Want a Paleogasm?! Winners announced!!!

AND THE WINNERS ARE....!!!!

KIM O'CONNOR

BRIEL MIER

Thanks so much for playing and for all of your support!! I hope Paleogasm brings you a new and exciting healthy eating adventure!! xoxo

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you've been keeping up, you know that our family has been on a Paleo journey for the past few months. Much of what we have learned and done has been thanks to my friend, Camille from The School of Inner Beauty and Paleo, Love & Transformation. She wrote this beautifully delicious Paleo cookbook and I'm so excited to have the opportunity to give one of the e-books away to a lucky new subscriber to my newsletter. Just sign up on the left of this page and you'll be entered!!

Last day to enter is October 22nd... Winner will be announced on October 23rd!!!

>>>ENTER HERE<<<

The School of Inner Beauty

Have you ever had any of these thoughts? (I know I have...)

• I wish I could love what I see in the mirror every day, regardless of my weight or outer "flaws."
• I wish I could feel beautiful, and even sexy!
• I wish I really loved myself.
• I wish I could feel comfortable, radiant and free everywhere I go and with everyone I meet.
• I wish I could stop judging myself.
• I wish I could be healthy without beating myself up if I make a mistake.

I'm so thrilled and honored to be participating and assisting in the launch of this amazing program with my great friend, Camille from Paleo Living. We're working together to expand our entrepreneurial lives and unleashing our inner goddesses!! Rawr!! ;) 

This program is unlike anything I've ever seen! You will be supported and coached by 15 amazing leaders in the world of health and womanhood to create a life of self-love where anything is possible. Unleash your inner beauty!! There are a few select spots left and the program starts on 9/30, so if you think one of those spots might be for you, check it out and apply! 

Life Can Change in an Instant...

Geez. Life can sure turn in an instant! The last month has been a whirlwind with plenty of challenges. But the biggest by far happened last Thursday. Our little man (the one we went Paleo for a couple of months ago) began having full blown seizures and has officially been diagnosed with epilepsy. Even though this hasn't been the first of our scares with Eddie, this may be the toughest one to swallow. Thankfully, he turned a corner and is feeling a lot better now. I feel like I can breathe again. But I hate that he has to be on medication and when I think of leaving him somewhere I get a pit in my stomach. There is just so much that's unknown about the disease, the brain, or even WHY the medicine works. On one hand, I know everything is going to be okay because I know that he has the best parents/family/friends/doctors to do all of the right things for him. On the other hand, I'm terrified. This is all a realm that we've never been before and the unknown can be very scary. On the other hand (what? you didn't know I had 3 hands?) I believe that everything happens for a reason and I have to find solace knowing that this is only a stepping stone. 

We came home from the hospital on Friday and it felt like we had been thrown naked into the ocean without a life vest, raft, or anything... What now?! Among the routine doctor visits, medications, neurological testing, etc., what could we do to give our son the best possible chances for a healthy, happy, normal life - as naturally as possible. Obviously at this point we feel trapped in having to keep the seizures at bay and have him on medication, but the hope is that he will grow out of needing that and we can naturally support that process. You know where I'm going with this, don't you..? 

FOOD. Since having gone Paleo a couple of months ago, we all saw a marked improvement in Eddie's day to day life. His memory improved and the issues that were already at hand seemed to be lessening. But now it's time to take our Paleo lifestyle to the next level. Under our doctors care and lots of research, we are currently transitioning into a ketogenic diet which has shown to be effective for people with seizure disorders. This won't be a hard transition since we were already Paleo about 80% of the time (but definitely have to raise that ratio), but there's still a lot to learn. 

I know that food is the key to all avenues of health and I know that different things work for different people. I'm wondering, have you experienced your own success in the arena of your health because of a changed diet? What was your condition and what did you do? What was your transformation?

Also, do you or someone you know/love have epilepsy? How do you support that condition with a healthy lifestyle and where do you get support? 

One thing that I've really taken to heart with all of this is that I don't want to do this alone. On that note, I'd love to hear from you. Also, please send your love, light and good vibes to our precious son. 

Comment below, OR:
Email: heavenlyhealthy@yahoo.com

PGP Update!!

Holy guacamole, where did this week go?? 

Hope you all had a happy 4th yesterday!! 

Aside from some major treats on the holiday, the family is staying Paleo-strong this week. I came right home from our overnight outing with the family and got right to cooking. On the menu tonight - turkey chili with kale.. Yummo!! 

Camille's recipes within her "Paleo Cooking at Home" program are absolutely incredible. I've definitely been learning a lot in the meat department and while I can't say the kids have liked all of it, there are surely some things we will continue to implement long after the 2-3 weeks of this program. Not only that, but I know that I'll be able to take so much of it and make it my own, which is what I truly LOVE.. learning and expanding ways to keep my family as healthy as possible!

AND the coolest thing so far, which I'm sure is a combination of diet and some new memory techniques that I've been using with Eddie lately, is when he said to me a couple of days ago, "Mom, I've been remembering a lot more lately." Music to my ears!!

Stay tuned as I prepare to get back on track with our PCAH program after this weekend... 

PGP: Family meeting, part 2 - Mom

Eddie did incredibly well at his MRI yesterday. I was so afraid that we would have to reschedule because our first attempt was without sedation and Eddie hates needles. I attribute how well he did to having daddy in the room with him (only one of us could go in). Either way, I'm super proud.

Today the kids & I took a risk and hit the mall for lunch. I think we did OK, but there were just way too many temptations and we won't be doing that again.

We came home and got right into the kitchen making pumpkin muffins. Yummy-yummy!!

>>Making pumpkin muffins :)

Here is the 2nd part of our family meeting, with me. Now that the kids are all saddled up, we've just been having tons of fun cooking together. They're such little troopers!!

>>Family Meeting, part 2 with Mom

To see the awesome program we're following to take our family's eating habits to next level, go here:

PGP: Family meeting, part 1 - Dad

In case you didn't take the time to read my first "Pachecos Go Paleo (PGP)" post, today you will get an insight into one of the main reasons we've chosen to give Paleo a try. 

Our 8 year old son has recently been diagnosed with Complex Partial Epilepsy. We will be sharing some pieces of that journey with you, but mostly our journey as we transition our family (particularly, our children) into a healthier diet. 

It is our belief that the first place of healing begins in the kitchen and we know that this transition has to include the whole family. This will only work through communicating, sharing, supporting, strengthening and loving each other every step of the way. 

>>Dad talks to the family about Paleo and talks to Eddie about seizures.<< 

Today is a big day here as Eddie is schedule for his MRI. He had his first MRI when he was a year old and everything checked out normal, so we are hopeful that today will be the same. 

Please send your prayers, positive energies, juju, vibes, and most of all LOVE our way. 

Much love and thanks for your support!! 
xoxo

To see the Paleo program we're following, click here:

Pachecos Go Paleo!!

I'm SO excited to share with you all this brand new Paleo journey that I'm taking my family on for the next 2 weeks!! I will be posting blogs, videos and pictures on FB and IG through all of my social media feeds and I would love for you to follow along. Bare with me, as this first post will be the longest as I tell you a little bit of our story as well as WHY we've decided to give this path a try.

If you know me, you know that I generally don't believe in "diets" or the idea that "one-size-fits-all" when it comes to what we should be eating. Every body has its own requirements and it's our job to figure out what foods provide us with the energy and vitality that are needed to live our fullest, healthiest life possible.

You may or may not know that I've been mostly vegetarian for the past 13 years. Sometimes I'm very strict about it, sometimes I'm not. I typically just go with how I feel because I deeply believe that our bodies will unfailingly tell us what we need through our levels of energy, how we're feeling, what we're craving, etc.

Sadly though, over the past 6+ months I lost my passion for being in the kitchen. Life got super busy and cooking (something that I truly love to do) became more of a chore than something that I enjoyed. I also got tired of making the same old things that never pleased the whole family (3 adults and 3 kids). So, I began to settle for less on what I was feeding everyone. I'd make separate meals which usually meant something healthier for the adults and something mediocre for the kids. Lately, it really started to get to me. My #1 commitment in life is to give my family the best in everything that I can, so how was I going to get over this major funk in the kitchen?

And then I no longer had a choice. I wasn't sure if I was going to share this next part of our story publicly or not, but one thing I know is that by sharing the REAL stuff in life then others can benefit in their own struggles. It is my hope that in sharing this part of our family's journey that you will gain something for your own life journey.

Last week we found out that our 8 year old son, Eddie, has Complex Partial Epilepsy. You may have followed some of his story over the past 8 years. His issues have been pretty minor and very manageable. However, more recently we began noticing something a little more concerning - periods of complete absence, loss of memory and/or knowledge of his current setting. (We'll keep this part of the story short for now.) And so the tests began (physicals, EEG, MRI, etc.) and our suspicions were confirmed.

Once the devastation settled, reality set in. Something had to change. I knew deep in my being that the kid who would eat pizza at every single meal if he could, had to change his diet. And that meant this mama was going to have to have a solid plan. Whatever the plan was going to be, it needed to include the entire family.

[Parts of our family meeting will be posted on Youtube.]

After conducting much of my own homework as well as already having some intuition telling me that Eddie needed to be eating more meat, I reluctantly decided it was time to start bringing more meat into the house. After a few very DRY and not-so-yummy attempts (I've never been one to cook meat), the first person I could think to help me on this path was my amazingly talented and passion-about-food friend, Camille from Recipe RX and Paleo Living.

It couldn't have been more perfect that she was literally JUST launching her own program to help people transition into a healthier lifestyle, called Paleo Cooking at Home: Fast, Easy & Cheap. I quickly jumped on her affiliate program last week, went shopping on Sunday and began our cooking journey on Monday (yesterday). No time to waste!

>>>>>Meet Camille here!!<<<<<

And now the journey begins.

Sunday we completely overhauled the kitchen... out with the crap, in with the real food!!

OUT with the enriched breads, pastas & processed carbs~

IN with the fresh produce, healthy fats and yes, the meat!!

Our first dinner was last night (Almond Coconut Crusted Chicken - holy heavens!!) and EVERYONE (yes, I said everyone) LOVED it!! So far, we have made last night's dinner, today's breakfast (plantain crepes) and lunch (tuna salad wraps), and all of them have been a hit!!

Words cannot express how exciting it has been in just 24 hours to make meals that the whole family loves! I'm seriously ecstatic!! I'm already thrilled to be back in the kitchen and I feel like this is exactly what our entire family needed to get on track.

Be sure to follow our 2-week "Pachecos Go Paleo" journey on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and now Youtube!!

Kombucha time!!

I have been meaning to write this post for at least a year and finally, here it is! If you know me, you know that I'm a big fan and advocate of kombucha. It's like magic tea and for me, there's just something so fun and rewarding about making my own. Not to mention it's much cheaper! So, I'm happy and proud to share this with you for your own Kombucha brewing adventure!

What you need to brew 1 gallon of kombucha tea:

4+ quart stainless steel pot

4 quart glass bowl

4 quart glass jug

Stainless steel mesh handheld strainer

Coffee filters

8 organic black tea bags

1 cup organic sugar

1 10x10 cotton cloth

1 large rubber band 

1 scoby with 1 cup kombucha tea

*All dishes, surfaces, hands, etc. should be very clean!
*Use ONLY stainless steel for brewing the tea and ONLY lead-free glass containers for harvesting!

Step one: Obtain your scoby, (AKA: Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast, or simpler said, your mushroom or fungus..) Your scoby should come with about 1 cup of kombucha tea. If you're not planning to harvest your kombucha within a day, you should keep it refrigerated.

Step two: Brew 4 quarts of organic sweet black tea (bring water to boil, add 8 tea bags and 1 cup of organic sugar. Let boil for about a minute, or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let tea cool to room temperature.

*If your scoby is refrigerated, take it out and let it reach room temperature.

Step three: Once your tea and scoby are the same room temperature, add them both to your large glass bowl. Don't forget to add the 1 cup of kombucha tea! Cover with cloth, seal with rubber band and store in a dark, undisturbed cabinet. 

*I store mine in a high cabinet in my kitchen. Be sure there's still some amount of air circulation.

Step four: Let harvest undisturbed for 10-14 days. Shorter harvesting will be sweeter; longer harvesting will be more bitter. Personally, 14 days is perfect for my liking. 

*You will have to play around with the timing to see how you like it. Time of harvesting can be affected by climate. Warmer climates may need less harvesting time. Colder climates may need longer.

Step five: Set a timer or mark your calendar for your chosen "brew day" where then you will start back at step two.

*When you uncover your harvested kombucha, there will be a brand new baby scoby on top, which means you will now have a mama (bottom) and a baby (top)! I just love this part :) you can choose to brew two batches now, or you can share the komucha love. Each time you will have a new baby, so the love just keeps multiplying!

*Place a coffee filter in your handheld strainer and strain your komucha tea before drinking. 

*Remember to always include 1 cup of kombucha tea in your new batch!

*To keep scobys for later use, place in a large ziploc baggy with 1 cup of kombucha tea and refrigerate until ready to start a new harvest.

Step six: Drink only 4oz. per day for the amazing benefits of Kombucha tea! :)

Let me know if you have any questions!! 

HAPPY BREWING!! :)

(*Note: Kombucha tea contains caffeine and trace amounts of alcohol, so people with sensitivities should use caution. It is also a mixture of bacteria and yeast, so be aware of your own health conditions/interactions. In other words, do your own homework!)

Some of the proposed benefits of Kombucha:
*Probiotics – healthy bacteria
*Alkalize the body – balances internal pH
*Detoxify the liver – happy liver = happy mood
*Increase metabolism – rev your internal engine
*Improve digestion – keep your system moving
*Rebuild connective tissue – helps with arthritis, gout, asthma, rheumatism
*Cancer prevention
*Alleviate constipation
*Boost energy – helps with chronic fatigue
*Reduce blood pressure
*Relieve headaches & migraines
*Reduce kidney stones
*High in antioxidants – destroy free-radicals that cause cancer
*High in polyphenols
*Improve eyesight
*Heal excema – can be applied topically to soften the skin
*Prevent artheriosclerosis
*Speed healing of ulcers – kills h.pylori on contact
*Help clear up candida & yeast infections
*Aid healthy cell regeneration
*Reduce gray hair
*Lower glucose levels – prevents spiking from eating

Got Inner Crazy? Get Inner Peace!!

Amidst the craziness of life it can be too easy to get caught up in the GO every day and let life pass you by. Trust me, I know. But lately, I have been taking extra steps to keep myself balanced and I thought I'd share some of the things that I do every day, so that you can maintain your inner peace, too.

*Make time for quality time every day ~ whether it's with yourself, your kids or your significant other.

*Do something out of routine at least once a week ~ go on a hike, take a new class (for me it has been yoga) ~ something that breaks up the normal routine, soothes your soul and makes you happy inside.

*Set an alarm ~ I have an alarm on my phone every day at 11:11. Whenever it goes on my kids and I stop and meditate for one minute. It may seem small, but sometimes that is the most peaceful minute I have all day, and it really is special.

*Find an app ~ my friend Danny-J of The Sweaty Betties told me about a really cool app that I installed yesterday and I absolutely LOVE it. Mine is called Lotus Bud and when you turn it on it chimes randomly throughout a designated time frame to remind you to take a moment to be mindful. That tiny little "gong" reminds me to take a moment and be present no matter where I am or what I'm doing. You'd be surprised what a difference that makes!

*Set a timer ~ if you're crazy-busy like me, then you can get completely sucked into your work without even noticing how much time has gone by; and sometimes this leads to less productivity. Designate a set amount of time for each task and set a timer each time you start something new. The trick is then to honor the timer you set, take a break and move on to the next task.

For me, all of these things create a state of mindfulness throughout the day which has increased my productivity, lowered my stress levels and raised my feeling of accomplishment as I'm able to do the things that are really important to me every day - with peace and ease.

I hope they do the same for you!

A Little Piece of Me~

We're all on our own journey~

What I want the world to know is that it doesn't matter where you came from. It doesn't matter what your childhood was like, what kind of tragedy you've been through, or how long it takes you to get where you want to go. As long as you're always moving forward. And this is why I've decided to start sharing my story with you. I haven't always been happy & healthy. I wasn't born into a path of health and abundance. But somewhere along the way, I chose something different for myself. The path wasn't perfect and there were LOTS of mistakes along the way. But here I am today, in a place where I finally feel I have something to give. 

I am happily married to husband of almost 14 years and we have FIVE kids! My husband is an incredibly hard-working man and our kids are phenomenal, but we have every good reason to be TOO BUSY to be healthy, eat right, work out, etc., etc. None of that matters. If you choose to create and live a life you LOVE, and then take actions every day that will make that happen, one day you will wake up and realize you've done it. Just don't forget to enjoy the journey!

So, THIS is my very FIRST interview with a very dear friend of mine. She just started her own podcast show called Food, Love and Transformation and in a nutshell that just sums up so much of my own journey. When she asked me to be on her show, I was thrilled. Please excuse my amateur-ness ;) as I'm still working on my presentation and voice etiquette (we all start somewhere).. But this is ME and my life. Take it as you will. And please, if you do take a listen, I'd love to hear your feedback!

>>>Supermom! with Mimi Pacheco<<<

And now I want to take you on my next fitness journey.. Oh boy, I'm so excited!! :) For a couple of years I have enjoyed reading the back section of Oxygen magazine where they feature "real women living the Oxygen lifestyle.." and then I started fantasizing... maybe that could be me some day... And now I say, WHY NOT?? So, I'm going for it! Tomorrow morning I'm starting 60 days of JNL Fusion workouts and I figure by the time summer comes I'll be ready for my next photo shoot that I can submit to Oxygen! 

 

Do you have dreams, goals, wishes, fantasies that you've put on your "some-day-maybe" list? Well I say it's time to move them to your to-do-now list!! Life is happening NOW.. don't let it pass you by!!

Yours in health,
~Mimi~

PS~ Want to join me in my free, 60-day, private FB group for support, accountability, motivation and inspiration to get fit for summer? Go here and request to join - I'd love to have you:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/243414309130232/

Unveiling ~ Part One!

You may or may not have noticed a shift in gears around here lately. I'm sure your news feeds and inboxes are just as swamped as mine, so either way it can be hard to keep up! Definitely though, my articles has been more sporadic and my posts have broadened in topic from self-love to fitness to food. Over the past 2 years I have taken myself on a personal growth and development journey of a lifetime! A personal overhaul, if you will. I have gone through various workshops, seminars, leadership programs; and I have really stepped outside of my comfort zone to shed my past, develop a life that I love, and become a person that I love and that my family and friends can love more. 

*In Part Two of my Unveiling, I will share more of my recent journey with you all. In the meantime, feel free to get to know me by checking out my 35th Birthday post or my About Me page.*

What I'm here to unveil now is what I've been doing more recently. I have been working toward fine-tuning my goals and figuring out how to take my own journey and turn it into something that I can give back to others. I have discovered my mission and my passion in life.. And I've realized that I am here on this planet to make a difference in the lives, in the health, and in the happiness of others. So, I'd like to share with you how I will be starting to bring this all into reality and how I will begin to be available to help YOU create a life of happiness and vitality!

Here are some of the things I'm working on in 2013:

*Open NOW: 
Launched my health empowerment program for women in January (Mimi's Health Camp). Healthy living can have a different meaning for everyone. In my program, we start with the inside and then work our way into developing a lifestyle that works for YOU. This means developing self-love, healthy eating and exercise habits that are sustainable and unique to each individual. 

*Cooking classes and personal training to help women create a healthy lifestyle that works for them. This isn't about following a strict diet or workout regimen. This is about developing new habits that work for YOU.

*Sweaty Betty Ambassadorship: supporting and empowering as many women as possible in their journeys to health in this amazing community of women.

*Working to offer Mimi's Health Camp online by summer 2013 - stay tuned!

*Heavenly Healthy cookbook in the works - to be published by the end of the year!?

To stay in the loop, sign up for my Heavenly Healthy newsletter here:
NEWSLETTER

As always, thank you for reading, following and supporting my journey and please let me know how I can support YOU! 

~Mimi~

PS. One of the greatest quotes and tools that has been of amazing value to me lately: 
Collaboration, NOT competition~
When we can work together as a team, we can truly create miracles!