Hey!
Long time no talk!
Detox has been over for 4 days now and it has truly been such a learning experience. My stomach has shrunk and I get full so easily. My taste buds are super activated and certain foods I really enjoyed before just don't taste so great to me anymore. For example, vinaigrettes (or anything really acidic for that matter) make my taste buds tingle and all I can really identify is the bitterness of it. Also, I was a big fan of seafood (tuna sandwiches, mahi, salmon, shrimp) and the two bites that I've taken in the past couple days are FOUL. So fishy tasting and strong. It is really quite interesting. And I think that my taste buds will slowly readjust to my old eating preferences.
I need to get moving. That is my next set of goals for this action plan. I want to start running. Maybe I should purchase the "couch to 5k" app and get my rear in gear! Maybe. I want to kick that fitness assessments ass at the end of the 28 days.
I am going to be working so much this weekend. I hope I can keep my eating habits on track. The most important trick I've learned is to have lots of healthy snacks on hand at any given time. There is now always a sandwich bag full of carrots and usually an apple on my person at any given time. It really helps and then since I'm not so ravenous by meal time and I make smarter choices.
I have definitely been "eating the rainbow" in vegetables (like the plan advises) but I need to up my fruit intake. Tonight, I made chicken tacos using part of the box dinner kit (the seasoning and the soft shell) and made my own healthy version. It was so good and so easy. I cooked up the chicken and then threw in some broccoli in the same pan with the seasoning. I used chopped spinach instead of lettuce, chopped fresh tomatoes and fat-free greek yogurt for sour cream. Soooo, delicious I really wished I could have fit more than one in my shrunken belly!
Healthy cooking is so easy and really is affordable. I wish more people realized this and made simple switches that would be so beneficial to their health. Ok, I'll get off the soap box now.
Until next time! Cheers!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Day number 7...last detox day
Hello!
And welcome to the last day of my detox! Woke up early and went to breakfast with Patrick. Where I munched on some fruit while he ate the breakfast of champions. Had my power smoothie before work. I had tons of energy and was in a great mood! However, I was making some silly mistakes and was a little clumsy (more than usual). I couldn't help but wonder whether this was a result of my diet. I came home from work around 5 and was ravenously hungry. So I made...guess what... CHICKEN... and veggies. Imagine that. I am so tired of chicken and vegetables! I mean, my lunch/dinner was good but I just can't wait to switch it up. According to the plan, I could have made salmon but a) I don't really like salmon and b) the food list was getting too pricey to add organic fish to list.
So, to wrap up the experience of the last four days and what I've learned:
-I was eating way too much before hand.
-I need to eat more "real" food (fruits, veggies....anything not pre-packaged).
-I haven't eaten one meal out in 7 days. That in itself is an accomplishment.
-Staying hydrated is sooooo important. My muscles and joints feel AMAZING!!
-I have will power! (I just never really examined this before- and I'm glad to know its there.)
-"Early to bed, early to rise" is actually something worth considering.
-I love my body and love to nourish it.
The plan for next week is to "eat the rainbow". That is, 7 servings of fruits and veggies daily. And of all different colors. A lot of you may have heard of this before: that eating a variety of colors ensures a variety of nutrients and phytochemicals that help protect and nourish the body. I plan on putting myself to the test. I'm going to try to cover ROYGBIV... or at least most of it! Also, they plan for you to go vegetarian for most meals. Which I already pretty much do so that won't be a problem.
I am excited to return to regular eating. Mainly because my thoughts have been surrounding food and what I am supposed to eat and not supposed to eat. I don't think this plan long term would be very healthy, just because of that.
For tonight, I am going to truck through the evening and go to the movies! I am so happy to have made it this far!
xoxox,
Courtney
P.S. 47 days till Christmas!
And welcome to the last day of my detox! Woke up early and went to breakfast with Patrick. Where I munched on some fruit while he ate the breakfast of champions. Had my power smoothie before work. I had tons of energy and was in a great mood! However, I was making some silly mistakes and was a little clumsy (more than usual). I couldn't help but wonder whether this was a result of my diet. I came home from work around 5 and was ravenously hungry. So I made...guess what... CHICKEN... and veggies. Imagine that. I am so tired of chicken and vegetables! I mean, my lunch/dinner was good but I just can't wait to switch it up. According to the plan, I could have made salmon but a) I don't really like salmon and b) the food list was getting too pricey to add organic fish to list.
So, to wrap up the experience of the last four days and what I've learned:
-I was eating way too much before hand.
-I need to eat more "real" food (fruits, veggies....anything not pre-packaged).
-I haven't eaten one meal out in 7 days. That in itself is an accomplishment.
-Staying hydrated is sooooo important. My muscles and joints feel AMAZING!!
-I have will power! (I just never really examined this before- and I'm glad to know its there.)
-"Early to bed, early to rise" is actually something worth considering.
-I love my body and love to nourish it.
The plan for next week is to "eat the rainbow". That is, 7 servings of fruits and veggies daily. And of all different colors. A lot of you may have heard of this before: that eating a variety of colors ensures a variety of nutrients and phytochemicals that help protect and nourish the body. I plan on putting myself to the test. I'm going to try to cover ROYGBIV... or at least most of it! Also, they plan for you to go vegetarian for most meals. Which I already pretty much do so that won't be a problem.
I am excited to return to regular eating. Mainly because my thoughts have been surrounding food and what I am supposed to eat and not supposed to eat. I don't think this plan long term would be very healthy, just because of that.
For tonight, I am going to truck through the evening and go to the movies! I am so happy to have made it this far!
xoxox,
Courtney
P.S. 47 days till Christmas!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
#6
'Ello!
It is the second to last day of my detox. I've been awake for about 2 hours and feel amazing. I woke up with so much energy and in a great mood (this, my friends, is a rarity). I am going to have the leftovers of my mango smoothie and then make some detox-approved stir fry to bring with me to work. I have long shift ahead and I'm honestly nervous about it. As long as things go smoothly I should be fine. I'm going to bring an arsenal of snacks, which should help. And make the "power smoothie" for my dinner. I have gone to bed before 11 every night this week and will probably be working until about 2 am tonight. I just don't know how this is going to play out! Wish me luck. =)
Oh, something I forgot to mention in my post about the fitness results (day #3) is that I will be doing the same test at the end of the 28 days. The goal is to improve my results through regular exercise and sticking with a healthy eating plan. Just thought I should clarify.
Until my shift tonight, I think I'm going to relax and so some light yoga/meditation. You know, get my head right for nonsense I'm probably going to encounter tonight (drunk kickball players and cheap drink specials...great).
Tomorrow is the last day! I can't believe its already the end-eve.
Have a good day!
It is the second to last day of my detox. I've been awake for about 2 hours and feel amazing. I woke up with so much energy and in a great mood (this, my friends, is a rarity). I am going to have the leftovers of my mango smoothie and then make some detox-approved stir fry to bring with me to work. I have long shift ahead and I'm honestly nervous about it. As long as things go smoothly I should be fine. I'm going to bring an arsenal of snacks, which should help. And make the "power smoothie" for my dinner. I have gone to bed before 11 every night this week and will probably be working until about 2 am tonight. I just don't know how this is going to play out! Wish me luck. =)
Oh, something I forgot to mention in my post about the fitness results (day #3) is that I will be doing the same test at the end of the 28 days. The goal is to improve my results through regular exercise and sticking with a healthy eating plan. Just thought I should clarify.
Until my shift tonight, I think I'm going to relax and so some light yoga/meditation. You know, get my head right for nonsense I'm probably going to encounter tonight (drunk kickball players and cheap drink specials...great).
Tomorrow is the last day! I can't believe its already the end-eve.
Have a good day!
Friday, November 5, 2010
Day Number Five
Good evening, folks!
I gotta tell you, the second day of detox was pretty difficult. I think I overworked myself a bit. Woke up around 7:45, completed the detox yoga poses provided in the plan I'm following. Then worked from 10-4. Then, came home and cleaned a bit. Annnd then, went to Adventure Landing with some friends to celebrate a birthday. Because of my low energy levels I ended up just playing arcade games all night (I won like 1000 tickets!) while the rest of the crew played laser tag, go carts and put put. Looking back, I probably could have joined but I didn't want to over do it. I felt so tired from working out, cleaning and working on my feet for 6 hours. That is the only thing that is really getting to me from this detox. It could be mental, but I just don't feel like I have my full strength and gusto. I did have fun last night and was more than happy to be the DD. That was a help for everyone!
Honestly, I have shocked myself with how well I've stayed on program. Everyday I wake up more and more clear headed. It is a great feeling. Still, the only thing I'm craving is bread and coffee. But its not even that strong anymore. One thing I'm beginning to realize is that I don't need any one type of food or drink (mentally) but I do enjoy them. From this perspective, I won't be relying on coffee to get me through my day- as I did before. Now, it will be something I enjoy.
On that note, I'm off to sip some "sleepytime tea" and watch a movie.
Muchos Besos,
Courtney
I gotta tell you, the second day of detox was pretty difficult. I think I overworked myself a bit. Woke up around 7:45, completed the detox yoga poses provided in the plan I'm following. Then worked from 10-4. Then, came home and cleaned a bit. Annnd then, went to Adventure Landing with some friends to celebrate a birthday. Because of my low energy levels I ended up just playing arcade games all night (I won like 1000 tickets!) while the rest of the crew played laser tag, go carts and put put. Looking back, I probably could have joined but I didn't want to over do it. I felt so tired from working out, cleaning and working on my feet for 6 hours. That is the only thing that is really getting to me from this detox. It could be mental, but I just don't feel like I have my full strength and gusto. I did have fun last night and was more than happy to be the DD. That was a help for everyone!
Honestly, I have shocked myself with how well I've stayed on program. Everyday I wake up more and more clear headed. It is a great feeling. Still, the only thing I'm craving is bread and coffee. But its not even that strong anymore. One thing I'm beginning to realize is that I don't need any one type of food or drink (mentally) but I do enjoy them. From this perspective, I won't be relying on coffee to get me through my day- as I did before. Now, it will be something I enjoy.
On that note, I'm off to sip some "sleepytime tea" and watch a movie.
Muchos Besos,
Courtney
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Fourth day... First detox day
Good evening ladies and gentlemen!
I hope this message finds you well.
Today is my first day of detox and I feel the best I've felt over the past four days!
This morning I had the mango smoothie: (see above)
chopped mango
avocado
kale (welll... I accidentally bought bok choy-haha but it did the trick)
coconut water (this stuff is bizarre, but tasty, and really good for you)
soy-free almond milk (I bought vanilla, no difference in sugar and actually less calories)
And YES, that IS a green moustache. I couldn't help it. =) Plus, it is "Mo-vember". Oh, you don't know about that? Look it up. Definitely worth a google trip.
It looks crazy but was actually pretty good. I think the almond milk and avocado gave it a creaminess and bulked up the protein. I felt pretty full for a few hours. To get me through the school day I munched on carrots and strawberries. Plus, TONS of water. I can't even tell you how good it feels to be so hydrated. Before, I didn't even notice what it felt like to be dehydrated... I'll always be able to distinguish now. I am feeling really good about my decision to do this now. However, Tuesday I would have told you something totally different. I am quite curious to see where I am in 24 days.
For lunch/dinner (it was around 5:30-6:00) I made almond crusted chicken. It was quite easy; I just chopped some plain almonds, minced some garlic and added 3 tpsn olive oil then made a "paste" out of it. Spread it over two chicken breasts (saved one for lunch tomorrow), in the oven for 20 minutes and Viola! Very good and soooo filling. To boot, I put it on top of some spinach a few slices of tomato. I don't even know if I'll be able to take down my second portion of mango smoothie for the day.
After the detox is over, the trick is to slowly ease yourself back into regular eating patterns (ie., three solid meals a day). For some reason I feel like I'm going to be weary of what I start eating at first.
oh! CRAVING ALERT: I don't think I could physically stand to be around someone eating bread right now. That is the only real thing I'm missing. (Besides coffee, of course.)
I am quite pleased to see that my mood and energy level are returning to "normal". Without caffeine and alcohol I am going to bed and waking up much earlier. I am wondering if this is responsible for my change in clarity and energy. This sleep pattern is another thing I hope to stick with once the detox is over.
I hope tomorrow is like today!
xoxo,
Courtney Laine
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Day 3
Day 3
For lunch I had a small salad with green pepper, cucumber, lots of tomatoes topped with some hummus. Again, SOOO good and really refreshing. I snacked on a few whole grain crackers. I have been drinking so much water and feel really good.
For dinner, I'll have my leftover chicken, spinach and green bean dinner. Yum!
So, according the plan I completed the fitness assessment this evening. It consists of 4 categories:
cardio (stepping on a 1 ft incline for 3 minutes straight)
arm strength (push ups until muscle exhaustion)
testing core strength (hold plank position while raising each arm, then each leg and then arm & a leg, each for 30 secs at a time- tough!)
flexibility test (how many inches your fingers go past base of foot).
Here are my results based on their rating:
Cardio: 89 beats per minute- average/good
Arm Strength: 24 push ups- average
Core strength: finished all except arm and leg- average (more like, mediocre)
4 inches past feet on the stretch: good
Just preparing for the detox has been pretty tough. I am actually kinda worried about the next few days along with work. But I did find a little side note on the action plan that snacks are allowed, ie. almonds, berries and fresh veggies. That made me SO happy. I simply can not work 10 hours going on piece of fish and two smoothies. Nooo way, Jose.
Numero Dos
Hola,
First things first, I hope you voted today!
It is day two and honestly, I have been tired and sluggish. Woke up around 830 and lazily stretched instead of doing yoga. I just could not wake myself up. Tried to make it without caffeine but had a cup of (double bagged) green tea. It helped but didn't do as much as my rocket fuel coffee I'm used to. =) Went grocery shopping but didn't get quite everything on the detox list. Started out with some chicken and LOTS of fresh veggies.
Today, I had a smoothie (Pomegranate Punch from Smoothie King no turbinado) for breakfast, and 3 crackers with peanut butter and an apple for a snack. For lunch I had 1/2 a v8 creamy tomato soup. To that, I added about 6 chopped up baby carrots, 1/2 a tomato and some spinach. I highly suggest you do this...it came out quite delectable.
And then for dinner, I made chicken sauteed in a little olive oil, juice of a 1/2 a lemon and lots of garlic and basil. YUM! On the side I had green beans and spinach sauteed in very small amount of peanut oil and again, lots of garlic. Very fresh tasting and filling.
I am hoping tomorrow is much better as far as my energy levels. School today was so hard to get through for some reason. I don't know if it was my diet or my caffeine intake. Hmm.. only time will tell.
First things first, I hope you voted today!
It is day two and honestly, I have been tired and sluggish. Woke up around 830 and lazily stretched instead of doing yoga. I just could not wake myself up. Tried to make it without caffeine but had a cup of (double bagged) green tea. It helped but didn't do as much as my rocket fuel coffee I'm used to. =) Went grocery shopping but didn't get quite everything on the detox list. Started out with some chicken and LOTS of fresh veggies.
Today, I had a smoothie (Pomegranate Punch from Smoothie King no turbinado) for breakfast, and 3 crackers with peanut butter and an apple for a snack. For lunch I had 1/2 a v8 creamy tomato soup. To that, I added about 6 chopped up baby carrots, 1/2 a tomato and some spinach. I highly suggest you do this...it came out quite delectable.
And then for dinner, I made chicken sauteed in a little olive oil, juice of a 1/2 a lemon and lots of garlic and basil. YUM! On the side I had green beans and spinach sauteed in very small amount of peanut oil and again, lots of garlic. Very fresh tasting and filling.
I am hoping tomorrow is much better as far as my energy levels. School today was so hard to get through for some reason. I don't know if it was my diet or my caffeine intake. Hmm.. only time will tell.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Day Number 1
Its the first day of my first 28 day challenge...and to be honest...not much happened! I drank coffee but tomorrow will definitely be switching it to green tea. Had some fruit (banana and an apple) for breakfast, a big salad for lunch and some veggies with pasta sauce for dinner. (Wild!) I feel normal, and for the most part sluggish from last night! Such a wonderful time, by the way! Tons of trick or treaters and TONS of dancing. Halloween is the perfect holiday for young and old to get out and play.
As I worked through the weeks and details of the action plan I came across a section on "doshas". It is basically a form of holistic healing called Ayurveda that describes mind/body types that are naturally inclined to different types of physical activity, body type and attitudes. I'm a Kapha...which is basically a "mother-nature type" (I am quoting here) and lazy! How fitting. =) But its pretty cool because they suggest different foods and exercises that balance out my dosha. I'm going to give it a shot. After my detox, of course.
You can take the quiz for yourself here: http://www.wholeliving.com/quiz/dosha
Tomorrow I will be shopping for all my detox foods. I am the most nervous about cutting out gluten. Fasting (or in this case, cutting out two solid food meals) is meant to lighten the load on the metabolism so the energy in the body can be used to push out toxins and clean itself out. And they have me convinced that cutting out gluten will lighten this load. Or at least, I'm choosing to believe it so I don't think its a waste.
I am heading to bed early tonight so I can wake up early and do vinyasa yoga (according to my dosha recommendations), go shopping and then finish my day with school and work.
Here we go!
As I worked through the weeks and details of the action plan I came across a section on "doshas". It is basically a form of holistic healing called Ayurveda that describes mind/body types that are naturally inclined to different types of physical activity, body type and attitudes. I'm a Kapha...which is basically a "mother-nature type" (I am quoting here) and lazy! How fitting. =) But its pretty cool because they suggest different foods and exercises that balance out my dosha. I'm going to give it a shot. After my detox, of course.
You can take the quiz for yourself here: http://www.wholeliving.com/quiz/dosha
Tomorrow I will be shopping for all my detox foods. I am the most nervous about cutting out gluten. Fasting (or in this case, cutting out two solid food meals) is meant to lighten the load on the metabolism so the energy in the body can be used to push out toxins and clean itself out. And they have me convinced that cutting out gluten will lighten this load. Or at least, I'm choosing to believe it so I don't think its a waste.
I am heading to bed early tonight so I can wake up early and do vinyasa yoga (according to my dosha recommendations), go shopping and then finish my day with school and work.
Here we go!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Happy Halloween! and Experiment #1 Eve...
Hello!
I'm a lion...hear me ROOARR!
It's is one of my FAVORITE days of the year. I am going to eat a big dinner, give away candy to all the little trick or treaters and then go out for dancing and celebrating.
So...after the festiveness ends tonight, so will my misbehaving (bad kitty!). Tomorrow I will start preparing for my detox. Which is probably much needed after the weekend's celebrations. I will be weaning myself off caffeine slowly eliminating the items that are off-limits during the detox period. I'll be focusing on "whole grains, veggies, fruits, chicken and fish". Whole Living so kindly provides a shopping list for the first week... I'm really excited for the grocery shopping!
Today is great day. There is so much to be excited about! I hope everyone has a wonderful and happy Halloween!!
xoxo,
Courtney
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Let the countdown begin....
So, it is four days before the start of my first "challenge". I am calling this stint a challenge because I am anticipating it being difficult to give up vices and change my lifestyle.
You can view the complete plan here: http://www.wholeliving.com/photogallery/action-plan-week-1.
Gluten (wheat, oats, etc.), caffeine (eek), alcohol, peanuts and almost all sugars are among the things that I will be giving up. (Especially for the first week and a half.) I'm assuming the first three items on that list are going to prove especially troubling...
On the other hand, I am looking forward to trying the soups and smoothies and focusing on whole, natural foods. What I am looking forward to most is "hitting the reset" button as I like to say when it comes to detoxing. I have done a 72 hour juice-only fast before and its like rewiring your system to crave things that are naturally good for it. I have mixed feelings about the "fitness assessment". I will either be very proud or very embarrassed by my results!
The more I think about November first the more excited I become. Until then, gluttony is king.
=)
You can view the complete plan here: http://www.wholeliving.com/photogallery/action-plan-week-1.
Gluten (wheat, oats, etc.), caffeine (eek), alcohol, peanuts and almost all sugars are among the things that I will be giving up. (Especially for the first week and a half.) I'm assuming the first three items on that list are going to prove especially troubling...
On the other hand, I am looking forward to trying the soups and smoothies and focusing on whole, natural foods. What I am looking forward to most is "hitting the reset" button as I like to say when it comes to detoxing. I have done a 72 hour juice-only fast before and its like rewiring your system to crave things that are naturally good for it. I have mixed feelings about the "fitness assessment". I will either be very proud or very embarrassed by my results!
The more I think about November first the more excited I become. Until then, gluttony is king.
=)
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Its only the beginning...
Hello! First blog ever and I am quite excited about it. The main drive behind this blog is to document my journey through various challenges I will be experimenting with for 28 days at a time. Why 28 days, you ask? Well for the sake of experimenting, 28 days is exactly 4 weeks. Other than that, some cool facts about the number 28 that may or may not have any influence on my decision that 28 days is the perfect amount of time to really get involved with...well, anything: the revolution time of the Sun is 28 days, it is the second perfect number in math and in numerology 28 represents power or strength.
So, this should be interesting.
My first 28 days are going to be spent completing Whole Living's "28 Day Mind and Body Challenge". It begins with a four day detox and claims to improve health, eating habits, energy levels and lower stress through meditation and exercise. Though I am generally healthy now I have some vices and habits that are far from perfect. That being said, I plan to start the 28 days on November 1. After the Halloween festivities, of course!
Talk to you later,
Courtney
xoxox
So, this should be interesting.
My first 28 days are going to be spent completing Whole Living's "28 Day Mind and Body Challenge". It begins with a four day detox and claims to improve health, eating habits, energy levels and lower stress through meditation and exercise. Though I am generally healthy now I have some vices and habits that are far from perfect. That being said, I plan to start the 28 days on November 1. After the Halloween festivities, of course!
Talk to you later,
Courtney
xoxox
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