Checkin in. Day#4

I thought I would check in midweek and update on how things are going.  I am feeling really good.  The last 3 days I've had a headache, which I can assume is the lack of sugar and caffeine that I was used to consuming.  I know those will eventually get better.

Today Brooklyn had the day off from school and Sydney went back to school so I had a date with Brooklyn.  I love those times when I get to hang out one on one with my girls. I asked her where she wanted to go to lunch and she said P.F. Chang's.  It's her favorite.  I was hungry and knew I couldn't eat my normal, Orange Chicken, so I opted for the vegetarian lettuce wraps.  Oh my, they were delicious.  I didn't miss the chicken at all.  They are made out of Tofu, which is usually on my no, no list.  I'm one that doesn't believe we should eat soy, especially if it's GMO (Genetically Modified), but today I thought it was a better option than the chicken. 

Why don't I like soy?  Glad you asked.  :)  Soy is Phytoestrogen (plant based estrogen).  Women usually have too much estrogen in their bodies.  Studies have shown that too much estrogen can lead to cancer, cause infertility, lower sperm count in men and it can also mess with your thyroid.  All things I don't want, so I just usually stay away from it.  If you are going to eat it, you want to make sure it's organic or Non-GMO and it's fermented.  I think like anything, moderation is the key.  This is very controversial and if you look on the internet you will find experts on both sides of this topic.  I figure I would air on the side of it being harmful to my body. 

On a typical day, I've been juicing, making vegan protein shakes (pea and rice are what makes up the protein) and eating lots of raw fruits and veggies.  I don't know if I've lost weight because I haven't weighed myself, will do that on Sunday, but I feel better.  That's all that matters.  I am also drinking a ton of water.  That's so important to flush out the toxins because you don't want them hangin out in your body.

On Friday I will do a gallbladder flush.  I'll spare you the details of what happens, but it makes me feel so much better.  I did my first one after I delivered Jonathan.  I was on the verge of a full blown gall bladder attack and was in a ton of pain.  My chiropractor gave me a flush to do and the results were immediate.  I   couldn't believe it.  The pain was gone.  I could think clearer and just felt refreshed.  Well, it's time to do one again.  I've been having a bit of pain on the right side where my gallbladder is located, so I want to make sure to nip it in the bud before it gets too bad.  I will post the cleanse on my blog on Friday if you are interested in it.  The best part is; it's easy, cheap and the results are immediate. 

Here's to good health in 2012.

2012

Happy New Year to you all.  I had a good start to my day, as Brian got the girls this morning and let me sleep in.  Thanks babe.  Today was day 1 of a week long detox I am doing.  I have been awful to my body over the last few months and I'm paying the price for it.  I know better than that, I mean, I really know better.  I love to study health and I am passionate about what our family eats.  I am a huge proponent of organic, raw, unproccesed, and whole foods.  My hubby will tell you I despise High Fructose Corn Syrup, GMO's, Food Dyes, and foods with hormones and antibiotics.  Here is a great article that talks about the effects of dyes on our children.  I will talk more about this in another post.

But when I am tired, stressed or depressed, I just don't care.  I'm laying it all out there because it's the truth.  I've treated my body like a trashcan and it has to stop.  It has to stop for me, my husband and my two beautiful girls.  So with a new year, comes new possibilities.  Brian challenged me to use my blog to keep me accountable, so that's what I am going to do.  Every Monday, I will report in and blog about my progress over that week.  This is not just about weight loss, although that's a huge part of it, but it's finally gaining control of what I eat and not letting my emotions dictate what I put in my mouth.  One of my goals this year is to lose 40 pounds by my 40th birthday in April.  That is a lofty goal I know.  Will I make it?  I have no clue, but I am gonna work my bootie off and try my best.  I'm doing it with what I believe it best for my body; raw, whole, organic foods.  That's it.  No magic diet pills or pre packaged food, just whole foods.

This week I am in detox mode.  I will eat only raw, organic, vegetarian foods and drink fresh juice from my juicer.  That's it.  For exercise, I will be walking and doing yoga, with a little strength training thrown in for fun.  I have to say that Day 1 went well.  I won't lie, I have a giant head ache right now, due to the fact that I haven't had any caffeine and my body is screaming for refined sugar, but I know the first few days are the hardest, so I expect it all.  I told Brian today that if I snap at him this week, to not take it personally.  :)

Here's what my day looked like today:  smoothies for breakfast, giant spinach and mixed greens salad with carrots, sunflower seeds, cucumbers, beets and olive oil and balsamic vinegar for the dressing.  For snack I had a cashew side salad from Whole Foods, lots of water, and I had another smoothie for dinner.  I also ate a bunch of carrots, an apple and a couple of oranges.  Whole Foods makes some great vegan salads that are to die for. I will probably be living there this week. On the Do Not Eat List:  breads, sugar, meat of any kind, cheese/dairy products, anything fried, caffeine and alcohol.

This is the only way I know how to really detox my body and get rid of alot of the toxins and inflammation going on in my body right now.  I'm kind of making up my own plan.  I'm not following a diet per se.  There are some great books out there on raw eating if you want to check them out.

Natalia Rose is one of my favorite raw food authors.  She even has a section about infertility on her blog and about the link between what you eat and the ability to become pregnant.  You can check it out here. 

This is another great book and I love her story about why she started eating raw food. You can check out Carol's blog here.

So that's it in a nutshell.  I've also ordered two DVD's from Amazon that I cannot wait to watch.  I think it will be life changing.  I will definitely be telling you about those in the future.

Do you have a weightloss goal in 2012?  I'd love to hear about it. 

Cheers to a happy and healthy new year!

A Time to Rest

I had to take another glance at the date of my last post. Has it really been 17 days? This is the longest break I have ever taken. Even when we lost Jonathan, I still blogged.  I guess it's the busyness of the season and I haven't been feeling well. I still don't know what is wrong, but I've been having really bad lower back pain and pelvic pain. I've had ultrasounds on everything imaginable and all looks fine. I went to a new chiropractor who took an x-ray and he said my L4 and L5 are degenerating. Fabulous. Has anyone else ever experienced this? I still don't know if that's the cause, but for now, we'll go with that diagnosis.

The dizziness is still really bad, so we've decided to fly to Tampa next month to see a specialist. I'm hopeful that they will be able to help me. I'm also excited because we decided to take the girls and make a Disney World trip out of it. They have no idea. We are going to tell them the morning we leave. I can't wait. I will be sure to get it all on video.

I'm just about ready for Christmas.  I just got done wrapping all the presents while the girls and Brian are fast asleep. On the girls wish list this year was a Fijit and a Perfect Petzzz.  I can't wait to see their little faces light up.  We have plans to go to church with my family tomorrow and then enjoy the festivities at my sister Stacy's house.

If you are still reading my blog, thank you.  Thanks for hanging with me this long.  I am really going to try harder to keep it updated. 

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas! May you remember the true meaning of the holiday. A babe who came to save the world. He is the reason for the season!

I Need The Shackles Off My Feet So I Can...

RUN.........  You were thinking dance, weren't ya?  Believe me, dancing sounds way more fun than running right about now, especially when it's 95 degrees outside.

I've been focused on trying to eat a clean diet and taking my supplements that have been prescribed to me,  that I haven't really focused much on the other half of being healthy- exercise.  I'm not one of those people who needs to be at the gym 5 times a week or they go crazy.  I wish I was.  I don't stay motivated to do workouts, which is odd coming from someone who was an athlete her whole life.  I need accountability to do this right and make the change for my health and for my family. 

I've done a few 5K's this year, but I wasn't real great at training for them.  So, Brian suggested I get a running coach.  We talked to a woman at a local TRI store who lost 60 pounds after she started with a running coach!  I'll take just half of those lbs right about now.  The biggest thing for me isn't having a desire to get into better shape and better health, its just knowing what to do, and having some accountability.  That's where I need the expertise of someone who has been running his whole life, and is good at it.  I know that I am going to have to make some changes and sacrifices if I'm going to turn things around, but I guess that's why most of the good things in life are so hard. 

Part of the plan is to commit to telling you what I'm going through over the next three months- the good stuff, the bad stuff, and most importantly what I'm doing or not doing.  It's easy to talk your way out of stuff with family, but it's a lot harder to do if you put it out in black and white for all the world to see.

So, I'm praying that whatever plan the running coach sends me tomorrow, it won't be too crazy, but more importantly, something I can stick with and one that I can have fun doing.   

Have you ever had something you were scared to do, but knew you had to do it?  I would love to hear your thoughts.

Tuesday's Tip (prevention of H1N1)

If you are like me you are a little nervous about the H1N1 virus that is going around. I think we all know someone who has gotten it. Maybe you yourself have been hit by the bug and I hope you have come through it just fine. I have been researching different ways that this flu and every other flu is spread. I came across a study that I thought was interesting. They did an experiment where they put 10 healthy people in a room with 10 people who were infected with the regular flu. They were told not to touch each other just to sit in the room for a few hours. Out of the 10 healthy people, 2 became sick. Then they did the experiment again with a new group of 10 healthy and 10 sick people. This time they were told they could make contact with each other. All 10 healthy people became sick. Yes, the flu can be spread through the air, but it's spread mainly by contact with those that are already infected. It can enter 3 main portals; eyes, nose and mouth. We pick up the virus on our hands and then rub our eyes, touch our nose, or if you are like my kids you constantly have your hands or fingers in your mouth.

This made me really think about what I am doing to make sure that my family and I are protected. As you know I didn't get the girls or myself the flu vaccine so I have to do the best job I can to help protect us from this nasty bug. I have definitely stepped up the hand washing that's for sure. I read that germs can get stuck under your fingernails even if you keep them short. So that prompted me to find nail brushes for every sink in my house. So that's my tip of the day. This is a cheap and easy one and I encourage you all to try this at home and with your kids. I bought my brushes from Dollar General for $1 each. They were the cheapest that I found and I liked these the best because they are small and easy to use.

Happy brushing and good health.

A healthier cup of joe

In my quest for better health, I've been looking at the foods and drinks that I like to have and I ask myself is there a better alternative for what I am eating or drinking. Most of the time there is. I have found a new way to drink coffee that I would love to share. I really like coffee and am one that cannot drink it black. It has to be loaded with flavored creamer and sugar for me to really enjoy it. I drink it more in the winter than in the summer I have to say. I love to grab a cup when it's cold outside and sit down and savor every last drop. For a long time I've known the creamer that I put in my coffee is loaded with sugar and then to make it even sweeter I top it off with even more sugar or Splenda. Well over the past few months or so as I've looked at my diet and have been studying a way to eat healthier and more organic foods, I discovered 2 ingredients that have made my cup of joe better for me and I think even tastier than before. I decided to go to Whole Foods to see what my options were. I love Whole Foods because they always seem to have an alternative to the thing that I am wanting to get rid of in my diet. First up, was the creamer. I wanted something natural that was dairy free and soy free. What I discovered was Coconut Milk Creamer. They have it in two flavors, Vanilla and Hazelnut. I decided to take a chance and try it. I know what you are thinking, that it must taste like coconut. Not one bit. I don't taste coconut at all. It is so delicious. The other thing that was amazing about it was that it made my coffee frothy. The second product I discovered for a sweetener is Agave Nectar. This truly is better for you than any other sweetener or sugar out there. I have been reading many health books and every single one of them talks about this sweetner as the hands down best sweetner for you, so I decided to give it a try. Why is this the best sweetner you can put into your body? Because it is pure and has a low glycemic index. This is a great alternative if you are diabetic too. You want to try to buy Raw if you can. The one I bought is not raw because it's a little more expensive and I wanted to make sure I liked it first. My next bottle will be raw. (Raw is the best way to go with really anything you eat. Raw is better because no heat was used in the process of making it that would destroy alot of the nutrients in the sweetner) You can use this in so many other ways than just your coffee. I buy the girls plain goat yogurt that I used to flavor with maple syrup and now I use the Agave Nectar instead. I truly believe this is a must have in my pantry and I will never live without it.


Before picture of how I drank my coffee. I actually just used sugar and creamer not the Sweet n Low. I just threw that in because I know alot of people use Sweet N Low, Splenda or Equal. If you use these please do some research to find out what is really in these little packets. They are extremely harmful to your system. I used to use Splenda until I discovered how bad it was for me and then I switched to pure sugar until I discovered Agave Nectar.

This is how I drink my coffee now. See how frothy my cup is? This is from the coconut milk because I have never had a creamer do that to my coffee ever.

One more thing about coffee. If you drink decaf like I do most of the time, you might want to consider buying an organic coffee. The reason being is that when you buy decaf coffee from the store that is not organic they have used a chemical process to remove the caffeine from the coffee. When you buy organic decaf they use a water process to remove the caffeine. They have a great selection at Whole Foods and if you don't like any product you buy they will take it back no questions asked, even if it's been opened.

Tuesday's Tip (Avoiding H1N1)

Today's tip I got from my cousin Kelly in California. Thanks Kel for passing it on. It's how to prevent swine flu or any flu for that matter. For someone who is not getting the flu & swine flu vaccine this I was very interested in. You may or may not be curious why I am not getting the flu vaccine for myself or for the girls. The reason being is that the shot has mercury in it and the nasal vaccine has an active live H1N1 virus in it, so I just really can't see myself putting those toxins in my body. That's just the conclusion I have come up with for us. Everyone must do what they feel is best for them and their families. I choose to build our immune systems up the best I can and let them fight it off. It's worked the last 3 years during flu season and I pray it continues to do so.

I'll shut up so you can hear it from an expert. This is good advice whether you have gotten the flu shot or not.

Dr. Vinay Goyal is an MBBS,DRM,DNB (Intensivist and Thyroid specialist) having clinical experience of over 20 years. He has worked in institutions like Hinduja Hospital , Bombay Hospital , Saifee Hospital , Tata Memorial etc.. Presently, he is heading our Nuclear Medicine Department and Thyroid clinic at Riddhivinayak Cardiac and Critical Centre, Malad (W).

The following message given by him, makes a lot of sense and is important for all to know

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).

3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4... Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. *Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but *blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.*

5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. *Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

"Tuesday's Tip" (Good Fats)

I apologize for not posting last Tuesday. It was a long week and I just didn't have time to blog. I hate that. I have so much I need to write about, but with my computer down, I have to use Brian's Mac and I am just a PC girl.

I've been into food lately. Nothing new really, I LOVE to eat, but lately though I have been thinking and learning about the foods that go into my body. I've checked out some books from the library and bought a couple from Borders and when I get a free second I read. I ran across a list in one of my health magazines that I thought was really helpful. I cut it out and stuck it on my fridge.

So here is my tip for today. You should try to eat "good" fat with every meal. This helps you lose weight and get rid of belly fat. It also makes you feel fuller longer so you eat less. The following foods are also heart healthy. The idea would be to have one of these on the list with every meal.

Raw Almonds- 1 ounce (23 nuts)

Chopped Walnuts- 1/4 cup

Avocado- 1/4 California avocado

Olive Oil- 1 Tablespoon

Smooth Peanut Butter- 1 Tablespoon

Green or Black Olives- 8 jumbo

Unsalted Sunflower Seeds- 1/4 cup

Some other things to think about when buying some of these products. First let's take peanut butter. I prefer almond butter because it has been found to have more healthy properties than peanut butter and is a good source of boron, which is great in maintaining bone and joint health by making the enzymes stronger. With all the allergies kids can have to peanut butter, I started keeping Almond Butter in the fridge when Brooklyn was little and we all love it. Either one you decide to use make sure it is all natural. No Jiff or Skippy. :) Costco sells a huge jar of Maranatha Almond Butter for $7. You can't beat that price.

With Olive Oil you want to make sure you use Extra Virgin Olive Oil that says Cold Pressed on it. I have just come to learn why. When it says Cold Pressed it means it was extracted using no heat or chemicals. This is really important to get the most benefits out of the oil. Another tip you might not know is that you should not cook with Olive oil. Strange I know because if you watch the Food Network you will see them do it all the time. When you heat Olive Oil almost all the healthy benefits are destroyed. It can also cause chemicals to be released into your food. The best thing to cook with is a little water in the pan or organic butter. I use just a small amount of organic butter when I cook.

I will share more later about my journey to better health in later blogs, but I hope you have found this post helpful to you. I have been reminded lately that our bodies truly are a temple. I am blessed to be alive and I want to do my best to live the life that God intended me to live. I have found that hard to do when I am feeling tired and sick. Something I read the other day really stuck with me. It was talking about how when we pray before a meal we ask God to bless our food we are about to eat. It went on to say, "We believe God is going to come down and miraculously remove the physical toxins from the food we are about to consume or cancel out the effects of those toxins on our bodies". Hello. So true. Why do I believe I can fill my body with junk and think that the Lord will keep me from getting sick? It was a "ah ha" moment for me. I have to ask myself daily before I eat, is this something that will work for me or against me. If it will work against me than it's just not worth it. It's a battle and one that I am determined to win for me and my family.

"Tuesday's Tip" (Vitamins)

Today I thought I'd share with you my tips on keeping my kids as healthy as they can be. First and foremost I pray a lot, but secondly I believe it's the supplements that I give them on a daily basis. I don't give the girls the flu shot, much to the dismay of their pediatrician. I have my reasons and beliefs on that, but figure I will save that for another blog sometime. I truly believe that if I can build their immune systems up strong enough that their bodies can fight off the germs that are out there. The girls go to school twice a week, church twice a week and the gym daycare about 3 times a week so they are definitely around other kids. Don't get me wrong, they do get their occasional cold, but nothing that I have to take them to the doctors for. It's kind of nice just to see their doctor for their annual checkup.

So here is what they take on a daily basis. I give them Juice Plus as their daily vitamin. This has all the fruits and vegetables that their bodies need. There is no corn syrup or any junk in it, just the good stuff. You can order juice plus online or find someone who is local that can order for you. I have to be careful that I don't leave them laying out because the whole jar would be gone. Sydney will sometimes cry because she wants more and I have to tell her I am only allowed to give her 3 green (veggies) and 3 red (fruits). Next up is Vitamin D. I would tell you that if you could only add one supplement to your child's daily routine it should be this one. There is a reason God put this in sunshine. The problem is that we can't come close to what our bodies need especially in the winter time. Think about that for a minute. Is there a correlation between cold and flu season being in the winter instead of in the summer? My belief is yes. There is less flu in the summer because we are exposed to so much vitamin D through the sun. The brand I love is Carlson. It comes in a 2,000 IU gel and as you can see they are about the size of a pea. When my girls could swallow food, they were taking these. Brooklyn loves to chew hers up. You can also hide them in yogurt or applesauce. They go right down. During the summer I give them 1(2,000 IU's) gel. During the winter I give them 2 (4,000 IU's) and if I think they are getting sick I give them 3 (6,000 IU's). The great thing about Vitamin D is that you cannot overdose on it, so it's completely safe. In fact the FDA this year upped the dosage from 400 IU's for kids to 1,000 IU's. Experts now say that lack of Vitamin D may cause heart disease, cancer, diabetes, MS and a host of other diseases.

Next on the list is a good pro biotic. I give the girls 1 tsp. everyday in their sippy cup of milk. They can't taste it and the benefits are terrific. This is definitely a must if your child is on an antibiotic. Antibiotic wipe the good bacteria out of your system so it needs to be replaced. I like the girls to have this daily because it helps keep their digestive system strong and working properly so they can again fight off the bad bacteria that comes their way. Fish oil is also one of the best things you can give your child. It is brain and heart food. I took it when I was pregnant and as soon as the girls could take a bottle they were getting fish oil once a day. It's great for skin problems as well. They have it in gummies, but for some reason my kids won't take it that way. They spit it out. It would be so much easier if they did, because the liquid is smelly and is harder to clean out of their cups. I'm hoping one day they will like it in that form. The last on the list is Aloe Vera juice. I like this brand because it is tasteless. I put a little each day in their apple juice and they can't taste it. This is great for their digestive system and also another great immune system builder. I also noticed it worked great for Sydney's eczema.

I buy all of my vitamins, except for Juice Plus and the fish oil, at The Vitamin Shoppe. I love that store. The sales people are extremely knowledgeable and if you buy something and don't like it you can take it back for store credit.

One more thing when picking a vitamin. You want to stay away from tablet form if at all possible. Tablets are filled with glues and binders because it's the only thing that will keep them together. I always look for a capsule. When I was pregnant, I wouldn't take the prescription vitamins my OB recommended because they were in tablet form. I found a brand made by TwinLab called PreNatal Care that I love because it's in a capsule. The next time you go to the store look at how many vitamins are in tablet form. You will be amazed. I will get off my soap box now. In case you are wondering, Brian and I take all the same things that the girls do, just tweeked a little bit for our needs. I know there is alot and I hope it's not too overwhelming. Please feel free to email me with any questions you might have. As you can tell, I love this kind of stuff and I love my precious girls, so anytime I can learn about how I can keep them healthy I jump on it.

P.S. I do not sell or get paid to endorse any of these products. I am just a fan. Also, you may want to consult your child's physician before starting any of these supplements. Felt like I had to put that in there. :)

Tuesday's Tip (Snack idea)

I can't take credit for this new way to serve my girls a snack. I got it from MckMama's blog and thought it was a great idea that I had to try. My girls are picky eaters and don't eat a whole lot anyway, so I thought this might get them to eat more. It worked. They loved it. There is so much you can put in it. I actually feed them lunch alot of the time in it as well.

Today they had strawberries, turkey, olives, grapes, laughing cow cheese, crackers and pretzels. Usually I have baby carrots as well, but they wanted 2 fruits instead. I purchased the cupcake holders at JoAnn's for $5.99 (after I used a 50% coupon, reg. $9.99) I like the silicon ones instead of the metal pans. I tried the metal pans that I got from the dollar store and they rusted the second day, so I tried these and love them. The nice thing too is that you can leave it out (if you don't have anything that will go bad) and they can sit and snack on it when they want. It also keeps them from fighting over it because they each have their own one. They have them in different colors as well. Let me know if you try it and how your kids like it. I'd be interested to see if it worked for you.

(Yes it is noon and my girls are still in their nightgowns. At least they have clothes on. They wanted them off and I said they had to wait until I took their picture.)