Rawgust

A few of my Crossfit buddies are vegan and have been asking me about raw foods over the past couple of months.  We have been sharing books and stories, now we are going to share a challenge.  The month of August will be Rawgust (har har har). 

The purpose of this challenge is individual.  Some people are going balls to the walls and 100% raw and others will be incorporating fish, eggs, and chicken to their regime. 

My personal goal is to be a support person to those who are delving into the raw lifestyle for the first time and to revamp my Paleo regime.  I want to eventually merge these lifestyles.  When I eat raw, I feel vibrant.  When I eat Paleo, I feel strong.  I decided to merge this shit and get the best of both worlds!!!! I swear, I want to create a new subculture:  Rawleo. 

There are positives and negatives to both ways of eating for me.  Paleo can be a little carb obsessed and the amount of fat does not suit my constitution.  For some people, it works beautifully.  When I eat a lot of fats I feel weighed down, heavy, and yucky.  When I'm eating 100% raw, I miss meat and fish to the point of craving it like a boss.  Plus, I love to go out to dinner and raw food eating is not always the most social scene friendly lifestyle. 

Here is some food for thought- I wonder if anyone else in the world besides me does better eating carbs???   I actually lose weight when I'm eating lots of fruits and veggies and am discovering that I hold onto weight when I'm eating a ton of fat. Anyone else? 

I'm hoping to find balance between the two worlds and get juicing, green smoothieing, and eating clean.  I want abstain from meat and fish during these 30 days in support my vegan love bugs, but I'm going to the beach in August and I will want to indulge in some fresh fish while I'm there. 

If anyone wants to try eating more raw foods, jump on in!   It's summer, so now is the perfect time to eat more raw fruits and veggies!  Your challenge could simply be to eat raw for one meal or try to eat more leafy greens.  I will try to post ideas every week about ways to make this happen to support you. 

xoxo
J

Your body is precious

"Your body is precious.  It is your vehicle for awakening.  Treat it with care."  Buddah

My body image and perspectives on health are constantly evolving.  There is often this interesting interplay of old ideas about the self that are still attached and newer, more healthier ways of being.  Sometimes these maladaptive ways of being are easy to shake, sometimes they hold on for months or even years beyond when I am conscious of the fact that they no longer serve me.

It takes a lot of effort to shift fully into new ways of being and healthy habits.  It takes time, it takes patience, it takes mistakes, and it takes forgiveness. There are many things we engage in that serve emotional purposes:  overeating, overexercising, abusing drugs, misusing alcohol, being abusive to those we love, being abusive to ourselves, the list goes on.  It can be difficult to delve into the complicated, emotional issues and baggage that make us tick.  It is difficult to be vulnerable.  It can be challenging to think you want one thing and find out your want another.  We have to acknowledge these things, make effort to understand them, and move forward when we are ready.  Sometimes back lashing into unhealthy ways of being or witnessing the unhealthy habits of others sparks a renewed vigor for self-improvement. 

It is so important for us to treat our bodies with kindness, support, and love.  Women can be excessively critical of our bodies and fall into the latest, greatest quick fix fad and not focus on health.  We often engage in negative self-talk and perfectionism.  With celebrities, boob jobs, penis pumps, and advertisement around every corner telling us how to look, what is sexy, and what we "should" be, it is really difficult to not get wrapped up in it.  Men are subjected to this hellish objectification too.

Appreciating our own uniqueness is vital to healthy living and enjoying this beautiful gift that is our lives.  Deciding what healthy living looks like for your is important.  Our physical needs are just as individual as we are.  Trying different ways of eating, exercise, spiritual outlets, etc. just move us forward into finding what works.  There is no failure, only evolution and awakening.     

So remember this quote from the Buddha, and have a wonderful, positive day.
xoxo
J

My Neglected Blog!!!

Oh my poor little neglected blog buddies!!!  I am so sorry I have been the ultimate in blog bitch outs this summer.  Needless to say, taking four classes, hanging out by the pool with the kiddos, socializing, and crossfitting my ass off has taken priority over the blog.  So sorry to leave you all high and dry, but I have a feeling you guys have been having too much fun beaching and barbequing to miss me too much ;0)

What I am figuring out this summer is that negative thoughts breed negativity.  That was my update from the department of the obvious for all y'all.

But seriously, when you think negatively, it influences your entire being from head to toe.  This can be applied to anything from your eating habits to the way you view your job.  We all have bad days, and we have a right to them, but being in constant patterns of negative thinking only serve to make you miserable.  I call negative people, "Eeyores."  You know them when you encounter them.  They drain the shit out of you and are not nearly as fun or cute as the Winnie the Pooh character.  "My life is so hard, my life sucks, things will never get better, I will never be as skinny as ______, I will never be as smart as_______, Things just never go my way..." 

FUCKING BARF. 

I cannot stand when people act like this and I really cannot take myself when I fall into these patterns of thinking.  So I have spent most of my summer trying to be positive and having some serious fun in the process.  I started practicing my own psychobabble on myself and reframing the hell out of my life.  Hey, I gained a few pounds- but hell to the yeah, I'm getting stronger and my boobs are making a guest star appearance in my bikini!  Yeah, school is rough, but goddamn it, I'm going to write research papers on cool shit.  Did I have to take a modified on a workout because I suck at pistol squats and fall on my ass?  Yup, but I'm getting better at pistols and I got a good laugh when I fell.

I am also trying to spend more time in the here and now and making sure I am enjoying myself.  If I want to do something, I do it.  If I don't want to do something and it isn't urgent or no one is about to die if I don't step in, I allow myself to come back to it later.  I'm forgiving my "imperfections" and trying to stop force feeding other people in my life my standards and expectations.  It's a much happier place to live.  

So words of wisdom from Jane:  When life hands you lemons, toss in some vodka and make it a party.   

xoxo
J