The winner has been selected for the Garden of Life RAW giveaway! Thank you for your interest. Keep up with Garden of Life on Facebook or Twitter for specials!
Fall has arrived but the weather in Chicago is still more like summer. That said, I have seen a bunch of blogger challenges that my friends are hosting to improve health and well being this fall.
Marcia is hosting a last quarter link-up called One Small Change. She says:
 We all know that making one small change is pretty easy, feels harmless right? But sticking with it can be a challenge. That’s why I’m challenging myself to make one small change every week throughout this final quarter. It can be as simple as adding in an apple a day, drinking an extra 12 oz of water, organizing your junk drawer, skipping that afternoon cookie, keeping a kitchen counter free of mail (cough, me, cough), weekly meal planning, a daily walk, positive self talk, etc.
The catch is you have to STICK with it throughout the quarter. Each week, we’ll add another small change, and build from there. Confidence, enthusiasm and momentum grow as we celebrate each success. It’s totally up to you how big or small to make your goals. Maybe you weren’t successful with the change: It’s aok to focus on that change a second week, or choose a different one completely. I’ll be talking about One Small Change here every Tuesday and adding a linkup so you can blog about the changes you are making. No blog? Feel free to post your progress on the MHS Facebook page. Use #OneSmallChange on Instagram and Twitter.
There will be prizes, if you’re into that sort of thing. Random winners will be chosen monthly.
I love this idea and I am IN. My first change? 20 pushups and 50 sit ups every day. And, I think Marcia is on to something. Check out this TedX talk that my brother sent me yesterday.
I mentioned that Caitlin is hosting 31 Random Acts on her blog. It is simple, do one (at least one) act of kindness per day and share them. She even created a twitter handle (@31RandomActs) and a Facebook Page! (Click to Like/Join). She is highlighting people’s random acts, on a daily basis, through social media. That is a great place to find inspiration for RAKs.
My Random Acts So Far
1. Donated to a GoFundMe campaign that a friend in NYC posted to help a family with the unexpected loss of their husband/father.
2. Supported (and shared) my friend Mary’s fundraiser “This is How We Roll” – the first fashion show dedicated to individuals suffering from paralysis. Mary was paralyzed in a car accident several years ago. Funds support the Bryon Riesch Paralysis Foundation (BRPF) and the fight against paralysis. To find more information about the BRPF please go to www.brpf.org.
3. Offer some goods for donation on Zealous Good.
I have a bunch of ideas but if you have any suggestions, bring them on!
Last challenge, Katie is 
doing a “No Weigh” in October challenge. Katie says:
“My goal for October is simple: to stay off the scale for 31 days. I’m asking you to join me!
Why stay off the scale for an entire month?
-Because we are more than just a number on the scale
-Because a number on a scale should not dictate how much you eat that day or what workout you do
-Because your body knows what it wants to eat and if you honor those cravings you are honoring your body
-Because there are so many more benefits to exercise than the calories you burn
-Because in the end, it really is just a number!Why am I doing this? Simply put, I’m sick of the scale owning me. While on my vacation, I enjoyed what I wanted to eat and stayed active in fun ways. This inspired me to treat my body this way on a permanent basis and this journey begins with a month long break from the scale.”
I wish Katie and friends the best in this one. I weigh myself once a week and that works for me. Given that I am adding back gluten and dairy this month, I am curious to see how it impacts the weight I lost during my elimination diet if at all.
How are you challenging yourself this fall?
If your fall challenge includes better health and nutrition, check out Garden of Life. This health supplement company’s mission is Empowering Extraordinary Health. They break it down as: “Empower. Our products are designed to let you take control of your own health. Extraordinary. We believe in premium nutrition that goes beyond the ordinary. Health. Your health is a gift and extraordinary health is a goal worth pursuing – both for you and your family.” Â Their philosophy is that “raw, whole food nutrition, from organically grown sources, is more beneficial for health than isolated nutrients. When coupled with exercise, a diet that includes the consumption of raw, live foods, particularly those containing probiotics, enzymes, and products of their fermentation, is the foundation for a healthy lifestyle.” Good stuff!
I was introduced to Garden of Life at BlogHer13. I scored a bunch of samples of their RAW Fit – High Protein for Weight Loss and Fucothin Green.
- RAW Fit  is a USDA Certified Organic, RAW, plant-based vegan high-protein powder that is an easy way to increase your protein intake. It has a mild, slightly sweet flavor that mixes great with your favorite food or beverage and contains RAW, organic and clinically studied ingredients to help you burn fat, maintain healthy blood sugar, boost your energy, lose weight and look great!
- Fucothin Green is the first 100% natural, RAW, Whole Food supplement to combine the fat burning power and glucose support of two clinically studied, non-stimulant, natural thermogenics: Xanthigen® (RAW, Concentrated Fucoxanthin) and Svetol® (RAW, Naturally Decaffeinated Green Coffee Bean Extract).
Then, Garden of Life offered to send out a sampler of their new Marley Coffee and Guayaki Raw Protein for bloggers to review and giveaway. Did you say coffee? Since I have eliminated dairy, I was not able to have my beloved Chike iced coffee protein drink! So I got right in there!
They sent me a great package of  Marley Coffee Raw Meal, Guayaki Raw Protein, Golden Flax Seeds, Perfect Food Raw Green Superfood (in Chocolate Cacoa flavor) and a hat!
All of these items are gluten free, dairy free, vegan and raw with no trans fats and tons of nutrients. About these products:
- A convenient meal-on-the-go, RAW Meal is suitable for almost anyone including those on vegetarian or vegan diets, those on low carbohydrate diets or those with sensitivities to milk, whey or other protein sources.
- RAW Protein increases the protein content of meals. It is a great foundation for shakes or smoothies. It can also be used by almost anyone, including those on vegetarian or vegan diets, or for those with sensitivities to milk, whey or other protein sources.
- Perfect Food RAW is a raw, whole food nutrition supplement that provides naturally occurring antioxidants, enzymes, amino acids, essential fatty acids and dozens of phytonutrients. It contains prebiotics, probiotics, and enzymes to support healthy digestion and nutrient absorption.
But how does it taste? It’s GOOD! I used almond milk, ice and the Marley Coffee RAW Meal to make a “frappachino”. I enjoyed the taste. It is not sweet and since I use unsweetened almond milk, I added a bit of agave the second time I made it. I enjoyed it as a mid-afternoon snack. I did find, not surprisingly, that it is not as creamy as the whey protein options, but this is a great option for people who can’t tolerate milk products or who follow a vegan diet. Also, it is all natural. Unlike many protein drinks and powders, I can recognize the ingredients and I like that.  I made blueberry breakfast smoothies with the Guayaki RAW Protein. The protein powder did not have a strong taste, but had a bit of natural sweetness that mixed perfectly with my blueberries and almond milk (and kale!) I tried the Perfect Food Raw chocolate in my almond milk yogurt with a bit of granola and I liked the added flavor (and nutrients.) I gave the Flax to Stacy so she could make her delicious Jam Dot cookies that we learned at Amanda’s class!
You don’t have to take my word for it! The folks at Garden of Life will send one winner the same awesome Garden of Life RAW goodies I received. I also have samples of Fucothin Green and RAW Fit protein to share with four lucky readers. Leave a comment if you want to try Fucothin Green and/or RAW Fit and I will send these to the first four blog commenters to ask for them! This giveaway will end on October 9th. It is valid for US participants only who are 18 and over. Void where prohibited.
Please note: I was not compensated for this review. I was provided all samples from Garden of Life free of charge in exchange for a review post. All opinions are my own.
Phew – that was a lot! Good luck with your October challenges. Let me know what they are!
PS. Don’t forget to check out my CEP Compression Short Sock giveaway!