 So today I had a little glitch. I decided I would go out to lunch with my husband, our daughter, her husband and their two girls. I checked the menu ahead of time to make sure they had an organic salad which they did. I brought my own dressing: balsamic vinaigrette (3 Tbs. olive oil and 1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar shaken).
When the salad came, it was appetizer size. The waitress said that's the only way it was prepared. I could have sworn they had an entree size, but by then the menus were gone so I didn't bother checking. I was annoyed, and it brought up some emotional eating issues. Especially since everyone else was eating pizza, mac & cheese, hamburgers, french fries and turkey clubs. Oh, and did I mention a brownie sundae for dessert?
It's not unusual for emotions to detox while doing a cleanse. We're so attached to our day to day habits and comfort foods that when we're denied them it's like breaking up with your boyfriend before prom. Fortunately I didn't suffer a major meltdown. I went home, found something on the list to eat and finished my lunch.
Note to self: no dining out in the middle of a cleanse!
 Just wanted to chime in and let you know how my 21 day detox is going. Yesterday was Day 1. I had 2 eggs scrambled (no milk), 2 pieces of whole grain toast and spinach for breakfast. I don't usually have spinach for breakfast, but I have to admit it wasn't bad. Lunch was an organic greens salad with almonds and dinner was grilled salmon, new potatoes (boiled) and asparagus. I also had an afternoon snack of plain greek yogurt with a little honey.
There are supplements in between that are taken with 12 to 16 ounces of water. So far I feel pretty good. The hardest part is making sure I'm prepared when it's time to eat, but that's the hardest part of any new habit. Today I had oatmeal with blueberries and yogurt with honey for breakfast. Lunch was a greek style salad (no cheese) with grilled chicken and dinner is a vegetarian version of tacos. Does this sound like any detox you've ever done? I'm loving the food. There are recipes so everything is pretty straight forward. I like how I don't have to think about what to eat and when. It's all carefully laid out in a handy booklet.
I haven't had any stomach upset and no emotional issues over foods I'm not allowed to eat which is a nice surprise. If I just plan my meals and keep busy with my day to day tasks, it all seems fairly simple. Will keep you posted as the days go by. Thanks for checking in.
 Let food be thy medicine, thy medicine shall be thy food. ~ HippocratesHippocrates lived from 460 BC - 370 BC. He was considered the founder of Western medicine and established medicine as a legitimate profession. Prior to that, it was lumped in with philosophy and theurgy (evoking the presence of the gods). I'm intrigued by how long Hippocrates lived and wonder if it's because he practiced what he preached. And I'm even more curious about how we've gotten so far off track. Is it our "I want it now" mentality where a pill seems like a better option than an apple? In the past, at the first sign of a sniffle I would have reached for ibuprofen or a capful of atomic green, nasty tasting cold medicine. But as Maya Angelou says, "when I know better, I do better." For the past two years I've been experimenting with food and vitamins to cure my common ailments - from a sore throat to a sinus infection. What's surprising is not that it works, but how simple it is. And at this time of year, we're more susceptible to colds and flus as we transition from Winter to Spring. In case you were wondering, here's what I keep in my first aid kit: - Ginger Root: Wrapped in tinfoil to keep it fresh, ginger is a modern day healing elixir. Cut a few slices off the root and steep in hot water with a squeeze of lemon. Ginger settles the stomach and boosts our immune system. Sometimes I add a little local honey if I have a sore throat or just want something a little sweeter.
- Vitamin C: 1,000 milligrams once or twice a day and Zinc lozenges (on a full stomach to avoid nausea) as directed. This will knock what ails you right out of you. I use buffered Vitamin C crystals to avoid stomach upset.
- Greens: Fresh greens like spinach, kale, chard and romaine lettuce detoxify and cleanse the liver. Greens pack a powerful, immune boosting punch. Try them fresh, steamed, juiced with other anti-oxidant rich vegetables or added to smoothies and soups.
- Eliminate processed foods: none, nada, zip. I don't touch so much as an organic blue corn chip. Just fresh fruits and vegetables. I usually skip meat too for at least 24 hours.
If our body doesn't have to expend extra energy digesting food, it can focus on healing. There's a great blog by the Beet Reporter where she talks about using food as her own personal health insurance plan. That's an insurance program I can relate to! Stay healthy my friends.
Did you know there are a lot of foods that naturally burn fat? How great is that? All we have to do to start losing weight is to eat these foods that have natural fat burning properties. Here are a few to incorporate into your diet to help you on your way to losing weight naturally.
Apples, berries, broccoli, cabbage and citrus fruits: Foods high in Vitamin C liquefy fat and help the body flush out toxins.
Apples and berries: Contain pectin, an insoluble dietary fiber shown to reduce blood cholesterol leves and restrict the amount of fat that our cells can absorb. So if the cells can’t absorb the fat, they’re forced to expel the fatty deposits which results in weight loss.
Broccoli, cabbage, milk, cheese and yogurt: Are calcium rich foods that help with natural weight loss because they speed up the process of breaking down the fat content of fat cells.
Eggs, lean meat, fish (tuna, salmon and sardines) and unprocessed, unsalted nuts: High quality protein helps lose weight because it’s a natural fat burner. It also helps reduce cravings and binge
eating which aids in weight loss.
Garlic: Reduces fatty deposits and has many health promoting qualities.
Green tea: Burns fat and boosts metabolism which helps your body operate more efficiently. It’s also high in natural anti-oxidants, has cancer fighting properties and reduces heart disease.
Hot peppers: Turn up the heat! Hot peppers speed up metabolism and helps burn more calories.
Olive oil: Helps to keep your cholesterol levels down and is a major fat burning food.
Water: Cleanses the body, hydrates the skin and flushes toxins out the system. For a diet of fat burning foods to work efficiently and aid natural weight loss, it’s important to stay properly hydrated. Our bodies are made up of 70% water and needs to be replenished every day. The general rule of thumb is ½ your weight in ounces per day.
Whole grains and oatmeal: contain fat-absorbing fiber, which not only keeps you feeling full and energized but also increases metabolism by burning fat and calories.
Incorporate these fat burning foods into your diet and natural weight loss will come easily to you!
This is the perfect time of year to clean things up. With New Year's just around the corner, you can get a jumpstart on your resolutions by applying a few of these detox tips.
Wake-Up Drink. First thing upon waking, and on an empty stomach, drink 1 cup of hot filtered or spring water with the juice from half of one lemon and two pinches of cayenne pepper. The lemon stimulates your digestion and the cayenne enhances circulation and blood flow.
Contrast Shower. Try your own at-home version of an old naturopathic hydrotherapy cure. Each time you take a hot shower, follow it by a cold rinse (60 seconds). The "contrast" stimulates circulation, your immune system, and your ability to detox via your skin. Your pores will tighten and you will feel invigorated and ready for the day. This will really wake you up on a cold December morn!
Shake It Up. Jump on a trampoline for 3-to-5 minutes at a time. If you don't own a trampoline, you can simulate the movement by jumping in place. Keep your shoulders loose. This stimulates your whole body and is particularly useful for stimulating your lymph drainage system. If you are prone to allergies or cysts, this will be very helpful.
Fever Baths. Take a warm bath in the evening and add one cup of Epsom salts to soothe, relax, and detox. You can increase the benefits of a fever bath by drinking 2-to-3 cups of hot tea while in the bath to work up a sweat. Try this recipe: Simmer some fresh ginger slices in water, tossing in one tablespoon of dried yarrow flowers. Steep for 15 minutes, strain, and drink. Yarrow and ginger have been shown to stimulate sweating, which helps the body release toxins.
Take a News Break. Observe a news fast for 3-to-7 days to limit toxic thoughts, which can undermine your health. Avoid news or other emotionally disturbing information from the Internet, magazines, movies, newspapers, radio, and television. Detoxing these "stressful" exposures and replacing them with deep breathing, relaxing activities like walking or yoga, or reading a book, can give your mind and body a much needed rest.
Spend Time in Nature. Take a break from your routine of being inside your home, office, or car, and venture out to your favorite place in nature or a new place you have always wanted to go. Bring a journal with you and start listening to your body, and record what it is telling you. Surrounding yourself with nature and all its negative ions (which act positively on your mood) will help you de-stress and encourage the inherent wisdom of your body to come forth.
Detox Tea. For at least one week, try limiting all of your beverages to just water and herbal teas. This will ease the stress on your kidneys, help flush retained fluids in your cells, and help filter your blood and liver. I recommend drinking 6-to-8 cups a day of the following tea to help "crowd-out" less healthy beverages, maintain a state of fullness, reduce your appetite, and cleanse your liver and kidneys. In a quart of water, combine 2 tablespoons of each of the following and gently simmer the tea: burdock root, yellow dock root, dandelion leaf and root, licorice root, fennel, and ginger. Multiply the recipe accordingly to make larger batches, and drink it throughout the day.
Change Your Food Routine. Many of us unknowingly consume foods that we have allergic reactions to or that increase toxins in our bodies, causing symptoms like arthritis, headaches, water retention, and fatigue. The most common culprits are gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, corn, and sugar. I suggest taking a break from all of these foods, or picking one that is predominant in your diet and taking a break from it. Often, if we simply eliminate foods that contain gluten (wheat, oats, rye, barley, spelt) and replace them with brown rice, millet, or quinoa products, we can change our eating habits and actually increase the variety of foods we eat.
Detox Your Dinner. For seven nights, prepare a simple meal of liver detoxifying steamed vegetables like carrots, broccoli, artichokes, beets, and onions, along with a 4-ounce portion of protein simply prepared with a little bit of olive oil. Consider wild fish, organic lean meats, or lentils for your protein sources.
Detox Your Surroundings. Decluttering and organizing your environment can help clear up your stagnant energy and free you physically and emotionally. Let go of papers, clothes, and boxes that you no longer use. This creates space and helps welcome new energy.
If each one of us becomes an example of good health and healthy habits, we can inspire others to make healthy choices. Just as we tune up our cars and recycle for the environment, we must also regularly cleanse our bodies. Our bodies and the environment are reflections, or mirrors, of each other. As we cleanse our bodies, we cleanse our environment. If we all took it upon ourselves to cleanse, the world would be a much cleaner place!
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