We made it!

A few cheats - mostly unavoidable or unknowingly, small cheats...but overall I went for a month without sugar, wheat, dairy, red meat, caffeine, alcohol, vinegar, medications, or any processed or refined foods. It sounded like a crazy challenge, and I thought I'd be miserable. The first few days were hard, cravings and habits had to be broken, but after week one it got a little easier, but a bit boring with the menu I had laid out. During week 2 I started trying new things, to make dinners more interesting. Week 3 was exciting to include new things into my regular routine, and week 4 I was amazed at how easy it was to eat really healthy and feel really good about it. My husband Jay never complained once about anything I cooked, he ate what he wanted at lunch and a few dinners without me and he lost 10 pounds! (As did a few girls from our group!) He's enjoyed the food as much as me, so I'm sure much of this will continue in the weeks that follow. I am contemplating setting another goal for March with a little less restrictions but including dairy, caffeine, vinegar and red meat back into my diet in small amounts. Overall a huge success in my household, not just for the month but for months to come. Thanks to all of you for your support and encouragement. If any of you are thinking of clearing some toxins from your diet, we'd be happy to help. The amazing changes from each person in the group is amazing. I can't wait for them to share their experiences - they had some truly amazing shifts in their health and well being. Way to Go Girls!! And Thanks Kirsten!! We could not have done it without you!
I think I'll celebrate with a Grande Double Shot Whole Milk Dolce Latte with Whip and Drizzle!

3 weeks - the final stretch...

Well, still hanging in there. I survived a whole day away from home with snacks and questions at 2 restaurants. I may have cheated a little - had some mustard in a dressing and stopped at starbucks and got a Vanilla Rooibos Latte which i thought was a vanilla herbal tea. I asked for almond or rice milk and they offered lactose free milk - so i went with it (not sure what exactly it was), and I think they put some Vanilla sugar in it as well. I was worried I'd have the runs on the drive home - but everything was fine. Too bad, I was hoping to be allergic to Starbucks. I would save money!

As we wrap up the final week, I'm wondering what I'm going to indulge in first...I have lots of ideas, but I think I'll try to introduce one at a time in order to see if I have any intolerances. Coffee, Pizza, Wine, Cookies, all the good/bad stuff! Having said that, I can see how easy it will be to maintain a healthy eating style now that I know how to do it. I'm really amazed that in only a few weeks I've learned how to cook so differently. (and easily).

I've been reflecting on how this detox has got me to try new foods and things I never would have tried. My whole family really likes rice crackers (which I thought would taste like rice cakes - but they don't, they are soo good.) Also, i had raw Tuna, occtopus, A whole fish (head and all!), Cornish hen, fennel, celery root, and I know how to use fresh herbs too! I think my eating habits have been changed for good, and i hope yours have too.

See you all on Saturday for our Detox Potluck! Please bring your favorite Detox foods and recipes to share.

More than half way through!!

Congratultions to all of you who have made it this far. It's really amazing how great we all have been doing with this Detox and not cheating! I'm really impressed. Sounds like we all have found this a little easier then expected and our family members are benefiting too. It's great to hear how many of you are trying new foods and experiementing with recipes. I love hearing about the health benefits you are all experiencing. I think the over all consenses is that we may keep many of these new eating habits.

So with Valentines day behind us and a little less than 2 weeks to go, I'm confident we'll all make it though the full month. Keep me posted with challenges, recipe ideas, and experiences of how you've noticed your health has changed or improved.

Happy Cleansing!

Valentines Day Ideas?

Hey Girls,
I'm starting to get inspired to try some new ideas for Valentine's Day and I'm wondering what if you have come up with anything. I know I'm going to make heart shaped pancakes for Naomi with a gluten free pancake mix with almond milk, topped with agave and berries for breakfast. I'm thinking Cornish Hen might be on our menu and something special, but I've never made it or had it before... Also wondering if anyone has come across an appetizer or dessert that could fit our restrictions. I'm all ears for advice...

I like Jen's comment about telling your man you don't want chocolate this year - but jewelry will do. I'll try that...a girl can dream!

11 Days Into It

Nearly 2 weeks in, and today is the first day i didn't want a coffee when I woke up - I wouldn't have even had one if I could, which really surprised me. I've found lots of great recipes and have taken time to try new things. Actually a little planning and a few trips to the health food section has satisfied many urges & cravings. At this point i don't miss most of what we can't have.

I'm finding it really interesting to notice my habits and cravings at certain times of the day often because I'm not getting enough down time or sleep. The only time I want carbs is around the 2:00 point in the day (usually when I haven't slept well or eatten enough), or around 9:00 at night, when I should be going to be early, but stay up a little longer reading or watching TV. I'm reading the sleep section in the Hormone Diet by Dr. Natasha Turner, and how sleep interacts with so many hormones. I never knew how sleep deprived most of us are and how our sleep habits directly relate to our nutrition and weight gain, although I think Kirsten has been trying to tell me this for awhile now...

I'd love to hear how you all are doing and how your feeling. Anybody get a surge of energy or feel really great??

Any Tips/Tricks to get through this weekend...Valentines Day?!

9 Days Down

For those who missed the meeting last night we discussed PH and how maintaining an alkaline state is ideal. Anyone who has an illness has a high acidity level. Testing your PH levels is real simple. I passed out litmus paper strips last night so you can do this test on your own to see where your at. I also handed out a few pages from the Hormone Diet from Dr. Natasha Turner explaining why PH is important and exactly how to do a PH test for yourself. We took some blood pressures, reviewed cook book (which are in the studio for review and copy at any time), then the best part was sharing my dessert discovery. Even palates from non-detoxers thought they were good. Here's the recipe...modified from Tony Horton's Sticky Bar
You will need:
1/2 medium banana, 1/4 cup almond butter, 1 cup unsweetened granola, hand full of rice puffs, and a sprinkle of flax seeds and hemp seeds.

Mash it all together then roll into a log and put in the freezer for 1.5 hours. When you take it out you can cut them into a cookie size or I prefer rolling them into a little ball (looks like a bon bon!)

If you can't find unsweetened granola you can make mine:
Toast a handful of peacans, sliced almonds, and sesame seeds about 10 min.
Once cool add to 1 cup of gluten free oatmeal (mine doesn't say gluten free - opps)
and 1/4 cup of aguave syrup and 1/4 cup of dried cranberries. Mix together and lay out on a peice of wax paper and bake until golden.

This makes about 4 cups of granola, but stores well.
The log is big too, and sweet, it should last you all week if you don't share...

Enjoy!

We made it a Full Week!

Wow - hard to believe I've had no glutten, sugar, dairy, caffiene, etc. for over a week. The finding what to eat part isn't that hard, Jay even says he's likes what I've been making for dinner too. It was the mental/emotional part that really got me. When I was tired, i would go for sugar or caffiene to get me through the hump. When I didn't plan my meals properly, I would pop a peice of cheese or have a sandwich. Habits of eating later at night or while watching TV was another habit I had to break through. The cravings have almost all past, but the urge to have a cookie drove me to a health food store in search of something that would satisy. I left with this date/nut round thing that tasted nothing like a cookie, rather disappointing. Luckly thanks to Tony Horton (P90X guy) I found a great recipe for dessert! It's sweet, crunchy, soft, and it' only made of good stuff. I'll share it with the gang tonight!! Good good news, now that I've faced my habits, I'm making changes to relax more, get more sleep, and drink more water. I know my skin is doing much better because I'm wearing less and less makeup each day and I didn't feel tired when I woke up this morning. I can't wait to see the changes that take place this coming week!! Thanks everyone for your support, keep it coming!!