Try it Tuesday: Plant Some Ish!

Gardening is not easy. Anyone who does it will tell you that. My garden was like another child needing to be cared for, loved, and protected. It taught me many lessons, brought my life much beauty, and produced some delicious food, but momma got tired, and when harvest was over decided give herself a break and try again when things lightened up.Well that was almost a year ago, and in that time my husband has moved his Bow-Flex into that space amid my protests, but really he's justified in using that space; I wasn't.

My Garden Back in the Day

 After watching this video I am committing myself to get back into my garden (move over Bow-Flex). To get some dirt under my nails, and break a healthy sweat. It is important not just for me, but for my children, who I am in a constantly in battle over their lack of desire to play outside; their addiction to anything technological. We have to regularly unplug, so that they learn to see the beauty in things that are don't get their energy from the wall.

I can't wait to get in my garden and plant some ish! I had been debating on whether I was going to try my hand at gardening again, but now I am convinced.  Watch this video to see why:

XOXO,
Riss

What are you growing or planning to grow? I am definitely planting strawberries!

The 1st Strawberry From My Garden 

Health 101: JP Lynn

I caught up with my new financial guru, Jarim Person-Lynn, and asked him to share his views on healthy eating with you all. Wait, what financial guru, healthy eating? Don't get the connection between money and health? There is definitely one there. Ridding yourself of the toxicity of debt, and making healthy food choices that fit in a budget are two connections, but there are many more. Read on!

How would you define healthy living? 
I would define healthy living as striving to make sure that anything coming in contact with your body- physically or mentally - is only that of nourishment in some form or fashion.

Were you always healthy, or was there a turning point in your life that made you decide to become healthier? 
My dad has always been healthy. My mom not so much.
I took after her eating habits until about 5 years ago when I went through a total transformation with finance, health and overall well being.

What piece of knowledge would you like to share with others?
To start slow (but not too slow) and improve gradually. Very few people will go from hot links to kale salad over night. You may be the type that needs to go from ribs to Lean Cuisines. From Lean Cuisines to healthy sandwiches. From healthy sandwiches to organic salads etc.


What is the one natural product or practice you can’t live without?
Eating "farm raised" fish. I need my B12.

What piece of advice would you give your 20 year old self?
It only gets harder from here.

What makes you hella fresh?
I can pop a pimple with my butt cheeks.

Anything else you wanna tell the people? 
You can make all of the money in the world, but if your health is subpar, it won't even matter.

Where can we find you in the webosphere? 
Check out my books on health and wealth at www.BKFUniversity.com, follow me on Twitter @BKFUniversity. And add me on Facebook at facebook.com/jplynn

JP's books and guidance are life-altering. Check him out! Being fiscally fit empowers you in many ways including your health. We have all heard the saying your health is your wealth, and even if it is cliche, it's true! This brother is offering great information that is pertinent to our times. I am using his methods to get my financial game in order and undo old patterns that do not serve me or my future.

What are you doing for this aspect of your life? How are you going about being fiscally fit? 

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

Try It Tuesday: Yerba Mate: Drink of the Gods!

This Try It Tuesday I want to share with you one of my favorite things on the planet, Yerba Mate!! Yerba Mate is a drink that you brew and enjoy like tea. I won't call it a tea because the name tea is reserved for the cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis (tea) plant. More accurately this could be called a tisane, which the the name given to herbs that are treated as tea. So now that you have been educated on the difference between tea and tisane, let's get back to Yerba Mate - Drink of the Gods!

This stuff is amazing. I drink it daily, and it really does a body good. It has the same amount of caffeine as coffee, but is so much better for you. Also called, the liquid vegetable, it contains 24 vitamins and minerals, 15 amino acids, and abundant antioxidants. With Yerba Mate, you will get the energy without the jitters. You will be hydrated instead of dehydrated, and you will be adding nutrition to your body instead of robbing it of its nutrients. The benefits of Yerba Mate go on and on. In fact, the list goes on so long that to make things effortless, I have placed the list of of benefits from this great article by Dr. Theresa Ramsey below:

Look at the multiple health benefits that Yerba mate provides.

Adrenal gland tonic Arthritis prevention and treatment Anxiety reducer Blood sugar and insulin regulation Body fat reduction Bone and teeth strengthening Cancer prevention Circulation enhancement Cirrhosis prevention Collagen and tissue growth and repair Detoxifies entire body

Digestive enzyme stimulation Digestion strengthening and tonifying Energy enhancement Gallbladder and bile stimulation Heart disease prevention Hormone balancing Hair growth strengthening Immune system strengthening Kidney support with water/sodium balance Liver function enhancement

Memory enhancement Metabolism strengthener Mood elevator Nervous system tonic Plaque prevention PMS and fibrocystic breast relief Red and White blood cell production and vitality enhancement Skin tonic, acne reduction Vision enhancement

Yes, you can get all of this from simply drinking Yerba Mate. The type I drink most often is Guayaki, they are a great company that employs many green practices, and they are a certified : organic, fair-trade, Kosher, and non-gmo. On their website you can read several myths and stories about Yerba mate, educate yourself further on Yerba Mate, and get coupons! ( I am not affiliated with them; I just think they are an amazing company!)

Below I have pasted several videos you can watch on Yerba Mate.

Check them out:





In both of these videos the people are drinking the traditional way. However, I just brew it in my tea strainer. I wet the Yerba Mate first with cold water, and then add hot (NOT boiling) water to that. If you make it incorrectly, like tea, it can become bitter. So be careful in your preparation. If you don't like the taste of it, you can dress it up, just as you would tea or coffee.


That's all for now. Gotta go finish my Yerba Mate!

Wanna try it out: Click this link to find out where I buy it.

XOXO,
Riss

Are you a Yerba Mate drinker? How do you like it? What brand do you like? Do share!

Gym Class Hero: Chelsea

Meet Chelsea, our newest Gym Class Hero(ine). She is the founder of the Facebook Group Black Girls Go Paleo!, and as you can see from the picture below, she kicks butt!! Check out her interview below as she shares with us her views on fitness.

How do you view fitness?

Fitness is a lifestyle plain and simple. Being fit is not only about going to the gym, running or whatever method you choose to get your sweat on it is about a holistic healthy lifestyle. You have to incorporate diet, stress management, and so much more.

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

I have lots of favorite things, maybe too many lol. Within the last year I have began Crossfitting and Olympic lifting, I absolutely love it! I run with Black Girls Run! SF Bay Area and I play volleyball in a competitive adult league.

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

My Crossfit box Kimura Crossfit, trails around the Bay, and the volleyball court.

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

I consider myself an athlete, so I have always exercised. Changing my diet in my late 20's was a game changer in my overall fitness.

What’s your favorite workout song? 

Anything Beyonce

What are the three must haves for your gym bag?

I have waaay too many things just to name 3 but here you go. Athletic tape, my lifting/WOD shoes, and my knee wraps.

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

Instagram my favorite Crossfitters or athletes. Looking at athletes doing amazing things is always super motivating for me.

Do you have a mantra? What is it?

#Go

What is your workout schedule like?

5 days Olympic lifting, 2-3 days with a workout of the day (WOD) after lifting, 1 day of volleyball, squeeze in a run when I can.

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

Do something you enjoy to get your body moving and take a close look at your diet, there are no quick fixes. A holistic approach is the best way to achieve overall fitness and health, no shake or pill can give you lasting results.

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

I don't have one accomplishment that I value over the others. I am just really proud of myself for being able to maintain an active lifestyle throughout my life.

How do you fuel your workouts?

I eat a fairly clean Paleo diet with the addition of rice and a bit of dairy. I demand a lot from my body and put a lot of additional stress on it so without a great diet I would crumble to pieces lol.

How do you recover from your workouts?

I eat lots of nutritious food and a few natural supplements to help reduce inflammation and assist with recovery.

What makes you hella fresh?

I am unapologetically me...nerdy, athletic, awkward and proud!

What’s your favorite workout friendly hair style?

A braided ponytail

Where can we find you in the webosphere? 

IG:Chels_C17 and FB: Black Girls Go Paleo

Interested in knowing more about the Paleo lifestyle? Black Girls Go Paleo! is a great place to go. You will get support, encouragement, and advice. From the page, "This is a support for fabulous Paleo and Paleoish- women! The goal is to re-introduce whole nourishing foods that support an healthy active lifestyle to women of color. You don't have to be a black girl but you do have to support our mission."

Health 101: Scola Dondo of YouTube!

The creator of my new fav YouTube workouts is here to share some of her amazing weight loss journey, and her thoughts on health living. At only 18 years old, she is a young woman on a mission, and is inspiring others by helping them transform their habits and their lives. Her videos will educate you, make you laugh, and make you sweat! I am honored she decided to drop by Hella Natural and spread some of her sunshine! Check out her interview below:

How would you define healthy living?

Just being balanced and happy. It’s not about working out and eating healthy 24/7, it’s about looking after both your body and mind.  

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

 I think I just got to a really low point where enough was enough, I was done being miserable. 

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

Being healthy isn't about dropping your social life, spending hours in the gym and eating salads all day long. It’s about looking after yourself so you feel great in the long run! You really can have fun with a healthy lifestyle, to the point where it just feels normal and right. 

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

Coconut oil! You can use it to cook with, to moisturize your hair, skin, and so much more! 

What piece of advice would you give your younger self? 

Just do what makes you happy and stop caring about what everyone else thinks!!

What makes you hella fresh?

I'm still an absolute clown! you know that stereotype that bigger girls tend take on the role of the clown? that was definitely me and it’s still me!  I love fooling around and making people laugh. 

Where can we find you in the webosphere? 

http://instagram.com/scoladondo
https://twitter.com/ScolaDondo
https://www.youtube.com/user/StrawberryRipples

 In case you missed it, yesterday I shared a couple of Scola's videos. Stop by her YouTube channel, click here, or better yet do both! Make sure you like, subscribe, and comment! 

How to Celebrate Earth Day With Your Family

Today is Earth Day, but in my home our saying is "Earth Day is Every Day!" Trashing the earth is a very selfish practice. We are now reaping the consequences of our predecessors disconnection to nature. Too many of our children have asthma and other environmentally influenced health challenges. 

With this in mind, take today and honor the earth. Go for a walk, decide to plant a garden, play outside with your kids,or check out the suggestions below from Bitsy's Brainfood co-founder, Maggie Patton  as she encourages families to involve kids in Earth Day, to teach them that they can make a difference.

"When it comes to my own family and taking action on Earth Day, we like to think globally, and act locally. There are so many simple ways to get the whole family involved in celebrating Earth Day," Patton says. Below, she provides 19 kid-friendly Earth Day activities that can extend into loving the environment every day.

19 KID-FRIENDLY EARTH DAY ACTIVITIES

1. Compost your fruit and veggie scraps and watch your garden bloom!
2. Buy, fill and refill reusable water bottles — help keep millions of single-use plastic bottles out of landfill.
3. Save a tree! Use both sides of your notebook paper.
4. Visit a zoo or farm and learn how to care for animals. It'll promote local food, too.
5. Go for a family walk or bike ride and help keep the Earth cool.
6. Get everyone a pair of work gloves and pick up trash in your neighborhood or town.
7. Buy or make your own green cleaning products and spring clean your home.
8. Grow a community garden and nourish your neighborhood green spaces.
9. Plant more trees in your town — they'll help clean the air.
10. Help remove stuck plastic bags out of trees. And switch to reusable bags instead ... for everything!
11. Make an appointment with your town leaders to add more neighborhood trash cans and recycling bins — or start a recycling program.
12. Collect glass food jars to paint and turn into candle holders (and use soy-based candles!).
13. Love surprises? Plant bulbs and flower seeds and keep a weather eye for spring blossoms!
14. “Turn off the lights!” Make switch plate reminders for your whole house.
15. Show your kids the beauty of the beach. Collect shells and rocks for art projects.
16. Make extra food for dinner then ditch BPA-lined plastic and get glass storage containers instead for leftovers.
17. Transform colorful magazine pages, comics and more into artful projects and gift wrappers.
18. Learn how to donate/recycle old computer equipment and post instructions (with permission, of course) at your local library, cafes, electronics stores and more.
19. Breathe in nature: Turn off the a/c and open a window to the world.

DISCLAIMER: I am an affiliate for Abe's Market via ShareASale, but was not compensated in any way for sharing this post. This post does contains affiliate links. The use of these links help support Hella Natural. Thank you for your support.

Try It Tuesday: Like Zumba, Try Scola!

I have what might be characterized as WADD, Workout Attention Deficit Disorder. I can't stick to one workout, and am always on the lookout for new, effective, fun workouts. I stumbled upon YouTuber Scola's videos one day in my quest for a new workout, and fell in love!

I am a huge dance workout fan, and I am an even huger (yes, that is a word) Afrobeat fan. Combine the two and you have these challenging, effective, upbeat workouts. Scola  has an infectious energy, and will motivate you through these workouts. If you like Zumba, you'll love Scola! Check out a few of her videos, then come back tomorrow for her Health 101 feature! She offers great advice, and has an inspiring transformation story to tell.

The Afrobeat Werrrkout!


The Azonto Workout


The Kukere Workout

Health 101: Mollie of Moon Rabbit Ayurveda

I am a huge fan of ayurveda (Remember, yoga's little sister? Don't remember? Click here for more info), so after I received a relaxing detoxifying ayurvedic massage from Mollie, I knew I had to feature her on the blog. She has a beautiful spirit, and I found her answers to be both profound and  extremely comforting. Every one of these interviews deepens my understanding of health in some way, this is no different. Mollie has light to share with us all, get illuminated! 

How would you define healthy living?

 To me healthy living means to care for ourselves on the level of the body as well as the heart and the spirit. It's a balance. Sometimes we need to break the rules, take a day off our exercise routine and just sit in the yard with a glass of wine. It means allowing enough time to do the things we feel most blissful doing – time in nature, time playing music or making art, time enjoying the company of our loved ones and neighbors. That's how we feed our heart and spirit. It also means trusting we deserve to be happy and have our needs met, trusting the money will come, trusting Creator made us just right.

 There is some research being done on people who lived to be over one-hundred years old in good health. In one study, some of these people drank liquor and smoked. What they all had in common was being deeply involved in the life of their families and communities - constantly giving and receiving love. Most of them were known for their sense of humor and up-beat attitude.

Gratitude is very important. If we are caught up in feelings of envy and lack, how can we enjoy anything? Nothing is ever enough. We become like bottomless wells. In my clinical practice, I always intend to work with the whole person – not simply prescribe herbs and foods, but engage with them on this deeper level, to create real health and happiness. What good is our health if we can't appreciate it?

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

 Yes! I was just a kid. I was about to start junior high, and felt for the first time that I could reinvent myself entirely if I wanted. I ask myself, “What kind of life do I want to lead? What kind of person do I want to be?” I decided I wanted nothing less than the best, that if anyone else could be healthy, happy, beautiful, and smart, why not me? I was very idealistic and intense at the time, but I do still feel that way. I'd add “successful” to the list now.

 We have all been wounded, it is part of life, and we can all move forward, we can all rise like the phoenix.

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

 Real healthy change takes time. And it is a not a straight line, but a spiral. We have to dip back into our old habits we are in the process of letting go of, usually a few times, in order to understand them better - so that we can truly finish with them and do the new healthy habits with conviction. In Ayurveda, we consider it an act of violence against ourselves to try to change too fast. If someone usually eats fast food or junk food three meals a day, I would start by suggesting changing one meal(the easiest one) to something healthy and nourishing, get that solid, and then move on to the next meal. Better to get one or two things really solid than temporarily improve a hundred things. Also - better to eat crappy food with a grateful heart than to unconsciously, ungratefully eat great food. No doubt.

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

 Easy question! Raw oils – olive and sesame are my favorite. I use them in food of course, but other than a splash of water, they are also the only thing I put on my face on a normal day. And on my body, the only thing I add is natural soap. That's it. It's my beauty non-secret! I've gotten most of my friends, my partner, and most of my regular clients using oil instead of lotion and other skin products, and they are hooked! I started this practice when I was 16 years old. Nobody told me to do it, maybe some spirit whispered it to me.

 What piece of advice would you give your younger self?

 Oh nothing really, I wouldn't have listened. I had to make my own mistakes. But one thing my mom said to me again and again was that when life gets really hard and we wonder how we can go on - that if we just wait - it gets easier again, every time. And I have found that to be true. That was good advice.

What makes you hella fresh?

 The Buddha said, “If you see yourself in others, then whom can you harm?” I really feel that inside. Anyone I meet – whether they are a wealthy business person, an elder, somebody selling Street Spirit, a little kid, any animal, even a famous person or somebody it might seem like I have nothing in common with, I look in their eyes and I know that yes, we are different – each person/being is unique - but we are also the same underneath. And anywhere I go, any country, any city, I meet the most amazing people who just connect with me right away, right from the heart, I think because they feel safe with me. People can more easily be the best version of themselves when we see that in them from the beginning, when we show them real respect.

Where can we find you in the webosphere?

My website/natural health blog (More information about Ayurveda, what I do, and contact info is on there as well.) www.moonrabbitayurveda.com.

For Ayurvedic tips and updates on new events and projects: www.facebook.com/moonrabbitayurveda

and....I'm getting the Yelp thing going: http://www.yelp.com/biz/moon-rabbit-ayurveda-oakland

Soap or No Soap? How to Have a Healthy Happy Vagina

You've heard the saying "Happy Wife, Happy Life". Well my version of this is "Happy Vagina, Happy Life." Because nobody likes a sad vagina. Furthermore, a clean healthy vagina is what we should all aim for, and teach the other females in our lives about.

Many females have been taught to shame vaginas, that they are nasty, smelly, and should be covered in floral scents and baby powder. No bueno! Your vagina is a self cleaning oven. It is actually, wait for it...... Actually, a healthy vagina is one of the cleanest part of the body! The reasoning behind this is the rapid nature of skin rejuvenation, and the way it balances good and bad bacteria. Other important factors in vaginal health are your diet, and your hygiene routine.

So how do we go about creating a clean healthy happy vagina?

Read More......