 21 days ago I started a detox. It's the longest I've gone where detoxes are concerned. Quite honestly, I wasn't sure I could do it. Not because it looked too difficult, but because there's a lot of emotion around food. Especially when you're denying yourself things you've had on a regular basis for a very long time. If you've ever committed to a diet, you know what I'm talking about. Here's what I learned, what I liked and what was a bit of a hurdle for me: - I liked the structure. It's nice when you know ahead of time what to eat and when to eat it.
- What was challenging was cooking meals that I hadn't had before. The directions were simple enough, but to create something new nearly every day took time. I grumbled the first few days at how long it took me to make a meal. It reminded me of how much time my mom spends every holiday cooking and preparing only to have the meal devoured in less than 20 minutes.
- After the grumbling subsided, I realized how much I enjoyed cooking for myself. It had been a long time since I'd thoughtfully prepared a meal and then relished it like I was at a 5 star restaurant.
- The meals were delicious. I can honestly say I've never eaten better at any restaurant I've ever been to ~ and I'm not a cheap date. I also liked how some of them repeated so I could cook once and eat twice.
- My energy level was off the chart. Without caffeine, sugar or cheap carbs I had tons of energy with plenty to spare.
- It was tough getting used to drinking 16 ounces of water every two to three hours. But I know that's where a lot of the extra energy came from. For the first time in a long time I was truly hydrated. Amazing how something as simple as drinking water can make such a big impact. Even though the detox ended Sunday, I've been starting my mornings off with 16 ounces of water. That's one habit I intend to keep.
- I missed going out to eat. Not so much the food, but the social side of it. I did go out for lunch a few times to places where I knew I could get a healthy salad, but that's when the emotional side of things kicked in. While everyone else was eating burgers, fries, mac & cheese and pizza, I was eating a salad. The weird part was I didn't really want to eat those things, but emotionally I felt deprived. Like I said, it's like being on a diet when no one else is and they're not even aware that what they're eating is causing an inner struggle for you.
- The biggest change came in the form of stress release. I had been piecing it together before the detox, and this solidified it for me. Eating junk food stresses us out. We think it's making us feel better which is why we call it comfort food. But actually sugar and processed foods jangle our nerves. It makes us anxious and can cause depression. It seems so harmless, especially since our fondest childhood memories are linked to candy. But it's not harmless. Studies have shown that sugar is as much an addiction as heroine. Not a pleasant thought. And I have to admit, it's the one thing I'm wary about reintroducing into my diet.
There were way more ups than downs with the Ultimate Reset. I highly recommend it if you're looking to do something for yourself that will take you outside your comfort zone. It's a leap of faith, but from where I'm standing, well worth the jump.
 As a health counselor, I've been offering detox programs to my clients for over five years. I usually run them right after the holidays, Spring and Fall. Most of the programs are between 5 and 10 days. The Ultimate Reset is really changing my mindset about what a cleanse should look like. At first I thought 21 days would be too long. Most of us have a very short attention span. I know I do. Plus we want a quick fix. But as we all know, a quick fix doesn't have staying power. If it did we'd all be fit & fabulous, and we could stop searching for answers. What I love about the Ultimate Reset is the step by step instructions. It really lays things out. And it's made me realize just how little time I spend on myself. I'm a small business owner, wife, mom and grandmother. That keeps me pretty busy. And as a woman, I think we naturally step into the roll of taking care of everyone and everything. I'm on Day 8 of the Reset and for the first time in a long time, I'm focused on me. I'm not neglecting my friends, family or clients. But I am nurturing myself. I feel like I'm in a bit of unchartered territory, but it's not uncomfortable. Quite the opposite. It feels good to feel good. I hope you'll join me on this journey. I'm happy to support you. To learn more, visit the Ultimate Reset.
 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.
Our bodies are equipped with an internal intelligence that allows it to repair and heal itself if given the proper conditions and natural tools. Cortisone shots do not fit into this equation. These injections are given frequently without concern for the long term side effects and its impact on the human body.
Somehow we’ve lost sight of the fact that inflammation is an essential function that aids in healing the body. Unfortunately, our medical system is set up to suppress this vital component for healing. We’ve been brainwashed into thinking inflammation is bad for us.
The primary job of inflammation is to detoxify and repair the affected area. When our bodies are operating efficiently, we’re not even aware that it’s happening. In cases of chronic inflammation (also known as secondary inflammation), the purpose is not to detoxify and repair, but to protect the cells from
destruction. The cells are then able to adapt and compensate for the ongoing problem.
Cortisone suppresses inflammation by stopping our natural immune response. The perceived benefit is pain relief because in cases of chronic inflammation there usually is pain. The problem with this is that cortisone interferes with the natural immune response to inflammation, namely to detoxify, repair and protect. Over time, the shots become ineffective and leave the body exposed to other problems that can and most likely will occur. It’s like disabling your smoke detectors when you live in an area prone to
wildfires.
The other thing to think about is our bodies have the amazing ability to compensate. It’s why most of us
can go for long periods of time experiencing pain and not do anything about it until it becomes unmanageable. Anytime we circumvent the natural process of healing, our system looks for a way to work around it. Which means it’s now working twice as hard to resolve the problem putting the entire system under strain.
And then there’s the side effects associated with any prescription medication. Cortisone damages connective tissue by breaking down the fibrous connective tissue which support our joints, ligaments
and tendons (in effect weakening the surrounding area). Then theres water retention, elevated blood sugar levels (which may result in a pre-diabetic state or exacerbate an existing condition), suppresses the immune system, loss of bone calcium and decreases our ability to fight off viral, bacterial and
fungal infections.
So what’s a guy or girl to do? Try complementary and alternative therapies first. Acupuncture, chiropractic, naturopathy, herbology, homeopathy and supplementation are just a few alternatives to
research and experiment with. Most of these therapies pre-date prescription drugs and have hundreds, and for some, thousands of years of compelling evidence that they’re effective and viable
options for healing. The other thing to keep in mind is when it comes to nature, it takes what it takes. There’s no quick fix if you want to do it right. The upside is you’ll most likely be able to regain your health without added complications or side effects. Be an educated consumer and weigh all your options before making a quick decision that will have long term affects.
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!
I think the first time I heard the word chia, it was during a holiday gift commercial for "chia pets." Who can forget the jingle - cha-cha-cha-chia? Surprisingly enough, the seeds used to grow these whimsical terracotta plants is the same seed that is considered a powerful superfood.
The ancient Aztecs used chia seeds over 3000 years ago. Warriors prized the small seeds for its endurance promoting qualities. They would eat it in bread before battle or drink it in water before running long distances.
What's so special about chia? Chia contains Omega 3 which is a rich source of essential fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are necessary for human growth and supports the development of our brain, eyes and nerves. Chia seeds are also rich in calcium, potassium, mangesium, iron, zinc, many trace minerals and is considered a biologically-complete protein. What that means is it contains an adequate proportion of all the nine essential amino acids for our dietary needs.
Why would anyone want to include chia seeds in their diet? Health benefits include:
- Promotes a healthy heart
- Normalizes blood pressure
- Lowers bad cholesterol
- Has six times more calcium than milk
- Considered nutritionally superior to flax and soy
- Improves digestion
- Removes toxins naturally
- Strengthens muscles and bones
- Supports healthy weight loss due to its high fiber content
Because chia is neutral in color and flavor, it can be added to healthy recipes without changing the taste. It's delicious in soups, cereal, salad, yogurt, smoothies and baked goods. You can buy Chia in most health food stores.
There’s a lot of information circulating about Wellness Coaches. Have you ever wondered what a Wellness Coach can do for you? Quite simply, I’m an advocate for you. Just like professional athletes need a coach to keep them on track, set and achieve goals, a wellness coach helps you envision and set your health goals while guiding you through the process of making healthier lifestyle choices so you can live a longer and happier life. This is done through a series of meetings/coaching sessions: New lifestyle choices are taught and explored, small achievable goals are set to move you forward in attaining your overall plan for wellness, and you are encouraged to challenge old habits that have inhibited your success and progress in the past. What do I Offer? Individual & Group Wellness Programs: Designed just for you, my Programs will specifically help you accomplish your wellness goals. Individual & Group Programs are available for either three or six month segments with coaching sessions twice per month. Wellness Assessments: This is one of the best things you can do for your health right now, and it only takes 60 minutes. Along with a questionnaire, a thorough discussion of your health (past and present) is discussed, and then a plan of action is determined. You will learn how a Wellness Program can help you achieve your goals. Detox Programs: Jump-start your weight loss and rid your body of all those toxins. Clean up your diet for a few days, and you'll be amazed by how you look & feel! We offer 3, 5 and 7 day cleanses as well as seasonal cleanses that help you prepare for changes in weather and seasonal foods. Grocery & Health Food Store Tours: Shopping does not have to be a chore or a mystery. Learn how to avoid the junk food aisles, read food labels, and recognize real, whole foods. Wellness Consultations: Is coaching for you? Are you ready to make a change? What is your main health goal? These are the kinds of questions we answer together at a Wellness Consultation. Contact me today to schedule a free 20-minute consultation! Click on the CONTACT to schedule an appointment or ask a question. I look forward to becoming partners in wellness with 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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