Finish Strong!

Sorry I haven't written lately.  This week has been busy. I hope everyone is doing well on their program. Reminder, Sunday is your last day! (Like you needed a reminder for that, right!?)  Go all the way through Sunday.  Don't wake up Sunday and think, well today is the last day so I think I'll eat some pancakes! Please don't do that...wait until Monday at least.  Well hopefully pancakes won't be on your list of breakfast foods anymore.  I hope you all have found this journey beneficial and rewarding.  Do you see how much will power you actually have over food?  It truly is amazing.  There is no reason you can't continue on this eating plan.  Just because Sunday is your last day DOES NOT mean you have to go back to eating your old ways on Monday!  Just remember that! You can continue this as long as you want, hopefully your feeling so good you want to continue and never go back to eating the way you used to. So, finish strong!!!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

I had to attend an event the other night and of course the first thing that flashed through my head was "Hmm what am I going to be able to eat there?"  Once I arrived the menus were already in front of us so I immediately picked it up to have a look at what my options were.  Of course the event was held at a little Italian restaurant that had delicious pasta on the menu!  Oh and while you look over your menu they bring out fresh baked bread with dipping oil.  I put an end to that real quick...I asked everyone around me if they wanted a piece, then placed it far out of my sight.

As I drooled over the menu looking at items like Apple Ravioli, Crab Cakes and Stuffed Zucchini, I finally settled on Grilled Chicken Salad...hold the mozzarella cheese and Parmesan ranch dressing please.  It got me thinking, why on earth do restaurants drown yummy just-as-they-are-veggies with garbage.  Deliciously bad for you garbage, but no less garbage.  Really do granny smith apples need to be stuffed inside a jumbo cheese ravioli then smothered with sage butter sauce?  Or how about zucchini stuffed with provolone cheese and prosciutto then fried!  It's no wonder we have such a problem with weight in America.  Look how places are preparing our food.  Not to mention, most people actually look at those options as healthy because they have the words granny smith apple or zucchini in it.  "Well it says it has apple, so it must be good for you." Give me a break! Now, I'm not saying items such as these don't taste great, trust me...they taste great!  But if you are looking to be as healthy as you can be and once this purification program is over stay on track with your newly formed eating habits, then you must exercise caution when going out to eat!  Most people go around thinking "Well it's just this one time" or "Well I can't make this at home" or "It's a special occasion, why can't I have this?".  I'm not here to tell you what you can and can't have.  I just know from experience once you start introducing those unhealthy habits back into your life...then tend to sneak their way back in then stay there until you kick them out again.  And again starts the vicious cycle. 

Did I want something other than grilled chicken salad hold the mozzarella cheese and Parmesan ranch dressing please? Yes of course, but do you know how much better I felt about myself the next morning being able to resist that temptation and conquer my habit of "Well it's just this one time"....I FELT AWESOME!  And so can you! We were made for more than giving in to temptations and filling ourselves with bad food choices when we're having a rough day or driving into a carton of ice cream because our family was getting on our case.  So next time your out at a restaurant, look over your choices (remember you can alter them...you can say hold the cheese and croutons!) and select something that when you wake up in the morning you won't be saying "Why on earth did I chose that?"

Day 10 Is Upon Us

It's already Day 10.  Guess what tomorrow brings? PROTEIN! Yes I'm talking chicken, fish and turkey...for me at least.  I'm really not a fan of any other meats, except beef, but that is not allowed on this cleanse.  And even if it was, I rarely eat it.  So I don't mind not having it for 21 days. 

As I've said before, during this 21 day purification program I am also reading Made To Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desires With God, Not Food.  I am thoroughly enjoying this book! I have been reading a chapter a day (which are not long), and I have also been reading the little eBook that goes along with it called Craving God which is a 21 day challenge. (It is basically a shortened version of the book.)  I have learned a lot of things.  So far I've come away with some great scriptures to use in times of temptation, and I have also learned that I am "made for more".  What I have also learned is that you can replace craving "food" with any other negative habit/desire you have.  The same principles apply.  From the beginning I have wanted to make this 21 day journey about more than just breaking food habits and I feel I am well on my way! 

As a side note: I have a butternut squash in my cupboard and kale in the fridge.  Any suggestions on new recipes to use with these two?  They don't have to be used together...I am just not feeling butternut squash soup this time and I want something exciting for the kale.  So if you have any ideas for me please leave a comment below!

Really, Day 4?

I don't know about you, but day 4 is where I feel I hit my stride.  To me once day 4 is through it seems like smooth sailing.  Maybe you're experiencing something different, and that's okay.  Everyone goes through this journey very differently. 

A couple key things to remember are: 1) Eat. 2) Drink PLENTY of water. 3)Sweat, sweat, sweat. 

Sounds simple, right? Well, make sure to take a look at how your doing in these three areas because many people are surprised they are lacking in at least one of these categories.  This isn't a cleanse where you can only eat your choice of 2 different foods, or limit the amount you can have and starve yourself.  The point is to nourish the body with whole foods!  So eat!  Make sure you are getting 2 times the amount of vegetables in your body than fruits though.  

Speaking of Sweat.  Yet again I can not make it to yoga tonight.  And the picture to the right is the reason why. No, not because of my beautiful (but loves-her-dad- more) dog, but because of all that white stuff around her! It snowed again! Ahhh.  That is the only word that comes to mind right now when I think of snow.  It has made me miss 3, yes 3, days of yoga and has forced me to retreat to the dreaded treadmill.  B.O.R.I.N.G.  Maybe I'll try my luck one more time with the On Demand exercise videos tonight.  Tomorrow night is Infrared Sauna night, then I should be back on track to do yoga Saturday-next Sunday.  =) 

If anyone has a new recipe for me to try I welcome it with open arms.  

Feel The Burn

Well today is day 3 of our SP Purification Program.  I hope everyone is feeling great!  I know personally I have had absolutely no withdrawal this time.  That is due to the fact that I gave up coffee almost 2 months ago.  I remember the first time I did this program (2 years ago), I had a massive headache for the first 2 days because of coffee withdrawal.  I was determined to never let that happen again.  If you are dealing with that type of situation then this is the day that headache should be lessened if not completely gone.  Hang on, it will go away.

So, I did my yoga class on Monday...and it was a wonderful 75 minute hot power yoga mess!  I don't remember the last time I took 75 minutes to focus on my breath.  I don't think ever!  Usually when I practice yoga I get frustrated because I'm not as limber as I once was, or I get bored or my mind won't quite down long enough for me to actually enjoy the experience.  For some reason this time was different.  I was completely relaxed and at ease.  I didn't even get frustrated once!  I honestly don't remember thinking about anything other than breathing during those 75 minutes.  It was blissful!  I give most, if not all of that credit to my yoga teacher.  She was amazing!  Now 2 days later I'm still sore, but loving it!  I can't wait to go back.  I've had to put my "becoming a yogi" on hold for the last 2 days because of this wonderful yet annoying thing we call here in the north...SNOW.  As much as I love it, I can't stand it just as much.  I feel like all of that progress I made on Monday night toward being relaxed, grounded, focused, calm all went out the window Tuesday because of the aggravation snow brings to me.  But again, maybe I should take this as a sign that I need to slow down and realize that I am not the one in control. 

So...back to yoga on Thursday! =)

Today I am leaving you with a recipe that one of my patients had on her blog.  It's called Green Goddess Rice and although I have not tried it yet, I'll be sure to make it this weekend! Doesn't that look yummy!

Becoming a Yogi

Yes, it's true.  Although I recommend yoga to many of my patients I don't actually practice it on a regular basis myself.  I have found that it is impossible for me to do yoga at home from a DVD or from our OnDemand fitness channel thing.  I need to be in a room with others being pushed beyond what I thought my limits were.  For some reason I just can't do that at home with yoga.  I'm the kind of gal that likes being pushed physically by others and yelled at (think boot camp) to get a great workout in.  Now my treadmill at home will kick my butt...if I actually get on it.  I find it so boring though.  I rather be outside running or at a group class of some sorts. 

Exercise was always an important part of my life, but now life has just gotten so busy that it is hard to find time to devote to (mainly because I feel guilty because of all the million other things waiting to get done or read) the amount of exercise I know it takes to be not only physically healthy but mentally as well.  But again, that's what New Year's Resolutions are for, right?  Yes, for me it is!  After Christmas I always write down a list of New Year's Resolutions...and this year my list was long.  Many of them all circle around a main theme.  Take Better Care Of Myself.  This includes: "become more active", "no, don't have those cheat days", "get to your goal weight and stay there", "love yourself for who you are", "get grounded" and "practice yoga frequently and become more flexible". 

Near our office is a yoga studio called Amazing Yoga.  I've attend classes there before, but of course I always got to busy to continue.  Well, they are offering 2 weeks of unlimited yoga for only $25.  I could not pass that up.  So begins my journey of becoming a yogi.  You better believe I'll be at the studio 6 days a week, starting tonight! 

P.S. the picture above is not me...now. But it will be me by the end of the year. 

Ready, Set, Cleanse!

So it is the weekend before our big cleanse!  I just wanted to give you a quick reminder to...PREPARE!  I'm telling you, this goes SO much easier if you are prepared.  So go food shopping, cut up veggies, cook your brown rice, wild rice and lentils, get your meal plan ready!  You will be so glad you did.

I don't know about you but I can't wait for Monday.  I just smile thinking about how incredible I felt the last time and I look forward to that feeling again.  Our bodies are amazing beings that deserve nothing but the best put in them so they can function just as they were intended.  And I applaud you all for taking the first step!

So take this weekend to prepare...both physically & emotionally.  Write out a list of what you want to accomplish.  It can be anywhere from "better health" to "lose 5 lbs." to "have more mental clarity" to "connect with myself more".  The possibilities are endless...you just have to decide what you want and then go after it!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

P.S. A little tip: don't go overboard with eating everything & anything this weekend just so you can get it in because "Monday I'll be cleansing".  If you do this you'll have a rough day Monday!

I'm Doing Things Different This Time...

Since I have done this Cleanse several times before, I decided I need to challenge myself this time around.  I get bored easily if I keep doing the same things over and over again, I like to spice things up a bit!  If you've been to our office you know I'm always looking to change paint colors, re-decorate, see what can be improved upon, etc.  I am always looking for change.  So for this cleanse I decided to not only incorporate a physical body cleanse, but also a mental/emotional/spiritual cleanse as well for the 21 day period.

I was listening to K-Love this morning on my way to the office and this woman Lysa TerKeurst was guest hosting and talking about her new book Made To Crave: Satisfy Your Deepest Desire With God, Not Food.  I thought...how fitting!  The whole point of “Made to Crave” is to help people find their ‘want to’- the spiritual and emotional motivation to make lasting changes.  God made us to crave more of Him, not food.  This is just what I need to move forward on my walk with God and to help me cleanse my life!  So I went online to Amazon to see about purchasing this book, and I found Craving God by Lysa TerKeurst which is a 21- day devotional challenge to accompany Made To Crave.  What is it about the number 21 that I love?!?  I am super excited to embark on this changed journey to greater health for myself.

If you feel you need to push yourself a little further on the cleanse, go ahead and make it what you want!  This is the direction I'm feeling the need to follow. 

Wishing you much success! =)