Kiki's Fourth Cycle

The Summer Mood Challenge came and went. It became a thought transformation period. 

I  regained trust in my abilities to go beyond my secure circle. The lack of balance from vertigo is no longer an obstacle instead it is something I work with. 

I do as much as I can do. I give each day my best. 

There is no real approach. There is no fast lane. There is no contest. 

There is me living life. I live inspired about the day. 

I live inspired by the people who provoke love and joy. So I continue.

There is much more of me to give. I do not to hold back based on what occurred in the past. 

I  do not stop if today did not go as planned. 

Instead I focus on spreading my wings wider. Of being present to the feeling of freedom.

So I walk on my path. Feeling joyful as I enter a new era, the era of my 39th birth year.

 My fourth life cycle according to indigenous traditions. 

I honor my ancestors and my being by taking care of my health; physical, mental and spiritual.

Living Kiki's Journey.

SUMMER MOOD CHALLENGE

WHAT IS THE SUMMER MOOD CHALLENGE?

The SUMMER MOOD CHALLENGE is a week-by-week program for physical activity 

and positive habitual changes in nutrition. The small weekly changes lead to consistency and maintain motivation. The small achievable goals will, with time, 

help individuals adapt to a healthy active lifestyle. 

The SUMMER MOOD CHALLENGE started on 06/12 and is designed as a 12-week program. 

Individuals are encouraged to complete as many as the suggested activities/exercises.

I have some SURPRISES, GIVEAWAYS and SPECIALS for 

people who start to engage and share their progress on my IG @kikiworks_2werkit.

HOW ARE YOU TRACKING WHAT WE DO?

Checking in daily would be optimal but we each get busy with routines. Your results will

start to show as the SUMMER MOOD CHALLENGE progresses. 

Share with the GROUP via IG as you put in work for the CHALLENGE. 

Encourage one another with before and afters.

WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO DO?

1. Share your pictures, your progress and #SUMMERMOODCHALLENGE

2. Practice healthy eating. This could include half-portions, no sodas, no dessert, 

balanced portions, and/or clean eating. 

3. Follow the activity posts each week. If you want to do more, go ahead but remember

the point is to build consistency not to burn out and stop.

HOW ARE YOU MEASURING RESULTS?

You will be measuring your own results. You can use various methods but be sure to record them. 

They could be size in clothing, measurements, pounds, activity you are able to do vs. one you couldn't complete. 

WHY ARE YOU DOING IT?

I am building. I was operating at a high level of activity and I was enjoying myself 

tremendously. Mainly because I was able to go places and do things without constantly feeling

tired. I am working towards that level of activity again. I know that will take some work. 

My payoff will be to climb the ruin pictured above in COBA for my birthday in October.

Here's to LIVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST.

Quality

I've been reaching out to friends more. I start to text or call instead of scrolling through IG and FB. It has brought higher quality relationships my way. It inspires me to know I am surrounded by great people.

Go share yourself with those you love this weekend. Make them remember why they are so special to you.

Have a great weekend and be lovely!

Namaste.

Present

Being present without attachments.  How is that possible when we form ideas as we are living each moment? Practice. Everything is possible with practice.

I've been practicing meditation continuously since I've been off social media. I've been living each day with intention of creating happiness in each moment. This includes happiness for others.

What has transpired is magical. I'm in good spirits and this last week was the first week in a long time that I made it through the week with no sick days. Soon I will be saying, what vertigo?

I'm present to feeling good, being healthy and creating joy. Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy your moments.

Namaste.

Current Mood

Motivational Monday

I was sitting on my back deck contemplating life and my Bugambilias 

You see from the the moment the Bugambilias were planted I started to treat them differently. 

I named them, on the left is Ms. Beauty Queen herself that was to perfect for Ms. Rebel on the Right. 

Back then Ms. Beauty Queen flowed with grace up the wall and her flowers covered the view. 

Ms. Rebel, well she was just doing in her own thing. She fell to the side and her branches were dry.

I babied her and talked to her trying to make her see her own beauty. 

I would say, "yes you're a late bloomer  but don't you worry you will see your beauty at your own time". Meanwhile, Ms. Beauty Queen got nothing or the occasional, "why you gotta be so perfect?"

Anyhoot, with time their appearance changed and now it is clear the roles have switched.

 I feel responsible for not spreading my love equally. 

I treated one with special care and attention; 

while leaving the other completely unattended relying on it's own ability to grow beautifully. 

As I sat contemplating the role switch, and life in general, I was grateful for the lesson. 

For there is great importance in being able to treat all areas of life, all people, and living things 

with the out most respect and love. Yes this includes all areas of your self. Myself.

So this week as you set your goal list be sure to include patience and love for yourself.

As will I.

 Have a great week and remember there is much great love for you here. 

Namaste.

DHARMA

The time I spend checking my various social media accounts will be spent in meditation. There are several reasons like photophobia (light sensitivity) and to gain focus of my purpose. 

My intent has always been to motivate and encourage others to reach the best versions of themselves which is why I will continue to share in this format.

I remain coachable to life's lessons and invite you to create intent around what thrills you. Have a wonderful Friday.

Namaste.

Reset

Where are you today...?

Recipe Tuesday

Tuna Stuffed Jalapeno - Snack, Appetizer or Meal 

I eat bread sparingly these days. I am still not used to the gluten free varieties and most gluten free options are loaded with sugar. I've been stuffing peppers, squash, sweet potatoes and most recently jalapenos. 

My family is very fond of stuffed jalapenos and it is hard one to beat since everyone loves my aunt's recipe that is loaded with mayonnaise. Selling my hubby and mom on a healthy version was a VICTORY! I put a little twist on it and they were taken back when I served it as part of a meal.

Tuna Stuffed Jalapenos

2 teaspoons of olive oil

1/2 white onion finely chopped

1 jalapeno finely chopped

4 sweet peppers finely chopped

1 can of wild tuna in water

1/4 teaspoon of cumin (always taste for your liking to add more...I know I did)

1/4 teaspoon of paprika (always taste for your liking to add more...I know I did)

1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder 

1/4 teaspoon of salt

Juice of 1/2 of lemon

1/2 lemon sliced into wedges

6 large jalapenos

1 tablespoon of parsley or cilantro

for jalapeno coating

1/4 cup of almond meal

1 egg white

1/2 teaspoon of paprika

Preheat oven at 350

Clean the jalapenos and slice them vertically. If you want more of a "boat" look only slice off part of the side with a small slit. I wanted mine to be even so I sliced them down the middle. Carefully take out all of the seeds and set them aside. 

Pour olive oil in a pan, once it is hot add the onions and garlic and mix until the onions are clear 2-3 minutes. Add in the jalapeno, sweet peppers and seasonings. Taste and add more seasonings if needed. Once the mixture is well stirred (1-2 minutes) add in the tuna. Stir well for an even coat of flavorings. Turn off and set aside.

In a bowl, mix the egg white with the 1/2 a teaspoon of paprika. On a flat plate put all of the almond meal. Prepare your cookie sheet for baking. Grab the jalapenos, dip in the egg mix and almond meal and then place them on the cookie sheet. Once they are all coated stuff them with the tuna mix. 

I use a large spoon and cup the tuna with my hand for a secure tight feel. Once they are all set pour a little lemon juice over each topped jalapeno to avoid them drying out in the oven. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Garnish with parsley or cilantro.

Enjoy!

Recipe Tuesday -

What do you do when you have a bunch of leftover's ? Start to create a new dish.

3 chicken thighs boiled and shredded
4 cups of chicken broth
4 cups of water
2 cups of lentils
2 cups of cooked white beans
1 1/2 cup of celery diced
1 1/2 cup of carrots
1 green bell pepper
8-10 sweet peppers
1 medium onion
6-8 garlic cloves
6 scallions
1 Tbs of coconut oil
Sea salt, paprika, white pepper to taste
A couple pinches of cumin

Heat a large stock pot at medium to low heat add coconut oil. Add white onions and garlic. Mix until the onions clear. Add the sweet peppers and bell pepper. Stir for 2-3 minutes. Add carrots and celery and stir for 1-2 minutes. 

Add seasonings and stir.

Add the chicken stock to the pot. Then add the lentils. Make sure to have at least 4-6 cups of fluid - chicken stock and water. You will be adding white beans and chicken later so keep that in mind. Add more stock or water if you feel it necessary.

Cover the pot and let the items simmer for approx. 20 minutes. I suggest you check the lentils package cooking  instructions so you can time it better. You want to add the cooked white beans and shredded chicken 10-15 minutes before the lentils are ready.

Chop some jalapenos. Make some guacamole. Top that soup off!

Enjoy!

Recipe Tuesday

Today I got a special request for the Salmon and Quinoa dish from Saturday. 
The request was made by a special little girl who loves both dishes.

This is going to be a whole entree so please do not get overwhelmed with the mutiple steps. It is pretty easy.

You will need.

For Quinoa
2 cups of cooked red Quinoa (others will do too).
2 roasted tomatoes
1 roasted green pepper
1 roasted yellow pepper
1 roasted portabello mushroom
1 roasted red onion
Garlic powder to taste
Paprika to taste
Sea salt to taste
1 tsp. of coconut oil
Lemon zest of one lemon
**you can use fresh veggies if you do not have time to roast them.

For slaw
1/2 thinly sliced cabbage
1/2 thinly sliced red pepper
1/2 thinly sliced red onion
Juice of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon of oregano
Dash of sea salt

For Salmon
1 1/2 lb of salmon
Herb blend (I use Costco organic sodium-free herb blend)
1 lemon
Parsely
Pinch of sea salt
Olive oil

1. Turn the broiler on.

2.Start by slicing and mixing all of the items for a slaw together. I use a mandeline but a knife works fine! Once mixed together stick it in the frig so it's pickled in the lime juice. It is best to put it in a closed container so you can shake it around every 10 minutes or so. You need a total of 30 min minimum to pickle.

3. Roughly slice all of the veggies and  roast the veggies in the broiler for approx 5-10 min. You want them to remain a bit crisp and not over cooked.

3. In the meantime prep the fish on a cookie sheet lightly sprinkled with olive oil. Place the salmon filets on the sheet and genoursly sprinkle the herb blend on the fish with a dash of sea salt. Squeze half of lemon juice over all of the fillets and slice the other half to apply over the fillets. Add a few sprigs of parsely over the top of the fillets. Bake for 20 minutes at 350.

4. Roasted veggies should be sitting and waiting for you. About 5 minutes before tge fish is ready...get a skillet and add the coconut oil and mix all of the veggies and condiments together. Then add the quinoa for a quick mix. Add the lemon zest at the very end. The whole process should not take more than 3-5 minutes so the veggies remain crisp and not over cooked. They will have the charred flavor from the slight roast and the lemon will bring all of the dishes flavors together.

I always invite you to make it your own with some of your own favorite tastes and flavors.

enjoy!

Motivational Monday

I shared with you about starting a detox on 01/18/16. I did not provide specifics just that there was a bunch of "no-no's". Attached is the daunting list I was given when I decided to join the 28 detox challenge with Arbonne. Now before I go any further I want everyone to know I usually do not advocate for supplements because I was a firm believer in getting what we need from good food. A few testimonials of people who experienced a lot of my ailments (specifically vertigo), and have since been cured, made me reconsider and jump in.

At first I thought it was going to be very difficult and nearly impossible to do. I have eaten clean before but not at this level. The no honey, maple syrup, soy or corn was throwing me for a loop. How could I possibly manage? Especially right before a Vegas trip?

Well, I managed and so has my hubby. We are both feeling better and energized. I thought I was going to meet my breaking point at yesterday's super bowl party when chocolate cake was staring me straight in the face but I got my berries and munched on.

We are on the last week of the 28 days but this is not the end. I said I was going to detox for a total of 90 days so the clean meal planning continues all the way through 04/03/16 at which point I will re-evaluate. It may very well be a way of living at that point.

Here's to good health and new commitments.

Recipe Tuesday

A Superbowl Clean Menu meant I had to look for new recipes. I found one I really liked on Stupid Easy Paleo. The Jalapeno-Lime Chicken Wings recipe was the one for me. I changed it up just a bit to fit my taste buds but the base of the idea came from this site. I also had chicken thighs instead of wings just because the store ran out of organic wings!

So here it is the Jalapeno-Lime Chicken Marinade - Kiki's Remix

4 lbs of chicken thighs
4 jalapeno peppers, not deseeded and cut into chunks
1/4 cup of coconut oil
4 tbs of coconut aminos (soy sauce could work if you're not eating clean)
1 whole head of garlic, peeled
1 1/2 Tablespoon of Cumin
Juice of 2 limes and 1/2
1 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
a dash of onion powder (to taste)
a dash of sea salt (to taste)

**Remember to taste as you go to determine what else you will like for your taste buds.**

Add all of the marinade ingredients to the blender. Process until smooth. Marinade was thick but my vitamix broke it down after a bit. The original recipe suggested adding water if it was too thick.

Put the chicken into a container. Pour the marinade and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. I let it sit for close to 2 hours.

We grilled the thighs and cut into them about 10 minutes after being off of the grill.

Enjoy!

Superbowl Sunday - Clean Eating Menu

I created a menu with help from my friends at befreeology.com and pinterest. I finally found recipes I could use or alter to meet my needs.

I'm excited about introducing people to new tasty blends. I will have some items that are not clean e.g. cheese, alcohol, corn tortilla chips for those guests who may need a bit more.

I'm so excited and putting my grocery list together. :)

Recipe Tuesday

One of my new favorite eats is Black Bean Hummus. You can make it real thick or thin it out and use it as a dressing as well.

I encourage you use fresh products but canned beans are okay if you cannot make your own. If you do make your own save the "caldito" (broth) to thin it out for dressings and sauces. If you use canned beans make sure they are low sodium organic rinsed well.

Remember to change the recipe up to your taste e.g. less garlic if you do not like a lot of garlic etc.

BLACK BEAN HUMMUS

3 garlic cloves, peeled

2 tbs of fresh squeezed lime juice

1 teaspoon of cumin

1/4 teaspoon of salt

2 teaspooons of olive oil

1 large jalapeno, chopped 

15 oz of black beans

1/4 cp of cilantro, chopped

Add the garlic cloves to the food processor, process until they are finely chopped. Then add in all of the other ingredients --- zaaap, zaaap, zaaap. --- Process until they are at the consistency you like. 

I have made the same recipe in various ways already. I have added the "caldito" to make it thinner and I coat my salads in it. I have also added parsley instead of cilantro and it gave it a different flavor. Then there was the one time I added way to many jalapenos and I had to add avocado to kill the spice (I was out of beans). The consistency changed but it was just as yummy. My husband also likes mixing it with his brown rice. 

Keep Playing with Food. 

Enjoy!

Wobderful Wednesday

My life changed. For a long time I sat in a whirlwind of confusion. Once I determined what it was I made up a plan. I'm focused on the plan, to live life fully and healthy.  

Today is day 3 of the detox plan. I was very close to quitting yesterday because I was so dizzy at some point that I was going to reach for easy.  But I'm determined. 

I'm looking forward and asking for help when warranted. I'm making it work so I can WERK IT!

HERE'S TO STAYING POSITIVE AND LIVING LIFE FULLY. 

Motivation Monday

I'm starting a 28 detox today. There are a few motivating factors but the largest of course is my health.

I went to several doctors and completed many forms while trying to figure out the root of my vertigo. I often felt uneasy, uncomfortable and all those negative emotions. But I felt pride when I would write that my diabetes and high blood pressure were regulated with diet and exercise. THEN I got my internal check voice,"girl you haven't regulated much in this Vertigo whirlwind, we need to get real and moving".

As soon as I got my diagnosis I got to work. Stabalizing, meditating and grounding myself to work with what I got.

I forgive myself for past mistakes, and remind myself of my strength. It is a new day to tackle the goal.

Never give up! Jump on in!

Remain Coachable

I started my blog years ago to share my story and motivate others to reach for their goals no matter the obstacle. My main objective was to get off of diabetes and high blood pressure medication by living a healthy lifestyle. 

I accomplished that goal by loosing 100 pounds and then I experienced other obstacles. The main one that I have been unable to manage is my vertigo. My activity level decreased to zero, and my frustration led to less meal prepping. And then up, up, up went my weight.

I have gone to several doctors, specialists and naturalists. I've gone through several diagnosis and a series of tests. I got the "final" diagnosis yesterday : Menieres Disease. According to conventional medicine  there is no known cure and it is common to worsen with age. Stress and high-sodium trigger vertigo episodes. My doctors plan is for me to take a diuretich and to see him every 3-4 months for a regular check up and management i.e. how it is affecting me with time.

I am more focused on living a long healthy life. Now that there is no more uncertainty about "what is wrong with me?" I can tackle the dis-ease. I will work with what I've got and manage it all as best as I can.

I can do it with holistic methods, clean eating and positive thinking.

Heres to healthy living and never giving up!!!

Motivational habits

It is important for me to focus on all the good things life has to offer. Waking up and thinking positive thoughts allows me to walk with some umph!

Umph = motivational habits

Morning routine.

1. Listen to meditation recording.
2. Yoga practice (+ exercise if time allows)
3. Tea and miraclesnow read.
4. Journal entry
5. Shower and get ready

I love it when I wake up at 4:30 because by 6:30 am I feel accomplished and I'm ready to kill it at work!   motivated and ready!!!

Now I know I'm a morning person so it's easy breezy. What are some things you can do to feel ready and motivated?

Play with a routine that will make you wake up and walk with a little umph!