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Author Archives: rawgirl
How to Make 2017 Resolutions That Stick
Hope you all had a very happy holiday and somehow made it through the weekend without overdosing on refined sugar and booze. Tis’ the season for sweets, apple cider, cocoa, and reflection on whether or not you actually achieved those health goals you set last January. We all know “those people” who get gym memberships at the beginning of the year, start cleanses, and become yoga natzi’s only to fall completely off the wagon come spring. We know them because if we took a good look in the mirror we’d realize that at some point we have fallen way short of the mark when it comes to our health. Here’s four quick ideas for ways to ensure you wrap 2017 a healthy living rockstar:
- Stop Settling. You need a goal that will get you up in the early AM or make you want to put in a workout after a long day at work. Instead of making goals about weight loss or body fat percentage try imagining the kick-ass new and improved version of you at the end of the year. What is he or she doing? Is she entering a body building competition? Running a marathon? An expert fitness pole dancer? Stunting on folks with your catwalk in the office thanks to reformer Pilates? If you can dream it, you can achieve it.
- Track Your Progress. There are so many apps nowadays that can help you keep a food diary, log workouts, or even track your daily steps. No excuses my friend. In order to keep the beginning of the year pep going a great way is to have a tried and true tracking system that works for you. When you start tracking, it helps to have an accountability partner or bff who calls you out on your cheat day.
- Celebrate Your Wins. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our goals that we forget to take a moment a do a happy dance when we’ve hit the mark! As you create a plan for your health in the upcoming year, make sure you give some sort of treat or reward on the road to achieving the goal.
- Invest in a Trainer or Coach. We’ve all done a double take at some point in the gym at the random guy in the corner doing strange exercises with even stranger form. Just like you need a check up with your doctor or dentist every now and then, if you are looking to achieve health or fitness goals it cannot hurt to check-in with a health coach, nutritionist, or trainer. There is power in the meeting of minds and agreement. Not only will having a Sensei egg you on when you want to give up on that last rep, it may propel you much further than you can go on your own, and save you some time in the gym with more effective workouts. If you’ve hit a plateau or are in a food rut diet-wise, a nutritionist or health coach may get you excited about new recipes to spice things up. Make sure you get referrals for health professionals you work with so you can ensure your investment will reap dividends.
-XO Raw Girl
The Amazing Power of MSM for Beauty & Healing
MSM, also know by science geeks the world over as methylsulfonylmethane, is an organic sulfur compound made during the earth’s rain cycle. This miracle supplement when taken in the powder form really should be called “Botox in a bottle,” as it does wonders for anti-aging by boosting collagen production especially when paired with vitamin C. MSM is great for acceleration of healing of skin, joints, or connective tissues. Taking it as a supplement can be useful to those suffering from arthritis, leaky gut (helps heal lining of colon) and those looking to speed recovery from injury. Here’s an additional perk that comes with adding MSM to your life: it lays a coat over intestinal areas making it virtually impossible for parasites to attach themselves. When the parasites are unable to make their home in your body, they are flushed out of your system through the process of elimination.
Time and time again I have come back to MSM whenever dealing with an injury I want to heal. Most recently when my face was burned, I made sure to include MSM twice a day into my healing protocol along with my Heal & Glow Face Mask to accelerate the process. If you find your hair is breaking or nails are brittle, this is great supplement that will solve those issues and have you whipping your hair back and forth.
How to take it:
For best results using the MSM powder, added it to your water along with a source of vitamin C like lemon juice. Start with one teaspoon of MSM powder in 16 ounces of water, and gradually work your way up to 2 to 3 tablespoons per day to see some really impressive results.
-XO Raw Girl
The Miracle Mask That Healed My Skin
Here we are at the end of 2016. I’m aware it’s been too long since I’ve shared here on the blog. Much love and appreciation to all of you who have subscribed and purchased books this year. I’m back just in time for the holidays and I have a whopper of a story to share as you can probably tell from the photo!
About a week ago on Monday, December 28th, I came home to my apartment in LA absolutely exhausted. I was that kind of tired that it is borderline drunk. I don’t even remember when exactly I fell asleep. At 5 AM the next morning, I shot out of bed and my face felt like it was throbbing! I ran into my bathroom and when I looked in the mirror I couldn’t help but let out a shriek. Staring into my reflection I saw that an area on my cheek was inflamed, swollen and BURNED. After staring, shrieking, pacing, and then catching my breath I realized that somewhere in between my bathroom and my bed the night before I fell asleep with a product from Keihl’s called “Deep Pore Cleanser” on my face.
Then the rage bubbled up slowly. How could it be that a product that is supposed to cleanse my skin could burn my face?!! I called a dear friend who is an eco-esthetician and she schooled me like I school people on the dangers fast food. “Those products are totally toxic, you have to stop using them immediately.” She then mentioned that ever since Keihls was bought out by L’Oreal that there was no real guarantee that the products had truly natural ingredients. I couldn’t help but think: I’m supposed to know this! Even though I’d made a huge effort to buy only vegan makeup brands, and change my beauty products, as I stood there with the burn on my face I was aware that I needed to do much better. That I would do better. Once I healed the burn on my face.
Fast forward to Thursday. I woke up, and yes the burn was still there and it was creepier looking than ever, check the picture above. I had a red carpet event on Saturday, and I was supposed to be leaving to travel to New York the next day to make it in time. I was contemplating canceling my trip because I was 1) worried about being Scar Face on the red carpet, and 2) I didn’t feel like putting makeup over the scar in case it would aggravate it. In a fit of frustration, I had a little deja vu moment as I threw out of the Keihl’s products in my possession. This feeling was all too familiar. I remembered how horrible my skin was when my acne was at the height of cray cray. After tossing out all of my beauty products I realized I would need something to replace them with! So I called an awesome store in West Hollywood called Green Line Beauty that sells only organic, natural, and vegan beauty products. The owner wasn’t in but the lovely woman I got on the phone with calmed me down. “The body is a miracle,” she said. “It really does have the power to heal itself. You will heal.” She went on to say please don’t stress because freaking out will only impair my bodies’ natural immunity.
I got off the phone with my eco-beauty guardian angel for the day and took a deep breath. She’s right, I thought. Years ago I healed my skin of crazy acne and scarring all over my face. This little ScarFace burn hasn’t got anything on my healing mojo. It was a done deal at that point, I made up my mind that it would heal miraculously and that whatever I needed to use to facilitate the process would show up. And then of course what happen next was a bloody miracle. I went to my local natural grocery store and was led to the herb section by my favorite store clerk who suggested I make a natural mask. Twenty minutes later I left with herbs in tow excited to attempt to create a healing concoction in my kitchen.
What resulted is a mason jar full of goodies I’m calling Raw Girl’s Heal & Glow Face Mask. Not only did my inflammation go down to a scab in a day, in two days it literally peeled off and is now completely gone! Guys, I’m really exited about my mask not only for generally skin healing but for dark spots from acne scarring, general natural glow and more. So I’ve decided to experiment with my blend this month on a few friends and family member guinea pigs who are dealing with skin issues or just want a beauty boost.
I am now taking orders for only up to 50 jars of the mask to start. I won’t sell more than the first 50 because I want to ensure everyone has an awesome experience with it. All orders filled over the holidays will be shipped out priority on January 8th, 2017, and if you send in a review you will receive 25% off a reorder. I’m selling the mask for $35 bucks and it’s MASON JAR SIZE! I want to make sure that you will get as much value as possible. Will upload photos soon. For now, I have not included any stabilizers so it’s natural enough that you could technically eat it and be okay. CLICK HERE to read more about it and order or click the graphic below. For now only taking fifty orders within the U.S. Would so love your support! Will be exciting to hear that many others are healed miraculously just like I was, or at the very least are basking in their new found glow.
Wishing you and yours a peaceful and burn-free holiday season.
-XO Raw Girl
This Month! Cape Town Book Signing – Got VEG?
Hey Veggie Lovers,
For any of your based in South Africa, I’m excited to announce that Wellness Warehouse is hosting me this month on Saturday, May 28th, 2016 from 1200h-1500h for a book signing in their Wellness Cafe. I will be selling signed copies of my latest book Got Veg? How to Thrive on a Plant-Based Diet, and also have my ebook The Acne-Free Diet available for purchase. If you are based in Cape Town or know others who are please spread the word. All are invited to purchase your book, mingle, and grab something from the cafe! For more about Got Veg? visit this link: http://rawgirltoxicworld.com/gotveg/ . -XO Raw Girl
From Farm to Table: Eating Organic in Cape Town
When I returned to South Africa this year, I have to admit I fell into a panic about food. Since last year I have been traveling non-stop, without my usual arsenal of veggie-friendly appliances: blender, food processor, chef knives, and last but never least, my glorious dehydrator. At the grocery stores here in Cape Town like Spar, Woolwooths etc. I started to realize after asking questions that it was more than likely that none of the produce was organic. While grocery shopping, I would ask about it and get a puzzled look or shrug in response. For the first week I had no desire to eat at all until I was saved by grace at a cute veg-friendly restaurant called Sexy Food. One of the lovely waitresses told me about Oranjezicht City Farm. After googling I was overjoyed to find out the farm held a weekly farmers market rain or shine just a block away from my pad. So every weekend since March I’ve been skipping with glee over to the market to grab some fresh produce and delicious veg food. There’s something really special that we lose when we confine ourselves to shopping at a grocery store. We miss out on the connection with people who sweat and toil to yield the harvest, and the direct connect with nature. We miss out on the reality that there are seasons, and sometimes we must eat only what will grow. If you are in Cape Town check out the farmers market on Saturdays (you may spot me there). Wherever you live, do a little research to see if you can buy your veggies locally, or try starting your own garden. If you make the effort I’m sure you will reap a harvest of not only good health, but joy in supporting the cycle of life as mother nature intended it. -XO Raw Girl
Afropunk Feature: #BlackVegansRock
It’s been awhile guys. I’ve been enjoying South Africa and indulging in some awesome raw and vegan cuisine. Will post soon about some great places you can check out if you ever venture to Cape Town. If you are in South Africa, stay tuned for a book signing this month! Just in case you missed it here’s the link to the feature by #BlackVegansRock & AFROPUNK. Check them out on facebook they feature some awesome vegans who speak a bit about their journey.
If you are missing the regular blog posts, do not forget to also like the Raw Girl Page on Facebook which I post more regularly or follow me on Instagram. -XO
My adventure as a vegan started out as an informal student of health trying to absorb all I could about plant-based living to become the best version of me. That process has surprisingly led to me now serving as a teacher or guide for others who are looking for inspiration on their own paths to optimal health.
It’s been almost fifteen years since I first decided to cut out all meat and animal products from my diet. At the time, I just didn’t like the way I felt eating meat and I was also lactose intolerant. While in college I was still vegan but eating a lot of junk food and getting sick a lot. I had a cousin who was a raw foodist who inspired me to consider going raw. Years later, my skin started to break out horribly and my energy was at an all time low. I remembered the raw vegan diet, and also started to learn a lot informally about holistic health from the Rastafarians and healers in my hood in Brooklyn.
Read more of the piece here:
http://www.afropunk.com/profiles/blogs/feature-black-vegans-rock-esosa-e-aka-raw-girl
Got Veg? DC & MD Book Signings This Weekend!
Last weekend’s book signings were incredible. Big HUG and thank you to all of the lovely people who came out to buy the book and talk health! I was inspired to meet so many people who are ready to take accountability for their diet and make positive changes to improve quality of life. This coming weekend on Saturday I’ll be holding two more book signings in the DC area at the Turning Natural MD Location and hosted by my hair stylists at Loc Lov Styles in Capitol Hill. Below is the info. Really hope to see you there! XO
Saturday, March 5th Book Signings
11:30 AM – 2:30 @ PM Turning Natural MD, 7748 Marlboro Pike Forestville, MD
5:30 – 7:30 PM @ Loc Lov Styles, 402 8th Street NE, Washington DC (Capitol Hill)