I have so many ideas and visions of things I’d like to make happen. One of the things that helps me tremendously is having a role model to follow as a guide to get me started.
One of my goals is to create an edible landscape. I want to grow foods that can’t be found in the mainstream markets. I want to grow gourmet foods that are fresh picked and organic. Not only is the food highly nutritious and beaming with enzymes, but it’s pretty fun to watch your little “babies” grow.
I always knew I wanted to grow a few fruit trees and have a little veggie garden, but in 2007 I decided I wanted to grow an edible landscape. I was turned on to two people who have given me lots of inspiration.
The first is the Dervae Family who are here in So Cal. I have actually had the pleasure of seeing their home, meeting them and learning from them. Their home is similar to mine. I have a small lot that I am working with so I find them a great role model for me to use as a source of inspiration in creating my edible landscape. They have a great website called “Path to Freedom” with daily journal entries of life in their world. I love it! I also love their social networking site of Freedom Gardeners!
Check out this quick clip on what they have going on!
Another huge source of inspiration was the book Edible Landscaping by Rosalind Creasy. She took the basic landscaping tools and created homes that had just as much beauty in the design, but with edibles. The book is pretty old, but she is actually coming out with a newer version in Spring of 2010! I can’t wait to check it out. I am a sucker for books! Here is her latest project:
This is a typical So Cal home that shows me how I can get high density fruit trees planted in my small yard! I have no experience in espaliering, but it looks pretty simple.
So, I have been weeding, composting, building raised beds, vertical frames, digging up part of my front yard and mulching seedlings. Trust me, you don’t want to see my manicure or my farmers tan! I realize it is a lot of work and it takes lots of time. Soil is the biggie and I have bulldozed clay soil. It’s like concrete. I am working with raised beds until I can improve the soil. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed and like it’s going to take a lifetime to get things into place, but I keep hearing that song in my head…you know….. this one…”inch by inch, row by row….” Bring on The Muppet Days! 🙂
Ok, it’s kinda cheesy, but I swear, that song sticks in my head when I am overwhelmed and I know…little by little…I’ll get there! 😉 Soon I’ll be posting photos and videos of what I have been working on. 🙂
If you have a garden I wanna know about it. Post your links below or in the comments!
My Fitness Goals To have a lean long body that looks hot in a bikini, also to have the athletic ability to surf, dance, and snowboard. I do not want to compromise athletics for aesthetics.
My Current Stats Age: 32 Height: 5’5.25″ Weight: 126.8 lbs. Body Fat: 22.8% ( 29 lbs of fat)* BMI: 21 Measurements: Bust: 35″, Waist: 27″, Navel: 29.50″, Hips: 37.75″, Thigh: 22.50″, Upper Arm: 11.25″, Calf: 13.50″
Ideal Body Composition Weight: 113 Body fat: 16% ** BMI: 18.7 Measurements: Bust: 34″, Waist: 25″, Hips: 35″
The Difference Weight: 14 lbs. Body fat: 6.8% BMI: 2.3 Measurements: Bust: 1″, Waist: 2″, Hips 2.75″
Because I am female I have higher estrogen and lower testosterone. This means it takes women longer to gain a pound of muscle than it does for men. On average, it takes men 2 weeks to gain a pound of muscle and for women it takes about 4 weeks. Lean muscle raises the metobolic rate. 1 lb. of muscle burns 35-75 calories a day. Therefore, if I gained 8 lbs. of muscle, I would be burning 280-600 more calories a day, which would allow me to get more nutrient into my body.
Workout Plan 3-4 hours of dance class a week (latin & hip hop) for fun cardio. 1-2 times a week swimming to build upper body strength for paddling when I surf 3 hours of yoga for strength and range of motion. 3: 30 minute strength training sessions (Day 1: core, Day 2: lower body, Day 3: upper body)
During strength training I am to maintain a target heart rate range of 136-146, with ideal at 141 (according to my age). 80% of my strength training should be with free weights because they recruit more muscle fibers than machines. 20% should be on machines so I can keep proper form and my heart rate up between exercises. The machines would be a bit of a support and provide a bit of rest from the free weight exercises.
Stay posted for my fitness analysis video on cardio, strength, balance, and flexibility. This should be fun and quite possibly embarrassing. 🙂
* Figuring my pounds of fat by multiplying my weight (127) by my body fat% ( 22.8) and dividing that number by 100. This gave me a reading of 29 (technically 28.9) pounds of fat are on my body.
** Dr. Douglas Graham recommends for women about 13-19% body fat.
Summary Water: 2.75 gallons + water from 8 young thai coconuts Bunches of Greens: 1 (way off base, should be 10-14) Cooked Meals: 5 (way too many) Fasting Days: 2: 24 hour sessions Workout: 10.5 hours Dance: 2 hours (latin) Yoga: 3 hours Walking: 5 hours Strength: 30 minutes Sun: 3 hours Sauna: 2 hrs 15 minutes Home Colonics: 2
Daily Breakdown Friday Sun: none (cold out) Sauna: none Workout: 2 hour walk Water: 80 oz H2o Diet: 1 apple, Chipotle bean & rice burrito extra guac, a few sips of a soy chai latte & rice crispy treat (WAY OFF RAW !)
Saturday– 24 hour fast (from 4:30 pm Friday to 4:30 pm Saturday) Sun: 60 min Sauna: 25 min Workout: 90 min walk Water: 65 oz H20, coconut water from 2 young thai coconuts Diet: fasting 24 hours, broke fast on Chipotle black bean & rice burrito (black beans, rice, corn salsa, guacamole, pico de galo). Not exactly the way I planned to break my fast. 2 apples
Sunday– accidental fast (from 5pm Saturday to 5pm Sunday), home colonic Sun: 60 min Sauna: 40 min Workout: 60 min latin dance Water: 48 oz, water from 2 young thai coconuts Diet: fasted 24 hours (accidentally) broke fast w/ 4 frozen bananas turned into ice cream, 3 apples, couple sips of a margarita, chips, salsa, & guacamole
Monday Sun: none (cloudy) Sauna: 25 min Workout: 2 : 60 min yoga sessions Water: 3 young thai coconut water Diet: 4 frozen bananas turned into ice cream, 4 apples, 4 frozen bananas w/1-2 T cacao powder
Tuesday Sun: none (cloudy) Sauna: none Workout: none Water: 40 oz H2o Diet: 4 frozen bananas + 2 T cacao (blended into ice cream), 3 apples, Au Lac Restaurant: Song salad, soft taco, cali rolls, pistachio “bread”, flax “bread”
Wednesday Sun: none (too cool to lay out) Sauna: 25 min Workout: 60 min latin dance, 60 min yoga, 75 min walk Water: 56 oz. Diet: 5 bananas made into ice cream, apple, Thai: Tom Kah Kai (veggie coconut soup), veggie pad thai, veggie panang w/ rice. I waited far too long to eat and was far from home. I caved into hunger. Plus the 3 hours of exercise just helped me “justify” the calories. I know, it’s lame. I admit it. 🙂
Thursday Sun: 60 minutes Sauna: 20 minutes Home colonic: I always feel like I need to do this after I eat cooked food. It’s like I want it out of my body ASAP. Workout: 30 min Lower body strength training, 30 min walk Lower Body Exercises: 1. Walking lunge 1. leg press on machine, 2. static squat hold against the wall 3. 1 legged medicine ball squat w/ back foot on step 4. slow reverse lunge off step 5. forward lunge on step Ab Exercise: medicine ball crunches w/ extended reach Water: 48 oz H2o, water from 1 thai coconut Diet: 5 bananas + 2 T made into ice cream, 2 cucumbers, 1 bunch of steamed broccoli (plain)
I have been missing my greens this week. Not too sure why, just been eating mostly fruit & laying low on the overt fats.
Friday Evening to Saturday Evening water fast for 24 hours
broke the fast on red wine (biodynamic, organic) not a great way to break a fast Dinner: salad, sauteed carrots & broccoli, a 1/2 C of a rice dish
Sunday 64 oz water 1 young thai coconut water 2 mangoes 5 bananas (ice cream ..no cacao) 5 apples No workout Sun bathed
Monday 64 oz water 1 young thai coconut water 60 min yoga 25 min sauna (too much & blacked out) 25 min sun 7 apples 5 bananas 2 cucumbers Lettuce wraps
Tuesday Core Rhythms..cardio jam, 30 min sun bathe 5 apples 5 bananas Lettuce wraps
Wednesday 64 oz water & water from 2 young thai coconuts 20 min precor, 60 min yoga, 20 min sauna, 60 min sun bathe, 90 min easy walking Diet: 5 apples, Raw Chocolate Ice cream ( 5 frozen bananas & 2 T cacao powder), a few bites of papaya
Today 2 young thai coconut water 1 apple 5 bananas (made into chocolate ice cream …my latest sweet fix) Lettuce wraps (sprouts, shredded carrots, cucumber, tomato wrapped in butter lettuce and dipped into nama shoyu) 3 steamed russet potatoes (plain) 60 min sun bathe 40 min walk
Goal: consistent diet & workouts, 1 fast a week,& not eating late at night.
If you are running through life feeling overwhelmed and not really making the impact you know you want, or wishing you felt alive and filled with passion then you are going to LOVE me!
