So You Want To Make A Healthy Snack For Your Kids… That They’ll Actually Like?

Well you’re in luck.  I’ve got a GREAT Healthy Snack Recipe for you, and the fact that my own kids Love This Snack, gives me great hope for your kids; And Even You.

I’d like for you to meet…

Kale Chips

Maybe you’ve tried Kale Chips and you KNOW they are good, or maybe the thought of eating Kale makes you Gag a little.

Don’t worry.  The Kale Chips Recipe I’m about to reveal to you REALLY tastes Great, and Kale Chips are very simple to make, provided you have a dehydrator.

Even if you don’t like greens, I’m pretty Darn Sure you and Your Kids are  going to like Kale prepared this way; And there’s more than one way to eat your Kale Chips, as you’ll soon see.

So How Do You Make Kale Chips?

You’ll Need The Following:

• 1 – 3 Bunches Of Fresh Kale. (Organic Is Best.)
• Flax Oil Or Olive Oil.  (I prefer Flax Oil.)
• Good Sea Salt. (Celtic Sea Salt, Himalayan, or Real Salt Are Good Choices.)
• Some Cayenne. (Only if you and your kids really like Spicy Hot.)

Directions For Preparing Your Kale Chips

Cut your Rinsed Kale Branches up into 3 to 4 pieces per average branch.

Place them in your dehydrator.

Dry between 115 and 118 degrees for 2- 3 hours.  Although you’ll compromise a few of the nutrients, you can speed the process up by setting the temperature to about 130 degrees.

Now You’re Secret Healthy Snack For Kids Is Ready To Eat.

But… What about the salt and oil, you say.

I recommend you try your Kale Chips PLAIN first.  My family and I love them that way.  After you see how they taste you’ll know if you want to spice them up.  If you do want to zest them up, go ahead and add some flax oil and sea salt to them.

You might want to try the Cayenne on your own Kale Chips, as it can be a little too HOT for many kids.

I’m sure your kids are going to like this healthy snack recipe; Plain or with the extras, you’ll be delivering Nutritious Goodness to your kids bodies.

Some Quick Kale Facts:

An average bunch of Kale has approximately this percentage of the RDI for the following nutrients:

• Magnesium 16%
• Iron 20%
• Calcium – 30%
• Vitamin C – 400% 
• Vitamin A – 600% 
• Vitamin K – 2000%

Think Kale Chips MIGHT Be A Health Snack For Kids?  Will you feed your own kids Kale Chips?

Please share your thoughts about Kale Chips or Healthy Snacks in General below.

So You Want To Make Kale Chips!

If you’ve already tasted Kale Chips before, you know they are good, and you’re about to learn how SIMPLE it is to make Kale Chips at home.

If you haven’t ever tried Kale Chips and you’re unsure about whether or not you’re going to LIKE them, I have GOOD news for you.  It’s not only Health Fanatics that like them; Kids go crazy over Kale Chips.

Not only is Kale a more healthful choice than most chips; It’s loaded with nutrients and it’s considered STRONGLY Anti Inflammatory.

Your AVERAGE sized bunch of Kale contains:

• More than 600% of your daily Vitamin A
• More Than 400% of your daily Vitamin C
• More Than 2000% of your Daily Vitamin K
• About 30% of your daily Calcium
• About 20% of your daily Iron Needs.
• Many other nutrients.

An adult can easily eat a WHOLE head of Kale in the form of Kale Chips; So you’ll be loading up on the nutrition.

Kale Chips Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 to 3 bunches of Kale (The Only Ingredient You Need)
• Flax Oil
• Sea Salt
• Cayenne

The Flax Oil, Sea Salt And Cayenne are optional ingredients, as most people will like Kale Chips completely unseasoned.  But… Don’t hesitate to add these ingredients to your Kale Chips if that will get you eating them.

Directions For Making Kale Chips

Take your 1 to 3 bunches of Kale and wash and rinse them.  Cut each Kale branch into 3 or 4 pieces.

Layer your Cut Kale in your dehydrator and turn the temperature to 115 to 118 degrees before turning it on.  For Raw Kale Chips you’ll want to keep the Temperature at 118 degrees or less.  It will take 2-3 hours for your Kale to be properly dehydrated.

For a quicker dehydration time, turn the temperature to about 130 degrees;  This will compromise some of the nutrients, but your Kale Chips will still be VERY nutritious.

Now… Eat Your Kale Chips.  Yummm.  If they are NOT good enough for you plain, sprinkle some good sea salt on them after drizzling a little Organic Flax Oil.  Dust them with a little Cayenne if Spicy is your thing.

Have you ever eaten Kale Chips Before?  Did you like them?  Please share anything you have to say about Kale Chips in the comments section.

Living The Dream

So you want to live your dream?  Believe me when I say, I’m not surprised.  Why would you want to live any life other than the BEST life you can dream of?

But where do you begin?  Is it really possible to have an awesome life where you get to be your own Super Hero, and create a reality that brings you joy, happiness, and even The MEANS to do the things you love to do the most?  Or… Is that stuff of your dreams just a bunch of New Age Nonsense people pretend to know about to get your Money?

I believe, and even have real life experience that tells me, You Truly CAN live an Amazing Life, and transform the reality in which you live.

So… How do you do it?  How can you begin to transform your life for the better?  I’m about to share some things that are going to help you become a better, and hopefully the Best YOU, You can imagine.

I’d like to start with a quote I heard from a man called Joel Salatin.

“If It’s Worth Doing, It’s Worth Doing Poorly… FIRST.”

You must begin NOW, and you’ll have to accept the fact, You’re probably going to start the process off very Im-PERFECTLY.  I wasn’t always a good writer, but each time I do it, I get a little better.

Perhaps something more challenging than Living the life of your dreams, is knowing WHAT the life of your dreams is.  If you’ve got your dream down, and know what it is, you are going to be able to get there a lot faster; but just in case you don’t, you’re going to want to start with this very important practice, which you’ll want to make a habit of.

Write Your Dreams Down!

You may have some vague idea of what your dream life looks like, but that’s not enough.  There truly is power in the words you write, and I’ll give you an example of that from my own life in a moment.

You don’t need to figure it all out right now.  Just start writing down the things that make you Happy, or bring you Joy.  Think about what your VALUES in life are, and write those down.  If there are things you know you’d like to do in your life time, write those down.

The process of writing them down will reinforce those dreams and there’s some kind of Magic in the process.  I’ve noticed that many of the things I’ve written down, have Manifested, and many other people have had this experience as well.

One of my most recent experiences with writing something down that I wanted, took place over this passed weekend, as I’m writing this.

I’m INTO health, and have wanted to become the Most Healthy Person for my own good, and also so I could Teach others how to be Amazingly Healthy.  I went to a health event this passed weekend, and when I arrived, I was given a survey to fill out.

One of the questions on the survey was something along the lines of “Who would you like to see on stage at the next Longevity Conference?”

There were a number of people on the survey that I could choose from, and a space that said OTHER.  Well guess who I put in the space that said other.  You guessed it, I put my own name… Sye Rodriguez.

Just so you know, I’ve been wanting to speak at a longevity conference for a number of years, but I was unsure of myself and felt a little unworthy.

More recently I gained some self confidence and thought I might be Good Enough to get up there some day.

Well, on the second day of the conference which happened to be my Birthday, I found myself on the stage, speaking to an audience of 1500 people.  What a feeling it was, and after I’d said my 5 minutes or so, I told the audience Thank You So Much For Listening To Me, I’m So Happy To Be Up Here.” And I was happy; I was Living My Dream even sooner than I ever imagined.

There’s another principle I revealed a moment ago, that will help you to Live YOUR Dream.

That is….

Believing You Are Worthy.

If you need a reason to believe you are worthy, Use this…

You living a happy and fulfilling life is not only good for you, It’s good for OTHERS.  You will be much more pleasant to be around, and maybe even INSPIRING, if you are a happy person who lives a life of meaning.  Living your dreams DOES inspire others and can also help others to live the life of their dreams.

Have Courage.

Learn To Focus On What You Want Instead Of What You Fear.  Fears will come up, but you can overcome them by focusing on what you actually want.  Your mind can only FOCUS on one thing at a time, so use that to your benefit and focus in on what you Want.

Don’t be afraid to ask God and Others for what you want.  You might not always get the answer you want, but asking has power and makes the possibility of getting what you want higher; It also opens up doors and breaks down walls.

Part of living your dream involves being Authentic.  Being Authentic involves sharing your dreams with others and expressing what it is you desire.  It truly is a magical process, and it will help to set you FREE.

Another important thing I’m learning about living the life of my own dreams is How To Know What That Dream Is?  I’ve found it is very helpful to Learn To Want That Which Is For The Highest Good Of Myself And Others.  If it’s not going to be the BEST for everyone concerned it’s Kind of a waste of time to pursue.

You will sabotage your own efforts if your conscience tells you what you’re pursuing is NOT the Best Ever.  Being Free and Authentic means you conscience is clear.  Pursue Consciousness With Conscience.  Your conscience will guide you.

The above being stated about your conscience, you still need to overcome self imposed limitations.

Wanting is perfectly NORMAL.  It’s okay and even necessary to have Selfish Desires.  Our existence depends upon us looking out for ourselves.  So don’t beat yourself up or feel unworthy for being exactly the same as everyone else in this regard.  Everyone has Some Self Centered Motivation.

I’m not glorifying Selfishness in the least; Only pointing out it’s existence so you don’t beat yourself up about having it, or feel less deserving of Greatness that others.

I say, Create The Best You You Can Imagine, and share your gifts and talents with others.  Sharing will MAKE You Feel Worthy.

So… Let’s recapture some essentials we’ve covered about How To Live The Life Of Your Dreams and Sum things up.

• What are your Values?  Write them down and focus in on them.
• How Do You Love To Spend Your Time?  Start to spend time everyday doing things that you Love to Do.
• Be Authentic.  Sharing who you really are with others will Set You Free, and begin to transform your life.

How can you share the knowledge you’ve acquired to improve the live’s of others?  Knowing How To Live Your Dream is a refinement process.  It’s a process of growth and sharing.

Regarding needs, Anthony Robins said, “We’ve got to Give and We’ve got to Grow.”

How are YOU going to Give And Grow?

May You Live The Life Of Your Dreams And Inspire Others To Do The Same.

Please use the comments section below to share your thoughts, experience or questions about Living The Dream.  Thank you.

The Power Of Asking For What You Want

So… You Want It.  What’s STOPPING you from asking for what you want?

Maybe you’re AFRAID.  Maybe you don’t think you Deserve IT.  You might be concerned about asking for Too Much.

Whatever is stopping you from asking, If you REALLY Want something, It’s well WORTH asking for it, no MATTER What the consequences are.

The TRUTH is the consequences are probably going to be YOU Getting what you want.  But… Even if you don’t get what you want, there are OTHER reasons it’s good to ask.

 Why Should You Ask For What You Want?

First of ALL, if you’re not asking because you’re scared, this is a chance for you to GROW.  Think of asking for what you want as an ADVENTURE waiting to be had.  What if the answer is NO?  That’s okay too.  Maybe what you’re asking for is not what’s best for you at this time, but how will you KNOW, unless you ask.

Asking for what you want is EMPOWERING and it also helps you to be MORE Free.

If you are scared, once you ask, you might feel some kind of adrenaline response in your body.  This is a good natural high, and you’ll also realize your FEAR of asking was based on your imagination telling you a story that’s NOT Real.

You will only KNOW the REAL outcome after you ask for what you want, and you’ll be able to move forward from there; And you won’t be left wondering, What might have been, had you asked.

When it comes down to whether or not you DESERVE what you are asking for, you can think about it this way…

Life is about Giving and Receiving, so ASKING for something gives someone else a chance to Give, which often makes them feel Good.  You getting something you want, will LIKELY make you feel better about LIVING.

This process makes YOU a Happier person, and more likely to help someone else when they need it.  You being a happier person also makes you a more pleasant person to be around, which is also a kind of GIFT to others.

If you’re concerned you are asking for Too Much, realize you’re not going to know until you do ask.

It should HELP you to let go of the outcome.  Think of it as your job to ask, but NOT to worry about what the answer is going to be.

Think about living your life in a way that is for the Highest Good of yourself and OTHERS.  This way when you ask, you know that WHATEVER the answer is, it’s what is for the BEST, for all concerned.  This will keep you from being desperate. 

Desperation has a way of pushing what we want further from us.  Think about the Boyfriend/Girlfriend, you may have had, that wanted you So Bad, it made you want to RUN for the door.

Be content with whatever the answer is, and you’ll be more likely to GET whatever it is you’re asking for.

The bottom line is, you are YOU, and you want certain things from time to time.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting something.  In order for people to know you and for you to be FREE to be who you Are, you need to be able to EXPRESS yourself.  This self expression is probably one of the things you NEED the most.

So… Go ahead and ask for what you want.  It’s an adventure waiting to be had; And……  You Just Might Get What You Want.

I hope this helps.

Please share your experience, comments or questions about How to ask for what you want below.

Is Masturbation Really Healthful For Men?

This is a question I started asking when I was a teenager with an addiction to Masturbation.

I’m sharing this information about myself, and about the reality of Masturbation to HELP you; and also to expose YOU to the Truth of who I am, which I expect will help both of us.

I have been hesitant to write about this subject for more than one reason.  Part of that has to do with the fact that I have kids, and I don’t want them or other kids to accidentally stumble across this information and become curious about SEX at an age that they don’t need to be thinking about it.  So… If YOU are under the age of 13, I recommend you don’t read this article or watch the video associated with it, unless you are already familiar with this subject and need some help.

In writing about the subject of masturbation, I want to emphasize my intention IS to HELP you.

So…  Is Masturbation Healthy For Men?

For many years, especially my Early Teen Years, I masturbated frequently and some times excessively.  I’ve come to realize, it was NOT at all good for me.  I believe, if you are willing to look at the WHOLE picture, you’ll find Masturbation is NOT only NOT good for YOU to do chronically; It is probably Self Defeating on almost every level you can imagine.

For men, Masturbation is likely making you LESS desirable to the opposite sex, and even Lowering your own libido (Sex Drive).

I’m sure I’m hitting some hot buttons here, and I’m going to address those now.

Let’s start off with the following question.

Is Masturbation Good For The Prostate?

Many men think they are helping themselves by cleaning the pipes on a regular basis.  There’s a little secret circulating, that regular masturbation helps fend off prostate cancer.  It turns out there’s no evidence to support this.

You may be surprised to learn that the medical community in general considers ejaculation frequency to be completely unrelated to whether a person gets prostate cancer or not.  There is one study however that actually links MORE general sexual activity, in combination with masturbation, to HIGHER rates of prostate cancer.

So… Are There ANY Health Benefits Of Masturbation?

Sorry.  Evidence shows the only health benefit of masturbation is that it MIGHT improve your cardiovascular health.  As another author has pointed out. “So Does Waking Up The Stairs.”

Before going any further, I want to make it clear, I’m not bashing PLEASURE.  I can definitely relate. I still do have sexual desire, and I get turned on.  It’s perfectly natural to get aroused and I am in no way making a case against that.  I am however making a case for NoFap, and I think you’ll discover, as others have, there’s a GOOD case for that.

In case you’re not familiar with No Fap, it simply means No Masturbation.  For some people No Fap is only practiced for specified periods of time, and for others NoFap becomes a life time commitment.  Now… If masturbation had NO health benefits, but Did NOT hurt you in any way, there would be no reason to stop the fun, right?  But we do have to ask the question..

Is Masturbation Bad For Health?

Unfortunately, the pleasure a man might get from Masturbation does come at a price if it leads to ejaculation; And if you’re like most men, ejaculation is inevitable once you’ve started masturbating.  I guess that’s the point, right?

After ejaculation, most men experience a loss of energy or feel tired, and that’s a best case scenario.  For other men, Masturbation leading to orgasm results in the man feeling what some refer to as a sex hangover.  The worst of these sexual hangovers has a name and it’s called POIS (Post Orgasmic Illness Syndrome).

Some symptoms of POIS are muscle soreness, extreme fatigue, and feeling like one has the flu.  It takes 4-7 days for these symptoms to disappear after orgasm.  Ouch.

Like Losing Your Libido?

I didn’t think so.  I’m sure you know the feeling though.  One second something is very arousing to you, but it’s almost gross after you’ve ejaculated.

A lot of men can relate to this loss of libido, and experiments on mice show it happens to them as well.  After a mouse has been with one female for a specified mating period he loses interest and can’t be aroused again for a certain amount of time unless a new female is introduced.

Now… I know we are not exactly like mice in our physiology, but almost any man who’s taken masturbation to an extreme, especially while viewing porn, can relate to the idea that arousal goes down after ejaculation, unless we view a new image, video, etc.

Do believe you can become depleted and lose libido, especially from viewing porn?  In studies done on men, it’s been shown that viewing porn can even lead to erectile dysfunction.  It’s believed that this loss of libido and erectile dysfunction are caused by changes in the brain that occur from masturbation, and even more so from masturbating to porn.

When we masturbate, dopamine levels increase in the brain, causing us to feel intense pleasure.  Unfortunately, those dopamine levels drop significantly right after orgasm, leaving one feeling uninterested in sex.

But… Viewing porn allows us to see new images, which arouse us again and create further changes in the brain.  Basically your pleasure center (the limbic system) of the brain dominates the responsible part of your brain (the frontal cortex) creating an addiction.  The part of your brain that is associated with will power, reasoning, values, goals, etc. literally shrinks, and your pleasure center takes over, no matter what the cost.

To emphasize the point here, let’s look at the results of a depletion study done on men.  The men in the study depleted themselves by ejaculating 2.4 times per day for 10 days.  It took them MORE than 5 months to get their sperm output back to where it was before the depletion period.

I realize I’ve related masturbation to viewing porn, and I Have NOT covered SOME ground in between, so I’ll just come out and ask this question.  If you are a man, do you usually masturbate without porn?  If you do, there are still similar consequences, but they are not AS severe for you, if you are NOT a porn viewer.

It will be more difficult for you to deplete yourself, and your addiction to orgasm will not be as strong as if you were masturbating to porn.  But… your libido does still drop, and there is a 7 day physiological cycle that you go through after each orgasm.  I’m making the point that your body is still losing some energy to bring you back to your NORMAL physiology.

Maybe you’ve seen the movie Something About Mary.  The movie makes the point that you need to get the baby batter out of the system to be around a female you like, and not be thinking about ONE Thing.  This only emphasizes the point I’ve made about LOSS of Libido.

So… Let’s get Real.  Do you really think a woman is going to be more attracted to you when you have a lower libido?  Maybe as a friend.

My own experience and that of other males who no longer masturbate, or at least masturbate less often, shows women are more attracted to a man who masturbates less.  This may be due to the improved self confidence reported by No Fap Males.

I know from my own experience that I feel generally more relaxed around women since I’ve been practicing No Fap.  I feel more manly and I’m pretty sure that makes women feel more like women.

Other men that have given up masturbation, or at least frequent masturbation, claim some of the following benefits:

• Stronger Erections
• No More Erectile Dysfunction
• Better Eating Habits
• More Confidence
• More Comfortable Or At Ease With Possible Mates
• More Attracted To Possible Mates
• Deeper Voice
• Emergence From A Brain Fog
• More Motivation
• Return Of Previous Sexual Tastes
• More Gains From Workouts
• More Strength
• Seeing Women Differently
• More Positive Outlook

Now… More research needs to be done in order to REALLY know the scientific answer to the question of whether Masturbation is HEALTHY for males or NOT.

Based upon my experience and that of others, I believe you can be better off on many levels if you cut down or stop the habit of masturbation, especially masturbation involving the viewing of porn.

There are other more spiritual views of why it might be in your best interest to go NoFap.

Masturbation And Your Spirittual Self

It might sound like I’m preaching as I touch on the Spiritual Side of masturbation, but my intention is to help you see into your own conscience, and how YOU really feel about your own behavior.

In Christianity, Masturbation is considered by some to be a form of Idolatry.  Idolatry is the worship of idols and masturbation, or porn viewing, is kind of like a worship of the genitals.  We focus on these IMAGES of body parts, either in our minds or through viewing porn, in order to achieve orgasm.

These images often stick around in our minds long after we’ve viewed porn.  Ever looked at porn without having an ejaculation, only to find yourself with the images of the porn you watched playing in your mind later.  This leads to a wet dream for many men.

I personally think of those images as succubi.  A succubus is a demon that comes to you in your sleep to engage you in sexual activity, and literally steal your life force.  Now… I’m not saying, I know for a fact that Succubi are real, in the sense that they are exactly how I’ve defined them here, But… They are real on some level, even if they are just images that come alive in your imagination after viewing porn.

I know some men view wet dreams as a pleasurable experience, and I used to as well, before I really understood the physical and spiritual cost of them.  Now I KNOW, I don’t want to be mastered by anyone or anything other than myself; or God as I understand God.

As hard as it is to hear, It’s probably true that Porn literally sucks the life out of you.  It’s also really bad for the people involved in it.  If you doubt this at all, do some research and you’ll find Porn truly is a blood sport, as it’s described by some of the big players in the porn industry.  That’s another subject though.

The bottom line is, Masturbation is probably NOT healthy for men.  Going No Fap can help you feel better in your body and your Conscience, and I think that’s an understatement.

I would be a complete hypocrite to say I don’t ever think about sex.  I do have fantasies sometimes, but I don’t view porn anymore, and I don’t allow my fantasies to lead me into masturbation.

I do think sex with yourself is better than being irresponsible and engaging in real sex with someone you don’t care about.  Just my opinion.  If there were no consequences and no one would get hurt, I would engage in sexual activity frequently with the women that I find extremely attractive, whom were also willing to have sex with me.  Too bad there are consequences to sex.

Whichever way you go from here, I wish you the best health and life ever.

If you’re curious about No Fap, try it; That’s the only way you’ll know if it really helps you.

Do you still think Masturbation is Healthy For Men?  Have you been practicing No Fap yourself?  Please Share your personal thoughts about this subject in the comments section below.

So… You Are Thinking About Being More Authentic?

Good for you.  Truly Being Yourself will transform your life, and that’s what I’m going through right now, and want to share with you.

So Why Is It So Hard to be Real?

It’s easy to get a little lost in life and start to Act like what we THINK others want us to be.  I am definitely guilty of this.  We may also ACT like someone we’re not to get what we want in life.

Eventually we end up feeling enslaved by our own facade.  The people around us have become used to it, and we don’t even know what our REAL Self is anymore.

We are subconsciously or consciously AFRAID of what people will think if we don’t continue on being the way we’ve been ACTING.

When we first try Being Authentic it comes out a little awkward.  After all, we may be so confused about who we really are that we don’t even know where to begin or how to ACT like ourselves.

It’s easy to confuse being BLUNTLY Honest with being Authentic.  For example, you could tell me I’m not as Fit as I used to be, because you’re thinking it.  Or you could confess your sins to me, because you feel you HAVE to in order to be TRUE.

Now, it might be appropriate to confess under the right circumstances, or tell somebody something that’s hard for them to hear when they need to hear it, but that is not what makes you Authentic.

In being authentic you realize you have freedom.  That you are a particular person at your CORE, even if you don’t know everything about who you are, and that you need to be that person.

It’s the opposite of being a slave to others, or yourself.  You decide you are tired of being a Slave and you take Action to reveal your true self; Or instead of taking action to reveal your true self, you decide you’re not going to put on the act anymore.

Of course it’s easier said than done, but it’s well worth it.  It will help you to know yourself better and live a life you like better.  The most important person you be authentic with is yourself.

You have to get honest with yourself and realize you may have many contradictions inside of you.  Facing the things you don’t like about yourself, and STILL having love for yourself, is a very important part of being Authentic.

Being yourself is fun.  You don’t have to take yourself so seriously.  Laugh at yourself and get others to laugh with you.

When you need to let someone know you don’t want to continue on being a certain way that you have been being, do it.  If you don’t feel comfortable enough to come out and tell them, write them a detailed letter letting them know how you feel, and WHY you’re not going to continue allowing things to be the way they have been.

It’s okay to be passive sometimes, but Being Passive Aggressive is the opposite of being Authentic.

I took my shirt off to show you my FAT.  You probably knew I wasn’t in perfect condition anyway, but I needed you to see, for ME to be REAL.  I write about Health, Fitness and Personal Growth and I’m FAR from Perfect.

Now I’m FREE from any image I might have thought you had of me; You got to see my body with the FAT on it.

Now…  if I get OFF my AUTHENTIC Butt and do something, you’ll get to see my transformation from Fat to Fit Again.

I hope me Being Authentic inspires you to be the ONE you truly Want to be, and were Made to be.

Has the FIT Vegetarian gotten Fat? Being Authentic Isn’t Always Easy.

Truthfully, you can see the extra pounds I’ve put on.  I plan on transforming that, and I hope you’ll be following my transformation over the next couple of months.  I am still in very good health, and I’ve been Vegan for the last few months, but that’s not really what this story is about.

The HEART of the matter I’m bringing to you today comes down to Being Authentic.  I was lying in bed last night and I felt pretty good; Even though I wasn’t falling asleep.  I was thinking about what I wanted to share with YOU.

So…  My mind was kind of making a video, and I was entertained by it.  It came down to me thinking about WHY I was enjoying my video in my mind, and I knew I had to share it with you.

As you may know from following me, I have been sharing about Being Authentic, and wanting to get even MORE Real with you.  I’ve wanted to be my self, so you could make clear decisions for yourself, based on what you see.  I’ve also wanted to be MORE myself to inspire you to be MORE yourself.

I have to admit, there is another selfish motivation here; I want to be Authentic so I can be free from what others perceive me as, and truly LIVE The Dream.  I know this is all really sentimental and La La Land sounding, and I’m perfectly fine with that.

So… Getting more to the point, I think it’s an important Thought, that in Being Authentic, YOU and I Don’t Take ourselves to seriously.  If you watch the video you’ll see what I mean.  In being super SERIOUS All the time, I’d be being completely UnAuthentic, as I’m a person who is frequently TRYING to be funny and entertaining, and being serious all the time is not my TRUE Nature.

Sure… I know I don’t Always succeed at being funny in the eyes of others, but It’s funny to me, and that definitely makes it worth it.

I suggest you unleash the REAL you on the world, and get down right SILLY.  Here’s to LIVING as your Authentic Self and Creating the LIFE of Your Dreams.

Dream ON Dreamer.

Please share your thoughts about Being Authentic in the comments section; Be as AUTHENTIC As you Can.

Is Being A Vegan Healthy Long Term?

That’s a question I’ve been trying to answer for years.  More recently I decided to experiment with being fully Vegan AGAIN.

In case you didn’t know I’ve been Vegetarian or Vegan since 1996 but recently I gave up Dairy to go all the way Vegan AGAIN, to see if it would be better than before; I’ve gained a lot of knowledge and refined my diet so I thought being a Vegan again could get me some good results.

The TRUTH is, I have noticed some improvements, but I’ve also wondered if I might be going backwards in other ways.

I started watching a lot of videos, and reading a lot of articles promoting the use of animal products for improved health and they really got to me.  You can read more about that HERE.

Anyway,  I’ve continued on doing the Vegan Diet, and more recently, I’m feeling better than I have in a long long time.

So….  Can me feeling this good be attributed to Being Vegan ALONE?

I’m not sure, as there are a couple of other things I’ve changed recently, and I’m about to share those things with You.

• The first possibility of WHY I could be feeling better, beyond being Vegan is, I’ve NOT had any source of Caffeine in my body for the last 3 weeks.
• The second is I’ve cut back on the amount of Calories I was consuming.
• The Third possibility of Why I feel better could have to do with the fact that I’ve had some Vegan Protein Powder in my diet 3 times in the last week.

I’ll get into the specifics of these 3 things now; Other than the Caffeine because I think that’s pretty self Explanatory.

So…. I was expecting to lose a little weight as a vegan.  This expectation is a result of my past Vegan Experience when I had a hard time gaining weight when I wanted to.

Even though I knew I could lose a little fat I was a little concerned the pounds might drop off too much and I might lose some muscle.

Thankfully, I haven’t lost any muscle or strength, but I’ve remained at close to the same weight; That weight might even contain a little more muscle mass.

Here’s a connection to the weight staying on.  I’ve been eating more food than ever before.  I wanted to stick to the high carbohydrate way of being vegan to avoid losing weight and also to keep my energy.

What I realized is, I wasn’t feeling hungry when I was eating and some days I was feeling like I wasn’t quite right.

So… I started to cut back on the amount of food.  It’s important to note, I’m STILL Eating a pretty large amount of food, but I’m doing it less often and I’m feeling hungry every time I Eat.

I think eating when you really feel hungry is part of the key to really feeling good.  I thought this before but now it’s really been reenforced.

So What About The Protein Powder?

Well… I stated that I was reading a lot of information about former Vegans and Vegetarians returning to a more Animal Based diet and promoting how great it was.  One topic I consumed a lot of information on was related to SPECIFIC Amino Acids.

Meat and Even Dairy Consumers were going on about these specific Amino Acids being abundant in Meat but not plant sources.  They really got me thinking.

Since reading the information I realized there is NOT much to fear if you’re Eating a healthful Vegan diet, as those amino acids are generally abundant enough in the plant sources, as long as your eating ENOUGH and a Variety of Vegan foods.

I also learned that some of those amino acids in TOO much abundance can have negative health consequences.  (I’m going to cover MORE on this in future articles.)

So…  All these things being stated I was VERY curious about what might happen if I had a little extra protein.  (For many years I’ve really been convinced that you never have to think about protein as long as you eat enough plant based foods.)

So… I decided I would try some protein powder to see if I could notice any difference in how I felt.

I used Organic Sprouted Fermented Brown Rice Protein Powder, which is known to be one of the very best sources of protein powder available.

A serving size has about 25 grams of protein and I had at least 3 times that the first time I tried it.  That’s more than 75 grams of protein.

Now I don’t know if it was a coincidence or not, because I have changed a few other things, as I already stated, but the night I took the protein powder, I felt some positive changes.  My mood seemed to improve and my body felt a little more relaxed.

So…  I used the same protein powder, a couple more times during the week, in about the same serving size.

I want to be CLEAR that research seems to show that TOO much protein can be bad for you, and that’s also for another article, but I think it is POSSIBLE that a little extra from a good source might be good for some people.

I want to experiment a little more with this and learn some more to be sure, but it is possible the extra protein has made a positive difference.

Just so you KNOW, I didn’t consume such a large amount of protein powder just because it seemed like a good idea.  I read from someone a while back that having 100 grams of protein powder Every ONCE in Awhile was a good idea to improve your health.

There’s more to this, But… I don’t want to spoil the next article about protein so I’m going to save it.

Long story short, Now you know me a little better.  You’re getting the straight facts from me.  My hope is my transparency will help YOU decide what’s best for you.

And be it related to the protein powder or not, Being A Vegan for 76 days is feeling good; I’m going to continue with the Vegan Experiment, and I’ll keep you posted as I move forward.

What about you?  Hate Vegans, Like Vegans, Enjoy being a Vegan?  Share with me and others in the comments section.

Sign Up For Fit Vegetarian Propaganda For Free Here!:)

No Milk Or Other Dairy For 30 Days.

A Vegan Experiment.

Day 18 Of Being Vegan.

30 Day Vegan Challenge Results.

What’s The Label That Means The Most; Natural Or Organic?

When it comes to product labeling the terms Natural and Organic are causing a little confusion for some folks.

Which food label do you look for when you want the food with the finest and most healthful ingredients? I was very surprised to learn what the answers to a survey, conducted by the Shelton Group, revealed.

31% of the respondents believed the label “100 Percent Natural” represented the SUPERIOR product, compared to only 14% of the respondents that thought the “100 Percent ORGANIC” label represented the MORE Healthful choice.

I’m hoping YOU are one of the minority that KNOWS Organic is better? If you guessed Natural was the product label that represents the higher quality product, I’m GLAD you’ve landed on this page, and after reading this, you won’t be deceived anymore.

What Is The Difference Between Natural And Organic Anyway?

When it comes right down to it, products labeled Natural are mostly JUNK! Sure…. There are some exceptions, but GENERALLY Speaking, products labeled Natural have NO Standard to live up to.

That’s right. There’s not even a legal term for the word “Natural” when it comes to product labeling.

The closest thing Natural has to a standard was set by the FDA in 1993. The FDA basically stated that the term Natural should be used truthfully and products labeled as Natural should not have any added colors, synthetic substances, or artificial flavors.

So let’s just say, companies labeling Natural FOLLOWED these GENERAL guidelines; Would that give you some pretty Good Natural Products?

Not REALLY…. Unless you consider Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO), Grown in Depleted Soil, then BATHED in Chemical Fertilizers and Pesticides throughout their growth cycle, Good Natural Products.

Bottom line is, if it’s not Organic or BETTER, it’s generally made from the cheapest ingredients available. When it comes to what you put in your body, cheapest is almost NEVER the best.

The word NATURAL on a product label should be viewed for what it Generally IS; A Marketing Term.

Natural SELLS, and it makes the buyer FEEL like they’re making a healthful choice; Even though they’re buying LOW quality, and often bad for the health, products.

What we’ve just reviewed is enough evidence to make you think twice about buying All Natural Vs Organic, but there is more to it than this.

Start reading the ingredient lists of products you find labeled Natural and you’ll find they often include ingredients that violate the very General Guidelines laid out buy the FDA in 1993; You’ll SEE the label Natural is often very misleading.

Organic on the other hand is the TRUE Natural. For a product to be labeled Organic it MUST meet standards laid out by the USDA, and although I’d make the standards even HIGHER, they’re pretty good as they are.

So… Should You Ever Buy Natural?

Sure! If you find a product labeled Natural Almonds, for example, and the ingredient list says Natural Almonds, at least you know you ARE getting Almonds; Exactly what you wanted. But… Organic Almonds ARE More Natural. So There! Organic Wins. (:

Please let me know your thoughts on Natural Vs Organic in the comments section. Are you a Natural or ORGANIC Fan; Or does it matter to you?