Once you pop you can’t stop! Boy oh boy is that true! At least I can definitely relate. A scary reality is that more money is being spent on research how to make food more addictive so people buy more of it than on research to cure disease! Watch this eye opening video below.

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I’ve been working on getting of all processed food. It’s not an easy thing to do! This video really helped to understand why that is. Pretty scary stuff!

When you make your own food from fresh whole foods, that’s the only time you really know what you are eating.

Be good to yourselves guys!

All the best,
Egle

:e)

That has been my mantra for the past month or so I as have been attempting to adapt a low fat raw vegan lifestyle. I have to say, while becoming vegetarian over four years ago was surprisingly easy for me I have been struggling with the low fat raw vegan approach.

There’s hope however! As I have to admit that I feel so much better when I eat more whole fruits and greens and really feel a difference now on my body when I have something that is processed/cooked etc. that I used to love. I still love foods such as pizza as far as the taste is concerned but I notice more and more now how much they don’t love me back. After all, I do love mango just as much, so why not make that choice more often?

I really do love to eat, so it’s been a journey. An important thing to remember, however, is that no matter where you are, be gentle with yourself and listen to the signals of your body.

All the best health to you,
Egle

:e)

I heard a cool statement recently that made me wonder, “There is no right or wrong, good or bad, only consequences.” When it comes to health it is pretty clear that our health is a reflection of the choices we make.

Today I ran my 10th half marathon! It’s interesting to think about that only 20 months ago I struggled with just a couple of miles and now 13.1 miles is not a very big deal. But that’s what happens when you marry into a running family!

Yesterday, buying into the whole carbo loading myth, I ate pizza. Well I actually knew it wasn’t the best idea the night before the race, but when my husband planted the seed of that possibility it was hard to resist, and so we went to Mama Rosa. (No one makes pizza like Mama Rosa!)

So I guess it was neither right, nor wrong or good or bad for me to eat pizza yesterday but the consequence was clear, I struggled during the race this morning. I was so happy to finally see that finish line! And when they were offering a chocolate chip bagel at the end (ooooo ever so tempting as I love sweets) I chose an item with a more desirable consequence and grabbed the banana instead.

The movie SUPER SIZE ME is another good example. I guess it is neither wrong or right, good or bad to eat at McDonald’s, or another fast food restaurant, but the consequence is clear! (For those of you who haven’t seen the movie you gotta check it out, especially if you love fast food!)

Thought for the day, what consequencs are your actions bringing you? And remember the slight edge philosophy from a previous post, small actions repeated over time add up in big ways.

Be good to yourself.

All the best,
Egle

:e)

A few days ago me and my husband watched this amazing movie about six people with diabetes adopting a raw food lifestyle in order to see if it would help them reverse the illness. The results were amazing. Click here to get the Simply Raw DVD or click the read more link to find out more.

I have always had a pretty big sweet tooth and still do, but I remember growing up if I was to eat one too many candy (which was often) my grandma would start to tell me to stop eating so much sweets or I could get diabetes. Diabetes was a very rare disease in Lithuania back then and it did scare me. Now here in America diabetes is a huge epidemic and many people just come to accept the fact that that’s just the way it is. It doesn’t have to be! Many illnesses, including diabetes are lifestyle related and can be reversed. Anyone suffering from diabetes or if you know anyone you must let them know about this eye opening movie. What especially amazed me in this movie that there was one person with Type 1 diabetes that was able to successfully reverse the disease. He was so moved and inspired by the whole experience that he is now studying to be a nutritionist! Click here to find out more about this great movie and to get the DVD.

I just took this test and wanted to share it with you guys. Based on my current lifestyle I am expected to live to 105 years old! Nod bad, but I know I could do better.

Want to check your life expectancy? Click here to take the test.

Once you’ve taken the test please share the results and your thoughts via the comments. And be good to yourselves!

All the best,
Egle

:e)

You cannot be healthy without dedicating some time for daily exercise, there’s just no way around it. Even the busiest of you can find at least 15 minutes to move your body daily. More is better. That’s my healthy tid bit for you! Now get of the computer and start moving! Or if you need even more reasons why you should, just click the read more link below.

17 Good Reasons to Exercise

1. Feel more energized
2. Burn more calories at rest
3. Improve overall appearance
4. Be able to withstand stress
5. Decrease risk of illness
6. Speed up recovery from injury or surgery
7. Keep focused
8. Build up cardiovascular endurance
9. Improve flexibility
10. Increase lean body mass
11. Have fun
12. Clear skin
13. Better sleep
14. More brain cells
15. More confidence
16. Better sex
17. Stronger immune system

And remember, it’s never a matter of not having time to exercise, is where your priorities are. Everything else will be improved if you make that time investment into yourself!

All the best,
Egle

:e)

The VEGAN CHALLENGE starts tomorrow, March 1st!

I was inspired by Rocco, a meat-eating cowboy who turned VEGAN after getting a wake up call on Dr. Oz’s show. Click the read more link below to view the video.

If he can do it, you can definitely do it too! Just accept the challenge and see what it does for you, that is always the best test. And please DO share how it’s going via the comments below! Looking forward to hearing some great stories!

All the best,
Egle

:e)

For those of you wanting to really jump start your health I challenge you to take on the VEGAN CHALLENGE that starts on March 1st.

Click here to learn more and to accept the challenge.

If you think giving up meat is virtually impossible for you to do, I know how you feel. I was in those shoes over four years ago. I grew up in Lithuania, and a big part of the diet there is lots of potatoes and lots of meat. And I even took it to the next level, I loved meat! I loved the smell of it, the taste of it, it was a biggest treat for me. I would start having my meat with breakfast on a sandwich, then for lunch and dinner. And often as a snack I would have same smoked salami slices as well. Yum, yum, yummy! I loved it! As I started to learn more about health and nutrition I started reading about the negative effects of consuming meat and dairy, I couldn’t’ escape it. However, since meat was such a big part of my diet I thought it would be impossible for me to give it up. And I probably wouldn’t have, for my own health that is, but someone had a different plan for me.

In college we did a group project and chose to research why a vegetarian diet is a better choice. I read two books by Jim Robbins Diet for a New America and The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World that really opened my eyes about the vast implications of a meat eating diet. Before starting the research I was only aware about the effects of meat on health, but wasn’t aware about how damaging a meat eating diet was on the environment and the extreme cruelty done to animals. It was actually that last piece, the cruelty to animals, that made me to finally give it up forever, and I am happy to say that I have not touched meat in over four years now.

So if I can do it, you can definitely do it too!

All the best,
Egle

Eating fries and coke from Mickey D’s every now and then won’t kill you, but if you do that every single day you can be sure that eventually it will catch up to you. Every little choice you make every day ads up in big ways, for better or for worse over time; this is called the slight edge philosophy.

I was very surprised to learn from Paul McKenna that thin people take 2000 more steps a day than those who are overweight. 2000 steps that’s not a whole lot more, but over time it adds up in big ways.

My brother-in-low Patrick also introduced this to me via the slight edge philosophy. Big changes usually don’t happen over night, instead it is small actions and small decisions repeated day in and day out that bring big results. Patrick for example has a goal to release 100 pounds in a 16 week body challenge. And it is the choices that he makes on a daily basis is what is going to help him reach this goal, and those will have to be different choices than the ones he’s used to making.

Awereness is the first step as they say. Be aware of the choices you make and what they are producing for you.

All the best,
Egle

Laughter is the best medicine, it truly is. It’s good for your mind, body and soul and it’s contagious. In a good way! Go head, Lough Out Loud, and if you want more reasons why you should, just click the read more link below.

My mom always inspires me. She is nearly fifty years old, but she has twenty something guys hit on her thinking that she is in her twenties! What’s her secret for staying forever young? Lots of fun and laughter. It’s just who she is, I remember when I was little and was upset for whatever reason she would always find ways to make me laugh and it would be absolutely impossible for me to stay mad. And laughing is certainly a much better place to be anyway, and here is why.

Some of the benefits of a good laugh…

1. Boosts immunity
2. Lowers stress hormones
3. Decreases pain
4. Relaxes your muscles
5. Prevents heart disease
6. Adds joy and zest to life
7. Eases anxiety and fear
8. Relieves stress
9. Improves mood
10. Enhances resilience

Click the link below to enjoy a good laugh.

The Laughter Movie

All the best,
Egle