Okay, I know... Yinspiration Monday is WAY late but better than never right! I have an extra freebie for you at the end. HINT: It's a phone background! EEK!










Courtesy of Freepik - hearts & arrow background. 
Unfortunately, there are many unknown sources. Sometimes I use Pinterest and Tumblr to find these amazing quotes but some users change the links to benefit their own businesses. It is such a shame. When I find the original source, I will update them. Please let me know if you find them! Thank you!

Once upon a time, I was on day 5 or 6 of eating raw and I was craving some sweets. I made my way downstairs and remembered I had some frozen fruit in the freezer! So I decided to make up a raw "ice cream" and it turned out delish! Just a heads up, this is very filling. Share with a friend if you plan on having it as a dessert.

Strawberry Banana Raw Ice Cream
Serves 2

1 frozen banana
large handful frozen strawberries (~1 cup)
3-4 dates
1-2 tablespoons raw honey
1/2 Cup water or almond milk, more as needed

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients in a high powered blender or food processor. 
2. Add a splash of water or almond milk to help soften it. Add more as needed. 
3. Blend until you have your desired consistency. 
4. Enjoy! 

Nutritional Information Estimate: (per serving, based on 2)
Calories: 1980kcal - Carbs: 465g - Fat: 1g - Protein: 21g - Fiber: 48g - Sugar: 371g

I hope you are all having a beautiful Monday so far! Here is your Yinspiration for the week.

If you want something quick and easy, this soup is for you. I had it all raw because I am easing out of a juice cleanse, however, I do think you can head it up if you really want. Gazpachos are traditionally served cold but do whatever feels right to you! This lasted me about three to four days and it is so filling when you add extra toppings.

Raw Gazpacho
Serves 2-4

5 large ripe Tomatoes
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves
1-2 Tablespoons Honey
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
1 bunch fresh Basil
Water (as needed)

Topping Ideas:
Chopped Avocado
Red Bell Pepper
Celery
Onion
Any veggies

Directions:

1. Throw all ingredients in a blender (not toppings) 
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Pour into bowls and add desired toppings. 

This gazpacho will keep in your fridge for two to three days however it will oxidize and turn brown over time.

Nutritional Information Estimate: (per serving, based on 3)
Calories: 936kcal - Carbs: 201g - Fat: 37g - Protein: 12g - Fiber: 13g - Sugar: 68g

It is day 6 of eating raw today. I can't believe it! I mean, I can... I planned for seven days of raw after my juice cleanse but I think I am going to keep going. I have been feeling so inspired with the abundance of recipes I have found and they are so quick and easy to make! For a lazy person that doesn't like cooking because it takes so dang long, this is a huge plus. Anyway, you'll be hearing more about that soon. But first... YINSPIRATION!

(Source)

Unfortunately, there are many unknown sources. Sometimes I use Pinterest and Tumblr to find these amazing quotes but some users change the links to benefit their own businesses. It is such a shame. When I find the original source, I will update them. Please let me know if you find them! Thank you!

Every year, I keep track of songs that I love and have a significance during that time of year. I have been doing this since high school. Listening to past yearly soundtracks bring back memories and good times. In the list below, I listed the song, artist and what memory or place or moment it reminds me of. #allthefeels!

Here is 2014's soundtrack. If you want to see more music follow me on Spotify @karelsmiles to see my on going 2016 soundtrack.

So here is my 2015 soundtrack:

1. Gayatri Mantra - Deva Premal (Yoga Teacher Trainging in Costa Rica)
2. Quiro Verte Bailar - Grupo Play (Costa Rica)
3. Muevelo - Sofia Reyes
4. Hold Back the River - James Bay
5. Steal My Girl - On Direction 
6. When I Find Love Again - James Blunt
7. Elastic Heart - Madilyn Bailey
8. Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars (my old job)
9. Watch Me - Siletó (the kids at my old job)
10. Cheerleader - OMI (summer and friendcation)
11. I'm Ready - AJR (summer road trip with cousin)
12. Shut Up and Dance - Walk the Moon (friend's wedding and road trip)
13. Lay Me Down - Sam Smith & John Legend
14. Let it Go - James Bay 
15. See You Again - Kurt Hugo Schneider
16. Sugar - Maroon 5
17. I Had to Carry Her - William Fitzsimmons
18. 2 Heads - Coleman Hell
19. Where are U Now - Jack U, Skrillex, Diplo, the Beibs
20. My Everything - Owl City
21. Lava - From the Disney short
22. Stole the Show - Kygo
23. Peanut Butter Jelly - Galantis (summer!)
24. Confetti - Hilary Duff
25. Ghost Town - Adam Lambert (my sister and our trip in the summer)
26. Stitches - Shawn Mendes
27. Like I'm Gonna Lose You - Meghan Trainor & John Legend 
28. How Long Will I Love You - Ellie Goulding
29. Love Myself - Hailee Steinfeld
30. Marvin Gaye - Charlie Puth & Meghan Trainor
31. Adore - Jasmine Thompson
32. Fight for You - Fareoh
33. I Was Made for Loving You - Tori Kelly & Ed Sheeran 
34. Little Bit - Perrin Lamb 
35. Escape (The Pina Colada Song) - Rupert Homes (my cousin and our trip in the summer)
36. Vintage - High Dive Heart
37. All Time Low - Jon Bellion
38. Search Party - Sam Bruno
39. No Matter Where You Are - Us the Duo (my aunt)
40. Painting By Chagall - The Weepies
41. YOUTH - Troye Sivan (because Troye Sivan)
42. See Through - Pentatonix (I went through a phase where all I listened to was Pentatonix)
43. Unstoppable - Alex Goot
44.  Ghosttown - Madonna
45. Oasis - A Great Big World
46. Should Have Known Better - Sufjan Stevens (autumn)
47. Technicolor Beat - Oh Wonder
48. High - Young Rising Sons
49. How I Want Ya - Hudson Thames & Hailee Steinfeld
50. Downtown - Backlemore & Ryan Lewis
51. Roses - The Chaismokers
52. Love Yourself - Justin Bieber
53. To The Top - Twin Shadow

Courtesy of Spotify.

Hello beautiful friends! I am writing to you on my third and last day of my juice cleanse. I am loving  it so much. Going on this cleanse was somewhat very planned and unplanned. I have been saving up for a cleanse for the past three months - putting in a little bit of money aside every month. Juice cleanses are typically pricey which is completely understandable. Juice goes bad very quickly, optimal drinking time is within ten minutes made, there are so many reasons! Anyway, I found an ad for a juice company on the new year where their cleanse was on sale! So that day, I started easing out by eating simple meals. The next day was day one.

Overall the cleanse has been great. I drink when I'm hungry with tons of water and coconut water in between. I had a lot of energy throughout the three days (beside the one day I desperately needed a nap for about 15 minutes but fought through it). The only complaint I have is the uneasiness in the morning and right before bed. It isn't painful or terrible, just uncomfortable.

I am very happy with the juice company I went through. Their drinks are delicious and the nut milk is my absolute favorite. If it was okay for me to drink that every time, I would definitely do it. The thing that really made me really happy about this cleanse is that the wonderful lady customized my cleanse for me. I hate celery. I can taste celery -  no matter how little there is, I can taste it. She had made taste test the ones that had celery in it and in the end I only have one drink that has it. I could still taste it but the ginger overpowers the terrible celery taste.

I would definitely do the cleanse again. My main reason was to clear out my system of the crap I gave it the past couple months. 2015 was not a great eating year for me and I am determined to do better in 2016. Cleansing just puts my body and my mindset in a reset to eat healthy again.

Where do I go from here? Starting tomorrow will be my ease out. My first meal will be a smoothie to slowly start introduce whole foods again and from there I go into a raw diet. I am so excited about this transition! I did raw a few years ago for almost a month and it was the best I have felt. I don't know how long I will be doing raw for but I plan on doing it for at least a week. So the next few posts may or may not be more food related with some yummy raw foods. Many of the raw recipes I have lined up the next couple days are super easy and quick. Not only that, they are really delicious. I hope you all enjoy it!







I am not a professional or a doctor. Everything said in this post is my personal experiences and opinion. Please consult with your health professional before starting a new diet or cleanse. Thank you! 

Apologies for a late Yinspiration Monday but it is here! I have been busy getting all my planners and goals on track before the start of the first full week of 2016. It is a success! If you want to see more of my planner adventures, everything has been moved to Be Change Co or check out my planner Instagram. And here is you yinspiration for the week. <3 Happy New Year everybody!










Unfortunately, there are many unknown sources. Sometimes I use Pinterest and Tumblr to find these amazing quotes but some users change the links to benefit their own businesses. It is such a shame. When I find the original source, I will update them. Please let me know if you find them! Thank you!