Ericaaxe's blog

2012 TIME TO GET FIT!!!

2012-01-07T15:37:00.001-08:00

Hey guys its 2012 and I am in the best shape of my life!! Today i went to the gym and ran 2 miles then had a protien shake. Time for you to get in shape too!! Time to work out, time to eat healthy, and it ALWAYS that time. you can't just workout and stop, its a lifestyle change!! Get off the couch and go to the gym, then go home and have a protein shake..you will thank me later!!~Erica

Busy-ness

2011-12-06T17:38:00.000-08:00

Hey guys sorry I haven't posted in FOREVER. I just do not live on the computer and probably haven't been on it in months. Yes I am still doing contortion, just haven't posted any videos, but hopefully will post one soon, sorry its been so long, stay tuned~ Love Erica

Bladder Health and UTI

2011-03-29T12:05:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, if you ever had a Urinary tract infection then you know how annoying it can be. Any bladder problems seem to take over your life, having to go to the bathroom non stop, or just feeling uncomfortable. Overactive bladder is also annoying. If you have overactive bladder or a Urinary tract infection there are a few things you can do, for frequent urination Valerian root is good if its caused by anxiety, raspberry's may also help with frequent urination. If its a Urinary tract infection then cranberry pills and cranberry tea with other supporting herbs may help..if your bladder area feels inflamed then ibuprofen can help with the discomfort and help to bring the inflammation down. so try those remedies and it should help a lot. If you drink cranberry juice make sure its made with real cranberry's, you can usually find the good cranberry juice at health food stores. ~erica

Princess Cake; My 21st Birthday

2011-03-18T05:34:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, for my 21st birthday which was March 15, I made a princess cake, and it came out excellent...although...I have the stomach flu soo nothing really looks good to me right now. I actually didn't get wasted on my 21st birthday..."surprise" I think it was a good decision...who wants a hangover? I do not. I did have a lot of fun, without being drunk and i think that its important in life...to learn how to be happy drug free. I know that can be really really difficult to do, there is so much peer pressure in life from friends..and stress that may make you want to give in to drugs.

For my birthday I went salsa dancing. There are so many clubs that I couldn't go to before, It was so fun :) anyways I hope you enjoy this cake recipe I used a different recipe for the vanilla genoise, because the vanilla genoise recipe in the princess cake post came out like a rock o_o..so I found another vanilla genoise recipe that came out perfect! I will be experimenting with marzipan soon. be safe..drink responsibly :)...or don't drink..haha~erica

Vanilla Genoise

http://www.food.com/recipe/vanilla-genoise-cake-52397

"A baker's basic. Genoise is a dry cake that is used with ingredients that are very moist, so they can soak up the extra moisture and take on that flavor, like trifles, or mousse filled cakes. This is my fool-proof formula."
Ingredients

o 4 large eggs, room temp
o 3 tablespoons hot unsalted butter
o 1 teaspoon vanilla
o 1 cup sifted cake flour or 1 cup pastry flour ( sift before measuring)
o 2/3 cup granulated sugar

Directions

1. Oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line the bottom of One 8 or 9 inch round cake pan OR 8-inch square pan, OR 11x17 sheet pan with parchment, and spray lightly with some sort of spray release (like Pam).
3. Combine the butter and vanilla in a small bowl.
4. Set aside somewhere warm (you want the butter to stay melted).
5. Combine the flour with 3 tbl.
6. of the sugar and sift again.
7. Set aside.
8. In the bowl of your mixer, combine the eggs and rest of the sugar.
9. Place the mixing bowl in a large pan of hot (not boiling, very hot tap water is good) water, and mix with your VERY CLEAN hand (kids love this part) until the eggs feel warm to the touch (body temp)*.
10. Return the bowl to the mixer and whip on high speed until cool, light and at the ribbon stage (when you lift the beaters, ribbons of batter fall back into the bowl and don't disappear very quickly).
11. Now, everyone says to use a rubber spatula, but I find it much easier to use my hand to do this next part**.
12. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the flour onto the eggs and quickly and gently fold into the batter.
13. Fold in half the remaining, then the rest.
14. Take about a handful of the batter and mix into the small bowl of butter and vanilla until well combined.

Page 2 of 2Vanilla Genoise Cake (cont.)
Directions (cont.)

15. Gently fold that back into the batter.
16. Divide between the pans and bake as follows: for an 8" square, 20-25 min.
17. ;an 8" round, 25-30 minutes; a 9" round, 20-25 minutes; and an 11x17 sheet pan, 15-20 minutes.
18. The cakes should JUST BEGIN to shrink away from the side of the pans, and should spring back when you lightly touch them in the center.
19. Remove from oven, let cool about 10 minutes in the pan then turn out onto a flat surface and let cool completely before peeling off the parchment.
20. Set aside until ready to use.
21. DO NOT OVERBAKE.
22. This cake is best if allowed to sit a day before using in trifles.
23. NOTE 1: Genoise is supposed to be a dry cake.
24. It was made specifically to take moist toppings so it could soak them up.
25. *NOTE2: I learned to use my hand when warming yolks in culinary school.
26. The idea is that as soon as it feels warm on your hand, it is at the perfect temperature to whip to ribbon stage.
27. **NOTE3: I learned to fold flour into delicate batters like this with my VERY CLEAN hand in culinary school also.
28. At first I thought it was stupid, but I quickly saw it was the best way to be able to tell if all of your flour is mixed in and avoid any un-incorporated flour bits.
29. I mix angelfood cakes this way, too.
30. Children love to do this!

Princess Cake

http://www.lovescool.com/archives/2011/01/09/princess-cake-recipe/

This lovely cake calls for care in preparation. Plan your baking and assembling steps in advance and the result is a gorgeous, delicious cake.

Preparation Timeline:
Marzipan: 1 day to 1 month ahead
Soaking Solution: 1 day to 1 month ahead
Vanilla Genoise Layer Cake: 1 day ahead (refrigerate) or up to 1 week ahead (freeze)

Serving: 12
Prep Time: 150 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours (plus resting time)

INGREDIENTS

* Vanilla Genoise Layer Cake (recipe follows)
* Soaking Solution (recipe follows)
* 1/3 Cup Raspberry Jam
* Flavored Whipped Cream (recipe follows)
* 1 Cup Pastry Cream (recipe follows)
* Marzipan, at room temperature (recipe follows), see note
* Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
* Fresh pink or white rose for decorating

Marzipan
3 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 pound almond paste
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 to 3 tablespoons water
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon green food coloring (traditional for the princess cake)\

1. Put the confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the flat beater. With the mixer running on medium-low speed, add the almond paste about 1 teaspoon at a time. This will take about 5 minutes. The mixture will be crumbly. Scape down the bowl and the beater. Add the corn syrup and mix on low speed until incorporated. The mixture will still be crumbly. Again scrape down the bowl and beater.

2. In a small bowl, combine the water and food coloring. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add about half of the food coloring mixture and beat until incorporated. Continue gradually adding the food coloring until the marzipan just comes together and reaches the consistency of sugar cookie dough. It should be smooth but not crumbly or overly sticky.

3. If more color is desired, knead it by hand after removing the marzipan from the mixer. (Remember it is easier to add a little more color at the end than to make a new batch!) Different food colorings have different intensities and will require different amounts.

4. Place the marzipan on a sheet of plastic wrap and form it into a 9-inch round disk about 1/2 inch thick. Wrap and refrigerate overnight before using. Store in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Soaking Solution
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon Myers’s dark rum

1. In a small saucepan, combine the water and sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and let cool. Add the rum. Let cool completely before using or refrigerating. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Pastry Cream
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a heavy saucepan, warm the half-and-half over medium heat until it begins to simmer. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix the cornstarch with the sugar. Using a whisk, whip in the water until smooth. Beat in the egg yolks. When the half-and-half is simmering, slowly add about half of it into the cornstarch mixture, whisking constantly to incorporate. Whisk this mixture into the simmering half-and-half and continue to whisk vigorously and constantly until the pastry cream thickens, about 2 to 5 minutes.

2. Remove from heat, add the vanilla and transfer to a glass or metal bowl. Let cool completely, stirring frequently to prevent a skin from forming on the top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 5 hours, or up to 3 days.

Flavored Whipped Cream:
3 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. When you are ready to assemble the cake, make the whipped cream. In a deep bowl, combine all the ingredients. Using an electric mixer or a balloon whisk, beat the mixture until soft peaks form. Set aside while cutting the cake.

TO ASSEMBLE THE PRINCESS CAKE:

1. Using a long serrated knife, level the top(s) of the cakes. If you used a 9×2 inch pan, cut the cake into three even layers; if you used two 9×1.5 inch pans, cut the thicker layer into two even layers. Place the top layer of the cake, cut side down, on a 9-inch cake cardboard. Brush it lightly with soaking solution, being careful not to oversoak it. Spread the cake with a thin layer of raspberry jam (You should almost be able to see through it.) Spread a 1/4 inch thick layer of the whipped cream over the raspberry jam. Set the middle layer of the cake on the whipped cream. Brush it with soaking solution and then spread it with a 3/8 inch thick layer of pastry cream. Place the remaining cake layer, cut side down, on top of the pastry cream. Brush it with soaking solution.

2. Using a metal icing spatula, coat the side of the cake with a 1/8 inch thick coat of whipped cream. There should be just enough whipped cream to seal in all the crumbs and to prevent the marzipan from resting directly on the cake.

3. Mound the remaining whipped cream on the top of the cake, and using a metal icing spatula, spread into a dome so that the cake almost looks like an upside down bowl. Soften the edge where the top of the genoise ends and the dome begins by beveling it with the flat part of the spatula.

4. Bring the marzipan to room temperature at least 1 hour before assembling the cake. Before attempting to cover a cake with marzipan for the first time, practice covering an inverted 8 inch or 9 inch bowl. Once you are comfortable with this technique, gather up the marzipan, knead it into a ball and reroll to cover the cake.

5. Lightly dust the work surface with confectioners’ sugar. Place the marzipan on the surface and, using an 18-inch wide rolling pin, roll out the marzipan as you would pie dough, into a 16-inch circle, 1/8 inch thick. Frequently dust the marzipan with plenty of confectioners’ sugar and turn the circle to make sure the marzipan is not sticking to the work surface. Using your hand, brush off the excess confectioners’ sugar. Don’t worry if a lot of confectioners’ sugar clings to the marzipan; it will be absorbed.

6. Set the cake near the rolled out marzipan, about 6 inches away from the edge of the work surface, so that you can see and reach around the entire cake. Loosely roll the marzipan onto the rolling pin, starting at the back and rolling toward you.

7. Lift the rolling pin with the marzipan rolled around it. Unroll the marzipan over the cake, starting at the front and unrolling toward the back, while making sure to cover the entire cake and cardboard. When finished, some marzipan should drape onto the work surface all around the cake.

8. At this point, the dome of the cake will be smoothly covered, but there will be folds and creases on the sides. To remove the folds and creases, lift the outside edge of the marzipan with a hand on either side of the fold and, without tearing or stretching, gently pull the marzipan out and down until the fold disappears.

9. Work your way around the cake. Once all the folds are eliminated, rub the palm of your hand around the sides of the cake to further smooth and eliminate air pockets.

10. With a rolling pizza cutter or small, sharp knife, carefully cut off the excess marzipan along the bottom edge of the cake cardboard (the cardboard should not show). Reserve for making leaves.

11. Slide the icing spatula under the cake cardboard and tilt the cake up enough to get the palm of your other hand underneath to lift it without touching the sides. Turn the cake, checking to make sure the cake and cardboard are completely covered with the marzipan. If not, gently push the marzipan down, using the palm of your hand.

12. Set the cake down and sift a fine dusting of confectioners’ sugar over it. Transfer to a serving platter.

13. Cut three elongated ovals about 3 inches long by 1 inch wide out of the remaining marzipan to make three leaf shapes. Lightly score the top of the leaves with a knife to create veins. Gently blend each leave into a leaflike curve. Place the marzipan leaves, spaced evenly apart, on the center of the domed cake top with the stem ends touching. Gently press the stem ends into the dome to secure the leaves to the top of the cake.

14. Cut the rose stem 2 inches below the flower. Lift the sepals so they will set over the marzipan leaves and insert the rose into the center of the dome.

15. The finished princess cake may be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days, but it is best the day it is made. Remove the cake from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.

my notes:
this could get messy! once you cut the first vanilla genoise recipe...do not move it, you may need a cake cardboard. If you try to move it after you cut it...it will be so thin it may break. really mix the vanilla genoise with your hand :) its fun and will make the cake come out great. ~erica

Coconut Cake

2011-03-16T15:38:00.000-07:00

I got this cake recipe for a coconut cake, and I made buttercream frosting for the top, It was for my friend jefferys birthday. It looked gorgeous but..it was not as fluffy as I wanted but if you like dense cake then you might like this recipe. It also comes out fluffier as cupcakes...I will post the best coconut cake recipe when I find it :)
http://www.food.com/recipe/double-coconut-cake-with-fluffy-coconut-frosting-16773

Vitamin D :)

2011-03-12T14:31:00.000-08:00

This is a reminder to get your vitamin D :)I like to get mine in the sunlight because its the most fun way..be careful though! I got a light sunburn :( if you get a sunburn aloe vera works wonders. I was surprised to find out that sunblock can prevent you from absorbing vitamin D from the sun, the article I read is on WebMD, Vitamin D is the only vitamin that is also a hormone, and you need it to absorb calcium..so low vitamin D can contribute to calcium deficiencys. Anyways get some sun!! you will feel good that you did :)

"The Host" by Stephenie meyer

2011-03-09T17:20:00.000-08:00

Hey guys :) I just finished a book called "The Host" by Stephenie Meyer. I give it 5 stars!! I really enjoyed it. The Host is so good, I wish the characters where real people..

It was one of the best books I have ever read, I am surprised because the book involves aliens and I am not really interested in aliens, but it was very captivating and interesting. The beginning is a bit slow, but that is a good thing because it builds the characters personality's. Anyways I definitely recommend it, if you are looking for something to do, I suggest reading, its better than watching movies, and the stories are always better in books, have a good March!!~Erica

p.s. I didn't want to give anything away in the book so I didn't write much about it, all I want to say is I highly recommend it and give it 5 stars.

Celiacs Disease

2011-02-19T20:06:00.000-08:00

I think that Celiacs disease is an important topic because most people who have celiacs disease do not know they have it.

What is it? Well Celiacs disease is a autoimmune disease. Its when your body attacks itself in reponse to gluten, a protien found in wheat, barley, and rye. One problem with celiacs disease is some people go years undiagnosed and have permanent damage from it. Celiac disease is not a wheat allergy, the two often get confused.

People with celiac disease have high concentrations of antibodies that attack their small intestines lining. Symptoms can be confused with gastrointestinal problems like Irritable bowel syndrome. The antibodies attack the lining of the intestine. The antibodies wear down in the villi(tiny finger-like hairs). the villi absorb nutrients from food, when they are damaged they are unable to do there job, and this causes A LOT of problems. There are many syptoms from celiacs disease, hundreds depending on the individual so I will just name a few.

common symptoms are:

1. Abdominal Pain

2. Bloating

3. Constipation

4. Diarrhea

5. Weight Loss

6. Vomiting

7. Depression

8. Fatigue

9. Anemia

10. Infertility

symptoms vary from person to person. there are hundreds of symptoms that can be caused by celiacs disease. I believe it important to find out if you have celiacs disease because so many people go undiagnosed. if you seem to have digestive issues and can't figure out whats wrong consider taking a break from gluten for 2 weeks then see if it bothers you to eat it again. Oatmeal is gluten free and you can even find breads that are gluten free, just avoid wheat, rye, barley, and spelt, and try to avoid processed foods. After removing gluten from your diet see if it helped your digestive issues, you should also get tested for it if you have ongoing digestive issues. Good luck~Erica

Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup

2011-02-17T16:19:00.001-08:00

You always hear me saying don't eat High fructose Corn syrup...but why?

well there are many reasons.

1. Studies have shown that rats who consumed HFCS(high fructose corn syrup) gained more weight than rats fed equally or more fruit derived sugars.

2. It has been linked to metabolic conditions such as diabetes.

3. Elevates bad HDL cholesterol and trygliceride levels.

4. Can cause permanet liver damage.

5. Has significant amounts of mercury levels which cause nervous system damage or brain damage.

6. Most HFCS is derived from genetically modified corn.

Alternatives to HFCS that are safe:
Cane sugar, Honey, Agave, Stevia.
Honey is especially a good sweetner. But please stop eating High fructose corn syrup. look on the package and if it has HFCS do not eat it or buy it. The reason so many companys use it is because it is cheaper than regular sugar, so it saves them money and makes your products lower quality. The risks are not worth it, you can find so many products that do not have HFCS.

Some foods that may have HFCS:
Ketchup, tomato sauce, juice, jams, soda, sweets, bread....check everything you buy! Don't risk your health, HFCS is 100% avoidable :)

The Count of Monte Cristo

2011-02-16T15:05:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading "The Count of Monte Cristo" a few days ago. I have to say it is one of my favorite books. It was such an amazing story and I had to stop and re-read some of the lines, because they went straight to my heart. I loved it. I really admire the Count in the book, and its just I cannot keep repeating how amazing this book is.

On the other hand..the movie was horrible. I watched the movie with Jim Caviezel, Guy Pearce, and Richard Harris. I could not even finish the movie. Every 5 seconds I was saying "What?"..."this is the remix"...then after a while I was more like.. ok I really cannot watch this movie because first of all the Count of Monte Cristo himself is nothing like this man, and second of all I am really starting to get pissed off just watching this. I was really disappointed I didn't even finish the movie.

I understand that it was an action movie and the story was completely different from the book. So I had to stop watching it. That is my personal opinion and I understand that other people may love the movie but I didn't enjoy it at all.

So I give the book 5 stars, I would give it more if I could. I give the movie 0 stars. sorry but once you read the book the movie sucks.

So what is the point I am getting to? READ, the book is always better than the movie, and reading activates your brain. When I read "The Count of Monte Cristo" I had a little movie of it playing in my head..it was great and WAY better than the movie I saw. But again the only reason the movie sucked was because I read the book, and it was nothing like the book. Anyways here is a list of books I have read since January.

Books I have read since January;

1. Eclipse, by Stephanie Meyer
2. New Moon, by Stephanie Meyer
3. Breaking, Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
4. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner(a Twilight Novella), by Stephanie Meyer
5. The Count of Monte Cristo (the unabridged paperback version)by Alexandre Dumas

Happy Valentines Day

2011-02-16T14:59:00.001-08:00

My cat wanted to say happy Valentines day :)~erica xoxoxox <3

Do Carbs Make You Fat?

2011-02-05T12:08:00.000-08:00

Do Carbs really make you fat?

The answer to this is No no NO and no.

Carbohydrates are our body's number one choice for fuel. Your body prefers to run on glucose as apposed to fat and protein. fats and proteins are building blocks but as a main source of fuel they are not what your body wants. The problem with carbs is that there are different types of carbs, simple and complex.

simple carbs are carbs such as: sugar, cookies, cakes, candy, soda, white bread, ice cream, pizza...you get the idea.

Complex carbs are carbohydrates that contain fiber and are not tampered with, complex carbs are carbs such as: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, brown rice, whole wheat bread, oatmeal and carbs that have fiber.

The difference is simple carbs break down quickly they are not made up of many chains of sugar or glucose so they empty into your bloodstream quickly and cause your blood sugar to spike, which can make you insulin resistant, and cause diabetes. It also can cause blood sugar problems if you eat to much simple sugars.

Complex carbs however are made up of long chains of glucose and have fiber, they break down slowly and empty into your bloodstream slowly. They make you feel full longer, and they keep your blood sugar stabilized. Your body loves complex carbs.

Sometimes eating a cookie or a slice of cake is fine, if you are really craving it then its better to eat it than to keep wanting it then eventually binging... because you kept saying no to yourself. I find that if i have a craving and just eat what it is I want then i will get rid of that craving and it won't get out of control.

Eating carbs will not make you fat, you just need to know which carbs to eat. get the carbs that have fiber in it. choose breads that have the least amount of ingredients, add ingredients you can pronounce. Do not buy anything that has hydrogenated oils in it. Ezekial is a good brand for bread, you can also buy natural tortillas at places like Trader Joes that are free of hydrogenated oils. Even the white flour tortillas are alright as long as they are not full of things you can't pronounce. I have seen white tortillas with 5 ingredients, and I can actually understand when they are.

If you are eating tortillas made with white flour don't worry about them making you fat, because inside the burrito there are other things that will slow down the digestion for example, if you have beans and veggies, or cheese it will take longer to digest because of the protein and fiber. So you will stay full longer.
"
In the book i read called "The China Study" they found that even though the Chinese seemed to eat more calories they where still slimmer, the reason for this is because they ate more calories from complex carbs such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains...where as Americans ate more calories from fat and animal products. So the society eating more animal products actually weighed more.

Another thing you need to remember is the serving sizes, throughout the years not only have serving sizes in America increased, but even the plates have gotten bigger...I believe that I can stay thin on junk food..if I do not overeat junk food (and if i am not eating strange ingredients like high fructose corn syrup.), of course its not healthy to eat like that, and it will probably mess up your body in some way so i won't do it. But I am just explaining you can be skinny and eat crap too. The problem is...when you eat to much crap.

Anyways I hope this helped you to understand carbs a little better. They really are your body's favorite source of fuel. so eat your fruits, veggies, and oatmeal and try not to be scared of them despite all the nonsense you have heard. Have a happy February <3 xoxo~erica p.s. thats the breakfast burrito I made this morning, it was full of carbs like potatoes and spinach yummy lol :)

DON'T Count Calories!!!!!

2011-02-01T20:32:00.000-08:00

Since it is a new year I am giving some diet advice or more like what to avoid. One important rule I go by is DO NOT COUNT CALORIES. counting calories makes you become obsessive compulsive over what you are eating, it is not a very fun way to live, I know because I have done it before and after about 2 weeks I could never do it again.

First of all the ingredients are way more important then the calories, second of all you eat 3 or more times a day, do you want to count calories the rest of your life? I do not. The best way to make sure you don't overeat is to simply listen to your body. every time before you eat ask yourself "how hungry am I?" Eat according to how your body feels. make sure that the ingredients are free of weird ingredients like High Fructose Corn Syrup or Monosodium glutamate or anything hydrogenated. Pay attention to ingredients NOT CALORIES!

Another thing you shouldn't do is keep a food journal. I know because again I have done it...and it is one of the most annoying things you can do. It also keeps food on your mind constantly. Habits like counting calories lead to disordered eating. Think of how kids eat, do you think they worry about calories or food journals? Most of the time they are to busy playing before there tummy grumbles and they have to take a break from all the fun they are having and eat. Sadly for most children their foods are laced with strange ingredients that messes up their hormones and is causing more an more Americans to gain weight.

Here are some steps that do help you;

1. Eat real food, stay away from chemicals and things you can't pronounce. Try to eat as many whole foods as possible, and as little processed foods as possible.

2. Listen to your body, let it signal you and tell you when to eat and when not to eat. try to eat until your 80 percent full. Don't stuff yourself stop when your satisfied.

3. Try to get some breakfast, if you are not very hungry shoot for a snack.

4. You do NOT have to eat 6 times a day to get lean. As long as you do not have thyroid or metabolism problems you should be able to get to your ideal weight by listening to your body. Look all over the country there are a lot of cultures in fact almost all of them only eat 3 times daily and they are not overweight. you won't go into "starvation mode" that's a myth. (I have a blog about that)

5.Treat yourself to a sweet if your craving it, letting the craving get worse will only work against you.

6. Include fruits and veggies in your diet.

7. ditch your soda its a bad addiction to sugar. replace it with teas, coffee, and water.(If you want juice just be careful because its stripped of fiber you don't want to overdo it.)

8. Get enough rest 7-8 hours.

Good luck in your goals for 2011, if you have any questions just ask :) Have a good year guys!! :)

Giving In

2011-01-29T11:06:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, since its a new year and everyone is going crazy again trying to lose weight, I decided to give you a tip that will REALLY help you out. This is my first tip and a very important one;
GIVE IN
seriously you know why some people cannot stop thinking about sweets and sugar? its because they tell themselves they can't have it, and that makes them want it more. when I have a sweet craving I eat what I want and get the craving out. when you ignore the craving it just builds and builds and can set you up for binging. Something i like to do if i am craving sweets is eat Dark chocolate, because it has fiber and antioxidants and cocoa prevents blood clots, :) good stuff. The less ingredients the better. Make sure your not eating sweets that have high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils.

I like to bake my own sweets so i know exactly whats in them. I especially love to bake cakes. The picture is a cake I made for my friends birthday (it was the first time I made my own fondant with white chocolate).

So remember if you have a craving don't let it get worse. Some people ignore their craving then after they eat they eat what they were craving, they could have saved the calories in the beginning if they jut eat what they wanted to. Good luck on your goals in 2011 and I will post more tips soon :)~erica

Carrot Parsley Zinger juice

2010-12-22T14:33:00.000-08:00

I just started juicing a little, and I wanted to share this recipe..its so good!!! Its best to use organic vegetables. I did not use organic apples, but everything else I used was organic. You do not want pesticides going straight to your blood stream. anyways enjoy I know I did!!

makes 2 servings

ingredients:
8 large organic carrots peeled
2 apples(tart granny smith apples are good)
2 organic celery sticks
1 medium bowl (about 3-4 cups) full of organic spinach and organic parsley
3 garlic cloves

directions:

Cut wedges in the apples to stick the garlic into. Juice everything, you can use the carrots to help press down on the greens and juice them. when you finished juicing mix with a whisk to make sure it is well blended, makes about 2 servings of juice. enjoy :)

Sake

2010-12-20T10:48:00.000-08:00

R.I.P Sake, the white cat in my G6 video...;( love you...xoxo
December 20, 2010

Christmas Gift to You

2010-12-05T13:12:00.000-08:00

This Christmas I am going to post a video thats shows my more creative and artistic side. I have never really shown my creative side because I didn't have the right tools to do it, I was also worried about people copying me, but I have gotten to a point were I do this for myself. I am dedicating this video to Lady Gaga, for being herself and showing me I can be myself too. So here comes my artistic side :)
I also dedicate my video editor and producer Gino (he is in the picture with me :), who shot and edited the video for me :) thanks bunny!!!!! I also owe Gino 21 massages by the way...haha! and I want to say thank you to my kittens for being in the video, haha! the white cat is Sake, and the gray cat is Wasabi. I also want to thank my friend Jeffery for giving some insight and helping set up. Also thanks to everyone who watches my videos and reads my blogs, love you guys!!! xoxoxo~Erica p.s. More videos coming :)

Making and Baking

2010-11-22T16:49:00.000-08:00

When it comes to baked goods, or sweet treats nothing is better than finding a good recipe and making it yourself.
Now days everything is full of hydrogenated oils, .K.A trans fat.
Ever since I have been paying attention to eating healthier (yes even healthier junk food) I noticed how processed sweets are. So I started making them myself. Now I make my own cookies and pies, or whatever else i want. This past weekend I mad a cake for my friends birthday, it was hard work, but tasted great. I even made my own frosting so I didn't have to worry about trans fat. It was a chocolate cake, with coffee cream cheese frosting. So go bake something, :) ~Erica

Acro-fest pics

2010-11-17T11:32:00.001-08:00

here are some pictures from acro-fest, the picture of me doing a hand to hand balancing is a really fun trick, enjoy :) I had an amazing trip~Erica

Teaching Contortion

2010-11-17T11:23:00.000-08:00

So I just got back from teaching contortion, and it was a fun experience. I taught ten contortion classes in all. I really enjoyed it, I also did two contortion shows. I had a really fun trip. I will probably have my own contortion class in the near future, so I will keep you updated on that. enjoy~Erica

Messing Around at the Beach

2010-11-15T10:40:00.000-08:00

Hey guys I just uploaded a new beach video, my friend Gino taped it for me :) I hope you enjoy it, thanks for watching the comments make me laugh sometimes, love you guys xoxo~Erica ps. yes the rock was a difficult place to bend around, but at the same time fun!

Me Then an Me Now

2010-11-13T11:44:00.000-08:00

My friend recently emailed me asking me if this picture was mine, apperantly she found it on a website with photos of muscular people. I did not have as well defined abs then, but I have better defined abdominal muscles now. I did however have very strong looking tricepts. The guy standing next to me is my cousin Brian. The new pic is one I took today flexing my bicepts, and I have two posts of my abs. When she told me she found my picture on a website I was a little bit angry, but a the same time it is a little flattering. Just remember these don't come for free, muscle is alot of hard work and dedication. So the picture with me and my cousin I was 15 or 16. The second picture is today and I am 20 almost 21 :)....In both pictures my only real training regime is contortion, my body type builds muscle easily. Hope you like these pics, the one with me and my cousins is one of my favorite..good times :D ps. My friend Gino posted a new video of me doing contortion at the beach, enjoy !! lots of new blogs on the way!

Pets Lengthen Life

2010-11-05T16:31:00.000-07:00

There have been actual studies on how having a pet effects your health, and it actually improves your health. Pet owners visit the doctor 30% less then non-pet owners. They have lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and a reduced risk of heart disease. This is probably because having pets keeps you more active. You have to walk your dog, and just owning an animal keeps you all around more active, feeding and maintaining your pet. Not only do pets benefit your health but psychologically they are very good friends. Pets are undramatic and they aren't going to judge you, hence the saying a mans best friend. I am actually watching my cousins band dog. Taking her on walks definitely keeps me active, and gives me a reason to wake up early. I have to stay active anyways keeping up with contortion, but the dog makes me even more active, and gets me a lot of sunlight. And cleaning all that dog hair off my bed makes me even more active, I swear I have to vacuum my bed for like 15 minutes minimum!! But its definitely nice having the dog around. In fact she is crying right now because she is banned from most of the house due to dog hair, and she is crying because I am writing a blog and not near her...awe.

Yummy and Healthy Breakfast

2010-10-25T12:27:00.001-07:00

Hey guys, This morning for breakfast I wanted something healthy but yummy...(healthy food doesn't have to taste bad!)so I made a fall inspired oatmeal, and it was good. Here is the recipe enjoy :)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of Old Fashioned Oats
handful of pecans chopped
handful of dark chocolate chips
handful of dried cranberries
Honey to taste(to taste means as much or as little as you want)
Spices:
Cinnamon to taste
Dash of Nutmeg
Dash of Cloves
Dash of salt

Directions:
Cook the oats as directed add the spices while the oats are cooking, (I like to cook my oatmeal on the stove not the microwave) when the oatmeal is finished (put it in a bowl) add the honey and chop and add the pecans, chocolate chips, and cranberries.

I like when the chocolate chips melt in the oatmeal :)

enjoy :)~Erica

My Workout

2010-10-13T12:23:00.000-07:00

In my last blog, I explained how there is not simple solution to abs, and how it is highly individualized. So now I am going to tell you what I do personally to have abs. This is my workout schedule.

I stretch and do contortion and yoga 5-6 times a week for 1 hour or more. I also dance and occasionally surf, although I am not that good at surfing. My stretching involves handstands so I do a little hand balancing as well. I barely ever run, but every once in a while I might go running.

I used to do strength training and run a lot, but now I just do contortion and dance. When I stopped strength training (and I was only doing body weight exercises), I lost about five pounds of muscle. I was only using my body weight, Now I just do contortion and weigh less but I am still muscular. My body put on muscle very very easily. I don't even want to know what would happen if I lifted weights for real. That is an example of how everyone is different, its easy for me to put on muscle but for some people its very hard.

So there is my workout contortion and dancing 5-6 times a week. I do not do any working out on Saturdays. Saturday is my recovery day.

This is what works for me PERSONALLY everyone is different, everyone's body is different. What gives me abs will not necessarily give you abs. Its all about learning about yourself and your body, how it reacts to different things. My body does not react well to excessive running. I and do interval training and sprint, but running long periods of time or long distance stresses out my body. It also raises my cortisol levels. So when I do run, I do interval training. Even interval training is a rare occasion. I barely run at all anymore, because I spend all my energy on contortion and dancing. I cannot stress enough that its a personal journey of discovering yourself. Find out what you enjoy to do, and do it. That is what will make working out fun. :)

There is No Secret to Abs

2010-10-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

From experience I can say there really is no secret to abs, it is highly individualized. Why do some plans work for some people, and not for others. Why can a teenage boy eat a horse and not gain one pound, while some other people gain weight from looking at food? The answer is because everyone is different and has a different body, so you can't treat everyone the same and get the same result.
A lot of people work out all the time and still they can't seem to get the abs they want. Its all about getting to know your body, sort of like yoga. you have to know what foods you can or can't eat and whats good for you. for example, I like coffee and I love a double shot of espresso with steamed soy milk. Coffee does not make me lose my abs or muscle definition, but it makes me really really hyper. It makes ever cell in my body feel jittery and after that initial hyper feeling I may or may not crash. I can feel my stress hormones cortisol raising by the time I finish the espresso. So through trial and error I have come to realize coffee and espresso is not good for me. That does not mean its bad for everyone, but for me it is bad. Just because it has that effect on me does not mean I will never drink it but I definitely will not drink it every day, I might have a double espresso from Starbucks twice a month, maybe more than that but definitely not every day or I will get so jittery the carpet might look like its moving.
Abs are like yoga, they are both getting to know your body. Everything you put in your body and do lets you know about your body. When you eat something you have to ask yourself how you feel afterward. Ask yourself how its effecting you mentally and physically. If you feel like its effecting you negatively then avoid it or limit it. EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT, we are not carbon copies of each other. Love your body and get to know it and you will be on your way to better health all around.

Lady Gaga is NOT a Transexual!

2010-09-23T21:14:00.000-07:00

I am sick of hearing people say Lady Gaga is a transexual. I see alot of mean comments on her youtube videos with Beyonce. I don't get how some people feel better about themselves by spreading lies about other people. Even as I go from day to day life, when I am with a friend and someone walks by and my friend says that person is ugly, I get a little angry. Everyone is born in their skin, and there is nothing besides exercise and plastic surgery that will change that. So its rude to judge people off appearance. Someone could have six pack abs, and have the most ugly disgusting soul. So lets review

1. Stop calling Lady Gaga a transexual, because she is not a transexual

2. Stop spreading lies about people to make you feel good about yourself

3. Stop Judging people by what they look like. Its shallow and will get you nowhere.

Just cause someone is hot does not make them a great person, and making fun of people won't make anyone a better person either.

Alejandro Show

2010-09-16T13:28:00.000-07:00

Tuesday I did 2 shows, both of them were to one of my favorite songs by Lady Gaga, Alejandro. It was really fun, I love performing. It was my first time doing a show wearing high heels, and I used them for one of my tricks. I really want to make a video of my Alejandro routine, because its one of the most fun shows I have ever done. enjoy the pictures :)

Lady Gaga

2010-09-14T17:10:00.000-07:00

I am really Happy that Lady Gaga won so many awards this year. She is definitely one of my favorite artists. Her outfits are so fashionable and creative, and her music is addicting. I cannot wait to get her new album coming out!! Tonight I am doing a contortion show to Alejandro. That song means a lot to me and I love it. It means alot on a deep personal level. I already am basically ready for my show, just got to do some makeup and i will be set! Having long hair is hard to maintain, maybe I should do like Lady Gaga and get some wigs, haha! Anyways I highly highly recommend her album The Fame Monster. I absolutely love every song on it, and play the CD over and over. You know someone is dedicated when they spend all their money on their show, that's another thing I love about Lady Gaga! Can't wait to see what she will do next!

Yo No Se Mañana Lyrics

2010-08-30T11:48:00.000-07:00

Yo No Se Mañana Lyrics

Yo no se si tu no ses? si yo
Seguirimos siendo como hoy
No se si despues de amanecer, vamos a sentir la misma sed
Para que pensar y suponer, no preguntes cosas que no se... yo no se
No se donde vamos a parar, eso ya la piel nos lo dira
Para que jurar y prometer algo que no esta en nuestro poder
Yo no se lo que es eterno, no me pidas algo que es del tiempo

Yo no se mañana, x2
Si estaremos juntos, si se acaba el mundo
Yo no se si soy para ti, si seras para mi
Si lleguemos a amarnos o odioarnos
Yo no se manana x2
Quien va a estar aqui

De un cafe pasamos al sofa, de un boton a todo lo demas
No pusimos reglas ni reloj, aqui estamos solos tu y yo
Todo lo que ves es lo que soy, no me pidas mas de lo que doy

Yo no se mañana x2
Si estaremos juntos, si se acaba el mundo
Yo no se si soy para ti, si seras para mi
Si lleguemos a amarnos o odioarnos
Yo no se manana x2
Quien va a estar aqui

Esta vida es igual a un libro
Cada pajina es, un dia vivido
No tratemos de correr antes de andar
Esta noches estamos vivos
Solo este momento es realidad
No, no, no seeee

(Yo no mañana)

Esta vida es una ruleta que tira sin parar
(Yo no mañana)
Yo no se si tu, yo no se si yo, como sera el final
(Yo no mañana)
Puede ser peor, o puede ser mejor
(Yo no se manana)
Deja que el corazon decida querida mia lo que sentimos

Mañana... yo no se
(Yo no se, yo no se mañana)
Ahora lo que vivimos es algo realmente lindo,
Quien puede saber lo que pasara mañana no hay nada escrito
(Yo no mañana)
Estamos solo tu y yo
Y los momentos hay que vivirlos... hay que vivirlos

(Yo no se, yo no se x2)

Yo no se manana x2
Si estaremos juntos, si se acaba el mundo
Yo no se si soy para ti, si seras para mi
Si lleguemos a amarnos o odioarnos
Yo no se mañana x2
Quien va a estar aqui

Getting My Back Adjusted

2010-08-28T19:51:00.000-07:00

Today was my second time getting my back adjusted by a chiropractor. It does not hurt at all, in fact if feels good, and gets rid of all the tension in my spine. He adjusted my neck, upper back and lower back. It feels really good. My aunt used to get her back adjusted often and It got rid of her headaches. Luckily I don't have that problem, but all the bending I do really does build up tension in my spine. bending forward only relieves that tension so much. After I got my neck adjusted I can roll it back with no pain at all, everything just feels better. The only thing missing now would be a massage to get rid of the muscle tension :)

Kundalini Yoga Experience

2010-08-19T19:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had my first ever two hour kundalini yoga experience. It was definitely one of the most gentle relaxing experiences of my life. The class was 2 hours, there were candles on the floor and also vibration noises to help with meditation. The class is very gentle, with a lot of meditating and deep breathing.
It was brought to USA by yogi Bhajan in 1969. Kundalini yoga is very nurturing and healing. It also affects your awareness, intuition, and self knowledge.
The meditation was very relaxing, so relaxing I almost fell asleep, and after the class I felt very peaceful and very very relaxed. I really enjoyed it. It is easy on the body so almost everyone can do it. We are constantly over-stimulated, by TV music, and every day life. stopping for some meditation restores that peaceful feeling.I just put the contortion pic for your entertainment :) thanks for reading, now go try some kundalini yoga!

Latin Dancing

2010-08-09T12:36:00.000-07:00

I just recently started dancing, and it has to be one of the most fun things I have ever done in my life. It is also a great workout. The dancing I like to do are Bachata, Salsa, and Merengue. Its good when you start dancing to dance with everyone, because everyone dances different and you have to get used to following or if your a guy leading. For guys it could take a few years to get good at leading, and since girls follow it takes less time to pick up dancing.
Dancing is probably the most fun you will have getting in shape. Ladies, what other exercise do you wear high heals and skirts/dresses and get dressed up?
There are many places to take dancing classes. There are also a lot of clubs to go salsa dancing. It could become your weekend get away, which is better then sitting in front of the TV doing nothing.
Anyways before you die I cannot stress enough..you must dance!

A Day Off

2010-08-07T23:37:00.000-07:00

There are plenty of dedicated Athletes and people that take their training very seriously, but a lot of hard working people make one big mistake, they never take a day off to relax.
Just like you need exercise you need time to relax and rebuild. A good Idea would be to take one or two days off a week to relax and rebuild your muscles. You can't constantly tear something down (muscles) without taking a break. Eventually you will burn yourself out. Everything in life needs to be balanced. Including exercise and training regiments. You want to be realistic with what you are doing, and make it a lifestyle change, it has to be a training regime you can maintain lifelong.
So if your tired, and you need a break take it! If your working hard you deserve that one day off. I take at least one day off a week to give my back a break from bending.
good things to do on your day off
1. Get a massage
2. Take a hot bubble bath
3. Go to the beach
4. Read a book
5. Drink some hot tea
6. Tan and soak up some sun
7. Catch up with some friends and socialize
8. Do some artwork
9. Watch some movies
10. RELAX!!!

Dark Chocolate

2010-08-02T22:46:00.000-07:00

If you like chocolate good news for you, because its healthy.
the health benefits are many.

1. Its full of antioxidants

2. Its good for your heart, lowers your blood pressure, prevents clots, Improves blood flow.

3. Makes you happy, through endorphins, and Phenylethylamine

4. It tastes good :)

But in order to get these benefits you have to get chocolate with high cocoa content. 70-80% and you may not enjoy how that one tastes. Its even has up to 6 grams of fiber per serving...suprise! Dark chocolate could be compared to espresso, and milk chocolate can be compared to coffee with sugar and cream. Not everyone can stand the strong taste of espresso, likely not everyone likes the healthy dark chocolate. For some you may have to get used to it. Milk chocolate seriously waters down the effects, so remember to get the one with high cocoa content 70-80% or more and little sugar, and 4-6 grams of fiber. There shouldn't be more than 10 ingredients or less...sometimes 5 ingredients or less. this is the real stuff as they say. Another great thing, most dark chocolate is vegan and contains zero dairy products!! Enjoy it!!

The China Study and My Review

2010-07-12T16:47:00.000-07:00

I have just finished reading the book the China Study. Out of EVERY nutrition book I have ever read this one is the best. you will pretty much be shocked by what you read if it is all new to you. Some people do not respect themselves enough to care what they put in their body, they justify their actions by saying they will die happy with their bad diets, but I know there are also ALOT of people who do care and constantly search for the truth about what is the correct diet to prevent disease, well you just found it. The correct diet is right in this book, with countless studies to back up its point. Whatever you choose to do with this information, thats your decision. But at least read it so you know the truth. It could save your life. I give this book five stars. Its one of my favorite books.

Mary J. Blige Take Me As I Am

2010-05-30T19:01:00.000-07:00

[Verse 1:]
She's been down and out
She's been wrote about
She's been talked about, constantly
She's been up and down
She's been pushed around
But they held her down, NYC
She has no regrets
She accepts the past
All these things they
helped make to make she
She's been lost and found
And she's still around
There's a reason for everything

You know I've been holdin on.
Try to make me weak,
But I still stay strong.
Put my life all up in these songs
Jus so you can feel me.
so you can get the real me

[Chorus:]
So take me as I am,
or have nothing at all.
Just take me as I am,
or have nothing at all.

[Verse 2:]
Now she's older now
Yes, she's wiser now
Can't disguise her now
She don't need
No one tellin her
What to do and say
No one tellin her
Who to be
She's on solid ground
She's been lost and found
Now, she answers to G-O-D
And she's confident
This is not the end
Ask me how I know
Cause she is me.

You know I've been holdin on.
Try to make me weak,
But I still stay strong.
Put my life all up in these songs
Jus so you can feel me.
so you can get the real me

[Chorus:]
So take me as I am,
or have nothing at all.
Just take me as I am,
or have nothing at all.

[Bridge: 2x]
So it's all or nothing at all,
All or nothing at all
Don't you know I can only be me.
(I can only be me, yeah)

[Chorus:]
So take me as I am,
or have nothing at all.
Just take me as I am,
or have nothing at all.

Take me as I am.
Take me as I am.
Said it's all or nothing at all
Said it's all or nothing at all

Just take me as I am,
or have nothing at all. (This is me)
Just take me as I am, (take me as i am)
or have nothing at all.
Just take me as I am, (take me as i am)
or have nothing, nothing at all.
Take me as I am.

Bigger Stronger Faster

2010-02-22T20:12:00.000-08:00

I have been watching videos of Ula Matteson, and I am really inspired by her. She is such an intense contortionist, she really goes to her limit. How many contortionists do you ever see do that? I havn't seen many at all. But I am going to start pushing my limits. I have a new contortionist trainer, and Ula has inspired me to push my limits. It is time to grab the bull by the horns and bring the pain! My training is taking new heights, finally. I am going to attempt to be the best that I can be.

Being Skinny Versus Being Healthy

2010-02-10T23:28:00.000-08:00

I have noticed alot that the only thing people are concerned with is losing weight. especially women. They always seem to think "five more pounds and I will be good" But is that really the case? Lets face it more and more than ever all people are concerned with, is how they look, not if they are healthy or not.Just because you are skinny does not make you healthy. As long as you don't go over your calories you probably will not gain weight from eating junk food..but you won't be very healthy either.

Stop trying to lose weight so that you will finally be happy, because it seems like it is never enough for some women and then they end up with an eating disorder. Try to shift the paradigm to health. Think about how what you eat will make you feel later. Ask yourself if its worth it. Respect your body, it is not a trash can so don't treat it like one. This does not mean never eat junk food, but untill you shift your thinking from beating yourself up to caring about yourself, you will keep failing any plan you go on. And try to think positive, I notice I do much better at anything in life when i tell myself that I can do it. If you tell yourself you can do it, you are more likely to do it. If you beat yourself up and are always negative, its going to be hard for you to accomplish anything in life. And don't beat yourself up if you mess up, nobody is perfect, we all need a good cheat day everyone does.

Try to remember skinny does not mean healthy, being underweight is very very stressful on the heart and deprives your body of nutrients. Most of the images you see in magazines are not realistic goals. Alot of models are at an underweight BMI. If you look up women with muscle or fitness models you will see having muscle does not have to be a bad thing on a women. In fact having some muscle tone can be very attractive and feminine. Despite what you have heard about women and weight training it probably is not true, just cause you lift a weight does not ean you will look like hercules. That is a myth. It is extremly hard for women to build bulky muscles. Having muscle and being strong will improv your life. More energy and strength to have fun with :)

Kava Kava and Hookah Bars

2010-01-31T19:15:00.000-08:00

The other day I went to a Hookah bar. Now I do not smoke, in fact I have never smoked anything in my life. So why did i go to to a Hookah bar? For the traditional kava kava drink. Kava is used throught the world in Pacific Ocean cultures. It is relaxing, and a little sedating, but it won't make you act out of control like alcohal would. When you drink it your lips get numb. The active ingredient in kava is kavalactones which makes you feel relaxed and in a state of euphoria. What does it taste like? It tasted like dirt and grass mixed together in a cup, and I am not exaggerating it tastes just like dirt! But it is very relaxing. If you want to relax but do not want to have a nasty hangover, maybe you could try some kava for yourself. of course this should not be an every day thing. drinking to much kava is not healthy. But every once in a blue moon is not so bad.

About the hookah bar, I am one of those people that cannot stand the smell of cigarette smoke. I cover my face with my jacket if someone is smoking around me. But suprisingly the smell of hookah smell well it does not even compare. The smoke is cooled and filtered by passing through water. Often you would smoke a flavored tobacco. Hookah's originated from india. I was suprised that the air around me was so clean. Clean air is good for me since i hate smoke, and i was there for the kava, haha. Anyways I don't think i will ever smoke, but if i had to pick I would pick a hookah, because it purifys the smoke.

Camping Again

2010-01-28T16:26:00.000-08:00

I went camping for the second time this year,(2010) and i was alot of fun! The smores were awesome, I like using dark hersheys chocolate with one melty marshmellow smashed in between a garahm cracker. Like last time Me and my freinds chopped wood all day and got a huge pile. We has two saws and one small axe. We ended up getting alot of wood, and we made a huge fire. It seems like everyone is obsessed with television and the media now days, but you know what is more fun then watching movies? Sitting around fire and talking to your freinds. We are so busy watching other people living on the big screen that we forget to live our own lives to the fullest. Getting away from all that for a little while was totally worth it, I hope to go camping again soon! Here are some pictures of our fire and stuff, eventually we stuck all the wood in the fire, and the fire was huge and extremely hot!~erica

Eat Nuts Like a Squirrel

2010-01-25T21:23:00.000-08:00

This morning I finished the bag of pecans, This was no ordinary bag of pecans, this was a HUGE bag of pecans. I usually chop some and throw raw nuts in my oatmeal every day. Alot of people have learned to be afraid of fat. Even healthy fats. They also think nuts will make them fat, this is simply not true. You need healthy fats in your diet, so eating them is a must. There have been alot of studys on nuts showing that they are very good for you. They reduce your risk of heart disease. They are full of omega three and monounsaturated fats. Honestly I think I am the only one who touched the pecans, everyone else was to scared it would make them fat :( I eat them about every day. I was a little sad i finished the whole bag cause now i need more pecans :P anyways go eat some nuts,they are good for you :)And don't be scared of the nuts the nuts should be scared of you since your going to eat them!
Here are some of my favorites

Pecans
Almonds
Pistachio
Macadamia
Chestnuts
Brazil nuts
Walnuts

Oh by the way eating healthy fats like nuts and olive oil really keeps you satisfied for a loooong time ;)

My Red Leotard

2010-01-21T11:45:00.000-08:00

My freind Veronica recently sent me 3 new leotards, her youtube name is Veronicaspank, so now I am starting to wear leotards in my videos, eventually i will wear just leotard and tights, but right now I am comfortable wearing my brazilian shorts so thats how I am wearing it now. Here are some pictures of todays practice :)~erica
THANKYOU FOR THE LEOTARDS VERONICA!! KISS KISS XOXO

Be yourself take off your Mask

2010-01-21T09:37:00.000-08:00

It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for something you are not. ~Andre Gide

We are so accustomed to disguise ourselves to others that in the end we become disguised to ourselves. ~François Duc de La Rochefoucauld

Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself. ~Harvey Fierstein

Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth. ~Oscar Wilde

We all wear masks, and the time comes when we cannot remove them without removing some of our own skin. ~André Berthiaume, Contretemps

In the end we're all just chalk lines on the concrete
Drawn only to be washed away
For the time that I've been given
I am what I am ~Five Finger Death Punch

Is this your salvation?
Is this all you can give?
I will not stand in reflection
Of someone else’s dream~ As I Lay Dying

Things to do Instead of Emotionally Eat

2010-01-19T11:06:00.001-08:00

Ever find yourself eating because you are sad, bored, depressed, even happy? I am sure many Americans have this problem of emotional eating, so I wrote a list of alternatives to emotional eating. Sometimes a problem goes wrong that we cannot fix, so we end up turning to food to try and numb out the feelings. When a problem arises that you cannot fix try these tips to deal with your emotions and stress.
1. Deal with the problem and try to fix it (if you can't fix it try the next steps)
2. Read a book
3. Excersize
4. Sing
5. Take a bath
6. Call a freind and tell them the situation
7. Spar someone with boxing gear (this one is the most fun :)
8. Dance
9. Draw a picture
10. Write in a journal
11. Clean
12. Play World of Warcraft :)
13. Go on a walk
14. Watch a movie
15. take a nap
16. Do your own personal makeover and make youself look beautiful
17. Do your hair
18. If you must consume something, drink some tea
19. if the reason your feeling anxious is because you bottled something up inside, let it out tell the person how you feel.
20. Listen to music
I hope these helped, also you can draw on yourself :) I drew all over my foot yesterday, not because I was about to emotionally eat, just because I felt like it, but it is very distracting hahaha I'll share the picture of that~erica

Snowboarding for the First Time

2010-01-08T17:08:00.000-08:00

I went snowboarding for the first time in December 2009, and I have to admit that it was the hardest workout that I have done this whole year. At the same time it was really really fun, but I was sore for like four days after. we went on a monday, then we went again the next thursday, I was still in pain on thursday from tuesday! We went from about 9 am to 4pm so we snowboarded literally the whole day, it was alot of fun. Even my arms were in pain because I tryed making my own snowboarding moves which involve going down the steep hills by sqauting and dragging your arms in the snow behind you. Snowboarding was one of the most fun things I have done this whole year. Its a great workout that is alot of fun, and challenging. I wish I could snowboard a little every week because it is worth it.

6 Meal myth

2010-01-08T10:22:00.000-08:00

The myth I am going to talk about today is the 6 meals a day myth. This myth seems to never die. It also confuses many people to beleive that it speeds up your metabolism, which is not true and i will tell you why.
Every time you eat your body burns calories to digest your food. Lets say you are eating 3, 600 calorie meals, so your eating 1800 calories. say you burn 60 calories at every meal through digestion or the thermic affect of food.
Now lets say you eat 6 meals, 300 calories each meal. Instead of burning 60 calories each meal you burn 30 calories, but overall you are still consuming 1800 calories, you are just splitting up your meals into 6 meals instead of 3. So total calories burned eating 3 meals? 180 calories burned eating 6 meals? 180.
The point is how many calories you eat, is really what determines how many calories you burn, not how many times you eat.
I just wanted to clear that myth up because it really bothers me that it confuses so many people. the point is if you are happy with three meals, then thats fine. Everyones body is different so do what feels best for you.
This is a fear the diet industry created to scare people, in many other countrys people do not eat six meals. I wish you all luck in the new year.

Happy New Year 2010!!

2010-01-05T19:19:00.000-08:00

The new year is here, I cannot beleive how fast it came! Last year literally flew right past my eyes! I have never had a year that has gone by as fast as 2009 for me personally. So I wanted to share with everyone my new years resolutions. If you have some you can share them in the comment box. I have a few. You do not need a huge list even one resolution is better than none. so here are mine,
1. Get to my goal of 20 pullups
2. Improve my one arm handstand
3. Live life to the fullest

So those are my resolutions for the new year, I hope I can pull through, the first two are physical and the last one is mental. In life there are many people and many things that will try to break you down, you cannot let them. Keep pulling through. Happy 2010!

Camping

2010-01-04T09:09:00.000-08:00

I went camping for two nights and it was alot of fun. I am sure half of Americans or more, have never been camping. The place where we went camping was free of city lights so you could see all the stars in the sky it was beautiful. We chopped wood all day with a little axe and a small saw. we got 3 trunk loads of wood by the end of the day and it burned all night long. We also cooked our food over the fire, and food cooked over the fire is the best food. And we roasted some marshmellows and had smores :) camping is alot of fun and its something to do, now days everyone seems to be glued to the tv, but we need to learn to do things that get you out into nature and help you appreciate what you have. so go chop some wood, and sleep under the stars, you won't regret it.

Constructive Emotional Oriented Coping

2009-12-31T22:40:00.000-08:00

What do you do when you are faced with a problem you cannot fix? Some people would be reaching the donuts and ice cream right about now, but wait! There are actually consructive ways to emotionally cope, when you have to, or cannot fix the problem. Grab the force that is going against you and use its strength to help you. Here are some things you can do.
1. Punch a punching bag (you will get a really good workout)
2. Pluck your eybrows (a weird one but at least you will take your anger out on your eybrows instead of the brownies haha)
3. Sing angry music, like limp bizkit, lol or eminem
4. Write in your journal
5. Clean your room or house
6. If it was caused by something somebody did tell them how you feel, you will both feel better hopefully.
7. Go to sleep, sometimes you will feel better about it in the morning if you were being unreasonable and overexaggerating.
8. Take a bath and relax.
9. Go punch whoever pissed you off in the face, you will feel much better. Just kidding. haha
10. Scream in your pillow.

Well i hope that helped. I think ALOT of people would not be as overweight as they were if they dealt with their emotions instead of drowning themselves in food when problems arise. I wish everyone luck if you have a problem emotionally eating. happy new year to everyone :)

Emotional Eating

2009-12-27T09:02:00.000-08:00

Emotional eating is a big problem, Alot of people are stressed out, and they turn to food intstead of fixing the problem.
There are two ways to cope with stress one way is to do emotional oriented coping that is ignore the problem, beleive you cannot fix the problem, and find a way to feel better. One way to distract yourself from the problem is to binge, purge, eat when your not hungry, the list goes on, but since I am talking about emotional eating I wrote things about food.
The second way to cope with stress is Task oriented coping, in other word, you try to solve and fix the problem instead of wallowing in despair.
ALOT of people are stuck in emotional oriented coping, they beleive they cannot fix the problem so they try to soothe the problem away with cupcakes or however they distract themselves.
HOW many times do you find yourself eating when you are not hungry and you do not know why, and you cannot seem to stop. You tell yourself you will do better tommorrow, but something else bad happens, so you tell yourself you cannot fix it, and you emotionally eat or however you distract yourself from the problem. The problem is still there, you have not fixed anything.
Eating foods to try and solve your problems or make your problems go away simply does not work. How can you stop emotional eating for good? You need to stop asking yourself the question why does this always happen to me? Stop asking that, it does not solve anything, instead you must ask yourself How can i fix this problem. This is called empowering questions. You have trained yourself to beleive you can't but now you need to train yourself to beleive you can.
Emotional eating or Emotional coping can be hard to stop doing, once you are so used to it, but try to realize it is harming you more than helping you. Even anorexia and bulimia can be ways to emotionally cope, anorexics and bulimics often use food as a distraction from the real problems.
You really need to go to the root of the problem and figure out what it is that is causing you to overeat or whatever your using as a way to emotionally cope. I hope this helped, I learned alot from watching videos josie posts on youtube www.youtube.com/user/josielenore
You can check out her videos and try to understand the root of the problem, so many people overeat emotionally, or have some kind of emotional connection to food, and need to break free.

Rich Chocolate Oatmeal Recipe

2009-12-25T19:37:00.000-08:00

If you are like me then you love chocolate and sweets, but are also health concious. I LOVE chocolate but alot of chocolate bars are full of sugar. I am happy to let you know cocoa, is healthy for you. usually high cocoa content chocolate bars are actually not that bad for you, sometimes they have 5 grams of fiber if you know which one to look for, and full of healthy fats and antioxidants from the cocoa beans. I have a recipe thats is actually very healthy and will fix your sweet tooth really quickly, I hope you enjoy it :)

Chocolate Oatmeal xoxoxo

Ingredients;
1. 1 serving of cooked organic oatmeal(half cup cooked)
2. 1 TBSP of Cocoa powder
3. Honey to taste
4. cinnamon to taste
5. dash of salt
6. dash of nutmeg
7. nuts to taste (i prefer almonds, walnuts or pecans)

Directions
Cook oatmeal as directed, then mix other ingredients together in the oatmeal. I prefer to cook my oatmeal with water if you want you can use milk. This recipe is very healthy and will make your sweet cravings disappear.

Some tips. Try to always make your oatmeal from scratch, the oatmeal at the store is very processed and less sugar usually means they add artificial sweetner :(

Pictures from today December 22, 2009

2009-12-22T15:17:00.000-08:00

To Many Myths

2009-12-21T23:32:00.000-08:00

I feel like there are so many myths and things to write about, thats I am going crazy, I better go to bed cause i can write all day about this stuff.

Intermittent Fasting Health Benefits

2009-12-21T22:33:00.000-08:00

There are alot of people talking about fasting. One way to get the benefits of fasting is to do a short intermittent fast for 24 hours maybe once a week, There are alot of health benefits to fasting and calorie restriction. Restricting calories to much is obviously dangerous and can result in serious health problems, excessive calories are also obviously unhealthy, but restricting calories a little actually is healthy. Intermittent fasting is an easy way to start getting some of those benefits. Giving your body a break from digesting food gives your body a chance to expend energy in other areas.
Here are some of the health benefits of Intermittent Fasting;

1. Increased Insulin Sensitivity
2. Increase in Growth Hormone(helps burn fat and helps to build muscle)
3. Reduced Inflammation
4. Decrease in Blood Pressure
5. Reduction in oxidative damage to lipids
6. Reducing the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer
7. Lower fasting glucose levels
8. Lengthens life
9. Stress resistance
10. A small increase of the metabolism (you read right:) when you fast for short periods of time.

You won't lose muscle from intermittent fasting for 24 hours, you just do not burn off muscle that easily or fast, thats like saying when your asleep your body is burning your muscle, our bodys are much smarter than that. You may have been brainwashed to beleive you need to eat 6 small meals a day to reach your goals, but STOP listening to the media listen to your body, some people do fine with 3 meals, just listen to your body.

How to Fast 24 Hours
Here is an example of how to intermittent fast; if you eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner and stop eating food by 6 pm, then wait until 6pm the next day to have your next meal, that way you fast for 24 hours and get the fasting benefits.

How to come off a fast
Simply pretend it never happened, and eat how you normally would.

Does this mean you can eat whatever you want? I would not recommend that, just cause your fasting does not mean you can eat all the food you want when your done fasting. fasting then binging is not going to help you. Try to eat as healthy as possible 90 percent of the time then 10 percent treat yourself, so you don't go crazy, haha.

One of the great things about fasting is it gives you a chance to focus on something other than food, some people are sick of the 6 meal a day mind set and need a serious break from all the brainwashing. haha sad but true.

If you are diabetic or have blood sugar problems you should consult a doctor. Studys show even though you tend to eat the calories you missed during a fast (sometime during the week), you still get the health benefits of fasting.

Some people that would binge after not eating probably should not try this, or people that have eating disorders. The point of fasting is for all the health benefits, giving your body a break, and detoxing your system. Do your own research so that you go about fasting in the right way.

First Time Seeing Snow

2009-12-21T21:39:00.001-08:00

About a week ago was the first time I have seen snow in my life, it was amazing and beautiful it literally sparkles, Here are some pictures of Colorado, its beautiful. By the way I had alot of coffee and tea up there :)enjoy the pictures, mountains can make you feel small.

Artificial Sweetners

2009-12-20T21:29:00.000-08:00

If somwthing sounds to good to be true it most likely is, for instance, a 0 calorie sweetner, that has no side effects, you can eat as much of that sugar as you want and nothing will happen to you, sound to good to be true? Thats because it IS to good to be true! Artificial sweetners claim to be healthy, but they are actually worse than eating the real stuff, eaint them is like eating chemicals, because thats what they are chemicals dangerous unhealthy chemicals, they can even retrain your metabolism to think sweet foods are low in calories, so you will keep eating that cheesecake and not get full, I don't touch artificail sweetners, none of them. If I want to sweeten something such as oatmeal i use raw honey, for coffee i use stevia products. There are alternatives, Stevia is all natural and comes from a leaf, its safe to use. You have to be careful because artificial sweetners are in a ton of foods claiming to be healthy, an easy way to avoid them, is to simply eat more whole foods, whole unprocessed foods, the more processed foods you eat the more likely you are to consume trans fats, artififial sweetners, or other unhealthy ingredients. I eat 0 artificial sweetners, thats right..ZERO. They are very very unhealthy, In fact i think they are more unhealthy than sugar..~erica

Sharing the Truth

2009-12-20T21:22:00.001-08:00

As far as health topics go, I am going to share what it is I know about health and try to help inform people as much as possible, of course thats not all I will talk about because I want my blog to be a place where i can talk bout everything, life is like the ocean big, and there is much to explore~erica

Hidden Trans Fats

2009-12-20T21:11:00.000-08:00

There are some foods that you should never eat, trans fats are one of them, the safe limit for trans fats are 0, you should not consume it, at all!, Sadly there are ways for companys to get away with putting it in your food, and you do not even know. For example as long as there is half a gram in a serving companys can clame that there is not trans fats in their products. So hos can you avoid it? Here is how..Avoid Hydrogenated oils of any kinds, they are trans fats, If there is some type of hydrogenated oil in your food, then there is some type of trans fat in your food. It is sad that hydrogenated oils are in so many foods, but the label reads 0 grams of trans fats. It is sad that people think they are not eating trans fat when in fact they are eating trans fats. Watch what you eat, and make sure there is not trans fats in your foods, your body will thank you for it~erica

Who you Listen to, Media or Body?

2009-12-06T21:41:00.001-08:00

Eat six times a day, Eat three meals a Day, Eat four times a day!! Are you going insane?
STOP listening to the media. Start listening to your body. Do you know your body is the best calculator there is? I am not saying to eat till you are stuft, But the problem these days seems to be that EVERYONE listens to the media. i do not see many people listening to there own body. If you would just do this for a day you will see your body is quite intellegent, And you should trust your body to let you know when it is hungry. People with blood sugar problems can benefit, but alot of people really do not need six meals. There are however, things that will mess with your blood sugar, to many processed foods, sugar, caffeine, and artificial sweetners. It's your body, and remember that we eat to live.and we do not live to eat~erica

Contortion pictures, kind of old

2009-12-06T09:08:00.000-08:00

My Youtube Account

2009-12-06T08:49:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/user/iamadumpling

Can Women ever be as Strong or Stronger than Men?

2009-12-03T08:23:00.000-08:00

I was thinking about this yesterday, is it possible for a women to ever be as strong or stronger than a man? well To make this equal you would have to get a male and female of the same height and weight with similar training and see who does better. One of the main reasons it is hard for men to beleive this would ever be possible is because ALOT of women do not even train. I workout but I know very few females that work out also. The thing about female muscle is sure its smaller, but sometimes small muscle can produce enormous strenth. Males have more testosterone so it is easier for them to get large muscle. But what if we focus on the strength of the muscle, not the size of the muscle? Who says females can't be super strong with neturally smaller muscles. Thinking about this actually inspired me. It inspired my training all around. If more women actually cared(alot of them don't) maybe we could find out, just how far they can take themselves. Well someones gotta try, heres to doing 30 pullups someday soon :)~erica

Health Benefits of Tea

2009-11-28T12:53:00.000-08:00

The health benefits of tea are numerous, they are full of antioxidants called polyphenols which help to nutrilize free radicals in the body.
All tea comes from the same plant but they are fermented differently, white, green oolong and black teas all come from the same plant. roobios and yerba mate come from bushes, but they are still very healthy like tea. Here are some good online store to buy loose leaf tea, loose leaf teas are the best teas, they have the most antioxidants and helth benefits, bagged teas are not as good for you, most of the time bagged teas are like what I like to call "dusty" they are like grounded up tea leafs its not even a whole leaf anymore. loose leaf also tastes the best.

Why I do not do Excessive Cardio

2009-11-23T21:33:00.000-08:00

Ok Cardio is not bad, but doing it every single day is bad, very bad. And I am talking about running biking, things that shoot your heart rate way up, walking is ok every day.
So WHY is excessive cardio bad? Because it shoots up your cortisol levels, your stress goes way up, and if you run for to long then your workout will end up using your muscle as fuel. You want your muscle, because your muscle burns fat while your sitting on you, bum playing video games, and thats what you want. If your muscle is being used as fuel there goes all your hard work, down the drain, say goodbye...
I used to do cardio like almost evey day for a while, but I stopped, I was not getting better at pullups, and I was doing way to musch cardio, now i am only doing cardio 2-3 times a week 20 minutes interval training. Interval training is great because I can sprint real fast and alternate with jogging. It saves time, and muscle, and it burns more fat in less time. I have upped my strength training and FINALLY gotten better at pullups before when i was running I could only do 5 pullups, now I am up to 8 and I am not stopping untill I can do 20 perfect pullups, with perfect form. Not wasting my calories on running is great because now It is going to my muscle and I am getting stronger :)
Another problem with running is it burns all these calories, and then when you stop running then you gain weight because your body beleives it may need those calories for the next run. It is very counter productive, the best thing to do right now, is to chill with the cardio.
Walking is something you can do every day without over stressing your body.Walking is a great form of cardio. Anyways thanks for reading~erica

Striving For Perfection....

2009-11-23T21:25:00.001-08:00

I do not know if it is in everybody's nature to strive for perfection, but I know it's in me. I try in every way to be better than I already am, it's in my nature and I think alot of people are the same way, unless they are burned out. The problem is that we are human, and we will die before we are perfect. You reach the peak in your life, but with age you lose it all, what you take to the grave is who you are, and nothing else. You cannot take material things were we are going. You can strive for perfection, but just remember nobody is perfect, we all have flaws, and sometimes it is the flaws that make us unique and different. Here is a great quote i just made up, I am sure someone has said it before me..
"you must fall down, before you rise up."
You can never be your best untill you are at your lowest point. and sometimes when you think you are doing great, it all comes crashing down.~erica

Pictures of me Flexing

2009-11-23T21:20:00.000-08:00

These are pictures of me flexing after the military ball, lol~erica

Military Ball 2009

2009-11-23T10:39:00.000-08:00

Importance of Stretching

2009-11-22T21:35:00.000-08:00

Stretching before doing contortion or other sports is very important, if you do not stretch you risk getting scar tissue in your back, which will actually make you worse at contortion. stretching is also good for muscle recovery, it gets all the blood flowing in your body and helps your muscle to repair faster. in fitness stretching is the most neglected. Alot of people do cardio, and alot of people do strength training but, alot of people do not stretch..ALOT of people skip stretching all together. In order to be in your best physical condition, stretching is necessary. So add some stretching to your routine, do yoga one day this week, you will be surprised how nice it feels to stretch your muscles :)~erica

Cahnged my address

2009-11-22T08:46:00.000-08:00

I changed my blog address so, check out my new blog..again!~erica