THIRSTY THURSDAY

 She tried it, tested it and LOVED IT!


PEPITA DESIGNS to pick up your one of a kind outfit :)

THIRSTY THURSDAY

 Gorgeous Thursday today and I had a very informative and fun-filled day! 

I would like to start you all off with an amazing treat for those upcoming SUMMER days! 

This  extraordinary drink is perfect for those days you just want to sit outside on the front porch and relax the afternoon away!

You could even quadruple the recipe and make a pitcher to share at a BBQ or picnic!

Today, like I mentioned above was a very informative and fun-filled day!

I went and got a reading because I am at a new point in my life where things can go in two VERY different directions! I was happy to know it will be going in the direction I was ROOTING for!

I always drive by....

TUNE THURSDAY

I love rocking out to music when I workout and even on those days when I feel low energy or I am in a bad mood!

A playlist can get you into a planned workout because you can decide for lets say Adele-"Rumor Has It" I will do crunches varied until the song ends and after that Justin Timberlake "Sexy Back" I will do lunges. It is an easy way to not be sitting counting reps bored out of your mind and keep you singing and in a FANTASTIC mood :)

Here is a rocking list of music to check out and add to your current playlist or just take this whole playlist altogether:

THIRSTY THURSDAY

Time to start the party already CourtStar! I hear you sister! Time to learn about your ultimate party girl survival drinks so the next few weeks, Thirsty Thursday will be dedicated to the boozin good times!

I have been loving this one on a hot summer day :)

Question: What is your favorite cocktail and why?

Cheers to life, love and happiness :) 

THIRSTY THURSDAY

 My liver hates me right now (5 days of partying) so I have been extra gentle and eating my liver cleansing super foods and of course avoiding alcohol, processed foods and fatty foods as well as these foods are hard on the liver.

The research I have been doing for a huge project coming out in the next 3-4 months has taught me ALOT about the liver and how vital it is to the digestive process so taking care of your special little liver is very IMPORTANT! I mean it!

You can make this as a smoothie by adding some frozen berries or ice cubes but I have been blending it as a juice because I am working on adding juices to my diet instead of just smoothies all the time.

• Coconut Water- hydrates, potassium and provides you with electrolytes lost during boozing!
• Kefir (unsweetened)- puts back those good bacterias lost while drinking while providing you with a healthy source of protein and calcium
• Berries- yummy antioxidants and excellent flavor agent! I love the taste of berries 
• Celery- if you can believe it celery contains sodium which is lost while drinking as well so fill up on celery for a refreshing dose of vegetables and vitamins/minerals
• Beet Root-the ultimate liver cleanser: beets thin the bile and enable it to flow easier through the liver and small intestine but do not eat to much as it can be overwhelming to the body
• Chia Seeds-helps lock in the moisture from all these delicious ingredients, gives your some fiber, omega-3's and helps with inflammation (drinking is bloating as we all know)
• Raw Honey- for taste and provides you with some natural sugars which will hand you a small dose of energy and can help with stomach aches and constipation

This is a great smoothie, or juice to drink for a few days after a crazy trip (vegas, river, ANYWHERE) with of course hot water and lemon right when you wake up!

Mine this morning! YUMMMYY!

I love this color in the morning its so beautiful! Filling my body up 1 juice at a time :)

 

Take care of your body and I promise it will take care of you :)

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 :)

THIRSTY THURSDAY

A martini...I could use one... :) 9 days until my wedding and I am still cleansing! It gets easier as I go a long and I think about some of the things I gave up (sugar-free gum, gum, meat (except for one day), and alcohol (except for 1 day)) Not bad :) The gum was the hardest for me..I know how bad it is for me but honestly sometimes it feels so good to just chew (I must be an addict) someone save me

But giving it up for 11 days has made it so I do NOT miss it. Honestly it really has not hit me at all until right now when I started writing my accomplishments in my journal! I believe looking for praise is usually a disappointment and that you should just be proud of yourself and reward yourself in that manner. I love sitting and boasting how wonderful I am in my journal and especially writing about my accomplishments whether super small (I drank 1 more glass of water today) or huge!!

Here is a recipe I came up with for Thirsty Thursday! It uses some of Ashley Armstrong amazing Baja Super Foods! I swear this stuff is so amazing! I am HOOKED! The bag is supposed to last you a month but um...is it bad that I like to eat it by itself? haha Grab some at Baja Super Foods (click the link)

So 9 days...getting a bit stressed but I keep looking at pictures of my girlfriends and its making me SO very excited to recreate some of the memories pictured below :) (I know I have HOT girlfriends ;))

Some of my girlfriends I have not seen in 2 years (ie Tiffy) and the rest its been about 8 months ;( but I am so happy they ALL are able to attend my special day! It makes it that much more exciting and we all have SO much to catch up on!

P.S: My cleanse is still going well! The stuff thats coming out of my nose is scary (sorry for the picture)

P.P.S Anyone doing Tuesdays Tip ? Comment and let me know what these last few days have brought you?? Click the link if you have yet to check it out!

Hope you all are having an amazing day!

THIRSTY THURSDAY

I am cleansing away and counting down to my wedding day! 16 days and counting...I am so excited just been stressing a bit! Its crazy having a destination wedding because not only are you doing the wedding part, but you kind of start worrying about everyone feeling comfortable in a new place. Many of my friends and family have never been to Cabo San Lucas, MX which is exciting for them because Cabo is so beautiful with a ton to do, it just makes me nervous to spend time with everyone who has taken the time to fly out to my wedding! It means so much to me that they are taking there own time and personal vacation from work just for my wedding! I wish there were more hours in the day, but thankfully all of them are staying in one place! I get to see some friends I have not seen in over 8 months which will be fun and get to show them where I have been living for the last 8 months..in paradise...:)

I thought I would share with you my cleansing strategies. Everyone cleanses differently, depending on there own personal lifestyle. I applaud those who can do the master cleanse, its tough especially if you work a 9-5 pm job where you need to be 100% awake and ready for anything. I have done it before and I will tell you it is WORK, but very rewarding at the end. Instead of that type of cleanse, I do something a bit different. It works with my lifestyle, I can exercise still and I get the same benefits. The only thing is, it takes longer than the master cleanse.

My cleanse lasts about 12-14 days depending on how I feel. Its all about how you feel! I am doing this to cleanse out my Hong Kong trip and start the next chapter of my life with a clean body!

First thing in the morning I heat up some water and squeeze lemon into it.

About 30-45 minutes later depending on how I am feeling I enjoy a super smoothie:

Check back for more recipes!

I drink the same smoothie maybe adding a bit more veggie or maybe another fruit about every 3-4.5 hours, it all depends on how I feel of course.

For dinner I have a vegan cooked meal.

Last night I had:

Baby bella mushrooms, spinach, pine nuts and 2 cloves garlic. At the end on low heat I drizzle a dash of olive oil and this is the result. 

Garlic is great for the immune system and since I am cleansing I try to include garlic into my cooked meals.

Olive oil provides me with the fats needed to move the toxins along my digestive tract. Olive oil helps "grease" up everything.

Mushrooms and pine nuts provide me with some proteins and other vitamins.

Pine Nuts are also my new favorite food and have a bit of iron as well, help with fatigue and help alleviate muscle cramps.

Spinach provides me with a bit of iron and of course green does wonders as well all know :)

Some people enjoy there cooked meal at lunch since they work and its hard to stray away from a nice vegan cooked meal. I do mine at night, as my workout is at night and I like to make sure I have yummy fuel to fill my muscles!

Of course before trying any cleanse or diet change please consult a doctor. 

Comment and let me know what you think of my cleanse! I am having fun with it and have already seen my body de-bloat and watching my fat disappear! Although a bit cranky, I just say its my negative toxins coming out and after these 14 days, my body will be clean and have only positive energy (which is needed for a wedding :)

SHAKE MY MORNINGS

Shaking up my mornings lately and I would like to share with you all an amazing beautifying skinny star recipe!

I have been using my Ninja to whip up some magic in the kitchen and let me tell you it is so worth it! I am already seeing results and the feeling I have is amazing :) Food that has been ground up makes it easier for your body to digest so it can focus on the other stuff thats been left behind from previous meals. The biggest mistake people make when making smoothies is that they put so much fruit and unnecessary calories with syrups and all that other fun stuff. Yes, it makes it taste good but you can easily make a 500 calorie smoothies with all that stuff. Trust me, its better to put a ton of vegetables and use your spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla extract, peppermint, and cacao powder to put that flavor punch in your smoothie. These spices and flavorings are low calorie, taste amazing and have health benefits as well. 

The trick to making an amazing smoothie and not be to lazy too is preparing your ingredients early. I wash all my veggies with my Dr. Oz spray (http://starsystemz.blogspot.mx/2012/03/you-dirty-thang.html) than I put all my ingredients near each other in the fridge and while I am chopping up my dinner vegetables I chop up my morning ones as well so they are ready in the morning. Last night I decided not to so I could show you :)

Place liquids in than protein powder than the spinach. Turn blender on. Turn off and put the rest of the ingredients inside. I do this so the spinach gets mashed first so I don't get chunks later!

Hope you enjoy 

POWER SHAKE

Right now I am cleansing my system to get a fresh start to my new workout regimen! I always do a little change before starting something new because I like to switch things up in order to continue seeing results. To do this the first thing you need to do is cut out ALL and I mean ALL sodas, sugars, alcohol, packaged/processed foods which is easy considering all this diet consist of is a few simple ingredients!

Its three days for me this time possibly I will do five we will see what my body says. In anything you do, ALWAYS listen to your body! If you treat your body like a temple and listen to what its saying to you, you will never have those problems many of us have today (poor health, poor digestion, upset stomach, heart burn, large stomachs etc.)

My skin has been very dry and by looking at my tongue on this chart I am at a Damp Retention and need some detoxing ASAP! Take a look at this chart and see where you are at.

http://www.stewarttrotter.com/tongue_chart.htm

My Super Shake:

Ingredients:

-1 handful raw spinach
-1 scoop whey chocolate protein powder
-2 spoonfuls chia seeds
-8 oz of water
-1 handful of berries (the darker the better, blueberries,blackberries,raspberries, strawberries)
-dash of cinnamon for taste
-3-4 ice cubes

I get some protein, fibers, antioxidants, Omega 3's, vitamins, minerals and since its all mashed up my body doesn't have to put too much into digesting it so it can focus on all the other undigested foods I have lying around in there.

-Tip: If you have yet to try Chia Seeds they are pretty much tasteless and have so many amazing health benefits its only to your benefit to start adding it to your meals!

Try it out and let me know what you think! I have been seeing results just from drinking a shake in the morning instead of my normal oatmeal. I am seeing that eating such a large bowl of oatmeal was slowing me down instead of energizing me due to the fact that breaking-the-fast should be a light meal not a heavy one.

Have an terrific Tuesday :)

LOW GLYCEMIC FOODS

What is the GLYCEMIC INDEX?

• Glycemic Index-an international ranking of carbohydrates on a scale of 0-100 to the extent of what the food when digested raises the blood sugar levels.
• Foods with a HIGH GLYCEMIC INDEX (69-100) are those rapidly digested and absorbed which cause blood sugars to spike.
• Foods with a LOW GLYCEMIC INDEX (55 and under) are those that are slowly digested and absorbed and produce low levels of insulin and have a gradual effect on blood sugar levels

Most people assume the glycemic index is for those with diabetic problems but to be honest, I believe that everyone should be knowledgeable on the effects of foods on your blood sugars. Understanding blood sugar levels and the glycemic index will keep your body healthy and avoid diseases such as obesity, coronary heart disease and type II diabetes.

The glycemic index was created by a professor of nutrition in Toronto by the name of David Jenkins. Jenkins was out to understand and provide research for those who have diabetes. The information he gathered is what is now referred to as the Glycemic Index.

Jenkins created the values for the Glycemic Index by collection data from volunteers. The standard dish contained 50 grams of carbohydrates and from there the volunteers gave a sample of blood every 15 minutes for the first hour and than every 30 minutes. The samples were tested for glucose content and from there the results were recorded.

I am very keen on the idea of the Glycemic Index as I used to be addicted to the sugar high from sugary candies and from that addiction I understood the feeling of having high energy and than feeling so tired I would fall asleep instantly.

Since learning of the magical glycemic index, I have been one to have high energy all day long and sleep very peacefully at night!

Here are some foods that should become staples in your diet and some foods that should be avoided in the diet:

LOW GLYCEMIC FOODS

• Cherries, grapefruit, strawberries, oranges, apricots, kiwi, prunes, plums, peaches, apple, pear
• Hummus, peanuts, walnuts, cashews, rolled oats
• Chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans, butter beans, black eyed peas, pinto beans
• Tomato soup, minestrone soup
• Broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, red peppers, radishes,
• Barley, Pumpernickel, Whole meal rye, bulgur
• Yams, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, green beans
• Tuna, salmon, chicken, edamame

HIGH GLYCEMIC FOODS

• Watermelon, dates
• Pretzels, rice cakes, donuts, scones
• White bread, french baguette, bagel
• Cornflakes, rice crisps, coco puffs, cherrios
• Candy, baked goods, jelly beans
• Pumpkin, parsnips

This list is a small list compared to others, but this list was compiled through scientific research and my own personal testing :)

Love and Shine,

C