not all things are created equal

Yesterday I started the 21 Day Sugar Detox--no sugar means no carbs or fruit! 

I've been feeling groggy and out of it for a few months now, so decided to try this out. It's day 2 and I'm already on my way to feeling better and having more energy. My only craving so far is my coffee with half and half, my guilty daily morning pleasure. I think giving that up for 3 weeks (and possibly permanently) is a small price to pay for real energy throughout my day. I did get iced coffee at Whole Foods and put coconut milk in it, but it wasn't the same.

When I went to Whole Foods this morning before work to get almond butter, I reached down and grabbed an organic one and started to walk away. I decided to turn it over and read the label to make sure they hadn't added any sugar or weird oils. Sure enough--sugar and canola oil. WHAT? I quickly put it back and searched for one with just almonds. After all it's just almond butter--shouldn't almonds be the only ingredient? Obviously not. Labels are deceiving, and you may have to stand in the aisle a bit longer to get to the bottom of things and make sure you are fueling your body with the right ingredients.

Stay tuned for updates and healthy recipes I'll be making and posting.

Facebook page here for tips and recipes

Great paleo cookbook with 30 day meal plans

maui day 2: revisited

view from my run

This morning I went for a run through the neighborhood and town of Kahana where we are staying. It was so refreshing, and even sprinkled a little on my way back. The air is balmy, warm, and calming--the sound of the waves, relaxing. The trade winds blow through on and off--sometimes cool and sometimes warm.

There is a little farmers' market in town (Mon, Wed, Fri), so we picked up our Bad Ass Hawaiian coffee and walked over to get our fruits and veggies for the week:

• mangos
• tomatoes
• pineapple
• sweet maui onions
• broccoli
• sprouts
• bananas
• pineapple salsa
• guacamole
• macadamia nut pesto
• pineapple bread

After making breakfast, we headed south and stopped in Lahaina. What a gorgeous little town. All the shops and restaurants along the harbor are so quaint, and the bungalows with their colorful gardens look like something out of a magazine (which I'm sure many have been in). We wandered by all the little shops, and peeked in a few here and there, then headed over to watch the surfers in the harbor. I've been scoping out where I want to surf this weekend since it's been so flat. It was crowded with beginners, but the waves looked fun and chill coming off the point. I'll be back!

We then headed 45 minutes south to Wailea, then Makena, and parked at Makena State Beach--also known as "Big Beach." The sand was white and red, and the water was clear bright blue (pic above). It was cooler than I expected, but 100% warmer than SoCal. My inner mermaid was happy!

We took the long way home and decided to take the northeast side of the island. It was much cooler, very windy, overcast, and lush compared to the west side we were staying on. The houses and ranches that scattered the single lane road reminded me of the tree house from Swiss Family Robinson, protected from the road by layers of trees, plants, flowers, and vines. Roosters, goats, and cows all greeted us as we drove by.

We made it back to the condo just in time to pour a glass of sauvignon blanc and enjoy the sunset from our lanai. 

journal entry, day 2

Makena Surf on Dwellable

diy coffee scrub

The caffeine in coffee grounds is supposedly a cellulite fighting agent. So this morning I decided to recycle some of my grounds and make a body scrub. If you don't mind the smell of coffee filling your bathroom, give this a try (warning: it's messy)!

• Grounds from a full pot of coffee
• A few tablespoons of coconut oil, melted
• A few tablespoons of organic white sugar (the organic is not as refined as regular white sugar so it makes for a better scrub ingredient)
• Mix together in a container 
• Scrub away!

I have no clue if this actually works as an anti-cellulite scrub, but it makes your skin nice and smooth after regardless. 

If you don't want the mess (or don't trust my recipe), this is a great alternative from Amber's Organics: Organic Dark Chocolate with Coffee Anti-Cellulite Body Scrub