and supporting my animal friends.  I joined OCPA (orange county people for animals) and have been a member of PETA (people of ethical treatment for animals) for some time.  I look forward to being a part of this.

I believe that everything we do…everything we say…everything we think matters deeply.  I believe that our health accumulates with time.  I don’t believe in the moderation theory (a little poison once in a while is no big deal; not for me).

I see people (young people) that have given up.  They are too tired, too medicated, too stimulated, too underslept, undercarbed, underexercised and unhappy.  Why???  Because change is “too hard”.  People actually choose those former things mentioned…rather than choosing change.   People become overwhelmed….they  claim that they will start on “monday”….or after the holidays….or after the birthday party…or after super bowl….or after vacation…or after….or after….please start now….it’s the only time you have…and you are worth it…

Oh, before I forget…did I tell you all I am planning on running a 1/2 marathon on May 1st.  Yes, I have had 5 knee surgeries (2 screws in each knee), plantar fascia surgery, tons of IT band problems, scar tissue all over the place and probably some other stuff I am forgetting right now.  Why am I running it you ask?  BECAUSE I CAN…and so can you

Stef

Interesting article on overeating and food consumption.

(CNN) — On Thanksgiving, many of us will eat way more than normal and then waddle away contented, with a turkey and sweet potato buzz.

Having a belly stuffed with comforting food can feel like a warm hug from the inside.

Evolution has given us the instinct to eat a lot every time we can, preparing for hard times. It’s the drive to survive, like puffy-cheeked squirrels storing up for the winter. It’s also fueled by competition: beating the others to the food.

Our brains reward us for it, by releasing pleasure chemicals — in the same way as drugs and alcohol, experts say.

Scientists studying that good feeling after eating call it ingestion analgesia, literally pain relief from eating.

“There are reward circuits to make you enjoy eating,” said Roger Cone, professor and chairman of molecular physiology and biophysics at Vanderbilt University. “If we didn’t eat, we wouldn’t survive.”

The rewarding feeling ensured survival of the species.

“For most animals and most of human history, we have not had excess of calories,” Cone said. “Animals and humans had to work harder to survive. But now, with unlimited calories everywhere for most people and a great reduction in the amount of physical activity, we’ve become obese.”

Despite the modern environment bombarded by appetizing ads and fast food, the wiring in the human brain hasn’t changed. The reward circuits in the brain release chemicals that comfort and satisfy.

Having such easy access to fat, salt and sugar is a recent development in the human timeline, said Gary Wenk, author of “Your Brain on Food.” “Our bodies reward us big time for ingesting these kinds of things. When we find them, we consume them as much as possible because we think we don’t know when we’ll see it again. Cognitively, we know it’s not true.”

The body rewards fatty, salty, sugary foods by releasing endogenous opioids, which help control pain. A study published in Nature Neuroscience this year suggested that high-fat, high-calorie foods affect the brain in much the same way as cocaine and heroin.When rats consume these foods in great enough quantities, it leads to compulsive eating habits that resemble drug addiction, the study found.

Although eating as much as possible helped mankind survive in lean times, it is not so advantageous now.

Being full feels satisfying compared with the gnawing, rumbling hunger pains. Food replaces that emptiness with a sleepy, relaxing comfort, which some of us know as a food coma. It settles over the body as hormones are released and blood is diverted to digestion, said Barbara Rolls, author of the “Volumetrics Eating Plan,” a diet plan based on feeling full, known scientifically as satiety.

“We start off feeling not good and grumpy, then you eat and feel good,” she said.

The body has natural cues to tell us to stop eating; it’s a matter of whether we listen.

When food travels through the stomach, it has to be digested to move into the upper small intestine. Once it gets to this part, the intestines release a hormone to tell the brain to stop eating now, said Wenk, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Ohio State University.

As food intake increases, the stomach becomes full, the blood glucose levels change, and the hormone ghrelin, which stimulates appetite, calms down. That feeling of satiety should end the meal.

Despite these cues, diners often ignore them.

\”Even when you’re completely overfilled and you can’t eat another bite, when something is tasty, you continue eating,” Wenk said.

Rolls, a professor of national science at Pennsylvania State University, has this advice: “I advocate people need to not eat as their meal is the last one.”

Here are some tips:

• Eat when you feel a little hungry, but don’t wait until you feel ravenous, because you’ll probably overeat.

• Stop eating when you’re pleasantly full.

• Try this exercise: Assess on a scale between one and 10 how you hungry you feel (with one as very hungry and 10 as extremely full). During the meal, periodically pause to figure out where you are on this scale, and stop if you’re at five.

Information by John McDougall – the leading authority in low-fat, vegan fare

Making the change to a starch-based diet and forgoing animal-based foods, along with the other malnourishments found in the Western diet, results in many immediate changes:

1) Effortless loss of unattractive body fat. Studies show overweight people are less likely to succeed in business and other areas of life.

2) Improvement in the circulation affecting the performance of every organ and tissue in the body. Clearer thinking and enhanced agility are easily recognizable benefits.

3) Endurance is improved by the same foods that power marathon and triathlon winners (carbohydrates).

4) Reduction in the risk of crippling diseases, like heart attacks, strokes, and cancers. Nothing zaps power like paralysis or heart failure.

5) Improvement in personal appearance. After weight loss, “better looks” are most apparent from a person’s complexion, which turns from purplish-gray to pink as the flow of blood to the skin improves. (Dark-skinned people show a similar glow to their complexion.)

6) Pleasant body odor. Smell is an important form of communication. Replacing the repugnant substances that make up meat, poultry, fish and dairy with plants, cures BO and halitosis.

7) Sexual vitality is enhanced by the renewed strength and endurance gained from a vegan diet. Circulation to the penis is improved encouraging erectile function. A trimmer, fitter body with a pleasant odor is noticeably more attractive.

Respect from others follows. Most people know about the serious adverse health and environmental consequences of eating animal-derived foods. They are just too weak to make appropriate changes themselves, at least for right now. Powerful men, women, and children “who do the right thing” gain the admiration of others.