hello, what a lovely blog you have going on! first, thank you so much for sharing your ideas and recipes with your followers, so kind. secondly, i see you prepare fresh meals almost all the time, my question is how do you get the motivation to make them? don't you sometimes just want to pull something out and it's ready in a few? thanks in advance.

Asked by
charcoalveins

Hi! Thank you for reaching out. This is a great question, that has many answers:

  1. I love spending time in the kitchen, but I am only there for a longer perriod of time in the evening when I am making dinner.
  2. I eat very, very simply during the day, so I am often just pulling things out that are ready to go, like: cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, carrots, bananas, green apples, a bowl of berries.. You get the idea. The most complex thing I make durring the day is a smoothie, and that doesn’t take more than 10 minutes, including clean-up. 
  3. Most of the things I make, even for dinner, are quite basic! I rarely dabble in complex concoctions, especially now, durring the summer. Because, as you pointed out, I make a lot of fresh meals, they cary their own weight because of the fresh, quality, ingredients. When I do not want to make salad, or want something more interesting than just simple veggies, I make something like a cabbage roll of avocado/ sauerkraut/dijon/ sprouts/tomato or a slice of raw goat cheddar instead of the avocado. I mix it up by using romaine leaves, and eating my veggies taco style, or I roll them all up in a nori sheet, for sushi style. The quick, simple, possibilities are endless. 
  4. On the rare occasion that I do not want to step into the kitchen, or haven’t gotten to the store, I have no problem eating out: double side salad with greens, goat cheese, sometimes beets, some fish with sautéed or steamed veggies. I rarely prepare fish at home because I save it for the occasions when I am dinning out. If I was to eat out durring the day, I would just stop at a large, simple salad, but it all depends on my appetite. 
  5. I also come prepared! I am rarely caught without a bag of carrots in my purse, and a bar of dark chocolate. When I go do the movies, I bring romaine and sliced goat cheddar instead of nachos.. 
  6. I am also super fortunate to be living in NYC, where juice bars are popping up like Starbucks, on every corner, so I do not have to make my own juice all the time any more. But I used to, and I loved it.

I never feel restricted by my way of eating. In fact, it is so liberating from so many aspects. Besides the health benefits, of not being dragged down by colds and chronic conditions, I have way more energy that isn’t being stollen from me by a bowl of gluey quick-oats, or cup-noodles. What’s easier to eat than an apple? Or a banana? Or even grabbing a handful of raw almonds to go with it (if you are thinking a banana won’t fill you up). It would be just as easy to make a avocado/sprouted grain bagel as it would be to throw on some cheddar and ham, but I am free of the energy, and health, leeching properties of ham & cheese. Plus I am not counting calories here, so I don’t have to stop at one banana. There is so much freedom there too.

It has also been a liberation for my taste buds! I can trully appreciate and whole heartedly enjoy clean, simple food, without the need of additives that are so commonly found in “convenience food”. Those additives make us numb to the pleasures of real food, on top of all the havoc they are wreaking in our bodies.

I also want to add, that treating my body in this way allows me to indulge in things I will truly enjoy. Not because they are convenient, but because they are delicious, decadent, and make life more enjoyable! Such things would be: dark chocolate, wine, creme brule, goat milk ice-cream, raw treats.. My body can handle the acidity of foods like that because I am keeping it alkaline with all the fresh veggies, and juices, I consume. 

All in all, I have to say, it’s not about mustering up the motivation. It’s about knowing how good I feel when I honor myself with fresh food, and trully doing it in a way that I wholeheartedly love. Nothing is healthy if you are doing it gritting your teeth, and holding your nose. The key to living this way, is really finding what and how it can work for you, in a way that you will truly enjoy. I hope this helps! 

I am so flattered that you enjoy my blog. Please let me know if I can be of any further service to you!

Love and support,

Ana

Going to the Matts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Although we hear this over and over again in the detox community, it cannot be said enough: You can only heal your body as much as you are willing to heal the other aspects of your life! Physical cleansing has been a great gateway for me to tap into my true self, and start honoring her! With this wonderful awakening, has come great responsibility, and my physical transformation has been halted by the emotional healing that has to take place in order to progress. This cycle is very normal, and I have been around the block a few times. This time it’s really deep though! Throughout my life, I have tried to be a good person, and have repressed a lot of hurt, anger and resentment. That said, I have been reaching out to a few trusted sources to help guide me over this hump. I could not be more grateful for my dear friend and colon hydrotherapist at LYT, Cyndie! She is the one that introduced me to “going to the matts”!

Here’s how this exercise goes down:

  1. close the door to the bedroom
  2. set the timer for 10 minutes
  3. sit down in child’s pose, on your mattress
  4. start banging on your mattress, without holding back
  5. let yourself go at that mattress with all your might, and allow yourself to come out of your pose as you naturally start using your whole body to express your rage towards that mattress! (haha.. I am not going to lie, it feels good just writing about it)
  6. you may use a tennis racket!

So, the idea is that all these unresolved repressed feelings are holding us back from being the loving beacons of light we all are! I have JUST started practicing this wonderful excercise but I am already feeling how potent of a cleanser it is. I felt like my inner flame was being fanned into a blazing fire — in the best way! If nothing else, you will get a great arm workout ;)

Love and support, always! XO

Reflections & Remarks Post 14 Day Sugar-Free Challenge

Hello darling readers!

I completed my 14 Day Sugar-Free Challenge yesterday! WOOOOHH! It seems like the time went by so fast. I thought it was going to be more “tedious”, but it turns out I found much more freedom in the challenge than expected. I purposely loosened up on my “juicing until dinner” routine in order to avoid any extra “incentive” to over-eat at dinner. I indulged in sugarless mid-day smoothies, puddings, avocado and veggie snacks. Putting my usual indulgences on the “avoid as much as possible” list was quite liberating, because I didn’t consider them options which got my creative juices flowing :)

So, here are some of the things I indulged, and partook, in durring the cleanse:

  • Vanilla STEVIA sweetened everything: juices; lemonade; dark chocolate treats like the Icy Chocolate Bon-Bons and Choco-Coco Soft-Serve; egg and dairy based deserts such as the Detox Kaiser, crepes, zucchini pancakes and goat yogurt w/goat ricotta; and vegan/veggie desserts such as squash ice-cream and almond butter cup ice cream — it was all very satisfying and comforting while I was missing my dark chocolate bars.
  • Gourmet salads and veggilicious dishes, such as: Insalata Italiana and Eggplant Garlic Bread, Japanese Dinner-Entree Salad, “Beet That Craving” Salad and much more :)
  • Raw goat cheddar every other day, and the occasional egg or fish ~2,3 times.
  • Rockstar gravity colonics, 2X/week at LYT, NYC.
  • Morning Pages (mental colonics), on occasion
  • Infrared sauna and dry sauna ~3 times
  • Sun-lit walks in Central Park, on most days
  • Deep-tissue massage and Reiki sessions with Leslie, 2x/week
  • Nightly meditations
  • oral Hydrogen Peroxide for the 1st week, (which I stopped because my movements disappeared though I was taking a minimal amount) 
  • Ascended Health Probiotics, every morning, Candex in the afternoon, and Fungal Defense before bed
  • facial lymphatic massage, ~4 times/week

I experienced definite improvements in my mood, cravings, taste buds, colonics, skin quality and appearance, clothing fit, and sleep quality! While 14 days is not enough to vanquish a yeast-monster that has been haunting you for years, it’s a great tune-up, and incentive to keep going at a reasonable, sustainable pace for the long haul. Coming off the cleanse I overdid the dark chocolate, and indulged in some fruit. My body was not pleased, but I had to test the waters :). Moving forward, I will keep up with as many of the aspects of the challenge without pushing myself beyond comfort, in order to achieve maximum freedom!

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions about my experience or undertaking something like this yourself! 

With Love, Honesty and Support,

Ana

Q: For those of you who embarked on this journey with me, how was it??

(I’m still putting up some of the links so please bear with me!)

Day 7 starts with colonic style Morning Pages! As most of you know by now, I have undertaken a 14-Day Sugar-Free Challenge. It’s been going pretty well, with only a few “allowances” for a couple of special occasions. Though we are on Official Day 5, I am on day 7 and excited for more of the changes to come. When I had one of my allowances (it was a couple of pieces of Green and Black’s 85%) I was in such ecstasy over the amazing flavor and taste! I missed enjoying very dark chocolate like that; really being able to appreciate it’s subtle sweetness. Stevia sweetened chocolate tastes so dirty and overly sweet to me these days.. So that was such a clean, pure treat! That’s just one of the changes I’m noticing. I want to clarify, though I feel this goes without saying by now: This is not the mainstream version of “sugar-free”. My lifestyle already includes minimally processed food, so I am not turning to sugar-free chewing gum, cookies, soda and things of the like in this process. That stuff is filled with way worse toxic ingredients than sugar. Sugar is a saint compared to the endless list of unrecognizable additives. If the body doesn’t recognize it as a food, then it cannot process it as such, and stores it away in a little “jail cell” (more like fat cell) in order to protect the rest of the cells from the invader! I am doing my best to use the natural tools at my disposal to reduce the amount of sugar-forming, as well as cut back on some of the more acid forming, foods that I typically might enjoy. That said, I am using this time to really hone down on my emotional cleansing as well. I have been toying on and off with Morning Pages for over 4 months now, but I am just finally getting into them. This is one of the valuable tools given to us at IIN. They put it so well, that I will just include the original prmpt: “There’s a time every morning when we are half awake, half asleep and not quite fully conscious. At those moments, we have access to our unconscious mind and our inner workings. But like dew on the morning grass, it will soon be gone without a trace. Listening to these tender morning wisps allows us to reach into our inner world, the deeper part of ourselves that helps guide us on our path of transformation. Early morning pages are a stream of consciousness written in a journal first thing in the morning. Keep your journal by your bed and reach for it while you are still half asleep. Begin by writing down any memories you may have of your dreams. At first there may be nothing, or simply minor recollections, but as you do this over and over you will build the muscle. You’ll send a powerful message to your brain: I am prepared to accept my unconscious thoughts and feelings, and I accept that more and more will be revealed. You will develop a deep, direct relationship with your inner self. Next, write 10 things you are grateful for from yesterday. Usually our minds focus on everything that’s not going well, skipping over the fact that we live in a peaceful, democratic country. Your mind easily forgets that you have great friends, a place to live, plenty of food to eat, access to education, a job and freedom. Take time for thanksgiving and appreciating what went well yesterday. Next comes the stream of consciousness writing. Write for at least a page, maybe two. Write whatever crosses your mind. Nothing is too petty, too bad or too silly to write down. Nobody will be reading this, so write it all. No censoring. You will be amazed at what comes out of your sweet, innocent mind. Write quickly or write slowly. Find a pace that works for you. All the angry, ugly stuff that you write in the morning would otherwise stand in the way of you being your best you. By doing early morning pages, you get all those repressed thoughts out of your system so you can live your life and realize that you are not your mind and you are not your thoughts. You are a spiritual being in a material world, moving forward toward the life you deserve, which is the life you truly came here to live. Watch your breath. Watch your mind. It’s like a meditation. Be still and just let it all pass from your mind onto the paper. Inspired by The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron. “ While this has been a wonderful excercise, this very early morning I put a different spin on it. I cannot take credit for this one either, for my colon hydrotherapist Cyndie (whom I see 2x/week) advised me to try this. She calls it a mental colonic :D Which I love. Durring the free writing part of the Morning Pages, I really focus on the free part, and clear my mind of all the nasty things that I would never allow myself to even think. This culminates with a burning of the pages! To be fair, that part didn’t work out so well (being it was my first time) so i ended up flushing the torn bits down the toilet. I found that just as appropriate ;) (enter colonic joke here). I felt very liberated, more positive, and most importantly a little lighter.  I thought I would share, just in case anyone is looking for ways to step up their detoxing game. How is everyone else supplementing their cleanse? High-res

Day 7 starts with colonic style Morning Pages!

As most of you know by now, I have undertaken a 14-Day Sugar-Free Challenge. It’s been going pretty well, with only a few “allowances” for a couple of special occasions. Though we are on Official Day 5, I am on day 7 and excited for more of the changes to come. When I had one of my allowances (it was a couple of pieces of Green and Black’s 85%) I was in such ecstasy over the amazing flavor and taste! I missed enjoying very dark chocolate like that; really being able to appreciate it’s subtle sweetness. Stevia sweetened chocolate tastes so dirty and overly sweet to me these days.. So that was such a clean, pure treat! That’s just one of the changes I’m noticing.

I want to clarify, though I feel this goes without saying by now: This is not the mainstream version of “sugar-free”. My lifestyle already includes minimally processed food, so I am not turning to sugar-free chewing gum, cookies, soda and things of the like in this process. That stuff is filled with way worse toxic ingredients than sugar. Sugar is a saint compared to the endless list of unrecognizable additives. If the body doesn’t recognize it as a food, then it cannot process it as such, and stores it away in a little “jail cell” (more like fat cell) in order to protect the rest of the cells from the invader!

I am doing my best to use the natural tools at my disposal to reduce the amount of sugar-forming, as well as cut back on some of the more acid forming, foods that I typically might enjoy. That said, I am using this time to really hone down on my emotional cleansing as well. I have been toying on and off with Morning Pages for over 4 months now, but I am just finally getting into them. This is one of the valuable tools given to us at IIN. They put it so well, that I will just include the original prmpt:

“There’s a time every morning when we are half awake, half asleep and not quite fully conscious. At those moments, we have access to our unconscious mind and our inner workings. But like dew on the morning grass, it will soon be gone without a trace. Listening to these tender morning wisps allows us to reach into our inner world, the deeper part of ourselves that helps guide us on our path of transformation.

Early morning pages are a stream of consciousness written in a journal first thing in the morning. Keep your journal by your bed and reach for it while you are still half asleep.

Begin by writing down any memories you may have of your dreams. At first there may be nothing, or simply minor recollections, but as you do this over and over you will build the muscle. You’ll send a powerful message to your brain: I am prepared to accept my unconscious thoughts and feelings, and I accept that more and more will be revealed. You will develop a deep, direct relationship with your inner self.

Next, write 10 things you are grateful for from yesterday. Usually our minds focus on everything that’s not going well, skipping over the fact that we live in a peaceful, democratic country. Your mind easily forgets that you have great friends, a place to live, plenty of food to eat, access to education, a job and freedom. Take time for thanksgiving and appreciating what went well yesterday.

Next comes the stream of consciousness writing. Write for at least a page, maybe two. Write whatever crosses your mind. Nothing is too petty, too bad or too silly to write down. Nobody will be reading this, so write it all. No censoring. You will be amazed at what comes out of your sweet, innocent mind. Write quickly or write slowly. Find a pace that works for you.

All the angry, ugly stuff that you write in the morning would otherwise stand in the way of you being your best you. By doing early morning pages, you get all those repressed thoughts out of your system so you can live your life and realize that you are not your mind and you are not your thoughts. You are a spiritual being in a material world, moving forward toward the life you deserve, which is the life you truly came here to live.

Watch your breath. Watch your mind. It’s like a meditation. Be still and just let it all pass from your mind onto the paper.

Inspired by The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron. “

While this has been a wonderful excercise, this very early morning I put a different spin on it. I cannot take credit for this one either, for my colon hydrotherapist Cyndie (whom I see 2x/week) advised me to try this. She calls it a mental colonic :D Which I love. Durring the free writing part of the Morning Pages, I really focus on the free part, and clear my mind of all the nasty things that I would never allow myself to even think. This culminates with a burning of the pages! To be fair, that part didn’t work out so well (being it was my first time) so i ended up flushing the torn bits down the toilet. I found that just as appropriate ;) (enter colonic joke here). I felt very liberated, more positive, and most importantly a little lighter. 

I thought I would share, just in case anyone is looking for ways to step up their detoxing game. How is everyone else supplementing their cleanse?

Official Day 1 of the 14 Day Sugar-Free Challenge

I am so excited that we have a good couple handfuls of people joining us on this yeast detox! It’s such a wonderful way to boost your cleansing rituals, while connecting with other creative, knowledgeable people. 

My day started off with a gorgeous, energizing 2 hour walk with a couple of the DTW members. This was followed by 24oz of green juice, from my local health food store:

  • 3-4 lemons
  • celery
  • kale
  • romaine
  • parsley
  • ginger

This was closely followed by a coffee craving which I satisfied with a blend of Organic Avenue Juices:

  • 14 oz Coco Love (basic greens, with coconut water, no lemon)
  • 7 oz carrot juice
  • 1 tsp raw cacao
  • 3 drops vanilla stevia 
  • cinnamon 

All this juiciness culminated with a rocking colonic at LYT, with my therapist Cindy. We started using peroxide in my sessions regularly, which has taken the releases to a whole new level of awesome! Though I had not planned on juicing until dinner (in fact quite the opposite) I ended up having another OA juice: Cucumber with a touch of stevia. It was divine; reminiscent of cucumber/sake martinis I used to enjoy.

I have found that I was feeling too deprived juicing until dinner, so as part of my challenge I wanted to allow myself to eat durring the day when I felt the desire to. I had been playing with mid-day smoothie meals for a while, since the Rose Cleanse, but most of the time it would end with me having a dinner sized meal earlier than I would like; followed by dinner. Gotta watch for that pendulum swing! It is important to take note of what’s not working, and why. For me it is an emotional thing, as it is for many who cannot trust themselves around food. I deprived myself for so long growing up that my wild child just won’t take it anymore. I have found that simple, mono veggie snacks, have been really helpful getting me over the hunger hump around 3, and hold me over until dinner.

I am not being strict with this aspect though. I know that with my yeast under control, my cravings will be less “urgent”. We can only intelligently take on so many changes, and expect to be successful at sustaining them. As a pre-dinner (and pre-post) snack I had 3 goat cheese/cabbage/tomato/dijon/sunflower sprout “wraps”, and felt great! Having an activity to do after my snack is very useful as well. 

For tonight’s, a goat-cheesy dinner will be had involving a large salad, and perhaps something along the lines of Pizza Style Veggies. I will keep you guys posted on dessert ;) . To be perfectly honest, I started the cleanse a couple of days ago.. So I have a dessert recipe to share with you guys from last night, as well as a raw sunflower-butter dressing (but that will come later)

Coco-Chia Lemon Pudding

serves 2

Blend:

  • 1 cup organic young coconut meat 
  • 2 cups pure water
  • juice of 2 lemons
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 3 dropper-fulls vanilla stevia 

Pour over 4 tbsp. raw Chia seeds, divided into two seving bowls. Stir, and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes. Enjoy! Chia seeds can be internally lubricating, therefore awesome pre-colonic; not to mention tasty and fun to eat! 

Chris had some paparazzi fun at my expense, so I am going to share with you my silly face (this is also another one of Rande’s suggestions) 

Just a quick note: to supplement my efforts I am taking Dr Ohhira’s Probiotics, Candigone, and diluted 3% Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide orally — I won’t talk about these much, unless I get questions. 

How was your sugar-free day? Did anyone get creative? 

DTW Community Love and 14 Day Sugar-Free Challenge

Last week I was blessed with a stimulating encounter with a fellow detox blogger! Rande from The Vegetable Centric Kitchen and I have been following eachother’s blogs for some time, and “knew” eachother via the DTW community site, but had never truly met. So, when she was in town for her training with Natalia Rose which I had previously taken, we got together to swap stories and share some detox love. It was so lovely talking shop and bonding over the quirks of this sometimes lonely lifestyle.

Since leaving San Francisco, I have been quite the lonely lil juicer. My girls back home, Audrey and Katie, were such a big part of the life I loved! We keep in touch quite a bit, but it was such a treat to be able to share a little bit of that high-vibration interaction with someone else, face-to-face! I was fortunate enough to meet fellow blogger, Lola, as well as Renae and Deborah who are all amazing individuals, very comfortable in this life-style. Needless to say, sparks were flying the whole time we were together :) I was once again overwhelmed with gratitude for this lifestyle and the many amazing gifts it has brought with it. 

In honor of the connectivity we all experienced, I threw a little dinner party, veggie love style! In order to please both avocado and goat cheese cravers, I created two sauces: Japanesse Guacamole and (Goat)-Creamy Beet, to go in the Collard Veggie Wraps! The night was a hit, and plans were made for future visits and collaborations! Which brings me to my next point.. Rande and I recorded a little something when we first met, about our introduction to this lifestyle! We are planing on sharing it with everyone in hopes that it will benefit those of you who are considering making a change but feel overwhelmed. We are working out the kinks of the file size, but it should be up soon so stay tunned. 

 

Another endeavor we are embarking on is a 14 Day Sugar-Free Challenge! This is something I chose to undertake due to an unfortunate yeast flare-up. While it hasn’t manifested too violently, my head gets fuzzy when I eat fruit and my skin gets a little itchy; But most of all: I feel it taking up space in my body.. and I don’t want to share! Yeast has been a problem for me since I was very little due to week genes, antibiotics and traditional Russian/Romanian food. While I had it under control under the best circumstances, with my recent life changes, stress and emotional eating has allowed it to bloom once more.

I woke up yesterday morning with a plan to crank up the heat on this issue, and the motivation to follow through. If you look back at previous posts, I discuss the issue of yeast in more detail. Basically, yeast thrives in an acidic environment, and feeds on sugar. I want to starve mine, so I will be eliminating as many sugars as possible from my diet for 14 days, in conjunction with upping my alkalizing routine. Here are the logistics: 

  • Avoid: most grain and grain products, all fruit, sugar sweetened treats such as dark chocolate and Laloos Ice-cream, caffeine and alcohol 
  • Bask in the glory of: veggie juices, greens, raw and cooked neutral veggies, sweet root veggies (yes, they are “sugary”, but low glycemic),”fruit-veggies” such as cucumbers and tomatoes, avocados, young coconut meat, lemons and limes, daily mediations, morning pages, yoga, rebounding, dry brushing, saunas, baths, regular bowel cleansing, Candigone, probiotics, 3% Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide, tea and stevia!
  • Include moderately: cooked starchy vegetables such as sweet potatoes and winter squashes,  mushrooms, organic young coconut water, small amounts of raw organic nuts and seeds, cocoa powder and raw cacao  

This is a fun challenge for Rande and I because it means it’s time to get creative with the recipes ;) We are both very excited, and will be posting about our reflections and concoctions regularly. If you’ve been dealing with skin issues, stubborn weight, brain fog, lethargy, sleeplessness, reproductive problems, moodiness (especially when you are hungry) and cravings, then this is a great jolt in the right direction. I would be honored if anyone wants to join us, and take advantage of the extra support and Community Love! 

Here are two sugar-free recipes to get us going:

Japanesse Guacamole

Pulse in blender or food processor:

  • 2 avocados
  • juice of 1 lemon 
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tbsp tamari
  • 1 tbsp grated ginger
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 nori sheets, torn
  • 1/4 bellpepper, chopped 
  • sea salt

(Goat)-Creamy Beet Dip/Sauce (term derived from Rande’s “Goat-Cheesy”ness)

  • 1 container goat-milk yogurt
  • 2 tbsp goat ricotta or chèvre
  • 1 handful dill
  • 3 medium baked beets, roughly cubed
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • zest of 1/2 orange 
  • 1 tsp organic dijon
  • sea salt

Let the creativity flow, and the body thrive! xoxo

What’s For Dinner? Have you tasted guiltless comfort? If you have yet to experience the sweet sensation of eating something delicious and healthy, the Sweet Taco Salad and Eggplant Bread will be an instant favorite, even for newbies. Eating the raw and cooked component of the meal together not only aids the body in digesting heavier cooked food, but is also a great gateway into the endless possibilities of divine salads, and simple meals!  High-res

What’s For Dinner?


Have you tasted guiltless comfort? If you have yet to experience the sweet sensation of eating something delicious and healthy, the Sweet Taco Salad and Eggplant Bread will be an instant favorite, even for newbies. Eating the raw and cooked component of the meal together not only aids the body in digesting heavier cooked food, but is also a great gateway into the endless possibilities of divine salads, and simple meals! 

I Am Grateful For…

51. My clients, for giving me the opportunity to do what I love, and exchange uplifting, life-generating conversation that resonates simultaneously on both ends. 

52. This lifestyle for giving me the tools to inspire the people  that are ready to experience more than the feeling of “getting by”

53. Juice fasting tune-up for the consciousness-awakening experience it provides.

54. My taste buds for allowing to experience food in ways I had forgotten was possible.

55. The book “Grant Me A Higher Love” for the wonderful insights it provides into the destructive patterns we all fall into within our relationships. I recommend this to anyone who has felt that relationships are doomed to go through the same disappointing cycle they always have. 

56. Hot showers immediately followed by luxurious coconut oil application, and a cold water rinse.

57. Professional massages — not to be underestimated for their whole body and mind healing properties; and ability to get things moving in the body when you are stuck in your detox process ;)

58. Contagious good moods! :) :D :D <3 <3 <3

59. Sunflower sprouts — added to salad, smoothies or veggies topped with marinara and goat cheese because it makes them all 10X more delicious and busting with life-force ENERGY.

60. All the little health food stores around NYC, that allow me to pick up a fresh pressed juice or a safe snack if I haven’t planed in advance. 

Hey there, wild child!

This is a newsletter I recently sent out to my clients, as a pep talk. 

I wrote up a statement of intent for a deeper yeast cleanse I will be undergoing, and I thought you might benefit from reading it. As we know, battling yeast can be quite the feat, and an occasional tune-up is necessary if we are going to be living the modern lives we do. The truth is, it can creep up on us whenever we aren’t careful: if we indulge a little too much, if we forget about food combining for too long and let things ferment and putrefy inside as a result, if we find ourselves under high stress conditions for an extended period of time.. Most of all if we throw all our better knowledge out the window and decide to live with our blinders on, as “normal” people do, partaking in every toxic activity, habit and ritual that makes up “civilized” living.

This is stemmed from a meditation that involves seeing both aspects of yourself: the militant officer that orders you around, punishing your other self every time you step out of line, and the wild child that fears captivity and starvation. This wild child is the one that ravages food whenever you take on a strict regimen or set up too many rules for yourself. It is your inner rebel that is scared of extinction. The officer is the one that makes you feel guilty, and brings down an even heavier iron fist for not sticking to its orders that are meant to serve the higher good. There is a third aspect to this meditation that involves zooming out of this scenario, as your highest self; the ever-watching higher being that has love and compassion for all. Your highest self understands both parties, and sees why they are both necessary for balance. By tuning into your highest self, you are making peace with these two extremes, and bringing love to your war-zone. 

Here it is:

“Today, I am making a commitment to my highest self, to take the most yeast conscious approach to eating as is reasonable. I am doing this because I deserve to be rid of this monster once and for all; free from its hunger for sweets and its tirant rule over my feelings and sleep quality and its itchy, crawling invasion of my skin. Free from the torturer that was responsible countless times for painful, moral breaking UTIs. Free from the bloating, doughiness and self-loathing. Yeast has been an unwelcome invader for decades! It is time to take the beast down once and for all! 

As far as the little wild child inside myself, that panics and rebels whenever she feels deprived: do not worry! I will take care of you, and make sure you are well nourished and properly rewarded for your bravery. Fruit, and other sweet indulgences await for you on the other side of the battle field. I will be gentle, and check in with my wisest self before making any choice that will compromise our mission. You will not be left behind little rebel. If you allow me to slay the dragon, then I will in turn make sure you reap the riches that await in the castle (and get soothing treats along the way).

The rule of Yeast will be over, and freedom will reign once and for all!”

I hope this serves as a little bit of inspiration. I am posting this here, in order to reach as many little rebels out there as possible. In doing so, I am also solidifying my commitment to my self, and exposing a little piece of my heart. I hope you take this kindly, as it was intended.

Love,

Ana