8 Benefits Of Eating Fruit

My last blog was food-related. More specifically, it was about how eating fruit can combat cravings.

Fruit it a major part of my diet and I have benefited from it so much by having it as a staple in my diet.

Everyone knows that fruit is good for you. But a lot of people struggle with the idea of sugar. If a chocolate bar is so bad for you due to the high amount of sugar, how is a banana any different?

There are a few things we should look at.

Number 1. There are a lot of other harmful ingredients in chocolate bars and other processed sugary foods. They are high in fat, low in nutrients, and they contain processed, refined sugar.

Fruit on the other hand, is natures candy. Full of vitamins and minerals and healthy carbs to keep you fueled.

Number 2. We need to listen to our bodies and not the latest diet trends in the media. We need to focus on how we feel.

I will now share the changes that happened in my body when I started eating more fruit.

1. Your Digestion Will Improve

A lot of people are under the assumption that it's normal to go to the bathroom once a day or every other day. But this isn't true. Eating more fruit will help you with elimination. It will be easier, take a shorter amount of time, and be more frequent.

2. Hello Abs!

Our bodies are 70-80% diet. Why not make the most of your ab exercises by eating more fruit? Because you're going to the bathroom more often, you will lose that excess belly fat and bloat. Your abs will shine through!

3. You Will Be Hydrated

It's important to drink lots of water. Everyone knows that. Fruit naturally has a high water content so you will find yourself needing to go to the bathroom much more. Extra hydration for the win!

4. Your Skin May Clear

Because you are going to the bathroom more frequently, you are eliminating toxins from your body. This can result in clearer skin.

When I tried eating exclusively fruit during the day, my skin cleared lovely.

5. No More Fatigue

I use to always feel fatigued by mid afternoon. I thought that was normal. When I started eating a high fruit lunch, the fatigue went away and it was replaced by energy and a good mood.

6. You Will Power Through Your Workouts

I don't believe in forcing ourselves through a workout if we don't have the energy. So how do we get the energy? By eating more fruit of course! Don't under estimate the amount of energy this can give you. Especially when you eat enough calories. You will have so much energy to burn that you will want to work out.

7. Your Food Cravings Will Subside

I discuss this in my previous blog which I will link here for more information.

8. You Get To Eat Ice Cream For Lunch

Or anytime of the day. My favorite is to blend frozen bananas, mango and chocolate powder. I add chopped dates and some nuts. If that wouldn't put you in a good mood, I don't know what will.

This is based on my own experience so I would recommend you to do your research and pay attention to your body.

Has anyone else tried this? What changes have you noticed?

Take care,

Ang

Here's a blog about how I achieved clear skin:

If You're Tired Of Treating Acne With Diet... Read This!

How To Stop Cravings Instantly! | Quick Tip Entry # 5

Before we get into this blog... I know. I have been writing a lot of short blogs lately. I decided to increase the days I upload at the same time my work hours increased by about 30 hours a week. So a lot is happening.

I am working on longer entries but I don't want to publish them for the sake of having a longer blog here and there.

I'll find balance soon. Patience and perseverance is key.

 So... on to today's blog.

I wanted to talk about food.

I believe in the power of a healthy diet. I believe we are designed to feel happy and healthy and a pristine diet is one of the most crucial ways to achieve that.

I can't really preach though because my diet isn't perfect. I have cravings and I give in to them a lot. Personally, I find that giving into one craving starts a downward spiral of more cravings.

When I eat junk food, or food with little nutritional value, it doesn't matter how much I eat, I still don't feel full.Well, my stomach feels full but I can't stop eating.

I believe that's because the food is empty calories. They fill your stomach but it doesn't satisfy you in a cellular level. Every cell in your body needs and craves nutrition and that's why we still want more food despite having full stomachs. You keep craving more junk food (because it tastes good, it's comforting, and psychologically and physically addictive) and the cycle ensues.

I remember a couple of years ago I decided to trying eating a mostly raw vegan diet. I ate a plethera of fruit during the day and for supper I would have a cooked meal of pasta, stir fry, potatoes with little to no oil (I'll link a YouTube video for more info). I aimed to eat 2000 calories a day.

Something amazing happened when I did this.

I no longer had cravings. I wasn't just using will power of feeling strong. I had no desire to eat junk food after my meals and in the night. For the first time in my life, I felt satisfied.

It was a liberating experience. I recall feeling emotional. It was so nice to not have my cravings and hungry influenced by the "food" industry.

Last night I was having a craving for the cheesiest, refined carbed supper I could conjure up. I didn't eat right away though which gave me time to think. I realized that for these cravings to end, I need to properly fuel my body. And that it was up to me to make that choice.

So I made a smoothie. Two bananas, mango, wheat grass blend, protein powder. Yes, my cravings stopped. I felt great and I ended up completely an intense yoga practice.

So, my advice to satisfy cravings? Eat lots of calories from fruit and don't forget about your veggies

I hope this helps. And please don't be hard on yourself if make a mistake. It's all a learning process.

Ang

Here's a link to my last blog:

Instant Cure For Anxiety

And another food related blog here:

What Happens To Your Body When You Eat Unhealthy (Again)

Follow my social medias!

Instagram: the.awakened.youth
Twitter: Awakened_Youth1

Learn more about a mostly raw diet here:

How To Eat Raw Food Until Dinner

What To Do When You Feel Tired | Quick Tip Entry #2

Today I was really looking forward to practicing a new dance routine I recently learned. After about 30 minutes of practice, I started to feel a little tired and unmotivated.

This is something I always struggled with. If you're feeling tired or unmotivated, do you force yourself? Do you force yourself through a work out when your body is exhausted and your feeling really tired? Do you force yourself to keep studying even though you feel burned out?

Here's the motto I live by: Push yourself if, and only if, you feel empowered to do so.

We need to be kind to our bodies. We all live different, busy lives. We may work, we may have children, we may have a crappy diet, we may have insomnia. The list goes on.

Sometimes I have the energy to power through a dance routine or an exercise. Even when I feel tired, I still feel like I have more energy to spend. So I do.

However, other times I don't feel that way for any number of reasons. So I don't.

So what do you do instead?

1. You can do something else! Right now, I'm blogging. Equally productive but it does not require a lot of physical energy.

2. Nourish your body. Drink lots of water and eat real, clean foods. Especially fruit. The natural sugars in the fruit will give you lots of energy.

3. Take a day off. Really rest and relax. Watch your favorite shower, take a nap, get a massage. Whatever you want to do.

I hope that this blog finds you well. I also hope this blog inspires you to be kind to your body. It deserves a break.

Ang

Check out my previous blog here:

Minimalism Guide #1 | 30 Days Of No Shopping

Here is another "Quick Fix" blog:

How To Stay Motivated | Quick Fix Entry #1

What Happens To Your Body When You Eat Unhealthy (Again)

If you are anything like me, you value a healthy diet. But you often find yourself reverting back to your old eating habits, even if it's only for a short time. I know. It really is a struggle. But there is something that helps me get back on track.

There are so many articles and videos on the web about what happens to your body when you start to eat healthy. It's important to educate yourself on this and use it as motivation to make good food choices. However, whenever I fall "off the wagon", I notice a lot of changes in my body. Feelings that I never noticed when in the past when my diet was consistently poor.

To be honest, it's hard to see the positive changes in your body until it's taken away. That's why I want to share with you what happens to my body when I eat poorly for a weeks or even days. I use these adverse feelings as motivation to make the best choices I can with regards to food.

1. Constipation Hurts

I know. TMI. But early in my life when I never gave food much thought, I was chronically constipated. I knew that but it never really bothered me because I never felt pain from it. Boy has that changed. If I have a few days or more of poor eating, guaranteed I won't be able to use the bathroom which now gives me serious stomach aches.

2. You Can Get Food Drunk

I had several weeks of eating a primarily raw vegan diet. I ended up "relapsing" and had a few days of eating a lot of processed, sugary, fatty foods and you know what? I got drunk. Food drunk. I had those warm fuzzy feelings alcohol tends to give us. It felt good. I never noticed that sensation before. I remember understanding at that moment why people find junk food so hard to give up.

3. Junk Food Depresses Us

I think this is tied to the previous point. But after several heavy, fatty meals, I noticed I felt a little sedated. I actually told the person I was with that I was "numbed by food". The scary thing was that I liked the sensation. I never noticed it in the past, but food is a drug. More specifically, a depressant.

4. Food Affects Our Sleep Cycle

I'm generally an early (ish) riser. I often wake up before my alarm ready to face the day. However, if I ate junk food the day before, especially after 4-5 p.m., I will be able to sleep around the clock the next day. And I always thought that me staying in bed until noon was just teenage hormones. Maybe not quite, or at least not exclusively.

5. Junk Food Contributes To Further Cravings

Growing up, I always thought that I had a sweet tooth or a big appetite. I realize now that when I eat well my cravings are kept at bay as I feel satisfied.

I don't know about you, but I don't want to be controlled by food. I don't want it to make me sick, tired, and numb and cause cravings to perpetuate the cycle. That's why I don't feel terribly distressed when I I fall off my healthy diet. I use the experience as fuel to get back on my healthy lifestyle.

So don't get discouraged if you fall of your healthy eating journey. It make take several efforts for your brain and body to detox from the old in order to make a new association between good food and feeling your best.

Keep trying. You (and I) will get there.

Ang

What I Ate Today (As a struggling vegan)

Vegetarianism came easy to me. Veganism... not so much. I think we can all agree that it can be difficult. We are so accustomed to certain foods not to mention the lack of vegan-friendly restaurants.

But veganism is important to me and I will keep getting back on the wagon.

I was off today and I ate healthy and vegan. I feel great physically and mentally! I would like to keep eating this way and document what I ate and how I felt. It helps keep me motivated and perhaps I can inspire and help others who our on a similar journey.

Breakfast

Breakfast has always been the easiest for me. I consistently keep it healthy. This morning I drank about a liter of water. I put frozen, organic berries in my water the night before so I woke up to fruity flavored water. After, I made a smoothie as I usually do. This one had a banana, some frozen pineapple, vegan vanilla protein powder, chia seeds, and a wheat grass blend which has many greens in a powder format. I usually prefer the actual vegetable but it is hard to come by good quality greens where I live this time of year.

Lunch

I had more berry flavored water and then I made a green smoothie. This one had apples, lemon, celery, spinach and chia seeds. I also made trail mix which had almonds, raw cashews, and raisins.

I usually eat more than this but I had breakfast rather late so I wasn't really hungry. This was more of a snack.

Dinner

Again, I drank my berry water. Then I made a fantastic Buddha bowl that I'm sure you have seen all over the internet. I believe the formal for these are: a fat, a protein, a gain, and vegetables. I used avocado and olives for my fat. Quinoa for my grain and chickpeas for my protein. I also had stir fried mushroom and cauliflower and raw kimchi. I added some seasoning like soy sauce, nutritional yeast, cayenne, and salt and pepper. It was one of hardiest meals I have eaten in a while! I loved it and I will definitely be making it again.

How do I feel?

It's 9:20P. I only had cravings after I had my dinner. I had a couple of errands to run after I ate and I assumed the cravings would be gone when I got back. When I came back about 45 minutes later, I still felt like I wanted to eat something. I got a cup of kumbucha green tea and my cravings subsided significantly.

I don't think I'm done eating. Me and boyfriend are going to watch a movie tonight. I figured it would be a better idea to prepare as opposed to try to resist my cravings and risk failing. I picked up some veggie chips that I will have with homemade guacamole and dark chocolate. I hate dark chocolate but I'm determined! Wish me luck : ) LOL!

I wish you peace and health,

Angie

If You're Tired Of Treating Acne With Diet... Read This.

I started to get mild to moderate cystic acne in my early 20s. I always intended to treat it with pharmaceuticals but I was indecisive about what route I should take. I didn't want to take antibiotics as it would render my birth control ineffective. I also didn't want to switch birth control because the one that I was using was working well. Fast forward today, about 4 years later, and I am no longer taking birth control nor did I take pharmaceuticals. My acne has improved significantly and for the most part, it is none existent.

What did I do to improve the condition of my skin? I decided to take a non-traditional (or perhaps more traditional depending on how you look at it) method. I spent literally years researching how diet can worsen and improve acne. There are so many people on the internet who claim that their acne disappeared when they went vegan, or eliminated dairy, or drank more water, and the list goes on and on. It's overwhelming.

Initially when I started making dietary changes, I honestly did not notice any improvements in my skin. I would do more research, watch another video, and do what these people did in a desperate attempt to clear my face. I became really passionate about healing the body through foods and yet I wasn't seeing any results. It was really frustrating. Why is it so difficult for me?

One day I got so overwhelmed with the condition of my skin. I needed peace. I needed something. So meditated and I came to a realization. What was the point of eliminating soy from diet when I only ate it a few times a month? Why should I drink more water when I already drink 2-3 liters a day? So is there something I'm consuming on a daily basis that is affecting my skin? There was and it was foods like bread and pasta. Wheat. I was a vegetarian but I wasn't necessarily health conscious. I ate so much bread, sandwiches, pizza, subs, and pasta. I cut back on those food groups and lo and behold, the cystic acne almost instantly stopped.

I'm not writing this blog to tell you that you must stop eating wheat if you want to clear your skin. What I'm saying is that there is so much information out there. You can search forever and never find a solution that works. This is because our bodies are so different. But I do believe that we intuitively know the answers when we look within and listen to our bodies.

If you are struggling to find a cure for your acne, I will tell you this. Yes there is a "cure". Center yourself. Breathe. Ask for a direction. Pay attention. Really listen. Keeping moving and you will see results.

I have a lot of experience with acne and managing it holistically. Although it's a pain, I do not regret it nor do I hate. I learned a lot from it. I plan on sharing those experiences with you at another time.

Take care of your beautiful body.

Angie

P.S. no, this is not a picture of me : )

A Morning Routine That Eases Anxiety

Have you ever been woken from your sleep to anxiety? I have. This morning, actually. What a great start to your day. Yes, that was most definitely sarcasm.

I was off the past 3 days. I woke up before my alarm clock eager to start my day. I wrote, danced, played, and spent time with friends and family. It was pure bliss.

Then I woke up Monday morning with a racing heart, knots in my stomach, and a tightness in my chest. I had to go back to work. Now, don't get my wrong. I am not in a dead end job making minimum wage. I am so grateful for my job. But at the same time, it does not compare to spending time at home doing whatever you want. And don't get me started on those 12 hour shifts!

We all have to do things in life we rather not do. That's the reality for most people, whether it's temporary or not. With that being said, I have conjured a routine and habits so that these things do not take away from my happiness. I will share these with you. 

I usually don't work until later in the afternoon, so I do them in the morning when I wake up. I urge you to do the same. Make time. Make time for yourself. It's so important.

1. Show gratitude

Whether you're going to work or school. Maybe you love it, maybe you hate it. Show thanks. Not everyone is fortunate enough to do what you are doing.

2. Your situation is only temporary

You are not going to be in school forever and you don't need to work in your current job forever. If you are down because you want more out of your life, understand that your current situation is only temporary and that it is guiding you to where you need to be. 

3. Meditate 

I meditate for about 20 minutes. This helps bring me back to the present moment as opposed to focusing on something that hasn't occurred yet (such as my 12 hour shift tomorrow). 

4. Eat well

What is healthy for me may not be healthy for you. But taking the time to prepare a healthy meal is a great way to make yourself a priority. Plus, it gives the proper fuel for the day and so much more. Eat and eat well!

5. Find something to look forward to

This can be yoga, art, sports, or more meditating. I would stay away from media (television, Facebook) and stay within the realm of creativity. This will give you sense of purpose and achievement. Who wouldn't look forward to that after a day of work?

If your current situation gives you anxiety or causes you to feel down, know that you are not alone. 

I hope that these suggestions inspire you and help motivate you. I also challenge you to get creative and incorporate some of your own tips! 

Sending positive vibes your way,

Ang