35 Healthy Tips that will change your life!

Hi Beautiful! I wanted to share a little something with you today:) They are thirty~five “Life Tips” that I created years ago & try to live my life by! I don’t always follow through to the best of my ability however in 2016 I plan on REALLY putting these into play on a much bigger scale!

I’ve listed the tips below! I want to remind you today of how wonderful you are! Would you do me a favor? Would you remember to always hold your head up high even when you are finding it difficult to stand. You are part of a MUCH bigger plan here on Earth! When you keep the faith and know with all your heart what your true purpose is, you simply cannot go wrong!

“I live my life by the 35 Life Tips~Not everyday~I’m a work in progress”! Andrea Cox

 

1) Love what you do & you will never “work” a day in your life!

2) Have faith in all that you do while knowing you are a success & you will be sure to succeed!

3) Move forward~Only glance back to see how far you’ve come!

4) Leave everyone you meet feeling happier than they were before spending time with you.

5) Trust your gut, it never lies! Never!

6) Steer clear of salesmen, they always lie!

7) Do something different every day!

8) Eat chocolate often but eat nothing daily!

9) Stay hydrated! A dehydrated body creates a crazy mind!

10) Eat fruit to stay cute!

11) CLEAN YOUR COLON!

12) Drink your juice!

13) Move your body a minimum of 35min per day! Sweat daily!

14) Adopt a dog, a cat or both!

15) Take up a yoga practice! Thank me later:)

16) Try to meditate three times per day! Keep at it~It will come!

17) Be kind to everyone you meet! You never know what they are going through!

18) Listen more than you speak!

19) Know your worth & never allow anyone to make you feel bad about yourself! No-one can steal your happy!

20) Karma is a VERY real thing! Be mindful as you make your decisions!

21) Love more & worry less!

22) Eat organically grown food and always buy local!

23) You need very little supplementation to your diet when you eat quality food grown in REAL soil!

24) Try to eat a minimum of 80-85% of your fruits and vegetables RAW! Eat a lot of them!

25) Respect your elders!

26) Let go of who you thought you were meant to be! Know

that you are EVERYTHING you need to be, here & now!

27) Travel often & lightly (but always with a “Food bag”)!

28) Be good with not knowing what is to come~Learn to love the journey!

29) Recycle, we get one planet!

30) Treat your body like the temple that it is! You only get one body!

31) Love yourself first! Without this one key element, it will be impossible to love anyone else!

32) Appreciate your curves, freckles and gray hair! What you don’t like others see as beautiful!

33) Stop saying “I’m sorry” all the time!

34) Embrace your age! Forty is the new twenty & Seventy is the new fifty!

35) Always love with an open heart! ♡♡♡

I love you~Andrea

 

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Andrea L Cox is the owner of  The Healthy Haven & www.alkalizewithandrea.com  (Detox, Yoga, Juice fast & Raw Food Educational Retreats!)

Andrea is a fitness model turned health coach who has written two books on the raw vegan healthy detoxing lifestyle! Known as “The Detox Queen” She has taken the media by storm & has an impressive social media following with her YouTube channel surpassing 2 million views & her personal Facebook page alone having 20,000 people! 

Andrea has appeared on numerous news stations TV shows and magazine publications in her home town of Dayton Ohio and now where she lives in San Diego! She has also had national media coverage! Her retreats have become a destination health vacation for several Hollywood celebrities! 

Andrea’s online detox programs may be found at www.thehealthyhaven.net

Andrea’s retreats can be found at www.alkalizewithandrea.com

If you’ve not checked out Andrea’s Facebook, YouTube, Instagram or Twitter yet FOLLOW her below!!! She would love to see you there! 

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7 Tips To Slowing~Down to get more done!

Hey there friends:) Ok well this isn’t exactly a “she she poo poo” video like the one I sent you last week. It is something however that I feel is vitally important in order to achieve the healthy lifestyle I know you want!

 Check out the video above!

I also wanted to share my to 7 tips for slowing down! 

1) Honor yourself by taking time for YOU!!! Its vitally important that you know this is YOUR time! You are doing this firstly for you and secondly to be a better person for those around you. If you cannot love yourself enough to do this, it simply won’t work to your advantage!

2) Find someone who will hold you accountable for your “time out sessions”! Having someone who will remind you from time to time to stay on track with your goal of slowing down will greatly improve your ability to do so. I have a girlfriend who whenever I ask her to go to a yoga class, she’s in! These are the types of people you will need in your corner to make this change of taking time for YOU easier for you to adopt!

3) Meditate 20 minutes every morning and evening. The verdict is in! Meditation not only reduces oxidative stress in the body but also reduces anxiety! Recent studies show it could also lead to a longer life span! Think you don’t have 40 minutes a day? Think again! I’m here to remind you that YOU matter enough to make the time to meditate!

4) Yoga anyone! Any questions? Thought so! 🙂

 5) Drop the guilt! So many people who have children or aging parents that they care for use it as an excuse to not slow down! From soccer practice to cheer leading to the grocery and cleaning their home. There simply isn’t enough time to slow down! Lets think of it differently! What are you teaching your children by constantly being in a rush and taking no time for yourselves? What are you telling your spouse when you get short with them because you are overwhelmed? I rest my case.

6) Nap lie you are in kinder~ garden!  Studies show a 90 minute nap completely restores a sleep deprived body! You simply operate better when you are rested! Even 30 minutes is enough time however to get a mini reprieve! Try lying on your back with your feet elevated! Place a cool cloth over your eyes and a bit of lavender essential oil on your forehead and chest. Ahhh can you feel it?!

7) Got sleep? When your body is sleep deprived it is impossible to be or do your best! If you want to achieve anything in life, it starts with developing good sleep habits! Aim for 7-8 hours per night!

 

Andrea L Cox is the owner of http://www.thehealthyhaven.net & http://www.alkalizewithandrea.com She is a fitness model turned health coach who has written two books on the raw vegan healthy lifestyle and detoxification! Andrea has appeared on numerous news stations TV shows and magazine publications. She runs yoga juice cleanse retreats both in San Diego and Mexico! Her You Tube channel is approaching close to 2Million views.

Why your weight gain could be caused by your relationship!

I hear the following all the time from my clients. They’re over eating, not taking care of themselves, skipping yoga. Once we get to talking, I soon learn its not about the food at all! Its about their relationships with others, specifically their partner! They feel empty in their marriages, not listened to and disconnected from their mate. Some may even feel they have lost their identity in the relationship.  

The women I work with who have weight issues suffer from something I call “BED” or binge eating disorder. Women are emotional eaters by nature. Women eat when they are sad, angry, lonely or simply when they don’t feel listened to.

Many men I work with who are overweight also suffer from binge eating. They often complain of being talked over, controlled or simply feel bored with their partners. They’ve shut down  in order to avoid having an actual discussion about what comes up for them. Avoidance of conversation seems to be a huge factor with the men I work with. Sadly, many men also end up “eating their relationship problems”.

The biggest complaint I hear from women is that their partners don’t make them or their relationship a priority. There are no planned dates, rendezvous or even dinners together. They simply feel unloved and not cherished. This often ties into a under nourished “feeling”!

The biggest complaint I hear from males is that they feel unappreciated and that their female mate quite simply “talks to much”! They often shut down, become silent and don’t even hear what their mate is saying after the first few sentences. How does this relate to health? They end up with a “feeling” of needing to over nourish themselves to tune out the chatter.

When people come to me the first thing I ask them to do is to make a list of ten triggers that cause them to binge. Seven out of ten usually are perceived to come from their partner.

I then ask them to write down 25 traits in themselves that they LOVE! This can be physical or personality/character traits. This is often difficult for both men and women.

The third task I give them is to list 25 things they LOVE about their partner! Just as I did above. The list flows effortlessly. Odd? Not really. You see its not that they don’t love themselves and love their partners. Its that the traits they love about themselves are not being recognized and appreciated by their partners.

The key is communication. Both males and females always say “I don’t feel heard or understood” Why is it that if your marriage is the most important relationship you will ever have with another human being no one ever teaches us the precious skills of communication?

Here are the two homework assignments I always give to my clients who come to me with a food issue that are in a relationship (75% of them)! 

Create a safe place of love, a container so to speak where your love can thrive!This is generally different for men and women. 

For women this means shutting up! Yes ladies, actually being quiet when your man does open up to you (and he will). Often its as simple as allowing him to feel through his thoughts about you not appreciating how hard he works to provide or the little things he does for you like taking out the trash cans every week.

For men this means making her feel secure by making her a priority! Women are very different then men. We have a strong need to FEEL a certain way! This isn’t anything that comes with words. It comes with your actions. Planning things for the future such as weekend getaways or even creating a certain night during the week for a “date night” are all things that create a safe space for her to thrive! Women value and love their time with you. It gives them a sense of safety and support that only comes when they are in your masculine presence. Honor that and take pride in it. 

Learn to communicate effectively! This is something you must strive for in every conversation! Without it the relationship becomes a burden and often can become a thing of the past! This is where the over eating comes into play too! Often when we don’t feel heard, we tend to stuff down our feelings or our words with food!

Try to take 20 minutes of time out during an argument to gather your thoughts. This will allow you to both cool off! If yelling or interrupting one another over the phone is a common trait of your communication style I recommend meeting in person. If yelling in person is a trait one or both of you have, meet in a public place to have your discussions. 

Share meals together at home! This is one of the most connecting things you can do to strengthen your bond! Meal times should be sacred times! Allow this to be a time when candles are lit, music is on and cell phones are turned off! When this is done right, with the right mood and environment this always leads to a fabulous night of intimacy! And who would ever choose cookies or chocolate cake over being intimate with the one they love? 🙂

Remember…No matter how much stress is going on around us we can always take the time to pull together a beautiful meal next to candlelight. Keep your space tidy, your colon clean your mind open and your heart full of love!

 

 Above: A beautiful candlelight dinner for two with essential oils diffusing, soft music and an amazing organic dinner prepared by yours truly!

 

 

 Andrea Cox is a former fitness model. She is a raw food celebrity chef, author and owner of Thehealthyhaven.net and Alkalizewithandrea.com  She has had national coverage speaking about her detox modalities

Her YouTube channel has just surpassed 2million views! Sign up for her news letter at http://www.thehealthyhaven.net

Seven tips to having a healthy relationship! R rated!

The art of making love!

I’m feeling a strong desire to write about a different aspect of health today. The aspect of healthy relationships. Not the type of relationships between family members or friends. The relationships between a man and a woman. A healthy emotional, sexual and respectful bond.

About seven months ago I was in the midst of one of the happiest times in my life! I had just met the man of my dreams who I fell madly in love with! My business was booming with my coaching clients and VIP clients flying in for retreats. My relationship with my family had never been better and EVERYONE was telling me “You’re GLOWING Andrea!!!

That glow was because I was being loved…and loved well!

Its no secret that biologically speaking men are very different from women. They are driven hormonally to want sex and to have it immediatly! In a loving mutually beneficial relationship this demanding drive in men can be a very good and healthy thing”! Women have a different chemical/ hormonal brain and physiological response to sex then men do. MUCH DIFFERENT! A woman’s chemical response in her brain makes her become emotionally connected to a man once intercourse has taken place. You hear women speak of this often in conversations with other women. Generally the conversation goes something like this…”I didn’t even like him but once I slept with him something happened, I’m so in love now”! Nine times out of ten a woman will likely form an emotional bond to a man especially during the act of orgasm. Although I don’t want to frighten any of you men out there….its a known fact that the majority of women are picking out china patterns after they’ve slept with you a handful of times! 

Its a known fact that women have a different chemical and hormonal brain response to sex then their male counterparts do. A woman is wired differently than a man! It really is that simple! I’m not saying by any means that men don’t get emotionally attached to a woman or that men don’t fall in love. What I’m saying is that it takes a bit longer for men to feel this bond and a level of respect and loyalty from the woman must be displayed before this can happen.

In a perfect world, the man will be motivated to treat his woman in loving ways even if she is only there for a short sector of time along his journey. In turn a man will gain some rewards beyond merely sexual pleasure or a less than one minute orgasm. He will get a woman with an oxy~tocin GLOW who feels loving, emotionally connected, and jumps for joy when near him!

Gentleman…please when you have sex with a woman, know that she is emotionally bonding to you! Treat her as if she matters to you and not just in those few minutes of time. This goes far beyond pleasing her orally or having SAFE sex with her! It means calling her the next day and not playing screwed up mind games of “push~pull (see below)! You see this woman is SO much more than a hot body to screw. She’s an actual feeling human being! She is always aware that she is connecting with you emotionally and this is far more than just sex to her!

Look guys, its difficult enough for her to know she is at risk of pregnancy or getting a sexual disease ever time she opens her heart (essentially her legs) to you!  She is also taking the risk of becoming HIGHLY connected to you on a spiritual level called “bonding”!  If you should choose to break that bond in a sudden surprising bad way she will only be stressed out after being with you! Do this repeatedly and she becomes ill on a physical level! Once the depression kicks in for her, so does the feeding her pain through the ice creme she has stashed in the freezer!

LADIES…Its YOUR responsibility to say NO! Make the guy wait a few months! Feel him out so to speak. You may find after a month of “hanging out” your not interested!

MEN…What’s the point of taking all these risks for her just to”get you off”?Do you want an emotionally wounded woman calling you at all hours of the night just to ask “why”?

 1) Don’t be a crumb taker!

There is an old saying that goes something like this, “when someone shows you who they are, believe them”! Never settle for crumbs. What are crumbs? Crumbs are verbal abuse, lies, cheating, belittling, physical abuse, disrespectful partners, emotionally dead partners, loveless relationships or disappearing acts that will always rob you from your peace of mind!

Know that you deserve ALL the love that this World has to offer no matter where you are along your path! You will never earn the respect or be the one your partner swoons over if you don’t have enough respect for yourself to walk away when you are treated poorly! 

2) Awaken your Soul as you let go of thy ego! 

The soul is the one thing that bridges the gap between Spirit and the ego! What does the soul mean to me? The soul is conscious loving of oneself and conscious giving to others expecting NOTHING in return! The ego is not speaking, living or acting out your truth in order to appear a certain way in the eyes of others! Once you fully awaken your soul strength and clarity arise! Your values switch over and upward onto a more conscious level. You live a life of love. And, you create soul connections with others along with soul moments instead of ego~ic “me me me stories” to compete with others.

3) Learn to love without grasping the other person so tightly!

Ahhh we are hitting an “ego moment” for me on this one! I have always made the men in my life show up in LARGER than life ways to win my affections and love. Once I feel safe with them I love them full throttle (pun intended)! I care about their health, I become the “best sexual experience they ever have” I shower them with poetic sweet nothings and public displays of affection! Having said all of that, if they display ANY sign of not honoring, respecting or not loving me, I grip…tightly! 

People such as myself who are “grippers” when the going gets rough have not mastered their own egos! Sure we are humble, kind and loving. Generally however there is a part of us that is wounded. The majority of us (myself included) have severe abandonment issues. We lost someone of authority very young and never had the chance to grieve. Or we had an authority figure that struggled with addiction and we never healed. Whatever the case may be its impressive that we recognize this “grasping” behavior in ourselves and work on it. We will never have a fully loving care free relationship unless we do. Be mindful of all the little ways your ego stops you from experiencing true love in your life! The ego is always about gripping onto something you fear will leave you. It feeds upon your fear and encourages a constant feeling of lack.

4) Learn how to effectively deal with stress! 

As your ego becomes filled increasingly with Spirit through consciousness and love, you shift your identity increasingly to “JUST BEING” or “BEING IN THE MOMENT”! You will find that no matter how much emotional stress you are under your spirit or he who lives within all of us will ALWAYS guide you into simply being with self!

Its important to note that any form of vanishing at or during these stressful times with no word given to your partner before hand is NOT trust building! If you are in the midst of a circus type of relationship where your partner repeatedly “runs off” or disappears into the oblivion leaving you to wonder about his or her whereabouts or even worse, about their safety when alone, it is your job to get out NOW! You are not putting all of this effort into something to be a crumb taker my friends! Time to pull out the book on self love and self respect and get to reminiscing those days when you still had some! 

5) Take Time to Re-align your calendar! 

You see this all the time! Boy meets girl, boy chases girl, girl stops hanging out with her friends, doing yoga, getting her cute little hair blow outs and generally neglecting herself. Boy is suddenly onto the next or off in “disappearance land”! 

This one is VERY simple! Keep a calendar and write down something to do for yourself DAILY! Yes I said daily my little love sick health nuts! This could be soaking in an epsom salt bath to meeting your girlfriends after work for a yoga class. It all counts towards brownie points that are dropped into your “self~care love tank”!

6) Grow up and stop the endless push~pull cycle! 

Us ladies just love this one…don’t we? He calls you ten times per day, you return every fifth call! He brings you flowers every other date you say thank you but never reciprocate with a single card for his efforts. He plans AMAZING dates for you but you still talk to two other men on the phone “just incase” it doesn’t work out with him. Then suddenly you find yourself falling in love with him (oh “smit”)! You begin to call him at the office to ask him about his day. At first he loves this then, his secretary tells you he’s at lunch (at 4:30). You wait by the phone dreaming of where he s going to take you this weekend and the call is so last minute you cannot even pull an outfit together/heck he’s stopped planning anything at all! At this point its a struggle to even go to the movies with him.  You have incredible sex then he is breaking your heart that very night saying “this just isn’t going to work”! 

You feel confused, heart broken and your self esteem is in dumps~ville! You cannot focus on work, on yourself heck you can’t even get a green juice down! ATTENTION ALL LADIES AND MEN~ welcome to push~pull “I only want you when you don’t want me land”! This is a HUGE indicator of a commitment phobic who is VERY wounded! It doesn’t mean that he or she isn’t a good person. It just means you should run for the hills and pray for their recovery! See (don’t be a crumb taker above)!

This is never a healthy scenario for either person! Your heart ends up in the gutter making it virtually impossible for you to move forward with anyone else. The other person is feeding off of you chasing them when they choose to disappear! Basically, your feeding a drug addict if you continue in this manner!

7) Take care of yourself!

Several studies have been done that prove men are not looking for “a perfect 10”! They want a woman with confidence however! Keep yourself nice ladies. You know what I mean! Take pride in being a woman! Get your weekly non toxic mani and pedi! Go get your hair done once in a while for a little boost! Dress in up to date clothing always keeping your own personal style! 

Men, stay well groomed! Shower after the gym! Keep your car nice inside so she doesn’t have to move a pile of papers and lint brushes as she goes to sit down! Buy a tongue scraper! Hit the gym! I’m not saying you have to show up as Brad Pitt but pull it together for her. It shows you care about the relationship!

So whats the moral of this story?

For the men… The next time you see a beautiful woman walking down the street who is literally GLOWING know that she is being loved and loved well!  If you don’t treat her respectfully, carefully, lovingly, and responsibly don’t be suprised when she displays the gripping, annoying argumentative habits of “your ex”. Or…the last woman you failed to recognize as a diamond solitaire that needed dusting off!

A good woman can only go for so long without hearing the words “I love you” before she stops loving herself. Remind her often!

Once you create a connection biologically know that there will be a connection emotionally. Love responsibly and work on taming that ego in the mean time!

For the women…Crumbs are to be left in the trash can! Desire a happy life? Take responsibility for your own!

 

 

Week in review!

 

 

WEEK IN REVEIW!

In Mexico on 4th of July!

 

 

Happy 4th of July everyone! Something occurred to me today and I wanted to share it with all of you. Once you know the truth, you can move forward to create the life you truly are meant to have! Don’t allow lies to ever hold you back!

I love you and I believe in you!!

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Late is better than nothing!

 

F~I~T~N~E~S~S

 

 

 

 

progress not perfection!

 

 

 

 

Having been a former fitness model who graced the cover of over 20 magazines I know a thing or two about working out. If I could give you one piece of advice it would be that there are no shortcuts!

I lift weights three days per week, interval train to keep my heart healthy and do bikram yoga a minimum of five days per week.

My diet that really isn’t a diet at all consists of tons of “good water”, a plethora of vegetable juices, fresh organic fruits and a ton of greens along with some cooked starch such as sweet potatoes. 
Although I will drink bone broth in the winter, I’ve not eaten any animal flesh in 9 years. No eggs, no chicken, no dairy and no fish!

The question I get asked the most is “where do I get my protein”? My answer is always the same. Dark leafy greens and sprouted seeds give me an abundance of protein!

As far as supplements I eat my evening formula clay. That supplies me with ALL the vitamins and minerals I require! 
People are always looking for the “magic pill” or “quick fix”. I prefer an all you can eat buffet of fruits and vegetables mixed with sunshine, clean air, yoga and body movement.

Want to get truly healthy? Just eat sunshine:)

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F~O~O~D   R~E~C~O~V~E~R~Y

Everyone makes makes mistakes!R~E~C~O~V~E~R~Y

Last night I had a “slight slip up”frown emoticon It wouldn’t be cool of me to not share it with all of you. My desire from this post is that you see that no one is perfect! Not even me. 

I had gone to sleep very late the night prior and had not stuck to my eating schedule over the weekend. Long story short…I didn’t tune into my body yesterday as a result. I ate way too late and I wasn’t hungry when I did take in! 

Please allow this to be a lesson for you to never take in when the body is kicking ass and feeling great! Always stick to somewhat of a schedule with your eating so that you know your “hunger times”. The meal didn’t serve me what so ever! In fact it kept me up the entire night and feeling like poo today:( It’s green juice for this detox Queen until at least 3pm!

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F~A~S~H~I~O~N  

Ok, I’m getting a plethora of Emails asking me where I shop! I chuckle at this because quite honestly I am the thriftiest shopper I know! I buy most of my dresses at little off road boutiques and have not set foot in a mall (unless forced to) in years! 

I am drawn to comfortable, “beachy” dresses made from organic materials!

Here was last weeks ensembles

 

  

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J~U~N~E 28

A day to remember:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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My 6th month anniversary with my love:) I’ll cherish this time for a lifetime:)

Six months ago today I met this kind loving man. I wasn’t looking and I’m pretty sure he wasn’t either. When a mutual friend mentioned I should meet my love I said “tell me about him” then I blurted out “he’s not for me”:) About a week later we spoke for the very first time. “Sweet William” immediately went on my “do not answer phone” list. I just thought we were worlds apart when it came to everything we believed in. The next week something kept saying “give this man a shot”….”give love a shot”!

Fast forward to December 29th, our first date. Standing before me was the most handsome man I had ever laid eyes upon. He was nervous and for the first time in my life….so was I! He brought dog treats for Louis and the most beautiful orchid for me. I broke my do not kiss on the first date rule that night and many other rules during the past six months. William has a gentle way of teaching me that rules rule me and that letting go is what life is all about.

I cannot count the number of times this man has brought me flowers since that day. He has made me laugh more than anyone I’ve ever met. I’ve also cried for the sheer fact that I’ve never been happier then when I look into his blue eyes. I fell for his eyes before they knew me and every time he kisses me it feels like our very first kiss six months ago.

I love you sweet William, my handsome, quirky sharp dressing funny “man-pan-ion”! Thank you for showing me what falling in true love for the very first time feels like!

 

Anniversary flowers:)…they went from pink to white:)

The struggle I’ve always been too embarrassed to share.

Why I keep my food so simple/My struggle with OCD

Several years ago, after high school people around me noticed a strive for perfection that seemed to be deeply rooted within me. They also noticed a “routine” that as long as it was in place kept me happy because my goals were being reached at incredible speed. 

When I was 22 this was diagnosed as “OCD” or obsessive compulsive dissorder. My “illness” was surrounding diet and exercise. I always kept this as a secret. My significant other at the time knew and supported my decision to avoid medication in order to “keep it in check”.

Eventually this became an eating disorder called binge/bulimia. At my sickest I was 90 pounds. Instead of seeking help from a place that would feed me crap food and put me on drugs, I chose to educate myself on living foods, juicing and fasting in order to crush my addictive behaviors. I traveled around to meet very well known pioneers in the health industry. While others were going out drinking, I was barricading myself in my home reading, learning and studying the art of detoxification on a cellular level.

I did this all on my own, with God by my side. It took me almost a decade to be in the position I am today. I’m not perfect by any means. I still struggle every once in a while as we all do.

I will say that part of my healing process was to learn to keep my food very simple and very clean! This has a biochemical effect on the body and keeps my triggers at bay. Staying on an early to rise and early to bed routine during the week also has helped me tremendously. Recently, I’ve let this routine go and have noticed a significant difference in my “rituals” and mood. It is up to me to get it back on track but also to not stay so rigid that it causes me to fall back into my OCD habits.

The biggest struggle I’ve had is to actually come out with this in public. I was always scared that people wouldn’t love and accept me any longer. You really learn who your true friends are and who the people are that love you when you admit to having such an issue. 

About a year ago, I dated a man with the same struggle. He brought me face to face with my own illness and that was a very sobering moment in how far I had come.

I’m feeling grateful today for the people in my life and the struggle I have undergone. Those who accept me know that this has meant the world to me. Those who choose to not accept me for my faults and unique way of dealing with them have more work to do on their own journey. For those who have been supportive, especially my mother…I thank you for accepting me, ALL of me and the best part of my soul. ♡♡♡

On a side note I would like to wish my mother (a true saint) Bonnie Cox a very happy birthday today! I love you mom and would be nothing without your caring kind heart!

Home is wherever “they” are!

Today I was driving to yoga and came to the biggest realization of my life! I’ve been deeply entrenched in a feeling of aloneness not to be confused with loneliness as there is a big difference between the two. This has never come over me before. It went away this past weekend as I spent time with lovely people but sometimes stays when I’m in a room full of others.

I find this to be not only an odd occurrence but also the saddest feeling that has ever come over me in all my years on this Earth. I’ve been asking myself some pretty real questions lately. How could I possibly feel this when I’m surrounded by people who love me? Maybe I’m missing my family? Maybe I need to get out more? I mentioned in a video a few weeks ago that I believe its a lack of meditating on Gods word or “prayer”. Although I do believe this to be true I think I found the missing link today.

Prior to yoga I sat in silence for about twenty-five minutes. I then prayed that God guide me in the direction I am meant to go. The exact path that I am meant to travel even if it differs from the plans I originally had for myself. I asked that “his will be done”. 

On the way to yoga it hit me. “This isn’t my home” I said out loud! Of course this was followed by “where is my home then”? Its certainly not back in Ohio. I never have felt a pull to go back other than the desire to visit family. Its not San Diego! I never have felt that this was the area for me. No way is it Hawaii! I wanted to return to SD from the second I got off the plane there. I’ve fallen in love with Santa Barbara and have never been to SF, maybe its one of those two places.

Then… my answers were all placed perfectly before me! 

Home isn’t a place at all! The “alone feeling” isn’t coming from actually being alone or not receiving enough love. Home is a “feeling”, a “sensation”, a memory while its being created in that very space in time! 

Home is reading a book curled up in my favorite spot on a rainy Sunday! Home is the feeling of relief when you pull into the driveway after a long road trip. The beautiful soft smell of your mother on one of her visits. Its where I can decorate the Christmas tree 5 times until I feel it looks perfect! Where salads can be eaten out of mixing bowls with no judgement:) A quiet kiss on my forehead from the man I love or an annoying yet charming dog wanting me to throw “the shoe” over a balcony into the ocean 1000 times! Its the warmth of the strongest arms I know wrapped around me or the breath of that same person breathing on the back of my neck before sliding his hands around my waist. A pink toothbrush inside a jar of coconut oil in the bathroom, and the sound of my boyfriend’s key in the door on Monday evening when I’ve decided to stay over an extra day. My “husband with fur attacking me with kisses and bites every morning! Home means curling up against someone when both of your breaths suddenly become one before drifting off to sleep.

Home has been many places for me over the years, but its comforts are defined by simple, blissful moments like these. Never however had it become more clear to me than ever before that “home” was not built from brick and mortar! It’s wherever “they” are!

 

 

Week at a glance! A trip to Aulac! Santa Barbara! Recycling!

 

Keeping up my fitness and staying in tip top shape! With exercise, yoga and good healthy food!

Early morning cardio session!

Ahhhh the workouts! I’m hitting it but not to my FULL potential! The truth is, I know exactly where I want to be! I also know the dedication it will take to get there! Pre yoga brunch! Omega 3 packed heart healthy avocado salad with baby lettuce that my farmer just brought me!

What a great Sunday! What a fantastic man~pan~ion I have!!!

This man is so kind, loving and incredibly gorgeous! Yesterday I was treated to a “Andrea day!” My beautiful loving boyfriend spent the morning organizing my disgusting messy garage and then treated me to my favorite raw vegan restaurant in Orange County!

In return, I allowed him to listen to the Warriors game the entire drive 🙂 I’m also creating a tonic formula for him to drink daily to repair his stressed out adrenal glands! 
Relationships are a two way street! You have to give in order to get and if you take too much it doesn’t feel balanced! I love that this man is teaching me how to give more everyday! ♡♡♡ Love you to the moon and back baby!

On our way to OC to eat at Aulac! My happy place!!!

 

Taking time to explore a beautiful part of California and myself! My stay at San Ysidro Ranch.

I decided to break away for the first part of the week! I wanted to go somewhere to explore, clear my head and be with self! I called the sitter for my husband with fur and off I went! Armed with cold press juice and a few brown paper bags of fruit I knew this was going to be a grand adventure! The highlights….I met an artist who asked to paint me, I let him! I meditated every morning in a lavender field! I let go of the gym and it served me! I treated myself to a bath in the bathtub below every morning and every night! PURE AND UTTER BLISS I TELL YOU!

My exercise routine consisted of walking through lavender fields! I then filled this claw foot tub with lavender I collected on my walk and essential oil of ylang ylang! 

Looking at the beauty that nature provides is the first step in purifying the mind! Bring that nature indoors and you have the chance to experience new charm! I realized during my stay that by not slowing down I’ve been renouncing all that is great in the pursuit of all that is meaningless!

My spa bathroom in my private cottage in Santa Barbara! This is living!!!

 

A small way that we can all give back to mother Earth

Recycling is so very important in today’s world! We live in a wasteful society. This canning jar goes with me wherever I go. I like to think of her as my little baby that travels with me everywhere. 

Andrea’s go to recycled pickle jar filled with green juice:)

Today my little baby is visiting Santa Barbara. More often than not I take more than one baby with me. sometimes it’s a recycled spaghetti jar and other times I recycle a jar that contained tahini or nut butter in it. No matter what they all get recycled and become unique “stemware”!

On any given day in my home you can see canning jars lined up in the windowsill. I use them to sprout, to drink out of, and to soak my nuts and seeds in. I also rinse them out instead of using the dishwasher. It saves water and we all know that we can use more water in California!

To you this may seem tedious…like it doesn’t do any good. I believe at the end of the day small changes like this can change the future for our children growing up on Earth! I have a 10 year old nephew and I don’t want him walking around in a sea of trash!Do you really want to drink out of plastic anyway? Plastic leaches chemicals into our bodies and they are hard to detox from!

I would LOVE for all of you to visit my personal Facebook page and post what you’re drinking out of today beneath this post. I’m on there under Andrea L Cox 

Have a beautiful Green Day!

Home is where the heart is! It’s also where a little dog named Louis lives!!!

It feels good to be back home! I missed my lil “husband with fur”! Now I get to have my leftovers from Aulac!!! Im eating Chef Ito’s “sweet & sour” soup while getting my vitamin D! Nothing quite like sleeping in your own bed on fresh clean sheets after enjoying a few days away! Traveling even for a short distance makes you appreciate all the comforts of home!

Eating enzyme rich raw soup while getting my vitamin D!

 

 

 

 

 

Five tips on how to do what you LOVE! Bonus video!

 

 

If there’s not enough sunshine in your life then it’s up to you to create it! 

Hey there friends! I LOVE what I do! It is such a joy for me to work with eager clients around the globe who are ready to change the way they live in order to achieve optimal health! I also LOVE being behind the camera! I never thought in a million years I would be able to make money at what my God given talents and passions are! 

For far too long I stayed in Ohio where my gifts and talents were not appreciated by others. If you used the words “raw food” in Ohio people thought you meant sushi:) Although I had made it onto the news and on the cover of our newspaper there, many people still found my way of life and the food I ate as weird and strange. Only after uprooting myself to California 5 years ago was I able to create the life of my dreams! I finally can say that I feel I am free to be the woman I’ve always been meant to be!

Theres a saying I’ve said for quite some time now “go where you are appreciated, not tolerated!” for me that meant moving to a state where health and well-being was at the forefront! for you it may mean leaving a relationship where your partner isn’t appreciating you or leaving a job that you feel is not your true calling in life. Whatever it is I encourage you to go after that one thing that scares you! Begin by planning today! I promise you that you will have no regrets!!!

Andrea shooting You Tube videos!

MY TOP FIVE TIPS ON DOING WHAT YOU LOVE TO CREATE THE LIFE OF YOUR DREAM!

1) Figure out what your passion truly is!  This is vital for your success! Guess what, you may have several passions and thats Ok! The best advice I can give any of you is to try and determine what “dream job” would bring all of those passions into one!

2) Determine if your current paying job is worth keeping or is stealing more than 50% of your time that would be better spent working on your business!  No, I’m not telling you to go quit your current job! What I am saying is to first determine what amount of time your current job is taking up. After that ask yourself if there is anything yo could do on the side to supplement your income that would allow you to quit your current situation to go after and build your dream empire! For example could you take a few clients on the side as a consultant? Would that then lend itself into allowing you to go after your dream career?

3) Nix the nay sayers! Sadly there will be plenty of Nancy negatives including those who are closest to you. I like to allow their words to simply F-L-O-W! Flow into one ear and out the other! Ask yourself this….”How happy are they in their current working situation”? Chances are they’re not!

 4) Stay the course and focus!  Schedule, plan, schedule and plan!!! I cannot repeat that enough! You will want to map out your plan of action then set aside at least a few hours every day to put that plan of action into play! Spend your time wisely! Just because you are working from home that doesn’t mean you should be lounging in yoga gear all day!

 5) Keep your body in OPTIMAL shape so your mind will follow!  You all know the drill! Healthy body leads to a healthy high functioning mind! Keep up with your exercise routine EVERY day even if you do begin working from home! Keep your food combinations in check and always keep the alcohol consumption to a minimum if at all!

BONUS TIP! Find a mentor! A person that is CRUSHING it in your dream field! Send them an e-mail for guidance! Follow them on their social media page and see what works for them! And remember! YOUR TIME WILL COME!!! You are everything you need to be, here and now!

Andrea shooting her YouTube videos!

Remember! I only want the very best for each and every one of you! Have a great week!!!

Andrea L Cox

Follow me on Facebook here! https://www.facebook.com/andrea.l.cox2

Check out my digital products here! www.thehealthyhaven.net

Check out my retreats here! www.alkalizewithandrea.com 

Go where you are appreciated, not tolerated! One of the reasons I relocated to California….

If there’s not enough sunshine in your life then it’s up to you to create it!

For far too long I stayed in Ohio where my gifts and talents were not appreciated by others. If you used the words “raw food” in Ohio people thought you meant sushi:) Although I had made it onto the news and on the cover of our newspaper there, many people still found my way of life and the food I ate as weird and strange. After uprooting myself to California 5 years ago I finally can say that I feel I am free to be the woman I’ve always been meant to be!

There is a saying I’ve said for quite some time now “go where you are appreciated, not tolerated!” for me that meant moving to a state where health and well-being was at the forefront! for you it may mean leaving a relationship where your partner isn’t appreciating you or leaving a job that you feel is not your true calling in life. whatever it is I encourage you to go after that one thing that scares you! Begin by planning today! I promise you that you will have no regrets♡♡♡ 
‪#‎picoftheweek‬ ‪#‎youtuber‬ ‪#‎love‬ ‪#‎selflove‬ ‪#‎LoveWhatYouDo‬

Andrea shooting her YouTube videos for all of you!