When I was in college I decided to study Marketing. It sounded fun, even though I had no clue what it was. Throughout my years in college I understood marketing so well that it became a part of me. Getting a degree in Marketing changed my life forever. I started to question the material things I had and the things I wanted. Like “do I really want to buy all my clothes in Abercrombie & Fitch or is this need inside of me is a product of marketing?” I came to realize that I was as happy shopping at Target and that my Cartier watch had the same or less sentimental value than the 10 dollar watch I got from my little nephew. Life got better. I started to enjoy simplicity.
I understood name brands and I was happy because I felt I was smarter than the marketing ads around me telling me I should have the new Luis Vuitton (LV). By the way, I traumatized my brother for life. He is the type of guy that doesn’t understand purses or shoes, you know the guy probably has two or three pairs of shoes and that is too many for him. Anyway, it was a time when I was obsessed with LV and my obsession was contagious and before I knew it my older brother was talking couture. It was very funny.
Anyway, back when I was feeling empowered with all my marketing knowledge. It was a very exciting for me because I was feeling smarter and I was buying things for quality not for the name tag. I questioned everything, like “do I really, really, really, want this? do I need it? Or, is it pure consumerism? Or is it because I saw it in a magazine?” But I never questioned the food I was buying until recently. I mean seriously I went through college buying a coke and a snickers bar for breakfast. Was I drinking Coke because I liked the flavor? Or it was simply because it was there in the super market and that was the thing to buy? Recently, until my husband brought it to my attention, I didn’t realize my insane love for McDonald’s.
Think about it. Do you actually crave a hamburger or is the TV ad playing in your head over and over again tricking you into thinking you need it? What is it? Do you really know what are your favorite food is? Is pizza really your favorite? How do you know?
The food industry spends a lot of money on marketing. Just in 2010 the fast food industry spent $4.2 billion dollars on marketing in the United States. Where do you think all that money is going? What is their purpose? What are they doing to you? It all goes to create a necessity specialized and customized for you my dear.
I know obviously you are thinking “Look, I know I love brownies and ice-cream, I know I love Mexican food, I was born the first time I had a quesadilla, enchiladas and I are best friends and I cry when I eat a rib-eye, no one tricked my mind.” You are right. I know you love those foods because they taste good. But be aware that there are companies paying a ton of money to make you buy those things. And it all starts with a little crave. And the little crave started with something you saw or something that reminds you of that cheesy pizza.
The food pictures in your mind most of the times are determined by a collective customized marketing plan.
When I am in other countries I never miss any of my favorites foods. I really don’t, because I am just cool like that. I sometimes come back and find out I really didn’t like that particular thing I used to loved so much. Like I used to loved almond milk. I was drinking it with anything before my trip to Italy. I used to put it in tea and whatever I could. Now, that I am back I think it is just o k a y. I don’t care for it as much. And that is when I think “well maybe was all the subliminal messages around it made it taste better.” DAH!
I don’t doubt you know what you like. But how much is really truly your desire. And how much is the huge billboard with a picture of a juicy hamburger?
People have a very hard time in this country loosing weight, that is not news. I mean we go from diet to diet with out getting any results. And I believe with my whole big heart that in part it’s because of the way food is marketed. Yeah you got it my love, those extra 15 pounds you can’t loose since 2006 are all marketing’s fault. Well not really, I just lied to you. I mean it’s marketing’s fault but come on, those donuts and breakfast tacos helped, too. But in serious business it doesn’t help that we are in fact constantly bombarded with very decadent food messages.
Be aware. And don’t let them get you that easy! Are you really going to have lunch at Olive Garden today because the quality of the food is exquisite and you know they have the best manicotti in town or is it because last night you saw about 30 commercials telling you about their lunch specials while watching your favorite show?
Smart up about your food intake. Don’t let those bastards get to you!
I always have new students coming to my yoga classes and I love it. My secret plan is to rock their world and show them something new and get them to go crazy about it so they keep doing it.
You know, I want to brake all the myths about yoga and pass on to them my deep love for it. Specially for the ones that have never ever done yoga and are experiencing their very first class with ME.
I must confess I get a little bit nervous when they tell me, my class is their FIRST.
NO PRESSURE right?
I want the newbies to fall in love with yoga and really appreciate it. There are so many types of yoga and it’s hard to know the student’s expectations. But I sure try very hard to put my heart on the mat for them so they like it so much they come back for more endorphins. Sometimes they do and they commit to it, and sometimes they don’t. Maybe it was not the right time for them.
I believe that no matter what everybody is going to end up doing some type of yoga in their life as regular practice especially if their goal is to live a healthy and dignified life.
I am especially concerned with the new students doing their first yoga class because I want to fulfill their expectations. I want to teach them what makes yoga so special in one single class. But maybe I don’t succeed. Maybe the magic doesn’t happen in 60 minutes.
There are so many types of yoga, and every single person teaches their class differently. It’s hard for the teacher to be all for every student. I know a lot of yoga teachers feel the same way. We get concerned about not teaching what every single student is looking for.
We, teachers, forget to remind ourselves that we really don’t have to “do” anything to make yoga amazing. Yoga is all ready amazing. Yoga is simple and it comes down to really not “teaching” and just paying attention to our breath, to fit your body into the shapes, and basically yoga teaches you itself.
If you are the student that hasn’t found your own yoga. I just say to you: don’t give up. There is a type of yoga just for you. Just know, that like me, there is a teacher waiting just for YOU.
After two weeks of not posting anything, I am back. You know I was in Italy for vacations and as much as I love to post from over there obviously I was not going to because I was 100% dedicated to eat delicious food and to see very very old things. That was my only true goal. Here is the only video we took from the trip. Enjoy.
Beautiful, right?
Insane , Obsessed , Sexy Life , Vegan
I will have a double espresso shot latte please, make that two lattes, oh wait; you know what? make 5. I will have 5!
One of my many dream jobs was to own a coffee shop, so for part of my dream to come true I decided to work in a coffee shop. Last year I worked in a coffee shop and bakery in San Antonio, TX called Rise. I was working so much during those days. I had a corporate job planing events during the day and then I was a bad-ass barista really, really, really, early in the morning.
I love working there and I loved the experience I got from it. But I don’t think owning a coffee shop is in my future. I am so glad I had that experience to be able to figure things out and to find out coffee was not for me. And I am very serious when I say this because after working there I stopped drinking coffee.
I was addicted to coffee. I loved coffee. I always had since I was a tiny, bitty, mini little girl. I can remember having big sips from my grandma’s cup. If you know me, you know I was the biggest coffee drinker you could ever meet. Seriously. I just love the aroma, the taste, and everything that comes with a good cup of coffee.
Working at the coffee shop, I had as much coffee as I wanted to. It was good coffee, too. So I started early in the mornings around 5:00am with a nice latte, and then another one, and then another one, and one more. By 10:00 am, that was usually when I was leaving to my other job, I probably had about 6 drinks with double shots of espresso. Of course, I exceeded my limit. Yeah you got it, I was the shaky girl jumping my way around, suffering from an overdose of caffeine. I had so much fake energy from all that coffee it was funny (sometimes).
But, I was definitely not at my healthiest.
And with the excess of coffee something happened to me, something inside of me changed. It’s like my body acquired a low desire for coffee. I just didn’t want it any more. And my mid-twenties crises kicked in, so I was asking all kinds of whys on everything that was part of my life.
Why drinking coffee? Do I really like it? Or, is it because it reminds me of my younger years and bonding times with my grandma and my mother? Was coffee making me happier? Was my life easier because of coffee? Again, did I truly like it?
I am a big believer that in order for us to grow and fall in love with our persona, we really need to detach from the things we like the most or the things we think we “need” the most. I came to believe that my biggest growth has come when I am the most vulnerable and when I don’t have my comfort things around to protect me. To really find the raw gorgeous self that we are, we need to put down some things in our life’s so we can find out if those things are working to our advantage.
So I don’t care for coffee very much any more. I found out that I feel better with out it. I sometimes have sips from my Coco’s cup, but truly tea is my drink of choice.
Tea rocks my world, it soothes my life better.
Any kind, any time, with honey, agave syrup, soy milk, almond milk, all of the versions make me a very happy gal.
There are different studies about how coffee is bad for you, there also studies about how good it is for you. It depends on who is paying for the study. So just listen to your body. And choose what your body is craving, and once in a while be open to a yummy cup of tea.
Every Day for the last two weeks I had the same thing for breakfast and I love it because it’s super yummy and very filling. You are going to love it, too. It’s full of protein and fiber. So, this is what you need:
Two slices of Rudi’s bread—I get the double fiber but the white kind tastes amazing, too. It just doesn’t have much fiber or protein. It depends on what you are you looking for.
2 tablespoons of peanut butter from PB2.
1/2 cup raisins and unsalted sunflowers seeds mix (or whatever you have, fruit, dry fruit, more nuts, honey, etc.)
And about one table spoon of organic powdered cinnamon.
Well my sexy friends, if you have never tried PB2 you will be surprise when you see that this peanut butter is different because it comes as a powder. Don’t be scared about it’s texture. It’s super delicious and very healthy for you because it doesn’t have as much fat as the regular peanut butter. If you are like me and adore peanut butter this is a great alternative because you can eat a ton more without having to make sure you eat the right portion. I mean regular peanut butter has like 200 calories in two tablespoons, and it’s not like a ton of calories, but if you are like me and like to go crazy and live to eat peanut butter then totally go for the PB2. It’s your best option for natural flavor, and calorie content. I buy mine at Grass Roots Natural Market, because it’s the only place they have it in town.
I like to leave my sandwich open and I like it super crunchy, so I toast the bread and then add peanut butter then I throw anything I can find on top of it, sometimes it’s fruit sometimes cashews, you can really add whatever for a POWPOW for your sandwich!
There you have it, a super easy and totally a glamourous breakfast!
I turned 27.
This year is different from my other birthdays. It just hit me, I am getting old, I and I don’t like it. I used to love birthdays, I mean birthdays rock! You get presents, you get to eat all the cake you want to, and people call you to say they love you. What’s not to love about that? Right? Well this time, I just didn’t want to have a birthday. I was not ready for 27. I didn’t feel 27. I actually was feeling more like 22.
And in some kind of alternative reality I saw 27 as a super cool age where you have all your shit together. Well unfortunately that is not my true reality. I don’t know shit. I am okay with it, I just think I should stop having birthdays because I am still super silly and ridiculus like when I was in my teens. Seriously.
I have nothing figure out. And I am okay with it because that is where I am right now and I know I can’t force things to happen in my life. I am trying to go with the fucking flow. I may be one of those people that go thru life with out knowing everything around them. I am okay with that. I am feeling more Zen and just trying to live every moment. With out any expectations on the future. Just enjoy the now and smile. I sound like a total yogini, right? Yeah!
My 27th birthday has a different energy from my past years, it’s sad because I am older and nowhere near where I had envisioned my self. I realize part of that vision was created by outsiders. Leting go of those expectations has taken some time. But I am here now, and I am smiling like a crazy happy maniac and thinking 27 can be pretty amazing.
27 means silly, fun, with a wisdom that no 26 year old has. Hell yeah! Better things are going to happen this year to me. I can feel the crazy good energy in the air.
The End.
Wait it’s not completely the end. If you want to you can keep reading how my crazy head works. You don’t have to. It’s up to you but definitely its not necessary.
*Interesting fact:
I have some type of mental disorder where I like numbers and I play with them in my head. Like if I see the plate numbers of a car I start adding the numbers from left to right, or sometimes I separate the numbers in even groups and then add them, and then add the groups and keep adding numbers until I find a single digit. Or if I am turning 27, I think 27 is a perfect cube, being 3³ = 3 × 3 × 3. Then it gets even more exciting because 3 is my lucky number and 2 + 7 = 9, and then 9 obviously comes from 3. So awesome! And yeah, it doesn’t stop there because the number seven is my favorite number. And then my head starts finding interesting personal dates and just finding connections to all those numbers like when I kissed my husband for the first time it was 8-8-8, the sum of those numbers is 24, and I happened to be 24 years old when that happened. And 2+4 = 6 and 6 is the smallest perfect number (since 21(22 – 1) = 6), the next perfect number is 28. So exciting for my next birthday; 28!!!!
Rant , Sexy Life , Vegan
It Totally Does Not Make Sense and Yeah I Think It Sounds Like I Am Complaining But I Am Really Not – I Am Just Ranting Like Usual
Implementing a Vegan or a Vegetarian life style doesn’t make sense. It’s just doesn’t, because it’s not practical or convenient for anybody, I totally get it. The majority of us are born in a meat eaters household and we’ve been eating animal products since then.
Being Vegan it’s a lot of work. It takes a ton of time and research, and it can be totally overwhelming. Truly, I don’t like to spend hours at the grocery store looking at every single product and at every single ingredient of everything I buy checking for eggs or milk. And to be an honest Vegan I have to research every product I buy and make sure that it comes from an honest facility.
I trust nobody. I do my own research. And that is totally inconvenient. I mean in an ideal world I should be able to trust the FDA to do their job.
Also being Vegan is expensive. I mean that is probably because I like to buy organic too, but seriously to this date, to be a completely balanced Vegan I feel I have to spend more money for groceries and for food at restaurants than meat eaters. For example, you can buy a value meal for $3 bucks and with 3 bucks I can’t not even buy organic blueberries. And it’s totally not fair that when you order a salad with no chicken at any restaurant I have to pay for the chicken still.
And what about the looks you get from other people when you tell them you are Vegan? I am serious. I think I can get a better reaction if I tell them I was a coke addict than a Vegan. Yeah, it’s not cool when you go to your office Christmas party and you have to order off the menu and your boss is looking at you like you are smoking some weird shit. People get all snarky.
Seriously I am making my life harder. I mean I am a Mexican, a woman, and a Vegan. Two of those things I didn’t decide for myself. Like seriously, think about it, the difference between meat eaters and vegans is that we Vegans just like to make things more complicated for ourselves.
So if it’s so freaking inconvenient why do I do it?
Well, see, I am a dreamer. Sounds lame right? Well it doesn’t stop here, my lameness proceeds.
I believe in equality, I believe one person can change the universe and I care for you and them. I truly do. I may not know you in person but I care for you. I know you care for me, too. It breaks my heart in little tiny pieces to know that every night 14 million children in America go to bed hungry. Picture that. Isn’t it sad? You may never suffer hunger. I never have, but just thinking about it makes me extremely sad. I want to do something about it. I want to help.
What does helping eliminate hunger have to do with being Vegan? Lets connect the dots people! There’s nothing so pervasively damaging to our environment – and to world hunger – than eating animals. Bottom line it cost more to produce a piece of steak than producing rice and beans. Because it takes more space, food and energy to sustain livestock. So basically the fact that you are having a a burger helps increase hunger in America and in the World.
I can adjust to inconvenience, but I can’t imagine somebody adjusting to hunger.
I am trying to learn as much Italian culture as possible, you know, for that trip that I am going to take next week. I’ve been in Italy before, but that was 4 years ago, so obviously I don’t know anything about their politics anymore. I just didn’t keep up. You know, other countries are very aware of American politics.
If you have been in other countries and tried to speak to the locals you know what I am talking about. They know a ton of facts about the US. Foreigners are well informed. Like sometimes they even know more about our politics than we do. Or at least that is how it seems.
So anyway, I was reading that this guy the Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, is a piece of shit. But let’s first say that I love Italian last names and for the longest when I was single I thought I was just going to marry an Italian boy for the last name, but the PM’s last name is ugly and it doesn’t sound sexy it all. And if you happen to have that last name, never mind then.
This dude has endured 105 judicial probes and trials and 2,500 court hearings and spent more than 300 million euros in legal fees defending himself against allegations of tax fraud. bribery, corruption, and more.
Signore Silvio is a very sick man, and you should not be friends with him or anybody that looks like him. The Prime Minister paid to have sex with a minor, a young Moroccan dancer whose stage name is Ruby Heartstealer. That’s right, she got an English stage name. I think that is totally dumb because she could had some very exotic name but I guess having a name in English is exotic because she lives in Italy. DUH!
And of course like any sick man, he has his nasty followers. There are some statistics saying that 61% of the Italians would vote for him in the next election. The majority of those people share his conviction that the Democratic Party is riddled with communist, or who admire him as Italy’s ultimate self-made man and model of virility. Blah!
I have to give a big shout out for a ton of stuff that has happened in my life and the things I have around me, but this week I specifically want to give a big time shout out to Grassroots Natural Market. I am so lucky because I can literally walk to such a cool place. It’s a local store here in Jacksonville and they got their stuff together. They have two locations, and I personally like both locations. But I go to the one closer to my house. DUH!!!!
It’s a small store full of great quality healthy products. The staff is super nice and literally every time I go they just seem happy and willing to help. And I am a pain in the but as a customer so if they’re still nice to me that only means they rock! They also sell some pretty bad-ass smoothies with all organic fruit. Oh yeah, momma is happy!
Oh,oh and if they don’t have what you need, they will order for you. Just like that. I got special protein powder and some awesome organic fresh cranberries. If you ever get to come to Jacksonville, don’t hesitate to stop at Grassroots!
Well you know I am not very religious or good with remembering dates, so obviously I forgot about Ash Wednesday. I truly don’t care but if you do that is totally awesome. I used to always look forward to Ash Wednesday because I remember as a child I would eat Capirotada the following Friday.
In Mexico we have Capirotada just during lent. And it’s usually on Friday and we eat it for dinner or supper. At least that is my mom’s tradition. She would buy all the ingredients and divide them into the number of Fridays in Lent (there are 5 or 6). So my whole life I would literally wait the whole year for this time because Capirotada is my favorite thing to eat in the entire world.
I used to belive that my mom was making this special dish for my birthday but to my surprise years later my brother broke the bad news and told me that it was not about me and it was about Lent.
I love big brothers. Always sweet.
Anyway, this is the recipe:
Capirotada Mi Mama Style
Ingredients:
1/2 loaf French bread cut into 1 inch slices
14 ounces raw brown sugar or piloncillo (you can find it at any Mexican store)
4 cups of water
1 cinnamon stick
4 cloves
1/2 cup of sliced pecans
1/2 cup of peanuts, with no salt, peeled
1/2 cup of raisins
1/2 cup of grated coconut
1/2 cup of small sprinkles (the ones you use for cookies)
1/2 cup of Queso Menonita (good luck finding this one)
Directions:
Toast the bread slices until crispy and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, bring the water to boil.
At boiling point, add the brown sugar or piloncillo, cinnamon, and cloves.
Set over medium heat and bring to a gentle boil until the mixture thickens into a syrup –like texture. Allow to cool then strain.
To assemble the Mexican bread pudding, use any deep big pan, whatever you use for soups. You are going to be layering the bread and in between each layer there is going to be the syrup, peanuts, pecans, raisins, coconut, small candies, and cheese until you reach the top, then cover and let it cook in medium heat. Be very careful and make sure you add enough syrup because it can burn very quickly. Cook until done (according to my mom you should just know when it’s done).
My mom never used the oven, she used the stove and a pan. But, you can use the oven. Just turn the oven to 350° F and use a 9 x 9 inch baking pan in order to make 2 layers of bread, syrup, peanuts, pecans, raisins, coconut, small candies, and cheese. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated 350° F oven for about 40 minutes.
Now, the Capirotada recipe is ready to enjoy with a glass of fresh milk.
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