3 + 3 Reasons to be Happy

I just came back from a much needed vacation and I must say it was also my best birthday yet; no big birthday bash, cake or anything like that but it was peaceful. I had peace in my heart, resolved issues, decisions made, bigger dreams and goals to be achieved and oh, I became an auntie (my nephew was born on March 5th, four days after my birthday) and my mother arrived from Cameroon on my birthday itself.

Picking up Mom from the airport

What more could I ask for? Added bonus: I left the kids at home, yup, mommies need time away every now and then, Daddy did a good job filling in for me.

My Happy 33rd Birthday ...

Lounging

What about you all? what have you been doing in my absence? been eating good? exercising enough, sleeping well? breaking old habits? making new friends? what? I hope all good though. I started reading more again, great books always get me going...my anchor has always been God, Great circle of people and Great reads, what about you? What is your anchor? what gets you revamped? My Mother says her secret is staying JOYFUL but then she goes on to explain to me the difference between Joy and Happiness....well, I am so proud of her and impressed with her keeping up with FYR even in Cameroon. She actually fits in jeans my sister and I wear...trust me I almost fell to the ground when she zipped and buttoned this pair of size 8 Jeans.

53 year old mother of 5 adults

Mama

"Staying JOYful is my rejuvenator."

I enjoyed some Cameroonian dishes while I was on vacation, boy oh boy! my mother brought some cooked eru from Cameroon! Impossible? yes! but did she do it? YES! hahahahahahaha she is a NINJA. Eru is our traditional meal, consists mainly of a green leafy vegetable called 'eru', some palm oil, crayfish, maggi and any meat of choice. It is eaten with fufu or gari or in my case some rice or plantain.

My traditional meal: Eru (with gari)

Anyway, that's what I've been up to just in case anyone missed me :) I have been dreaming of some pesto and some cheesecake (raw-vegan) and some...oh well, I'm back to my juicing and RAW feast, care to join? Come back soon, you never know what I'll be un-COOKING next time. Have a swell day everyone and ALWAYS STRIVE TO BE HAPPY xoxo

"I'm living my life like it's GOLDEN."

Remember to  EAT & DRINK TO YOUR HEALTH, YOU'LL THANK ME LATER!

Yvette Odom, Week 2

The week has flown by but not without great news. Remember I told you I will be giving you updates of Yvette's FYR journey? Okay drum roll please !!!!!!!! You will be happy to know that after 7 days on the FYR program Ms. Odom has dropped 5 pounds! I was very excited for her as we watched the scale go down, down, down :)

She is more motivated than ever and before I write down her struggles and triumphs from the past week, I want to add that she consciously works out every morning as well. We text each other every morning and then wake up to exercise. You can do that too, set a time to consciously wake up and exercise. The time Yvette and I decided is 6:00am every morning. As you know I have two kids including a one year old who wakes up at night but no matter how tired I am I still push myself to get up because I made a commitment to myself and I hate letting myself down. So if I can do it, you can do it too. Yvette is doing it and so can you! I know you can!

YVETTE's NOTES:

Week 1 recap
Challenges
 gas
Multiple bathroom trips

Solutions
Alkaline water, smaller meals, no skipped snacks, increased exercise & general activity in the morning

Benefits
Increased energy, less stiffness, feel better during the day & better sleep at night

Other unexpected advantages
Feeling good all day & loss 5lbs the first week, nails & skin looks healthier already.

Next weeks goals
Lose 5-7lbs
Better food planning & organization
To increase flexibility during exercise




Are you ready to join the FYR clan? email me bernice4fyr@gmail.com

My Raw-vegan apple pie

Raw-vegan apple pie



Recipe coming soon...





EAT AND DRINK TO YOUR HEALTH, YOU'LL THANK ME LATER.

Yvette Odom, Week 1

FYR is about to do something we've never done before: I love working with people on a one on one basis. In the past we've gotten testimonies after the person has done the FYR-detox program but this is the first time I will be tracking/documenting the progress of a new FYR enthusiast. Meet Ms. Yvette Odom.

I have known Yvette for about 3 years now and she's been flirting with the idea of doing the program for sometime now. When we talked on the phone a few days ago she told me she was ready. This time I truly believed her because we all know that we usually only make that BIG decision when we are truly fed up. I am so very excited for Yvette and have no doubt that she will be as successful as she decides to be.

We started by charting her measurements and going through the food list found in the FYR e-Book. Then we both headed out to the local farmer's market so I could help her get the things she will need for her FYR journey. It was a blast shopping with her and picking up all her staples. We discussed key points , hints and many other important things that you will find in your FYR e-book (Yvette had already gotten her FYR e-books many months ago and has read it over and over in order to get the basics down). By the end of the our shopping experience we were both excited beyond belief. I love working with people especially someone as determined and enthusiastic as my friend Yvette.

Thank you Yvette for letting us document your journey and sharing your heart with us. I have no doubt that you will inspire so many people as you begin to LOVE YOURSELF A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.

Here is a little interview I did with Yvette yesterday in preparation for her FYR journey (which starts today, October 10th).

ME: "Hi Yvette, howdy?"

YVETTE: "Hi Bernice, I'm doing great!" she giggled. She is a full-of-life, bubbly person and her laughter is infectious.

ME: "Can you tell us what is and has been your inspiration to undertake this journey?"

YVETTE: "I was and am inspired by a dear friend of mine (you). She is very disciplined and it shows very well. I see her success and how happy she is and I want to follow in her footsteps."

ME: "Well, thank you dear." I was smiling from ear to ear. What can I say, we were having a blast, yes, we had to control the laughter and concentrate on the interview, oh boy, is that hard!

ME: "Do you have any fears as you start the FYR program?"

YVETTE: "Yes, I fear that I won't do well. I know I will succeed to some degree which by the way my goal is to lose 133 pounds but most importantly I want to achieve optimum health. I want to avoid the stigma of my family background when it comes to diabetes and blood clots due to poor circulation. I know eating a healthier diet will alleviate these issues for me."

ME: "In the FYR ebooks I talk about the process of finding your 'Emotional Why' have you found yours?"

YVETTE: " I have always seen myself as someone with this inner style and personality but I don't think it reflects on my outside as much as it is inside. There is this girl in me that I know so well who is dying to come out of this outer shell. I want to have children, a family, I want to watch my children grow."

ME: "What are some tangible things that motivate you?"

YVETTE: "Janet Jackson. I don't necessarily want to be her size but growing up she has always being my role model for someone who openly portrayed a positive body image. She worked out and did it the way way. I want to do this the right and healthy way. I have been big all my life and I want to show people they can do it too. Most importantly I want to become my own role model."

ME: "Why did you choose FYR when there are many other programs out there that you could choose from."

YVETTE: "I don't want to feel guilty anymore of what I'm eating. FYR makes the most sense to me and is sincerely the very best option for what I want to attain with my health. I want my healthy looking skin back, healthy hair and energy back. FYR not only does it the right way but also the natural way. Plus I have you in my head and ear all the time, so I can't go wrong."

ME: "Don't forget to have a little fun and not take life too seriously while you're on the program, if at anytime you do deviate a little from the program, remember not to feel so disappointed that you abandon the program, just forgive yourself and get right back on board. But I know you can do this and I am so proud of you for making the best decision for your health.  With the Forever Young Revolution together we can encourage one another to love ourselves a little differently."

YVETTE's Weight Loss Goal: 133 pounds

Ms. Yvette Odom

"Our environment is our external metabolism."-- Dr. Max Gerson

"EAT AND DRINK TO YOUR HEALTH, YOU'LL THANK ME LATER!"

DAY 49 FYR TESTIMONIAL--Anne Shu

Hello My name is Anne. I have always been somebody who loves food but the problem was that I never ate the right foods and never in the right portions. I would go overboard a lot of times when I see so much food especially during the Holidays, when all I did was eat, sleep, browse the internet and watch TV. Well, I never had a problem with my self or thought to myself that I ever had to do something about my eating habits. But a wake up call came to me at the end of 2008/beginning of 2009.
Making some magic in the kitchen

Christmas 08/New year 09 was one of those Holidays where I over did it with food. Every where that I went there was food in abundance, all kinds of meats and greasy foods that make you gain all the pounds. When school resumed in '09 many of my friends were saying " My goodness Anne, you have put on some pounds" I looked at myself in the mirror and I almost did not recognize myself. There were rolls of fat around my belly( I don't know how much weight I gained because I hardly ever used to weigh myself but I could feel it) At that moment I said to myself, Anne you definitely got some work to do. So I started hitting the gym and trying to eat in smaller portions ( But not necessarily the right foods), I lost some weight guaranteed, I left from about 153 to 146 but when I went travelled for spring break and came back, I realised that I gained almost all the weight that I had lost. I then decided at that moment I had to try a different approach. I always had Bernice as one of my friends on Facebook, so one day when I was scrolling on her page, I saw all these workouts she was doing and all the recipes she had and how fit she looked and I thought to myself, I think this lady can help me.

I got great recipes from FYR and also became very creative on my own

So I joined the Forever Young Revolution program, and if I have to explain what FYR did for me, it will take another two pages. But to make it short and sweet ( Although I have already written so much, lol), FYR taught me how to eat healthy and live healthy without making it so hard. The first thing I did when I joined FYR was the 21 Day Detox program and boy did it do wonders for me! During that program I lost a good 12 lbs and it was so easy because all I had to do was eat healthy and day by day I was feeling lighter. Plus the motivation just kept me going. I can say Bernice is one of the best nutritionist and coaches you can have because she took me every single step of the way and always answered my questions when I needed help and what I have achieved today is unbelievable. I have lost 25 lbs being on FYR lifestyle and I have left from a size 9/10 to a size 4/5. I just feel lighter and better about myself.


I still love food but the difference is that I eat healthier than what I did before and I appreciate what it does for my body plus there is no fear of gaining any weight if you live the FYR lifestyle.

BEFORE AND AFTER

To anybody out there who thinks they cant do it, be inspired by this testimonial. It all starts with a positive mind. Once you do that, try this program and you will not regret it.

Just Enjoying My New Lifestyle

Everything is possible to those who believe and hardwork pays off in the end. Forever Young Revolution ROCKS!!!

ANNE SHU