Improving Circulation

Circulation is very important to maintaining our health! Improving your circulation can reduce your risk of heart attacks and strokes, as well as reduce the symptoms of arthritis and diabetes. Here's a great list of foods that will improve your circulation! 

1. Avocado 

Avocados contain heart-healthy omega 3 fatty acids which research has shown to support the cardiovascular system and increase blood circulation.

2. Dark Chocolate 

Cocoa contains flavonoids which is naturally found in plants and fruits and has been well linked to improving blood circulation. A study published in the Circulation Journal showed that dark chocolate rich in natural flavonoids improved blood circulation when compared with white chocolate with no flavonoids.

3. Oranges

Oranges and citrus fruits high in vitamin C are natural blood thinners and are believed to help strengthen capillary walls and prevent plaque build-up which is a leading cause to poor circulation.

4. Garlic-

Garlic has many uses and one of them is it cleanses the blood and helps prevent plaque build-up. Other foods in the bulb group such as radishes, onions and leeks are also good at stimulating blood flow.

5. Goji Berries - 

These delicious berries are high in fibre to help boost the immune system as well as increasing blood circulation.

6. Ginger - 

Ginger is known for helping nausea and digestion problems as well as increasing blood circulation. 

7. Ginkgo Biloba - 

One of the world's oldest surviving tree species, Ginkgo biloba dilates blood vessels and in doing so increases blood flow. It is also thought to increase blood flow to the brain.

8. Watermelon -

Watermelons are rich in lycopene which is a natural antioxidant linked to improving circulation. Lycopene is a natural pigment which gives certain foods their reddish color. 

9. Cayenne Pepper -

Cayenne has been associated with increasing metabolic rate and strengthening arteries and blood vessels. 

10. Sunflower seeds - 

Sunflower seeds are rich in vitamin E which is shown to help keep blood clots from forming which  helps improve circulation.

 

4 Step Guideline to Physical Therapy

"My style is wild and you know that it still is

Disco bag schlepping and you're doing the bump

Shake your rump" - Beastie Boys

In the last few weeks I've been shakin' my rump and working very hard at reversing the muscle atrophy in my booty and my left leg from my hips surgeries and recovery over the last 4 years. Having my bones shaved twice in an 8 month time period added an extra hurdle to overcome. I have years of atrophy which starts at 2 weeks of inactivity plus 2 years of bone healing from each surgery date ahead of me. By systematically strengthening the muscles and being patient, I am starting to see improvements in the atrophied areas. I've used these 4 steps as a guideline to my physical therapy: 

1. Isometric exercises 

To improve circulation and increase strength in the atrophied muscle. Isometric exercises involve contracting the muscle for a few seconds at a time

2. Range of Motion:

Progressing to range of motion exercises that involve joint movement without adding resistance

3. Light resistance 

Progressing to light resistance such as small hand weights or resistance tubes in order to begin rebuilding your lost muscle mass. Adding resistance gradually to avoid injury or straining .

4. Increasing resistance:

Slowly progressing to adding more resistance, moderately,  include more heavier free weights and weight machines. Start including more functional movements into your exercise program. For example, squats and step-ups will to build up atrophied quadriceps muscles, as well as bicep curls and overhead presses to strengthen atrophied muscles in the upper body.

Recovering from an injury takes patience, time, proper physical therapy and nutrition. If you do the work, in time you will see the results and be able to come out of it even stronger and healthier! 

#booty #shakeyourrump #workout #fitness #healing #recovery #bonehealth #resistancetraining #strengthtraining #physicaltherapy #patience #time #holistichealth #holisticnutrition #holistichealing #werk #🍑#longhair #messyhairdontcare #rawearthmedicine

Porsche

 PORSCHE

For as far back as I can remember, Porsche has always been in my life. I remember not even being able to see over the dashboard but watching my father really drive and working the gears of his Porsche up the hills to our house. I loved it. It was exhilarating, a feeling like no other when he would shift the gears and in that moment when he lifted the clutch and accelerated you felt the power of this beast engine in the pit of your stomach. I lived for that feeling. 

  The way the car would just suction to the ground and glide you with precision, impeccable handling for winding terrain. Incredible. I wanted to drive it and I could only dream of one day being able to since my father would never teach me how to drive stick so I wouldn’t touch his cars.  He always had two Porsches, a 1977 silver targa which I will buy one day and he would always have the latest model 911 cab as his other Porsche.

When I was young, 23, in love and stupid I signed for a loan for a car for my boyfriend so he could get out of a high interest loan, 23% wtf, which put the car and loan I signed for upside down, which wasn’t disclosed to me until after signing but not a problem because the love of my life was, of course, going to pay it off and use the money he was saving to help us start a life together. After 2 1/2 years together, I broke up with him. Then a month later I kept getting notices that he didn’t have the proper insurance and they could repo the car. He was doing very well financially because my family helped him connect with business owners we knew who all changed their Mobile carriers to him. I was happy to help him as always and so was my family. He would not get financing so we could transfer the car into his name. Instead he parked the car behind my house, sent me the keys and into financial ruins. He went and bought a Ranger Rover with cash 3 weeks later and dumped the car on me to hurt me. The man who wrote me love letters who I did everything to help wanted to destroy me. Wonderful.  Family members jealous of my parents wealth saying who cares, her parents have money. My parents saying, we told you so. No sympathy, just, you got yourself into this. Deal with it.  Get another job. Work harder. I did. 

I had a paid off truck I loved and now I’m stuck with an upside down loan on a Mercedes model nobody liked. I had just bought a townhouse as well so this made me dependent on credit and working at a deficit. I decided if I was going to be paying such a hug car payment I might as well be driving something I’ve always dreamed of, a sports car. 

I test drove a corvette because I was 26, yes it took me 2 years to decide to sell my truck and rebellious about going outside the box of Porsche. I started working out a deal on the anniversary edition Z28 Corvette because they were willing to eat a big part of the upside down loan but my father begged me to go test drive the Boxster just to see.  I said it wasn’t a real Porsche and because I didn’t drive stick I thought a tiptronic Porsche wouldn’t have the same drive his did. He said I’d regret a corvette and I’d know it from testing driving the Boxster. I reluctantly agreed to test drive it. 

From the minute I opened the door and smelled that Porsche smell. You know it if you know. I was immediately taken back to being that little girl who couldn’t see over the dashboard but could feel every inch of the road because of the Porsche performance and handling. I started the car and I fell in love with her. Every time I step on the gas in my Boxster I fall in love, like Motown Song love in the pit of my heart.  So deep.  

I sold my beloved Truck, something I’m still a little shook over because my Nissan Frontier Crew Cab was a delight but it was one of my many sacrifices and consequences for signing the loan and falling in love with a vengeful person.  This car, my Porsche. The Porsche I always dreamed of was going to be what set me free from such heartbreak from my first real relationship.   Eventually I had to declare bankruptcy because of the hole he got me in and the writers strike of 2008 killing my income but through it, I was able to keep my Porsche because no matter what, I made that payment to the very last one because I would do anything to be lucky enough to start my day with starting that engine and feeling that love deep in the pit of my heart every time I accelerate. When I’m doing 155 mph on a desolate road and the car just suctions itself to the ground and the horsepower and aerodynamics of the car makes you feel like you’re floating in time in complete control of this powerful fast machine with nothing but good feelings, happiness and adrenaline pumping through your veins. True pure happiness in every fiber of your being. It’s as if you and the car are making love with the road. 

I’ve had boyfriends tell me that I love my car more than them and the truth is I do. It’s taken me years to recover from the consequences of my mistakes and it’s all worked out. I learned my lessons and most people who know me have no idea I even went through that because I never talked about it publicly I just work hard to overcome it all BUT through it all the happiness as I call her, is more than just a car. We have a relationship because every Porsche has a personality and you know capabilities  and whistles especially being a mid engine car. If you do a 90 degree turn at 90, you can fishtail it. I’ve had literally nothing but happiness from her. i always have her fine tuned, especially when you take her on long drives. I’ve driven from California to Colorado in her multiple times and the performance and handling of the car along with the scenery was like living in a dream. 

A Porsche really isn’t just a car. It’s a way of life. It’s hard to even look at other cars because there’s just this spell put over you and you live to drive it. Porsche. Everyday incredible. 

Effort

My body went from effortlessly walking about. Capable, defying flexibility & dynamic motion. I could do anything physical, would work out & play sports with ease. In an instant, of unfortunate timing, I was struck by a car while riding my bike. 

Effortless because extreme effort. My biggest challenge. Simply walking. I was always very physical and now just the simple motion of walking takes extreme effort and work. My left leg, I’ve been able to modify my movements with the support of the right leg so it works like a pendulum because I can’t feel it, it only produces pain in motion & cause & affect issues because I’m swinging my leg to walk instead of pushing off the ground.  My ankle will drop if I truly don’t pay attention to my motions. 

Effort. Every movement. Using my fast brain to literally study my every movement to see if I can do anything to reduce the amount of pain, increase my mobility & decrease the effort it takes to walk.  I have to manipulate my nutrition to control the inflammation and use soaking and heating as well. I’ve slowly found ways to improve then hit plateaus. Sometimes I slip and don’t mind my motions and it sets me back a bit. The one thing that never changes is the effort it’s taking to try to make it effortless.  

It’s truly amazing how you can repair the body & push through to continue to see improvement with effort. Really gives me the strength to keep trying because I think the minute I sit down & stop putting in the effort  is the minute my body will lock up & I’ll loose it all. I guess it’s living the dream because although it’s a struggle I’ve turned it into a positive & a better understanding of the human body & psyche! Using nutrition, mental & physical therapy, nerve therapy & excercise to repair the problems & make improvements as much as possible with THC & CBD to help take the edge off instead of pharmaceuticals. 

The one thing that has made it easier to continue to put forth such effort is eliminating the need for people to understand or know my pain. It doesn’t matter & I no longer need others to validate what I know exists & removing that part of the effort has allowed me to hyper focus on treating myself. I find that seems to be a huge road block for people who suffer from pain issues or hidden handicaps, the effort into convincing people about what they feel, limitations and needs. That’s the part of the human psyche that needs the effort to be towards a change in perspective. Knowing your effort & focus on getting better is the only validation you need to spark the ability to thrive & feel better by making the effort to improve & reduce pain to work towards becoming effortless. 

“Those times when you get up early and you work hard; those times when you stay up late and you work hard; those times when you don’t feel like working — you’re too tired, you don’t want to push yourself — but you do it anyway. That is actually the dream. That’s the dream. It’s not the destination, it’s the journey. And if you guys can understand that, what you’ll see happen is that you won’t accomplish your dreams, your dreams won’t come true, something greater will.” - Kobe Bryant

Cold and Flu Elixir

 

Cold and Flu Elixir

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1 cup sliced ginger root

2 tbsp Cloves

1 tbsp Sliced Jalapeños 

1 tsp Black Peppercorns 

120 ounces Alkaline Water

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1. Add all ingredients to a huge pot 

2. bring to a boil for 10 minutes then let simmer for 20 minutes

3. Strain and serve hot or over ice

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This powerful elixir will help flush out the common cold or flu and get you back to feeling great.  Here’s the benefits from each ingredient:

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1. Cloves: Cloves are low in calories and provide some fiber, manganese, vitamin K and vitamin C. They are high in antioxidants, including eugenol and vitamin C, both of which can help reduce oxidative stress. Thanks to their antimicrobial properties Cloves help kill harmful bacteria.  Studies show that clove extract and clove oil may increase the production of gastric mucus and help protect against stomach ulcers.

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2. Jalapeños: Jalapeños are a good source of fiber, vitamin C and vitamin B6. They also contain a compound called capsaicin, which can help relieve pain, congestion and prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and yeasts that cause infectious diseases.

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3. Ginger: Ginger is high in gingerol, a substance with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.  Ginger can help prevent various types of nausea as well as lower blood sugar, cholesterol and help lower your Rick for heart disease.  Ginger aids in gut health as well

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4. Black Pepper: Black pepper is rich in a potent antioxidant called piperine, which helps prevent free radical damage to your cells. Black pepper increases the absorption of essential nutrients and beneficial plant compounds.

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Joy and Fulfillment

The very core of a persons foundation for joy & fulfillment is set by what encompasses their first experiences. When taking my child to experience things like for example a Museum, I noticed that the Museum in itself is not the focus of the experience but rather the snacks & gift store purchases. When I take my daughter to an experience, she eats snacks in the car on the way & when we get to where we are going what we are seeing, learning, touching, viewing and the people we meet are the joy and the fulfillment within the experience. 

To see that birthday’s & holidays at school & how people define joy all mean unhealthy food, drinks & candy that are horrible for a persons health, it makes me step back & evaluate the possibility of how important it is for us as parents to treat the focus of an experience to be about the festivities, dancing, singing, being silly or just the exploration & what unfolds being what joy is derived from instead of the connotation that unhealthy choices in a new environment for another reason are what joy is based on because you can’t achieve fulfillment within that. 

Could shifting the mentality & focus help make it easier for people to create a life of balance & fulfillment because from their very core foundation they were directed to focus on actually being present in the moment & finding joy in singular things as they are. Dancing & singing with your friends at a birthday party without holding a drink or food in your hand but actually just enjoying it as it is. Do we contribute to the likelihood of unhealthy lifestyles as adults by the focus we put on the external unhealthy additions to simple moments. 

I’m not saying delish treats and cocktail splurges aren’t fun additions to a birthday party, I just wonder how different society would be if we tweaked the focus of how we achieve joy & fulfillment.  My intention is to set the foundation for my child not to focus on unhealthy choices but be happy in the present moment, not needing anything as a co dependent to achieve fulfillment & joy by giving her the foundation to easily achieve joy & fulfillment in each singular present moment of life, experiences & celebrations. 

 

Raw Chocolate Truffles

Raw Chocolate Truffles:

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8 Medjool Dates (add more if needed)

3 tbsp @navitasnaturals Cacao Powder

2 tbsp Raw Honey or Maple Syrup

1 tsp Cinnamon 

1 tsp Nutmeg

1 drop of Pure Lemon Extract

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1. Blend ingredients in food processor until it forms a log. 

2. Form into balls 

3. Roll balls in Hemp Heart, Coconut Shreds or Cacao Nibs! 

Rich and chocolatey delicious! 

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This delicious recipe has 6 ingredients and packed full of nutrients, vitamins and essential minerals. It may taste like a delicious treat but it feeds your body fast using energy nutrition!

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