WHOLE FOOD PLANT BASED DIET

When I met Ironman in 2005, he was cRaZy about health. He was on something called The Hallelujah Diet, where he was basically a vegan, ate loads of spinach and drank juiced carrots all of the time. He was a baseball player too. So, he was pretty much the epitome of health!  

This pineapple, mango, kale and coconut water smoothie was perfect!

Me, on the other hand...I pretty much lived on vending machine Frosted Brown Sugar Pop-Tarts.  True story. Not proud.

When we were dating, I continued to eat whatever I wanted, but once we got married, we took on Ironman's approach to food.  I went along with it at the time because we didn't have much money, since we were still in college, and avoiding meat and dairy meant less money spent on groceries.  So, although Ironman was doing it for the health, I was doing it to save money.  

However, in 2010, we were spending the weekend with my friend Jennifer and ended up watching the documentary, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead and I caught the fire too.  It was so inspiring that we came home, bought a juicer and juiced everyday after that for years!  Other documentaries started popping up on Netflix like Forks Over Knives, Food Inc., Food Matters and many others.  We even read several books like The China Study that were eye opening.  I began to see what Ironman saw.  Nutrition really does matter!

 

Although it took me about a decade, I now like to eat (mostly) the same foods as Ironman!  We try to eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds.  As much as possible, we try to avoid all meat, dairy and processed foods.  In the past, I didn't like to eat this way because I craved everything else, but after years of pushing through and educating myself on the nutrition benefits, I can honestly say I love our diet.  It wasn't an overnight thing, but hard work.  When I'm feeling tempted, I try to remind myself that I'm "eating to live", and NOT "living to eat".

I'm not saying that I don't love pizza, hamburgers, candy and all kinds of junk food (I do), but I know that when I eat like that, I don't feel my best and it effects other areas of my life.  When I take care of myself and eat well, I have a better attitude, sleep better, feel better in my clothes, my digestion works better and I have more energy.

A whole food, plant based diet isn't for everyone (although I think it would benefit everyone!).  You really need to take time to research nutrition and decide what you think is best for you.  Then, begin to implement that diet into your lifestyle and see how you feel!  It may take time (or a decade) to find whats truly right for you and for you to really enjoy it!

Also, no matter what you choose, don't beat yourself up over "cheating" or not being perfect.  You're human.  Ironman and I travel a lot and it isn't easy to find whole food, plant-based items on the road or in airports.  That's ok!  We just make the best choice with what we have available to us.  Also, we have a pretty active social life (at least I think so).  Every week, we are getting together several times with family and friends who eat differently than us.  In those situations, we also eat whatever is available to us.  My relationships are more important to me than my nutrition!  I would never want to offend someone or cause someone to not enjoy spending time with us because of something like food.

What foods help you feel your best!  Let me know in the comments below!

PROGRESS NOT PERFECTION - LOOKING BACK AT 2016

I'm a big time goal setter and always have been.  I love how having a goal means I have a clear vision of where I want to be or what I want to do.  It helps me stay focused.  However, just because I set goals doesn't mean that I always hit them.  I'd say I might hit 50%.  Is that discouraging sometimes?  Of course!  I want to do what I want to do, right?  So, I've had to learn to be ok with progress, not perfection.  Let me explain...

During 2016, I have had some BIG goals:

1.  I wanted to hit Platinum with Young Living Essential Oils.  I didn't hit that goal, but I did work hard all year to help people live healthier lives and make some extra income to help Ironman and me out financially!

2.  I also wanted to attend Young Living Essential Oils International Convention (which I did), the Gold Retreat (which I didn't get to attend), and all my team Lemon Dropper events (which I did)...2 out of 3 is pretty good in my book!

3.  The East Coast Road Trip with Ironman didn't happen, but we basically traveled all year to places like Salt Lake City, Denver, all over South Carolina, North Carolina, some in Tennessee, drove the Blue Ridge Parkway, went on a cruise and more.  So, no...I didn't get my road trip, but I'd still say we did a good bit of traveling!

4.  Finish writing my book...haha, that's funny, but I worked on it a good bit this year during the Winter and Spring!

5.  We did good with paying off $3,000 extra towards debt...done!

6.  I didn't follow along The One Challenge exactly, but sort of made up my own version.  Since I am not in the habit of exercising regularly, I wanted to make that change in my lifestyle.  I worked hard all year long and now work out 5 days a week consistently!

7.  And not all the renovations are done, however we are done with the bathroom, the laundry room is at least inside the house now, we re-piped the new bathroom and we insulated the attic.  So, we have a lot left to do, but we got a lot done this year!

As you can see, I didn't hit every single one of my goals.  But, because I made those goals, I spent the entire year focused and working towards getting things done.  So, remember not to focus on being perfect, but focus on your progress...look at where you were and how far you've come.  Check off your goals and make new ones.

What are some goals that you set and hit during 2016?

WINTER 2016 BUCKET LIST

Did you know that Winter didn't officially start until December 21st?  I didn't!  I thought it began on December 1st.  Lesson learned.  Tuesday on the blog, you saw my Fall 2016 Bucket List wrapped up...now, it's time to move on and do my 1st Winter Bucket List!

My table is ready for winter...and yes, I'm standing on my table.

1.  enjoy the Christmas lights in town
2.  watch ELF just one more time (if Ironman will let us...he's sick of my obsession)
3.  ride in a horse drawn carriage
4.  make my own homemade hot chocolate (didn't get around to it)
5.  build a snowman (which means it has to snow enough...so no snowman this year)
6.  go ice skating (nope)
7.  build a gingerbread house
8.  watch my top Christmas movies
9.  make a pine cone wreath (still have the pine cones...)
10.  spend a weekend in Beaufort (we spent a day instead)
11.  bike the Swamp Rabbit Trail (fail)
12.  take a day trip to Camden (didn't get to this)
13.  write down my goals for 2017 before January 1st
14.  get a massage (I wish)
15.  go on a romantic Valentines date
16.  host a bonfire with friends
17.  go to the gym to enjoy the sauna...a lot
18.  go sledding for the 1st time (no such luck)

To see my lifetime Bucket List click HERE!

Now, tell me what's on your Winter Bucket List...I can always edit mine!

FALL 2016 BUCKET LIST WRAP UP

So, this was the first time I did a seasonal Bucket List and I'd say that it was a success!  Here is my list, I checked it twice.

Things to do and see during Fall 2016...

1.  play hide and go seek in a corn maize
2.  have a picnic in Charleston...went to Charleston and had a great time, but didn't do a picnic
3.  carve a pumpkin for my front porch
4.  find the best pumpkin spice latte around
5.  play tourist in my own town...check it out HERE!
6.  jump in a pile of leaves...I decided this was dumb and I didn't want to do it after all
7.  go on a hayride (ended up going on a wagon ride instead!)
8.  bike the Swamp Rabbit Trail...the weekend we planned this turned out to be too cold
9.  get a Fall pedicure (no hot pink allowed)
10.  make and eat some caramel apples (this turned out to be a Pinterest fail)
11.  host an open house...hosted my first Friendsgiving instead!
12.  enjoy the Lights Before Christmas at the Riverbanks Zoo...it was meh
13.  have a sauna and whirlpool day at the gym with friends
14.  go geocaching...another one I decided I really don't care to do
15.  take a hike...done on our weekend camp trip, check it out below
16.  participate in The 6 Items Challenge
17.  go on a weekend camp trip...check it out HERE!
18.  cruise the Blue Ridge Parkway...DONE!  I was excited about this one because it's been on a huge lifetime Bucket List for a decade!
19.  go on a moonlight kayak trip...I really want to do this, but it didn't work out
20.  explore Lynches River County Park...want to go?  
21.  bake an apple pie
22.  get a facial
23.  go see the lights during Christmas at Biltmore for our anniversary...turns out that was way more expensive that we thought, so we didn't do it this year
24.  watch ELF 5,786,932 times...ok, I might not have watched it that many times, but I got in a few!

Did you do anything fun during this past fall?  I'd love to hear so that I can be ready for next fall!

Now, it's time for my first Winter Bucket List...check back here Thursday to find out what I have planned!

THE STORY OF A SURVIVOR - 15 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Here is an old post that comes up at the same time each year:

On December 21st, 2001 my mom was severely burned...over 35% of her body was 3rd degree burns.

We were having an early Christmas dinner and when we went to refill the Fondue burner, it exploded.  While my sisters ran upstairs to hide and my dad threw my mom on the floor and rolled her around, I ran back and forth to the kitchen 2 times with water in a faded green tupperware container.  When the fire was out, my mom held up her arms and her skin was hanging off.  She asked for a mirror and ibuprofen.  We had no idea what we were doing, so we ran to get our beach towels, soaked them in water and covered her skin in them.  After calling one of my parents friends, Greg Bryce, he arrived and we helped my mom walk, yes walk, out to our land cruiser and drive her to the nearest hospital. 

She sat in the Bolivian hospital for 5 days, slowly dying, because they didn't know what to do with her either!  My dad was snapping photos like crazy and sending them back to a friend (and Doctor) in the USA, Peter Zavell, who told him that my mom needed to get to the USA or she wouldn't make it.  My dad, a doctor, two nurses and a friend flew my mom on a regular airplane to Miami and then from Miami they were picked up and flown to the Augusta Burn Clinic. 

My dad left me and my sisters behind in Bolivia.  I remember going to the airport to say goodbye.  She was in the ambulance and we were peeking in the window to look at her and talk to her.  I didn't think that I would even see her again.  A week later my dad returned to Bolivia with plans to take me and my sisters back to the USA with him.  We had trouble getting out of the country because my mom wasn't there to sign paperwork.  I remember my dad had brought back gifts from North Metro Church...a purple hairdryer and a makeup case.  After he told us to pack 2 weeks worth of stuff for our trip, I took my new hairdryer and makeup, some clothes and shoes and packed them into my pink monogramed duffle. 

Once we arrived in the USA, we were picked up in Miami by my Uncle Russell and we went home to our 800 sq ft house.  My 3 sisters and I shared a tiny room with 2 bunks.  When we went into our room to dump our bags, we found that people had left gifts on our beds.  Sweet Pea Body Spray from Bath and Body Works was one of my gifts and Cucumber Melon Body Spray was one of my sisters gifts...to this day, if I smell those scents, I am immediately brought back to that bedroom.  People had furnished our entire house, decorated it for Christmas, filled up the kitchen with food and so much more. 

My mom ended up surviving, so we stayed in the USA for 5 months, enrolling in private school during that time and waiting until she could travel again.  I went one time to Georgia to visit my mom in the hospital with my mimi.  My mom had something that looked like seaweed stapled all over her skin.  I got so sick, I had to sit down and put my head between my legs so that I wouldn't pass out. 

A few weeks into our time in the USA, I remember Margaret and Sarah Charles picking us up and taking us shopping at the mall.  I still remember getting into her car, sitting down, leaning my head back on the seat and feeling so relieved that someone (an adult) was taking care of us.  I felt like I could relax a little and that someone else was in charge.  Margaret bought me a pair of Express Jeans a red T-shirt from American Eagle.  I will never forget it.  Things were so hectic and I was the oldest, so I felt very responsible to "mother" my little sisters...do their hair, get them dressed for school, make sure they are ok, etc.  But, I was still only 16 myself and, at that time, I wanted to be babied a little bit too!

After 5 months, my mom was finally able to return to Bolivia.  When we got back, we still hadn't celebrated Christmas, so we got to open all our gifts and celebrate Christmas in June!  For 2 years after her accident, we helped my mom with taking off her compression suit, bathing, applying creams, putting a clean compression suit on, taking her meds and much more! 

Because she was burned, she began to visit the burn clinic in Cochabamba, Bolivia and from that she ended up founding her own non-profit, Burn Care International.  She saw that, just like her, burn victims in Bolivia were not getting good care.  Today, she not only has her own office in the Burn Clinic in Bolivia, but she travels around the world and helps burn victims in developing countries like China, Ethiopia and many others!

Every time I think about my mom's accident, I am reminded of Romans 8:28 - And we know that in ALL things God works for the good of those who love HIM, who have been called according to HIS purpose.

Although that was the hardest time in my life, I know that it was in God's plan.

I am so thankful to each and every friend and family member who helped us and cared for our family...I know that we are truly loved by many!

And I am so thankful that my mom not only survived, but now she is changing lives all around the world!

Please take a moment to visit her website and consider making a donation so that she can continue to help burn victims around the world!  We would greatly appreciate any mention of this ministry to potential donors, especially for year-end donations, corporate donations, and family trust donations!  All donations are tax deductible and no amount is too large or too small - 100% goes towards ministry.  It is an investment that changes lives and gives patients a chance for a good recovery.

Click HERE to visit Burn Care International's website to learn more about this non-profit, my mom, the patients and the ministry around the world!