The Healing Power of Food

Happy Friday Loves!! 

I hope everyone had a great week. This week was tough for me because we unfortunately had massive layoffs at my work. Thankfully, I am still employed but it's hard to feel joyous when your friends and colleagues said their goodbyes. But either way, God has a plan for each and every person and the best is yet to come for them... I know it!

So I posted this picture on instagram this morning and I am so excited to share more with you about what this picture represents. 

As a lot of you know, I have started doing grain free. I decided at the start of this year that this year would be the year of fasting for me. So one goal of mine with that was to take out certain things in my diet to really learn how my body reacts to certain foods.

Well, I prayed about what I should fast on and the first thing I fasted on was sugars. Each fast being 21 days, I focused on how my body responded to getting rid of sugars. It responded very well. I was less bloated, my skin got better, I was less groggy. So as I prayed to God for my next fast and also to help me lose weight, I felt in my spirit that I was to start eating what He had created, not what was "man-made". Then shortly after, my good friend randomly talked to me about grain free and overall just eating all natural, non processed foods. It's almost like a light bulb switched on in my mind like "Duh- makes total sense- I need to stop eating preservatives and other things my body wasn't meant to process."

So I started on my journey of grain-free. I always felt bloated after eating grains, sugars and preservative packed foods... and not only that, but my skin never reacted well. I have always suffered from having terrible acne, to the point of having to go on heavy meds to maintain it. It has gotten better over the years, but it never completely went away.

I have almost hit my 21 day mark of grain free. As I mentioned in my post on Monday, I have lost 7 lbs, and feel SO much better. A bonus? My skin has completely cleared up. The picture above was taken 2 nights ago when I got out of the shower, face clean- & clear! I was so pumped.

I am on no meds or treatments anymore. I sometimes have skipped washing my face at night even! & no breakouts. I am learning more and more how there is such healing power in FOOD! Food that God created for us to enjoy. :)

Some natural things I am doing to help?

1. Bentonite. It's a detoxing clay that absorbs toxins in your body. It sometimes clogs me up but just I just have to be diligent about drink a lot of water (which is great for you anyway!)

2. Coconut Oil. I have started using it with everything. On my body, face, food, etc. It has become my secret weapon. It moisturizes my body, it's a great oil to cook with, and it doesn't cause my skin to be more oily! Better yet, my friend just informed me of "oil pulling" with coconut oil which is when you swish the oil around your mouth for 20 minutes and it removes toxins and gunk. So cool! I have yet to try that but  I definitely am going to start.

3. If I am craving sweets, I will allow myself 85-90% cocoa chocolate (like 1 square) and team it up with fresh berries. I try not to do that on a daily, but for you ladies that go through that time of the month, you know what I am talking about with cravings! 

All in all, I have stopped eating foods with ingredients I cannot pronounce. I have started eating all natural foods with no preservatives and eliminated all grains. & I honestly have not felt better. It started being another fast, and now I WANT to make it a lifestyle. I do not think I have ever said that about any type of diet change. 

Grain Free Week 2 Check In

Hi Everyone!!

I hope everyone had a great weekend! 

Mine was oh so busy, but what's new? I feel like I say that every Monday.

This weekend I celebrated life with friends on a party bus, celebrated my bestie's birthday on Saturday and today I was able to catch up on grocery shopping and food- prepping for this coming week!

Well, I have great news- week 2 on this grain free lifestyle has put my weightloss down over 6 pounds! Another 3.5 pounds this week!

Wins:

- I feel way more energized. 

- My skin is cleared up! It's amazing!

- I sleep so much better. I literally didn't wake up once when I fell asleep.

I have been doing more and more research on what I am putting in my body and how it effects what. It's amazing to learn how many chemicals/ "not-natural" food I have been putting in my body for far too long!

My body is definitely still in detox mode. I am finding I get slightly moody when I am craving the "bad stuff" like grains and sugars. Letting go of sugars has been the hardest thing because I am obsessed with chocolate! But I have discovered a great thing called stevia that I will drink with a little tea to help me get rid of the craving. Also, fruit helps. 

I had a tiny bit of frozen yogurt on Thursday to "treat" myself and that little bit put me over the edge! I am happy about it because that shows that my body is rejecting the processed sugars! Yay! Ha ha!

I have also been adding some supplements in my diet to help with the change in lifestyle:

1. I added a probiotic to help with my digestive system. I take it on an empty stomach when I wake up in the am.

2. I started taking Physillium Husks twice daily. This is a natural fiber supplement that helps with digestion. Its a great natural detox!

3. I just started taking bentonite clay that is a natural healing clay that helps the body absorb toxins.  I will be taking this once to twice daily with meals. We will see if it helps!

Overall, I am still in full throttle for grain free. I haven't seen this big of a change in me in a long time. I know i said I was going to exercise everyday this week, but it ended up only being about 3 times (zumba/cardio, more cardio, and yoga) and I still was seeing weightloss. 

What supplements have helped you stay on track with your lifestyle change? Any tips for a newbie like me??

Have a good Monday!

Aisha

#GrainFreeLife: Week 1 Check In

Happy Monday, Loves! 

How are you?!! 

I hope all of your weekends were good.. no, great!

I want to thank you guys for all the encouraging words and support as I try this new adventure in going grain free. I have been reading so many of your stories as well as challenges and I just thank you for opening up to me! I really appreciate it. It definitely helps me keep going!

Before I give you an update, I want to show you my new hair! I dyed it Friday night and got my hair restyled and I love how it turned out. What do you think?

It is a chocolate brown but has a hint of warmth with some red. I am so happy with it!

ANYWAY! I am so excited to share with you how my first week of going grain free went!

So I started on Sunday of last week. I will begin saying this- it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. But I didn't realize how many grains were in my diet until I totally cut them out! Wow! I was eating so many grains!! 

The first three days were the most difficult. I definitely was craving breads and sugars so much! I also was very tired. I sometimes caught myself closing my eyes at my desk (oops!) but after the third day, I felt so energized, less bloated, and my skin cleared up! Amazing- am I right?!

The best part is- I lost over 3 lbs week 1! I know many of you said you lose weight fast and consistently and I was so surprised to see weight drop like that. Especially since I hardly worked out last week! I worked out Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. I did Zumba on Monday, Yoga on Wednesday and weight lifting (legs) on Saturday. 

This week I have workouts everyday. Hopefully that will help kick-start some more weight-loss this week. I haven't measured where I am from the beginning. I probably am going to wait to do that. 

The key thing that has really helped me stay strict with my eating?

Pre-packing my food! I mentioned that in my first blog post about going grain free but man, it helped so much because all my meals were already pre-packed ready to go for whenever I was hungry! & I always kept almonds close by if I was extra hungry one day.

I am so excited to continue on this journey! Thank you to all my weight-loss warriors for all the support and encouragement! You guys are such a blessing!

The other great part of this all- I got my sister and mom on board! This is going to be so fun doing it with family :)

What weightloss tips and tricks have worked for you!? 

I would love to hear them :)

xoxo,

Aisha

Diving into Fall: Homemade Apple Crisp

Happy Hump Day!

Fall is my favorite season, as many may know. Also, I love to bake and cook... so I decided to make some good ol' apple crisp. 

This recipe is the best yet for apple crisp. You know how you can sometimes get apple crisp and its more bitter than sweet? Well this one turned out perfect! 

Ingredients:

10 cups of apples- peeled and cut into pieces ( I use honey crisp)

1 cup white sugar

1 tbsp all purpose flour

1 tablespoon cinnamon (most recipes your find will say a teaspoon but I LOVE cinnamon so I add more )

1/2 cup of water (make sure not to overdue it or else it could become watery)

1 cup quick cooking oats

1 cup of all purpose flour

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

2. Cut the apples into pieces and place apple is a 9x13in pan

3. Mix white sure, 1 tablespoon of flour, and ground cinnamon together and sprinkle over apples. Pour water in evenly after. 

4. Combine the oats, 1 cup flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter together. Combine over apple mixture. Try to spread out as evenly as possible.

5.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min- 1 hour.

It is the best smell in the world! You will have people craving to come back! :)

Enjoy!

YUM! 

xoxo,

-A

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New Art + A Lie List

Hello Everyone! 

I hope you have had a wonderful start to your week. 

I have recently gotten a lot of confirmation about how I can conquer my dreams. When I was a little girl (even now) I dreamed of owning my own business, my own clothing line more specifically, so I could do what I love. I always took design classes, kept up with the latest fashion, even studied in the fashion capital of the world. But for some reason, I still ended up working doing something that isn't my dream. 

I have learned about a lie list. 

Basically, you write down everything you think of yourself. You then use scripture and Godly friends/family to go through the list with you to identify what is a lie and what scripture really says you are. 

So I did it. I didn't realize how many lies I believed about myself- including that I am not good enough to be an artist/ designer. 

Have you ever done something like this before?

If you haven't, I would highly recommend it. Take an hour with a good friend and be open and honest with it. You will be amazed at the lies you believe.

& then I got inspiration from my dear friend Jena, who recently obeyed her calling and followed her dreams and passions. She has started a shop of her illustrations (they are beautiful!) & it has soared! See her site here. It is truly beautiful and inspirational to see that with God, all things are possible. 

With knowing what my dream is, calling out the lies I believed, and getting inspiration from the Lord and friends, I have started to dip into my passion little by little. I have started really doing what I love. I have started painting, messing around with different styles of paint, and drawing ideas of what my dream line would look like so that my dreams stay constantly in my mind. I know after time, God will grant me the desires of my heart- I believe it!

I am so excited for the things that I have in store. Things I have planned with people and on my own. I love how God is bringing everything together so I can truly be happy and do what I love.

Here are a couple of my paintings. They are just a start, but it's truly what I enjoy doing on my free time!

This is my second canvas painting.. no stenciling! It love the glitter touch. 

"perfect love casts out fear" 1 John 4:18

This was my first time experimenting with watercolor. The dress was my first ever and the trees were my second. I am trying to focus on what brushes I should use as well as shading of the colors!

I would love your feeback and any tips/tricks!

-A

DIY: Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

For the 100th time... Happy Fall!

Many of you may not know, but I LOVE to cook and try new ways to make healthy food yummy.

So the new hip high fiber food that everyone talks about is Quinoa. But, unless you put in your own "umph!" it can taste bland. So it has been a new thing for me to try to incorporate quinoa in dishes to get the fiber and protein while also having a dish of yummy flavors.

If you know me personally, you know I am pretty much obsessed with black beans. They are such a staple food in my home. They are high in protein, fiber and low in fat. All you need is a little salt and lime to make those babies taste great!

This recipe I made has both those thing- a fiber powerhouse!

Quinoa Enchilada Casserole!

Ingredients:
1 cup dry organic quinoa
2 cups of black beans (or to your liking)
cilantro
Enchilada sauce or taco sauce (to your liking)
1 Package Low fat cheese (or regular- your choice!)
 2 tablespoons Salt
1 tablespoon Pepper
1 Tablespoon of Cumin
1 Lime

Optional Ingredients:
- 1/2 avocado
- sour cream or greek yogurt
- 1 bag of corn kernels

Preheat oven to 375:
1] Cook the quinoa following the package instructions
2] Cook black beans according to instructions (if dry bagged). For canned black beans, rinse black beans and heat over stove for 10 minutes.
3] Squeeze half of lime in with black beans while heating over stove.
3] After quinoa is cooked, add black beans, cilantro, enchilada sauce, salt, pepper, cumin, and 1 handful of cheese.
4] Spray baking pan with non stick spray
5] Place combined ingredients in the baking pan and even the leveling
6] Squeeze more lime onto the ingredients (to your liking)
7] To your discretion, sprinkle cheese on the top of the dish
8] Place dish in oven and bake for 15 min!

After dish is baked:
1] cut avocado up and put little bits on top ( I didn't because unfortunately I am not a fan of avocado!)
2] Put leftover cilantro on top
3] Cut yourself a piece, put a dollop of greek yogurt (or sour cream) on top and enjoy! Go ahead and add more salsa on top if your prefer that too :)

One tip: I don't typically measure my spices (salt, pepper, cumin, enchilada sauce)- I start conservative and add more if it needs more flavor. So no need to go off the exact measurements in this recipe. Cater it to your liking! :)

Enjoy & have a great day!

-A
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Foodspirations: Fish Tacos!

Hey Lovelies!

I have recently started being on a health kick so I am starting a new segment called Foodspirations! Basically, any new food that I see and would like to make myself- I am actually going to attempt!

Today I am going to share a recipe with you that I have recently fallen in love with. I was at Crave America on Friday and I got their blackened Walleye fish tacos for lunch- and they were so amazing! 

So last, I decided to try and make my own version of fish tacos with a healthier twist with a side of a cheesy sweet corn, black bean and rice casserole.

Take a look:

Serving Size: About 6 tacos

Whole pan of 

Ingredients:

3 tilapia fillets

spices of choice to add flavor to fish (I used paprika and a little Lowry's salt)

Limes

1 bushel Cilantro

Cabbage

Light Spicy Mayo (make homemade or buy from store)

1-2 bags light Mexican blend cheese

1 can black beans

1 bag sweet corn kernels

6" tortilla of choice

1 small red onion

How I made it:

Fish:

I heated a pan with a little olive oil

I cut the fillets into bite size pieces

I put the fish into the pan and added the salt and spices right away to help soak them in

Let the fish cook for about 10- 15 min or until cooked on low heat 

Rice: 

for a 9x9 pan of casserole, heat about 1.5 cups of water and bring to boil in pot

after water boils, put 1 cup of rice in and bring to boil again

Let it simmer with lid on pot on low heat

Let rice cook for about 20 minutes.. you will be the best judger to know if your rice is cooked. 

Casserole:

While Rice is cooking, dice onions in to small pieces in cook in a small pan until cooked completely. 

In a small pot, poor can of black beans into the pot and cook for about 10 min or until beans are cooked. After beans are cooked, rinse the beans and place in separate in separate bowl. 

After I cooked the beans, I used the same pot to cook the corn kernels. Depending on what kind you get- just follow cooking instructions on the bag. I added 1/2 cup of water and cooked over heat for 5 min. After cooked, add into the same bowl as black beans.

Once onions are cooked, put them into the bowl with the corn and black beans and mix together.

When the rice is cooked, mix rice, black beans, onion and corn together.

Place into a 9x9 pan and spread shredded cheese on top.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. 

Once heated, put pan in the oven and cook for about 15 min.

Toppings:

Cut up cabbage for desired amount as well as the cilantro

Once everything is cooked, put fish into the tortillas and add toppings including spicy mayo.

I also squeezed some lime on top to add more flavor and then I also added a slice of lime on the plate for those who like extra lime (like me!)

Once cheese is melted on casserole, take out of the oven and serve. 

Note that you can cook everything simultaneously in the way you desire. 

Overall, its pretty simple! Cooking instructions for everything should be on its packaging so you can make them the way that fits you best. 

They turned out delicious! 

Please comment with any questions or comments! I love to hear from you :)

-A