​Hello dolls! I know it's been a while but it's been a roller coaster and I have so much to share.
Today, I wanted to start with something life changing for me. The plant based way of life. Notice I will never call it a diet. It is a health change. Diets don't work, life changes do.
A year ago my health took a toll for the worst. I was faced with a thyroid cancer possibility, and in November of 2016 I would be rushed to the ER with a life threatening case of tachycardia brought on my adrenaline fatigue that I didn't even know I had.
At a loss of what to do, I started seeking information and research anywhere I could. Although I had healthy eating habits, despite my love of cupcakes, my
body was literally burning through all of it's energy sources and slowly breaking down. Even on a 4 day a week workout schedule my body was holding on to weight. I would wake up sore and in pain beyond workout soreness. The only thing I kept being told is "lose more weight."
As you can imagine I was frustrated and losing hope. I had nothing left but faith and God finally provided answers. I was finally connected with a doctor who listened. Who looked at my records, and could see a pattern that previous doctors refused to address. I was put on a supplement regiment to address the adrenaline fatigue, and he then suggested I look into an anti inflammatory diet.
Finally I had answers and hope.
​So to break it down quickly, an anti inflammatory diet is eliminating dairy, caffeine, processed sugary, most meats except for chicken and fish, and turkey, and also watching salt intake.
This got me extremely curious and I started digging deeper. It didn't hurt that I was blessed with a lovely neighbor already a year into a plant based/vegan life.
Why would dairy and meat cause inflammation?
I promise I'm not going to go into paragraphs of research here, all I will simply say is please do some googling and documatry watching of your own. I will simply say that the human body is in no way meant to process dairy and meat at the high rate of consumption that most Americans do now. It is actually harming us, to the point of death.
Before I continue I would like to state, that before this journey I had perfect cholesterol and normal ranges of blood pressure. I am not a medical doctor nor a nutritionist, but have set through at least 45 hours of nutrition classes. Most medical doctors only take the 15-20 hours required to earn their degree. I say this because when you do begin asking your doctor about a plant based eating plan, most don't truly have the knowledge to understand it. Seek a nutritionist.
Protien, calcium, and iron can all be found in abundance in many plants, seeds, nuts and grains. The only two supplemts required would be a daily vitamin (which you should be taking already) and a B12 supplement.
Januaury 2017 I made the decision to give up meat, and dairy. I can not call myself vegan or even 100 % plant based because I do still consume eggs( sourced from a home based, humane, cruelty free hens),and honey.
There is a world out there that I never knew.
If you gain nothing else from reading this, please know the level of ridiculousness that is in our food. For example most processed white sugar contains bone char from animals. I know mind boggling.

So here is why I'm sharing this with you.
From the picture above you can see the transformation. The kicker, I haven't been able to work out for a year because of the adrenaline fatigue and a necessary historectomy.
I have lost 63 pounds. I no longer wake up in pain, with sore muscles and joints. I have healed faster and no longer find myself sluggish or feeling ill after eating a meal. My skin is glowing, and I have energy I never had before. I don't miss out on a thing. My
labs all show improvement, and my body is now becoming better at self sustaining. I eat pasta, bread, bacon, cupcakes, ice cream, burgers,tacos,the list is endless. I don't have guilt after eating something because I know it's plant based and fueling my body. I've become
even more creative in my cooking, and my family supports me. I've made slow permanent changes in my household. All the milk, yogurt, and butter has been replaced with plant based options, with no complaints from other memebers of the glitter household. Twice a week my whole family goes meatless.
So my recommendations
~Start slowly replace one item every two weeks.
~ I love to follow the Buddhist Cheif, and the Minimalist Baker.
~Read labels.
~Be prepared. Life gets busy, have quick things on hand. Smoothies and oatmeal are a breakfast favorite in our home. I've also learned that many restaurants and quick to go places have diary/meat free options. Chipotle, Zoe's Kitchen, and Panarea Bread are my favorite go to's.
I share this to say there is hope beyond medication and waking up miserable. Do your own research into the food industry. There are a ton of alternative options now to things like cheese, sour cream and meat.
Please don't buy into powders and pills, you can change your life by simply fueling your body with what it needs. Stop substituting and jumping from diet to diet.
It took me 35 years to understand what my body truly needed and to open my eyes to the truth. Love yourself, know yourself, sparkle on.

As I've grown in my faith, over and over, I come back to the same three things. These three things keep me grounded, level headed, and remind me that the gospel, the good news is what is at the heart of it all.
So here are the three questions we should ask daily, During our quiet time, when we start a new ministry, job, or major decision.
​

1) Are you living for you, or Christ?
"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or God? Or am I trying to please man? If I please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. "~Galatians 1:10
There is no better way for me to answer that question, then this verse shared by Paul. Am I living for man, or am I living for the one who gave it all? It's so easy to get caught up in the glitz and glam, the instant gratification. But we are called to serve and love. This world is not the prize. So way waste our time pleasuring a world not meant for us? A lesson I'm learning repeatedly: The more I live for Christ and die to this world, the more overjoyed my spirit becomes.
2) Am I listening?
"Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long." ~Psalm 25:5
We yell, we question, we complain, we move on our own accord. " God! What do I do?!" "'Why can't I hear you?!"
I know I've said or thought all of these things. The piece missing from this equation was me. Maybe I've stopped digging into the Bible. Or when was the last time I had quiet time? Do I immediately seek Him, or run to my friends? That still voice will fade the further I get from Him. And many times I've heard His answer and refuse to accept it. Seek Him, He has never left you. Wait on Him, His timing and will are perfect.
3) Am I loving like Christ?
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. "~John 13:34-35
Love, love, love...all you need is love!
That's so simple, I can do that!
But we let things like, pride, busy work, list, rules, or shame get in our way. Do we take the time to share the gospel with someone we know needs the Lord? Have we dropped a meal by to someone in need? Mailed a random card to a stranger, served in our church or community? Or just simply listened instead of immediately responding out of anger or hate.
We must wake up and realize Christ is love,therefore we should respond simply that way. I'm not preaching to put your convictions aside, but we often forget that kindness and love should be our first response.

I ask you all to start every morning for a week with these three questions on your mind. Watch how it impacts your lives and those around you.
Jesus, coffee, and love.
That's the order of my life these days, and it is oh so sweet.

Hello lovelies! I hope your week was amazing and you sparkled among the crowed. For the workout this week, I'm encouraging you to combine all 3 weeks. That's right!! You'll love hate me by Wednesday, but you will feel amazing.
I also wanted to encourage you. My whole life weight has been an issue. I had to learn to love myself in Christ before any of my goals ever stuck. I've been blessed with some amazing friends, and coaches along the way, but I had to hold on to the value that I have in Christ, not the world. No pill or powder will give you that. Hard work, determination, and knowing that God designed you for a reason is what will get you through. I had to overcome my poor relationship with food, know my bodies limits, and get my heath in order. But the thing that made the biggest difference, not giving up. I had days where I couldn't even get out of bed because of heath reasons, but I didn't use it as an excuse. I still made healthy eating choices, and did what I could. You've got this, stay encouraged. Stop letting the world define you. Stop believing in some magic formula. No I didn't have instant over night results, and to be honest it's not truly going to happen. I'm 34 pounds from my first major goal, and have just started back to working out. But I'm going to keep fighting and knowing I was designed from love.

It's week 3!!!
I'm going a little easier on you since next week we are pumping it up. You should be afraid, but in a good way.
So this week is a simple all over workout, that should be repeated 3 times.
It's one of my favorites for sure.
Makensure you are drinking that water, and making healthy food decisions. Maybe go meatless for a meal or two. Making sure you have a veggie at every meal is also a wonderful place to start.
Another great tip, keep a journal of your progress. Not only weigh, but also measure yourself.

Hey lovelies!! How did last week go? I'm sure your legs hated me for the first few days. I know mine did, but it feels so good to be moving again!
This week we are focusing on our core. I'm giving you two quick workouts that focus on the abs and inner thigh area. These can be done at home with no equipment necessary.
MWF with something low impact such as yoga or a nice 30-45 minute walk on T/THR
Get moving! Spread a little joy and sparkle.

As always please make sure you consult a doctor before beginning any workout routine.
I also want to challenge you this week to make sure your yearly physical has been done or make sure you get it scheduled. Making sure things like cholesterol, and blood pressure are in check are so very important. Early detection is key to any health issue.

It's Monday! Are you moving?!
Amazing news to share!! This girl is cancer free!!!! God is good y'all ❤❤❤
I still face some health battles ahead, but I can now add some light weight workouts back in.
So who's up for the challenge?!
Every Monday I will post a body focused workout. This week is legs. I will be doing this MWF, with a 30 minute yoga workout on in between days.
This week it's all about legs. Using these two quick workouts took me about 20 minutes. Who doesn't have 20 minuets?!
Some workout pointers
*Please warm up and stretch
*Invest in a foam roller for post workout soreness
*Water!!! Water intake is so important. Strive for at least 80 to 100 ounces a day.
*Modify when needed
*Please check with your doctor before starting any new workouts.

Remeber, working out is to get YOUR body to a healthy state. Don't focus on others, this is about you, and setting a healthy body image for yourself. Don't let this worlds body imagine define you. The beauty in you comes from Christ.

Jesus! That name, so much power, so much love, and all the strength you need.
In the past, Monday's have been dedicated to workouts, health and fitness, but in this season of life, my "never missing" is currently built on spiritual fitness.
In the last few months, I've had dark days, hard days, don't want to get out of bed and exists days. The thing that was always constant, His voice, His peace, His strength. His Love.
I'm learning to truly lean on Him, to hold faith that He will see me through, and provide. Most importantly I think I'm learning to seek Him, talk to Him, be encouraged, and find joy in Him.
I build this strength by soaking up as much Jesus as I can possibly get. Going to bible studies, spending time in the word(daily),praying with friends in faith. Being apart of and rooted at church. Building a relationship with Christ.
I'm learning it's okay to be weak, because that is part of me, and there is no shame or condemnation in that. I simply have to be still and know that He is there. Soak Him up in the quiet, in the chaos, in the pain. Watching as He turns these ashes into glitter.