Announcing the HN Book Club!

If you know me, you know I think in books. "Did you read?" is probably the most used phrase in my vocabulary. I can't deny it; I LOVE books! They course through my veins and the lessons have help form who I am. I am a true believer in the power of story, and think there is nothing better in this life then the connections we can make through the sharing of our journeys and the journeys of others be they fictional or concrete. This being said I am starting an online book club. 

I have always wanted to be a part of a book club and figured that nothing could be better than creating one right here. 

Here's how it going to work: Every month we read one book. I will announce the book about a week before the month starts so you will have time to purchase, borrow, download, get the audio book (yes, audio books count!) or steal the book(Just kidding, if you do this you will def have a lot of time on your hands to read!).

 I will choose the first book, but hope that others will chime in with suggestions for subsequent reads. At the end of every month Hellanatural.com will host an online discussion of the book on this page of the blog. If you have already read the book, you are also invited to join the conversation. 

"No two persons ever read the same book" - Edmund Wilson

So who's coming on the adventure with me? In March we will be reading Queen Sugar by Natalie Baszile. I have read really good reviews for this book in O magazine and Essence, so I think it will be a great first book.  I am putting a link to this below, but feel free to get it where you can. I will be downloading the Kindle version.

Happy Reading!
-Riss

- See more at: http://www.hellanatural.com/p/hn-book-club.html#sthash.h8XtPKsZ.dpuf

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! 

Lovin' the life: Food Cancer Warning?!

Yet another reason to stop eating, and feeding your children McDonalds! 

Lovin' the life: Food Cancer Warning?!: If you been in McDonalds lately and looked around patiently waiting to place your order, you may see a warning about food being served a...

Immunity Building Apple Cider- How I Keep My Family Healthy During the Cold/Flu Season

Use any pure apple cider you like and add to it:

 2 parts dried elderberries (great for coughs)
1/2 part dried orange (for taste)
1 part echinacea  or astragalus root (for immunity)
 a couple of cloves (for taste)
1 cinnamon stick (for taste)

I used parts because sometimes I make the whole gallon of apple cider, and sometimes I do small batches. The easiest and best way to prepare this is in a crock pot. You can let it simmer all day, allowing all the goodness to be released from the plants. If you can't do this, bring the mixture to a boil then simmer for as long as you like.Serve warm and enjoy!

*You can find any of these herbs at your local health food store. If you are in Oakland try The Food Mill, they have a great selection of bulk herbs. You can also order your herbs online. www.mountainroseherbs.com is my favorite supplier.

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. 

Surprising Health Benefits of Watermelon - Planet Green

I am sure you know that watermelon is good, but you might be surprised at how good it is for you. Check out the following article on the health benefits of watermelon.

Surprising Health Benefits of Watermelon - Planet Green

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

Health 101: Naptural85

I am so excited to bring you an interview from Naptural85. She is such an inspiration to me, and one of my fav Youtubers! If you haven't already please check out her channels, you'll be so glad you did! 

How would you define healthy living?

To me, healthy living is simple: feed your body with real, natural foods, take care to exercise as much as possible, and listen to what your body needs at all times. Quite simply, treating your body right! I'm not the type who will feel guilty if I eat at a restaurant (knowing the food is conventionally grown) or skip out on exercise sometimes (especially when I'm super busy). But the point is making the effort to give your body what it needs and still balancing out a modern-day lifestyle that is always "Go-Go-Go."

Was there a turning point in your life that made you decide to become healthier?

Running track in high school was my turning point. I really trained hard and training hard meant having a really close relationship with your body... it was the only instrument being used in the sport; no balls, no nets, no sticks, just your body... so it needed to run at peak performance. From then on, I was a "health-freak" as my family would call me.

I started learning more about organic living when I went natural. That opened up a whole new level of "healthy-lifestyle" for me, and I think it was a natural progression. As I researched more of what was good for my own hair, I began stumbling upon things that were good (and not so good) for my body as well. This led me to investigate the difference between organic and conventional foods more thoroughly.

What piece of knowledge would you like to share with others?

Live a healthy lifestyle, but take it easy on yourself. It's okay if you slip up... there's a lot out there going against you trying to stay healthy. Life moves fast and there's a new temptation around every corner. It's okay to try something new, or to skip the gym sometimes... if you don't go easy on yourself, it will always be an up-hill battle. My motto is moderation is key, enjoy life, and try to make the best decisions possible.

What is the one natural product you can’t live without?

Shea Butter. It's so versatile and really if I could only choose one thing, that would be it. It helps to define my hair and locks in the moisture. I can also use it on my body, so no need for lotion! Yup that would be the one product I can't live without!

What piece of advice would you give your 20 year old self?

Well, since I'm still in my 20's, I'd say "Keep Going!" Sometimes it's hard, but follow your heart and keep moving forward. I have no regrets, everything I've done has taught me something, whether the outcome was good or bad, I've received a valuable lesson. So I'd just say, "..keep on keeping on!" Oh! And also "Get back to the gym!" ... I've been lazy lately :)

Anything else?

Check out my healthy tips and DIY projects at http://youtube.com/naptural85 and http://youtube.com/dearnaptural85 ! Thanks so much for the feature!

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/