Who Do You Want To Be?

Today you will begin becoming the person you want to be!
Do you need to gain weight? Lose weight? Build muscle?

What's holding you back from achieving your goals?

Go back to the page in your journal where you wrote about the future you. The one that starts now.

What changes do you need to make to be that person?
Is it simple as a haircut or a little more complicated like landing your dream job?

Maybe you are afraid to share your goals and achievements? If so why? If not how will you combat negative influences en route to becoming that person? How will you deal with people who tell you that your dreams are silly or unattainable?

Know you are capable!
See the unlimited possibilities of your future!

Pay attention to what matters to you on this path to the new you. Use positive self talk and challenge your boundaries.

Tip:

Surround yourself with people who are supportive and link up with a buddy also following this program for encouragement.

Today you have a couple of assignments and I know you are ready for them.

Pull out your journal and complete the following:

Assignment #1

List 5 things you'd like to learn more about. Then feed your curiosity and learn something new.

Assignment #2

I want you to start paying attention to the quality of your life.

How do you show yourself you care?

Do you accept yourself as you are now in order to move forward to the new you?

What are you doing to create and live the life you dream of and want?

Activity:

Take a walk alone with your thoughts and nature now that you've completed the above assignments.

I want you to use your willpower. I want you to believe in yourself! ...because I do!

Questions & Answers II

Here it is and looks like Q & A's might be a regular
posting as I couldn't get to all the questions you submitted. Most of these are your questions just "cut" and "pasted" without your names.


Q: Hi Sonia! I just started following your blog and love it! I'm a male over 40 and so is my waist. Will this work out starting in August help me trim my waist line down as well? I've lost 3 pounds already just by cutting down my sugar and red meat. I hope to drop another 30.

A: I like your sense of humour about it. If you've been following the blog and make the lifestyle changes then you are already seeing a difference in your weight (congrats on the 3 pounds!) and waist. Without knowing your personal details I can't say or advise that 30 more pounds will happen or is needed but the blog is about safely achieving your goals and if that is what your body needs we can certainly do it!


Q: Why all the free content? No one does this! I'm not complaining because it helps me, but why?

A: I've answered this question a few times already on Facebook and the simple answer is, it helps people. All I want to do it help people achieve their goals. If a free content blog does it, why not?


Q: How do i test to see if I am too acidosis or alkalosis?

A: Your doctor can test your blood or cells for this. If that's not possible you can look at doing a self urine or saliva test (though not the most accurate reading). If you are going to do a urine test I suggest first pee of the morning just as a woman would do for the best pregnancy test results. pH test strips can often be purchased at drugstores or health food stores.


Q: How will you be doing the fitness part of this? Or how will we be doing it?

A: I hope in the near future to be able to show you the exercises by creating videos and uploading them for you, but right now as I am on the mend it's just not possible. So for now the best I can do is give you a written description of the activity or exercise and hopefully add a few pictures.


Q: In one of your posts "Dairy Vs. Calcium" you are against cow's milk. What if it's raw organic unpasteurized milk?

A: I think no matter what type of cow's milk it is a very poor and unnecessary source of calcium for your body. I don't think it's natural in this day and age despite the many commercials saying otherwise. I'd suggest checking out a few sites that show how the milk is attained. What happens to the cow and just how natural that is for the cow.
I've attached a link to a recent article on milk and the myth of the happy cow. I hope you take some time to read it and watch the video.
(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-robbins/the-brutality-of-factory_b_643567.html)

Sonia's 10 Tips for a Healthy Happy Life

1. Eat a wide variety of healthy fresh whole foods

2. Drink lots of water and get lots of sleep

3. Surround yourself with positive friends & family

4. Avoid processed, refined, artificial foods

5. Get spiritual and meditate

6. Eliminate or reduce sugar and caffeine

7. Get out doors

8. Laugh

9. Avoid foods you know your body is sensitive to

10. Do what you love and make others happy too!

Why I Talk About Being Alkaline

From the emails I've been getting this is obviously a new concept to many,and I am still being asked why this is important and if I can talk a bit more about it.

I talk about it in my blog about fertility (fertilityToday.Blogspot.com) and I will talk about it here, because it is that important.

Too much acid is extremely damaging to the body in so many ways. You can create acidic blood by your diet, medication, your lifestyle, etc.

So what is the range you want to stay in? Well it's actually a very narrow one on the pH scale. Between 7.35-7.45. Though you may see other ranges, this is the healthiest range to fall within. Being above or below this range can give you disease, cause infertility, and cause you to gain weight. In fact many studies show that cancer can't exist in an alkaline body!

Next you ask how do we get within this range. The best way and easiest way is with an alkalizing diet or eating alkalizing foods.

Of course these will be whole grains, veggies, especially the dark leafy ones, legumes, and fruits like bananas and cantaloupe (both in season). The highest acid forming foods are meat, dairy, and sugar.

All this being said it is not just our diet that can cause our bodies to be out of balance when it comes to pH levels. Your mood, personality, even culture can cause you to be too acidic or even alkaline.
For example if you are always angry or living in fear, your body becomes acidic. If you are happy and at peace you become more alkaline.

Fitness too plays a part. If you practice mindful fitness like yoga and t'ai chi this helps relax your body and again balances the pH levels.

We want to have healthy blood, healthy tissues all resulting in healthy bodies.

Two Weeks To Go!

In another two weeks we will start the physical component. Free phone consultations will be offered to the first 5 that contact me on Facebook when we launch the physical on August 1. Others can also get in on the phone consults at a discounted rate.

How are you doing with your activities and food?
If you've been following my recommendations to date, I am sure you've lost anywhere between 5-10 pounds and are feeling great!

If you haven't already you may want to take your before picture now.

Challenge:

Your new challenge will be to work in a salad a day for the next week.

Do not load it up with salad dressing please!

Feel free to post what you've put in it or even to upload pictures of your salads!

We've got another question and answer post coming up so feel free to continue sending me your questions and I'll try to tackle as many as I can.

Tip:

Now is also a good time to order Vega off of the blog home page. It's on sale and for those who want a great fitness recovery drink, energy drink or protein shake it's the place to go. Order now and have it in time for when we begin our work-out posts!

Ciao!

Top Foods

Okay here we go, in response to your many emails about the foods I think you should have in your home right now, the following are either in season or readily available at your local outdoor or farmer's market.

-Strawberries
-Blueberries
-Blackberries
-Raspberries
-Plums
-Nectarines
-Cherries
-Apricots
-Watermelon
-Spinach
-Tomatoes
-Zucchini
-Corn
-Potatoes
-Eggplant
-Summer Squash
-Dill
-Basil



Tastier and fresher now that they are in season or available go crazy because these foods are great for you! Incorporate them into salads, smoothies, stir fry or on the grill or munch on them just as they are!


Ciao!

Breakfast

How are you doing with breakfast? Are you making it a large meal in your day?

At a loss of what you should have for breakfast? This morning I had, oatmeal, fresh fruit, a smoothie, with Ezekiel bread toasted with almond butter. I'm set!

Breakfast should be one of your largest meals of the day because it's the longest period of time your body has gone without food. Likely you've not eaten for 8-12 hours after waking up and your body needs to refuel and get it's energy for the day.

I'm still getting emails requesting breakfast recipes so here is one more! I've done my best to give you measurements as you know I cook by eye and not by measuring cups and spoons.

Morning Crepes:

2 egg replacers

1 c. Soy milk or other non-dairy milk

1/3 c. water

1 c. flour

2Tbsp. sweetener

1 Tsp. vanilla

2 Tbsp vegan margarine

Whip in a mixing bowl, pour thinly into a hot pan. Keep an eye on these as they don't take long to cook! Then fill with your favourite fruit, or sauteed veggies. This is also a great recipe for dessert you can fill with sliced bananas and drizzle with warm vegan chocolate!

Negative Self-Talk

How much better would your life be without the negative self-talk? This is something we examine in the self-esteem portion of the MBC Challenge (http://www.mindbodyandchild.com).

What do you believe is true about yourself?

You come into the work without these issues and low self-esteem, so where did they develop? Childhood? TV and media? High School? A negative relationship?

Surely however long it has been you don't want to continue this pattern for the rest of your life.

So how do you change your inner dialogue? How do you stop your ego from controlling you?

What makes you feel fulfilled inside? You've already created a list that describes you in a positive light. However, for many that is not enough.

Have you found your mission and purpose in life? Are you happy with your job, your relationship, your life? If not, what needs to change?

Who would you be without the negative self-talk? Who do you want to be?

Assignment:

Today I want you to write a letter to yourself about how great you are, all the things you've accomplished and still want to do.

Accept who you are in mind body and soul. Remember you are always growing and becoming aware of who you are supposed to be.

Until tomorrow,

Ciao!

Eating Out

A few people have emailed about eating out in Winnipeg and what my favourite restaurants are. A friendly website for finding vegetarian/vegan restaurants is:

http://www.happycow.net/



In Winnipeg some of my top 3 favourite veggie friendly restaurants are:


Affinity Vegetarian Garden

Delicious Vegetarian Restaurant

East India Company

On the blog home page you will find a full list of restaurants that I have personally enjoyed both within Canada and Internationally. This by no means comes close to the complete list and keep checking back as I continue to update it.

Please feel free to share your favourite veggie restaurants with us in the comment section following this post.

Ciao!

Definitions

What is a vegan? What is a vegetarian? How are they similar or different?

What about a flexitarian?

There are so many types of Veggies out there and you will find most veggies will define for themselves what their being vegan or vegetarian means to them, but these are the most common definitions:

Vegan:

The strictest of all 'veggie' diets.

This is one who eats no animals or animal products.

Many take this diet into a lifestyle and philosophy and also do not wear animal products such as fur or leather and are animal advocates.

Vegetarian:

One who does not eat animals. No meat, fish, flesh. They may eat eggs and/or dairy.

Ovo-Lacto Vegetarian:

One who does not eat animals but will consume egg and dairy products.

Pesco-Vegetarian/ Pescatarian:

One who includes fish in their otherwise animal free diet.

Flexitarian:

One who eats meat on occasion but tries to maintain a vegetarian diet and lifestyle.

Please feel free to respond to our poll on our blog site home page about the type of veggie you are.