Raw Vegan seems to be the new "Thing". I have been doing lots of research on the whole concept, different lifestyles {because vegan is more than a diet} and recipes and it has been intriguing me for months. I did a detox the past 2 weeks starting with 5 days of only raw foods. My sister, Andrea, did it with me and we were both SOO impressed with how we felt. Eating loads of whole, natural, organic fruits and vegetables as well as some nuts and seeds, we were filled with energy and clarity. I am sharing my experience and further plans, feel free to join me. Follow my progress on instagram at @sammimcleod. I want to see your stuff by #rawvolution and tag me! 

There are so many benefits and uses to Apple Cider Vinegar. Make sure you get Organic, Unfiltered, unpasteurized like this one. The main ingredient that comes from this powerhouse is acetic acid which has many body boosts!! 
You can use this stuff for shiny hair, clearer skin, weight loss, internal body balancing and detox and even allergies! What I do is put 1 tsp in a glass of water with a sprinkle of cinnamon, stir it up and drink it as soon as I wake up. I don't have breakfast for another 30 min to an hour. It helps balance your body's PH which can help you cut your fat. It contains enzymes that help kill Candida Yeast. By adding the cinnamon, you have a natural boost to the metabolism to start off the day!  

Apple Cider Vinegar also has antibiotic properties and can help sooth tummy issues and indigestion! It's a great thing to add to hot water to kill a sore throat or sooth a stuffy nose. With it's potassium, it will give you a boost of energy to fight fatigue and lactic acid buildup. It can even whiten your teeth and clean your toilet!! Magic stuff! 

This picture right here from my Instagram is the reason from Sammi's Secrets to come alive. I decided on July 4th, 2013 to make a change in my diet. I was always feeling bloated and I had trouble getting rid of excess fat from my midsection, thighs, booty and upper arms. Sound familiar? I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired! I decided I was going to find my solution and stick to it. The first row in the picture is me on DAY 1 of my new lifestyle. After 1 week and a half I took the second row of pictures. After 3 weeks, I took the last row of pictures. I have never had results like this. I felt amazing! I still do!! I can literally notice everyday less and less fat in all of those problem places!! 

I had about 30 people message me asking for what I did so I decided this is my COMMITMENT. I will CONTINUE to post and share my transformation and this is JUST the beginning!! I want to share this with as many people possible! I want to help you reach the goals you want and to get the body you've always dreamed of with me! Once you start following this plan and you find what system works for you, send me your results! I will be featuring some on this blog! Be proud of your accomplishments and share them!! :) 

DAY 1 I cancelled my gym membership. You are probably thinking "This girl is whack." I wanted to see results based completely on my eating habits. Instead of paying $60 a month, I decided to dedicate myself to at home work outs for the first few months. I will start working out again after 1 month, August 1, 2013!!  I will be sharing that progress too through the Fitness page! 

My next secret to optimal health and weight loss: The jar concept. Imagine your digestive system is one big jar. It goes from the top of your stomach down to.. well.. your bum. There's a tiny hole at the bottom the the jar and what you put in it eventually breaks down small enough to empty out the bottom. 

When you look at "The Food Triangle" post, you see the order of foods from fruit to veggie to complex. The way you want to put those foods in the jar is by flipping that triangle upside-down.  Fruit only takes about 30 minutes to leave the stomach because it is filled with enzymes that your body can use to digest easily. You want to eat fruit only on an empty stomach so that its at the bottom of the jar! If you had a big breakfast of carbs (like any normal breakfast of cereal, toast, oatmeal etc.) and then had a fruit salad or an apple and banana at lunch, the bottom of you jar is clogged! That's because it takes the system longer to digest a complex food, maybe a few hours! So if you have a bunch of complex at the bottom of your jar and the new fruit digests fast, it will sit on top until the complex is done. What does that mean? Fruit FERMENTING in the acids of your system! What does that leave you with? Gas and bloating!! Yes, you might be eating all healthy things but for optimal digestion, you have to eat them in the right order!

Vegan/ Gluten-free/ Health people (Like me, and maybe you soon) have a very different food pyramid than the one on the mainstream. I divid it into 3 categories: Fruits, Vegetables and Complex. I call them complex.. you can call them whatever you want. It means they are foods that are harder for the body to digest so you have to eat them with foods that are EASY for the body to digest.

Ok. So in most diets or "Lifestyles" its all about calories, carbs, proteins.. count this count that, eat this, eat that. NO MORE. I am focused on digestion. Maybe not many people WANT to talk about digestion? Whatever, get over it because digestion is the most important function in your body that your decisions affect. Digestion (Or lack there of) had been my problem for the past 4 or 5 years. I became lactose intolerant, always bloated, gained weight and either I couldn't go to the bathroom for a long time or I had to go NOW (as soon as I ate a big meal).