Morning
Still holding strong at 9 pounds (lost). I've lost an inch off my waist (at the belly button) since last week - that's an inch and a half total. And I've lost 1/2 inch off of the biggest part of my lower abdomen since last week - that's also an inch and a half total. I'm pretty happy with those results...but still so ready to get down a bit closer to my goal weight. Patience grasshopper...I know, I know...Speaking of grasshoppers, I look forward to my green drink each morning. Who would've ever thought that would happen?!
I slept a little late this morning due to the headache from last night...took me a while to fall asleep. I woke up at 7:00 and did everything but my morning pages, which will have to be evening pages today.
Lunch
Leftovers rock! I ate a little of the vegan, mock chicken salad, a quinoa dish and a beautiful salad. I think when this cleanse ends, I'll still stick to this lifestyle for the majority of the time, especially during the week. I like to have a routine...when I don't, things tend to go to far in the wrong direction. Plus, it's so nice to be proud of taking care of yourself and accomplishing something - weight loss, better health, getting stronger, more flexible, more relaxed, more confident, more open...the list goes on.
Snacks
I had the tiny bit of the mock chicken salad that was left with a couple of crackers. Then I had some awesome trail mix that I made, comprised of sunflower and pumpkin seeds, a mixture of raw nuts - macadamia nuts, almonds, cashews and walnuts - and cacao nibs and dried gogi berries. I went pretty light on the nuts and let the seeds and sweet stuff make up the majority of the mixture. Cacao is full of antioxidants and gogi berries are also high in antioxidants, minerals and amino acids. Both are sweet and yummy, especially mixed in with the nuts and seeds. I added a touch of Celtic sea salt and boom! Delish trail mix!
Evening
Yoga - 50 minutes. I'm getting a bit more flexible, except for my inner thighs, which have always been tight. I feel a little stronger as well. I think I'm ready to do the power yoga tomorrow night. I'll just go easy on the back exercises. I'm really ready to start running again...I've got to figure out how/when to work that in soon as well.
Dinner - I made an awesome veggie sandwich on gluten free bread with some corn chips and salsa on the side. A couple of dark chocolate squares for dessert made it a near perfect meal for my tastes.
I did my "morning" pages after dinner. Kind of strange doing them at night, but I think they're important, so even when I miss them in the morning, I'm still going to find time to get them written each day. I need all the help I can get with mental clutter! :) Next was dry brushing before a nice hot bath with lavender essential oil, and meditation afterwards...such a great way to wind down.
Green dreams!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Day 14
Morning
Ahhhh sleep! What joy! I slept until nearly 9:00 today! A month ago I would've considered this pretty early for a Sunday. Now it's sleeping in. :) I did a guided meditation after lemon water and morning pages. I seem to do better with guided meditations than when I do them on my own...maybe that's just how it is for newbies. Without some guidance, I still have a really hard time not thinking. That's such a foreign concept! I have such an active brain. I'm sure it's exhausted and would love for me to meditate longer...I just have to figure out how to make it work for me. My back is pretty sore from the massage yesterday, which I fully expected. Yoga will feel good today! I'm down another pound - 9 total. So close to breaking into a range that I haven't been in since 2008 and I'm so ready to get there! Today is another juice/smoothie fast day. I'm hoping that will take me there. Although, since it's Oscar night, I will end the fast around 7:00 and have some healthy munchies.
Two days in a row now, Kris Carr has been in my head! I have the urge to purge and have that planned for today. No, not throw up kind of purge, clean out every closet, cabinet, drawer kind of purge. When I read about Day 14 in CSD this morning, that's exactly what she proposed! Kinda freaky! She did that to me yesterday too.
Evening
Wow! I worked hard all day cleaning house and purging. I have 7 bags of stuff to donate now! My back and neck are so sore. Hot bath and stretching were a must.
At the beginning of the Oscars I had some yellow corn tortilla chips (found some baked, organic ones)...I didn't know that corn chips were cool to have on the cleanse...in moderation of course. I had these with some fresh pineapple salsa from Whole Foods. Oh so yummy!
Around late afternoon I started getting a headache that worsened throughout the evening. Not as bad as many headaches I've had in the past, but nothing I took seemed to get rid of it. Maybe it's a detox headache. I had a few little breakouts on my face over the weekend too...maybe it's all just detox related. Didn't meditate before bed due to the headache and staying up to watch the Oscars.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Day 13
Morning
I got up at 7:30 this morning to do most of my morning routine...changing things up a bit for a 9:00 massage appointment. I started with meditation, then the neti pot, next I made my green juice and read today's CSD page (so timely...just what I needed to read this morning). :) After my wonderful massage (good Lord, was I tight...definitely going to make this a monthly treat for my bod), I did my morning pages and had my lemon/cayenne water. I'm supposed to be meeting a couple of friends for a picnic by White Rock Lake at 12:30...I sure hope the sun decides to join us! It's still a bit chilly right now!
So, how crazy is this?! The scale that I was cursing yesterday must have heard me because today it said I was down 4 pounds from yesterday! That's crazy! I've decided yesterday was just a weight/scale anomaly. The net net (good God, I've been in marketing too long) is that I've lost one pound since Thursday, which makes much more sense...not sure what was up with those other three pounds...just glad they're gone!
Lunch
Sure enough, the sun made an appearance at our picnic...so did the wind. All in all it was really nice though. There's nothing like enjoying a beautiful day outside with friends! I got a salad, some Mediterranean quinoa, and vegan, mock chicken salad from Whole Foods. All very yummy.
No snacks needed today. Instead, around snack-time, I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond and got a few nice, new kitchen supplies - a strainer that extends across the sink, a bamboo cutting board, a mandolin for slicing veggies different ways (the one I got came with four different blades - can't wait to try it out), some of those green reusable bags for storing veggies, and a set of fit & fresh brand containers - two little ones that fit in a bigger one and it comes with a thing you can freeze to keep everything cool; also the little boxes have measurements on them. But...I'm still on the hunt for a Bento box! I've found some really cool ones online...probably should just order one.
Evening
I broke out the leftovers from lunch before catching a hilarious movie (Cedar Rapids) with a friend. I can't even tell you how much and how hard we laughed! So much fun!
Prior to the movie I talked to her a bit about The China Study and I realized I need to keep all that to myself, or put it here or discuss it with folks who are interested in the same thing...at least until I can express myself better. I knew I'd be okay discussing it with her (she's very open-minded) and she was great about listening to me ramble on. But it later occurred to me that the topic of nutrition and it's correlation to health is almost as explosive as bringing up religion or politics with most people...somehow it strikes at the very core of who we are and defensiveness ensues. I don't want to instigate that! Just want to spread the peace, love and greens!
Think I'll do some dry brushing and take a long hot bath with a book now.
I got up at 7:30 this morning to do most of my morning routine...changing things up a bit for a 9:00 massage appointment. I started with meditation, then the neti pot, next I made my green juice and read today's CSD page (so timely...just what I needed to read this morning). :) After my wonderful massage (good Lord, was I tight...definitely going to make this a monthly treat for my bod), I did my morning pages and had my lemon/cayenne water. I'm supposed to be meeting a couple of friends for a picnic by White Rock Lake at 12:30...I sure hope the sun decides to join us! It's still a bit chilly right now!
So, how crazy is this?! The scale that I was cursing yesterday must have heard me because today it said I was down 4 pounds from yesterday! That's crazy! I've decided yesterday was just a weight/scale anomaly. The net net (good God, I've been in marketing too long) is that I've lost one pound since Thursday, which makes much more sense...not sure what was up with those other three pounds...just glad they're gone!
Lunch
Sure enough, the sun made an appearance at our picnic...so did the wind. All in all it was really nice though. There's nothing like enjoying a beautiful day outside with friends! I got a salad, some Mediterranean quinoa, and vegan, mock chicken salad from Whole Foods. All very yummy.
No snacks needed today. Instead, around snack-time, I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond and got a few nice, new kitchen supplies - a strainer that extends across the sink, a bamboo cutting board, a mandolin for slicing veggies different ways (the one I got came with four different blades - can't wait to try it out), some of those green reusable bags for storing veggies, and a set of fit & fresh brand containers - two little ones that fit in a bigger one and it comes with a thing you can freeze to keep everything cool; also the little boxes have measurements on them. But...I'm still on the hunt for a Bento box! I've found some really cool ones online...probably should just order one.
Evening
I broke out the leftovers from lunch before catching a hilarious movie (Cedar Rapids) with a friend. I can't even tell you how much and how hard we laughed! So much fun!
Prior to the movie I talked to her a bit about The China Study and I realized I need to keep all that to myself, or put it here or discuss it with folks who are interested in the same thing...at least until I can express myself better. I knew I'd be okay discussing it with her (she's very open-minded) and she was great about listening to me ramble on. But it later occurred to me that the topic of nutrition and it's correlation to health is almost as explosive as bringing up religion or politics with most people...somehow it strikes at the very core of who we are and defensiveness ensues. I don't want to instigate that! Just want to spread the peace, love and greens!
Think I'll do some dry brushing and take a long hot bath with a book now.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Day 12
Morning
Frustration station! The scale is evil! It says I've gained 3 pounds! 3 pounds in 1 day! How is that possible?! Even in my most gluttonous state, I never gained that much in one day! It's so much for such a short time (and I don't look any different), that it makes me think it's water retention and/or a sign of being "backed up"...I haven't had much action in that area in a couple of days. That better be all it is. It was so disappointing to see that this morning. :( I'm trying not to be obsessive about it, as I know that does no good, but it's hard not to let it get to me. Also, I must remember that the primary reason I'm doing this cleanse is health, weight is secondary, and it's still a total of 4 lbs in less than 2 weeks.
Followed my normal morning routine after bitching and moaning about the weight in my morning pages. I love them for just that reason. It's a great place to whine! Apparently this is too today! Sorry! :)
Lunch
Frustration station! The scale is evil! It says I've gained 3 pounds! 3 pounds in 1 day! How is that possible?! Even in my most gluttonous state, I never gained that much in one day! It's so much for such a short time (and I don't look any different), that it makes me think it's water retention and/or a sign of being "backed up"...I haven't had much action in that area in a couple of days. That better be all it is. It was so disappointing to see that this morning. :( I'm trying not to be obsessive about it, as I know that does no good, but it's hard not to let it get to me. Also, I must remember that the primary reason I'm doing this cleanse is health, weight is secondary, and it's still a total of 4 lbs in less than 2 weeks.
Followed my normal morning routine after bitching and moaning about the weight in my morning pages. I love them for just that reason. It's a great place to whine! Apparently this is too today! Sorry! :)
Lunch
I was going to bring left-over lentil soup from last night with my salad to work today, but after the encounter with the scale this morning, I made the salad a bit bigger, added some chickpeas and left the soup at home. Just finished salad and 3 bites of dark chocolate.
I just realized I haven't taken my sinus/allergy pill all week! I can't remember the last time I did that...not sure I've ever done that. That's pretty freakin' awesome! Maybe that will make up for the weight... :)
Evening
Yoga after work...my back is feeling much better. I didn't even take an anti-inflammatory today. Still pretty tight, but luckily I have a massage scheduled for 9:00 a.m. tomorrow - can't wait!
Dinner - made a creamy, avocado based dressing to have with some raw veggies and my CSD quinoa. I realized I had some decaf coffee, so after a hot bath, I made some with 3 bites of dark chocolate. I've never had much of a sweet tooth, but having the dark chocolate feels like an indulgence that reminds me that I'm not depriving myself of anything.
I started reading The China Study before my evening routine and OMG...it is a MUST read. It's considered the most comprehensive nutrition/health research ever conducted. It contains multiple research efforts that spanned over 40 years! And it's all conclusive - we can actually prevent and reverse disease...with a plant-based diet. It's really cool because he's not preachy, he simply states the findings of decades of research. What's really interesting is that he (Dr. Campbell, renowned scientist) grew up on a dairy farm and spent the early part of his career trying to prove the benefits of animal protein...he was absolutely startled by his findings...that's part of why he continued the research for so long. To me, it's empowering - maybe the most empowering information we'll ever have. I won't go on and on (even though I'm so excited and passionate about this topic!), but I will tell you one really interesting statistic regarding our flailing health care system - physician error, medication error and adverse events from drugs or surgery kill 225, 400 people per year (as of 2000...no telling what it is now!). That makes our health care system the THIRD leading cause of death in the United States, behind only cancer and heart disease. (National Vital Statistics Reports 50(16), 2002) Personally, I'd rather take my chances with me taking care of myself and stay out of the health care system as much as possible!
Green dreams!
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Day 11
Morning
Wow! I really slept in this morning - 7:00. (If you know me, that statement is really funny!) I was simply tired, plus it's a rainy day. Maybe getting tired earlier and needing more sleep is my main cleanse symptom. So, I had to skip morning pages, but I covered the rest of my morning routine. Due to the cucumber shortage I had to modify my green drink this morning...so I added an apple. It was really good! Apples really cut the green taste - great for newbies. I was looking through the Rawlicious book last night at some of their green juice recipes and I love how they have stages of getting used to the taste. They start with more palatable ones to get you used to it and gradually you can work your way up to juices with darker greens. They also provide tips on how to cut the green taste. I perused the recipes in this book last night before bed and I can tell it's going to be my go-to vegan book. I highly recommend it for anyone even considering dabbling in veganism. Remember, you don't have to go vegan to eat that way part of the time, a lot of the time or even just occasionally. A lot of people seem to have an all or nothing attitude about food, which is just silly to me. Why not try different things and figure out what works best for your body?! Plus it's just fun to be adventurous and branch out - eat a weird sounding veggie you've never heard of. Good times! :)
So as usual, I had juice and decaf tea throughout the morning. Also I took a superfood pill (actually 5 of them!) Amazing Grass makes a really good superfood supplement that I'm going to use on days when I don't have time to juice wheatgrass.
Lunch
I brought the cilantro, veggie soup I made the other night. I had that and some Wholly Guacamole with celery sticks and a couple of gluten free crackers. Finished it off with some dark chocolate (with a hint of orange).
I made a Whole Foods run and while this store had conventional cucumbers, they were out of organic. So, I guess I'll have to break out the peeler for these. I picked up some cashews and macadamia nuts to make some nut cheeses, for which I now have recipes (I'm sure there are a ton on the Internet as well). I'm really excited to learn how to make vegan cheese as cheese is one of the few things I miss. Due to my chronic sinus/allergy issue I really need to have a cheese alternative - dairy reeks havoc on mucus (basically it causes you to create more - blech!).
After taking another anti-inflammatory and doing light stretching and using a heating pad off and on, my back feels much better.
Snacks
4:00 I was going to have crackers and hummus, but I only had two crackers left..so, I ate that and then had some whole, raw almonds and walnuts.
Evening
After work, I went for a 45 minute power walk through downtown Dallas. It was so freakin' windy! Which was kind of good since it made the walk an even better workout. I did dry brushing before a hot shower and got ready to make dinner.
Dinner was awesome! I made lentil soup, salad, and one of the quinoa recipes. My boyfriend came over to eat with me and loved it all. Proof that one doesn't have to be all or nothing when it comes to food. He is not a vegetarian but enjoys all kinds of food. He had never had quinoa (nor heard of it) before and he devoured it, along with everything else. We topped the meal off with some dark chocolate that had hazelnuts and currents in it. So yummy! My new fav! The only bad thing was that we ate kind of late (for me)...we didn't get started until a little after 8:00. Hopefully I was mostly digested before going to bed. :) Did meditation before bed as usual. I guess I'm halfway through the cleanse now! I think I'll end today like I began it...with a big Wow!
Wow! I really slept in this morning - 7:00. (If you know me, that statement is really funny!) I was simply tired, plus it's a rainy day. Maybe getting tired earlier and needing more sleep is my main cleanse symptom. So, I had to skip morning pages, but I covered the rest of my morning routine. Due to the cucumber shortage I had to modify my green drink this morning...so I added an apple. It was really good! Apples really cut the green taste - great for newbies. I was looking through the Rawlicious book last night at some of their green juice recipes and I love how they have stages of getting used to the taste. They start with more palatable ones to get you used to it and gradually you can work your way up to juices with darker greens. They also provide tips on how to cut the green taste. I perused the recipes in this book last night before bed and I can tell it's going to be my go-to vegan book. I highly recommend it for anyone even considering dabbling in veganism. Remember, you don't have to go vegan to eat that way part of the time, a lot of the time or even just occasionally. A lot of people seem to have an all or nothing attitude about food, which is just silly to me. Why not try different things and figure out what works best for your body?! Plus it's just fun to be adventurous and branch out - eat a weird sounding veggie you've never heard of. Good times! :)
So as usual, I had juice and decaf tea throughout the morning. Also I took a superfood pill (actually 5 of them!) Amazing Grass makes a really good superfood supplement that I'm going to use on days when I don't have time to juice wheatgrass.
Lunch
I brought the cilantro, veggie soup I made the other night. I had that and some Wholly Guacamole with celery sticks and a couple of gluten free crackers. Finished it off with some dark chocolate (with a hint of orange).
I made a Whole Foods run and while this store had conventional cucumbers, they were out of organic. So, I guess I'll have to break out the peeler for these. I picked up some cashews and macadamia nuts to make some nut cheeses, for which I now have recipes (I'm sure there are a ton on the Internet as well). I'm really excited to learn how to make vegan cheese as cheese is one of the few things I miss. Due to my chronic sinus/allergy issue I really need to have a cheese alternative - dairy reeks havoc on mucus (basically it causes you to create more - blech!).
After taking another anti-inflammatory and doing light stretching and using a heating pad off and on, my back feels much better.
Snacks
4:00 I was going to have crackers and hummus, but I only had two crackers left..so, I ate that and then had some whole, raw almonds and walnuts.
Evening
After work, I went for a 45 minute power walk through downtown Dallas. It was so freakin' windy! Which was kind of good since it made the walk an even better workout. I did dry brushing before a hot shower and got ready to make dinner.
Dinner was awesome! I made lentil soup, salad, and one of the quinoa recipes. My boyfriend came over to eat with me and loved it all. Proof that one doesn't have to be all or nothing when it comes to food. He is not a vegetarian but enjoys all kinds of food. He had never had quinoa (nor heard of it) before and he devoured it, along with everything else. We topped the meal off with some dark chocolate that had hazelnuts and currents in it. So yummy! My new fav! The only bad thing was that we ate kind of late (for me)...we didn't get started until a little after 8:00. Hopefully I was mostly digested before going to bed. :) Did meditation before bed as usual. I guess I'm halfway through the cleanse now! I think I'll end today like I began it...with a big Wow!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Day 10
Morning
I let myself sleep until 6:30 this morning…just needed it. Besides, I knew it was a pony tail day, so I didn’t need much getting ready time. :) Shortly after crawling out of bed and moving around, I realized I have re-aggravated an old back injury. Damn! (Years ago I pulled a piece of a spinous process off of my spine and it was incorrectly diagnosed. It calcified back to the spine but never properly healed so I struggle with it from time to time.) I’m thinking I did the power yoga too soon and not enough stretching last night. The good news is it isn’t debilitating (which it normally is)…I stretched quite a bit this morning and used my heating pad. Otherwise, I followed my morning routine, except that I made my juice before getting ready and drank it while putting my makeup on so I could take an anti-inflammatory for my back. Even after getting up at 6:30, I left the apartment only 10 mins later than normal and traffic was kind to me today, so I still got to work at my normal time…5 mins early actually. On the way to work, I was listening to KXT and Tutti Fruti came on. Now, a couple of weeks ago, I probably would’ve changed the station and thought, “Tutti Fruti at 8 in the morning?! Really? Why?” I can happily answer that now – because it’s fun! I sang along with Little Richard and we had a good ole time. That made me think about fun music that I own and love, so I popped in some slightly more intelligent, fun music – Ben Folds – and he entertained me for the remainder of my drive. Pretty darn good commute this morning.
All of this got me thinking…where is my breakdown? I always hear about people getting extremely irritable or sad or angry or something when going through a cleanse as the body is ridding itself of toxins. I haven’t had that. I’ve had some fidgety, restless moments (quite a few actually), I’ve gotten tired earlier than normal, but nothing major. Am I doing it wrong? Or is it because 2010, for me, was pretty much an emotional breakdown all year and I just don’t have any of that left?
Oh yeah...forgot to address the Magnesium Citrate...it finally started working this morning...really well actually. :) Also, I'm down another pound. Yay! I can't wait to fit into the "other" jeans in my closet...you know the ones...those you used to wear and can't bear to get rid of because it would mean you've succumbed to weight gain and so you're stuck with the three bigger sized jeans you rotate now.
Lunch
I had miso soup (added zucchini and skitake mushrooms) with my salad today, as well as a few gluten free crackers. I got full really quickly. Not sure if it's the jeans I have on (kind of tight in the waist) or just that my digestive system has been through a lot this morning. :) Why can't I remember to take the stupid digestive enzyme pill before I eat?! I took one at the end of the meal anyway...it's not like anything has had time to digest. I don't know what to do to get myself to remember to take those! Maybe when I look at my Organically Grown "bracelet" from now on I'll be reminded to take that supplement...
I think I'll have some decaf chai tea and a piece of dark chocolate for dessert now...
Snacks
Amazingly, I didn't really get hungry in the afternoon...I only had 3-4 gluten free crackers dipped in hummus.
Evening
There's nothing like a good dinner with a great friend! I met my friend at a local vegetarian restaurant. He's quite the carnivore so it was interesting watching him study the menu. He finally found something he was willing to try, and really liked it, I might add. I had falafel. Yummy! It came on pita bread and with ziziki so I guess those are two small cheats (there wasn't much sauce and I didn't have much pita). Wait! No cheats - not using that word because it induces guilt and nothing good comes from guilt (especially over something like this!). Instead I will reflect on all the healthy changes I've made over the past 10 days and be grateful.
After dinner, I made another Whole Foods trip. Time to restock the green juice veggies. Would you believe it? They were completely out of cucumbers! I needed 8! I guess I'll have to make yet another run tomorrow at lunchtime. I managed to get everything else I needed, including nutritional yeast. This weekend I'm going to make my first vegan cheese! The checkout girl got me pretty excited about this as she was relaying some of her favorite recipes. She even told me about a vegan cheese they carry that melts and is great for nachos! Can't wait to make that...with black beans maybe...
When I got home I checked my mail and found a nice surprise. I had completely forgotten that I ordered a couple of books from Amazon - Rawlicious and The China Study. I've had The China Study on my reading list for years but have never gotten it because, I think, I didn't want to have to face the truth regarding our collective eating habits and I didn't want to make the necessary changes to create a healthier lifestyle. I guess, like most folks, I figured it was just too much work and we're going to die eventually so what's the point. But now I know the answer - the point is quality of life! Feeling alive and vibrant and clear-minded instead of bloated and groggy or headachy is completely worth making changes, no matter how gradual. Just my opinion...Anyone can find "facts" to support their point of view (vegan or carnivorous), but no one can take away one's personal experience and how healthy eating habits make them feel, which is truly amazing. I already feel lighter and brighter after only 10 days! No wonder all the Vegan books I've read have testimonials from people feeling dramatically better and in many cases ridding themselves of illness.
My back is still a little sore up so I took a hot bath and did some stretching before meditation and bed. Pretty tired tonight...
I let myself sleep until 6:30 this morning…just needed it. Besides, I knew it was a pony tail day, so I didn’t need much getting ready time. :) Shortly after crawling out of bed and moving around, I realized I have re-aggravated an old back injury. Damn! (Years ago I pulled a piece of a spinous process off of my spine and it was incorrectly diagnosed. It calcified back to the spine but never properly healed so I struggle with it from time to time.) I’m thinking I did the power yoga too soon and not enough stretching last night. The good news is it isn’t debilitating (which it normally is)…I stretched quite a bit this morning and used my heating pad. Otherwise, I followed my morning routine, except that I made my juice before getting ready and drank it while putting my makeup on so I could take an anti-inflammatory for my back. Even after getting up at 6:30, I left the apartment only 10 mins later than normal and traffic was kind to me today, so I still got to work at my normal time…5 mins early actually. On the way to work, I was listening to KXT and Tutti Fruti came on. Now, a couple of weeks ago, I probably would’ve changed the station and thought, “Tutti Fruti at 8 in the morning?! Really? Why?” I can happily answer that now – because it’s fun! I sang along with Little Richard and we had a good ole time. That made me think about fun music that I own and love, so I popped in some slightly more intelligent, fun music – Ben Folds – and he entertained me for the remainder of my drive. Pretty darn good commute this morning.
All of this got me thinking…where is my breakdown? I always hear about people getting extremely irritable or sad or angry or something when going through a cleanse as the body is ridding itself of toxins. I haven’t had that. I’ve had some fidgety, restless moments (quite a few actually), I’ve gotten tired earlier than normal, but nothing major. Am I doing it wrong? Or is it because 2010, for me, was pretty much an emotional breakdown all year and I just don’t have any of that left?
Oh yeah...forgot to address the Magnesium Citrate...it finally started working this morning...really well actually. :) Also, I'm down another pound. Yay! I can't wait to fit into the "other" jeans in my closet...you know the ones...those you used to wear and can't bear to get rid of because it would mean you've succumbed to weight gain and so you're stuck with the three bigger sized jeans you rotate now.
Lunch
I had miso soup (added zucchini and skitake mushrooms) with my salad today, as well as a few gluten free crackers. I got full really quickly. Not sure if it's the jeans I have on (kind of tight in the waist) or just that my digestive system has been through a lot this morning. :) Why can't I remember to take the stupid digestive enzyme pill before I eat?! I took one at the end of the meal anyway...it's not like anything has had time to digest. I don't know what to do to get myself to remember to take those! Maybe when I look at my Organically Grown "bracelet" from now on I'll be reminded to take that supplement...
I think I'll have some decaf chai tea and a piece of dark chocolate for dessert now...
Snacks
Amazingly, I didn't really get hungry in the afternoon...I only had 3-4 gluten free crackers dipped in hummus.
Evening
There's nothing like a good dinner with a great friend! I met my friend at a local vegetarian restaurant. He's quite the carnivore so it was interesting watching him study the menu. He finally found something he was willing to try, and really liked it, I might add. I had falafel. Yummy! It came on pita bread and with ziziki so I guess those are two small cheats (there wasn't much sauce and I didn't have much pita). Wait! No cheats - not using that word because it induces guilt and nothing good comes from guilt (especially over something like this!). Instead I will reflect on all the healthy changes I've made over the past 10 days and be grateful.
After dinner, I made another Whole Foods trip. Time to restock the green juice veggies. Would you believe it? They were completely out of cucumbers! I needed 8! I guess I'll have to make yet another run tomorrow at lunchtime. I managed to get everything else I needed, including nutritional yeast. This weekend I'm going to make my first vegan cheese! The checkout girl got me pretty excited about this as she was relaying some of her favorite recipes. She even told me about a vegan cheese they carry that melts and is great for nachos! Can't wait to make that...with black beans maybe...
When I got home I checked my mail and found a nice surprise. I had completely forgotten that I ordered a couple of books from Amazon - Rawlicious and The China Study. I've had The China Study on my reading list for years but have never gotten it because, I think, I didn't want to have to face the truth regarding our collective eating habits and I didn't want to make the necessary changes to create a healthier lifestyle. I guess, like most folks, I figured it was just too much work and we're going to die eventually so what's the point. But now I know the answer - the point is quality of life! Feeling alive and vibrant and clear-minded instead of bloated and groggy or headachy is completely worth making changes, no matter how gradual. Just my opinion...Anyone can find "facts" to support their point of view (vegan or carnivorous), but no one can take away one's personal experience and how healthy eating habits make them feel, which is truly amazing. I already feel lighter and brighter after only 10 days! No wonder all the Vegan books I've read have testimonials from people feeling dramatically better and in many cases ridding themselves of illness.
My back is still a little sore up so I took a hot bath and did some stretching before meditation and bed. Pretty tired tonight...
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Day 9
February 22, 2011
Morning
I woke up at 12:30 last night thinking it was almost time to get up. :) I had to pee like crazy! As soon as I crawled back in bed, excited to get back to sleep, the dog upstairs started going crazy. The weird thing is the dog only seems to bark late at night, when the owner is home and on weeknights. And it doesn't sound like a playful bark, it sounds pissed off. I still haven't gotten any ear plugs yet...maybe I'll do that today at lunch. Luckily, the barking didn't last too long and I fell back asleep.
I got up at 6:15 and was still feeling "backed-up". After my lemon/cayenne water and morning pages, I consulted the CSD book and sure enough the notes for Day 9 said I would probably be feeling constipated. Apparently the juice fast day gets the gunk moving, but not all the way. Lovely! Time to get real - time for a natural enema (just distilled water). I know they're creepy but you gotta do what you gotta do, and I need some relief, so that's my big plan for tonight. I know, I know, ladies aren't supposed to poop or pass gas or burp (or apparently be human), but the fact is, we do...grow up and get over it. I want that shit out of me! :) Kris suggested something called Nature's Calm. Love the name! Must do some research on that today. I'm assuming it's just a natural laxative. Now back to our regularly scheduled program...
Meditation - check
Neti pot - check
Dry brushing - saving for tonight before a bath (I like that combination)
Green juice - check
I added an apple to my morning routine to have something to munch on. Apples are a little piece of heaven to me! Decaf tea throughout the morning including a ginger tea that's good for digestion.
I'm not really experiencing any true detox symptoms - headaches, breakouts, etc...does that mean I wasn't as toxic as I thought? Or even more toxic and it hasn't had time to release yet? My face is a bit shiny...maybe that's something. I hope it doesn't all hit at once! From what I've read, I'm past the hardest part but could still experience some detox symptoms. Guess we'll see!
Lunch
Dammit! I forgot to take my digestive enzyme before eating. I took it in the middle of lunch anyway. Another fabulous salad for lunch today...I only had a little bit of quinoa left so I also had some celery and crackers dipped into guacamole. Wholly Guacamole makes these awesome 100 calorie snack packs with all natural ingredients. So tasty! Unless your on a really strict low-fat diet for health reasons, such as pancreatitis, there's no reason to cut out good fats, which avocados are. Of course, limit these, but don't be afraid of them. They actually help you better eliminate all fats and they're essential to your brain. Carrots and/or celery dipped in guacamole is a great snack, whether you're on a cleanse or not. Yummy, filling and healthy! Hard to beat that.
I ran to Walgreens at lunch and returned with Magnesium Citrate (a natural laxative used before a colonoscopy...may not need the enema now) and ear plugs! I also picked up some liquid Vit B12. They come in little bottles like 5 hour energy now. I may be crazy, but I'm taking a couple of sips of the MC here at work...not much, just a small amount. :) Here's hoping!
Evening
No action with the MC yet, but I only had a little at work. I wonder how soon I can have some after eating... had a wonderful dinner! I made gluten free angel hair pasta with olive oil, covered by fresh garlic, tomatoes, basil, a couple of squeezes of lemon, and topped it off with lemon zest, Celtic sea salt and ground black pepper. For a beautiful side, I made red and green bell peppers and onion sauteed in a bit of olive oil and garlic. I topped this with Celtic sea salt and ground pepper as well. Didn't cook this very long or very high in temp, in order to retain the nutrients of the veggies. Since I'm technically supposed to be finished eating three hours before I go to bed, I thought it best to come home and start cooking ASAP. I managed to finish eating by just after 7:00, so that worked out well.
My body is pretty sore from the power yoga yesterday, especially my back...wait no, it's everything. So, I did a round of dry brushing and took a long, hot, lavender epsom salt bath, and finally finished reading CSD. (I also drank the rest of the MC bottle.) After preparing my food for tomorrow, cleaning the kitchen and doing the neti pot I have to say I'm pretty darn tired. Going to do some stretching since I skipped yoga tonight, meditate and go to bed. Hope I don't need the ear plugs I bought, but if I do, I sure hope they do the trick.
Green dreams! Peace out.
Morning
I woke up at 12:30 last night thinking it was almost time to get up. :) I had to pee like crazy! As soon as I crawled back in bed, excited to get back to sleep, the dog upstairs started going crazy. The weird thing is the dog only seems to bark late at night, when the owner is home and on weeknights. And it doesn't sound like a playful bark, it sounds pissed off. I still haven't gotten any ear plugs yet...maybe I'll do that today at lunch. Luckily, the barking didn't last too long and I fell back asleep.
I got up at 6:15 and was still feeling "backed-up". After my lemon/cayenne water and morning pages, I consulted the CSD book and sure enough the notes for Day 9 said I would probably be feeling constipated. Apparently the juice fast day gets the gunk moving, but not all the way. Lovely! Time to get real - time for a natural enema (just distilled water). I know they're creepy but you gotta do what you gotta do, and I need some relief, so that's my big plan for tonight. I know, I know, ladies aren't supposed to poop or pass gas or burp (or apparently be human), but the fact is, we do...grow up and get over it. I want that shit out of me! :) Kris suggested something called Nature's Calm. Love the name! Must do some research on that today. I'm assuming it's just a natural laxative. Now back to our regularly scheduled program...
Meditation - check
Neti pot - check
Dry brushing - saving for tonight before a bath (I like that combination)
Green juice - check
I added an apple to my morning routine to have something to munch on. Apples are a little piece of heaven to me! Decaf tea throughout the morning including a ginger tea that's good for digestion.
I'm not really experiencing any true detox symptoms - headaches, breakouts, etc...does that mean I wasn't as toxic as I thought? Or even more toxic and it hasn't had time to release yet? My face is a bit shiny...maybe that's something. I hope it doesn't all hit at once! From what I've read, I'm past the hardest part but could still experience some detox symptoms. Guess we'll see!
Lunch
Dammit! I forgot to take my digestive enzyme before eating. I took it in the middle of lunch anyway. Another fabulous salad for lunch today...I only had a little bit of quinoa left so I also had some celery and crackers dipped into guacamole. Wholly Guacamole makes these awesome 100 calorie snack packs with all natural ingredients. So tasty! Unless your on a really strict low-fat diet for health reasons, such as pancreatitis, there's no reason to cut out good fats, which avocados are. Of course, limit these, but don't be afraid of them. They actually help you better eliminate all fats and they're essential to your brain. Carrots and/or celery dipped in guacamole is a great snack, whether you're on a cleanse or not. Yummy, filling and healthy! Hard to beat that.
I ran to Walgreens at lunch and returned with Magnesium Citrate (a natural laxative used before a colonoscopy...may not need the enema now) and ear plugs! I also picked up some liquid Vit B12. They come in little bottles like 5 hour energy now. I may be crazy, but I'm taking a couple of sips of the MC here at work...not much, just a small amount. :) Here's hoping!
Evening
No action with the MC yet, but I only had a little at work. I wonder how soon I can have some after eating... had a wonderful dinner! I made gluten free angel hair pasta with olive oil, covered by fresh garlic, tomatoes, basil, a couple of squeezes of lemon, and topped it off with lemon zest, Celtic sea salt and ground black pepper. For a beautiful side, I made red and green bell peppers and onion sauteed in a bit of olive oil and garlic. I topped this with Celtic sea salt and ground pepper as well. Didn't cook this very long or very high in temp, in order to retain the nutrients of the veggies. Since I'm technically supposed to be finished eating three hours before I go to bed, I thought it best to come home and start cooking ASAP. I managed to finish eating by just after 7:00, so that worked out well.
My body is pretty sore from the power yoga yesterday, especially my back...wait no, it's everything. So, I did a round of dry brushing and took a long, hot, lavender epsom salt bath, and finally finished reading CSD. (I also drank the rest of the MC bottle.) After preparing my food for tomorrow, cleaning the kitchen and doing the neti pot I have to say I'm pretty darn tired. Going to do some stretching since I skipped yoga tonight, meditate and go to bed. Hope I don't need the ear plugs I bought, but if I do, I sure hope they do the trick.
Green dreams! Peace out.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Day 8
February 21, 2011
I can't believe I made it a whole week! I've never stuck to something this comprehensive for an entire week! Pathetic I know, but true. I'm very proud and more determined than ever to complete 21 days.
Morning
Woke up at 6:05 and followed my normal routine -
-lemon/cayenne water
-morning pages
-meditation (12 mins)
-net pot
-dry brushing
-16 oz green juice
I miscalculated my weight loss earlier this week (I'm blaming it on brain fog) - I've lost a total of 6 pounds as of today. I've lost 1/2 inch off of my belly (belly button level) and a full inch from the biggest part of my lower abdomen (that's the part that needs the most work!).
-decaf teas throughout the morning...I finally found a decaf chai tea...all is right with the world now. But I won't lie - I miss coffee. I need to get a good decaf one...
Lunch
12:30 - my new standard lunch - big homemade salad and a quinoa dish (the CSD one is still my fav. I've started playing with it though and adding in a couple of other veggies.) I was so excited to chew again! I feel like my jaws got a workout after my big, crunchy salad! :)
A word (or more) on salads - Salads get a bad rap. They're often preceded by a "should" when ordered, as in "I should really get a salad, but..." There’s a certain freedom and fun, (not to mention creativity), to building a gorgeous salad as long as you have a lot of veggies to choose from and try different dressings to change it up. The CSD book has many good dressing recipes. My frig is crazy stocked with veggies right now and I almost feel like I’m shopping when I open the door each night to build my salad for the next day. After perusing my choices I pick and choose whatever I’m in the mood for or whatever color combinations I think would look best or I just throw pretty much everything into the bowl (those are usually my favs) and switch up the dressing from time to time. Flaxseeds are a wonderful, healthy topping in addition to chickpeas for protein and I always spruce it up with cracked pepper before I consume. Ok, I’ll hop off my pedestal now, just remember – when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
Took my supplements with lunch. I forget to mention them, but I take them each day. There's a digestive enzyme that is recommended to take before eating, but I can never seem to remember it...I also use aloe vera juice 2-3 times a day (a tsp in a glass of water) and I usually forget to mention that as well...maybe I'll post my checklist here...
Snacks
3:30 - 16 oz of green juice
4:00 - a few gluten-free crackers. It turns out my favorite crackers are gluten free - Blue Diamond Nut Thins (almond flavor). Yay!
Evening
Rodney Yee's Total Body Yoga DVD rules! It's challenging without being overwhelming and it's a really good workout - plenty of strength and flexibility moves. I think it's about 50 mins long...not sure. I did that when I got home from work and then had the soup I made yesterday with some crackers and hummus. I added some avocado to the soup, which made it so much better. I drank a lot of water throughout the evening and I gotta be honest, I felt constipated for the rest of the night. Yuck!
I did another round of dry brushing before taking a nice hot bath and did 12 minutes of meditation before bed, which was hard because I still felt so full...maybe it's the water...
I can't believe I made it a whole week! I've never stuck to something this comprehensive for an entire week! Pathetic I know, but true. I'm very proud and more determined than ever to complete 21 days.
Morning
Woke up at 6:05 and followed my normal routine -
-lemon/cayenne water
-morning pages
-meditation (12 mins)
-net pot
-dry brushing
-16 oz green juice
I miscalculated my weight loss earlier this week (I'm blaming it on brain fog) - I've lost a total of 6 pounds as of today. I've lost 1/2 inch off of my belly (belly button level) and a full inch from the biggest part of my lower abdomen (that's the part that needs the most work!).
-decaf teas throughout the morning...I finally found a decaf chai tea...all is right with the world now. But I won't lie - I miss coffee. I need to get a good decaf one...
Lunch
12:30 - my new standard lunch - big homemade salad and a quinoa dish (the CSD one is still my fav. I've started playing with it though and adding in a couple of other veggies.) I was so excited to chew again! I feel like my jaws got a workout after my big, crunchy salad! :)
A word (or more) on salads - Salads get a bad rap. They're often preceded by a "should" when ordered, as in "I should really get a salad, but..." There’s a certain freedom and fun, (not to mention creativity), to building a gorgeous salad as long as you have a lot of veggies to choose from and try different dressings to change it up. The CSD book has many good dressing recipes. My frig is crazy stocked with veggies right now and I almost feel like I’m shopping when I open the door each night to build my salad for the next day. After perusing my choices I pick and choose whatever I’m in the mood for or whatever color combinations I think would look best or I just throw pretty much everything into the bowl (those are usually my favs) and switch up the dressing from time to time. Flaxseeds are a wonderful, healthy topping in addition to chickpeas for protein and I always spruce it up with cracked pepper before I consume. Ok, I’ll hop off my pedestal now, just remember – when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
Took my supplements with lunch. I forget to mention them, but I take them each day. There's a digestive enzyme that is recommended to take before eating, but I can never seem to remember it...I also use aloe vera juice 2-3 times a day (a tsp in a glass of water) and I usually forget to mention that as well...maybe I'll post my checklist here...
Snacks
3:30 - 16 oz of green juice
4:00 - a few gluten-free crackers. It turns out my favorite crackers are gluten free - Blue Diamond Nut Thins (almond flavor). Yay!
Evening
Rodney Yee's Total Body Yoga DVD rules! It's challenging without being overwhelming and it's a really good workout - plenty of strength and flexibility moves. I think it's about 50 mins long...not sure. I did that when I got home from work and then had the soup I made yesterday with some crackers and hummus. I added some avocado to the soup, which made it so much better. I drank a lot of water throughout the evening and I gotta be honest, I felt constipated for the rest of the night. Yuck!
I did another round of dry brushing before taking a nice hot bath and did 12 minutes of meditation before bed, which was hard because I still felt so full...maybe it's the water...
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Day 7
February 20, 2011
Today is juice fast day!
Morning
I went to bed a little before 11:00 last night and went to sleep fairly quickly, which is amazing for me! I owe it all to the breathing/meditation last night. I still can't get over that! I got up at 8:00 this morning and had my lemon/cayenne water and wrote my morning pages. Then I did a 20 minute guided meditation. Next I did a series of yoga routines (all in all about 50 minutes). Still tight, but feeling a bit stronger. Trying to patient with myself, but I'm so ready to get stronger and more flexible. After yoga I made my beet/apple juice because I'm out of a lot of my green ingredients. Trip to Whole Foods to get stocked up for today and the upcoming week...I'm going to be buying a crapload of green veggies! :)
While at Whole Foods I spent quite a bit of time in the supplements section...but this time looking for new face/body products - lotions, soaps, etc. Last night I read the section in CSD regarding what we put on our bodies. I've often been concerned with what I put in my body, but not on. The skin is our biggest organ and whatever we put on it, it absorbs, so why have I never thought to check the ingredients of the skin care products I use?! I cleaned out the medicine cabinet and shower and did some major replacing today. There are so many natural products available now, it's fun to pick and choose your favs. I've never been into perfume (most of it doesn't really smell good to me and is overwhelming), but I have worn a fruity body spray for quite a while...but it has officially been replaced with essential oils. Primarily lavender...but I may get something like orange or lemon as well. I love lavender! So, I spent a portion of my morning stocking up on healthy, skin care products as well as green veggies.
Lunch was around noon - 16 oz of green juice.
I was pretty busy cleaning and doing laundry and such today, so I never really had time to get hungry. I just made sure that every few hours that I had some green juice. I also had my 2 oz shot of chlorophyll, aka wheatgrass. After reviewing the info in the book, I didn't have as much juice today as suggested, but I feel fine. I'm actually pretty energetic (especially my mind!). I made a veggie soup with cilantro to have for the next couple of days.
Did dry brushing once, neti pot again in the evening as well as meditation and basically read and wrote throughout the evening. Wonder of wonders - the only time I turned on my TV the entire day was to do my yoga video. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you leave the big black box off! I'm not sure I've ever been this productive on a Sunday.
I feel pretty selfish, but I guess I'm going to allow myself to be and hope those around me will understand. (After all it's only 21 days out of years...) I really need this and I think it's best if I not put myself in situations that are not only tempting, but trigger reactive behaviors still lingering. I'm hoping by the end of the cleanse, bad habits won't be as tempting as they once were.
As Kris says, Peace and Veggies!
Today is juice fast day!
Morning
I went to bed a little before 11:00 last night and went to sleep fairly quickly, which is amazing for me! I owe it all to the breathing/meditation last night. I still can't get over that! I got up at 8:00 this morning and had my lemon/cayenne water and wrote my morning pages. Then I did a 20 minute guided meditation. Next I did a series of yoga routines (all in all about 50 minutes). Still tight, but feeling a bit stronger. Trying to patient with myself, but I'm so ready to get stronger and more flexible. After yoga I made my beet/apple juice because I'm out of a lot of my green ingredients. Trip to Whole Foods to get stocked up for today and the upcoming week...I'm going to be buying a crapload of green veggies! :)
While at Whole Foods I spent quite a bit of time in the supplements section...but this time looking for new face/body products - lotions, soaps, etc. Last night I read the section in CSD regarding what we put on our bodies. I've often been concerned with what I put in my body, but not on. The skin is our biggest organ and whatever we put on it, it absorbs, so why have I never thought to check the ingredients of the skin care products I use?! I cleaned out the medicine cabinet and shower and did some major replacing today. There are so many natural products available now, it's fun to pick and choose your favs. I've never been into perfume (most of it doesn't really smell good to me and is overwhelming), but I have worn a fruity body spray for quite a while...but it has officially been replaced with essential oils. Primarily lavender...but I may get something like orange or lemon as well. I love lavender! So, I spent a portion of my morning stocking up on healthy, skin care products as well as green veggies.
Lunch was around noon - 16 oz of green juice.
I was pretty busy cleaning and doing laundry and such today, so I never really had time to get hungry. I just made sure that every few hours that I had some green juice. I also had my 2 oz shot of chlorophyll, aka wheatgrass. After reviewing the info in the book, I didn't have as much juice today as suggested, but I feel fine. I'm actually pretty energetic (especially my mind!). I made a veggie soup with cilantro to have for the next couple of days.
Did dry brushing once, neti pot again in the evening as well as meditation and basically read and wrote throughout the evening. Wonder of wonders - the only time I turned on my TV the entire day was to do my yoga video. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you leave the big black box off! I'm not sure I've ever been this productive on a Sunday.
I feel pretty selfish, but I guess I'm going to allow myself to be and hope those around me will understand. (After all it's only 21 days out of years...) I really need this and I think it's best if I not put myself in situations that are not only tempting, but trigger reactive behaviors still lingering. I'm hoping by the end of the cleanse, bad habits won't be as tempting as they once were.
As Kris says, Peace and Veggies!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Day 6
February 19, 2011
Morning
My first weekend day on the cleanse! And I took advantage of sleeping in. I really planned to get up around 7:30, but I didn't set an alarm (on purpose) to let my body catch up on whatever sleep it needs. Apparently I was off by an hour. I woke up at 8:30. I got about 10 hours of sleep! But I really needed it...don't feel guilty about what it did to my morning. I actually had to work today (not my normal job) - judging a writing contest for a UIL competition for DISD. I love when I'm asked to participate in those. It's so interesting to read a kid's point of view on life! So, I didn't leave myself enough time to do all my normal morning routine. Basically I skipped my morning pages (will do them later in the day and I forgot to dry brush), but I did my lemon/cayenne water, 10 minutes of meditation, used the neti pot and drank 16 oz of green juice. Oh yeah, I lost three more pounds today! That's seven total!
Lunch
Boxed lunches were provided to us and I had ordered veggie one ahead of time, but the bread in the veggie sandwich wasn't gluten free. I was pretty hungry so I allowed myself this cheat. I didn't eat all the bread anyway. I brought some gluten free crackers and raw nuts to eat with it in place of the provided chips and cookie.
Snacks
A few nuts in the afternoon (didn't check the time as I was so busy grading papers).
Evening
5:30 Finished the remaining 16 oz of green juice
6:30 WF's cilantro pesto tofu and the CSD quinoa recipe (made a fresh batch of this yummy grub!) I might've eaten too much too quickly - very full!
Used the neti pot again this evening since everyone around me is having a hard time with allergies and I've been a little stopped up the last couple of days. I didn't get any dry brushing done today and I only wrote one page of morning pages while proctoring the contest. But...I had an amazing meditation experience. I did a yoga breathing practice that's supposed to be really good for sinuses (as well as lungs) called kapalabhati. Basically you exhale forcefully through your nose (quickly) and passively inhale, more as a reaction to the exhalation than anything. It's done very quickly. I didn't do it very long before getting high - on oxygen! It was awesome! I started it after about 6-7 minutes of regular meditation and I did more meditation afterward, and it's the first time my mind didn't wander. My whole body was tingling and felt totally alive...it's hard to describe in words. I know how this sounds, but I don't care! Don't knock it 'till you've tried it. Peace out.
Morning
My first weekend day on the cleanse! And I took advantage of sleeping in. I really planned to get up around 7:30, but I didn't set an alarm (on purpose) to let my body catch up on whatever sleep it needs. Apparently I was off by an hour. I woke up at 8:30. I got about 10 hours of sleep! But I really needed it...don't feel guilty about what it did to my morning. I actually had to work today (not my normal job) - judging a writing contest for a UIL competition for DISD. I love when I'm asked to participate in those. It's so interesting to read a kid's point of view on life! So, I didn't leave myself enough time to do all my normal morning routine. Basically I skipped my morning pages (will do them later in the day and I forgot to dry brush), but I did my lemon/cayenne water, 10 minutes of meditation, used the neti pot and drank 16 oz of green juice. Oh yeah, I lost three more pounds today! That's seven total!
Lunch
Boxed lunches were provided to us and I had ordered veggie one ahead of time, but the bread in the veggie sandwich wasn't gluten free. I was pretty hungry so I allowed myself this cheat. I didn't eat all the bread anyway. I brought some gluten free crackers and raw nuts to eat with it in place of the provided chips and cookie.
Snacks
A few nuts in the afternoon (didn't check the time as I was so busy grading papers).
Evening
5:30 Finished the remaining 16 oz of green juice
6:30 WF's cilantro pesto tofu and the CSD quinoa recipe (made a fresh batch of this yummy grub!) I might've eaten too much too quickly - very full!
Used the neti pot again this evening since everyone around me is having a hard time with allergies and I've been a little stopped up the last couple of days. I didn't get any dry brushing done today and I only wrote one page of morning pages while proctoring the contest. But...I had an amazing meditation experience. I did a yoga breathing practice that's supposed to be really good for sinuses (as well as lungs) called kapalabhati. Basically you exhale forcefully through your nose (quickly) and passively inhale, more as a reaction to the exhalation than anything. It's done very quickly. I didn't do it very long before getting high - on oxygen! It was awesome! I started it after about 6-7 minutes of regular meditation and I did more meditation afterward, and it's the first time my mind didn't wander. My whole body was tingling and felt totally alive...it's hard to describe in words. I know how this sounds, but I don't care! Don't knock it 'till you've tried it. Peace out.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Day 5
February 18, 2011
Morning
So I went to bed last night at 10:30 (aimed for 10:00 but couldn’t make it) and I was so tired and ready to fall asleep…but I couldn’t. I finally got really close and then…the dreaded upstairs neighbor (who, in sound, resembles an elephant), starting doing something and then his/her dog started barking. The barking went on (off and on) for at least an hour and a half. I have nothing against dogs, but I can’t wait for the day that I live in a place where I don’t have to listen to someone else’s dog bark all night just because we share a wall. And this is a big dog with a loud, deep bark. Honestly, my neighbor is much more obnoxious than the dog. Strangely and sadly, the only time the dog is an issue is from about 10:30 to 12:30 each night. Not good! I already have enough trouble sleeping! So, I’m buying some good, comfortable ear plugs this weekend to sleep in.
I still managed to get up at 6:05 (I think my anger finally woke me). I followed my checklist as usual -
-lemon/cayenne water
-morning pages
-10 mins meditation
-neti pot
-dry brusing
-juice – wait…let’s stop here for a minute. Last night at WF, I bought some wheatgrass to juice (2-4 oz twice a day) so I wouldn’t have to use that power. Wheatgrass contains chlorophyll (among other wonderful minerals and aminos), which oxygenates the bloodstream – basically it’s the superfood of superfoods. It takes a LOT of wheatgrass just to make 2 ounces of juice! I’m not even sure I had a full 2 ounces. Preparing myself for the worst, I downed it in two shots, but it wasn’t that bad…it had a bit of a sweet taste. Not that I want to sip on it; I’ll definitely continue to do it in shots. After that, I made my green juice and put it in my new BPA-free 32 oz bottle. I loaded up a smaller, similar bottle with water and headed off to work, feeling much more awake than when the day started. Here’s where it gets weird…I started drinking the juice in the car (which had a much stronger ginger flavor today, although I don’t think I used more than usual), and suddenly started feeling really nauseated and like I needed to burp. This stayed with me for the entire 30 min commute. On both elevators at work (parking lot and building), I realized how horrible it would be to get stuck in an elevator and have to puke! Or worse, to get stuck in one when someone else throws up! Uber yuck! Thankfully, that didn’t happen to me, but the feeling continued through the early morning, so I put the juice in the frig and stuck with water. After a couple of bathroom trips (no puking) and a couple of burps, I finally started to get a little hungry around 10:30 and got back on the juice. I had some Chai Tea around 10:00, which I think helped soothe my tummy. (Today was going to be no caffeine day, but forget that!)
Also, all morning my sinuses were stopped up. I went for two days in a row without meds (which is amazing for me), but no third day. I took my pill in the morning with my tea.
Basically here’s how my morning felt – brain was very foggy and I was sleepy…I thought maybe this was the draining day…
Lunch
I forgot to mention my new “bracelet”. Yesterday morning when I was washing veggies to juice, I pulled a rather large, yellow rubber band off of a bunch of celery and put it on my wrist just to get it out of the way. I completely forgot about it and noticed it later in the morning. In green letters it says, “Organically Grown”. I thought it fitting for this project, so I kept it on to remind me to continue with all aspects of this cleanse and also to remind me to take care of myself. So, after struggling a bit this morning, looking at my bracelet gave me a little perspective on what I’m doing with this whole thing. My brain was still a little fuzzy, which is likely evident in my writing, but I knew that was part of the deal. The first week is supposed to be the hardest and this is really the first day I’ve had any issues.
Lunch – salad and the quinoa recipe from CSD (I really love this recipe. I could eat this meal for lunch pretty much every day.) I know eating the same thing day after day doesn’t sound very interesting or exciting, but for me, it works well on work days. It’s easy to prepare and I always have something healthy to eat. Lunch is usually when I either write or read (unless I actually have to work), so while I enjoy the food, I also enjoy the time to do something I love. The meal becomes secondary. So, repetitive lunches are cool with me. The weekends are a different story! Oh yeah, had two little pieces of dark chocolate with a hint of orange…perfect end to my lunch.
I miss coffee. The guys next to me always get coffee after lunch and it smells so good today. I’ve had a couple of cravings today…haven’t really had that up until now.
Snacks
3:00 – 10 raw nuts (almonds and walnuts)…still sleepy, yet fidgety…I’m not loving today. Still not as bad as a day with a sinus or migraine headache, or overcome with depression, so I guess there’s a bright(ish) side.
4:45 – Just remembered I have green juice left – 16 oz. Amazingly I wasn’t even hungry. I learned a little something about juicing from the manual that came with my machine – if there’s something that you want to taste more of, put it in first. So, I made sure to put most of the pear and cucumber slices in first. If I recall, I put the ginger in at the very beginning and as I said earlier, it has a very strong ginger flavor today, almost spicy…like me! :)
Evening
Did yoga after work. Still very frustrated with how out-of-shape I let myself get.
Dinner - WF's cilantro pesto tofu and a quinoa dish from WF (the one from CSD is much better!), but I'm in a bit of a hurry to meet a friend for a movie, so this will do.
After the movie I was so tired - I came home, got ready for and went to bed immediately. Didn't do meditation...I don't think I could've stayed awake for it.
Morning
So I went to bed last night at 10:30 (aimed for 10:00 but couldn’t make it) and I was so tired and ready to fall asleep…but I couldn’t. I finally got really close and then…the dreaded upstairs neighbor (who, in sound, resembles an elephant), starting doing something and then his/her dog started barking. The barking went on (off and on) for at least an hour and a half. I have nothing against dogs, but I can’t wait for the day that I live in a place where I don’t have to listen to someone else’s dog bark all night just because we share a wall. And this is a big dog with a loud, deep bark. Honestly, my neighbor is much more obnoxious than the dog. Strangely and sadly, the only time the dog is an issue is from about 10:30 to 12:30 each night. Not good! I already have enough trouble sleeping! So, I’m buying some good, comfortable ear plugs this weekend to sleep in.
I still managed to get up at 6:05 (I think my anger finally woke me). I followed my checklist as usual -
-lemon/cayenne water
-morning pages
-10 mins meditation
-neti pot
-dry brusing
-juice – wait…let’s stop here for a minute. Last night at WF, I bought some wheatgrass to juice (2-4 oz twice a day) so I wouldn’t have to use that power. Wheatgrass contains chlorophyll (among other wonderful minerals and aminos), which oxygenates the bloodstream – basically it’s the superfood of superfoods. It takes a LOT of wheatgrass just to make 2 ounces of juice! I’m not even sure I had a full 2 ounces. Preparing myself for the worst, I downed it in two shots, but it wasn’t that bad…it had a bit of a sweet taste. Not that I want to sip on it; I’ll definitely continue to do it in shots. After that, I made my green juice and put it in my new BPA-free 32 oz bottle. I loaded up a smaller, similar bottle with water and headed off to work, feeling much more awake than when the day started. Here’s where it gets weird…I started drinking the juice in the car (which had a much stronger ginger flavor today, although I don’t think I used more than usual), and suddenly started feeling really nauseated and like I needed to burp. This stayed with me for the entire 30 min commute. On both elevators at work (parking lot and building), I realized how horrible it would be to get stuck in an elevator and have to puke! Or worse, to get stuck in one when someone else throws up! Uber yuck! Thankfully, that didn’t happen to me, but the feeling continued through the early morning, so I put the juice in the frig and stuck with water. After a couple of bathroom trips (no puking) and a couple of burps, I finally started to get a little hungry around 10:30 and got back on the juice. I had some Chai Tea around 10:00, which I think helped soothe my tummy. (Today was going to be no caffeine day, but forget that!)
Also, all morning my sinuses were stopped up. I went for two days in a row without meds (which is amazing for me), but no third day. I took my pill in the morning with my tea.
Basically here’s how my morning felt – brain was very foggy and I was sleepy…I thought maybe this was the draining day…
Lunch
I forgot to mention my new “bracelet”. Yesterday morning when I was washing veggies to juice, I pulled a rather large, yellow rubber band off of a bunch of celery and put it on my wrist just to get it out of the way. I completely forgot about it and noticed it later in the morning. In green letters it says, “Organically Grown”. I thought it fitting for this project, so I kept it on to remind me to continue with all aspects of this cleanse and also to remind me to take care of myself. So, after struggling a bit this morning, looking at my bracelet gave me a little perspective on what I’m doing with this whole thing. My brain was still a little fuzzy, which is likely evident in my writing, but I knew that was part of the deal. The first week is supposed to be the hardest and this is really the first day I’ve had any issues.
Lunch – salad and the quinoa recipe from CSD (I really love this recipe. I could eat this meal for lunch pretty much every day.) I know eating the same thing day after day doesn’t sound very interesting or exciting, but for me, it works well on work days. It’s easy to prepare and I always have something healthy to eat. Lunch is usually when I either write or read (unless I actually have to work), so while I enjoy the food, I also enjoy the time to do something I love. The meal becomes secondary. So, repetitive lunches are cool with me. The weekends are a different story! Oh yeah, had two little pieces of dark chocolate with a hint of orange…perfect end to my lunch.
I miss coffee. The guys next to me always get coffee after lunch and it smells so good today. I’ve had a couple of cravings today…haven’t really had that up until now.
Snacks
3:00 – 10 raw nuts (almonds and walnuts)…still sleepy, yet fidgety…I’m not loving today. Still not as bad as a day with a sinus or migraine headache, or overcome with depression, so I guess there’s a bright(ish) side.
4:45 – Just remembered I have green juice left – 16 oz. Amazingly I wasn’t even hungry. I learned a little something about juicing from the manual that came with my machine – if there’s something that you want to taste more of, put it in first. So, I made sure to put most of the pear and cucumber slices in first. If I recall, I put the ginger in at the very beginning and as I said earlier, it has a very strong ginger flavor today, almost spicy…like me! :)
Evening
Did yoga after work. Still very frustrated with how out-of-shape I let myself get.
Dinner - WF's cilantro pesto tofu and a quinoa dish from WF (the one from CSD is much better!), but I'm in a bit of a hurry to meet a friend for a movie, so this will do.
After the movie I was so tired - I came home, got ready for and went to bed immediately. Didn't do meditation...I don't think I could've stayed awake for it.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Day 4
February 17, 2011
Morning
I slept pretty well last night, but I did NOT want to get up this morning! Didn’t get out of bed until 6:15 (notice it’s increased by 5 minute increments each day?)…can’t go past that though! There’s too much to do in the a.m. to lose more than 15 minutes. So, now I know I can get up anywhere from 6:00 to 6:15 and still get everything accomplished. I’m seriously considering investing in one of those lamps that comes on slowly over 30 minutes until it’s at its brightest, and setting it to start at 5:30. I think that would help this former night owl have an easier time waking up.
Down the list I went -
-lemon/cayenne water
-morning pages
-10 mins meditation
-neti pot
-get ready – including dry brushing (sometime I use loofah gloves so both hands can get involved…it’s almost fun now)
-no new weight loss – still down 4 lbs and I’m happy with that, but ready to shed more, especially from my tummy!
-juice – back to the green juice. Let’s “talk” about the green juice for a minute…I know most people cringe at the thought of it, but here’s my perspective – First and foremost, I’ve tried several and the one in CSD is much more palatable than most. My theory is because of the two cucumbers, two pears and the bit of ginger. (It also contains kale, romaine lettuce, celery, broccoli stems and I add sprouts and dandelion.) It does take some getting used to, but didn’t your first beer? That wasn’t good…it didn’t become good until a taste for it was acquired. I’m actually getting pretty used to the green juice and I look forward to it, mainly because I know what it’s doing for my body, but also because it’s refreshing. I picture all my organs smiling as I pour it down my pie hole (now green juice hole!), where in past I imagine they were angry with me for quite a while and then more recently, most likely were just sad and wondering why I treated them so poorly. :(
-Throughout the morning – green tea (1 cup caff) and lots of water as usual (a tsp of aloe vera juice in one of my water glasses). My stomach didn’t growl at all until after 11:00 (an hour later than the last three days).
Lunch
12:30 – You guessed it – an awesome, homemade salad, with a tiny bit of quinoa/chickpea leftovers and some gluten-free crackers with hummus. Ah yeah…hummus!
Snacks
Didn’t even feel the need for a snack until 4:15! - Had the remaining 16 oz of my green juice. At 5:00, I had 12 raw nuts (almonds and walnuts)…needed a little something for my yoga workout.
Evening
Yoga after work...man am I tight! And sore as well, after only one day. So pathetic! I love my Rodney Yee videos though...can't wait to get back to the power yoga one. I highly recommend his videos if you can't afford a yoga studio or are nervous about taking a class, whether due to lack of experience, tightness or the dreaded farting scenario. However, if you've never done yoga, I would suggest starting with a class to ensure you learn the proper technique.
Dinner was a trip to Whole Foods with my man. His plan was to take me to the Raw Bar, which is no longer. So, we created meals from the huge salad bars and took them home. I got several different veggie dishes and some cilantro pesto tofu (one of my WF's favs). We each had 3 little squares of Green & Blacks organic dark chocolate (with 70% cocoa) for dessert. So yummy and so good for the body!
Another round of dry brushing (with the loffah gloves) before a hot bath. I think I'm starting to get addicted to dry brushing. :)
Did my 10 minutes of evening meditation...still having a hard time slowing/focusing my mind, which I know is all the more reason I will benefit from it, but it's frustrating to have such a busy mind.
Morning
I slept pretty well last night, but I did NOT want to get up this morning! Didn’t get out of bed until 6:15 (notice it’s increased by 5 minute increments each day?)…can’t go past that though! There’s too much to do in the a.m. to lose more than 15 minutes. So, now I know I can get up anywhere from 6:00 to 6:15 and still get everything accomplished. I’m seriously considering investing in one of those lamps that comes on slowly over 30 minutes until it’s at its brightest, and setting it to start at 5:30. I think that would help this former night owl have an easier time waking up.
Down the list I went -
-lemon/cayenne water
-morning pages
-10 mins meditation
-neti pot
-get ready – including dry brushing (sometime I use loofah gloves so both hands can get involved…it’s almost fun now)
-no new weight loss – still down 4 lbs and I’m happy with that, but ready to shed more, especially from my tummy!
-juice – back to the green juice. Let’s “talk” about the green juice for a minute…I know most people cringe at the thought of it, but here’s my perspective – First and foremost, I’ve tried several and the one in CSD is much more palatable than most. My theory is because of the two cucumbers, two pears and the bit of ginger. (It also contains kale, romaine lettuce, celery, broccoli stems and I add sprouts and dandelion.) It does take some getting used to, but didn’t your first beer? That wasn’t good…it didn’t become good until a taste for it was acquired. I’m actually getting pretty used to the green juice and I look forward to it, mainly because I know what it’s doing for my body, but also because it’s refreshing. I picture all my organs smiling as I pour it down my pie hole (now green juice hole!), where in past I imagine they were angry with me for quite a while and then more recently, most likely were just sad and wondering why I treated them so poorly. :(
-Throughout the morning – green tea (1 cup caff) and lots of water as usual (a tsp of aloe vera juice in one of my water glasses). My stomach didn’t growl at all until after 11:00 (an hour later than the last three days).
Lunch
12:30 – You guessed it – an awesome, homemade salad, with a tiny bit of quinoa/chickpea leftovers and some gluten-free crackers with hummus. Ah yeah…hummus!
Snacks
Didn’t even feel the need for a snack until 4:15! - Had the remaining 16 oz of my green juice. At 5:00, I had 12 raw nuts (almonds and walnuts)…needed a little something for my yoga workout.
Evening
Yoga after work...man am I tight! And sore as well, after only one day. So pathetic! I love my Rodney Yee videos though...can't wait to get back to the power yoga one. I highly recommend his videos if you can't afford a yoga studio or are nervous about taking a class, whether due to lack of experience, tightness or the dreaded farting scenario. However, if you've never done yoga, I would suggest starting with a class to ensure you learn the proper technique.
Dinner was a trip to Whole Foods with my man. His plan was to take me to the Raw Bar, which is no longer. So, we created meals from the huge salad bars and took them home. I got several different veggie dishes and some cilantro pesto tofu (one of my WF's favs). We each had 3 little squares of Green & Blacks organic dark chocolate (with 70% cocoa) for dessert. So yummy and so good for the body!
Another round of dry brushing (with the loffah gloves) before a hot bath. I think I'm starting to get addicted to dry brushing. :)
Did my 10 minutes of evening meditation...still having a hard time slowing/focusing my mind, which I know is all the more reason I will benefit from it, but it's frustrating to have such a busy mind.
Day 3
February 16, 2011
Morning
Slept a little better, but still not really used to 6:00 am…make that 6:10 this morning. I made a checklist yesterday and now my morning is getting to be more routine, which is easier for me –
-lemon/cayenne water
-morrning pages
-10 mins meditation
-neti pot
-get ready – including dry brushing
-juice – this morning I had to make a different juice because I’m out of some of the green juice ingredients. So, I consulted a couple of my juicing books and found one with green stuff (kale, broccoli, and I added dandelion) in addition to carrots, one apple, and one beet. Looked gross, but taste good! I’m making a Whole Foods run at lunch and going to build a big, beautiful salad there…love their salad bar! Oh yeah, lost another pound, down 4 total!
-Throughout the morning – green tea (1 cup caff), herbal tea (berry detox – so yummy!) and mixed a tsp of aloe vera juice in with one of my glasses of water. (completely forgot about that the other days). It’s known as an immunity booster and helps with digestive issues. If you use it, start off in very small doses as it loosens the bowels pretty quickly. :) Won’t go into detail, but I’m already feeling lighter.
I experienced some hunger this morning , most notably by a growling stomach, but I’m having zero blood sugar issues and no weakness or feeling drained. So, as long as those symptoms don’t exist, I know the growling stomach is just a feeling of discomfort from a tummy that’s used to getting stuffed at will. The whole scenario kind of reminds me of a crying child that’s bawling simply for attention but nothing’s actually wrong. As the adult, you have to pay close enough attention to know when something is really wrong or when the baby just wants some attention.
Lunch
A salad does not have to be comprised primarily of lettuce/spinach. I just had created the most amazing one from the Whole Food’s salad bar! It was a rainbow of veggies – greens (romaine, spinach, kale), cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers of every color, mushrooms, purple cabbage, chickpeas, and a few soy nuts; added some dressing and pepper and bam! Awesome lunch served! I made so much that I already have my afternoon snack ready. The only down side of the Whole Foods venture was the supplements section…turns out not all Whole Foods are created equal. They don’t all carry the exact same supplements. I was looking for some Braggs amino acids (called for in some recipes) and some E3Live (Superfood supp) and couldn’t find either, but I’ve seen them at another store. Off to the Lakewood store tonight…
Dinner
Had some organic miso soup from Whole Foods at home, so I made that and added some zucchini and shitake mushrooms. I also made a Mediterranean quinoa recipe from the CSD book. Both were so freakin’ delish!
I did yoga right after work (before dinner) and OMG am I tight! It’s embarrassingly bad. I didn’t even do a “hardcore” routine…so sad. Oh well, what are you gonna do?! Keep doing it and be excited about the progress. As a certified perfectionist, control freak I have to constantly remind myself – progress, not perfection! Sometimes I think perfection is as dangerous an addiction as drugs…
No time for another Whole Foods trip tonight. After yoga and dinner, I did another round of dry brushing and took a long, hot shower. I was amazed at how smooth my skin was, especially my legs, after the shower. Usually I’m jonesin’ for the lotion because I’m so dry after shaving, but tonight, even before lotion, my legs were so smooth. The first time you dry brush, it’s really eye opening to see all the dead skin cells we’re carrying around. Blech! This is definitely something I can keep up with long term. After the shower I prepared my salad for tomorrow and cleaned up all the juicer parts and took my supplements and read a bit more from CSD. I won’t lie - this cleanse is time consuming if you do all of it. Preparing your food is the biggest portion of it, but there’s a lot more to do if you stay on track with everything. A small price to pay I guess for 21 days! I mean 21 days…in the grand scheme of things...that’s nothing. I just hope most, if not all of these habits stick in the long term. :) Off to meditate and go to bed (by 10:00). Hey! I just realized I didn't take my allergy/sinus pill today and I can still breathe. Awesome!
Morning
Slept a little better, but still not really used to 6:00 am…make that 6:10 this morning. I made a checklist yesterday and now my morning is getting to be more routine, which is easier for me –
-lemon/cayenne water
-morrning pages
-10 mins meditation
-neti pot
-get ready – including dry brushing
-juice – this morning I had to make a different juice because I’m out of some of the green juice ingredients. So, I consulted a couple of my juicing books and found one with green stuff (kale, broccoli, and I added dandelion) in addition to carrots, one apple, and one beet. Looked gross, but taste good! I’m making a Whole Foods run at lunch and going to build a big, beautiful salad there…love their salad bar! Oh yeah, lost another pound, down 4 total!
-Throughout the morning – green tea (1 cup caff), herbal tea (berry detox – so yummy!) and mixed a tsp of aloe vera juice in with one of my glasses of water. (completely forgot about that the other days). It’s known as an immunity booster and helps with digestive issues. If you use it, start off in very small doses as it loosens the bowels pretty quickly. :) Won’t go into detail, but I’m already feeling lighter.
I experienced some hunger this morning , most notably by a growling stomach, but I’m having zero blood sugar issues and no weakness or feeling drained. So, as long as those symptoms don’t exist, I know the growling stomach is just a feeling of discomfort from a tummy that’s used to getting stuffed at will. The whole scenario kind of reminds me of a crying child that’s bawling simply for attention but nothing’s actually wrong. As the adult, you have to pay close enough attention to know when something is really wrong or when the baby just wants some attention.
Lunch
A salad does not have to be comprised primarily of lettuce/spinach. I just had created the most amazing one from the Whole Food’s salad bar! It was a rainbow of veggies – greens (romaine, spinach, kale), cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers of every color, mushrooms, purple cabbage, chickpeas, and a few soy nuts; added some dressing and pepper and bam! Awesome lunch served! I made so much that I already have my afternoon snack ready. The only down side of the Whole Foods venture was the supplements section…turns out not all Whole Foods are created equal. They don’t all carry the exact same supplements. I was looking for some Braggs amino acids (called for in some recipes) and some E3Live (Superfood supp) and couldn’t find either, but I’ve seen them at another store. Off to the Lakewood store tonight…
Dinner
Had some organic miso soup from Whole Foods at home, so I made that and added some zucchini and shitake mushrooms. I also made a Mediterranean quinoa recipe from the CSD book. Both were so freakin’ delish!
I did yoga right after work (before dinner) and OMG am I tight! It’s embarrassingly bad. I didn’t even do a “hardcore” routine…so sad. Oh well, what are you gonna do?! Keep doing it and be excited about the progress. As a certified perfectionist, control freak I have to constantly remind myself – progress, not perfection! Sometimes I think perfection is as dangerous an addiction as drugs…
No time for another Whole Foods trip tonight. After yoga and dinner, I did another round of dry brushing and took a long, hot shower. I was amazed at how smooth my skin was, especially my legs, after the shower. Usually I’m jonesin’ for the lotion because I’m so dry after shaving, but tonight, even before lotion, my legs were so smooth. The first time you dry brush, it’s really eye opening to see all the dead skin cells we’re carrying around. Blech! This is definitely something I can keep up with long term. After the shower I prepared my salad for tomorrow and cleaned up all the juicer parts and took my supplements and read a bit more from CSD. I won’t lie - this cleanse is time consuming if you do all of it. Preparing your food is the biggest portion of it, but there’s a lot more to do if you stay on track with everything. A small price to pay I guess for 21 days! I mean 21 days…in the grand scheme of things...that’s nothing. I just hope most, if not all of these habits stick in the long term. :) Off to meditate and go to bed (by 10:00). Hey! I just realized I didn't take my allergy/sinus pill today and I can still breathe. Awesome!
Day 2
February 15, 2011
Morning
I didn’t sleep as well as I would’ve liked, especially since I was so tired when I went to bed last night. I kept waking up in the middle of the night, kind of sweaty. Gross! Not full-on night sweats, but just a little sweaty. When I finally did get up (at 6:05), I was very tired. On a normal day, I would NOT have gotten up, but I can proudly say that I did today. I perked up a bit when I weighed and saw that I lost 3 pounds (from yesterday)! I’m sure it’s mostly water weight, but I don’t care…it made me feel like I’m heading in the right direction. I fixed my lemon, cayenne water and then proceeded to write my morning pages, which went a bit slower than usual. Next I did 10 minutes of meditation (had a really hard time with a wandering mind this go-around). Had my beet, apple juice while getting ready, which included something I forgot yesterday – dry-brushing. Heard of it? It’s a great way to loosen dead skin cells as well as awaken your lymph system (which helps builds your immunity). But most importantly, it reduces cellulite! I’ve done this before, but as is par for course, haven’t been consistent. It’s kind of an interesting sensation. You start at your toes and work your way up going in circles (very softly in sensitive areas). Man, the back of my legs need this more than I care to admit. Blech!
After that I made the vat (well, it feels like that much!) of green juice. I need two new bottles to carry this to work in, with 16 oz in each. My current bottle is 24 oz with a very unsecure lid. (I’m leaving green splotches everywhere I go.) I poured the rest, which was still a bit more than 32 total ounces, into my Wonder Woman mug (appropriate, right?!) and sipped that on the way to work, finishing it off at work. Shortly afterwards, I had a cup of Chai tea and later in the morning, detox berry herbal tea. I’m going to do my best to follow the “nothing but liquids before lunch” advice. I forgot to take my supplements this morning (Vit B, Vit D, a probiotic and an Omega 3), but that’s okay, I’ll take them after work. I think I forgot to mention those yesterday…There are actually a couple more supplements that I need to buy…
Lunch
12:10 - Same lunch as yesterday – yummy salad prepared by yours truly and the quinoa/chickpea grub from Whole Foods. A piece of gum makes a pretty good dessert (since I don’t have much of a sweet tooth). However, I’m allowed some dark chocolate in small portions if needed. I keep some at work and at home just in case. I’ve decided I’m going to create a checklist as I realized that I forgot to use my neti pot this morning. I can do it tonight, but I still think it would be easier if I had a check list…besides I’m a Virgo…we thrive on checklists!
Snacks
3:00 pm – 16 oz of green juice (this time with only a heaping tsp of wheatgrass powder…better make it a small teaspoon tomorrow…or better yet, maybe Whole Foods will have some actual wheatgrass when I go by after work). Also, had 3 gluten-free crackers, and about an hour later 8-10 almonds/walnuts.
Still a little tired but not falling-asleep-at-my-desk kind of tired. Also, I’ve had no blood sugar spikes or drops. (I might have failed to mention that I’ve struggled with hypoglycemia pretty much my whole life and have been adamant about eating certain things at certain times to prevent crashing.) So far (and I’ve heard this before), no issues following this kind of diet. That says a lot to me regarding the standard American diet (or SAD as Kris Carr points out…because, let’s face it – it is SAD!)
Dinner
6:00ish – Homemade cabbage soup with gluten-free crackers, also some hummus and green pepper strips.
-Took supplements
-Meditated 10 minutes before bed
Forgot to do the neti pot… :(
Morning
I didn’t sleep as well as I would’ve liked, especially since I was so tired when I went to bed last night. I kept waking up in the middle of the night, kind of sweaty. Gross! Not full-on night sweats, but just a little sweaty. When I finally did get up (at 6:05), I was very tired. On a normal day, I would NOT have gotten up, but I can proudly say that I did today. I perked up a bit when I weighed and saw that I lost 3 pounds (from yesterday)! I’m sure it’s mostly water weight, but I don’t care…it made me feel like I’m heading in the right direction. I fixed my lemon, cayenne water and then proceeded to write my morning pages, which went a bit slower than usual. Next I did 10 minutes of meditation (had a really hard time with a wandering mind this go-around). Had my beet, apple juice while getting ready, which included something I forgot yesterday – dry-brushing. Heard of it? It’s a great way to loosen dead skin cells as well as awaken your lymph system (which helps builds your immunity). But most importantly, it reduces cellulite! I’ve done this before, but as is par for course, haven’t been consistent. It’s kind of an interesting sensation. You start at your toes and work your way up going in circles (very softly in sensitive areas). Man, the back of my legs need this more than I care to admit. Blech!
After that I made the vat (well, it feels like that much!) of green juice. I need two new bottles to carry this to work in, with 16 oz in each. My current bottle is 24 oz with a very unsecure lid. (I’m leaving green splotches everywhere I go.) I poured the rest, which was still a bit more than 32 total ounces, into my Wonder Woman mug (appropriate, right?!) and sipped that on the way to work, finishing it off at work. Shortly afterwards, I had a cup of Chai tea and later in the morning, detox berry herbal tea. I’m going to do my best to follow the “nothing but liquids before lunch” advice. I forgot to take my supplements this morning (Vit B, Vit D, a probiotic and an Omega 3), but that’s okay, I’ll take them after work. I think I forgot to mention those yesterday…There are actually a couple more supplements that I need to buy…
Lunch
12:10 - Same lunch as yesterday – yummy salad prepared by yours truly and the quinoa/chickpea grub from Whole Foods. A piece of gum makes a pretty good dessert (since I don’t have much of a sweet tooth). However, I’m allowed some dark chocolate in small portions if needed. I keep some at work and at home just in case. I’ve decided I’m going to create a checklist as I realized that I forgot to use my neti pot this morning. I can do it tonight, but I still think it would be easier if I had a check list…besides I’m a Virgo…we thrive on checklists!
Snacks
3:00 pm – 16 oz of green juice (this time with only a heaping tsp of wheatgrass powder…better make it a small teaspoon tomorrow…or better yet, maybe Whole Foods will have some actual wheatgrass when I go by after work). Also, had 3 gluten-free crackers, and about an hour later 8-10 almonds/walnuts.
Still a little tired but not falling-asleep-at-my-desk kind of tired. Also, I’ve had no blood sugar spikes or drops. (I might have failed to mention that I’ve struggled with hypoglycemia pretty much my whole life and have been adamant about eating certain things at certain times to prevent crashing.) So far (and I’ve heard this before), no issues following this kind of diet. That says a lot to me regarding the standard American diet (or SAD as Kris Carr points out…because, let’s face it – it is SAD!)
Dinner
6:00ish – Homemade cabbage soup with gluten-free crackers, also some hummus and green pepper strips.
-Took supplements
-Meditated 10 minutes before bed
Forgot to do the neti pot… :(
Day 1
February 14, 2011
Happy Valentine’s Day! This is my first day (in a very long time) to show some self love.
Morning
I have never been an early riser. I’ve been known to hit the snooze button for well over an hour and often get up at 8 or soon after, crash around and then speed to work arriving a little after nine. Not cool…especially at a new job. It’s usually because I have wine the night before and don’t go to bed until midnight and then can’t fall asleep until God knows when. So, then I’m basically dragging the whole day only to do it all over again. (Just to be clear I don’t drink every night, but I do enjoy vino way too often.) So, today when I woke up at 6:00 a.m., I was happily surprised! I started with a cup of hot water with lemon (I used a quarter of one) and a dash of cayenne, as instructed. Next, I settled down to write my “morning pages” (see The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron –she rocks!). I won’t go into too much detail because you should check out her work, but morning pages are 3 full stream-of-consciousness pages to be completed first thing each morning, even if it’s just “I can’t think of anything to write” over and over. It helps clear out the cobwebs to make way for fun, creative stuff to flow. I’ve done these off and on for about 10 years and every time I do them consistently, wonderful, serendipitous things happen to me. Why I ever got lax with these is beyond me…oh wait…no it’s not…it was probably the whole wine/no sleep thing…Sigh…As I began to write I looked at the dark brown drapes covering the bedroom windows and thought I should let some sunlight in. Those of you who get up at 6:00 a.m. are now laughing at me (as you should be)! That’s what I did when I pulled back the curtains to darkness (it is February after all). I can’t remember the last time I was up that early. Normally when I awake, the sun is in full swing. :)
Then I did (a long) 10 minutes of meditation. Kris’s advice to start simply by counting each breath from 1-10 and then over again until the timer goes off is helpful, but it still felt like longer than 10 minutes and I struggle with true abdominal breathing…using my chest too much. But I know I’ll get better with practice.
Next it was time to face my old friend, the neti pot. If you don’t know what one is you should do some research, especially if you have sinus/allergy problems (which I have been saddled with since childhood). It’s been used in the Far East for centuries (the West is always so slow and reluctant to try anything other than popping a pill…). I use a ¼ tsp of sea salt in a cup of lukewarm, distilled water. After securing my hair in a ponytail, I pour half of a cup in the pot, lean my head over the sink sideways, left nostril down, right one up and go for it. Of course I do the other side next (just like exercise) and then blow and blow. Creates a beautiful picture, huh? If you’ve never done it, give it a shot…if for nothing else, to experience the strange sensation. :)
After completing the sinus cleansing, I made a beet, apple juice in my fancy, schmancy juicer (beets are good for the liver and God knows mine needs all the help it can get!). I’ve made this one many times before and really enjoy it. It’s actually quite a beautiful drink! Sometimes I pour it into a wine glass. :) I sipped on that while getting ready. Then right before leaving for work I made the green juice that is the staple of the Crazy Sexy Diet. The recipe is supposed to make 32 ounces…mine was more like 40. Not sure what happened there…this is Texas…maybe all the veggies are just bigger here. So, on the drive to work I drank that and finished up about 24 ounces for breakfast (saving the rest for the afternoon).
Because I’m a coffee and tea drinker, I’m not quitting caffeine cold turkey. I did that once in college and the headache was a whole new kind of hell. Best to wean oneself off of it… So, when I got to work, I had a cup of Chai tea.
I felt really good all morning…much more energy than I usually have. I started to get a little hungry around 10:00 so I had a mixture of almonds and walnuts (raw), about 8-10 total.
Lunch
Lunch (around 12:15) was a glorious salad that I prepared yesterday – tons of veggies with spinach and romaine lettuce and flaxseeds, with pepper and balsamic vinegar/olive oil dressing to top it off. I also had a little quinoa/chickpea prepared dish from Whole Foods. It was mixed with zucchini, green onions and parsley and flavored with something so yummy (need to replicate it at home)!
Snacks
At 3:15 I had an afternoon snack of 16 ounces of green juice. I thought I would be smart and add a packet of a Superfood powder (primarily composed of wheatgrass)…probably should’ve just used a couple of teaspoons…wow! The juice turned forest green and was so thick! But I made a commitment to myself and I’ve let myself down way too many times in the past, so I drank it. All of it! When I got to the bottom there was still quite a bit of the powder, so I poured some water in with it (you’re supposed to mix it with juice, for which, the reasoning became incredibly obvious after a few sips). I only managed a little bit of this mixture. Live and learn, right?
A couple of hours later I was still hungry so I had some celery sticks (cut in half and then into 2-3 inch pieces) dipped in hummus. Hummus might be sent from heaven! I only need a small amount to keep me content. One thing that’s already becoming apparent (and technically I already knew this from other detoxes/fasts) is that hunger pains aren’t always really about hunger…discomfort at not being fed more fat maybe but not hunger as in starvation/you’re in danger kind of hunger. I doubt many employed Americas have experienced that. It makes me realize how much we take our abundant food supply for granted and how I can’t even begin to imagine what truly starving is like…and for that, I am eternally grateful. I once heard Angelina Jolie say something to the effect of feeling guilty or gluttonous after visiting starving children so she actually started eating quite a bit less…enough to be healthy but she stopped being over-indulgent (which definitely shows on her frame). I think I understand now.
Dinner
My boyfriend took me to dinner for Valentine’s Day and being the open-minded guy that he is, he willingly took me to a vegetarian place. We had an amazing appetizer – spinach, artichoke dip with vegan cheese. I did cheat and have a couple of very small pieces of bread as that’s all the dip was served with, until I realized I could just eat it with my fork (thick and yummy). For dinner I ordered a sandwich with avocado, cucumber, tomato, romaine and mayo (not sure if it was vegan) on quinoa spelt bread. So delish! It came with corn chips, of which I indulged a few in the afore-mentioned dip. Water with lime for a drink and all-in-all pretty proud of myself! It wasn’t a perfect cleanse-type meal, but pretty close. It was a nice night with my man, who, by the way, bought me two beautiful bouquets of flowers. Batting eyelashes now…
After my beau left, I fixed my salad for tomorrow, got ready for bed and meditated another 10 minutes before going to bed. I managed to get to bed by 10:30…pretty good for V-day.
Happy Valentine’s Day! This is my first day (in a very long time) to show some self love.
Morning
I have never been an early riser. I’ve been known to hit the snooze button for well over an hour and often get up at 8 or soon after, crash around and then speed to work arriving a little after nine. Not cool…especially at a new job. It’s usually because I have wine the night before and don’t go to bed until midnight and then can’t fall asleep until God knows when. So, then I’m basically dragging the whole day only to do it all over again. (Just to be clear I don’t drink every night, but I do enjoy vino way too often.) So, today when I woke up at 6:00 a.m., I was happily surprised! I started with a cup of hot water with lemon (I used a quarter of one) and a dash of cayenne, as instructed. Next, I settled down to write my “morning pages” (see The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron –she rocks!). I won’t go into too much detail because you should check out her work, but morning pages are 3 full stream-of-consciousness pages to be completed first thing each morning, even if it’s just “I can’t think of anything to write” over and over. It helps clear out the cobwebs to make way for fun, creative stuff to flow. I’ve done these off and on for about 10 years and every time I do them consistently, wonderful, serendipitous things happen to me. Why I ever got lax with these is beyond me…oh wait…no it’s not…it was probably the whole wine/no sleep thing…Sigh…As I began to write I looked at the dark brown drapes covering the bedroom windows and thought I should let some sunlight in. Those of you who get up at 6:00 a.m. are now laughing at me (as you should be)! That’s what I did when I pulled back the curtains to darkness (it is February after all). I can’t remember the last time I was up that early. Normally when I awake, the sun is in full swing. :)
Then I did (a long) 10 minutes of meditation. Kris’s advice to start simply by counting each breath from 1-10 and then over again until the timer goes off is helpful, but it still felt like longer than 10 minutes and I struggle with true abdominal breathing…using my chest too much. But I know I’ll get better with practice.
Next it was time to face my old friend, the neti pot. If you don’t know what one is you should do some research, especially if you have sinus/allergy problems (which I have been saddled with since childhood). It’s been used in the Far East for centuries (the West is always so slow and reluctant to try anything other than popping a pill…). I use a ¼ tsp of sea salt in a cup of lukewarm, distilled water. After securing my hair in a ponytail, I pour half of a cup in the pot, lean my head over the sink sideways, left nostril down, right one up and go for it. Of course I do the other side next (just like exercise) and then blow and blow. Creates a beautiful picture, huh? If you’ve never done it, give it a shot…if for nothing else, to experience the strange sensation. :)
After completing the sinus cleansing, I made a beet, apple juice in my fancy, schmancy juicer (beets are good for the liver and God knows mine needs all the help it can get!). I’ve made this one many times before and really enjoy it. It’s actually quite a beautiful drink! Sometimes I pour it into a wine glass. :) I sipped on that while getting ready. Then right before leaving for work I made the green juice that is the staple of the Crazy Sexy Diet. The recipe is supposed to make 32 ounces…mine was more like 40. Not sure what happened there…this is Texas…maybe all the veggies are just bigger here. So, on the drive to work I drank that and finished up about 24 ounces for breakfast (saving the rest for the afternoon).
Because I’m a coffee and tea drinker, I’m not quitting caffeine cold turkey. I did that once in college and the headache was a whole new kind of hell. Best to wean oneself off of it… So, when I got to work, I had a cup of Chai tea.
I felt really good all morning…much more energy than I usually have. I started to get a little hungry around 10:00 so I had a mixture of almonds and walnuts (raw), about 8-10 total.
Lunch
Lunch (around 12:15) was a glorious salad that I prepared yesterday – tons of veggies with spinach and romaine lettuce and flaxseeds, with pepper and balsamic vinegar/olive oil dressing to top it off. I also had a little quinoa/chickpea prepared dish from Whole Foods. It was mixed with zucchini, green onions and parsley and flavored with something so yummy (need to replicate it at home)!
Snacks
At 3:15 I had an afternoon snack of 16 ounces of green juice. I thought I would be smart and add a packet of a Superfood powder (primarily composed of wheatgrass)…probably should’ve just used a couple of teaspoons…wow! The juice turned forest green and was so thick! But I made a commitment to myself and I’ve let myself down way too many times in the past, so I drank it. All of it! When I got to the bottom there was still quite a bit of the powder, so I poured some water in with it (you’re supposed to mix it with juice, for which, the reasoning became incredibly obvious after a few sips). I only managed a little bit of this mixture. Live and learn, right?
A couple of hours later I was still hungry so I had some celery sticks (cut in half and then into 2-3 inch pieces) dipped in hummus. Hummus might be sent from heaven! I only need a small amount to keep me content. One thing that’s already becoming apparent (and technically I already knew this from other detoxes/fasts) is that hunger pains aren’t always really about hunger…discomfort at not being fed more fat maybe but not hunger as in starvation/you’re in danger kind of hunger. I doubt many employed Americas have experienced that. It makes me realize how much we take our abundant food supply for granted and how I can’t even begin to imagine what truly starving is like…and for that, I am eternally grateful. I once heard Angelina Jolie say something to the effect of feeling guilty or gluttonous after visiting starving children so she actually started eating quite a bit less…enough to be healthy but she stopped being over-indulgent (which definitely shows on her frame). I think I understand now.
Dinner
My boyfriend took me to dinner for Valentine’s Day and being the open-minded guy that he is, he willingly took me to a vegetarian place. We had an amazing appetizer – spinach, artichoke dip with vegan cheese. I did cheat and have a couple of very small pieces of bread as that’s all the dip was served with, until I realized I could just eat it with my fork (thick and yummy). For dinner I ordered a sandwich with avocado, cucumber, tomato, romaine and mayo (not sure if it was vegan) on quinoa spelt bread. So delish! It came with corn chips, of which I indulged a few in the afore-mentioned dip. Water with lime for a drink and all-in-all pretty proud of myself! It wasn’t a perfect cleanse-type meal, but pretty close. It was a nice night with my man, who, by the way, bought me two beautiful bouquets of flowers. Batting eyelashes now…
After my beau left, I fixed my salad for tomorrow, got ready for bed and meditated another 10 minutes before going to bed. I managed to get to bed by 10:30…pretty good for V-day.
Intro
Welcome to my Adventure! (which actually began on 2/14/2011...just didn't have time to create the blog until now)
Here's a little background...
While I’m not suffering from some major disease, I have had a couple of struggles throughout my life that have really made creating new, healthy habits difficult as they both leave me feeling lethargic – depression and sinus/allergy problems. Regarding the latter, I’ve actually had sinus surgery and it helped a lot, but I still have allergy problems that cause my sinuses to get stopped up easily and I take a prescription decongestant/antihistamine pretty much every day (and have for nearly 30 yrs!). Depression…well it just plain sucks. It makes you only want to indulge in vices (especially booze, food and TV). I’m also teetering on the edge of the healthy weight mark for my height, so I’m striving to lose about 15 pounds.
Basically, I’ve been putting my body through the ringer for quite some time and I’ve finally gotten fed up with it enough to do something! What the hell took so long?! Having certain beliefs (regarding wellness) and living opposite of that is soul-sucking. I just can’t do it anymore. Time to let the vices go and create healthy habits that represent who I really am!
After stumbling onto the amazing information presented in a very easy-to-digest and entertaining format by Kris Carr on her website, crazysexylife.com, I have decided to take action. I ordered her truly inspiring documentary (Crazy Sexy Cancer) about her diagnosis of stage 4 cancer at age 31 and all the lifestyle changes she’s made to keep the cancer in check. She was diagnosed on February 14, 2003. So, as a bit of nod to her I’m starting my Cleanse on Valentine’s Day. Her most recent book, Crazy Sexy Diet, is a comprehensive look at the effects of what we put into our bodies…OMG…eye-freaking-opening! I still haven’t completed the book as I just received it this weekend, but I’ve skimmed all that I haven’t read yet and I’m continuing to read it in depth. There’s a lot that I need no convincing of (the effects of meat, dairy, and sugar, for example), but all the info regarding Ph in the body is fascinating. Science really is sexy!
I’ve made plenty of changes throughout my life, many related to diet, but this cleanse is going to be much more comprehensive than anything I’ve ever done. It’s not just my diet that’s changing – while on the cleanse, I’ll be following Kris’s other guidelines regarding exercise (I’ll be focusing primarily on yoga and walking/running) and meditation as well as using my lovely neti pot on a daily basis. The last two are activities I’ve tried to incorporate into my daily schedule many times before but have never succeeded in being consistent. This time I AM determined to create these habits! I believe in the benefits of meditation 100% yet I don’t do it (the same goes for all of it – the neti pot, exercise, eating well). I’m treating this whole experience like a mandatory lifestyle rehab, and I’ve created this blog and told everyone I know simply so I’ll have to be accountable. Even if no one else truly cares if I succeed, having to report what I’ve done each day and how I feel about it is perfect for my Virgo nature. Let the Adventure begin!
Here's a little background...
While I’m not suffering from some major disease, I have had a couple of struggles throughout my life that have really made creating new, healthy habits difficult as they both leave me feeling lethargic – depression and sinus/allergy problems. Regarding the latter, I’ve actually had sinus surgery and it helped a lot, but I still have allergy problems that cause my sinuses to get stopped up easily and I take a prescription decongestant/antihistamine pretty much every day (and have for nearly 30 yrs!). Depression…well it just plain sucks. It makes you only want to indulge in vices (especially booze, food and TV). I’m also teetering on the edge of the healthy weight mark for my height, so I’m striving to lose about 15 pounds.
Basically, I’ve been putting my body through the ringer for quite some time and I’ve finally gotten fed up with it enough to do something! What the hell took so long?! Having certain beliefs (regarding wellness) and living opposite of that is soul-sucking. I just can’t do it anymore. Time to let the vices go and create healthy habits that represent who I really am!
After stumbling onto the amazing information presented in a very easy-to-digest and entertaining format by Kris Carr on her website, crazysexylife.com, I have decided to take action. I ordered her truly inspiring documentary (Crazy Sexy Cancer) about her diagnosis of stage 4 cancer at age 31 and all the lifestyle changes she’s made to keep the cancer in check. She was diagnosed on February 14, 2003. So, as a bit of nod to her I’m starting my Cleanse on Valentine’s Day. Her most recent book, Crazy Sexy Diet, is a comprehensive look at the effects of what we put into our bodies…OMG…eye-freaking-opening! I still haven’t completed the book as I just received it this weekend, but I’ve skimmed all that I haven’t read yet and I’m continuing to read it in depth. There’s a lot that I need no convincing of (the effects of meat, dairy, and sugar, for example), but all the info regarding Ph in the body is fascinating. Science really is sexy!
I’ve made plenty of changes throughout my life, many related to diet, but this cleanse is going to be much more comprehensive than anything I’ve ever done. It’s not just my diet that’s changing – while on the cleanse, I’ll be following Kris’s other guidelines regarding exercise (I’ll be focusing primarily on yoga and walking/running) and meditation as well as using my lovely neti pot on a daily basis. The last two are activities I’ve tried to incorporate into my daily schedule many times before but have never succeeded in being consistent. This time I AM determined to create these habits! I believe in the benefits of meditation 100% yet I don’t do it (the same goes for all of it – the neti pot, exercise, eating well). I’m treating this whole experience like a mandatory lifestyle rehab, and I’ve created this blog and told everyone I know simply so I’ll have to be accountable. Even if no one else truly cares if I succeed, having to report what I’ve done each day and how I feel about it is perfect for my Virgo nature. Let the Adventure begin!
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