Choose Self-Love this Valentines Day

Happy Monday! 

Love is in the air this month!  With Valentines Day right around the corner, I wanted to take some time and talk about self-love on the blog today. 

One of, if not THE most important relationship you will ever have, is the relationship you have with yourself.  I mean seriously, who else are you going to spend 24/7 with for the rest of your life?  Loving yourself for who you are isn’t easy… especially in today’s world when we are constantly being told we need to look, feel, and act a certain way in order to obtain happiness and success.  The truth is, the media and social media clutters our mind everyday with false hope.  So many people scroll the feed and think once they find that picture perfect relationship or land that dream job THEN they’ll finally be happy, but the thing is you have to truly love  and accept yourself first.  You have to be happy on your own, be grateful for what you do have, and then everything else will fall into place.  There is only one person who holds the key to your happiness and that person is you! 

Self-love and self-care should be something that we are constantly working on.  They should always be evolving.  In today’s blog I wanted share a few instrumental daily rituals that have helped me along the journey to loving and accepting myself… flaws and all.  We were created to shine, but that light has to come from within! 

1. Change your thoughts 

How do you talk to yourself?  I know I am my worst critic.  I still sometimes struggle with this because it’s so easy to talk negatively to yourself.  However, we have to free ourselves from being so hard on our bodies and ourselves.  One of my favorite quotes is “your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, and your actions become your character”  It’s pretty crazy how powerful the mind can be.  Everything we do stems from the way that we think, which in my opinion is pretty amazing because we can choose to create positive thoughts.  Try writing down some affirmations everyday…  I am beautiful, I am strong, I am enough.  Before you know it, you will be confident in all of those things! 

2. Express gratitude every day 

One of the best things you can do is take the time everyday to write down 5 things you're grateful for.  I know it can seem petty, however this has been life changing for me.  When you start focusing on what you do have, rather than what you don't have, you're entire perspective on life changes.  Expressing gratitude and appreciating the small things is an amazing and beautiful way to live life.  I encourage you to try expressing gratitude everyday for one month! 

3. Practice the things you expect from your partner  

So we expect the world from our significant other, but can we offer the things we yearn for?  Every other relationship we have- friends, family, career, and happiness stems from how we feel about ourselves. Take a moment and write down all of the things that are important to you in a relationship and then ask yourself (and be honest!) if you can offer each of those things.  Instead of looking for the perfect person, work on becoming the perfect person and then you will start attracting like minded individuals.  

4. Take time to unplug 

Whether you need to do this everyday for 15 minutes, once a week, or once a month, take some time to unplug from social media and center your thoughts.  Without distraction, think about your needs, wants, and goals, and make a plan to achieve those things! 

5. Take baby steps towards a healthier you  

When you feel good, you look good!   Regardless of your goals, we can all work on becoming healthier.  Fuel your body with nutrient-rich foods and be intentional with what you put into your body… you only have one, so take care of it!  Try doing one small thing every single day that makes you a better, healthier you! 

There is so much magic in loving yourself that will make you radiate from the inside out!  Self-love brings so much peace into your life and it overflows into everything you do.  Once you start to love yourself, life will feel ridiculously good. 

This Valentine’s day, decide to make a positive shift and move forward with ease. Embrace having a deep, loving relationship with YOU! 

Xoxo, 

Ash 

#SparklingFromTheInsideOut 

Makeup by Alanna Garcia 

Photos by Rebekah Villanueva 

Makeup by Alanna Garcia 

Photos by Rebekah Villanueva 

Last Minute Summer Slim Down Secrets

With June right around the corner (7 days to be exact!) you may looking for an emergency weight loss plan.  Well, look no further! Here are a few of my all time favorite & simple slim down secrets. 

7 Day Challenge 

1.  Start your morning off with 1 cup of warm lemon water.

Lemon water helps reduce inflammation, aids digestion, cleanses your system, and helps with weight loss. 

2.  Drink a green juice for breakfast.  (Make with JUICER)

2 cups of Spinach 

2 cups of Kale 

1 loose cup of Parsley 

2 Pears (or 3 Medium pears)  

1 Lemon 

Each night our bodies detox naturally.  By starting our morning off with lemon water, followed by a detox juice, we are prolonging that process.  It's important to continually detox rather than playing red light, green light with our bodies.  

3. Throughout the day sip on dandelion root tea.  It helps remove bloat.

4. Drink a glass of watermelon juice for morning snack. 

Not only are watermelons in season, but they are full of antioxidants, a great source of potassium, low in calories and high in nutrients.  The best part about watermelon juice is that it's loaded with amino acid citrulline which breaks down fat cells. Watermelons have a high water content so you will be able to make a lot of juice! 

5. Enjoy a refreshing salad for lunch.  

Fall in love with creating the perfect crunchy, yet healthy lunch! Keep it light and try to stay away from dairy and croutons (or any bread toppings) The last thing you want to do is have a four course meal with a side of lettuce.  My go to salad recipe is: 

Organic Lettuce 

Shredded Carrots 

Shredded Purple Cabbage 

Cherry Tomatoes 

Sunflower Seeds 

Kalamata Olives 

Olive Oil Balsamic Dressing 

6. Mid Afternoon Snack Choices: 

Laura Bar (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan, Organic)

Kale Chips (My favorite brand is Alive & Radiant) 

or 1 Slice of Ezekiel Bread 

7.  Have a green smoothie for dinner.

This may be hard for some.  I know the concept of not eating but drinking dinner is frightening, but remember that this challenge is only 8 days.  There 357 other nights to enjoy a sit down meal :) I recommend finishing your day with a green smoothie for a few reasons.  The first being that in order to get results- it's important start and end our day with foods that hold high detoxing properties. The second reason is that the fiber from the smoothie will not only keep you full, but the fiber will also help push/flush out the system.  This last step is vital in order to shed excess weight and drop any bloat. 

Green Smoothie:
1 cup of water 

2 Cups of spinach 

2 Cups of romain lettuce 

1/2 Banana 

1 Green Apple or 1 Pear 

1 Lemon 

After just one day of following this plan you should start to feel more energized and lighter.  Like I said earlier, this challenge is only 7 days!  You can do absolutely anything for 7 days! Kick off your summer feeling your best!

I was asked the other day what supplements I take and what I products I use.  After I started juicing over two years ago, I stopped using any kind of supplement or artificial products simply because when I started eating fresh, clean foods.. the weight started melting off my body.  Before, I was drinking protein shakes regularly and taking all kinds of different and harmful things- AND I wasn't getting the results I wanted.  However, when I started juicing regularly and feeding my body natural foods, I started losing weight.  Everyone is different- finding what works for YOU is always going to be a learning process, but juicing and eating naturally is what worked for me.   

A few natural products I love: 

Dandelion root tea: natural diuretic 

Probiotic: Keeps your gut healthy; improves digestive system  

Digestive Enzymes: Facilitates the breakdown of food  

Magnesium: Mineral that helps digest proteins, carbohydrates, and fats

Smooth Move Tea:  Herbal tea that promotes digestion 

All of these can purchased at health food stores such as Whole Foods & Sprouts.  I highly recommend taking and using these during the 7 day challenge! I am going to be starting the challenge tomorrow... Send me a message and let me know if you will me joining me! 

Instagram: RealAshleyMora 

Twitter: RealAshleyMora 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/missnewmexicoworld 

Xoxo 

Ashley Mora 

Simple One Day Revitalizing Cleanse

"Motivate the mind; the body will follow"

Happy Monday Everyone!  With August coming to an end, I thought I would share my Simple One Day Revitalizing Cleanse because it has been my saving grace with all the traveling I have done this summer. 

When your energy is low, your stressed out, your anxiety levels are high, your unhappy with how you look which in return affects how you feel.... Your body is SCREAMING FOR A CLEANSE!

Cleansing can be intimidating.  The idea of not eating solid foods for days is frightening, I know.  Some people may even think it's stupid...  some may think all of this trendy juicing is just another fad.  While it is in fact "trendy" right now, juicing has been around for ages.  There are a lot of people who have been avid juicers for a very long time.  The thing is, the way food is designed in today's society (processed, chemically designed to last for years, loaded with sugar and salt... the list goes on and on.) We NEED to "clean out our pipes" from time to time and rid our bodies of all the harmful chemicals we feed it on a daily basis.

Cleansing is important because it purifies the body and the mind.  Think of a cleanse as a mini retreat.  It gives you the opportunity to step back and take a look at the things you're consuming because so much of what we put into our bodies, weighs us down.  Cleansing, fortunately can set us free from all of that!  What you eat, affects every single aspect of your life.  

So now, you may be wondering how to even get started.  It's important to be prepared when you are about to start a cleanse.  Here is a list of things to do before jumping into a cleanse: 

1. Make a list of your favorite recipes that you will use. 
2. Make a shopping list and purchase all the necessary fruits and veggies you will need. (I recommend going to the Farmers Market so you are not tempted by other foods at the grocery store) 
3. Ask a friend to join you.  I recently did a 3 day cleanse with two of my friends.  We all live in different cities but we would text each other throughout the day in a group message just to check in and see how we were all doing.  We would also send each other pictures of the juices we were drinking and share recipes. 
4. Let your family know.  If you have a spouse or live with other people, let them know that you are getting ready to do a cleanse.  It's important for them to support you.  The last thing you need is your husband going to town on a cheeseburger while your sitting in the same room sipping on a juice.  
5. Write down a list of 5 reasons you need to do a cleanse and keep it with you.  It's important to maintain a positive attitude.  In moments of weakness it's easy to give up and give in but if you stay strong, you will feel so empowered! 

The Simple One Day Revitalizing Cleanse was designed for when I  have too much of a good thing over the weekend.  Whenever I would come back from a trip, even if I tried to eat healthy, I would always feel bloated and out of shape upon returning.  Sometimes you just throw your hands up and say to yourself, "Enough!"  This cleanse is about devoting 24 hours to your health.  It gives you the chance to start over and clean everything out.  This cleanse can be used to ease yourself into another (longer) cleanse, or you can use it as a weekly routine maintenance, which is what I do.  Just think of how we take our cars for oil changes... we need to take care of our bodies the same way!

 With all that being said... Drum Roll Please! I now give you the step by step instructions for the

Simple One Day Revitalizing Cleanse. 

• Upon waking:  Sip on some Lemon Ginger water or just Lemon Water
• Breakfast:  20oz Green Juice (de-bloat recipe)
• One hour after to breakfast:  1 Cup of Detox Tea
• Snack:  8oz Green Juice with 12 almonds (de-bloat recipe)
• Lunch:  20oz Beet Juice (digestion recipe)
• One hour after lunch:  1 large glass of lemon water
• Snack:  1 Banana or 1 Avocado
• Dinner:  Either 1 fresh veggie juice or 1 fresh all natural soup.  You can make homemade veggie soups with your juicer.  (weight-loss recipe)
• Post Dinner:  1 Cup of Detox Tea 
• Take a Detox Bath  

To enhance your cleanse, make sure you get a good nights rest the night before you start and the night of.  Sweating will also assist getting those toxins out of your body.  If you can, you should squeeze in the time to either go to a hot yoga class or sit in a sauna.

Well, there you have it! I hope you enjoy this simple cleanse and that you take some time for YOU!  If you need recipes for anything mentioned in the list above, keep scrolling down! I have recipes for everything you will need! 

 Lemon Ginger Water: Juice two lemons and an inch of ginger, pour into an 8oz mason jar and add water until glass is full

Juice #1 Green Juice:  2  granny smiths apples, 5 kale leaves, 1 cucumber, 2 lemons,  2 celery stalk

Detox Tea:  I prefer the Yogi Brand.  I have purchased it at Smiths, Sprouts, and Whole Foods.  

Juice #2 Green Juice: 2 celery stalks, 2 kale leaves, 1 green bell pepper, 1 cucumber, 2 granny smith apples, a handful of spinach. 

Beet Juice:  3 Beets,  3 Oranges, 2 Carrots, 2 Lemons.

Veggie Juice:  A handful of parsley, 2 carrots, a handful of spinach, 2 tomatoes, 2 celery stalks, 1/2 cucumber, 1/3 green pepper.  

Veggie soup made with juicer:  2 cups of tomato juice, juiced with a juicer. Then add all other ingredients in a blender.... 4 tomatoes, 2 califlower florets, 1/2 cup of spinach, 1 garlic clove, 1/2 red pepper, 2 carrots, 1 sage leaf.  Blend in Blender until its pureed.  Then simmer in low heat for about 5 minutes.  Season with pepper... Not salt! 

Detox Bath recipe can be found by clicking here on this Total 3-Day Detox. 

If you want to see more recipe options click here on my Super Green Juice Detox or 50+ Juicing Recipes.  

If you have any additional questions feel free to leave a comment or send me a message via Facebook!

XoXo 

-Ashley

For Daily Tips and Recipes follow me on: 

Instagram: ashleynicolemora1 

Twitter: MissAshleyMoora 

Total 3-Day Detox

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine thy food." -Hippocrates 

Every few months it's important to take a few days and cleanse your mind and body. We all need it!  Toxins are everywhere... they are in the air we breathe, the food we eat, cleaning products we use... the list goes on and on.  Stress, anxiety, & negativity, also release toxins within our bodies.  It's impossible to live toxin-free, that is why it is so important to take the time to detox.  Every few months I like to follow these seven steps in order to detox my mind & body.  The length of my detox always varies.  It can be as short as 3 days or as long as 7.  You can make it however long you would like but if you are new to juicing I would recommend starting off slow!

Things to avoid while detoxing: 

Solid Foods 

Coffee 

Sodas 

Bottled Drinks 

Alcohol 

Gum 

Smoking 

What to Take in while Detoxing: 

Fresh Juices without pulp 

Water 

Detox Tea 

Hot Lemon Water 

Step One:  Prepare for a Juice Detox.  Try and purchase organic produce while detoxing.  It will help aid the entire process.  I typically drink 6 16oz fresh juices a day during a detox.  I make all of my juices with a Breville Juicer (Not a smoothie maker) and I store the juice in mason jars.   

Step Two: Drink lots and lots of Hot Lemon Water.  There are so many amazing benefits to drinking hot lemon water especially while detoxing! Here are Few of them: 

• Aids Digestion 
• Better than Coffee
• Clearer Skin 
• Weight loss Aid 
• Natural Diuretic 
• Balances PH levels 
• Boots Immune System 
• Helps purify and Stimulate the Liver 
• Flushes Unwanted Materials
• During a juice detox, lemon water helps dissolve mucus and toxins from our cellular tissue!!!

Step 3:  Drink two cups of Detox tea a day when detoxing.  I prefer the Yogi tea... You can purchase it at almost every grocery store.  This tea is fantastic! Perfect for when you've had too much of a good thing over the weekend.  I especially love drinking it when I'm detoxing.

 Step 4:  Take a Detox Bath.  This is personally one of my favorite steps! A friend of mind by the name of Kylie turned me onto this detox bath recipe and I ALWAYS incorporate into my detox process now. Make a relaxing playlist, light some candles, add some rose pedals and enjoy! Go all out... You deserve it!

• Set aside 40 minutes of your day for your bath (The first 20 minutes are for detoxing, the second 20 are for absorbing all of the minerals in the water) 
• 2 cups of Epsom Salt 
• 2 or more cups of Baking Soda 
• 3 pints of Hydrogen Peroxide
• 2 ounces of Ground Ginger (or Ginger Tea Bags for less of a mess) 
• Tea Tree Oil ( I recommend using a small amount of Tea Tree Oil.. it can burn if you put too much)  

Step 5:  Take a break from the internet.  This is such an important step and it's so nice to do this every once in awhile! Spend the time you're detoxing, reflecting on things you are most thankful for in life!  

Step 6:  Write down 5 positive affirmations every morning and every night.  Take this time to reflect on your life.  The things you are thankful for, the things you want to succeed in, your goals, and your ambitions.  We are surrounded by so many beautiful blessings and sometimes we get distracted by our never ending to-do lists.  It's easy to take the small things for granted so use this time reflect and most importantly take this time for yourself.  

Step 7:  Relax your mind and meditate.  Spend a little extra time over these next few days praying, and quieting your mind.  Like I said earlier, toxins do not only come from bad food and cleaning products, They also come from stress and anxiety.  Take a hot yoga class, or before bed spend some time in a peaceful room alone reflecting on your life and the things you are most thankful for! It will make all the difference in the world. 

And there you have it! All the necessary step to a successful 3-Day Detox. Hope you all enjoyed this blog!

If you need recipes for your Juice Detox, You can check out my 50+ Juicing Recipes and My Super Green Detox.  

XoXo, 

Ashley

For Daily Tips and Recipes follow me on: 

Instagram: ashleynicolemora1 

Twitter: MissAshleyMoora