Life 7 Months Post-Baby...

I am the healthiest I've ever been. I'm physically fit. Why did I avoid vegetables, push-ups, and natural remedies for so long? My taste buds were trained to love grease and high fructose corn syrup. Taste buds can change! I was lazy and worked out in aggressive spurts only to release anger. I was only told to trust the doctor. Yikes. I'm experiencing spiritual and emotional growth. Why was I so afraid of sharing my feelings and even crying on occasion? I thought I was alone and that if I shared my traumatic past and my feelings about it that I would scare people off, get pity, or worry others. And if I cried I wasn't sure I'd ever stop. Turns out, I'm not alone. I'm not unique and I did stop crying.

I'm frequently asked how I got in shape so here it goes...

PHYSICALLY:

• Paleo Diet! No grains, No dairy, No Soy, No Legumes. Very little sugar. Lots of Veggies, Meat, Fruit, and Nuts. I saturate everything I cook in Coconut Oil! The Vitamix and Juicer are used regularly. I tried adding rice back into my diet when I started dropping weight too fast but my body did NOT like the reintroduction of rice so I cut it back out and just upped my avocado and sweet potato intake. 
• Primal Workouts. Dancing. Now that winter is here we haven't had the regular trips to the park where we were sprinting and exercising together. The past month or two I've been doing planks, push-ups and squats very infrequently. The kids keep getting heavier so I lift a 17 and 25 lb weight many times a day. And we gig a couple times a week so I'm on my feet for a few hours making sure I move continuously.
• doTERRA's Essential Oil, Slim and Sassy. (Silly name.) It's a completely safe, natural effective weight loss aid. It's a blend of Ginger, Grapefruit, Peppermint, Lemon and Cinnamon. Most importantly it's treating my hypoglycemia. It regulates my blood sugar level while detoxing my fat cells. Impressive. Find it here, www.mydoterra.com/blazeanderic/ or contact me if you'd like to try a sample! Also doTERRA's Essential Oil, Breathe which has replaced my 2 asthma inhalers that I puffed over 35 times a week. Now my asthma is completely manageable with 1-2 drops a day of Breathe. Miracle for me.
• Supplements! With extra Vitamin D!
• Pre-Pregnancy Weight with Baby #1: 130 lbs. Gained 40 lbs during the pregnancy. Born 3.29.11
• Pre-Pregnancy Weight with Baby #2: 130 lbs. Gained 35 lbs during the pregnancy. Born 5.4.12
• Weight Today, 7 months post-partum:118 lbs. with more lean muscle than my body's ever had!

MENTALLY:

• A strong program of continuous recovery that enables me to help myself, help others and live the life of my dreams!
• Limited screen time. We took a month long tv break to let our brains relax a bit.
• Choosing Acceptance over Control and Faith over Fear.
• doTERRA's Essential Oils; Basil, one drop 2-3 times a day for mental renewal. I was struggling with becoming extremely overwhelmed on long days alone with the kids and this oil has turned that around. I finally feel capable and stable. Serenity layered with Frankincense or Balance to help me cope with stress, especially at bedtime. Find them here, www.mydoterra.com/blazeanderic/
• Incredibly supportive, wise, helpful husband.

If you'd like any recommendations on easy Paleo Meals, Primal Workouts or doTERRA Essential Oils just shoot me an email, blazemusically@yahoo.com or send me a message on Facebook! Life is good. It used to be such a struggle. I was choosing to sit in my pain, medicate with things that made it worse and I didn't know how to stop. I realized if nothing changed I'd be stuck there forever so I've been working hard to be the person I've always dreamed of being and life gets better every day! 

Emote, Eat and Take Your Vitamins

Emotions are not emergencies. Deep Breath and Repeat.

The past two weeks have been chock full o' emotionally charged dates. There was the anniversary of a traumatic event that changed the course of my life and the anniversary of the day (years later) that I decided to stop escaping every emotion by any means necessary. I got through the tough day without doing anything to make it worse, which was a feat. I let the memories surface. I felt the fear, anger and pain and I did my best to let it go. Then the happier date came along and I felt the gratitude, humility and the hope that was deserved. Apparently feelings don't kill me and sometimes they even make me all warm and fuzzy!

Before- 8 months prego w/ Jazz and After- Last weekend at Humpy's Great Alaskan Alehouse gig.
I'm excited about the muscle definition in my arms. Carrying two babes has an upside!

The worst thing I did was some emotional eating but I've forgiven myself. :) Have you ever had a Fast Break candy bar?! It's like Mr. Snickers and Ms. Reese's knocked boots and had the most glorious baby ever! And I ate 3 of their babies...

My diet is still 90% Paleo 10% shitty sugar. I'm considering doing Balanced Bites 21 Day Sugar Detox or The Whole 30. Have you done either? Any suggestions?
I've been asked a lot lately what I eat so here are some pics from this week:

Breakfast-Banana (I have to force them down. I can't stand the texture but they're so good nutritionally. Sigh.) Steak strips w/ peppers, onions and asparagus and of course, COFFEE!

Love hydrating with Coconut Water!

I'm a big advocate of supplements! Most of us have deficiencies we aren't aware of that are bringing down our quality of life. I learned so much from the book, "Depression Free, Naturally" by Joan Mathew Larson. I notice a dip in my mental state when I stop taking B vitamins. D is an essential which I already preached about here. Iodine, Iron, Calcium, Potassium and Magnesium are my other dailies. I've recently upped my Flax intake to help with my Omegas since I'm allergic to Fish. And after most meals we take Papaya Enzymes to help with digestion. (Pregnant ladies, papaya enzymes are a life saver for heart burn.)

What supplements do you find work best?