Natures Sports drink

GET THIS.....

Coconut Water is natures newest sports drink.

It is natural and much better for you then most SUGAR loaded sports drinks.

My suggestion:
After an intense workout TRY IT!
It is lower in calories and fat. Cholesterol free and has more potassium than four bananas does. It provides you with electrolytes to recover.
Not to mention this tasty drink is super hydrating.

Who would have thought?

Favorite Eats and Treats-no sugary sweets.

I absolutely love nutrition/ health and fitness. I am extremely passionate about Food. I guess I get this from my mama. In addition to food, I believe that what you put down your mouth has everything to do with the way we feel emotionally, physically, spiritually and mentally. It also has EVERYTHING to do with how you look. Yes-90% food and the 10% is exercise. When I eat good it is MUCH easier to desire to workout my body.
Let me ask you this?
When you crave sugary, sweet goodness what do you eat? Me? Well, if there is a cookie or anything remotely TERRIBLE as that I WILL EAT IT. I am serious. However, I have come to realize that a cookie, dessert, anything of the sort with gluten and ridiculous amounts of sugar is NOT going to give me the nutrients I need or the body and skin I want. It is simply not worth You may think " one cookie will not make you gain weight." Well let me tell you this:
"It will!!!! Over time that is."
I need to start training my self to not give in to cookies, ice-cream, etc. For someone who lacks self control it is not a wise decision on my end. And in fact, it makes me break out terribly. Plus the added stomach aches, bloating and ETC. Anything processed is never good for you. Plain and simple. I believe that God created food at its rawest form. Pure, simple and made just the way it is without adding anything in it or chemically processing it/growing it.
Again, what we put into our body comes out through out skin and the way we feel. I do NOT feel good when I eat JUNK. I feel absolutely energized when I eat tons of vegetables, fruits, nuts ( raw), water with lemon. Nix the soda and artificially sweetened drinks. ( The title says enough- "artificial.")
I have found Stevia is the best kind of sweetener there is. Why? Because its completely natural. Plant derived. I do not have to wonder what's in it or where it came from.

How do you not give into sweets and junk food? It is simple. Replace it with healthier options and always have them on hand so you don't fall into temptation.

For example:
Last night my grandma was talking about all the sweets she had in her fridge. "Great!!" The temptation is already there calling my name. Well, instead of focusing on how tasty those things might be I fixed my eyes on my goals in life. I want to have a toned and fit body, I desire to have self control because that's a fruit of the spirit, I would also love to be free from acne and gain energy.
That helped but also I came up with a healthy substitute-This is what it looked like...

2 cups almond milk
1 whole banana
2 tablespoons of organic Cacao not cocoa
a couple drops of stevia
and some ice

Blended these all together and it made a HEALTHY, delicious chocolate shake. Not to mention filled me up. If you choose, you can add some rice protein or hemp protein.

Oh my goodness. I could drink these all day.

Other healthy eats and treats could be any other flavor smoothies. Adding frozen acai and straw, vegetables, apples, you name it.

Or my favorite little tasty treats from Kimberly Snyder

Raw Cacao Truffles!!! They hit the spot every time.


http://kimberlysnyder.net/blog/2009/02/11/raw-cacao-truffles-for-valentines-day-or-any-day/


I love sweets and I know that with a little self control and substitutes my body will thank me later on and so will yours.
I will keep you posted on more YUMMY treats to come!!!

God's Timing

Just a little bit of encouragement I needed today. God hears our prayers and cries. He Gives us the desires of our hearts according to his riches, in his word he says "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7

 However, God works in his own impeccable timing and when the time is right he will answer them. Be prepared people because his answer may not exactly be what you were expecting. Its far better than we could ever imagine or hope for!!

Have hope in the future and feel blessed that we have a God that does not wish us harm, a God that wants to bless us and give us hope in a future that's exciting and precious, challenging but rewarding, simply how he designed it to be.

My mission is to stop searching for what's to come next in his plan for my life but be thankful and live in the moment trusting him, hearing Him and obeying Him.
I have been reading through Matthew and it has encouraged me beyond measures. Thank you God for your word that is a light to my path and food for my soul. Ugh-nothing is more fulfilling than Him and Him alone.

My Skin Regime from a girl with acne prone skin.

I am going to tell you right now. I have only begun struggling with acne in my twenties. I know it must be due to hormones, diet, and the right skin regime. In recent months however, I have noticed a dramatic difference to a few changes in my lifestyle.

Here's the deal
I have tried most everything to "treat" acne topically, orally, you name it. Nothing helped. Loads of money down the drain. I went to dermatologists and doctors to give me the cure and answer to most all my problems. Let's face it- (literally) people look at you and what do they see? Your face.
I was insecure thinking people would look at mine and see my flaws.

But I am here to tell you, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL just the way you are. Yes, even if its acne. I have come a long way to realize in my journey of faith that my image does not define me. Once I took the focus off myself and onto God, allowing him to teach me and take care of it that was half the battle. The worry stopped and my skin was getting better. Healing power of God ? Most definitely. I also researched more affordable and natural methods for a daily routine.

I will make this short and sweet with plenty of links to direct you for more in detail research from a few of my favorite sites.

CLEANSING

This is what it looks like :

In the am I wake up and lightly rise with warm water. Cold water shocks the skin and hot dries it out. Sometimes I use the Clarisonic with just water and jojoba oil.  I have yet to discover if the clarisonic is helping or hurting. I will keep you updated.


In the evening.
Then I lather my oil method on and begin massaging my face.
http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com/
I swear by this.
By using all store bought products, my oils were stripped from my face causing more acne. The truth is my skin was irritated and over washed. I needed to let my skin breath and heal naturally.

Oils are GOOD for your skin. By washing with oils you may feel like it is too greasy and it is going to cause you to break out but wrong. It actually helps!! The real cause is usually a combination of hormones, trapped bacteria, and dirt. By using the oil cleansing method, you will naturally balance out your skins oil production and clean out the gunk from inside your pores.  .  When we strip our skin of the natural oils it produces our body’s reaction is to compensate by producing more oil.  Olive oil and castor is what I chose to get the job done.


HEALING

Simply aloe vera gel. I am not talking the green store bought jelly you put on after too much sun. I am talking the real deal. Instead of the aloe plant I chose to get a bottle of Lily of the Desert. This

•  Whole Leaf (filtered)
•  Contains 99% Organic Ingredients

http://www.vitacost.com/lily-of-the-desert-aloe-vera-gel-whole-leaf-32-fl-oz?csrc=GPF-PA-026395200320&ci_gpa=pla&ci_kw=&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=026395200320&gclid=CIyjo8ry8rcCFYc7MgodvBMAyA

You can chose to take it orally or apply topically like I do. Do both and it doubles the effect!

Example: I noticed last night that I was breaking out on my back and there were a few red inflamed ones I just couldn't bare looking at. I simply used the oil cleansing method on my back and after applied aloe vera topically all over. The next morning I woke up and the red inflammation had gone down significantly. WOW. Who woulda thought? Aloe is a miraculous natural healer!!


"Aloe vera has long been used to treat wounds and burns and to improve the appearance of the skin. This miraculous plant is being used to treat everything from stomach ailments to cancers. According to Father Romano Zago, aloe vera is now being used to cure cancer, and his simple recipe, which utilizes the entire aloe vera leaf, is comprised of three ingredients. This formula has been successful in treating thousands of cancer sufferers." -Natural News

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/027496_aloe_vera_acne.html#ixzz2WljpLgWj


SUPPLEMENTS

In all the research I have done I know that there is more ways to naturally help cure acne. What it came down to as far as vitamins and what to "put in" your body I found
 fish oil, vitamin B5, vitamin A, and vitamin C.

These vitamins have anti-inflammatory or antioxidant properties.
In addition to what you are putting into your body, keep in mind that the foods all trigger what goes on in your body. Fast food, processed, high sugar, fried, all can contribute to acne breakouts.

I try and maintain a protein rich (lean meats, leady greens) and low gluten, no-dairy diet. Less gluten = less bloating and fatique. Less dairy=less stomach gas. Oh my weakness? Sugar, THIS IS HARD. When I do refrain from sugar or use Stevia substitutes I see miraculous results.

Keep in mind: Some people may in fact have intolerances that may promote certain skin conditions.
If you can, getting an intolerance test is beneficial. However, this is a choice. You must choose to eliminate these things from your diet.

Hydration: Water is a natural healer. It flushes out toxins from your body and hydrates you. Start your morning with 2 glasses and you wont need that coffee. I am amazed by how much water will energize us when we are getting the adequate amount. Lack of energy tends to be caused by dehydration for me. So DRINK up!!!
I recommend drinking half your body weight in oz. If you are more active make sure you are drinking much more. Also, if water is just not satisfying to you plain add lemon. It makes me personally more excited to drink it and lemon has wonderful benefits such as antibacterial, antiviral, and immune-boosting.


Learn more about supplements at :
http://www.naturalnews.com/030641_acne_natural_remedies.html


I am praying for all of you who struggle like I do and did with the effects acne has on our self esteem and image problems. You are all cherished and loved by your heavenly father. Acne should not and will not stand in the way to a beautiful and rewarding life you have to live.
I hope and pray this will find you success as it truly helped and will continue to help me!


Blessings over all of you,

Brit

Michael Kors Knock Off's

Frankly, I must admit that I am a little crazy about Michael Kors. There is just something that gets me all coo-coo for his looks and design. Let me give you an example: 

What do they all have in common? 

Gold chunky watch. Maybe even layered with a few other bracelets. I absolutely love but I do NOT want to break the bank. So, in the meantime while saving here and there for my fancy new Michael Kors watch I went and purchased a $20.00 Knock Off MICHEAL KORS. Yes, you heard me. It looks like the real thing only, a little cheaper and well not real gold. 

Now there are a few other styles I actually love a lot more I didn't see in the store when I was there. Check out Targets website. All in the $20 range. I do caution this option for those with sensitive skin however. It does sometimes give me a bit of a reaction. 

The other item I noticed in MK's ads that I was completely in love with was his tortoise shell, large link, long necklace. It took me a while to find one in the price range that I was able to allow myself. 

$15 at JC Penney's. It was more but I waited until it dropped in price. Call me frugal.

Another staple item that MK always shows in his Ads are:

Aviator Sunglasses. 

You can find many styles at Targe boutique aka Target, TJ Maxx, and most everywhere! :) 

I hope this finds all of you a little more mula in the bank! I know for a girl on a budget it is sometimes hard to come by so we gotta do our best to find ways to be "thrifty." 

How do you view yourself?

I cannot tell you how much of a difference it is to begin your day with God. Today I was a little side tracked and found myself rushing out of the house. I hit my snooze one too many times. I hate that. Simply put, I just feel so lost and anxious when I do not begin with Him and Him alone. On the way to work I knew I yearned to feel Gods presence and needed more of him in that moment. So what did I do? Cried out to feel him and to fill me with his Holy Spirit and peace. To thank him for yet another day and all the blessings he's given me. Thank you Lord today for this beautiful weather. Then continuing on with some worship music.

Sure enough, I get to work and my precious little babe was sleeping. In this time I knew it was more time to be spent on God. I felt lead to "google" a devotional. The one I would like to share with you today is about "How We View Our Self."
This is powerful to me because how we view our self is how we are able to love others and our JOY.

We must truly see ourselves the way the God views us. Our worth and value is found in him and him alone. We are nothing without our Lord. If we cannot learn to love ourselves, the way that he has created us to be and look like then how are we ever able to love others?

Joyce Meyer created a devotional that hits this topic over the head. It made me realize how important it is to LOVE the way we are, learn to embrace what God has put in us and THEN we can truly love the way that He loves. I also find that when I am appreciative to God for all the wonderful things he has placed in me (even when I am not always happy with my appearance) and give him thanks for them, he blesses me with a gift of Joy. I may not always be happy with the way things are in my life but I know that God has created me for a purpose and everything in me for a reason. I must not slap him over the face and tell him "its not good enough" ( not literally speaking) but our heart says it all.
Let me tell you, he will bless you for it.


Here is the actual devotional. I thought I would highlight (in pink) the areas that really stood out for me!

http://www.joycemeyer.org/articles/ea.aspx?article=find_the_love_peace_and_joy_youre_longing_for

Find the Love, Peace and Joy You're Longing For

by Joyce Meyer

I want to ask you a question: Do you love yourself?
Take a minute to think about it. It’s an important question because your answer will determine how much love you are able to give to others. You see, if you don’t love yourself in a healthy, balanced way, then you won’t be able to spread the love of God to those around you because you can’t give away something you don’t have to begin with.
Now, I’m not talking about a selfish, self-centered kind of love for yourself that is arrogant and puffed up. That is not what I’m saying. There is a balanced way to develop a godly appreciation for who you are and the abilities God has given you.
I talk about this a lot because I think one of the biggest problems we have today is how we feel about ourselves. It seems many people have a broken record playing in their head that keeps repeating, “What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with me?”
One reason for this is we compare ourselves to other people and wonder why we can’t look or act like they do. Or we believe that God is mad at us for some reason…and then fall into the trap of thinking we need to try harder to measure up.

Don’t Be Misled

The devil wants us to feel bad about ourselves. He tries to mess with our thinking so we are always wondering why something is wrong with us. And many times we make the mistake of getting mad at ourselves because of it.
But God’s Word says that those who are in Christ have been made righteous. Second Corinthians 5:21 (AMP) says, “For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become…the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness].”
I like the Amplified version of this verse because it helps us understand the meaning of righteousness. As the verse says, it means that in Christ, we are as we ought to be. God created us. He approves and accepts us by His love and goodness.

Get Completely in God’s Will

As soon as you accept Christ, His love is poured into your heart.  In fact, He loved you before you ever accepted Him as your Savior.
I really want you to get this because the fact that God loves you is one of the most important truths you need to know. Loving God and then yourself in a healthy, balanced way is the first step toward fulfilling your destiny and becoming a vessel of God’s love so you can spread His love to others. It’s also the key to having everything Jesus died for you to have, like His righteousness, peace and joy.
I love what Romans 14:17 (AMP) says, “[After all] the kingdom of God is not a matter of [getting the] food and drink [one likes], but instead it is righteousness (that state which makes a person acceptable to God) and [heart] peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
That verse says the kingdom of God is not food or drink. I like to say that God is not about stuff. And He wants to give us something much more important—righteousness, peace and joy.

Are You Living in God’s Kingdom?

How much joy do you have? It’s pretty much impossible to have joy if you don’t know God loves you as you are and have peace with yourself. If you lack joy, maybe it’s because of the way you see yourself. Do you enjoy spending time with yourself? Some people get overly involved in activities because they can’t stand to be alone. And some folks are angry with themselves, so they avoid their own presence.
A good place to start growing in the area of balanced, godly self-love that includes a healthy attitude about yourself is by meditating on Ephesians 1:4-5 (NLT): “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”
Remember that God loves you unconditionally. He created your temperament, your talents, and all your other traits. But we all have specific areas we can grow in and things to work on. That’s okay. The Holy Spirit is willing and able to help you grow in areas of weakness. Like I often say, “I may not be where I want to be, but thank God I’m not where I used to be!”
Wherever you are in your relationship with God, know that He has singled you out and chosen you to be His child. He is pleased with how He made you and His love surrounds you. You are the apple of His eye.

 

A Girl on a Budget's "Must Have Look".....

I gotta hand it to you, after taking Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace I am much more budget conscious. I won't say I am perfect when it comes to keeping a budget BUT it taught me so much and I have a grasp on where my money is going. I also want to make small changes and shop wisely. Although, I will say shopping isn't always an option for me. However, a few key "classic" pieces will go a long way.

Today I paired a pair of white jeans cuffed at the bottom with a simple black tank. (Jeans-kohls, tank-oldnavy.) The shoes are a must have. Pointy toe leopard flats from Target and I believe they were 20 dolla. Can't beat these prices people! My favorite piece of the outfit is my Michael Kors crossbody handbag. Okay-this wasn't cheap. $140 at Macy's about and I had gift cards thank GOODNESS.
To dress it up I added a chunky necklace from H&M $15.00 still in stores and added a bold lip to the look! Oh and we cannot forget about the cat eye look which is my absolute gotta have eye liner look. It opens up the eyes and makes your lashes look even longer.
Wall-ah we have a fun and sassy look for going out around town or to meet some friends. 

A little encouragement for the day.....

So true, I think that if you want to be successful you must chase after what you are passionate about. Run as fast and as hard as you can towards it! Then you will reap the rewards!

My Life Story in a Nutshell?

Okay- so I have to admit "in a nut shell"  phrase dumbfounds me. Phrases, stories, and in my case LIFE can't possibly fit in a nutshell. Let's just say I will do my very best to "simplify" for you.

I was born 1987 LaCrosse, WI. Raised in Minnesota.
I Moved my entire life, not quite sure which place I ever considered "home."
Don't get me wrong, I love the fact that back in the day my dad was willing to move us around to support our family and find a better income. My life on the move I will say taught me many things. The big one was learning how to adapt in new places and meet new people on a whim.  The fear of people was no longer a concern. Thank God for this because I have no problem socializing in just about any place ya throw me. :)
I grew up mostly in Minnesota-- yeah YE HA. Minnnnnnn---eee-sooooo---taaah! Yah sure ya betchya. PEOPLE we don't really sound like this. Well, at least maybe I am oblivious to it.
With Minnesota came many challenges. Snow, snow, and more snow. With the occasional Spring, Fall and VERY short Summer.No I won't complain. For the most part (minus this year) we have pretty beautiful seasons. I have really come to appreciate Minnesota and the LAKES.
I guess I could get on with the challenges. The snow was not a big one for me. Mind you, It wasn't hard for me to meet people. But meeting the right people was where the challenge came. I found myself getting involved with many of the right people making wrong decisions always looking and seeking for something more. Something more to fulfill me and bring me "happiness" or excitement in all the wrong places.
My entire life was the search for "something more", trial and error, fall down and well--didn't quite get back up. Up until about 2 years ago.
Literally, I found God.
He was always with me really. Every step of every where I went my entire life. I just didn't really know what that meant. How could he always be with me? Why didn't he stop me from doing ridiculous and unforgettable things in my life?
The fact is, he loves us so much and will never leave us or forsake us but he is NOT forceful. He cannot and will not make us do a darn thing. God gives us a choice to make good habits and wise decisions. To follow in his foot steps. He can also give us the strength to turn away from all the things of this world too. But we have to ask! We have to listen to that urching feeling in our stomach when we know we shouldn't do something. To me that IS in fact God warning us by his Spirit that it is not the right thing to do.
I chose my entire life to not believe he could help me through struggles and bad choices I made. I chose to ignore his voice and spirit and take things into my own hands. Let me tell you this--because of MY choices I am still reaping the consequences. God will in fact bring so much good from all of this and HAS. My life because of God is completely brand new. I asked him to wash me clean of my nasty sinful life and make me new again. Because of Jesus and what he did we are able to ask for this!
My hope for all of you reading this is that you would come to know God the way that I have and remember that no matter what life you lived or live GOD is faithful and he loves you enough to forgive you and give grace, mercy and fill you with his PEACE AND JOY!

I just find it so crazy how God can truly heal you from the inside out. The things and miracles He has done in and through me are unexplainable. I feel like a NEW person!

Welcome!!!

I am absolutely thrilled to welcome you all to my new blog spot! How FUN! What a great place to share my thoughts and ideas and mostly HEART with all those "willing" to listen. :) I hope this will bring you as much joy to you as I absolutely know it will to me writing to all of you. Enjoy and chat soon!

I love each and every one of you. Thank you for coming and supporting me !
xoxoxox

Britty