Fiscal Fitness: Tame Your Food Bill By Using Your Receipts

What do you do with your receipts when you get home from grocery shopping? File them away, or more likely throw them away. Don't! Your grocery store receipts are powerful tools in getting your grocery budget under control, and if you don't have a food budget they provide powerful insight to your food spending, which you probably need to get a handle on.

My monthly food budget for my family of four is $600. I know people who can do it for much less, but it works for us. I choose organic products whenever available because I believe the costs are worth the benefits to our health even if they are a bit more costly.

One of the major reasons people give for not eating more healthily is that it is too expensive.With proper planning this simply is not true. One strategy I use to save money on my grocery bill is to keep my receipts and use them as planning tools. It gets you out of the pressure of the store, and allows time to reflect on your shopping habits and purchases. Leaving you better able to put things into proper perspective.

Benefits of Using Grocery Store Receipts:

1. Grocery store prices don't change very much. If you use the prices from the receipts to plan your shopping, you will have no surprises when you get to the cashier.
2. When you are entering your prices you can start to see trends in your shopping. Did you really need to buy three types of chips? Wow, that organic broccoli only cost...! 
3. If you use the prices of the food and align it with your grocery list, you can discipline yourself by only bringing $10-$20 over what your projected costs are. This way you will stick to your budget while accounting for small price changes and things you mistakenly left off your list. 
4. By empowering yourself with the knowledge of how much your groceries really cost, you know where you stand in your food budget. You can then make adjustments that are needed. Like bringing your lunch to work, eating leftovers, or skipping wants in exchange for needs. 
5. This can be a powerful lesson for your children in handling finances. You can bring them in on the work. Teach them about marketing schemes, and how they don't NEED that new rainbow colored sugar saturated cereal they saw on tv. 

How to Use the Receipts to Inform Yourself and Your Budget:

1. Decide how you will track your food costs. You can use plain old pencil and paper, a budgeting app (EZ shopping calculator, Smart Shopping List A La Carte, and Shopi are good ones), or a spreadsheet. I like the latter option. With the spreadsheet things get easier over time. It takes a while to enter everything at first, but if you are like me you usually buy the same core things at the store. When you add new items,you can quickly incorporate them into the list by alphabetizing them using your program's sort feature. (If you would like more information on this, comment below and I will create a tutorial on this.)

(This is Costco, which is why it seems so pricey. Remember these are bulk items.)

2.If you choose to go the spreadsheet or pen and paper route there are simple steps you will need to follow. First, create the following categories: store, food item, price, on sale, and other. I like to keep my stores separate and to organize the food items alphabetically (again using that sort feature). I then use the "on sale" column to indicate whether or not the item was on sale, and the "other" column for notes. Once you have defined your categories, start listing your items and filling your chart in. 

3. Great! Now you have a list of your items, and probably some insight into your spending. If you shop at more than one store you will need to add the totals together, so you can track your overall spending. 

4. There's no set time in which you should do this, but you should definitely do it before you begin planning your meals and grocery list for the week. Once you put in the time to do the first list the rest is easy.

5. I like to keep my receipts filed in a binder for about a month, then I toss them. If you're not concerned with having to return anything, then toss them after you've entered them. 

That's it! If you do this you will begin to empower yourself and control your food spending, which can be one of the greatest areas of waste in one's budget. 

XOXO, 

Riss

Questions, comments, concerns, suggestions, requests? Leave them below. 

If you would like a copy of my the Excel file I created, email me at: missriss@hellanatural.com

Gym Class Hero: Summer

I am excited to bring you this new feature called Gym Class Hero, where people who have committed to an active lifestyle share their stories and knowledge on fitness. Summer has an amazing story of transformation and is an inspiration. Read on for her story, advice, and tips on maintaining a healthy active lifestyle. 

How do you view fitness?

In my opinion fitness is a mind over matter situation. People see the lifestyle that I live and they assume that I love to workout. The truth is that many times during the week I do not feel like working out. However, I do so because I know that the pain and discomfort that I feel is only temporary; the results and how I feel are always worth the sacrifice. Fitness goes beyond going to the gym. It includes living a healthy active lifestyle that includes but not limited to: eating healthy, drinking lots of water on a daily, mental health, doing activities that make you happy and brings you joy, etc.

What’s your favorite type of exercise, machine, class,  or workout?

I enjoy group workouts and any workout that involves leg exercises!!!! Working towards a goal is ALWAYS easier when you have someone to share it with. I believe in surrounding myself with like minded individuals.

Where do you do most of your workouts? (i.e, home, outdoors, the dojo, etc)

Most of my workout are done at the gym just because it works with my schedule. However, I love the outdoors, so I workout outside whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Were you always active, or was there a turning point in your life that made you decide to become more fit?

I have always been an active person. However there have been periods in my life where I have gained more weight than I should have. For example, my first year in college and when I became pregnant with my first child. Health and fitness has always been near and dear to my heart. Many of my family members have illnesses that are related to the unhealthy lifestyles that they live. I am all about preventive care; making health choices daily will allow me to live my life to its fullest potential!

What’s your favorite workout song?

Currently, my favorite workout song is “Turn Down for What?” by Dj Snake and Lil John.

What are the three must haves for your gym bag?

1. My half gallon water bottle 

2. Beats by Dr.Dre headphones 

3.Lifting gloves

What do you do to motivate yourself when you just don’t feel like working out?

When I don’t feel like working out I think about how far I’ve come, and why I started. I decided to live a healthy active lifestyle so that I could feel comfortable in my own skin, be a more confident person, and boost my self-esteem. I believe that these three factors affect every other area in my life. When these attributes are in check, then it allows me to be a better wife, mother, sister, friend, student, etc.

Do you have a mantra? What is it?

Yes, “Carpe Diem” this means to “seize the day.” Ever since I was a little girl my mother has always said this to me (at least once a day). When I think of the saying, it reminds me to be all that God has called me to be.

What is your workout schedule like?

I workout five days a week (at least once a day, sometimes twice). My workout typically last 75 minutes. The first 30 minutes I do Cardio, then weight training, and stretching at the end.

What piece of advice do you have for others that would like to become more fit?

I would say to someone who is looking to become more fit that, “pain is temporary, but quitting is forever.” What I mean by that is becoming a better version of yourself is not going to be easy. However, living a healthy lifestyle is ALWAYS worth the blood, sweat, and tears that you will endure along your journey. Also remember that this is a marathon not a sprint; stick with a program that you can see yourself doing the rest of your life. Yo-Yo dieting is not the way to go.  

So far, what has been your greatest accomplishment in terms of your fitness goals?

-I lost 70lbs in a period of 10 months after giving birth to my son

-I now squat 120lbs and I started at 50lbs (my goal is to reach 200lbs)

-I can do overhead dumb raises with 30lbs (started with 10lbs)

How do you fuel your workouts?

I fuel my workouts with the Herbalife nutrition products. I have seen a major difference in my workouts since being on the products.

How do you recover from your workouts?

I recover from my workouts with the Herbalife nutrition products. Since being on the products I am not as sore and my recovery time has been cut in half.

What makes you hella fresh?

What makes me hella fresh is my willingness to be me. When I’m in the gym and I’m taking a few seconds to rest in between sets, I dance. I dance because God has been wonderful to me. He has given me opportunities I never thought possible!

What’s your favorite workout friendly hair style?

For those who don’t know me I am a naturalist. I LOVE my hair, and the most friendly workout hairstyle for me is a two hand twist.

Where can we find you in the webosphere? 

All the lovely people that desire to follow my journey and/or join me:

-Website summercarterbarnes.wix.com/healthyliving

-Facebook Summer Carter-Barnes

-Instagram @all_things_natural

-Twitter @summercarter23

Hella White Teeth: Oil Pulling the Hella Natural Way

It seems that the ancient Ayurvedic practice of oil pulling has gone viral. I was excited to see that many people are now interested in this wonderful practice. I have been doing it for many years now, and while I can't say it does all the things some of these posts have promised, I will say it leaves my mouth feeling good and helps whiten my teeth. 

So, Riss, What is Exactly is Oil Pulling?

Sometimes called yoga's little sister, Ayurveda is the traditional natural healing system of India. It focuses on healing the causes of imbalance, not the symptoms.  Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic practice where you basically swish oil around in your mouth for about 20 minutes. Then spit it out, brush your teeth, and go on your merry way with your clean white teeth, and healthy mouth. 

The oil is supposed to pull toxins out of your body through your mouth, hence the "pulling" in the name. I personally don't know about this part, but many people swear it works. Don't believe me, google "oil pulling benefits", and see what pops up. 

When I started oil pulling I used sesame oil, which is traditionally used in Ayurveda for a multitude of functions. It was okay, but once that bottle was done I moved on to coconut oil, and haven't looked back. 

I make my own blend with tumeric and peppermint essential oil. These two things just add to the freshness of my oil, and my breath. Tumeric is a wonder root, that contains curcumin that is said to potentially be able to treat many diseases including: cancer, arthritis, diabetes, and allergies. Peppermint essential oil, also touts an impressive resume, but honestly I am just using her for her smell-good properties. Again, I am unsure of any of these things are true, but I say adding wonderful ingredients like this to something already as awesome as coconut oil can't hurt. Don’t know how awesome coconut oil is? Read this. 

Things to Be Aware Of:

1. Having a blob of coconut oil in your mouth will make you want to gag. Let it melt before you start swishing. I use about 2 teaspoons.
2. Many people say don't spit it in the sink, either because the swished oil is so full of toxins it can contaminate your life, or because it will stop up your septic tank. I don't believe either of these are true, and hate to spit in general, so I just spit it in the sink. You do, you!
3. Tumeric stains EVERYTHING, except teeth (go figure). Be careful and be prepared for a neon yellow toothbrush. 
4. You may receive a miracle like some people you might have read about, or you may just end up with great teeth and a happy dentist. 

My Recipe for Tumeric Peppermint Coconut Pulling Oil 

1/2 cup unrefined organic coconut oil

1 Tablespoon tumeric (you can buy this anywhere they sell spices. I got mine at Trader Joe's)

10 drops peppermint essential oil 

All you need to do it blend it all up. I used a blender, but you could melt the coconut oil and mix it all together. Once it's cooled it will solidify. Like the picture at the top.

That's all. Now, commence swishing! 

That's me, and my hella fresh mouth!
No filter, just natural light from the window

XOXO, 

Riss

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Share them below!

I Got Five On It! 5 Dollar Savings Challenge

So here's the challenge: every time you get Abraham Lincoln in you hands, save it. That's it!

Save the fives! Save the fives! Save the fives! 

Years ago, I began the habit of not spending change, which has been an effortless way to save money for life's little emergencies. Last year in a few months, I ended up saving $91 in change. I wrote a post where I explained this strategy. You can find it here.

It worked so well we took it one step further, and now our children save change for their birthday funds. This year, my son saved $75 and had a ball at Toy R Us, and my daughter saved $65, and was able to pay for her own Build-A-Bear.

I think this is a cool challenge, and can't wait to see how much money I'll save. So, who's got five on it?

New Name, Same Awesomeness!

Greetings!
I am so excited to back in action. I have changed my blog's name to represent the changes I have undergone. The new name epitomizes how I feel. Hella Natural! If you don't know what hella means see the definition below I nabbed off www.urbandictionary.com:

hella

"Hella" is an all-purpose word. It has its roots deep in the soul (I meant to type soil, but soul works here too, haha) of Northern California. It means something along the lines of "very" or "really," but it's much more than that. It's not just a word, but a statement of cultural identification, of a long-standing bond of trust and respect for fellow Northern Californians, and of a mutual understanding between you and the rest of the world that you are from (or, in the case of anyone who has lived with kids from NorCal, that you are an honorary resident) NorCal. As the subtle innuendos of the word can only be understood by absorption, one must experience and be engulfed by it (as Northern Californians are from birth) to truly understand when its usage is appropriate. Hella is a word. It's a symbol. It's a way of life. Hella.

Correct:

This is hella whack.
I just ate hella brownies.
I'm hella going to the library this weekend.

Incorrect:
I'm going hella to the library

That being said, look out for new hella fresh dopeness as it relates to you, and I achieving supreme awesomeness through love for the mind, spirit, body, and hair (I know hair is a part of the body, but if yours is like mine, it is an entity all its own)! 

Love, Light, and Hella Freshness

~Riss

Gaining Some Weight in the New Year!

HNY! Maybe you have been wondering where I have been. Too be completely honest, I went on hiatus because I was brooding over what I imagined was a lack of interest and support. The amazing thing, and I suppose the lesson for me, was that while I was gone my blog got almost 10,000 hits! I guess people really were interested in what I had to share. Brooding, and feelings of lack have been vanquished, and a new sunnier outlook has emerged.

So generally, I write about health but this year I am focusing on becoming fiscally and physically fit! Since becoming an adult, I have struggled with saving money. I just can't seem to do it. Something always comes up that demands my attention and dollars, but this year I am putting that to a stop, and challenging myself to gain some substantial weight in my wallet.

A while ago, I saw Iyanla on tv and she stared directly at me and informed me that my current situation (being financially challenged) was caused by a lack of discipline, and only discipline could save me. Dang, I was hoping for the lotto, but I know she is right. So my plan is to do the 52 Week Savings Challenge, try a No-Spend month, and continue my own version of Keep The Change.

If you haven't seen it on Facebook then here it is: The 52 Week Savings Challenge:

Simple yet effective! I know this is possible, and being the overachiever that I am think I am going to double this. Who else is down?

The No-Spend Month, is going to be the toughest challenge. For those of you who haven't heard of this it is where you pay everything, then put a certain amount away for variable expenses like gas and food. Then you don't spend anything else while sticking to your budget. I still haven't decided which month I am going to tackle this one. Check back for updates!

Lastly I have been doing Keep the Change before B of A ever launched their program. I simply do not spend change. You will never see me rifling through my purse and counting out pennies to make 31 cents. I know plenty of you do that, but I have found that instead of holding up lines at retail stores searching for change, that money could simply be taken from a bill, then any change be put away. Even if I buy something totally $20.01, I will break the bill and keep the 99 cents. It may seem strange to some of you, especially you change-counters, but it actually works. 

Just today I took this to the coin counting machine:

And got this: 

Not too shabby! May not be impressive to some of you ballers, but I am grateful for small things.


So, what plans do you have to become fiscally fit this year? Do tell! 

Cleansing: All About My Fast!

I decided to just give you all a summary of my fast instead of a daily rundown, since most days were the same.

I fasted for 5 days; drinking only green smoothies (smoothies with green leafy veggies) and/or  fresh fruit and vegetable juice, then I ate raw food for another 5 days.

Green smoothies are delicious, I understand they my not look that appetizing, but they can be seriously delicious. Additionally adding nutrient dense foods like kale or spinach to your fruit smoothie greatly increases the nutrition of it, and honestly you can't taste the difference.

Here are some great recipes for green smoothies I tried:

"Red"iculious
4 carrots, 1/2 beet, 1 apple, 1 pear, and a piece of ginger juiced
Then I blended it with 1 mango, 1 kiwi, and a little pineapple. 
Add a the juice from half a lime and ENJOY!


Yum Berry


Blend 1 banana, a handful of strawberries, and a handful of kale with juice from one orange (about a cup).
Yum!!


I utilized Jamba Juices smoothies for some of my meals and my favorites from there were: Apples and Greens and Berry upBeet. Those are two of their fruit and veggie blends. So good!


My favorite additions to smoothies and juices were ginger, mint, and lime juice. They added wonderful flavor and kept me from getting bored with my liquid diet. 


Raw Food:
I didn't get very creative with the raw food this time around. I just mostly ate salads and smoothies. If you want to read more on my previous experience with a raw food diet, click here.




I thought the toughest part of not eating was going to be just that, not eating. I found it actually easier not to have to plan meals or fret about what I was going to eat. Other insights, were that I was going to the bathroom #1 more frequently and #2 hardly ever. I had a colonic the last day of my fast and learned that I should  not have expected much coming out, since there was so little going in. I do know that some people  experience great cleansing during their fasts. I guess it varies from person to person. 




Overall, the fast accomplished what I wanted. I increased my pH making it much harder for any kind of disease to happen in my body, I lost 10 lbs, I felt great, and I proved to myself that I could do it. I also found a new love for juicing and will be incorporating this healthy practice into my life on a more regular basis. 

Update on my Juice Fast: Day 1

So as most of you know, I have been on a juice fast for the past few days. So here is the low-down of how it has been:
Day 1
Breakfast- Smoothie consisting of bananas, strawberries, and kale. Yum!
Lunch - Berry up'Beet smoothie from Jamba Juice. (It was a lifesaver, and served as inspiration.)
Based on my experience at Jamba, I decided to juice and blend. In the beginning I was just planning on blending, so that I would also get the benefits of the fiber, but then thought it would be even better if I did both.
Snack - I juiced (1/2 beet, an apple, a pear, 4 carrots, and handfuls of kale and broccoli). I set some aside even though  I know that oxidation starts quickly, and the health benefit reduce tremendously as time passes. I reason that even if the benefits are reduced it is still better than commercial or store-bought juice.
Dinner - I added the juice I had on reserve to a plantain, cantaloupe, and kale smoothie. (Not one of my favorites! The plantain overpowered everything.)

Helpful Hints and Other Info


I made sure to drink lots of water, and noticed that it was running through me. I thought that eating all that fruit  would have had my colon working overtime, but surprisingly I had no BMs (probably because of those bananas and plantains!).

Energy Level - moderate
BMs - 0
Conviction - 10/10
Pounds lost (I should probably say water weight lost) - 0

Gearing up for a Juice Fast!!

A few weeks back I watched a documentary called Fat ,Sick, and Nearly Dead  (You can rent it on Netflix) about a guy who reversed health problems, greatly improved his health, lost weight and inspired others to do the same just by juicing. It was an interesting film that got me to thinking I should probably give my body a "reboot" as they call the juice fast/cleanse in the film.  I have always wanted to do a fast, but hadn't been able to because I have been either pregnant or nursing for the past 4.5 years. Having recently (finally) successfully weaned my son, I can stop saying how much I would like to fast, and finally do it.

My plan: 
I eat fairly clean already, so I don't really need the prepare my body to fast. If your diet consists of things like red meat, eggs, dairy, etc, then you may want to do a pre-cleanse eliminating those things for a week before starting your fast.(For more information on this go to http://jointhereboot.com/reboot-program/the-reboot-standard/getting-ready-for-your-reboot-standard/.)

Mental Preparedness is Key! 
I am ready mentally for this. I am so excited and look forward to giving my body a much needed break and cleanse. I look at this way, it is only going to be about 10 days, and the benefits will be amazing. I am going into this knowing that in the end I will have lost nothing but unwanted weight and sluggishness, while I stand to gain energy, vitality, clarity (it is easier to think when you don't have food on the brain 24/7), and a sense of accomplishment.

I have been going back and forth trying to decided whether to juice or to blend, and have decided to blend because that way I also get the benefits of the fiber. I am adding a few links to the bottom of this post about juice fasting, and the difference between juicing and blending. I will also post simple recipes and updates as I go.

Happy Blending!
~Riss

 Why Blending is Better than Juicing | Green Smoothies
http://jointhereboot.com/reboot-program/

Drinking Your Deodorant.........Hmmmmmmm?!

For years I have heard about how bad aluminum in deodorant is, but have not really done much about it for fear of the FUNK. I am not one to be walking around Matthew McConaugheying it. In the back of my mind though I have really been wanting to make a change because I know the sweat just like urine is waste, and to keep it in the body (antiperspirant = blocking you from sweating) can't be a good thing. 


I bought a natural deodorant and have been using it, but definitely noticed a difference. I need to carry it around with me and reapply several times throughout the day. Conversely, when I was wearing Dove I smelled baby powder fresh from dusk 'til dawn.


The other night I was in a forum for natural hair, and began reading a discussion on chlorophyll. You all remember this from high school biology. Chlorophyll is the stuff in plants that makes them green, and helps them convert sunlight into food. Anyways, in this discussion a girl mentioned that she didn't wear deodorant she just drank liquid chlorophyll, and that she stayed fresh all over (she said EVERYWHERE, and that we could verify with her boyfriend *blush*).


A lightbulb went off in my head. My hubby and I were also taking chlorophyll when we did the raw food cleanse, maybe that was why the poop didn't stink. Hmmmm?! I digress. So back to the chlorophyll as deodorant. I was shocked to find that several people in the discussion also gave up deodorant for chlorophyll. Then I got an idea. I will try to combine the natural deodorant and use it with the chlorophyll, and see what happens.


I am starting a challenge/experiment to see if chlorophyll really is an internal deodorant. Wish me luck, and dry pits. LOL!!


I'll keep y'all posted! 
~Riss