Living Simply and Fully Series: College Favorites!

Hello again!

Every time I realize how long it has been since I left for University, I am still blown away. It is still difficult to fathom that I have been living on my own, embarking on such an adventure, and starting this immense chapter of my life for almost 6 weeks! To be honest, it has flown by in a ways I would have never expected, and the challenges that I feared would crush me, have not seemed so difficult after all.

Back on Track: Changing Speed and Conquering Hurdles

Hello Lovelies!

So after what seems like an eternity, I have finally been able to proclaim bon voyage! to the crutches, the ankle wraps, and the seemingly endless days of sitting on my behind elevating my foot! I am so excited to say that I have  bounced back and returned to (somewhat) physical exercise.

For me, exercising is something I look forward to; I have generated such a love/hate relationship with it  that has blossomed into, well, a small obsession. Which is exactly why I needed something like this injury (ironically enough); something to physically barre me from what I was purposely avoiding to confront my own self with: overtraining.

Exercise, any general exercise, is so undoubtedly amazing both on a physical, emotional, and phycological level. Its benefits, as we all know them to be, are endless: from improving lifestyles, expanding life spans, and promoting strength, endurance, and power on both a mental and physical stance.

The endorphins we experience as a result of physical activity is one of the best, in my opinion, feelings in this life. There is few that matches the satisfaction you can uphold from just one basic hour of physical movement a day; a satisfaction that intertwines our inner and outer selves.

Which I presume, in my case at least, is why it can be so "addicting". One of my biggest challenges is knowing when my body needs its rest; coming to terms with the fact that it is ok to just lay down and relax for a while. I have always known how important rest is for the body; how vital it is for recovery. But when it came to putting that concept to practice, I failed.

I was scared of some ridiculous notion that I would somehow loose months of hard work, from one day of rest. It came to a point where two days in a row of rest would make me antsy. Although having a sincere motivation to workout is something to be proud of, I was taking things too far. My body was under stress, I was overworking it, and I was not listening to it. My injury forced to me to take a step back, and I was able to put some very important things into perspective. 

Which comes to what inspired me to write this post; If I learned anything from this small period of strict resting and reflecting, is that we will always encounter periods of highs and lows. Just because we are on top, doesn't mean we will always stay on top. And that is okay; as hard as it is to come to terms with. The same works the other way around: just because we may be at our lowest point, just beginners in a new journey, or fragmented, doesn't mean we don't have the opportunity to reach amazing goals.  It also applies to those days where we, for whatever reason, don't feel adequate; we may be in a "funk", but that doesn't mean we'll never see the light again.

Life has this ability to thwart us out of our comfort zones; to challenge us just when we think we have it all figured out. Yet the beauty of it all, is that we possess the ability to meet these challenges however which way we choose. The power of perspective has never reflected its importance as much as it has in the past few days for me, and I have come to a realization that any challenge can be met; in fact conquered, if we only allow our perspectives to look at the glass half full rather than half empty. If we choose to look at all the positive aspects about our lives, before we allow negativity to swallow us whole.

So no, I haven't been able to workout or workout to my full ability, and yes I would love to be making improvements. Yet these days of rest have offered me so much more, in both aspects of physical health and mental perspective. Life is not a straight line; there are bumps, curves, twists, and barriers. It is important to remind ourselves everyday of this, so when we do meet a challenge, we don't allow it to crush us. We give ourselves that ability to conquer it, even if it means hard work, patience, and trial and error.

If you want it, fight for it; don't allow obstacles to shut you out of achieving everything you wish to achieve. Its all a matter of attitude, and perspective.

And with that, I sign off--XO Adri

Live Simply & Fully Series: Banana and Berry Bonanza recipe featuring Suja Essentials

Hello Lovelies!

I am so excited to share with you today's post which is apart of my little  Living Simply and Fully series! It features an absolutely delicious creation which only involves a few ingredients, some yummy Suja essentials, and a blender! 

Today's smoothie bowl was a berry banana bonanza! What you'll need:

1. One frozen banana

2. Berry Goodness Suja Essentials cold pressed juice

3. About 1 cup of frozen blueberries

Pour about half a bottle of  Berry Goodness Suja Essentials and other ingredients in blender.

I topped off my berry yummy (I'm corny I know) smoothie bowl with sliced bananas, and raw, gluten -free cherry and dark chocolate granola. One word: deliciousness!

If you follow my Instagram (@rawfreshed) you would know that I have had a recent blossoming love for cold pressed juices, in particular with this new brand I was introduced to called Suja Essentials. They are completely USDA certified organic, vegan, dairy free, soy free, and non- GMO cold pressed juices with no added sweeteners. They come in such a variety of flavors; from Mango Magic, to Berry Goodness, to Mighty Greens, to my favorite: Green Delight! Each juice is jam packed with such a variety of nutrients that only mean pure love and happiness for your insides!;)

While we are all aware of my "college student" status, I have to reiterate the fact that I don't have a lot of access money wise, and storage wise, for all the natural ingredients I loved keeping in my house before. That won't stop me from living the healthy well nourished life I have grown to love! NO excuses!

So that is why I have fallen in love with these Suja Essentials; they are a great alternative for me to feed my body with  all those yummy  nutrients it needs! While there is no doubt that purchasing raw ingredients and blending them are the absolute best and most natural way to nourish your body, I have found that adding cold pressed juices to my morning breakie smoothies are a cheaper,  more convenient, and less space and time consuming option for my situation. All the juices feature amazing ingredients including kale, spirulina,  chlorella, apples, bananas, berries, lemon, chia seed,  and such an array of more fruits and amazing ingredients that offer only the best for your body!  (ingredients vary and depend on your juice of choice of course) Plus, they are amazing on the tastebuds! :)

What is a Cold Pressed juice?

Cold pressure is an alternative way to maintain high quality freshness, as well as to preserve the nutrients, vitamins, and enzymes found in juice ingredients. Cold pressure involves the destroying of pathogens, and preserving of nutrients by the application of a high level of pressure. This information was taken straight from Suja's 'About' page on their website which will be listed below. For more info on what cold pressed means, and how it works to preserve freshness and nutrients, you can also check out www.coldpressured.org. 

So if you need a quick and more convenient way to nourish your body, but you want to make sure you can trust that the products your using are natural and avoid processed sugars, definitely give Suja a try!

And with that I sign off--XO Adri

Suja's website: www.sujajuice.com

Living Simply & Fully Series: Recipe Idea

School, or work, or both is back in session,  and you are crazy busy! Days seem to get shorter, and wallets seem to feel lighter. While I may not be completely certain that this is true for all, it is definitely my reality lately! College is no joke, and living in the adult world is only sometimes fun. Just teasing; there is simply a much greater need for preparation and planning, in order to have a successful day to day, especially when it concerns maintaing a healthy lifestyle. Trust me, it hasn't been completely easy, but then again, anything new is never not challenging. Therefore I am prepared to enlighten every challenge that ventures my way with arms wide open! (At least I'm trying my best;)

So for this next post, I decided to start a living simply but fully series, where I post ideas that are simple enough to fit within your busy day, and within your hefty budget, all while not stomping all over your daily fitness and health goals.

For today's post, I am featuring one of my simple & cheap foodie "recipes"(I point out the quotation marks specifically for the purpose that this is so simple it is almost a crime to refer to as a recipe, but we'll just go with it) No kitchen, no kitchen supplies, and not a lot of food options? No problem! All you need for this breakie or snack idea is any toast of your choice, any nut butter of your choice, and some apples and naners (my term for bananas).

I love Udi's gluten free raisin bread, because:

1. It's gluten free

2. Its raisin bread (which I am obsessed with)

3. Its absolutely delicious!

It's the perfect toast for morning time goodness, and for pre-workout fuel.

I paired it with my favorite nut butter; all organic peanut butter, and topped one toast with apple slices, while the other with yummy naners!

I ate this simple breakfast before a HIIT, and it was able to sustain me and provide me with sufficient energy to go about my workout and bust my booty!

I want to take on my new life full force, and I hope creating a series of ways to live simply yet fully, will guide me, and you as well! Lets be honest, there is nothing better than sweet simplicity;)

Stay tuned!

And with that, I sign off--XO Adri