I am a Shark

Did you know that if a shark stops moving they die?

I feel like when I stay stagnant, a part of me dies. I want to keep moving, learning, growing and existing in a way that leads to a fulfilled life.

Those sharks, aside from being terrifying, have the right idea.

But why is it that the things I love to do the most can't actually be a profession?

Well, maybe some of the things can be, but realistically making a career out of my favorite things do is very very challenging.

I like to talk, write, eat, shop, look for bargains on everything, travel and help others in any way that I can.

I got it!

I belong on the travel channel hosting some kind of show so I can reach as many people as I can and visit as many places as I can, while I eat more than my body will know what do to with.

Why did it take so long for me to discover all these things things about myself?!?

Do we have to actually go through several occupations and life experiences before it really hits us? Is it age? Maybe, but some people just know.

I have friends who are successful lawyers, doctors, teachers, producers and entrepreneurs who all started on their career paths during college or right after. They just knew what their calling was and went for it. Of course there's some people I know who thought they knew, but changed their minds after some years.

I really should have went to school for journalism. I didn't really start tapping into my 'talents' so-to-speak until last year while going through a transition.

So what am I going to do about it now?

Do all the things I love.

One day it will generate income and the hard work will pay off.

Move forward, be focused, be a SHARK.

Wallet Waster

Between moving, two weddings, family in town and feeling under the weather, it has been really hard to write the last couple of months. Things are finally slowing down and I hope to get back to writing. I am actually thinking about doing video posts in the future!

I absolutely love wallets. All kinds of them. I love them almost as much as I love handbags. I must own 20.

I know...it's RIDICULOUS.

I've become somewhat of a 'wallet collector' unbenounced to me. I swear I didn't know how bad it was until I moved a couple months ago. Actually there are A LOT things I need to get rid of, but for now I am focusing on getting rid of those wallets that might get some better use in other purses.

I use my Tory Burch Vintage Rose Gold Metallic Wristlet ALL THE TIME. I like to take it out and put my phone and car key in there when I don't want to lug my handbag around. It looks even more vintage than it should because I can't seem to switch it up to anything else. Plus I love rose gold.

They still have them available at select department stores and ToryBurch.com, but only in silver and gold.

I know I shouldn't be looking for more, but I REALLY like this black patent one shown above.

You can also use it as a clutch, though I don't think a phone would fit in there..

This one retails for $195.

Waaay more then I would actually have in there.

Processed Foods and Luna Minis

I really love Zone Bars, specifically the chocolate mint flavor.

It's the only bar that doesn't taste like a "bar" if you know what I mean and almost like a treat for me. I've tried hundreds...okay dozens of brands and flavors and I haven't found anything that has a decent balance of calories, protein, carbs and fats like my Zone Bar.

But the major problem with my favorite bar is that it is highly chemically processed and now I can't eat them as much as I would like to.

I have been more conscious recently of the foods I have been eating and trying to eliminate processed foods (almost) completely. This has proven to be quite the challenge for me.

When I first started paying attention to food labels back in 2002 after taking a nutrition class in college, I started cutting down on foods with high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils. If you start looking at the foods in your pantry more you'll notice that almost everything has those two ingredients in there. That is why it is so hard to eliminate everything.

Unfortunately there are just some foods that I cannot quit, but overall I am doing better and have really been filling up my fridge with veggies and foods that need to be cooked within 3 days.

So with that said, my pantry is almost empty! Aside from protein powders, some spices, sauces and Luna Minis (more on that in a minute), that is all I have in there. Even my beloved peanut butter has to be refrigerated.

I was at Trader Joe's yesterday and wanted to raid the snack aisle like I've never eaten! But instead of going down the aisle like I normally do and feel sad, I decided not to even go down that road. It helped a little, but I still felt sad.

Why is it that the foods you know you shouldn't be eating you crave even more when you can't have them?!?

And honestly it's not really actual food I am missing, it's desserts. I love cookies, cakes, ice cream, chocolate by the ton, and milk shakes. Luckily I have never been one to indulge in fried foods or pasta, just the occasional pizza, but I sure make up for it in sweets!

I just want to make it clear that I am not eliminating processed foods to lose weight. I am doing it to feel better and treat my body well. There are so many weight loss plans that include frozen meals and I am shocked that so many people buy into these meals thinking they are going to be healthy if they eat pre-packaged foods. They may lose weight since they are taking in less calories and monitoring their food intake, but they are not healthy by any means.

I do believe in moderation and not depriving yourself. If I could just eat fruit, vegetables, fish and lean meats all the day long that would be fantastic, but a total fantasy.

I remember my mom telling me that when she moved to the US she was sick all the time. She went from eating all of her meals made from scratch to eating packaged foods since it was easy and very new to her. She suffered from headaches, stomach-aches, nausea and some weight gain. As she became more familiar with the stores and products (she couldn't read English), she started cooking again and started feeling better.

Well, I can't seem to give up protein bars completely since they are great on the run and great as a quick snack to hold you over, so I have started eating Luna Minis instead. They are 70% organic and I can pronounce almost all of the ingredients.

As for the Zone Bar, I think I can pronounce like 3 out of the 25 things listed. I really like the Luna Minis since they contain a lot less sugar than the regular size and are half the calories; not to mention pretty cute looking. The regular size is great for an actual meal replacement, but the sugar content is too high for me.

Here's a great article I found that breaks down what you shouldn't be eating. It looks like a lot and it is. This article does not in any way portray my way of eating, but I included it because it's good to use as a general guideline.

http://www.natural-health-restored.com/unhealthy-foods.html