Motivation Wall

Last year, I created a wall that helped me stay motivated in my health journey. My wall has grown so much in the past year! (Click above picture to view larger.) I highly encourage people to create a space where you can look to to become motivated. It is my sacred space to ponder and reflect, as well as, track my progress.

Left: Healthy motivation. Yoga, positive words, yummy food. Right: I love elephants!!!

How To Create Your Own Motivation Wall

1. Find an area where you are always around. (Last year it was in my kitchen, this year it is in my room.) This is important because it is a place where you can always look to. 
2. Make it cozy. I have candles and colored Christmas lights for some nice ambiance. You could even make it a little nook. Have some comfy blankets and pillows!
3. Add pictures to your wall. Healthy food (like fruit and vegetables). Motivating words. Hobbies that you enjoy. 
4. Add goals. Where do you want to travel? What are you currently working towards? Put it up! Visualize it. 
5. Add a personal touch. I have all my little love notes and pictures up on this wall. Michael motivates me and when I read his letters, it definitely helps me in my journey. I am also obsessed with elephants, so that is where I have put up my elephant pictures and fun.
6. This can also be your spiritual space (if that applies to you). I like to do yoga, so I keep my mat close by and have enough space to practice. I also keep my crystals and candles here too.

 Just remember that this is a place that you look at everyday. Make it personalized and fun. If you like to look at it, you are more likely to be more motivated. What have you put on your motivation wall? We would love to see what you have all come up with! (:

This post is written by Karel.
Adapted from: My room (: 

Coconut Oil & 20 Great Uses

Coconut oil is great for the body as well for many other uses. It has been scrutinized by health enthusiasts because of it's high saturated fat content, but don't let it scare you. Coconut oils fats are medium chain fatty acids and they actually get used as a fuel source and not stored as fat like most people think.

Add it to your diet to:
-Raise good cholesterol
-Balance blood sugar
-Boost energy levels
-Benefit from its antiviral & antimicrobial properties
-Aid in absorbing vitamins & minerals

I would recommend getting the oil in it's most raw form. Look out for labels such as "extra virgin" or "cold pressed." These will be the least processed and most beneficial :) Also, just know that at room temperature coconut oil becomes a solid, and then liquifies once heated.

I love coconut oil for all of it's amazing benefits. Read below for 20 different ways to use and incorporate it into every day of your life!

20 Great Uses for Coconut Oil 

1. Acne - this oil fights the bacteria that causes acne. Just dab it on your pimples and they will shrink!

2. Face Scrub - mix the oil with baking soda, raw sugar, cinnamon and oatmeal for an exfoliating face scrub!
3. Dandruff - massage it into the scalp to ease dandruff itching and flaking
4. Sore Throat - dissolve a spoonful and let it roll down your throat to coat and protect it. It also boosts the health of the mucus and will help fight the infection
5. Gum Removal - coconut oil gets sticky stuff out of your hair, the carpet, or anywhere else! Better than goo gone as well
6. Polish Furniture - this oil will get a protective shine to your wood furniture. Make sure you test it first though and like the outcome
7. Deodorant - mix the oil with cornstarch, baking soda, and some essential oils for a natural deoderant that smells amazing!
8. Sunburn - the oil will help prevent short exposure sunburns. It can also help to speed up the healing process. Wait until the heat has dissipated (about 24-72 hours) before applying
9. Cooking - this oil doesn't form harmful by-products when it is heated to high temperatures (like most oils and animal fats). It is also healthier for you!
10. Lip Balm - coconut oil hydrates an will protect your lips. It even has some sun protection with an SPF of about 4
11. Earaches - it can be used for swimmer's ear, ear infections, and earaches. Just put a few drops in mixed with garlic oil for fast relief
12. Cold Sore - since coconut oil has antiviral properties, it helps rid the body of the virus that causes cold sores. Rub it on when needed and add some oregano oil to speed up the healing
13. Lubricant - it makes a great all-natural personal lubricant for all those intimate moments when you don't want to use the chemical stuff
14. Bruises - rubbing this amazing oil into your bruised skin will help to speed up the healing process
15. Wrinkles - rub it into the lines and creases of your wrinkles to rehydrate your skin and soften wrinkles
16. Shaving Cream - use coconut oil to help your razor glide smoothly and it will leave your skin silky smooth and soft
17. Toothpaste - mix 1 part coconut oil with 1 part baking soda and add a couple drops of peppermint oil for a fluoride-free all natural toothpaste!
18. Makeup Remover - coconut oil removes oil-based makeups with ease. It will also make your skin glow
19. Acid Reflux - take a small spoonful with your meals and it will keep your acid reflux and heartburn down
20. Conditioner - coconut oil strengthens, conditions, and repairs your hair. Massage it in and leave it in for 10 minutes, then rinse it out before your shower

This post is written by Michael
Adapted from:
Sun Warrior
Coconut Image

The Chakra's: Subtle Human Energy System (Part 1)

Throughout all of our bodies, we have seven main energy centers. Each of these centers are connected to our major organs & glands, and can govern different aspects of our body. The seven energy centers are known as the chakras. Chakra is a sanskrit word meaning "wheel." We can think of each of the chakras as spinning wheels of energy that align to different colors and vibrations. We can take in energy through each of these spinning wheels in order to fuel our bodies, and reach certain levels of vibration that can heal the organs and keep our overall bodily systems healthy and happy. Our chakra's can help explain why when we walk into a room, we can instantly feel connected or disconnected from people. We are all emitting subtle frequencies which affect each other everyday.

This post will be for introducing each of the chakras, and will help you to understand their meaning.  

In this image below, it shows how each chakra is rooted in different aspects of life, how they relate to the various colors of the rainbow, and also have individual symbolic meanings too.

Here is some information regarding each of the charkras, their location, & what parts of the body they govern:
1- Root Chakra: This is where we hold our fears. It is our security and our grounding relationship to trust, money, and our home. It is also known as our base chakra and directly relates to our physical strength, energy, and vitality. This chakra relates to our connection to earth, and the grounding to the material plane
*Location: the perineum
*Governs: lymph, blood, skeletal system 

2- Sacral/Spleen Chakra: This is our place of sexuality. This is where our desires and pleasure are rooted. This is where we feel issues of guilt, blame, and control. It contains our abilities to be social and feel intimacy
*Location: inches below the navel 
*Governs: reproductive system, lumbar, sexual organs

3- Solar Plexus/Navel Chakra: This is where our personal power comes from. Our intellect, egotistical power, and confidence are rooted in this chakra. It also governs our mental activity and is mainly associated with our personality, which we call the "ego"
*Location: the solar plexus
*Governs: muscular system, skin, sight, intestine, stomach, liver

4- Heart Chakra: This is where we hold our love and relationships. This chakra resonates the energies of love, abundance, and prosperity. It is also associated with our emotions of happiness, honesty, joy, compassion, generosity, and understanding. We forge loving relationships with this energy center, and it can help explain why it is hard to lose a loved one or go through break-ups
*Location: center of the chest
*Governs: heart, circulation, lungs

5- Throat Chakra: This is where we express actions of communication and self expression. This chakra is related to creativity and the ability to create in the physical world. Other expressions such as emotions, desires, passions, and speech can stem from the throat too. Listening to our intuition is also a grounding aspect of this chakra
*Location: base of the throat
*Governs: throat, neck, arms, hands

6- Brow Chakra: This chakra is related to our inner level of being, which we would call the spirit. This is where our consciousness sits and can govern our emotions, and lead us to take certain actions in life. It is referred to as our third eye, which can see the all knowing truth. It relates to our dreams of life, perceptions, and wisdom 
*Location: above & between the eyebrows
*Governs: forehead, nervous system, ears, temples, nose

7-Crown Chakra: The crown chakra is associated with our feeling of "onesness" to the universe. It can control our perceptions of being united or separate from one another. Since our root chakra connects us to mother earth, this chakra on the opposite spectrum, connects us to the heavenly father. It is said that this center is our connection to god, and this is where a majority of the cosmic energy of the universe can be harnessed to nourish our entire bodies and each chakra individually   
*Location: top of the head
*Governs: pineal gland, brain, eyes

Here is a picture demonstrating the different endocrine glands that each chakra is associated with:

Hopefully this introduction has helped to teach you what the chakras are, and how they relate to our experiences and the body itself. In my next post to come in the future, I will talk about ways to increase the energy into the chakras, and how we can become more connected with our bodies and the environment around us.

This post is written by Michael
Adapted from: 
Spiritual Nutrition & the Rainbow Diet by Gabriel Cousens
Chakra Energy
Chakra Image
Chakra Image 2

Emotional Eating: Feeding Your Cravings

Do you sit in front of the TV eating potato chips? Have you been through relationship issues and all you want to eat is a pint of ice cream? Were you ever so happy that you go to the fridge and just eat whatever that was in there? Emotional eating is something that many people deal with all the time. Studies show that 75% of overeating is caused my emotional eating. Emotional eating is when you eat your feelings.

Triggers for Emotional Hunger:

•  Social - eating around people - pressure to eat at parties, eating to fit in.
• Emotional - eating because of fights, anxiety, stress from school or work, unemployment, financial pressure as a way to "fill a void."
• Situational - eating because the food is there - going to parties, having lunch with friends/coworkers, passing by a restaurant, seeing an ad for a fast food place. It can also be associated with activities - going to the movies and having popcorn, watching tv, going to sports events.
• Physiological - responding to physical cues - eating a lot after not eating all day, eating to cure headaches, eating because of bad weather.

How to Tell Between Hunger and Emotional Hunger:

• Hunger comes slowly and gradually. Emotional hunger comes quickly. 
• When you are craving certain foods, that is emotional hunger. When you are actually hungry, you are open to any food.
• Physical hunger can wait. Emotional hunger needs to be satisfied NOW.
• Emotional hunger is when you feel guilty when you have just eaten. You do not feel bad when you eat after being hungry. 

Managing Emotional Eating:

• Keep a food diary. Write down what you ate, when, why and how you felt before and after. 
• Take a walk. Help keep your mind off of your cravings. 
• When you have an urge to eat when you are hungry, try grabbing a fruit or vegetable rather than candy or chips. 
• Take a bubble bath, read and relax.
• Have a few bites of that unhealthy, sugary piece of cake instead of eating the whole slice. Studies show that after four bites, you forget how you felt about wanting that cake.
• Fight boredom. Create a list of things to do to get your mind off of food. 
• Sleep. You might find yourself snacking to keep yourself awake. Make sure you get enough sleep. 

 Just remember that emotional eating is something people do because of boredom, being happy or sad or even being around food. Ease yourself off of the sweets and sugar and start grabbing that apple. Ice cream and cookies are obviously delicious but moderation is key.


This post is written by Karel.
Adapted from: Image from Heart and Soul by Dr. Thema
Weight-Loss help on MayoClinic  
Weight-Loss on Medicinenet 
WebMD: Emotional Eating 

Chlorella: Hardcore Green Algae

Green algae's have some of the highest content of chlorophyll known to man. People normally don't think of supplementing their diets with algae, but this one is definitely worth noting. Chlorella is a green algae which is harvested from the ocean and then dried into a powder or tablet form. It can help to cleanse the bowels, liver, bloodstream, and even remove heavy metals from the body! Read about all the amazing benefits it can have, and incorporate it if you can. This isn't something you will find at your average grocery store, and it isn't the cheapest of supplements, but it is truly great in helping to alkalize the body.

I enjoy supplementing my diet with it and adding it to smoothies or water in powder form. It also works well in a post workout shake, or blended in a juice!

Benefits of Chlorella:

Heavy Metal Detox
-Chlorella can help in detoxifying heavy metals and pesticides from the body. This includes mercury, cadmium, lead, DDT, and PCB

-The removal of these heavy metals from the body helps to strengthen the immune system

-It can take 3-6 months to fully rid the body of heavy metal build up 

-Make sure to combine chlorella with cilantro when using it for this type of detox

Improved Digestion
-Chlorella has pepsin and chlorophyllase as two of it's main enzymes. These both help in the digestion of our foods and perform important functions in the body. Try to find chlorella that isn't pasteurized, otherwise these enzymes have been destroyed and won't help
-Because of chlorella's high chlorophyll content, it helps to eliminate bad breath in only a couple days after using it
-Also, foul stool is improved and constipation reduced

Enhanced Red Blood Cell Functioning
-Hemoglobin in our red blood cells is a protein which gives our blood a bright red color. Chlorophyll is almost identical to the hemoglobin in our blood, minus one molecule!
-We need magnesium (which is the basis of chlorophyll's molecule) in order to have proper heart function
-The high chlorophyll content can help protect against anemia and stimulates the production of new red blood cells in our bodies

Cancer Fighting
-In order to fight cancer, we need macrophages in our body to protect us from disease. Chlorella stimulates and activates extra macrophages and the T-cells by increasing interferon levels in our bodies. This helps to increase our immune responses and combat foreign bacteria and viruses

More Balanced pH & Increased Alkalinity in our Bodies

-Our bodies need a balanced pH of around 7.2 - 7.4 if possible. In this range, we are balanced and disease cannot thrive. Chlorella is highly alkaline and increases this precious pH balance. When we eat processed and junk foods, we become more acidic and important minerals are leached from our bodies in order to combat this change. Adding chlorella can help you increase your pH level to become more alkaline, and thrive with more energy while reducing risks for disease

More Normalized Blood Pressure & Blood Sugar
-When we become hypoglycemic, our blood sugar is extremely low and our brains, heart, and energy systems are no longer functioning properly. Chlorella helps to normalize our blood sugar and reduce high levels of insulin spikes
-High blood pressure means that we are more at risk for heart attacks and strokes. Experiments have been done to show that chlorella reduces blood pressure and prevents strokes in rat tests.

*Try chlorella if you can and see how this hardcore algae can help improve your life and overall functioning!

This post is written by Michael 
Adapted from:
Chlorella
Chlorella Benefits
Chlorella Image

Zombies, Run! App Review

 Zombies, Run! has turned me into a runner. Zombies, Run! is an iPhone app (also available on Android and Windows phones). Basically you put on your shoes and run. Zombies are chasing you. How else do you expect to start running?

It has a complete storyline. You are Runner 5. You need to help your base retrieve supplies and help people around you.


Why I like it:

• it has a storyline!
• zombies are chasing you
• it logs all your runs (see screenshot on right)
• if your gps locator is on, it can track your pace and distance
• it incorporates your music
• you can turn on/off zombie chases (basically sprinting) 
• it feels like zombies are actually chasing you.... 

I got Zombies, Run! a little after it came out. So I paid $7.99 for it. Honestly, it was so totally worth it! I love this app so much.  If you hate running and want motivation, try this app out!

This post is written by Karel.
Adapted from: Zombies, Run! game 
Images screenshot from Karel's phone but from Zombies, Run! app

Dry Skin Brushing: Firm Your Skin, & Make it Naturally Glow!

 Who doesn't enjoy beautiful healthy skin? Dry skin brushing is an easy method of cleansing that can be added to your everyday routine. It feels truly refreshing, and is a great way to replenish new skin cells and stimulate the lymphatic system. Enjoy it often and watch your skin glow, shine, and transform like magic before your eyes! Read some of the benefits of skin brushing below, and follow the steps to achieve more radiant skin :) 

I love skin brushing in the mornings, before the gym, or before a shower!

Benefits of Dry Skin Brushing: 

• Stimulates Blood and Lymph Flow: The lymphatic system is an important part of our cleansing and immune system. The lymph flows outside of the circulatory system to  cleanse and restore all of our cells. In order for it to function properly though, the fluid needs to be returned to the blood vessels to dump the waste. It does this through tiny lymph vessels with one-way valves to the heart. If we don’t move the lymph quickly enough, we end up with swollen & sore muscles

• Removes Dead Skin Cells: Dry skin is a sign of detoxification. It is important to remove the dead cells to keep from clogging our systems. This will also improve skin texture and renew the skin cells

• Stimulates the Hormone and Oil Glands: With daily brushing and bathing, the skin can produce the oil needed to stay healthy. Sweating is an important part of detoxification, but when our systems are clogged, we may experience foul body odor and extra work can be put onto the bladder, kidneys, and liver. With regular exercise and cleansing of the skin, you will notice that your sweat no longer smells

• Reduces Cellulite: It requires daily brushing for several months to start to see results. When you massage and stimulate the skin it begins to break up the toxic deposits of stored fatty tissues that pucker the overlying skin into cellulite

• Strengthens the Immune System: Dry skin brushing can reduce the length of infections and illness by moving the toxins more quickly through the system and stimulating the lymph to move waste matter out

• Stimulates the Nervous System, Tones the Muscles, & Tightens the Skin: By stimulating nerve endings in the skin, this technique will rejuvenate your nerves and activate individual muscle fibers, resulting in toner muscles. The increased blood flow to skin, and removing of dead cells, stimulates the creation of new skin cells which tightens and regenerates overall skin health

• Nurtures our Bodies: One of the most important benefits of skin brushing is the pleasure of nurturing the body. Learning to love our bodies is essential for being able to lose weight, and to heal any diseases. Spend 5-10 minutes per day giving the body the attention it craves and deserves. It works hard to support us, so it is definitely worth our efforts

Where to Find & How to Use a Dry Skin Brush:

You can find skin brushes at most health stores, or even online. A lot of brushes will be a bit rough at first, but once you work with them for a while they will soften. Try to avoid brushing your face (unless if you use a dedicated brush with softer bristles for that purpose). Follow these steps for beautiful skin!

1. Brush your dry body before you shower or bathe, preferably in the mornings
2. Start at your feet and always brush toward your heart. Use brisk circular motions or long, even strokes
3. Brush all the way up your legs, then over your abdomen, buttocks, and back. If you have cellulite on your hips and thighs, concentrate on those areas a bit longer. For complete dissolving of cellulite, brush for 10 minutes daily for several months.
4. Brush lightly on sensitive areas like the breasts, and more firmly on areas like soles of the feet (as you begin, you will be able to feel out the more sensitive areas on your body)
5. When you reach your arms, begin at your fingers and brush up your arms, toward your heart. Brush your shoulders and chest down, always toward your heart
6. Avoid brushing anywhere the skin is broken or where you have a rash, infection, cut or wound
7. Finish by taking a shower 
8. Dry off vigorously and massage pure plant oils into your skin such as almond, sesame, avocado, coconut, olive, jojoba, or cacoa butter.

This post is written by Michael 

Adapted from:

Skin Brushing 

Brush Image