Accountability...

I know I have been pretty spotty with blogging as of late.

First and foremost by NOT blogging almost daily like I used to here at My Blissful Journey I have become LAZY in many areas of my life.  I have noticed that this blog has given me ACCOUNTABILITY above all else.  I NEED to get back to doing that.

The last year or more I have battled with Sciatica and was able to control it with the research I have done and noting it here.  If needed I will go to a Chiropractor but I haven't done that in like 2 years.

It's been a full year now...I trashed my contacts and switched back to glasses.  It took a LONG time to get used to them again but I was FINALLY able to.

I am now focusing on something else.  I have dealt with other issues...why NOT this?  I don't know if I am ready to 'come clean' on what is bothering me but I do know that this blog is a good why to do that.  I do know about several steps I am already taking to see if they help my aches and pains.

I would like to be better about reporting here on my blog about the steps I am taking.  It will give me accountability.  There are many things in life I am horrible at.  One thing has always been taking 'pills'.  In my case I have started taking B-Complex/B-12 again.  I haven't done this since I was 15.  It will be hard for me to do.  I will do it for a few days and then stop.  I MUST be better about this.

I don't often eat breakfast.

I know this is HUGE but I have never been a breakfast person.  Again...I will get going with a few days of a breakfast and then stop...whether it is because I ran out of time in the morning or because I don't have much to choose from in the house...or I just don't want to.

I NEED...no...I MUST be better about this.

I hate bananas!

I know I have said this MANY times here on my blog.

I want to like them...I do.  I haven't been able to bring myself to do it.  I was finally able to add up to 1/2 banana in my smoothies but I feel incorporating bananas into my diet MORE will certainly help with my overall pain.  I know that Avocados are great for this, too, but they are SO EXPENSIVE where I life.  I grab them when I can but it hasn't been to often lately.  

MORE WALKING.

What a horrible time for me to want to try and do this, eh!?  In the middle of winter - in the snow belt!

I'm going to try and be better about this...perhaps I will try and visit a nearby nearly abandoned mall and try and walk there.  Time will tell.

I know - this whole blog entry has been one HUGE blab-fest!  I just felt like I needed to get it out of my system.  Over the next weeks and months perhaps I will open up more about my thoughts and feelings but I am hoping by then my efforts will prove some overall improvements and it won't be as much of an issue.

The Flex Belt - My First Impressions

The nice folks at The Flex Belt contacted me about reviewing their product and I thought it might be fun but also another thing I could learn about and research, too!  So...today I would like to share some of my First Impressions about The Flex Belt.

I will start off by saying that MY reviews on this product will probably be very different from other people reviewing this product because I am really thinking outside the box on a few different levels.

I remember seeing Infomercials on this product a few years back.  I'm one of those people who actually ENJOY Infomercials!  It probably has something to do with my marketing and advertising background.

One thing that I noticed about their marketing that they did very well is to get 'celebrities' to speak on their product and the results the had with The Flex Belt.  Personally - I don't really care one way or the other if celebrities endorse something or not - but in the Marketing World it's a great way to go if you are able to have a product that celebrities do like.  In the case of The Flex Belt - they have people like Lisa Rinna, Denise Richards, Jerry Rice, and more!

Another thing that they have going for them is that the product is FDA cleared.  Me - personally - I don't really look for things that are cleared by the FDA - seeing is that most natural foods, remedies, products, alternatives, and such are NOT approved or cleared by the FDA.  But for the masses and from a marketing standpoint I think that is great they can say that.

Those are really the only two things I wanted to mention that most people would finding interesting that I didn't necessarily focus on personally.  And they are NOT negatives about the product just something that wasn't important to me, personally.

Now...on to the things that I personally found interesting!

First and foremost - the company is VERY adamant about this product going along with a healthy diet and another form of exercise.  They are OPEN about it NOT being a substitute for eating right and exercising!   They are suggesting that those 3 factors 'play nice with' and 'assist' you in your toning journey.  I like that!  I like that they are NOT telling you to 'just do it' and BAM...you are going to have the perfect body!  I'm happy that they also stress eating right AND exercising, too!

Another reason I wanted to try The Flex Belt is because I work behind a desk for at least 9 hours everyday!  I enjoy walking, dancing, yoga, etc most days when I have 15 to 30 minutes (or more) available to dedicate to that.  What I don't have time to do is spend HOURS and HOURS in a gym everyday (or 5 times a week) toning every muscle I have.  I think this is a great tool for people that have desk and/or office jobs.  Because the belt fits under your clothes and adheres to your skin with glue/gel-like patches - you could also do this DURING work!  I have yet to do that, personally, but I have done it mostly at night - while at home - either standing, sitting, while doing dishes, or playing with my dogs!

I like that it's easy to charge and has fairly heavy duty connectors and cords to the power device, charging device, and belt itself.  The power on/off switch fits perfectly in my hand as well as in the snug-fitting belt pocket for hands-free convenience.  I love that there are intensity levels from 15 to 150 (more about this in a little bit) and that it's very easy to navigate the programs and intensity levels on the hand-held device.  I absolutely LOVE that the belt is cloth and Velcro and NOT leather (since I am NOT a fan of leather and avoid it!)   I appreciate the different size options on the actual belt, too!  Since I am a shorter person (only 5'2") I find some exercise equipment/gadgets won't work for me because the length under my chest to my waste is NOT long like some peoples.  The belt is far enough from my chest area yet doesn't overlap my hip area either. 

One thing I am not fond of is the aroma of the sticky glue/gel surface of the patches that lays between the belt and my stomach.  But if that's the worst of my worries - I can get past that.

Since this is a First Impressions Review of The Flex Belt I won't be listing much for personal results - I'm not quite there yet - but that is NOT to say that I won't post those results in the future.

Above - I mentioned that there are intensity levels from 15 to 150.  The booklet that comes with the belt suggests you start at 15.  So that is what I did.  They said to try and increase the intensity to what you feel you can do without feeling uncomfortable.  The first day(s) I got up to about 30.  It wasn't long (maybe a day or two) that I got up to 55 and 60.  The claims say that you will FEEL results within weeks.  Well, I can HONESTLY tell you that after TWO DAYS I could FEEL a difference.  Throughout the following day - I felt like I had been doing crunches the night before.  It wasn't a pain - but a difference - a difference I enjoyed.  This is something I will continue to do.  The programs I have done have been about 25 minutes - which are easy to keep track of - thanks to the built-in timer.

I really like that this goes hand-in-hand with healthy eating and exercise but is also easy to use and you can do it while doing other things.  Mostly likely I will continue to blog about the Flex Belt over time.

My Very Own RAW WEEK!

I mentioned in a post earlier today that I declared this week RAW WEEK for myself. 

I'm going to try my darnest to do all RAW all WEEK this week! 

Since I woke up between 4 and 4:30am - and woke up pretty well - at that - I decided to start using a new shampoo/conditioner combo - one of the few things I actually add to my body.  (I don't wear make up or much else for that matter - but I do put Shampoo - usually every other day - and conditioner maybe once a week). 

Naturally Speaking...Tomorrow I will start Oil Pulling again.  I use either Coconut Oil OR Grapeseed Oil.  About once a month - if I remember - I will use a 'scrub' that was made by a friend of me - locally - that contains - Coffee, Olive Oil, and Sugar.

As far as food intake is concerned here is what today looks like for me...day 1 of all raw...

2 Large Glasses of Water
1 Large Mason Jar of Green Smoothie (2 C Mango, 1/2 C Papaya, 2 Large Handfuls of Spinach, Water)
2 Apples
2 Mandarins
1 Grapefruit
1 Peach
1/4 of a Large Watermelon
Various teas and herbal tonics
1 Super LARGE Salad - yet to be determined - with homemade Raw Dressing.

All of the fruits you see listed above were eaten individually throughout the day.

I will try and log more attempts at what kind of activities I will be doing, too. 

At least 5 times a week I walk for about 30 to 40 minutes each day!  I hope to increase this most days.  My plan is to walk from home to work and back 5 times a week in addition to 15 to 20 minutes each day.  By walking from home it's a mile one way...so I will probably walk at the very minimum 2 miles, 5 times a week.  I hope to do a minimum of 15 to 20 mins of yoga 5 times a week up to an hour a day at the most.  In addition - I hope to do Step Aerobics at least once a week.

I'm not really doing this to lose weight - but if it happens, it happens.  I'm doing this more for well-being, mostly.

I do better when I am accountable so my points here at my blog will certainly help with the accountability part.  More on this - throughout the week!

Make It Marvelous

Make It Marvelous!  And it WAS!  This past weekend we attended a two-day event with our Wildtree Products and it was WONDERFUL!  My Mom, Sister, and I are all official Reps and my Dad loves helping out too!  We really needed all of us there this weekend!  It was a MAD HOUSE but that's a GOOD THING.  Sales were the best we've had!  We sold out of 15 different products!  I know this isn't the best picture but it shows SOME of the things we sampled!  All of our Grapeseed Oils, a bunch of our sauces, marinades, etc as well as a few dips and spreads and the NEW Hot Pepper Jelly which is AWESOME (and Vegan!)  I'm also excited about the new Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce.  It's doesn't contain eggs or dairy as many Honey Mustard Dressings/Sauces do and I'm so happy about that!

I really want to continue making this week Marvelous!  By blogging I feel it has made me keep the momentum going!  I feel like I am accomplishing things and staying positive and that was my goal with this blog - to not only document my attempts at recipes and activities, but stay active and positive and creative!

I hope to start incorporating some of my exercises here as well.  I'm really wanting to get to the bottom of my weird leg sensations, too, so I might break down and call a chiropractor.  I am also gearing up the furkids for a visit to their Great Grandmothers (Riley & Suzie) and Paco to "Uncle Jack's" as DH and I go on a side trip in the near future!  We won't be gone long but it will be nice to get-out-of-dodge for a bit.

I will surely take pics!

I'm also going to start sprouting again this week and will be making Tabouli as well as a few other dishes this week, too, so stay tuned for that!

Just a little update on things and positive thinking for the rest of the week post!

Have a great week, friends!

Participating Post:
Marvelous In My Monday

Calf and Ankle Strength

A long while ago I had a post about Building Knee Strength for a friend.  The past month or so I have been having problems with my (left) ankle and calf muscles.  It's driving me nuts but I don't want to go to a doctor - for several reasons I don't care to get into at the moment - and really want to try and fix the problem myself.

So I have been doing a lot of research - and if you know of any other sources let me know - Knowledge IS Power - after all - and I saw THIS SITE that gained my interest.  It gave me more ideas that 'your average stretches' that I have already been doing and will continue to do.  I also found their entry on building arch support interesting.

I have been exercising - gently - and will continue to do so.  I feel better when I am moving, walking, stretching, etc., but because 'my living' is made sitting in front of a computer I must do what I must do, right!?

BUT...I can make that little steps, building muscle and knowledge when and where I can.

I also like what THIS PAGE has to say and am adding a few exercises to my daily stretches.

There are more, too, like the runners stretch - eventho I am FAR from a runner, various Yoga stretches, and wall-assisted ones I am doing on a daily basis.

I just have an annoying ache and there is no real rhyme or reason to it.  This COLD WEATHER cannot be helping, either, and DH keeps saying it's because I'm getting older but I will not accept that.  I want it to get better and I want to improve.  Not only the way it functions and feels but my circulation in my legs BECAUSE I sit at a desk a lot, you know?

Food Fight Grocery, Weight Loss, What I've Been Up To Lately!

Food Fight Grocery Store

You've already seen some product reviews from me and you'll be seeing a lot more and soon because I have been on a shopping spree!  It all started with Food Fight Grocery out of Portland.  I have been wanting to buy from them for YEARS...but shipping just seemed to be more than it was worth.  BUT...since I have been about 99.9% vegan these days - it was NOW worth it!

My experience was a good one - I have to say - sure - they were out of a few things - but they contacted me via email in a timely fashioned and asked if I wanted to switch to a different flavor or otherwise.  Since I bought almost all new-to-me products I thought I would keep the order as-is and change to different flavor on the two items in question.

I received my shipment about a week later and everything was in perfect condition.  I was very happy.

Another thing NEW with me - is - since going from Lacto-Ovo-Veg for over 18 years to Near Vegan in the past 3 months I have worked out my digestion issues AND have lost at least 20 pounds already!  I'm a VERY happy camper!  

I also re-joined a small exercise and weight room locally that is MUCH cheaper than the local YMCA and other fitness club options but for what I will be using and doing it's JUST RIGHT.  Since I have been hella busy lately I have only been able to go about twice a week but that will be changing very soon!

TONIGHT - my mom, sister, and I are having our Holiday Open House for Wildtree and will be doing a Dessert Party!  It should be FUN!