Guest Post: A Liberating Phenomenon

Hi Healthy Ashley readers! I’m excited to be guest posting while Ashley is off cruising with her boy—they both deserve the break! My name is Ryan and I’m the girl behind Greens for Good, a blog about healthy living through a vegan-based diet. If you’ve been following Ashley for awhile you know that it was a lunch with me that got her to try veganism back in July, and I couldn’t be happier for her and the positives it has brought to her life! I do want to clarify that I’m not some mind-changing, lifestyle-advocating, wonder woman who goes around preaching veganism to people. I guess I tend to lead by example, keep my mouth shut about it for the most part, and if people are interested and ask questions, I answer them. Ashley happened to be very interested and if nothing else, I was enthusiastic about veganism toward her because I LOVE THIS LIFESTYLE!

Do I think veganism is for everyone? Well, there is no “yes” or “no” answer. I will tell you that I think everyone could certainly benefit from a vegan-based diet (if done correctly), but I’ve never thought this was something I could push on to other people. I think it’s only a diet that is going to work for someone who wants it and knows why he or she wants it.

I have these opinions for very specific reasons. A year ago I would have never thought someone could love a diet that is restrictive on what you can and can’t eat like veganism is. In fact, I hardly knew what veganism meant, let alone how it could be successfully implemented into my lifestyle. I wasn’t interested in veganism, I avoided vegan blogs, and, quite frankly, I would have gotten pretty defensive if you’d told me I had stomach issues because I was eating animal products. I did what I could to ignore something that was new or different from how I knew to lead my life. No one could have ever forced veganism on me and gotten me to like it by doing so. I know that for a fact. Instead, I had to be initially exposed to it, make my own inquiries, do my own research, and come up with my own mission statement, if you will, for why I wanted to change my lifestyle. It had to be my idea! But, aren’t most successful changes like this anyway?

My point is, I’m not here to push veganism on you. Instead, I want to discuss a sort of phenomenon I, and others I’ve spoken to, experienced when becoming vegan. It seems completely the opposite of what you would expect from a seemingly restrictive diet, but eating vegan has provided an overwhelming sense of freedom for me. It was amazing to me how declaring one way that I was choosing to eat could liberate me from having to make a decision between too many calories-this and too much fat-that. It completely streamlined my way of eating so that I could naturally make healthier decisions. I’ve eliminated much of the unhealthy stuff by default, so it actually is easier for me to make great food decisions now. That’s the first way I’ve felt liberated by veganism.

A second way is quite simple and it’s just that: simplicity. I get to avoid more than half of the grocery store! Do you know how freeing that is to not even have to consider looking at half of the grocery store? I love it! Instead I get to focus on all of the new fun food I’ve never seen or tried before. I’m also saving time and money.

A third way is feeling like I’ve entered an entire new world of things that are just waiting to be tried and discovered. I’ve tried more new foods in the last 6 months than I did in my entire life previous to that, and they all serve a purpose in fueling my body. How great is that? Simple, unprocessed foods for energy and life-sustenance. I’ve been discovering new ones left and right and it is so much fun! Because of this, I’ve never felt deprived. It’s actually always been quite the opposite. I think there are a superfluous amount of things waiting to be tried and I’ll probably never get to taste them all with the time I have!

A fourth way is that by becoming vegan, I’ve had to learn how to fuel my body nutritionally. I’ve had to learn what it needs to be efficient, not just what I can survive on like before. Because of this, I’ve realized there’s not some mysterious way of eating that only nutritionists or people who come up with fad diets understand. Nutrition is simple: eat a balanced diet with foods that make you feel great. Just knowing this makes life a lot easier. I don’t labor over counting calories or grams of protein or milligrams of calcium. If I eat the way I know I’m meant to eat, I don’t have to think or worry about those things. And that is freedom.

My fifth and final way that I will mention is just the declaration of being vegan itself. When it comes to eating vegan, there aren’t many grey areas. It’s either an animal product or it isn’t. I either choose to eat it or I don’t. In my head, there’s no in between because if there was, I’d always be finding an excuse to reason that one piece of cheese isn’t going to kill me or hurt the cow it came from. I have my set boundaries and I do not knowingly cross them. Not having to worry about the grey areas of a diet is definitely freedom!

None of this is meant to be an opinion of how I think you should or should not eat. This is how I personally view my vegan lifestyle and is also based on the liberating experiences other people have discussed with me. I know it seems like backwards thinking when you consider the restrictions vegans are faced with, but to me, veganism is freedom from the complicated world that now surrounds food.

Proud Moment: Aimee

When Ashley asked me to post my proudest healthy moment so many thoughts went through my mind. I love living a healthy life and each time I finish a race or a new sporting event I feel so proud. From finishing my first 5k in high school, my first 10k in law school, and my first 1/2 marathon when I was 25, I've always felt so proud of what my body can accomplish. Although I run about 4-5 races a year, my proudest healthy moment would have to be what I accomplished on my bike.

My senior year of college my mom bought me a new bike, and I started into a routine of biking a lot. My new found love of biking and the fact that my best friend's mom was diagnosis with MS convinced me to sign up for a MS 150 bike ride from Altoona, Pennsylvania to State College, Pennsylvania and then back to Altoona. In most MS 150s, you ride 150 miles over two days. So roughly, the ride is 75 miles a day.

The first day went pretty easy and my legs didn't get too tired until the end. Although I enjoyed day 1 of the ride, I was happy to get to my hotel room, enjoy a great dinner and relax before my 6am start the next day. The 2nd day of course was harder and the last 20 miles on the second day seemed to go on forever - my legs were killing me. Riding into the finish line, I received a metal from a woman confined to a wheelchair because of her battle with MS, and instantly I forget about my pain.
Lesson to take away from this healthy moment: Love your body for what it allows you to do. The next time you don't feel like going to the gym, think of it as a privilege that you have legs that allow you to work out, because there are some people that are not as lucky to be able to.

I enjoyed my first MS 150 so much that when I was dating my now husband, I convinced him to complete an MS 150 with me. We really hope to sign up for another one soon, and I highly suggest you check out the MS 150 website. There is no better way to see a part of this earth than by riding a bike. You can stop and take pictures and enjoy the landscapes in a way you may not if you were just driving by in your car.
In case you wondered about my bike, today I have a road bike that is light weight and made of carbon, during my MS 150 I used a cheap, heavy hybrid bike. My husband rode the MS 150 with a very cheap Wal-mart mountain bike. So any bike can work, although a road bike would make it a lot easier.


- Healthy Lawyer Aimee

Proud Moment: David

My proudest healthy moment would have to be when I made the decision to stop eating frozen meals every night.

For about 6 months, I had shifted my work schedule 8 hours ahead and had to work at nights. Because of this, my meals always felt very rushed. I never really had any time to cook (or so I thought) and I decided the best way to cure this was to buy frozen everything!

Each night I would make a frozen panini or a pre-cooked package of chicken along with a pre-packaged side of rice and some veggies. I had my routine, I would pop it in the microwave run upstairs and do laundry, or mess around on my computer and I'd wait for the microwave to ding... I'd then run downstairs pop the next piece in the microwave and wait. Overall i really started to feel how the food was affecting me... I was getting more headaches than usual, I felt thirsty all the time, and generally not well. I found out (not soon enough) that my body doesn't like all that sodium very much!

With prompting from Ashley, I finally made the commitment to try and bring healthier foods in my diet, which included veggies, and freshly prepared foods. I made it through the 6 months alive... but I'd never go back!

- David (my boyfriend!)

I'd love to hear your proudest healthy memory! Email story and photo to healthyashley dot gmail dot com.

Proud Moment: Julie

There have been many moments in my short twenty three years of life that I
can look back and be proud of myself. But the moment that stands out the
most to me has to be walking across the stage and accepting my college
diploma last May. It's weird to think how far I've come over the past year
and even more importantly through college but I can't even express the
amount of joy and heart pumping pride that was running through my veins when
I got my diploma. To me it was more then a piece of paper saying I finished
school and that I was "certified" to do cool things in Finance (which I
haven't used) but it was more about the fact that I had grown up. I did it
all on my own.

After SO many challenges and obstacles I had finished what I
started successfully and on top and it was an amazing feeling. To know how
proud my parents must have been in that moment and how proud I was of myself
filled my heart with tears. When I heard my name all I wanted to do was
scream out I DID IT!

I conquered college and ALL that it had thrown at me.
Disordered eating, loss of friendships, rock bottom moments, college
athletics, hard classes, first relationship and breakup, new friends, new
me. I wouldn't give that moment away for anything and to ANYONE who is
thinking about copping out of college graduation because "it's just a silly
piece of paper and a walk across a stage" it's worth your time. Celebrate
your achievements and bask in the moment that you finished college!

- Julie from HulieGoLean.com

Please share your proudest healthy memory, too! Email story and photo to healthyashley dot gmail dot com.

Proud Moment: Rose

When first thinking about my “proudest moment,” I automatically assumed I was going to write about running my first half-marathon. I had the post written in my head – the way I felt mile by mile, the moment I crossed finish line and while recovering.

But it wasn’t the half marathon that was my proudest moment. Yes, I finished the race, and yes – I ran the entire time. But there is a moment I’m even more proud of than the second my foot crossed the finish line. The moment I’m most proud of is when I went online, pulled out my credit card and signed up for the race itself.

A friend of mine told me about the race, and I said I’d “think about it for a while.” At the time, I was struggling with the idea of being a runner and, in fact, I had just written a post about how I felt like an “ex-runner.” I knew I hadn’t run regularly in years. And that’s why I didn’t sign up for the race when my friend first told me about it. How could I run a half marathon? I thought she couldn’t have known how little I was running.

One night, I was getting my apartment ready to host a birthday party for my boyfriend. Everything was ready, and I was waiting for friends to arrive. I started poking around the Pittsburgh Half Marathon site again, checking out the rules and regulations. I’m not sure what happened, but I reached for my purse. I pulled out my orange credit card and started pressing the numbers. My hand moved almost in autopilot, clicking this and that, typing in my address and age. Before I could give it any real thought, I entered the card number and pressed Submit. Just like that, I was signed up for a half marathon. Bill came over and asked what I was doing. “I just signed up for the half marathon,” I said, still staring at the screen. I even started laughing for a minute. I told my friends when they arrived at the party, and they were excited – but also surprised. I’ll admit, signing up for the half right before the party was completely random. And my friends must have wondered about my sanity since it was the first they’d heard me talk about running a race like that.

Even though that moment was so random, so unplanned, I think it was one of my proudest moments. Because that is the moment I decided to be a runner again. That was the moment I decided that I was going to do this. And without that moment, there wouldn’t have been months of training. Without the months of training, I wouldn’t have run that half marathon. And without that half marathon, I wouldn’t have pictures like these or this video to share. I wouldn’t be a runner again.

- Rose from On a Lobster Placemat

If you would like to share your proudest healthy memory, email story and photo to healthyashley dot gmail dot com.

Proud Moment: Lynn

After years of bingeing and anorexia centered around my career (I'm an actress), I finally took control of my eating disorders by looking closely at my health and not the size of my pants. The extreme dieting was causing me to have frequent amenorrhea (loss of period) and the bingeing gave me high cholesterol.

I took a year off from acting to reduce the pressure of staying a certain size and I went on a low-cholesterol diet. At first I was afraid this would trigger anorexic behaviors, but the knowledge that my fertility was important prevented this from happening.

Gradually life became less about portion sizes and more about feeling good. I recently found out that I lowered my cholesterol back to "normal" and have not engaged in my disordered eating for a long long time.

Now that I'm back in the show business game, I am glad I took the time off to refocus on my health. I know nobody can take that away from me, and if they want to, I probably don't want to work with them anyways. Plus, the future of my children quite literally depends on me having a good relationship with my body.

- Lynn, The Actors Diet (www.theactorsdiet.com)

If you would like to share your proudest healthy memory, email story and photo to healthyashley dot gmail dot com.

Proud Moment: Megan

Hello there! My name is Megan, and I wanted to share my proudest healthy moment with you- crossing the finish line of my first half marathon!

I can remember back to when I was in high school and told my parents I didn’t want to exercise because I hated sweating! I started running my sophomore year of college in an attempt to lose a little bit of weight and make the journey towards a healthier lifestyle.

The first time I went out for a run I could not even make it 1 mile- I was totally out of shape and had no idea what I was getting myself into. Every day that summer I would run just a little bit farther. I remember getting so frustrated at my 3 mile plateau, but I didn’t let that stop me! By the end of the summer, I was running around Salem Lake- a 6.92 mile trail!

It was only then that I realized that I could do anything I set my mind to. I met a new friend (now my best friend, and running buddy) who encouraged me to train for a half marathon that was only 6 months away. It sounded fun, and challenging, but I wasn’t sure that I could do it. Sure enough, I did!
(Left- Me, Right- Debbie)

! It took TONS of hard work, but I am so glad that I did it! Not only did I finish, I beat my goal time of 2:10 and finished in 1:54:23!

A healthy life is a journey, not a destination! Come visit me at Meganerdruns.blogspot.com!

- Megan

If you would like to share your proudest healthy memory, email story and photo to healthyashley dot gmail dot com.

Proud Moment: Kimberly

My proudest healthy moment was when my then boyfriend/now husband and I

completed our first 5K race. For six years prior to the race I had battled
an eating disorder. I had finally gotten my eating disorder under control
thanks to lots of hard work and the help of a great therapist. I had adapted
a healthy approach to eating and exercising. And to celebrate my
battle...and victory...I wanted to run a 5K. There was only one problem, I
was horrible at running. Like fellow reader Val, I always had to take
walking breaks while trying to complete my mile run in gym class. I was
convinced that my 5K dream would always remain a dream.

Then I told M (that's my husband) about my desire to complete the race. Not
only did he agree to join me, but he found the Couch to 5K training plan
and for 9 weeks, he was there for every single training run. Things were
going great...the training plan was working...I had gone from unable to run
a mile to running 3 miles. But just 2 weeks prior to the race I started
experiencing severe pains in my left knee.

The severe pains worsened until I was unable to run at all. 2 x-rays and an
MRI later, I was diagnosed with severe inflammation and tendinitis. It
seemed I had over trained and would be unable to complete the race. I was
devastated. But M said that we could walk the race and even if he had to
carry me that he would help me finish.
Thankfully a few steroid shots and a knee brace took care of the
inflammation to the point that I could run. I remember sprinting to the
finish line and then turning to see M right there next to me. I felt strong,
powerful, and incredibly loved.

I have sense learned that I have lots of tendinitis in the knee and my
doctor do not recommend me to run - and while it is somewhat disappointing.
I will always have this moment in time to remember.

- Kimberly from Kim and Mikey Got Married

If you would like to share your proudest healthy memory, email story and photo to healthyashley dot gmail dot com.

Proud Moment: John

My proudest moment would have to be crossing the finish line at my first triathlon, the Greenville Sprint on 8/17/08. When I put down the cigarettes only 9 months before, I did not think I could become a triathlete. Heck, then I couldn’t walk up a flight of stairs. Nobody thought I could run a triathlon. But I joined a gym, picked up some nicotine gum, and started out doing 20 minutes on the elliptical machine. That was all I could do.

By April of 2008 I was focused and could run on the treadmill finally. The workouts had grown to about an hour. Then a car accident sidelined me for 2 months. My car was totaled, and I was unable to run for april and may while recovering medically. I came so close to picking up the smokes again it scared me. Then the wife started making fun of me for even thinking about doing a triathlon earlier, and I became determined not to let the redneck that hit me take away my race. So I started training again. Getting into the pool, small brick workouts, using the stationary bike and treadmill at the gym, even doing mini-tri’s from my parents backyard pool.

Race day came and I knew I had managed the distances separately in training. But could I really string together 400 meters in the pool, 15 miles on the bike, and a 5k run? All in one shot? I finished in 2:02:30, good enough for last place in the novice group. But when I crossed that finish line, I knew then that I had won back my health and found a new kind of happiness that keeps me racing today.

Just this month I completed my first Olympic distance triathlon (1500 m swim, 24 mile bike, 10k run) only six days before I completed my first full marathon. And now I find myself unable to walk up a flight of stairs again. But this time, it’s not from smoking.

- Carolina John from Smoke Training

If you would like to share your proudest healthy memory, email story and photo to healthyashley dot gmail dot com.

Proud Moment: Stacey

Hi Healthy Ashley readers!

My name is Stacey and I'd like to share my proudest moment with you all!

When I was just out of high school I became so obsessed with my
weight. I would constantly pinch and pull at the pudge that I thought
exsisted around my stomach..sometimes without even noticing I was
doing so. I put myself on a very restrictive diet: no desserts,
nothing but water to drink, no snacking, no eating past 7...well, you
get the point :)

This, of course, only resulted in my binge-eating three days later. I
ate everything that I had restricted myself from and after going
through this redundant eating habit for six months, I decided that I
didn't want eat or live that way anymore! I went into nutrition
program at school (graduate in one more year!!), I started viewing
exercise as something that should be enjoyable. SELF magazine became
my bible and I slowly learned how to eat healthier and still allow
myself a treat.
Living life is about allowing yourself a break every once in a while,
enjoying that second piece of cake or even conquering a mountain on a
bike ride with your honey (as seen in the photo above!) :) Learning
now to beat myself up about everything that I was eating, and just
trusting myself and my lifestyle to guide me the right way is my
proudest moment.

I have never been happier or more healthy!!

- Stacey from I'd Rather Be Running

If you would like to share your proudest healthy memory, email story and photo to healthyashley dot gmail dot com.

Proud Moment: Toronto Girl Out West

My all time proud moment came at the end of my very first race (the Times
Colonist 10K in Victoria, Canada).

Every step of those 10 kilometers meant something to me. It meant that after
being obese I managed to turn my life around. It meant that I stuck with my
workouts even when I thought I would keel over and die. It meant that I was
strong. It meant that I had finally realized that I was worth it.

On that day I took in the beautiful Ocean views, the sounds of the crowds,
and the feeling of just doing it!

My trainer and his girlfriend were proud that day. My parents were proud. My
fiance (then boyfriend) was proud that day. My friends were proud. But most
of all - I was proud.

- Toronto Girl Out West

If you would like to share your proudest healthy memory, email story and photo to healthyashley dot gmail dot com.

Proud Moment: Val

For SURE my healthiest moment was the day I ran my first full marathon!! A
marathon is a big accomplishment for anyone, but I am especially proud of
myself because of how far I came. Growing up I absolutely loathed exercise
and running in particular - in gym class when we were asked to run a mile
for the President's Physical Fitness Challenge, I was never able to do it
without walking.

So, to me completing the marathon signified how far I have come in terms of
my own abilities and self-confidence. I now believe I can do anything I
put my mind to, and the marathon is proof!! I am now training for my third
marathon, and I also coach a Girls on the Run team which gets young girls
excited about running while also boosting their self-esteem. (It's an
awesome program!!)

- Marathon Val

If you would like to share your proudest healthy memory, email story and photo to healthyashley dot gmail dot com.

Proud Moment: Mia

It has almost been a year and a half since I moved to Japan. One of the things I really wanted to do here (aside from eating yummy Japanese food :P) was to climb Mt. Fuji. So one weekend last summer, we decided on climbing Japan's highest mountain (3,776 meters). Our group of four started our hike at around 7pm after we had dinner and shared bites of this yummy Mt. Fuji-shaped pastry.

{Mountain of Yum}

We hiked at a steady pace all night. Although the climb was generally manageable, the cold temperature added a bit of challenge for me. Night climb is popular during the summer months because it offers climbers a view of the famed Mt. Fuji sunrise at the peak. People would position themselves as they pleased and marveled as the sun glowed brighter.

{Watching Sunrise}

The peak was very crowded with climbers from around the world and all over Japan. There were families, friends, couples, tour groups, and solo climbers. The toddlers and the older climbers were the ones I was really impressed with. Aside from the usual souveneir and ramen shops, there were also vending machines and a post office (where one can mail a special Mt. Fuji postcard) at the peak! After resting a while and grabing a bite, we started with our descent. The view going down was unbelievable; the clouds were below us!

{Oh Happy Clouds!}

It was an amazing once in a lifetime experience, one where my mental and physical strength was tested. I am sure that with regular training and patience, running will also turn out to be as awesome. Is there anything you would like to experience at least once? Given the chance, I would not think twice about trying bungee jumping. Also, a hot air balloon ride would probably be the closest thing to taking a walk in the clouds. :P

{Amazing}

- Mia {runs and rests}


Mia, you literally climbed a mountain! Incredible! If you would like to share your proudest healthy memory, email story and photo to healthyashley dot gmail dot com.

Proud Moment: Michelle

This is my proudest healthy moment. Competing in a 10km race. It's the longest I had ever ran. I finished in 58 minutes. I had lost 120lbs and each 1km was 12 pounds that I lost. When I crossed the 1/2 way line I almost started bawling due to how proud I was for running, how much weight I had 'lost' and for doing something I thought that I would never ever do.

It was awesome. I cried after I completed the race, it meant a lot to me. Just talking about it means a lot to me.

- Michelle from Confessions of a Reformed Eater

Thanks Michelle for sharing your proudest healthy memory!! If you would like to share yours, email story and photo to healthyashley dot gmail dot com.

Yay Guest Bloggers!

First, congratulations to Carolina John for finishing his first marathon!!!

I'm just itching to know about everyone's most favorite healthy experience and I am asking for you to share yours as a guest post. Guest posts are awesome for introducing great bloggers to amazing readers and to share fun stories!

What is your favorite healthy experience? Did you kick butt in a race? Did your healthy habits inspire a friend for the better? Maybe it was good news from a doctor after you changed your habits?

We are all different and bring along different healthy stories we are most proud of. Please share yours!

Please send your proud moment (with photos and a link to your blog, if applicable) to healthyashley at gmail dot com and I will post it for all to see!

Guest Post: Using Vinegar as a Household Cleaner

Hi Healthy Ashley readers! My name is Andrea and my lil blog is called Off Her Cork where I write about food, running, and daily life. Ashley put out the call on Twitter asking about all natural cleaners. I mentioned that I clean with vinegar and she asked me to do a guest post, so here I am!

Vinegar is a great resource for all kinds of things! I started using it as a household cleaner several years ago when I realized that what I had been using to keep my home pretty and "clean" actually wasn't healthy for my family. The cleaners are made up of a lot of harsh chemicals that are toxic and not environmentally friendly. That didn't sit well with me and I started researching other options. What I found was that vinegar is a natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal and it can be used in many different ways. If you Google cleaning uses for vinegar so many sites and resources come up you could easily spend all day reading.

I stopped using the other cleaners cold turkey and switched right over to vinegar. I pour a little bit in my cleaning bucket (probably around a cup) and combine it with hot water, then I go through and give my house a good scrub down with a cleaning cloth. This includes appliances, counter tops, sinks, and toilets. Basically everything in my house gets cleaned with vinegar.

Vinegar and water will clean up your stainless steel appliances and make them all shiny again.

I add vinegar and a little bit of baking soda to the toilets and let sit for about 15 minutes. Then I scrub them with a regular toilet brush and flush. They are clean without having to use toxic chemicals.
I use about 1/4-1/3C of vinegar plus lots of hot water to mop my floors. This includes hardwood flooring. Vinegar is great for floors because not only does it clean well but if you've got pets or little ones running around, if they touch the wet floor and then lick their paws or suck their thumb there is no risk of them ingesting a harmful chemical. It's just vinegar. It might not taste pleasant but I'll take that over toxic chemicals any day.

I use vinegar instead of liquid fabric softener when I do laundry. Liquid fabric softener is just another chemical and really isn't needed at all for clothes. Since I have a dog, his blankets and bedding (along with ours because he likes our bed!) can get lots of hair and smell on them, vinegar neutralizes this. I also use it for all my workout clothes. Not only does it neutralize stinky sweat odor but it helps remove the sweat stains as well.

The most common question I get asked is, "What about the smell?" Well it's vinegar, so it's going to smell like vinegar. However, you aren't using that much and the smell dissipates quickly, so it's not a big deal. My question is; would you rather smell vinegar or a fake pine scent created in a lab so it covers up the harsh and toxic chemicals you're coating your house with?

If you don't think you could trust straight vinegar or maybe aren't ready to take that step yet, Method is a great company that makes all natural household cleaners. I use their hand soap, dish soap, and dish washer pellets with great success. They can be purchased at Target and most stores that have an all-natural cleaning section.

I hope you found this article useful! Thanks Ashley for allowing me to guest post on your blog!

Andrea
http://offhercork.com

Thanks for the great info and tips, Andrea!!

Do you use clean & green cleaners for your home? What are your favorite mixtures/products?