Lazy made me do this.

[🌷Special Edition – for busy Women]

I’ll admit that the title might not sound brilliant but I had an “aha” moment. Which started with my morning oatmeal. The truth is that everyday I wake up into a busy schedule & the one thing that suffers are my meal-times. I do take supplements but I know that it’s food, I still need protein.

[Scheduling & planning my meals & workout.]

[ABOVE: Fit-Foodie ideas on Instagram, it looks time consuming but everything I create is under ten minutes, some are five minute meals.]

Parenting & wellness should go hand in hand, but if you’re a certain type of parent, like I am, you put yourself last. Thus the I’m-too-tired-to-do-anything syndrome sets in. Maybe it’s laziness but the truth is that I’m worn out! So if that sounds lazy then so be it.

Here’s my epiphany, I already know my schedule and like clockwork I don’t have time for a healthy breakfast. I wake up at 5:45am to do a 6:00am Burst then do my daily devotions, check my messages & post on social media. By 7:00am my seven children are up, having breakfast, morning chores, school for the older ones & walk the dog. Then 11:45am rolls around and a puzzled look comes over me, “Did I eat breakfast? What’s for lunch?”

How to empower your lazy self.

As the onset of a afternoon nap closes in on me and I finally stop to eat something. And in my tired state it’s usually a poor choice. Yikes! Time to REWIND!!! This is how I empower my schedule…

• Friday I do my grocery shopping for the Ohana (family) & me. My list is slightly different from the rest of the household.
• Friday I grab any fresh or frozen organic fruit & veggies for my smoothies.
• Sunday I prep my oatmeal, click here to read a previous post.
• Sunday I also cook up my quinoa in the rice steamer & store it for later.
• Sunday is when I prep for the week to come.

How it works.

After my 6am burst & devotion I grab my prepared oatmeal. Zero work involved except pouring the hot water and letting it sit while I get my tea ready. I chuck back my supplements & eat breakfast. ✅ Done.

Basically every meal is prepped because I know how lazy/tired I’ll be. If you’ve read my previous post, “Sabotage your way to success” you know where I’m coming from.

I find myself preparing all the mundane task and creating time fun things like a nap, art or read. I love my NEW & improved life.

Your turn.

What can you do in advance to free up some time or make your daily flow feel less stressful?

You need to schedule in some laziness, time in the day to do NOTHING but recharge your body. Start this habit while you’re young it will benefits you as the years pass by.

Speaking of recharging, why not rejuvenate, refresh & revive your entire being. Checkout my other blogpost…

Click here to read, “The three R’s of Spring.”

SISTAHZ SESSION Recap

We set aside one Sunday each month, in Spring, to gather and workout. The crowd changes but their energy is always amazing. Some drive 45min just to workout. Next session will be April 15, 2018.

Are you a Mermaid? 🧜🏽‍♀️ Info & link on the sidebar.

Advertisement

DIY Noodle Bowl

Do It Yourself healthy noodles. Soba is basically buckwheat and that’s an amazing whole grain with protein & fiber. It’s a total win/win situation. I wanted to show you how easy it is to shop & make your own noodle bowl using soba noodles.

Remember that this is a fusion noodle bowl. My version of a bibimbap [Korean] + soba noodles [Japanese]. The main goal is to have a great noodle & dress it with veggies. Keep in mind that the meat is the garnish so try not to overdo it. 

There’s a few basic steps when creating your own noodle inspired meal.

Here’s me shopping:

1. Start with a great organic & whole grain noodle like soba. Follow the package for cooking directions. When it says “rinse” your noodles it’s an important step. Soba is starchy and by giving it a good wash you’ll be able to enjoy the flavor. Prepare like this.  [Fast forward the video to :33]
2. Choose your sauces. Hoisin can be tricky so read the sodium content & check if it has MSG. There’s the Joyce Chen & Soy Vey which are two that I like. Sometimes I’ll shred ginger & turmeric root onto the noodles. Also, if you like it hot try a chili sauce or Siracha.  
3. Garnish & sides is what makes it so much fun. So try to keep to the 70/30 rule. [I made that up but it sounds cool, lol.] Veggies should make up 70% while meat is the remaining 30% in your bowl.

The two sauces featured above are examples but the links I gave you in tip #2 are best. Also the meat in the picture is a typical Chinese sausage next to a Japanese fish cake. Both are processed but I kind of grew up eating them, some habits are hard to break. Yikes.

I fill my bowl with all kinds of  Korean yummy-ness liked pickled cucumber, kimchi or seaweed salad.  This is where the 70% comes into play, enjoy building your bowl. 

PS: If you spend one day prepping all the tiny bits this dish is a quick grab and go type of meal. The noodle takes 3 MINUTES to cook. Seriously, I get my protein, fiber & goodness in one bowl. PEACE Be the Journey.

Need MEAL PREP HELP? Take this free 60min. workshop: BALANCED BABE It will guide you through an outline so you can create your own healthy meals. It’s all the little techniques I use to balance food, fitness & self-care.

Fall, fitness and… clay masks?

One of my favorite things as a child was playing in the mud. My siblings and I would search for the perfect mud puddle or creek with a clay embankment. It was messy and heaven at the same time.  Forget play-dough, our clay was 100% organic without any harmful dyes.

Today I’m grown, slightly mature and a mother but I still enjoy that cool mushy feeling of wet clay. Naturally I would like to indulge in a facial mask but the prices at many of these high-end spas are interesting. After all I use to play in this stuff for free!

I actually checked out a spa and many of the items in their mask are in my kitchen. Products like honey, oats and vitamin E. (I have a supplement shelf.) All I needed was the clay to make my mud mask. Fortunately I know of an organic shop called  Ubiquitous Journey that sells herbs, loose leaf teas, spices and a beauty DIY section. (Do It Yourself.)

I chose three different types of clays, each with unique mineral content and played around with various combinations. It’s so easy to use that I brought some to the ladies in my Zumba class. The picture above was taken after my Facebook lifestream session where I showed them how to mix and apply  the clays.

There are countless blogs, vlogs and articles about these amazing clays. My purpose is to show you a few of the combinations that you can duplicate. The main ingredient is the clay and you can start using it with little prep time. All you really need is purified, filtered or distilled water to mix and make your mud mask. As you can see from the picture below my na keiki (children) wanted in on the fun too!

Basic Mix

1. One tablespoon clay (a little can go a long way)
2. Purified H2O (add slowly for a pasty texture)
3. Few drops of oil (indulge in the nourishing feeling)
4. Mix and use (I prefer to make it when I need it)
5. Leave on for about 8-10 minutes

Mini breakdown…

• Rhassoul Clay – suitable for daily use.
• French Green Clay (and others) – about once a week or on targeted areas.
• Fullers Earth Clay – about once a week.

In classic kiddie fashion they had to make faces to go with their mask. I’m super happy for my young teens who can benefit from the clays at an early age. Preventing that horrible teen acne problem that I remember going through. The best part is that it has ZERO chemical content and totally organic.

If you want more natural beauty ideas to go with your fit lifestyle comment below. You can also become a Mermaid by subscribing to the newsletter learn more. PEACE Be the Journey

#SubconsciousCurating

Our subconscious is always working and alert. It’s drawing in from our environment and making snippets of memory that we might use. It influences so much of our daily lives yet it is rarely considered. We focus on intellect, memory and physical abilities but what about our unconscious thoughts that brings out our emotion and feelings?

What if you designed a space that would motivate you to get healthy, finish what you started, grab that promotion or live your best life? It’s possible. You can mold some of your living space to reflect your goals. Let’s begin.

Step 1 Pick a corner, table top, dresser, credenza or shelf in a prominent area. A place you see often or pass by regularly. Then clear, dust and polish it. Maybe burn some incense to freshen up the atmosphere. (It’s healthier than a can of aerosol polluting the habitat.)

Step 2 Now sit back, maybe play some inspirational music, and be still. Close your eyes, listen to your breath for three cycles of inhale and exhale. After you feel your shoulders relax hold that posture for three more slow breath cycles. Then open your eyes and write down your first thoughts. Next cross out anything negative or work related. (This might take more time but you can adjust to your needs.) What are you left with?

Step 3 Look back at that pile of stuff you just removed. Do any of those items fit your thoughts from Step 2? Repurpose, remove or donate what doesn’t serve your higher purpose. Commit to keeping this particular spot clutter-free and dust-free.

Step 4 Your new space might not have all the elements you want. No worries. Find magazine images then cut and glue them onto an inexpensive canvas, watercolor paper or foam board. Collage the colors that inspire you along with a few design elements. Maybe a bamboo plant, figurine or a framed picture of a Tahitian shoreline.

Step 5 Place the items you have on the new space. Remember the old saying, “less is more” well that statement will help you maintain good proportion. Gather things in groups of three and leave some table top showing.

BENEFITS (Which are purely individual and unconsciously felt.)

1. Your eyes have something pleasant to dwell on while contemplating your daily activities.
2. Promoting peace and a clean space can help you duplicate that effect into other areas of your life.
3. You don’t have to physically be active in this space to benefit from its sense of orderliness.
4. It will give you something to look forward to which can boost joy and excitement.
5. The ability to become the master of one area might help you become the master in others. After all, mastering personal space comes before positive change.

My testimony ~ I use to work my butt off exercising trying to eat healthy and raise children but my personal space was a disaster. Eventually I couldn’t maintain my workout schedule and quit. After a bunch of fails I happened to watch an old rerun called Trading Places. Basically it was the idea that changing someone’s atmosphere could change their (self) perspective.

I started with the mantle by my fire place and got a BIG canvas with the words, “Live your dreams & be your best self.” That space is dust-free and always organized. Eventually I added pieces that have positive connotations and branched into other areas of my home, teaching my Ohana (family) along the way.

🌴 If you want more information about working with me click here.

🌴 If you want to grab a curated resource page with live links of my top-10 fave food, fitness and wellness apps click here. This will also open the door to my newsletter.

🌴 PEACE Be the Journey

How cancer started this blog.

A little background information, around 2011 both my sister and I became Zumba fitness instructors and we had big plans to help a lot of ladies get fit. I would bring in my nutritional background and she would blend in her knowledge of fitness. Then in 2015 she was diagnosed with stage-4 cancer as a result of a molar pregnancy. My instincts took me deep into prayer and back to the lessons of MANA. The thought of chemotherapy freaked us out but the tumor markers were growing quickly. Collectively we knew that the healing needed to involve all areas of her being.  Because diseases like these attack the body, plays tricks on the mind and can damage the soul.

I wanted to find a way to keep her MIND, BODY & SOUL strong during her treatment. The cancer was in her uterus, bladder & lungs. Her physician took a chance and put her on a rigorous program including 7 TYPES OF CHEMO, one drip was about 12 hours long. I wanted to propose something to my Ohana (family) with a product line that I enjoy. So we got together and I said, “What do we have to loose, why not take a chance and put these products to the test. The other side is death.”

We’ve only heard stories about people trying this but we’ve never seen it in action. So she started with an infused organic drink called Genesis™,  daily. That gave her the nutritional foundation during a time when food wasn’t interesting. It’s part of the double whammy of, “You have to eat” while we fry your tastebuds and you’ll develop mouth soars from the cancer treatments. With amazing dedication she eventually added smoothies with beets, cucumber, cilantro, apple, banana, chia seeds, hemp hearts & beets!!!

The dangerous part was if her white blood cells dropped to low they would have to pull back on the chemo. So we all became her caregivers. My parents took care of her needs and took her to numerous appointments, she practically lived there. To our amazement we watched the tumor markers decrease from over 200,000 to 170,000 to 140,000…

All the while I kept writing hoping that she was reading my blog and trying some of the challenges. It clawed at my faith and bruised my hope to see her going through this but I never showed it during my visits or daily chats. While she was in treatment my husband and I moved her Ohana into our home due to her husband’s work schedule and the chemo sessions. It was school, work, martial arts, dance classes as usual… almost.

Then it happened her body responded well to the to kill the orcs (cancer cells) treatment which included her supplements at home, whole foods and walks. In fact her doctor told her, “What ever you’re doing, don’t stop.” I pray for more doctors like him who listen to their patients and after four (4) months ZERO tumor markers. 

Although it doesn’t work out for all because she experienced four deaths and know of others who had to prolong treatments. It’s a struggle and a painful cycle. She took a risk and tried something involving an old/new approach to healing. Are you wondering if this could work for you or someone you love? Maybe a challenge to get things moving in the right direction or a product line that will support your body. One that nourishes and rejuvenates from the inside out.

You are the designer of your life so take control with kindness and love. Always love.

The challenges I created are listed below or you can search for them in the menu above.

• Beautiful Mind
• Beautiful Body
• Beautiful Soul

It was gut wrenching, difficult and full of sleepless nights but I believe that the experience has taught me so much. I feel blessed with patience and encouraged to teach others. That they should never, never, never give up. PEACE Be the Journey.

1. Subscribe to my sister’s blog to learn about her journey: Hive and Hunny

UPDATE: All the impossible things became possible. My sister is still zero-cancer, purchased a home and gave birth to two healthy babies. 

 

Beautiful Soul – Day 4

   I always appreciate people who have an attitude of gratitude. They’re pleasant to be around and (typically) have great perspective. They don’t live in the clouds but in the real world. So how do they do it? 

Five (5) thoughts to living grateful…

1. Journal daily about what you’re grateful for in your life. I’ve learned some great techniques from Joy Work Circle creator K. Grace Howes.
2. Smile for no reason! I’m doing it right now as I type. 😃
3. Create your own purpose. The Abstract artist Jackie M Wood creates a To-Do list in comparison to her age. It’s the coolest thing and I’m going to make one too!
4. Proactive mind set. Here’s a post about the Top-10 Benefits of Being Proactive. I used it to make a personal check list.
5. Let grateful people influence you. Their message, music, poetry, art & social media pages will connect you to gratitude.

  

Please LIKE 😉 Subscribe ✔️ Comment 📱 Share 💓

Skin Fit: Pimple mud mask! Say no more.

Foodie Fit: A Caribbean inspired breakfast.

Dance Fit: The smooth feeling of this rhythm will get you dancing.

Make the most of every day. Walk In Beauty

#walkinbeauty

Beautiful Soul – Day 2

A powerful quote from Gandhi that gives so much perspective, will open up your mind to accept failure as a life skill. I’m sure many of you are familiar with the horrors of failing and connect it to shame. The shame of not being successful or not loosing the weight.

Stop and breathe for a moment.

Here’s a way to gain new perspective, write down a mistake you made then counter it with a lesson-learned or insight gained. Then cross out the mistake and rewrite the lesson-learned as a gratitude. I am grateful for ________.

Comment in the box below for connection.

Skin Fit: Be in the know about ingredients in your skin-care products that are harmful. Find an alternative here…

Dance Fit: OMG this is a fun one.

Please LIKE 😉 Subscribe ✔️ Comment 📱 Share 💓

BIG NEWS! My sister is cancer free after overcoming stage 4 but the journeys just begun. Her story is on MakeMahalo.com

My lunch on Instagram

• Brown rice
• Brown sweet rice
• Black sweet rice
• Oat
• Barley
• Red sorghum
• Glutinous millet
• Job’s tear
• Black bean
• Peeled mung bean
• Green pea

The I added Okinawa sweet potato and kale.

Beautiful Body – Day 13 & 14

https://manawahinefitness.wordpress.com/2016/04/16/beautiful-body-day-13-14/

We’re halfway through the BEAUTIFUL BODY challenge and then we’re going to switch things up but before we do let’s complete a checklist. I want to make sure that you have everything in place to succeed. Do you have…

1. Containers – separate dishes for main, sides or snacks. I like using Mason jars for my meals and designated fridge & cabinant space for my food.
2. Lunch Bags – If paper bags make you feel happy then use them for lunches or find a bag/lunchbox that spark joy each time you use it. (A trick to boost your subconscious into enjoying the process.)
3. Schedule Shopping & Meal Prep Days – Treat your body like an athletic powerhouse (even if you’re not there yet) that requires consistent preparation time & quality fuel.

We all appreciate it when our nation wins gold at the Olympics but the unseen preparation is the gold. What you do when no one is watching is more important then your actions in public.

Treat yourself like a Powerhouse of unimaginable greatness.

Foodie Fit: Today I just want to feature some of my creations. I treat my kitchen like a laboratory where I can mix & match flavors. Fusion.  

Below is a soba noodle fusion bowl. It’s part of my eating plan and to learn more about shopping and preparation click here. I’ve also included a video below about the Japanese tradition of soba.

Dance Fit: The sheer joy & energy would motivate me to get up and dance. Movement & good food go hand in hand. This routine is so fun that I literally got up off of my duff to jam out with them. Lol.

 

Cooking Class: (I have to share this one.) Check out the tutorial that made me feel comfortable enough to cook soba noodles.

 

Please LIKE 😉 Subscribe ✔️ Comment 📱 Share 💓

Do you have a vision of a healthier lifestyle? Comment for connection 🌴