TIP TUESDAY

Are you chewing your food all the way through?

So many of us eat to eat but are you eating because you are actually hungry? Is your stomach sending you those hunger pains? Or are you just eating..

It can be hard to determine sometimes and it can be really difficult to write every single nutrient down and figure out what EXACTLY you are missing vitamin and mineral wise. But what if you did not need a fancy calculator, website, smart phone app and all you needed was that thing you walk around in all day. That's RIGHT your digestive system and brain are the best business partners and deserve a FORBES award you just have to LISTEN to them!

Now imagine biting into a fresh, organic Granny Smith Apple..how does it feel? how does it taste?

Can you answer those questions or are you one of the many who chew each bite 5-7 times on average and swallow?

If you are the many of chew each bite just 5-7 times you need to LISTEN UP!

Eating should not be something you just DO to DO but should have some sort of purpose in your life. 

If you look at many other cultures including the French they dine on the finest foods and are super fit and thin...besides the fact they walk EVERYWHERE they actually sit and enjoy the food that is placed in front of them. They celebrate food..now do not take this the wrong way and think you can have a cake with candles at every meal just because you are willing to chew it more then 7 times a bite.... 

I am saying that when you eat you should be in a sitting relaxed state, eating food because you are hungry, and eating a healthy well-balanced meal to get all the nutrients available to you.

I discovered "Food Mediation" through tons of research and just the plain and simple understanding of how the digestive system works. Your body has to work to digest foods and yes when it works it burns calories and provides you with the minerals and vitamins available from the food you just shoveled into your mouth. But, did you know if you enjoyed every single bite, chewed your food thoroughly and relaxed while eating the food you could actually LOSE WEIGHT?

A simple fact that will change the way you eat a meal hopefully from now on...

Like I said above you can LOSE WEIGHT if you actually chew your food...how and why does this happen?

LINK

• Digestion begins in the mouth..those pearly whites are made to grind the food you provide your body and that gorgeous PINK tongue has saliva on it which signals the digestive enzymes to break down starches into simple sugars
• The saliva also contains lipid (fat) digestive enzymes that help begin the process of breaking fats down. The teeth also help grind the food into smaller pieces so that when the food is finally swallowed (after tons of chewing) it mixes better with your stomach acids (hydrochloric acid).
• The longer you chew your food the taste and smell receptors start to trigger. Once this happens the production of stomach acids and pancreatic juices occurs so your system is ready to roar!
• As you swallow the stomach acids begins to break down the proteins into even smaller digestible molecules and works on killing all that nasty bacteria and pathogens that may be in your food. Remember this...more area to work in the easier it is to get to work so the smaller your food the easier for the body to break it down even further!
• The smaller the food is, the better the breakdown which further leads to more vitamin and mineral absorption in the small intestine. The small intestine is VITAL to star shining health!
• The large intestine is up next and takes what is left of the already digested food (fiber and water). The large intestine sucks up the water and whatever vitamins and electrolytes are left and then creates your best friend :)
• If your friends that come out your back side have food that's undigested or you always have that bloated, gassy feeling this may be a sign of not chewing your food thoroughly.
• I could break this down further but basically CHEW YOUR FOOD for OPTIMAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS

The more you chew the less you eat:

• Hormones (leptin, cholecystokinin) have a chance to catch up and tell your brain "Hey I am full down here, thanks for the amazing nutrients"
• Studies show that slowly chewing your food and making a connection of tasting, smelling, touching, acknowledge (see), and hear your body and what it needs you end up decreasing your food intake by 1/3 at a meal

Ways to work on this is by using Food Meditation! Watch the video above and try it out at your next meal :)

How many chews will you chew today?

How many licks to the center of optimum health?

SPOTLIGHT SATURDAY

I met Rachel Marie on the crazy night of HALLOWEEN and her and I became instant friends! Rachel and  I share the same interests in food, wine and fashion. She is a health nut as well :) Besides her being the sweetest girl ever and her and I being friends she is an all around cool chick! But what made me so inspired and interested in her and why I am sharing her with you all is she is SO CREATIVE! I mean artistically creative. She can take scrap leather and make beautiful earrings, necklaces, bracelet, the likes! I was shocked when she showed me the pieces she started with and what she was able to create with these scraps! Thats using your imagination!

Here is an interview I did with her over email since I know if we would have done it in person we would have written a book :)

How did the name Hunt.r come about? 

It is actually a sort of funny story. I was in Canada visiting my family when I decided it was finally time to give my jewelry line an identity. I had been brainstorming with my sister Rebecca all week, but nothing we came up with seemed to work. The last night I was in town I was having dinner at my dads with my siblings and a few close friends. We got talking about possible names for the jewelry and my one friend Chelsea had an idea. She decided that we should all write a letter on a piece of paper and throw it in a pile, and then whatever word the letters made up would be the new name of my jewelry line. Honestly I didn't think it would work at the time.. but we all did it anyways. I ended up with a pretty hilarious pile of letters. I can't remember them all now.. but there was only one vowel, the U. We ended up throwing away a few letters in the process, but Chelsea's idea ended up working, we came up with the name Hunt.r. The company logo is an actual picture of the letters all scatters on my dad's kitchen table!

Tell me about your jewelry (what made you want to use up cycled materials etc.)

I started making the jewelry when I was living in Vancouver. I was taking a fashion merchandising and marketing diploma there so I was surrounded by fashion every day. Through the course I found that my love for fashion didn't run quite as deep as had once thought it did. I couldn't help but see the extreme waste that the fashion industry causes on all levels, so when I started experimenting with materials and ideas I tried to keep all of them as eco conscious as I could. The jewelry I make is made of up cycled and donated leather that I get from various different sources. I enjoy knowing I am making something new and unique out of what some people might consider useless or waste. 

Where did you learn to make jewelry?

I basically taught myself. I started making jewelry for myself and my friends about a year ago. Then as I learnt more I started selling pieces here and there.  Over the past year of creating I have learned a lot about manipulating fabrics and new techniques that make the process much more efficient. 

Did you make jewelry as a child?

I loved to make those multicolored string bracelets as a kid. I have always been crafty.. so through the years I have learned to make things that I want to wear.

What inspires you?

I am constantly inspired by life itself. History, culture and our surroundings play so much into who we are and the way we see the world. I love seeing how each person has a different perspective on what looks good and which items should go together in an outfit. The unique differences in the world are what I enjoy focusing on. 

Where can I buy these pieces?

You can buy them directly from me through the Hunt.r FACEBOOK page or from the boutique Pepita's located in the Palmilla shops.

Do you do custom orders?

I do take custom orders. I have limited materials so the colors and fabrics are always changing. If you have something in mind that you would like let me know and we can work together to make it happen. I love a new challenge! 

Contact info:

Facebook Page: Hunt.r

Email: rache.toth@gmail.com

I personally love the earrings! They are so light weight and so beautiful I get compliments on them all day and forget I had them in because of how light they are! I also love that she makes the items out of material that would normally be thrown away! Sometimes all it takes is a second look and a creative mind like Rachel's and you have an amazing label!

WORK IT WEDNESDAY

I just did this workout and boy let me tell you the first two times I was ok but those last two WOWOW! Love it :)

Comment and let me know how you do with it?

So I started sprouting as my challenge this week for growing something! I am not the best photographer (working on that) but you can see those babies are growing! Its so exciting and makes me feel so much joy to witness these little things growing! I already have so many ideas on what recipes I will incorporate them in!

Look at those little guys they have white tails!!

I also decided to start going to the Farmer's Market in Pedregal Mar Adentro every Wednesday, although I went late I still picked up some fresh stuff! 

I got avocados, kale, swiss chard, purple carrots, rosemary, mint, basil, sweet peppers, eggplant, celery, baby spinach, beets and chia seeds! Next week I plan to go early so I can get some organic grass fed chicken and beef. 

I have only had these once in my life and I can't wait to try them again! Purple carrots yummm!

-What lifestyle changes have you made this year?

-What did you decide to grow?

TIP TUESDAY

I am on a new journey in life after my gorgeous wedding :)

I plan to have babies in the next two years and according to David Wolffe it can take 2-3 years to clear your body from chemicals and other substances you may have put in your body (ex party girl) so my new life and my new chapter starts as a healthy and well-balanced one. 

My girlfriend Ashley Armstrong, gave me the gift of mung beans a week ago and that was my first introduction to sprouting. I had been vegan for 3 years but I was 18 and did not understand or know barely anything (why I stopped) and now I practice a well-balanced diet but still avoid dairy, processed foods and sugar. I only eat red meat on the occasion and by that I mean maybe three times a year if that.  I do eat lean chicken, turkey and fish a bunch but am trying to just eat meat once a day instead of every meal.

Other things I will be adopting our meditation, yoga, knowledge and spending more time away from the media and more time outside! 

This weeks tip is to grow flowers, sprouts, fruits, herbs, vegetables and/or plants. Sprouting works well for those who live in small places and do not have tons of time while others may have a patch of soil they could be using to plant something. Herbs are easy as well! 

I love growing and gardening because it relates to me and the fact that everything is growing around you. Love, relationships, yourself, your work, school, your heath EVERYTHING so start growing items around you! Plus when you grow your own you know what soil, chemicals and even water is being used! 

Comment and let me know what you ended up growing! More on sprouting in future blogs so check back and see how my crops are doing :)

WEDDING DRESS HUNT

Searching for the perfect dress can be so much fun and kind of stressful! I mean how many times in your life do you have an excuse to go crazy and try on whatever dress you want? But at the same time how many dresses are there to choose from and you only get one and thats it! 

One thing I learned on my journey is price, designer and who wore the dress means CRAP! I tried on dresses from $99.00 USD-$10,000 USD and what I picked you will be amazed, (sorry) it was not the Monique Lhuillier dress Carrie Underwood wore to her reception but I did LOVE it :) Just not for my special day :) 

The other tip is to try on EVERYTHING, as you can see in my pictures I tried on every style and thats because you never know what will look best on you! That is what matters most :)

Davids Bridal

- Gorgeous dress, I loved how it showed my legs off a bit without being too sexy, I really wanted a classy look!

The Back of that dress

Monique Lhuillier

Dress Carrie Underwood wore to her reception! So much detail and so gorgeous, I kind of fell in love...

Old School Vintage type dress. I really REALLY love the 1940's (I listen to 40's on 4) so I really thought about channeling my inner 40's vixen! Do you like?

Mermaid style, made me look womanly and I LOVED the beading and detailing on this dress!

Alfred Angelo

 Best experience as far as excitement went! I went to the one across from the Beverly Center in LA because they had the biggest selection and we were already out there visiting Monique's!

Felt like a princess in this one, just too large but the detailing was VERY unique which I loved!

The detailing on the Cinderella dress from the Disney Princess Collection. So gorgeous and VERY fairytale! I had fun walking around the store pretending like i was walking on a cloud!

From the Disney Princess Collection. I am pretty sure this one was Ariel. I can tell you trying on dresses that day, I felt like a princess!

My mom designed the guestbook which I LOVE! She is SO creative! I really want her to make these and sell them on etsy! Look at the detail on the pages, all her design! I am SO lucky to have such a creative and loving Mother who took the time out of her busy schedule to do this for us! 

QUESTION: What dress did I choose?

HONG KONG FUN

I may be obsessed with Hong Kong, but how can you blame me! Great food, amazing culture, so much to explore and learn! I could explore for years and still not experience all of it. 

Gorgeous Light Show, shown every night at 8 PM through the window of a restaurant in Kowloon called Aqua. I enjoyed a glass of red wine while watching this delightful show :)

This was interesting to me and I had never encountered it before. Its basically edamame, ginger, seaweed and onion. It is used in this culture as a starter to your meal. 

Sweet and sour fish with cashews and watercress. VERY spicy, yet appetizing. I love how spicy Chinese food is! Spices such as red chill peppers are great for the metabolism and help balance out all that sauce.

Shredded beef with shallots and onions. I focused mostly on the shallots and onions on this dish as I had my mushrooms coming and I wanted to try everything on the table and not waste my calories on fatty beef!

Braised tofu with Chinese mushrooms. The health benefits of mushrooms are endless, so I always try to incorporate some type of fungus into my dinner! The tofu was lightly breaded which I usually avoid but I will say it was quite tasty :) I got the sauce on the side as I asked the chef to go light on cooking oils, I guess that is light lol

My pupils are so LARGE so I look like an alien haha

Loubitons, Louis Vuitton and my favorite red dress! Out for day shopping throughout Hong Kong! Walking in heel is quite difficult, but I have noticed a nice defining shape in my calves because of it!

Loving the streets! Tons of walking and fashion! People love to dress up here and its fun to put on my nice dresses during the day.

Thinly sliced Beef capriccio, with tomatoes and arugula. I added the tomatoes to this dish because the Vitamin C in the tomatoes helps carry the Iron from the beef into my system. Connecting all of your foods to increase the vitamin consumption is key! Sometimes people crave certain foods or feel tired all the time due to lack of vitamins and minerals. The best way to receive all these vitamins and minerals is through food. Supplements are ok too just not always the best way. 

View from our room at the W! Writing away and getting inspired by the fast-paced lifestyle.

Just thought I would prove to you all how amazing the shopping was :)

I reached out to you my Stars and wanted to know what you thought was the healthiest choice out of these 3 options!

Shrimp Chips- 1 cup=104 calories, although relatively low in calories, fried, dried and salted is never a good choice

Spicy Wasabi Peas- Packed with protein, iron and not a high level of fat these were the best choice out of the three choices. Although they had some salt, they were so spicy I could barely eat them!

Shredded Nuts- A very tasty treat just very high in salt and they were so roasted with who knows what!

Tons more where this came from but back on schedule bringing you a lovely Motivational Monday to start off your week!