What do you eat when you are plant-based?

I simply eat wholesome foods. I cook with coconut oil and seasoned with all natural pices.
I promise, that you will love the way you look physically but most important spiritually.  Knowing you are not part taking in any suffering of animals knowing that your hard earned money is not supporting unethical industries that not only are ruthless towards living creatures but are causing a big ripple in today's world problems. We truly can change the world and it start with what you eat everyday! Learn and educate yourself on the power of healing foods.

Breakfast

Green Smoothie
banna
frozen berries, strawberries, mango, pineapples,
two handful of kale, spinach
vegan protein
water






snack
apples, oranges, almond butter or (acai bowls)


lunch
sautéed veggies with black beans and quinoa

snack
cucumber and hummus

dinner
a big salad full of greens and sautéed squash and peppers and onions, chickpeas , avacado

When I met you in the Summer...

Why was I feeling such peace within myself and so awake?! Why was I having fewer and fewer sleepless nights? Today I was able to really pinpoint what it was. See, today was an awful day! A current of events that I swear you would think I was making up! In the midst of a painful, bad day and screaming to the seven winds "Why was is this happening to me," a true revelation manifested. I ran into the bathroom, sobbing my sorrows away, and looked at my reflection in the mirror. Oh god, was I a mess! I washed my faced and I told myself to breathe slower and another little voice told me everything is going to be okay. Literally just like that, I turned sad tears to happy tears while straight up looking like a horror movie scene, where there’s a psycho girl laughing and crying with mascara running down her face! Lol.

See, I realized then that as bad as my day was going I should expect disappointment, failures and even heartaches. All of this was part of growing to a better me. The little voice who said everything was going to be okay was that same voice that tells me to aim for growth and for love. I’m doing all sorts of different things in my life now and completely taking a 180 in my career, there is no such thing as a same old day now! Every day is full of new challenges that I eagerly tackle, or as I’m learning, will tackle me! 

Experiencing disappointments and feeling like you are failing are only temporarily feelings if you're focus is on the right path. It’s like the universe’s divine way of pushing you back to the right track. The new way I view the world has been the reason for this so called "awakening". 

 I now see the world without fear.

Without fear you don't limit yourself to certain guides. You set something in you free and you let your inner creativity take over. 

When the shit hits the fan and I feel like crying and giving up I remember my goal and why I’m doing what I’m doing. A sense of tranquility takes over my body and I literally feel like my body detentes and I can see clearly again. See, what keeps me at peace is knowing that no matter what life throws at me I will always pick growth and love. I will always wear my heart on my sleeve and be open to new ideas. Failure and heartbreak will happen while I grow and have a heart full of love.

Here are some pictures of summer 2015. I work in Seattle now and I’m beyond blessed to be able to get out of the heat and enjoy the Pacific North West weather instead! When I see some of these pictures it reassures me I’m on the right track! I’m living for love everyday and growing as a lover and mother, so a bad day here and there is okay with me!

Playing at Lake Washington

How to avoid the extra happy pounds on vacation

                                     


Summer is around the corner, kids will be out from school soon and it also means vacation season! Laying by the ocean and having those amazing people come by with, "Would you like anything to drink? Our special is the blueberry mojito!" is very hard to resist! Not to mention the poolside snacks! Why is it that we forget about our healthy goals while we are on vacation? We program our minds to think we deserve laying out and drinking for all the hard work we have put in. 'Tis reward time! Which turns a day of drinking and bad eating into a whole week of messing up your diet and your shorts feeling a bit tigher by the end of your stay.

Here are some tips on how to try to stay on-track with your new healthy, lifestyle without feeling like you are depriving yourself from anything and enjoying a well deserved vacay with the fam!

Tips on how to stay as sexy as possible on your next vacay start with some essential items you should pack first!

- NutriBullet (or any kind of travel size blender)
- Vegan protein powder
- Chia seeds
- Truvia sugar packets and/or coconut sugar
- Enzymes pills (take a pill before every meal, prevent bloating)
- Almonds


Once you get to your hotel, odds are you are going to be hungry. If your first meal is junk, its going to be really hard to get back on that healthy wagon from this point on. So these next steps are so important! I like to think these steps are just part of my vacation, and that they are as mandatory as checking into the resort!

Step 1:
Drive to the nearest marketplace by your resort and load up on these produce items:

- Kale

- Spinach (any leafy greens)
- A bag of variety veggies (broccoli and cauliflower)
- Any veggies you can get without having to cook, add into your cart
- Avocados
- Fruits (bananas, watermelon, green apples, dates)
- Almond milk
- Açai juice
- Lemons

                                                                                       

Most likely you will have a fridge in your room, so get a bag of frozen berries.

You are now prepared for replacing two meals of your day! Not only are you keeping your waist smaller, but your wallet bigger as well!

Once you unpack everything, make sure to fix yourself a protein shake and have your enzymes pill before every meal. Get your NutriBullet out and have your first meal be a healthy one full of vitamins and essential nutrients that will keep you full and, most important, healthy! Enzymes will help you digest and keep you from getting bloated.

For the smoothie:
- 1 scoop of vegan protein
- Chia seeds
- Almond milk
- A splash of acai juice
- Your greens
- ½ of avocado
- Banana

BAAAM! you have set yourself up for success! Drink your delicious smoothie while you go lay out by the beach or by your balcony. Let your mind know that this first meal of your vacation is your reward, along with your amazing view. That being healthy is part of your reward to lay back and relax! These positive waves of thinking will program your brain to seek pleasure through healthy meals. Once again, the first meal on your vacation has to be a healthy one!

If you are gonna lay out by the beach and you are going to have a drink, make sure to bring your stevia sugar packs or your coconut sugar packs. Some drinks are over 1000 calories!  You have to decided if you want to drink your calories or eat solid food instead! I'd rather eat a whole meal then drink them. But if you want to indulge in a drink, here are some tips on how to order and keep your calories low and not overdue it!

The sugar in a drink is what makes it so unhealthy and gives you the worst hangovers as well! So let's try to avoid any drinks with dairy, carbonation, and high-sugars. Drinks high on these ingredients will also make you super bloated, so keep this in mind to help you choose better options!

Ask for the best vodka and water. Tell them to add mint and lime. Once you get your drink, you can bust open your stevia or coconut packs and add them to your drink for sweetness without drinking 1000 calories in a couple of sips! Also, shots of vodka and water are about 50% less expensive! Cha-ching!! Also, drink water in between your drinks. This will keep you hydradated and save your from those nightmare hangovers as well. Drinking water overall is another must!

Try to replace one or two meals with a delicious protein shake full of nutrients that your body craves. If you do decide to have a delish meal at a restaurant, try to replace all carbs with veggies. If your mahi mahi comes with white rice ask for extra veggies instead! You can always ask for them to steam things instead of butter or frying them up!  With the money you save on food, spend it on experiences and activities with the family! Learn how to surf, do beachside yoga, and bootcamp class! Get active!

You are going to enjoy vacations even more when you realized you won't be gaining extra weight, and saving money should make you happy, as well. Remember our health is our biggest wealth. Meaning the less healthy we are, the less vacations we will be able to have! It's your life and it's your choice, so choose a life where health is your number one priority and everything will just fall into place.

NFL and Yoga? Can it Get Any Better!?

Yoga and Football? That's right! Yoga has become a hot trend in the NFL world and more and more football players are becoming quite the yogi masters because of it! So that is why I had to interview one of my dearest friends Alisa Garcia, who happens to be the perfect expert on this topic!


Have you ever met someone new and in a matter of seconds you two decide that you can totally see yourself becoming best friends!? You have no idea what it is about them, but you just have an instant connection. Maybe it's their welcoming smile and their positive energy that draws you in. That was exactly how it was when I first met this beautiful soul Alisa . I met her through my boyfriend , she is a yoga instructor at one of our favorite studios in Bellevue. We hang out after yoga hours and sometimes I randomly call her when I'm in need of spiritual advice - she is the best at it! She also got us epic seats to the Seahawks vs. Cardinals game last year. I mean, I could touch Sherman's infamous dreads and tap Russell Wilson's shoulder and tell him, "You are doing great out there, my Dangeruss!"

See, Alisa is not your typical yoga instructor, she is the personal yoga teacher to some of the most elite players in the NFL! This why I decided to interview her. Lets get to know Alisa a little more! 


How did you get involved with training professional athletes?

A friend of mine is a professional football player. I convinced him to start coming to the hot yoga studio I teach at. I knew there was more he could get out of the classes. I knew certain body parts were effecting him days leading up to mornings games, he would tell me what was hurting and I would give him sone yoga poses to help loosen that area.  The same for after games. If I knew he was coming to the class I was teaching that day, I would throw in a few postures to help him recuperate. That's when I realized there was a need for specialized, individual yoga for these guys. Word of mouth, I suppose is how I started teaching more athletes on an individual level. 

Who are the athletes you train? 
Kam Chancellor, Byron Maxwell, Cooper Helfet. I've had others in group classes but these are the guys I see on a regular one-on-one basis. 

How long have you been training them for? 
I've had Byron for four years, Kam and Coop just hired me last season. 

Where all of them yogis prior to you? 
Byron was not, but is definitely a hard core yogi now. Kam and Coop both dabbled in yoga classes before me.  

What is the feedback you get from the athletes since you have started teaching them?
Mostly that they are more aware of their bodies. Kam has been very receptive to yoga and he has changed the most. He has avoided surgery, corrected his posture, looks taller and actually tells me often that he wishes he would have found yoga before he had hip surgery last year. He tells me that he watches his alignment often and he even watches how he stands on the sidelines he says he "can feel everything now."

Do you believe yoga has made a difference in how they perform in the field?
100%. Not only is yoga fantastic for recovery, but maintaining a healthy body. It's all about injury prevention. I always use the rubber band analogy: if you pull an old dry rubber band apart it will pop (like an ACL, MCL, or ankle injury). A newer rubber band will stretch, pull, and bounce back. Your body, on yoga, is a new rubber band.

What are the common troubles or weakness you run into working with professional athletes?
Competition. Yoga is anything but competition. The hardest thing is to let these athletes know that competition stays on the field - that acceptance with ones self. Be okay and accept whatever gifts your body is giving you today. It's not about the final destination of the yoga posture (competition) it's about the journey getting there (self acceptance).

Overall, what has been your favorite part of working with athletes? 
The best part is seeing these guys evolve spiritually. The positivity, the strength, the focus, they all have it, it's just getting them to connect all of the dots so it all works together. Once they do that, there's no stopping them. 

If you are interested in private yoga lessons from Alisa you can contact her at alisa4hire@gmail.com. You can also follow her on Instagram @a_hotyogini 

  

Its all about the Plantbased Lifestyle, No Trouble !

I wish I could tell you the exact reason why I decided to stick to a plant based diet for good. I guess there were just too many events this past year that led up to this lifestyle. If one event didn't happen, I might still be munching on processed foods and animal products as I blog! A lot of self growth, failure, and learning from those failures were what got me to where I'm at today.

I can tell you that knowledge is power, but if you do not apply it to your life, it's worthless information.

When you read more and more about nutrition, you run into how food is being processed these days. You have to literally, consciously tell yourself to not click on all the graphic videos of animals getting treated in the most inhumane ways in order to get that bacon. We all know processed foods are horrible. We all know the "fat free" and "sugar free" scams are truly just disease-causing foods. We all know that the trillion dollar industries partner up with our government to keep pushing these foods in the earliest stages of our kids' lives. We all know that these companies partner up with the pharmaceutical companies. How can they stay in business if people aren't ill from foods that cause all of these diseases?

It's 2015 and everyone knows how bad it is for these animals. Also, everyone knows that you can get all of your nutrients from a plant based diet and that you don't need to eat animal products to get all the protein you need.

So why do we keep eating that animal product? I know you have seen all those videos, and you close your eyes and your heart drops and your throat tightens, you look at your puppy or cat and you hold them close. Why do you have these feelings? Because we are all connected. Every living creature has a soul. They have a heart that beats, they have bodies that can carry life and give birth and they yearn to nurture their offsprings just like us. They are born and have the instinct to be close to their mothers and feel protected. But guess what: If you don't have a connection with your body, mind, and soul, how can you feel connected to other living creatures? You simply can't.

I can go on and on about the cruelty and evil of the meat and dairy industry and process foods. But I know you all know all of this facts. Let's get to the core of why I deeply wish you could simply just eat healthy foods and not care about eating junk food or animal products. Let's start with how we are all addicted to it. Especially processed foods. NO it's not the lack of will power, it's an addiction. And like every addiction you can't cure it overnight. It will take time, but daily changes will get you the lifestyle you always wished for. First, it will be hard, but as time passes by before you know it, eating real food will just be part of who you are. Our bodies are starving for nutrients, but if our diet lacks nutrients, even if they are ridiculously high in calories, guess what our bodies will tell us? "I'm still hungry!" So you stay hungry! This becomes a vicious cycle because you think you need to eat less to loose weight so you go for the zero calorie junk. Meaning all your body wants is nutrients. That is why all of the low calorie, low nutrient diets will always fail. If every meal that you have has ingredients that all have nutrients your body needs, then your body will perform at super hero levels! Your mind will finally be connected to your body. Because now your mind knows exactly what your body needs! So let's get started!

First step:
Write down your diet as of now.
This will give you a good idea of how much animal product or process foods you are really consuming. Many people think they really aren't eating much and then when they journal it in they are shocked that every meal has something highly processed!

Second: Get rid of all junk food in your home. If you can't get rid of it, try to get rid of 50% of it. Next week try to get rid of all of it. Baby steps. But you are at least walking to a healthier lifestyle. Remember this: You are an addict. So, if you keep this junk food in your house, you will eat it. Make your life easier and just get rid of it.

Third: Now that you know what you are eating, change one or two things by replacing them with either fruit or a vegetable. For example, for breakfast you have a smoothie and you put whey protein, milk, and Splenda in it. Replace your whey protein with vegan protein, add spinach and kale, berries, water or almond milk and dates for sweetness instead of fake sugar. BAAM!! You have a much healthier breakfast without sacrificing taste, and you are adding more food. But food that all contains nutrients.

Fourth: Read, read, read! Learn, and apply it to your diet. The more you learn about a plant based diet, the more you will realize you truly can replace every processed food and animal product with wholesome foods and truly have amazing, fulfilling meals! The taste of real food is heaven on earth. If you a have a sweet tooth, there are so many options of delicious fruits that will cure that craving. If you want something salty, there are so many delicious ways to sauté and season vegetable and legumes that will satisfied those needs. Remember, your body has these cravings because we need them to survive. Now you are truly nourishing your body with nutrients - no more empty calories or junk.

Fifth: Stay consistent by telling yourself everyday that "everything I consume should heal me, nourish me, make me feel stronger, and make me more connected to everything around me." It should not cause me illness, and it should not come from a place where something living has suffered. Many people might call this praying. If you really want to feel connected to something bigger than you, choosing a plant based diet is a lifestyle where His presence is hard to ignore. Your spirituality will grow tremendously and you will be inspired to not only live for yourself, but you will have the burning desire to help others. You will look at the bigger picture in life, of how simple it is to be happy. That happiness starts within. The foods you consume are such a huge factor in this manifestation.

Building a strong connection with your body, mind and soul is a lifelong process, and a life worth living.

How To Learn From Failure

Coming clean and being completely honest with my fitness journey has not been easy! I wish I could tell you guys all of this has been a piece of cake, and that since I've discovered how to truly eat healthy I have never touched a donut again! Bahaha! Yeah, right!

I have failed over and over again. I run back to eating like crap for a couple of days, and then I feel the shame and disappointment crushing every bone in me, and I want to dig a little hole and bury myself in it! But I don't; I get up and hop on the healthy train again! I ask myself why I even got off this amazing train ride if it's what truly makes me happy? Going on a strict diet for a bikini competition taught me so much:

1. That this diet is not meant for everyone

2. It's hard as hell

3. It's not for me

Again this is my experience with this diet, and I know many girls that have never had issues with it, but everyone is different. In my experience, it just wasn't healthy for me. For a typical bikini diet, you are basically eating animal products every 3 hours. My body did not take to this diet so well. Everyday my body gave me signs to stop. I suffered from major digestion problems, my face broke out, my skin became really dry, and my hair was falling out. I never really craved pizza or a cheeseburger before, but being on this new diet, when my cheat meal came around I literally needed pizza! I would have killed for pizza! My relationship with food got even worse. I looked at cheat meals as rewards for my hard work I had put in all week, thus telling my body that eating like crap for one night was my ultimate high and happy place! Yeah, thats not healthy people!

So I sought helped from a good friend of mine, Lynee Palacios, who is a nutristionist here in the valley. Her diet had very little animal product and was seriously so delicious!! It consists of low calorie meals packed with tons of nutrients! No need for cheat meals! This taught me, once again, that all food should be viewed as fuel for your body, and that you can indulge in sweets and salty food if it's all prepared with real foods. It reminded me that everything you consume should be nourishing you, helping your body function properly, and healing you. I seriously couldn't believe my new diet had flavor!

I wanted to do a bikini competion to challenge myself to be the fittest I could be and advocate health at the same time. I feel that now, with this new diet, I'm genuinely doing both! I'm so happy to share my journey with you guys, and of course I believe sharing my failures comes with it! Remember not to be so hard on yourself when it comes to this new lifestyle change. We are in an environment where its so hard to stay healthy, and we also grew up in a time where process foods are so available and somehow we are all sugar addicts. It's hard to kick out any addiction.

I'm learning to love my body in all stages of my journey. I'm eating healthier and working out to not only look good. I have taken up so many new hobbies and I also train to be a better athlete in this sports! Having a strong core, great balance, and strong legs can make surfing and snowboarding so fun! I'm excited my life has found a new healthy balance. My training and healthy eating has so much purpose. Through all of this, I'm teaching my little girl the power of cooking! The power of self love!

My first photo shoot for my talented bikini sponsor vizioncouture! His bikinis are for all shape and sizes, all custom made and original!
 Not "stage ready" but I'm healthy! Looking at this pictures makes me happy because I didn't starve for this shoot I wasn't on the typical bikini diet, but simply eating wholesome yummy foods!

Make sure to follow my friend +Lynee Palacios @lyneep for meal plans! 

Why Your Husband Will Never Be Your Soulmate...

I think my whole body shook. My eyes went wild and I wanted to give him all the love a woman could give a man.

He had called me his "soulmate."

It's what every girl wants to hear and sadly believes in. It has been two years since that lovely day and I'm still the love of his life, but no longer do we call each other "soulmates." 

Why? Is it because the hot flaming lust is gone? Absolutely not! As a matter of fact, I have grown to love this man more deeply and tenderly over the years. We no longer say "soulmates" for the simple fact that I no longer believe in such a thing.

I find it quite silly to think that out of billions of people in the world you are to believe there is only one person for you! I guess it was more of a magical fantasy to believe at a young age. As a little girl, all the princess stories are about a prince coming to rescue you, and everything was perfect after that.

I was a girl when I believed in it. I am now a woman and a mother, and I want to teach my daughter something my mother never taught me: No one in the world can make you happy.

They can indeed bring you happiness but they can't make you happy. Only you can fill that emptiness, and only you can manifest fulfillment. I know we hear that on a daily basis, but few women actually take it upon themselves to practice this self-loving act.

Self-love is a process and a transformation. It's a beautiful journey called "life." As time passes by, and you really start to learn to practice self-love, life becomes so much simpler. I'm learning that my happiness can only come from the hard work I put in to reach a goal.

Think about it, there is no one else that can accomplish your goals, only you can do such a thing. No one can put in the work for you to accomplish anything, and you can't accomplish anything without putting in the work. The day you put all your effort and heart on someone else's actions to make you happy is the day you will find yourself with a heavy heart of disappointment. Then off you go again on the road to finding your next "soulmate."

Your love partner is there to make you happier. It's this key word - "happier" - instead of "happy," that will absolutely change your life into a much more fulfilling one.

My partner is an extraordinary man full of talents and sexiness, of course! I fell in love the second I met him, and I haven't looked at another man the same since. But, if for some reason I had not met my Mr. Right, would I still be as happy as I am today?

To the faithful believers of soulmate-ism, (yes i just made that word up) the answer would be no. I would be lost and doomed, roaming around and waiting for my soulmate to fill this emptiness.

The reality is that if I would have never met him, I would have been the same happy Anna he first met. So would he! He's a positive, happy person who sets his own goals and reaches them. He fulfills his happiness on things he does on his own.

It's good to date and have a longterm relationship with someone who is happy all by themselves. People who base their happiness on others live on the verge of anxiety. They tend to be insecure, needy, clingy, and overly-jealous. Who the heck wants to be around someone like that? They go from person to person, or even worse, stay in a horribly destructive relationships for years, and live a life full of regrets and depression.

Love is a beautiful experience, it's what keeps this world spinning and evolving. That love should always start within yourself. Learn about yourself, really try to figure out what your talents and passions are. The journey of finding yourself, and learning to put in the effort to grow, is the journey of self-love. It's the journey to a happy you.

No matter who walks into your life, deep down you know you are happy with or without them. You nourish your happiness by the constant quest to keep growing. So, let's save the soulmate silliness to all the chick flick movies we drag our men to watch on date night. Remember to never put down the books on self-growth and never stop your drive to have all of your wildest dreams come true!

twitter: @funisizechiri