Why I was adorable as a child

One of my favorite stories of myself as a child happens to be horribly disgusting too. I am reminded by it often too.

My mother, sister and I were driving with the windows down. Just as my mother and sister started to gag, I took a deep breath in and said, Wow what smells so good? I'm hungry!"

My mother says, "Well that is the Purina Puppy Chow plant."

At the time, I didn't get it, but every time I pass it again, I happen to start laughing. I can't squelch what a total nerd I was.

Blessedly happy one though.

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Detox, Day 5

I realized I went from Day 1 to Day 5 on my blog. Too bad I couldn't have also skipped those days on the actual detox. lol

It has been a very rocky road. Not easy at all.

Day one wasn't too bad . . . compared to the others.

Day 2 was pretty rough as the actual detox hit my system while I was at work. Needless to say I was worried I wouldn't make it through my shift, but lo and behold, it was okay. The actual drinking of liquids was way easier on day 2, but the body effects were tough. I was tired, achy, little headachy, then add in the fact that my own body decided to detox all the food in a matter of 4 hours, uhm not pretty. I felt pretty shaky for that time, but then it cleared and all was ok.

Day 3 was worse due to the fact that I read the detox too literally. (Me? too literal? never!) I ate fruit for breakfast, ugh I miss my cereal SO BAD. Then had a smoothie shake for snack. Then lunch. Ah, lunch, the one thing I was looking forward to. Bummer. The one cup of rice I made, was under cooked. Then the veggies I stir fried were awful!! They all tasted like turnips. Which apparently I do not like. I picked out the turnips and nawed on the rest. Very unhappily. By afternoon snack time I wanted to kill someone. I knew I wasn't going to continue this detox if I couldn't figure out the food.

I texted my boyfriend and asked him to reread the detox. He said I could eat any veggies, not just the detox specific.

Now I am on board.

Day 5 all is better. I have been cooking the rice every other day. I then have a mixture of whatever veggies are around. Last night for dinner, I made a portobello mushroom in oil and onions then a side salad of spinach, squash, blueberries, strawberries and grapes.

But honestly, I would do a lot for a bowl of cereal or a pizza.

Also, sugar is one mean motherf*cker. I am pretty sure I detoxed sugar on day 3 as well. Have you ever wanted to punch someone repeatedly and then just punch everyone else in arms length? I felt like I just could have gone home and called it good. I truly like people, but day 3 was a hateful day.

Yesterday was really the first day I was around others while eating. Since I take my breaks at work by myself and live by myself, I have been eating alone. Then at my boyfriend's house, I felt like my parent's dogs hovering over while he ate his pasta and bread. I wasn't hungry, I just wanted what he had.

One thing I have learned on this detox, is food is fuel for the body. I do not need it to feel better. I do not need it to enjoy life. It is just fuel for the body. Should it be tasteful? Yes, but most crappy food doesn't really taste all that good. I mean the people I work with eat pizzas from work which in reality, are so full of grease I cannot taste the food. They smell heavenly, taste? Not so much. The coffee is so chock full of chocolate, what's the point?

I drank an iced tea that was SO MUCH BETTER than the mocha I ever had at Starbucks and it was so much healthier. I realized that food I can make at home is so much more worth it! And with websites like Gluten Free on a Shoestring, I can cook at home all the time. And I really love to cook!!

I am excited to start being gluten free. And not just because I could take this detox and fling it out the nearest window. I am looking forward to being healthier, feeling better and knowing I am making that choice for myself. There are so many wonderful opportunities out there for gluten free individuals, that I know I will not be missing out.

Two more days and I will wake up to a bowl of Chex Cereal and a banana and a pizza (Gluten free, of course) for lunch and probably a big ass steak for dinner (with veggies)!

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Detox, Day 1, Initial Thoughts

Recently tested to have Hypothyroidism, then through more information found out I may have a gluten sensitivity. By the time the time came around to have tests done, I realized that I had cut out pretty much all of my gluten and therefore the tests would be invalid. I chose not to restart on gluten foods only to test myself. Instead, with my doctors approval I moved to a detox cleanse instead and just decided that the next time (if there ever is one) I feel horrible, we can test then. In the meantime, I am happy to move straight to gluten free eating.

It has been almost a month since I started eating clean and then moving to gluten free as well. I have lost two pounds (though I think it may be a little more, but I do not have a scale in my house). My pants feel so much smoother. My body feels lighter, especially my belly and lower belly. I do not have that rock of sickness feeling in my lower abdomen anymore. I am regular (stop there). I am sleeping at night and mostly peacefully. Still have an occasional feeling of not good sleep. I am exercising cardio at least 3 times a week and yoga 4 times a week. I wake up feeling good and ready to start my day. My allergies are better, except for this last couple days with the change in weather. It has been a bit rough with headaches and such, but I am used to the weather changes killing my allergies.

I have been a bit scared of starting this detox because I don't want to cheat and I definitely do not want to turn into a nightmare. I know the two catalysts for me are not eating and being tired. With those two I get really grumpy and unreasonable.

I was a competitive athlete too, so I have been drilled in to always eat and take care of the body. Body needs fuel and food is that fuel. Do not deprive yourself. Which is why I spent weeks thinking about detox and then talking to my doctor about it. 

I am doing the Tosca Reno Detox because it is one I feel I can do. It feels reasonable and healthy. It is only two days of liquids and then clean eating vegetables and 1 cup of GF brown rice for the next 3 to 7 days.

I bought a bunch of Coconut Waters to get me through the first two days. I will be putting 8oz of coconut water then fill with water for every liquid bottle I drink. I then bought GF rice for days 3-7. I have cleaned out my fridge to include only vegetables. All other food, like chicken are in the freezer for safe keeping. I also have Naked Juice to drink 8oz before bed with my meds and also to help my tummy through the night. I haven't decided if I will mix it with protein powder. I suppose I will decide how I feel. I will allow myself one hot herbal decaf tea at work if and when I strongly feel weak and want to cheat.

I woke up this morning with a bit of trepidation. I went downstairs and fed the kitties (wondering if in the two days of no eating food if I will want to eat the cat food) and then filled up my first liquid bottle. I have a feeling I will never want to drink coconut water ever again after this.

I really want to do well and I hope I can keep my spirits up as well.

Have you done the Tosca Reno Detox? Results? Thoughts?

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90% Raw

I have been working on going raw for over a week now. Seems minimal, but I feel pretty good. So far. I did experience a HUGE day of food withdrawal. Sadly it was at work. LOL My poor boss. I lost it before lunch knowing I was going to have to eat my healthy lunch and all I wanted was crap. It was horrible. I was literally nuts for 20 minutes. Him pushing me to eat crap is what helped me choose to eat my healthy lunch. Ironic, huh? About two hours later, I felt the relief of normal again. (well semi-normal)

So far I have struggled the most with making my lunch for work. I have to start making it the night before because I keep hitting snooze til I am running late. Damn. I have to get to sleep earlier. I am trying to leave leftovers in an easy to sort out container that I can just grab and go.

My favorite part is grocery shopping. lol And enjoying my meals once I sit down. I am realizing that I am eating much slower and really tasting my food. I still read while I eat, but I notice I am not wolfing down the food. I find myself knowing ahead of time that I am getting full. I don't need to overeat anymore. I leave the table satisfied with the knowledge I will have a snack in a few hours.

At the end of the day, I reward myself with one oatmeal raisin cookie. They are so good and, of course, all natural.

For example, my food journal looks like this -

Breakfast - 1/2 cup of Muesli with one banana sliced and 1/2 cup of organic milk

Snack - 8oz of Naked Juice Green Machine and 1/4 of a peach sliced (1/4 cup of Raw Protein Powder)

Lunch - half a chicken breast with steamed veggies (broccoli, peppers, carrots)

Snack - cup of decaf coffee and a granola bar (natures path choco)

Dinner - whole wheat tortilla with beans (pinto and black beans), spinach, tomato, avocado

Snack - one oatmeal raisin cookie

Initially I was worried about the cereal I love to eat in the mornings, every morning and honestly, I could live off cereal. Not the good kind either. I am talking Lucky Charms. But who knew I love Muesli!!

Next was the sweets. It has been over a week since I ate anything other than Organic Vanilla Ice Cream, oatmeal raisin cookie and/or a piece of dark chocolate bar. These are my sweets. I have found that fruit is very sweet. Especially if I leave it to ripen. I don't mind it to be soft because it really cures my sweet tooth. I especially love soft, sweet peaches.

Next was my decaf mocha at work. Oh man, I have switched to a latte with honey. Not my favorite, but it does the trick when needed. I just purchased Agave Nectar to take to work and replace the honey. I am also considering taking a half quart of organic milk to take to steam as well. The cafe people are really nice and accommodating.

Next was the exercise. Ugh. Having asthma really makes cardio difficult. I have tried to commit to a minimum of 3xs a week, but my goal is 5xs a week of 30 minutes of cardio. It can be anything. The other day my boyfriend and I walked down to the park (a 10 min walk) and then tossed the football around. Which let me tell you, I thoroughly enjoyed!! I feel a little bad for my boyfriend because as I started to get tired my throwing kinda sucked, but he was a great sport and didn't mind. I would like to pull my bike out of the garage and go on a serious ride, but that hasn't happened yet. A girlfriend and I went camping and we ended up kayaking for 7 miles one day! I offset it all with my yoga 3xs a week.

We made homemade pita bread this past weekend, which I am so enamored with. It made the most wonderful sandwiches with chicken, tomato and spinach!

I made a really awesome homemade spaghetti sauce with 5 tomatoes (peeled skins), 4 cloves of garlic and about 1/4 cup of onion. I then added spicy andoue sausage and poured it all over egg pasta. I had steamed zucchini and squash added to the sauce on my plate (only).

It has been really fun to work with this new type of eating. At times, frustrating as well. We hit Native New Yorker and I had a beer (oh man, it was good) and a burger. I ordered the hamburger (no cheese) with tomato, lettuce and pickles, then took the top of the bun off when it arrived. It was still oh so awesome! I didn't eat any fries either! Amazing, lol.

I joined SparkPeople - again. But I love that I am using the iphone app to record my daily workouts and food intake. I don't like to obsess over food, but I do need to identity what I am eating and when my cravings happen.

The biggest change though is the fact that my lower belly feels SO MUCH LIGHTER. I cannot believe how good it feels to not have all that stuff hanging out inside me. I feel cleansed. I have also had a consistently really bad gassy tummy. I do not have that anymore. What an amazing feeling!

Article:
Found a really fabulous blog that defines the differences between Raw, Clean Eating and Paleo on Even Was Partially Right blog. 

And I really like this article too - Rawlly Rawlly Delicious

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Diagnosis: Hypthyrodism

I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism this past week and realized that many of the dots connected. Finally! I know I shouldn't feel relieved having been diagnosed with a disease, but hey, it's nice to know I can hopefully work on feeling better and not just remain in the dark.

Hypothyrodism - the thyroid gland not producing enough hormone

Symptoms - fatigue (hello?!)
Constipation (just won't talk about this one, mmk?)
sensitivity to cold (all the time)
joint and muscle pain
dry skin (using vanicream)
depression (just thought this was hereditary)
thin, brittle nails (thought this was just dry skin related)


Talking to my doctor, she could put me on medication, but it is so mild at this point neither of us want to go that route until necessary because once I start taking them, I cannot stop. I do not like to be dependent on medications. I just don't.

We agreed to give me up to 30 days to get a diet and exercise plan into action. I have to do the following -
cut out all unprocessed foods (ie: go raw or clean eat)
cardio 3-5xs a week in the morning
continue yoga 3-5xs a week in the evenings

Because of many underlying diseases that stem from this disease she would like to see me eventually go gluten free to help that out as well. Uhm, let's just try to begin the above program first.

I started by buying a couple of cookbooks and sending out a need for good wishes from my family and friends. I then cleaned out my cupboards and fridge. This wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The one thing I worry about is losing my cereal. I LOVE CEREAL! I could eat this all day. I probably could live off it. Not to healthily but I could. The other worry was having the ability to cook often enough at home to allow for variation without a lot of fuss.  I really enjoy cooking, but don't necessarily like to do it every single day. Which is why it has been so hard to diagnose me. I tend to eat really healthy for weeks, then go crap food for a week, then back to healthy. I stay just under the normal thyroid evaluations and usually when I make my doctor appointments it's because I feel crappy and have already switched back to healthy food.

Looking at the diets with hypothyroidism (if you believe them as there is a lot of debate about what is good for thyroidism) they mimic the raw diet as closest. I really like to have recipes to go off of, so that is where I started. (And as my doctor recommended I eat unprocessed it made sense)

I will still be eating lots of protein, in fact it should realistically be the major part of my plate. Followed by lots of vegetables and fruits. I need to cut out all breads and pastas or replace them with all natural made. I have learned very quickly that though there are many foods that profess to be healthy and clean, they are not. I read many a labels while shopping and so many have GUM or weird unpronounceable items in them. These are not clean. This may require I make many of my spreads, dressings, etc at home, but I am willing to take a look at my nearby health food grocery store and see what they have to offer.

The first challenge being cereal, I found that Muesli is wonderfully good and flavorful. I scoop 1/2 cup into a bowl along with either sliced banana or raspberries and blueberries for breakfast. I then have a shake of some kind in a few hours with protein supplement (just purchased Garden of Life Protein from a recommendation of a Vegan friend). For lunch I will need to be crafty because I like to look forward to food while working.

This past week I settled on crock pot of beans where I mixed black beans and pinto beans with half an onion and a few cloves of garlic. I then purchased some awesome whole wheat tortillas to wrap them in with lots of veggies, including sprouts, spinach, tomatoes, avocado. Notice I didn't say cheese? Yep, cheese is very processed. As is milk. I now have organic milk and cut out cheese. I did find a block of unprocessed cheese, but have yet to try it. I will be having to slice and shred my own cheese because only the unprocessed comes in blocks.

That is really the beginning of the process. I am sure I will blog more about this as I find out new tricks and new challenges (like eating out in restaurants)!

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