New day..

Each day is a NEW path. A new START. A new CHANCE to let go. A bright, BRAVE, fresh, renewed day..

You might not have had the best day yesterday, last week or today. But you always have the chance to wipe a clean slate and help yourself plan better, to be better next time. A journey doesn't come without failure, but it does come with lessons. Lessons that you learn from and allow you to grow. You can't always be perfect. Fall down, get dirty, get back up, become stronger. Just don't give up. 

-Don't listen to that negative voice that tells you to give up. -Don't let that one bad moment define the rest of your day. 

-If you have so much firey anger, it's ok to fall down. And if you have to roll around to put out that fire, do it! But get back up afterwards!

-Allow yourself to make mistakes.

-Pay no attention to the people that say it can't be done.

-Never say never.

-Accept you are as perfect as YOU CAN BE. 

-Stop holding onto yesterday.

-The best is yet to come!

Today is a new day!

Spreading the love of health & happiness,

Love Liz xx

Toxic chemicals your body are absorbing!

A topic i was recently talking to the girls at work about because i was explaining why i might look like i'm "tired" or like i "haven't made any effort" lately. And it wasn't because i was tired or didn't make any effort. I actually felt great! :)

It all started with the release of Jessica Alba's book, The Honest Life, back in March.. I've been a HUGE fan of hers since Dark Angel and even long before that! She is such an inspiration to me! She's not only a natural beauty, amazing mother, wife but she's also one of the founders of The Honest company. Her book really helped me with my journey to optimal health.

After putting her book down, i decided to make some lifestyle changes, by reducing my exposure to chemicals in my everyday life.. Moisturisers, shampoos, etc, you name it! Except.. Makeup... I work 2 jobs and i work 5-6 days a week. I need to be presentable and look like i'm full of life. So that meant, putting my "awake" face on every morning. I'm refering to make up by the way! That's 6 days of make up on my skin, out of 7 days and that's if i wasn't going anywhere on my day off. Ask pretty much any female to go without make up and they'll look at you like you've just asked them to give up breathing! haha I can't speak for all women, but for me, wearing make up made me feel more attractive and abled me to enhanced what i had. Thicker eye lashes, flawless skin, a "glow" etc. Simply put, it just made me feel better. Raise your hand if you agree?

About over a month ago, i decided to make a big decision to eventually stop wearing make up (scary thought isn't it?). I didn't want to go cold turkey because i knew how much of a shock it might be to the public. lol! And working in an industry where your physical appearance is somewhat important, i felt like i had to explain to the women, that i work with, what i was exactly doing. And maybe even inspire them to allow their natural beauty to shine through and reduce their exposure to chemicals also. :)

My first week, i stopped wearing primer and foundation and just used minimal amount of tinted moisturiser. The second week i gave up eye liner(i don't ever wear mascara). The third, bronzer & concealer. When i feel ready i'm going to just wear moisturiser and blush and then, eventually nothing. EEK! haha 
 
Here's some info on the toxic ingredients you should try to avoid

Here are some tips on how to avoid toxic chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products:

• Reduce your exposure - Consider using fewer products and using them less often - This will reduce your overall exposure. Less exposure = less risk.
• Check ingredients - Don't be decieved by the words natural, hypoallergenic, etc. READ the ingredients list! Natural does not guarentee it's free from harmful chemicals. 
• Go frangrance free - Frangrances are known to cause allergic reactions. Some products that claim to be 'fragrance free' may actually contain masking fragrances that mask the chemical smells and give off a neutral odour. Make sure you read the label.
• Look for Certified Organic - Personal care products should be as close to as pure as the food we eat. Look for ingredients that are certified organic as they are grown and processed without the use of synthetic chemicals, fertilisers and GMO free.

My reasons for sharing this isn't because i believe everyone has to stop wearing make up! I just want people to be more aware of what they're putting on their skin and how toxic anything that gets in contact with your skin can be. There are skin care products that use all natural ingredients and are free of harmful toxic ingredients. 

Today's positive thought: "LOVE the skin your in!"

Spreading the love of health & happiness, 
Love Liz xx

My favourite GREEN recovery smoothie!

How to make a green recovery smoothie..

 

EASY!

I use Garden of Life Raw Protein (available from ASN). It's a plant based protein ,vegan friendly, gluten free, dairy free and it's sweetened with stevia. :)

Today's positive thought:

"2 things: 

If it makes you happy, do it.

If it doesn't, then don't."

Spreading the love of health & happiness,

Love Liz xx

Workout Of The Day

Here is my workout from yesterday morning. Sorry i didn't get a chance to post it last night. I was up late, baking and lost track of time. That seems to happen a lot when i'm making healthy goodies in the kitchen. I get carried away! haha

  

8 x Squat Thrusters with a 25kg Barbell, 8 x Single Arm Kettlebell Snatches with 10kg, 8 x Turkish Get Ups with 8kg Kettle Bell, 6 x 10m Farmers Runs with 10kg-12kg kettle bells in each hand, for 6 rounds in total! No rest til your done! 

Enjoy! ;)

Today's positive thought: 

"Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try."

Spreading the love of health & happiness,

Love Liz xx

YOU are capable of everything you dream of!

Good Morning!

Today i woke up with a happy feeling inside. And your pretty lucky if you can wake up every morning and glow from the inside. :) It doesn't happen too often for most though. Bedtime is usually MORE time for me to think and reflect.. But sometimes those negative thoughts and stressful feelings can creep in just before your about to have a "restful" nights sleep.. 

Before sleeping last night, i was visualizing everything i wanted to come my way. I was inviting happiness to fill my heart and imagined myself doing the things i wanted to do in my life. Instead of stressing about what i'm going to have to do to get there & how long it's going to take, talk myself out of it, tell myself why i wouldn't have time for it or put a million things on my mental to-do list (come on, everyone is guilty of this!). Last night, i just didn't give myself the chance to do any of that! I was just too overfilled with happiness and determination, that there was no room for anything else! That's how it should be. I imagined me doing what i love and what i have a passion for. My dream. Then everything else became clear.. and i went to bed smiling. :)

So the reason i'm writing this is to tell you, YOU are capable of everything you dream of! Stop stressing and just do. Stop creating obstacles for yourself. Look ahead and see you in your element. You deserve to be happy! There's no room for anything but happiness.

Have a blessed day!

Spreading the love of health & happiness,
Love Liz xx

Be honest with yourself..

It's time to be honest with myself and STOP making excuses. This is the heaviest that I've been in 3 years. This is the most unfit i have ever felt in awhile. It's time to kick my own butt (which is going to be hard) and get back into training regularly again!

I've gone from training 4-5 times a week to 3 days a week, to NONE or once a week. Life outside of the gym can be always changing and challenging. When your on a fit journey, you come across "speed bumps". These "speed bumps" knock you down and you can either fall or get back up and keep going. There have been plenty of times where I've just kept going. But for the past 3-4 months i feel like, i fell off and i'm struggling to get back on track because of work, studying, being a new wife, etc.

I've been looking at older photos of myself from last year and the beginning of the year. Old photos can either motivate you to PUSH HARDER because your reminded of how good you felt when you looked after yourself! OR it can motivate you to push harder because you never want to go back there! Which ever it is for you, use that motivation to drive harder and stay on track!

I told my Instagram followers i was going to post my workout i did today. So here it is...

I started off with a 10 minute warm up on the treadmill, followed by some dynamic stretches. Then into the 1st part of my workout which was 200ft on the Jacobs Ladder, 400m Row & 400m Run for 2 Rounds. Minimal rest. Then i went onto the 2nd part of my workout which was 21 Deadlifts, 21 Kettlebell Swings, 21 Hang Cleans, 15 Deadlifts, 15 Kettlebell Swings, 15 Hang Cleans, 9 Deadlifts, 9 Kettlebell Swings, 9 Hang Cleans. NO REST in between or very minimal rest! I cooled down on the bike for about 10 minutes and stretched. I felt like dying after this workout and realized how unfit I've become. But the important thing is, i trained! And i felt AMAZING after i left the gym! :)

My blog is going to be a place of healing, honesty, learning & motivation. I hope to at least inspire or motivate one person. :) I'm ready to get back on track! And feel AWESOME again!

Let me know what you'd like to see in my blogs by emailing me or leaving a comment. :)

Spreading the love of health & happiness,
Love Liz xx