My Experience With A Natural Doctor and Why I Will Never Go Back To a Traditional Doctor

I have seen many people in my family go down an unhealthy path. From heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, depression/anxiety and a number of other things.

I decided last winter to look into a naturopathic doctor. Unfortunately, I had no luck in finding that but was able to successfully find a natural doctor. As I have mentioned before, I suffer from PCOS and this affects so many parts of my health, from acne to digestive issues.

Every doctor I would go to before this would always try to put a bandaid on things. Such as “Go on this high hormone birth control. If you lose weight it will go away. It's your genetics, there is no way around it.” I was sick of the bandaids and wanted to get a clear answer on how to fix it. I was reading blogs and followed several Instagram accounts on PCOS, I knew what to look out for and it helped me have a blue print on what a possible path could be.

So when I went I originally asked for a food sensitivity test. Come to find out, since I have PCOS and gut issues the test results will be false positives and negatives. Plus the $1,500 price tag was not appealing to me. What they ended up doing was a full panel blood test and stool test, yes I had to poop in a fry basket and scoop up the stool into a tube for 3 days. This test showed me what that my probiotics and prebiotics are perfect, but that I had some bad gut bacteria, blood and yeast in my digestive system. So I was put on a number of natural supplements, to fix this along with things that showed up in my blood test and sent to a nutritionist. Thankfully with the help of a great doctor, I have been able to treat a majority of my digestive issues and my overall health is looking much better.

When meeting with the nutritionist, I find out dairy and gluten is horrible for PCOS. Once I found out it made complete sense. Every single time I ate dairy or gluten I had to run straight to the bathroom, and felt like s**t for the rest of the day. Since I have cut out dairy and gluten I have felt so much better and my body feels great. I haven’t had as much pain and discomfort during my visits from Aunt Flow, which is a Godsend!

I have also learned lots about insulin resistance, which is a part of PCOS. I have learned what foods to eat that works best, what eating schedule I should be on and in the order to eat. I will make a blog post like this in the near future.

All of these things that I have learned at my new doctor is the stuff, are things I wish I would have learned when I was 14. Better late than never I guess. This was the best move I have made for my health, and I will never go back to a traditional doctor. All they wanted to do was put me on a number of medications, rather than treating the source of the problem. If you are sick of hearing the same BS from your doctor, and want a treatment rather than a bandaid, I highly recommend you to look for a natural doctor as well. I’m treating my PCOS and preventing other health issues with food, supplements, mental stability and exercise, just how it should be treated to begin with.

If you are in the Chicago area and need the name of the organization I go to reach out to me, I will be more than happy to refer you to my beloved doctor.

Con Amor,

Adriana

My First Time Traveling With Topdeck, And Why I Would Do It Again

*Not a sponsored post, all my honest opinion. 

I have always seen these travel group vacations in my IG feed. I have always been curious how they exactly work, so I decided for my 29th birthday to give it a try.

Outside Hassam II Mosque in Casablanca

I did my research on about 3 different travel groups for trips to Morocco. I compared reviews, the prices, what it included and I ended up choosing Topdeck Travel (www.topdeck.travel). This one had the best reviews on different websites and blogs, plus the price of the tour and what it all included was appealing. This is what my trip included:

Air conditioned van/coach (depending on the size of the group)

3-4 star hotels

Breakfast every day

3 lunches

2 dinners

Some Activities included

A permanent driver

A tour guide

I still had to pay for my flight, but I am pretty lucky that my birthday is on October. I can find cheap flights because it is the off season or shoulder season. I paid about $800 for round trip and a stop in Madrid for 3 days. I also had to pay for the rest of my meals that were not included, which was ok by me. You can find really good cheap food in Morocco. Also, it is mandatory to buy travel insurance for the duration of your trip, I ended up buying it with the insurance group they recommended, World Nomad Travel Insurance (https://www.worldnomads.com).  

A week or so before you leave, a representative from Topdeck will reach out to get your flight itinerary. This is to tell the driver what time to get you from the airport. I will be honest, I had some trouble finding my driver. I called topdeck and they were able to successfully help me find my driver. Make sure to download the app too, it was so helpful when trying to keep track what we will be doing the next day on the trip an you can chat with your travel mates on it too.

My roommate I was paired with was such a sweet girl, and I couldn't have asked for a better roommate. There were 7 of us girls on the trip, our tour guide said that his groups are usually more women over men. It seems that women are more adventurous and have Morocco on their list. You get paired with someone of the same gender, so don't worry about co-ed roommates if you are traveling alone. I was the only girl from the United States, because let's be honest, not many Americans, especially Latinas travel alone to a foreign country. I was with a group of Australian girls with beautiful souls and had so many more travel adventures that I did. They were all honestly so inspiring and loved having them as travel mates. 

Our first group picture as strangers

One of our last pictures, as family

I was very impressed with our hotel stays, I was surprised they were 3 star accommodations, because they seemed nicer. Our Breakfast was given to us at every hotel, some hotels had better breakfasts than others. But I would highly recommend to eat what you can during the morning, sometimes lunch can be hours later. Also, pro-tip: fill up your water bottle during your breakfast. Some tourist areas charge so much for water! 

We traveled in a nice coach van with A/C. I was actually surprised how spacious it was for us. Since we had such a small group we each had a row to ourselves. Make sure to download podcasts, audiobooks, music, movies and shows. You're going to want something to keep you busy and kill time while traveling to each new town or city. We made it to 12 different towns/cities in 10 days. So you can imagine how much we moved around and how much time we spent in the van.

While traveling, make sure to wear something comfy, but something that is culturally appropriate. I usually brought a light cardigan or scarf along the way to cover myself up when making way through town or during pit stops. Another good tip to to bring toilet paper with you or wipes, along with hand sanitizer. Not all places have somewhere to wash your hands or wipe yourself. 

Our tour guide was absolutely amazing! He was so kind and really treated us like family. He was our protector and was very thoughtful. I can say he personally made my trip memorable, by planning a birthday cake for me in the Sahara desert. I will never forget that moment for the rest of my life. It's little things like that which makes trips like these incredible. 

My birthday cake in the Sahara Desert 💓

I know what you are asking, were there any cons? Well not really. You couldn't really sleep in, because everyone had to wake up early to shower, get ready and eat breakfast to get on the coach by 8am. A good chunk of your time is used to travel by coach because you are trying to cover a lot in a short amount of time. But we did have free time everyday, to either nap, relax or chill by the pool. I didn't really complain because my life has been so hectic before I took the trip that it was nice to just sit and catch up on podcasts and audiobooks. 

I would take another trip with Topdeck in a heartbeat. The activities what we did were breathtaking and was everything I wanted to do in Morocco. If you are one of those people who don't want to wait for someone to travel with you, but don't want to be fully alone, this is an amazing option for you. You don't have to be a solo traveler either, grab your best friend, sibling or cousin and go. Don't wait, book it! Who knows, maybe we will be on the same trip with you one day. 

Dream come true, walking in the Sahara Desert in a bright dress, Sex and the City style...

Happy Travels!

Con Amor,

Adriana 💕

How I Figure Out What Stocks to Buy

One of my goals for 2020 was to constantly invest my money into the stock market. I wanted to learn how to invest correctly without having paying anyone or a service to do it. After much trial and error I have figured out what works best for me and want to share it with all of you, spreading the wealth per say.

I use fidelity for my Roth IRA, I have always invested in my 401K at work, but I wanted something that I made the decisions on what stocks I want. I also wanted an option where when it’s ready to retire, I don’t have to pay taxes on my money. I don’t have a crystal ball that tells me how much taxes are going to be in 2055, but I can tell you they will be higher than what I am paying now.

Every pay period I put in 2% of my paycheck, once my consumer debt and student loans are gone that will be bumped up to 20%, then once my house is paid off that will only be bumped up to 50% of my income. I deposit a check every other Friday morning and have my research of different stocks done the two days before hand. Because you can only purchase stocks when the stock market is open and I want to get in as soon as I can. With Fidelity there is no charge for purchasing a stock or stocks like other companies and there is no fees involved either.

How I Choose my Stocks

I have been an observer my entire life, so this is when it benefits me. Since I live alone and own my own house, I have to go out and do the grocery and household products shopping. When I go shopping I try to stick to the best deals, but that doesn’t mean that I’m eyeing other people’s carts, I am also looking at what products are more empty on the shelf. I make a mental note of new brands, or what products were purchased more, then I go home and research their stock. I look at the over all history, the price, and financial articles about the product. For example, every time I go shopping I see that Tide is always being purchased. Tide is a brand of Proctor & Gamble. When you look up their history you can see that the price of the stock has grown over the years, yes it has been up and down in the late 2000’s but the US went through a financial crisis at that time as well.

Now, being Hispanic I think “What brands that we use have grown in the market?" Well, I know most of my Tía’s and my mom uses Fabulouso. So let’s look into Colgate-Palmolive’s stock. Let’s say for example my mother heard about this new product called Fabulouso launching in Venezuela in 1980 and then bought 100 stocks at $0.87 each, if she would have held onto it today that same investment would be worth $72.37 each, which would be a total of $7,237.00. So she could have turned $87 into $7,237 from investing her money and holding on to that stock, basically making that money work for her. There is no surprise that the Hispanic/Latino population has large buying power in the US. So look into things that we usually have in our homes for ideas of what stocks to buy. Believe it or not, women have the highest buying power, yet as women we are known to invest less. Ladies, we have to change that!

Macrotrends.net

Some of you may laugh, but I use social media too for ideas. The way I look at is that, I see you on your Instagram with that bottle of Hennessy and a new Chevy Impala, so I look into investing in those two companies. Then I see another person that is posting her $300 makeup haul receipt on Snapchat, then I research that stock too and put it on my wish list. I see that a newly-wed couple from my childhood just posted on Facebook that they just bought a house, I know what they do for work and there is a slim chance they paid that house in cash. So, I look into investing in a mortgage company. Why should those company be the only ones reaping the benefit of your peers spending? I know I want a piece of the pie too!

If you are like myself and want to choose some stocks that make a difference in the world, do your due diligence and do research. Let's say you want people of color to get ahead, find companies who have minorities on the board or a colered person found the comapany. Or let's say you are concerned with global warming and the environment, invest in companies that are making strides for "Going Green". Put your money where you want to see the change, at the end of the day money talks in a number of different ways.  

If you don’t feel comfortable picking a specific company, you can always purchase an index fund. An index fund is a type of mutual fund with a portfolio constructed to match or track the components of a financial market index. So instead of just investing in one stock, this will give you the option of investing in a handful with just purchasing one. Many investment advisors have said that this is the best way to go. 

Listen to Podcasts

There are so many podcasts that give great suggestions on how to invest in the stock market successfully. These hosts hire authors of financial books, Ivy League financial professors, and successful financial advisors to speak out on how to invest correctly. These are some of my favorite financial podcasts:

• The Clever Girls Know Podcast
• Yo Quiero Dinero: A Personal Finance Podcast
• Brown Ambition 
• The Rachel Cruze Show
• Life Kit: Money by NPR
• The Chris Hogan Show

I hope this post has helped you take the next steps to investing in the stock market. This could be another form of income you can add or another way to invest in your retirement. So before buying something that gives a short term satisfaction, think about investing in your future. Don't be scared on not knowing what you are doing, you will get the hang of it with time. Future you will thank for taking that leap of faith and making a change with your finances.

Con Amor,

Adriana 

Paying Off Debt: Avalanche vs Snowball

Recently an old friend and loved family member reached out to me asking for advice for paying off debt, and I gave them a short list of advice and how to start their new journey. So this one is for the both of you and all of you out here are the two main ways to pay off debt.

There are two main ways to pay off any sort of debt, one is called the Snowball and the other is the Avalanche. I will be explaining both in detail, no one is the perfect choice and you can also do a mix of the two like I do.

Snowball Method 

1. Sit down and look all of your debt, it doesn't matter what kind, debt is debt at the end of the day. So collect those credit card bills, car loans, student loans, medical bills, personal loans, and anything else that is a debt belonging to you.
2. You will list those from the smallest loan amount to the largest loan amount.
3. You will plan on pay paying off those debts in that exact order, smallest to largest. 

Avalanche Method

1. Sit down and look all of your debt, it doesn't matter what kind, debt is debt at the end of the day. So collect those credit card bills, car loans, student loans, medical bills, personal loans, and anything else that is a debt belonging to you.
2. You will list those from the largest interest rate to the smallest interest rate, regardless of the dollar amount.
3. You will plan on paying the debt off from the highest interest rate to the lowest interest rate.

Here is a visual example of what it would look like:

Sitting down and seeing how much debt you have or how much you are losing every month for silly financial choices can be disheartening. There is no lying or hiding anything when you do so. Many people say they get sick to their stomach, or that they are in disbelief on how bad they let themselves go. Just know that things will get better when you get a hold of it, and I am rooting for you!

So now knowing the different methods, I know what you're thinking, "Which one should I do?". It has been proven that the Debt Snowball Method has a higher success rate. You will see each debt eliminating much faster in the beginning, which will give you motivation to keep on going. The hardest part of paying off debt is the dedication and motivation to do so. Although the Debt Avalanche Method saves you more money at the end, it can be a daunting process. Which will un-motivate you very quickly, since you feel like you will never get out of the hole of debt. 

I hope this is helpful in your 2020 financial goals. I don't know about you, but I know I would rather keep my hard earned money or invest it rather than giving it away to a financial institute for interest. I know it can be hard in this journey, but surround yourself with likeminded people on your debt-free journey. If you don't have anyone around you, social media is a great tool. I love to follow the following hashtags when I need a little push or motivation when it comes to paying off my debt on Instagram:

#debtfreejourney

#debtfreecommunity

#debtfreegoals

#debtfreedom

#womenandmoney

I am sending you all the best vibes on this journey, and keep an eye out on more posts to help you out. I want you to thrive, not just survive!

Con Amor,

Adriana 💕

Marrakesh, Morocco

When you land at the Marrakesh airport in Morocco, you will be amazed by how beautiful it is. I was honestly expecting something different coming to this country. (Google it, you won't be disappointed) I unfortunately didn't take any photos, I was running on 2 hours of sleep and just wanted to find my driver.

The city of Marrakesh, a former imperial city in western Morocco, is now a major economic center and home to beautiful mosques, palaces and gardens. You will hear Marrakesh be called the red city, this is because of the beautiful red shade of the walls in the old city.

The medina, the local market, is a densely packed, walled medieval city dating to the Berber Empire, with maze-like alleys where thriving souks (marketplaces) sell traditional textiles, pottery and jewelry. Be very careful going through the Medina, you can easily get lost. Don’t trust the men walking around to get you out, with some time and patience you can find your way out of there.

The 230-foot-tall Koutoubia Mosque tower Marrakesh’s most symbolic landmark, the pictures do not do it justice. The details and colors of the mosaic is absolutely gorgeous! Since I am not of Muslim religion, I was not allowed to go inside. Be made aware that in order to go into these beautiful Mosques you have to be Muslim, so this Catholic girl couldn’t see the beauty from the inside.

My next stop was Saadian Tombs. These tombs are located just outside Marrakech and were constructed in the late 16th century, during the reign of Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur. This is the resting place of al-Mansur, his family, along with other notable officials from that era. These tombs were discovered in 1917; restoration began shortly thereafter. 

Another place you should check out is Bahia Palace, if it sounds familiar it’s because Jessica Alba celebrated her birthday here after the Dior Fashion show. I can understand why she celebrated here, it is such a beautiful place. The colors of the mosaic and glass are so vivid. The wood doors and buildings have such great details.

On another note, if you are an animal lover like myself, keep an eye out for all of the kitties! They are well kept by shop owners and people who live there. You can buy little Laughing Cow cheese for them if you would like, just don’t get upset when you have cats following you to your hotel!

Some other places to check out that some of the girls on my tour checked out and highly recommended in Marrakech were:

-Dar Si Said

-Majorelle Garden

-Yve Saint Laurent Museum

Have you ever thought about going Marrakesh?

Con Amor,

Adriana 💕

Why every woman needs to travel solo once in her life

So I am currently writing this as I am drinking sangria in Madrid, Spain, alone. Many women I have talked to say that they are terrified to travel to a foreign country alone. I’m here to say that it should be absolutely necessary. You learn so much about yourself and gain this sort of appreciation for true independence.

As a first generation Mexican-American, I was told for all of my life by a number of family members that women should never leave the house without a man after dark, much less travel halfway across the world alone. It is such a liberating feeling knowing that I have proved every single one of those people wrong, as a woman you should travel alone at some point of your life.

What you will find is that solo travel will be an empowering, rewarding and a wonderful experience. For whatever reason you’re choosing to take a solo trip, I applaud you, and encourage you to make it the most amazing experience yet!

Here are some tips to help you along the way:

Research
Do research on Pinterest or travel blogs. There are so many solo travel blogs for women, and you will learn so much.

Get a plan with international internet
I ended up purchasing a Skyroam because I wasn’t unlimited wi-fi. It’s $10 a day and you can connect up to 10 devices on it. I ended up purchasing one rather than renting one, since it was about the same price. You will need your WiFi for emergencies and for google maps and translate.

Dress the part
Do research before going to a country alone. See the weather and how conservative they are. Do not wear your Apple watches, expensive jewelry and label things. You will be an easy target for theft. Look as low key as possible.

Share your travel plans
Make sure you tell a loved one where you are going and what days. God forbid something happens to you they have a rough idea where you were.

Be private
Don’t share where you are staying and never tell someone you just met you are in the country alone. Make up a lie that you’re there with a friend who is feeling under the weather or are with a tour group, but that you have a free day.

Wear that confidence
Friendliness and a smile can go a long way when exploring a new destination. Always be your most confident and fearless self, you will find that it becomes an empowering and life-changing experience.

Book that trip, go out there and experience this beautiful world. Life is way too short to wait any longer. What destination do you want to travel solo to?

Con Amor,
Adriana 💕


***Photo credit to Pixitours, My boyfriend gifted me a photo shoot for my birthday.

Morocco

I just got back from a solo trip from Morocco and let me tell you, it is one of the most magical places in the world. I have learned the Morocco was the most underrated places in the world of travel, and I recommend this beautiful place to everyone. I will be coming back to this beautiful country one day!

Airfare/flight
I paid about $600 round trip for my Morocco trip. I bought my flight about 3 months ahead of time. On the way there from Chicago wasn’t too bad, it was about 8 hours. But on the way back it took about 10 hours, so get yourself ready for a long flight!

Money
The country of Morocco uses Dirhams, you can get away with Euros in some places as well. The exchange rate when I went was 9.65 dirham to 1 USD

Food
I ate a ton of Tajine de Kefta in Morocco, that was the best dish I had and highly recommend it. Most of the food is trajines, couscous, fresh fruit juice, vegetables, kebabs, salads, and soup. The meals are super filling and healthy. Let me tell you, if you are on a tight budget just share a dish of couscous, none of could could ever finish a dish of it. If you’re vegan or vegetarian, you are in luck! They have a number of options for you, everywhere I went offered vegan and vegetarian dishes.

Also, do not drink the water! Buy your water at your nearest grocery store, you will pay 3 to 4 times more at a hotel.

Language
The official language spoken in Morocco is Arabic, they speak a lot of French as well. If you speak English and Spanish you will get by perfectly fine.

Dress attire
Don’t bring your shortest shorts on this trip. Dress conservatively, think loose pants and linen shirts. Do not wear heels, wear some comfy flats, tennis shoes or sandals, the sidewalks are very uneven so be careful walking around. Bring something you can throw a shawl or a cardigan on, many places are still traditional and women are not allowed to show their shoulders or thighs. Plus it will save you any misery in the Medina’s from men hitting on you.

Shopping
I can’t say this enough, haggle, haggle, haggle. If they give you a price, ask to pay for half, so you can at least pay 25% less the first price. This includes taxis, haggle and do not get into the taxi until you agree on a price.

Weather
I went in the beginning of October and it was always 95 degrees and super sunny. Bring a hat, sun glasses and sunscreen!

Additional tips
-Use Google or Apple maps to get around, it’s so much easier than using a map
-There will be young men asking you if you want a guide through the Médina, do not say yes. Just keep walking and you will find your way through it. If you say yes, they will demand money.
-Keep a stern face aka “Resting Bitch Face”, if you smile too much men will take it the wrong way.
-Keep bags and purses in front of you at all times. Morocco is very safe, but like anywhere else in the world there are pickpockets.
-Bring toilet paper or packaged wipes like these, and hand sanitizer. If you do not want to use a eastern squatting bathroom ask if they have western or European toilets.

Keep an eye out for additional blog posts, I will be going into detail about what cities I visited and a review about Topdeck, which is the travel group I used (and highly recommend!)

Con Amor,

Adriana 💕

Living With PCOS

September is PCOS awareness month, and I have honestly been debating on making this post to begin with. I hope that this may bring some enlightenment to some of you, because it’s has been such a struggling journey and it has just begun. 

IG @the_bumpyride

September is PCOS awareness month, and I have honestly been debating on making this post to begin with. I hope that this may bring some enlightenment to some of you, because it’s has been such a struggling journey and it has just begun. 

Since the age of 14 I have had horrible pains during that time of the month, while I haven’t been in labor or had contractions before, doctors have told me the pain I have is very similar to the same pain. It was so bad that I would start throwing up from the pain and my mom would had to call me into school. My intuition told me this isn’t normal, and I was the only one in my family and group of friends that struggled with it. Then once I was in my mid 20’s, I would go on months without Aunt Flow visiting. But when I brought it up to my doctor every year, they kept telling me it was normal and that all I need is birth control to regulate it. 

One day I was listening to a podcast on NPR and the topic was how women are dismissed for their pain or illnesses by doctors. They mentioned how women of color were listened to the least. So that was my last straw, I switched doctors and found one that would listen and support me. She was honestly my breath of fresh air. Right away she started with a full order of blood tests and found out one of my hormones were very high. She was concerned and sent me to an endocrinologist, they were also concerned and sent me out for MRIs to make sure it was not cancer. 

Let me tell you, so many feelings come when someone tells you that you may have cancer. After all of it, thank goodness I didn’t have cancer. And the silver lining was that I finally had an answer for what I have, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. After over 13 years of suffering, I finally had a concrete answer. 

Many people ask, what’s PCOS? Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common health problem caused by an imbalance of reproductive hormones. The hormonal imbalance creates problems in the ovaries. The ovaries make the egg that is released each month as part of a healthy menstrual cycle. With PCOS, the egg may not develop as it should or it may not be released during ovulation as it should be.

How can you find out if you have it. Well here are the symptoms that you can have if you have it:

• Irregular or absent periods
• Ovarian cysts (on ultrasound scan)
• Irregular or no ovulation
• Moderate to severe acne
• Difficulty in conceiving or taking a long time to conceive
• Weight gain / obesity / OR inability to gain weight
• Hirsutism – Unwanted hair growth on the chin, upper lip, stomach, or chest
• Thinning of hair on the head
• Headache / Migraines
• Sleep problems / Insomnia
• Dandruff
• Darker pigmentation in the folds of the skin – most commonly seen in the back of the neck, under the arms, or creases of the thighs
• Skin tags
• Depression and anxiety
• Sleep apnea
• Fatty liver
• Problems with breast milk production
• Insulin resistance
• Abnormally high LH:FSH ratios

There is no found cure for it and very little treatment done for it. I am currently in the process of looking for some sort of treatment that won’t get me fertile, because I don’t want babies! So this is a new journey I am setting on, and will bring you along the way.

Learn from my lesson, if you know that something is wrong, do not stop until you have an answer. I suffered for far too long and would never want anyone to go through the same thing. Go to as many doctors that you need too, do your research and educate yourself. If you believe in your intuition and search for an answer you will always find it, even if it’s not the best news you could hope for. 

Con Amor, 


Adriana💕

https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/polycystic-ovary-syndrome