tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5240332792613212882024-03-13T08:00:32.364-04:00Living Healthy in an Unhealthy WorldRebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436137917944359281noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524033279261321288.post-68220988318369734592012-06-27T17:05:00.000-04:002012-06-27T17:05:50.136-04:00Turn your lemons into lemonade<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s so easy to get down on ourselves when life gets hard. But staying positive is an important part of being healthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember… this too shall pass, there is always someone going through something worse, and think of all the other blessings in your life. Also, try to remember that the things we go through shape the person that we are today. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When life gets you down try to find the good side of things. For instance, I am a type one diabetic but whenever I get down on myself for all the things I have to do and all the ways that my life has to be different I try to remind myself that my experience with diabetes is what got me interested in medicine and that because of it I know my body better than most people. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What are your lemons?<o:p></o:p></span></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436137917944359281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524033279261321288.post-44582767247234836382012-06-20T12:39:00.000-04:002012-06-20T12:39:45.046-04:00Hidden Gluten – for those sensitive but not intolerant to gluten<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Who might be sensitive to gluten? Here are a few examples: Women during pregnancy, type I diabetics, and those suffering from IBS. The biggest problem when you are sensitive to gluten is that no one meal matters. It’s the build-up of gluten in your system overtime that matters. It can take your body a couple of days to digest and process all the gluten you have eaten, so it’s easy to ‘stack’ the gluten up to the point where it bothers you. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You might know not to eat a whole bowl of pasta, but if you eat several foods that have hidden gluten in them throughout the day it could add up to just as much gluten. Here are some items that might have gluten and you should be aware of…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Processed rice and corn products can be contaminated in the factory or have other ingredients that contain gluten. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ice cream because wheat is often used to prevent crystals from forming<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s not just wheat but barley and rye that have gluten in them, so make sure to check the labels for those items as well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Vinegar can contain malt made from barley<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Coolers and hard lemonades often contain malt/barley (and obviously beer). But the good news is that typically wine, champagne, and distilled spirits are gluten free (but the mixes for drinks typically are not).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here are just a few suggestions. If you want to look up what other products/brands might have gluten in them you can visit </span><a href="http://www.celiac.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">www.celiac.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436137917944359281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524033279261321288.post-66709711500054607002012-06-13T15:57:00.000-04:002012-06-13T15:57:40.005-04:00Hidden Gluten – for those with Celica’s disease and gluten intolerance<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Making sure that is no cross contamination is extremely important because a little gluten will have a large response.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Getting products that are certified gluten free will insure they were not contaminated in a factory that might produce other products with gluten in them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s also important that if you do not have a gluten free household that you do not contaminate your gluten free foods. Some advice on this front; make sure that no one double-dips a knife used on bread back into the butter, jam, ect or the gluten from their bread will get into the container, don’t use the same toaster for gluten free bread, and cook all gluten free products (like cookies and muffins) before the gluten ones. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are also many non-food products that may have gluten in them that should be considered. For instance, the glue on envelops, lip sticks/balms, shampoos, skin lotion, ect. There are also some medications and supplements that use gluten products as an added filler/binding ingredient. You can go to </span><a href="http://www.celiac.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">www.celiac.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> for some suggestions on safe brands. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">These are just some suggestions. For more information on products to watch out for you should consult with a health care professional.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436137917944359281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524033279261321288.post-16221775929836236672012-06-06T15:09:00.001-04:002012-06-06T15:09:44.518-04:00Is there Gluten Hidden in your food?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you are not able to eat any gluten, or if you are just sensitive to it (women during pregnancy, Type I diabetics, those with IBS, ect) it’s important to know what foods are naturally gluten free and what foods might be have hidden gluten. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s common knowledge that bread had gluten but what about salad dressings, soy sauce, and ketchup? Do you have to buy the item that is certified gluten free or is the regular item naturally that way? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are a couple of foods that could have gluten hidden in them: soy sauce (gluten free brands LaChoy and Kari-out), salad dressing (gluten products are often used as a thickener), gravies/sauces, reduced-fat products, processed meats (modified starch are often used to bind the meat during processing), and ice cream (wheat is used to prevent crystals from forming).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the following posts there will be more specific recommendations/suggestion for those who are completely intolerant to gluten and those who are just resistant to the product. <o:p></o:p></span></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436137917944359281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524033279261321288.post-81764810836837494772012-04-18T12:38:00.000-04:002012-04-18T12:38:07.554-04:00Are you Allergic to your Food?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Having an allergy to food is not uncommon. There are many people who know they can’t eat peanuts or shellfish because of the massive reaction they have afterwards. But, could you be allergic to dairy or maybe just reactive? What about red peppers, corn, soy, gluten? There are tons of foods out there that people can be allergic to, or at least reactive to, but they may never realize this. Why? Because the reactions are small, can result from a cumulative effect (so little is fine, but it adds up), these items are hidden in foods so we can’t always correlate a reaction with a specific food, or because we don’t realize we’re having a reaction. For instance, acne can be an allergic reaction to corn or gluten, your IBS like symptoms that are off and on and never predictable could be a reaction to gluten or dairy, or the headache you always seem to have could be an allergy to soy. These are just some examples, but I think you get the idea. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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</div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another problem with food allergies is that blood tests are extremely unreliable. Again, you may not even be allergic but just reactive/sensitive to a substance which would not show up on blood work. So, how do you know if you are allergic to a food item, and how do you know which item? Answer: with an elimination diet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If this is something you want to do, I suggest talking to your health care professional, but in general this is how they work: for 30 days you eliminate all possible allergenic foods (like gluten, soy, corn, and dairy) and during this time support your GI system (through probiotics, increased fiber, and some other herbal remedies). Then once the 30 days is up you have ‘splurge’ meals. That is you pick a food item like diary and then you have a dairy heavy meal. You then wait about 2 hours and see how you feel. If you feel fine then you are not allergic to dairy, otherwise dairy may be a substance you are allergic/reactive to. You do this with each allergic food making sure to only add one food back at time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, if you are having problems with low energy, headaches, GI issues, or acne doing an elimination diet may be a great tool to see if the problem is something you are eating. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436137917944359281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524033279261321288.post-30928995773457449962012-04-06T17:10:00.000-04:002012-04-06T17:10:01.301-04:00What does eating healthy even mean?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Do you eat healthy? It seems like a simple questions right? The problem is what is healthy for me may not be healthy for you. So what is healthy then? The answer it typically based on your past experience with food (what you ate growing up and your cultural heritage) and any health concerns you might have. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you grew up eating McDonalds and other fast-food every night for dinner, you might consider homemade chicken and rice (without any veggies) a healthy choice. But if you grew up in a house that typically ate that, you might consider a salad with grilled chicken a health choice. If you grew up in an Italian household eating pasta with veggies might seem like a healthy choice, but not if you have problems with gluten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it comes to a healthy diet, like most things in life it’s all relative. With that being said here are some general advice on what makes a healthy diet (for those without dietary restrictions).<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Don’t forget the vegetables! Many people look at their diet and say… It doesn’t have a lot of fat, it’s not fried, it’s high in protein, there’s not butter, ect but forget to ask the most important question… where are the vegetables and other foods that are packed full of nutrients. It’s not enough to not eat ‘bad’ foods; you have to make sure you eat ‘good’ foods that are high in nutrients. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Make sure to eat enough protein. For whatever reason women tend to not get enough protein in their diet. Protein is an essential part of giving the body the energy it needs on a daily basis. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Minimize simple carbs like white bread, high fructose corn syrup, and sugar. In moderation these things are fine (again depending on your health concerns this may not be true), but a lot of American do not realize how high their diet are in these items and the negative health consequences they can have. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Snacking is a good thing. It’s true, eating many small meals throughout the day is one of the best ways to create a high metabolism. <o:p></o:p></span></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436137917944359281noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524033279261321288.post-5505915138377054892012-04-02T23:12:00.001-04:002012-04-05T09:07:27.336-04:00Acne… it’s not just for kids anymore<div class="MsoNormal">I was a really lucky teenager, I may have had the occasional blemish but overall I never really had acne. That is until I started my Chiropractic internship and then opened my own business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here I thought once I passed my teenage years this would be a problem of the past, FALSE! So, I started to look into all the different causes of acne… and there are several.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is why it can be really hard to treat acne, you have to first determine the cause.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those who have acne here are a couple of the causes with some suggestions on how to help. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><ol><li>Oily skin – the best way to treat this type of acne is by keeping it clean, which means always washing your face in the morning and night. Also, there are several oil absorbing products that can help throughout the day, such as oil absorbing sheets and oil absorbing powders.</li>
<li>Inflammation – watching your diet will help the most, during outbreaks you’ll want to limit the amount of simple sugars and simple carbs you eat since they will make the outbreak worse. Also, anti-inflammatories like fish-oils could be helpful.</li>
<li>Hormones – the best way to help this type of acne is by helping right your hormones. For this you should talk to your health care professional.</li>
<li>Stress – that’s right stress. During stressful periods you can get acne breakouts on your face or your back. The best was to treat this type of acne is by finding ways to relax and get out of your own head. Suggestions… yoga, meditation, watching 30 minutes of mindless/funny tv, and singing out loud to music during your commute. </li>
</ol><div class="MsoNormal">In general, not matter what the cause of your acne you should make sure to have a good cleanser to remove dirt and oil, be careful of heavy moisturizers that can make acne worse, and make sure your cleanser doesn’t strip your skin or it will change the pH and cause more oil to be produced. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also using primer can help make-up stay longer. </div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436137917944359281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524033279261321288.post-13114214902612295132012-03-15T15:38:00.000-04:002012-03-15T15:38:43.452-04:00Fitness Motivation<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you’re anything like me, one of the hardest parts about staying healthy is that I am easily distracted away from working out. This is not because I don’t like to go for a run or do yoga, quite the opposite. After working out I feel great! So what is my, and most peoples’, reason for not working out…. We’re lazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let’s all take a minute and be honest with ourselves, we can have the best intension but at the end of a long work day the desire to just relax becomes very tempting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You might find yourself searching your mind for reason’s to not go for a run or hit the gym.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reasons like… I didn’t eat that much for lunch it’s probably best to not workout if I haven’t eat enough, I ate too much for lunch and my stomach isn’t feeling right, I’ve had a long day and I’m just tried, tomorrow is definitely a better day, I don’t have enough time, ect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, how can you motivate yourself to work out? Here are some tips that might help.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Stop making excuses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every time you find yourself trying to come up with a reason to not go to the gym, replace it with a reason you should go to the gym. For instance replace “I can go tomorrow” with “I didn’t go yesterday” or “tomorrow I can relax, today I workout”.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Get a workout buddy. Most people know of this one, it’s a classic, but make sure your workout buddy is someone who regularly works out. If not, then you will just help each other find excuses why not to work out. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Schedule it in your calendar. Pick a date and time and schedule it like any other appointment, write it down or put it in your phone. This will increase your chances of working out. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Find your inner motivation. Why are you going to the gym? To lose weight? To be healthy? To increase your endurance? Whatever your ‘true’ motivation is for working out you need to find it and remember it. This way working out is not about something you have to do, but rather something that you want to do to get you where you want to be. Write your ‘why’ down and put it somewhere you can see it every day as a reminder. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Change up your activities. If you always do the same 3 or 4 things it can get really boring. Try coming up with various type of workouts, different paths to run on, ect to keep yourself interested and entertained. You can even try creating cards with different types of work outs and ‘pull one’ randomly and that is what you do for the day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436137917944359281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524033279261321288.post-83144464426129979062012-02-28T13:00:00.002-05:002012-02-28T13:00:50.826-05:00Stay Healthy While Everyone Else is Sick!<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There is a horrible feeling of dread when it seems like everyone around you is getting sick. Whether it’s your spouse, half of your co-works or that random person in the elevator who keeps coughing; suddenly you start seeing sick people everywhere. So with the world around you succumbing to ‘that cold’ how do you avoid its tyranny? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The obvious and easy answer is to have a good healthy immune system; the hard answer is how you get a good healthy immune system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no one thing (or combination of things) that works for everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With that being said, here are some general tips and tricks I have found that keep me healthy.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Eat right – this is one of those general statements for being healthy, but making sure that your body gets all the nutrients it needs is an important part of having a healthy immune system. Specifically make sure to get enough magnesium, Vitamin B, and Vitamin D (ok you don’t eat Vitamin D, you get it from the sun but it’s still an important part of your immune system). <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Treat your gastrointestinal system well. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>90% of our immune system lives in our GI tract.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Reduce stress- those who are constantly feeling the effects of stress are much more likely to get sick. This is just one of the reasons it’s important to find an outlet to release your daily stress.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wash your hand before you eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone (well hopefully everyone) washes their hands after they use the restroom, but rarely right before they eat. But, if you work in an office and you are typing on the keyboard and then eat a sandwich….. I think you can fill in the gaps. The trick is not to Lysol the whole office (there are a lot of toxic chemicals that get released into the air when you do) but simply to wash your hands with soap and water. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anti-bacteria soap is fine if you’re out and about, but it’s always best to use actual soap and water if you get the chance. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If I feel something coming on… sleep, sleep, and get some more sleep!! When we sleep it’s a chance for our body to focus a lot of its energy on healing. So, if you feel that tickle in the back of your throat, go to bed early that night. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I get adjusted on a regular basis. This helps keep my body, and my nervous system, at its peak health so that is I come into contact with a cold I am able to fight it quickly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436137917944359281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524033279261321288.post-18713802474993128242012-02-20T15:38:00.000-05:002012-02-20T15:38:21.623-05:00An Excuse to Eat Chocolate.What woman (and a good chunk of men) don’t love a good piece of chocolate? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It might seem like a stereotype but there is always a little truth in the rumors. There is actually a chemical reason why we, and especially women love chocolate. One reason is that it can cause women to release a hormone (endorphins) that makes them happy. Sorry men, this is a women specific thing, but also explains why women might crave this delicious treat once a month. Another reason for those chocolate cravings is because our body is actually craving some of the nutrients they hold. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dark chocolate contains magnesium and is rich in flavanols which are a great anti-oxidant. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those who are unfamiliar, anti-oxidants are important for removing free radicals that can make you prematurely age and damage your heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes when our body is low on a specific nutrient, like iron or magnesium, we will crave the foods that are high in that nutrient. It’s a primitive survival instinct that we’ve managed to hold onto. So the next time you are staring longingly at a bar of chocolate, perhaps your body is just telling you it needs something and who are we to deny it a little chocolate? Just remember, all good things should come in moderation. <br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436137917944359281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524033279261321288.post-72417843222548938372012-02-13T11:40:00.001-05:002012-02-13T14:13:46.940-05:00It’s Valentine’s Day so Indulge a Little<div class="MsoNormal">What are your plans for tomorrow? (For those that are really behind, tomorrow is Valentine’s day.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Food for thought, making a homemade dessert together can be very romantic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, you can enjoy the time spent together making the treat, and then the pleasure of indulging in them. Here are some ideas… chocolate covered strawberries, truffles, even chocolate chip cookies (whatever the both of you will enjoy) it should just been something that takes more than 2 minutes to make. Get creative, be inventive and add new ingredients, experiment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Decorate them for each other. The idea is just to have fun with each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Personally, I like to make truffles. It’s actually pretty easy and allows you to be really creative. Also, it’s kind of fun to get your hands all chocolaty. <a href="http://www.novachirodoc.com/index.php/healthy-recipies/" target="_blank">Here</a> is a good recipe if you’re interested in trying to make them for yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Looking to make your dessert a little healthier? Here is some advice. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">1. If using chocolate, go for dark chocolate. It has more nutrients and you’ll want to eat less of it, but costs the same as milk chocolate. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">2. If you’re vegan or just looking to cut out the cream, you can turn cashews into a cream like substance by letting them soak in water overnight and then blending them (<a href="http://talronnen.ca/recipes/cashew-cream/" target="_blank">here is a recipe</a>). </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Try desserts that include fruit, such as chocolate covered strawberries, which allow you to indulge but not go overboard. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The trick is to remember that moderation is key. There is nothing wrong with enjoy a delicious desert every now and then, especially on valentine’s day, so long as you don’t go overboard with the portion size.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436137917944359281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524033279261321288.post-13197559443607471782012-02-06T16:47:00.002-05:002012-02-06T16:47:16.195-05:00Cleanse Day 21: And so it ends<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yesterday was the last day of my cleanse. It was one of the hardest since I could see the light at the end of the tunnel, but also made me reflect back onto the week. It made me think about how I feel now versus 21 days ago, and what I was eating now verses then. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is what I came up with…<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I like how I feel now. I have more energy, I’m not as tired at the end of the day (or in the middle), I’ve become more productive, saved money while eating out, and feel like can think clearer. I like that my refrigerator was packed solid with fruits and vegetables at the beginning of the week, and then to see it again at the end empty and knowing that I had eaten all that great food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like that it forced me to be creative with dinner and lunch items and resulted in me eating better (not just health but flavor wise). <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, while I can’t (and shouldn’t) continue the ‘cleanse program’ as a lifestyle I can draw upon to help improve how I currently eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are some things I will try and change…<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eating out. During the cleanse I realized how much cheaper and better I felt after eating out when I couldn’t get desert or eat the bread.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a habit I’m going to try and continue in the future. I hope that it will prevent me from overindulging and save me a little money<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Better snacking. Too often when I get busy I forget to eat lunch and then end up settling for a granola bar to tide me over until dinner. However, during the cleanse I made sure to keep fruits and vegetables around to snack on and had to be better about remember to eat or I’d get a headache. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">More vegetables.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As with most Americans I tend to eat mostly fruits and little vegetables. During this cleanse I made a point to try and eat more vegetables at snacks and part of dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t get me wrong, fruits are great for you but they don’t replace the nutrients in vegetables. My goal is to make sure there is always a vegetable with my lunch and dinner and that when I snack it should be veggies and not fruit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436137917944359281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524033279261321288.post-60759584564408001112012-02-04T21:09:00.002-05:002012-02-04T21:09:16.218-05:00Cleanse day 20: It’s easy to forget this close to the finish line<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">It was the easier of times, it was the hardest of times. This week has been both the easiest week to follow, and the hardest. How so? Almost all of my typical foods have been added back into diet … cheese, meat, rice, gluten free pasta, ect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has made planning meals and snacks so much easier. It has also made it much easier to do things with friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, because I can eat almost ‘normally’, it’s very easy to forget that I’m still doing a cleanse program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Case in point, today I was out with my boyfriend (who is also doing the program) and caught him with a cookie. My only response was “you know we’re stilling doing the cleanse right?” (he had in fact forgotten and immediately threw the cookie out). It was at this point I realized how easy it is to forget and quickly started thinking back to earlier that day and earlier in the week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think I have ‘cheated’ on the program but to be honest I’m still not sure. Maybe the next time I do this program I’ll keep a daily log of the foods, that way when I get to week three it’s easier to remember that I’m still no suppose to eat certain things. </div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436137917944359281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524033279261321288.post-75860868954429196312012-02-02T11:50:00.000-05:002012-02-02T11:50:03.575-05:00Cleanse Day 17: Hello productivity you’ve been missed<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the great benefits of doing a cleanse is increased energy/mental clarity and along with that has come an increase in my productivity. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like most, I have my moments where it seems like the clouds of laziness part and I get super productive. Whether it’s getting work done or finally cleaning the bathroom, I typically find a couple of hours of real productively a day, where I am able to focus and get a lot done. This week has been the exception to the rule, and I would like to thank the cleanse for that.<o:p></o:p></span> <br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It started on Saturday when I decided to clean up the living room, which lead to cleaning the bathroom, which lead to a whole afternoon of productivity. I cleaned, I organized, I went out and ran errands… I felt like super women (or at least super productive women). It was like a high, look how much I got done! Then the trend continued into Monday where I actually went to the gym for the first time since getting over my cold, was productive in the office, went home and cooked a good dinner and even got a wild hair to bake. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Normally, one super productive day like Saturday would drain my batteries and I won’t get another one for a while, but there I was being productive again on Monday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This all culminated in yesterday. I had the whole morning to work at home, which for me typically means getting the ‘fun’ stuff done and not the stuff that really needs to get done. Not yesterday, I sat there computer in lap and starting crossing item after item off my to-do list. It was amazing! I knocked out half of my weekly list in one morning! <o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As always here is what I ate:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Breakfast:</strong> apple with PB<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Snack:</strong> Greensfirst shake and some walnuts<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Lunch:</strong> Garden salad with whatever veggies I had laying around and homemade salsa dressing. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Dinner:</strong> Spaghetti squash and veggie stir-fry with brown rice.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Dessert</strong>: fresh strawberries and some walnuts. <o:p></o:p></span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436137917944359281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524033279261321288.post-39341468422314485262012-02-01T09:19:00.003-05:002012-02-02T11:51:28.494-05:00Cleanse Day 16: Really noticing things cleansingIt’s the beginning of the third week of the cleanse and I am now able to eat almost everything except gluten and sugar. While this originally seemed like it would be really easy (just no junk food or traditional desserts), it’s amazing how much stuff I still can’t eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I forget how much stuff has refined sugar in it or is breaded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For instance last night I wanted to make warm apples (sort of like the stuff you find inside an apple pie) but realized that I couldn’t because you have to use sugar. I tried to make it anyway with agave nectar and it turned out ‘ok’ but nothing too spectacular. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did however figure out a way to make a homemade granola bar that tastes amazing! It’s really easy and takes almost no prep time. The recipe I came up with is still a little too sweet for my taste so I’m still in the process of refining it, I will report back with recipe and picture when done.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">During this week I have really started to notice my body removing all these toxins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the past two weeks my body has been able to remove the toxins from various systems, but it is not until this week that it is able to get them out of my body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The proof is on my face, literally! I am breaking out really bad and feel like I’m 16 again. I know this is just part of the cleansing process, but I must say it’s sort of embarrassing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That being said, I feel great both physically and mental and am happy with my progress, I’ll just be even happier when my body is done punishing my face. </div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436137917944359281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524033279261321288.post-26328279497423296832012-01-31T13:43:00.001-05:002012-02-02T11:53:32.070-05:00Cleanse day 15: The 'good' and 'bad' of eatting out during a cleanse<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I stink, I have been really bad about posting on my cleanse and for that I apologize.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A couple of days ago I sprained my wrist, it’s fine now but made it too difficult to type. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to the wrist, I must admit that I haven’t had much to say about the cleanse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In general , week two of the cleanse went well (with the exception of eating a little too much protein the first night and feeling sick).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With that being said here is something I noticed during the week that others might be able to relate to or learn from.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was talking with my boyfriend, who is being a good supportive boyfriend and doing the cleanse with me, and saying how week two didn’t seem so bad to me and that I sort of felt like I was eating normal (and during a cleanse I felt like I should feel like I’m eating abnormal for some weird reason).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His reaction to this comment was funny (at least for me), “are you kidding me! There are so many foods I’m craving or haven’t been able to eat!”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At that time I thought to myself, well maybe I just normally eat similar to this, but I was quickly brought back to reality and proved wrong later that night when I was out to eat for a girlfriends birthday. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My moment of clarity first arrived when the basket of bread was brought to the table. It smelled amazing! I wanted to eat it so bad, but in hindsight was glad that I couldn’t eat it or I would have over indulged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second moment can when looking at the menu. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I came across 2 items I could eat without modification and several more if I changed the side/asked for no cheese. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then while eating and everyone had a glass of wine or a drink, I was the odd ball out. Later, everyone shared a dessert …. Everyone but sad me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kept looking longingly at the warm chocolate waffle and ice cream.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Again in hindsight I’m glad I couldn’t eat most of these things because it prevented me from over indulging and feeling stuffed, eating things I know I shouldn’t, and racking up a higher bill. I will admit while it was painful to watch everyone slowly pick away at their oh so yummy looking dessert it was really nice when the bill came and mine was half of anyone else’s. <o:p></o:p></span></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436137917944359281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524033279261321288.post-22300693316431696572012-01-25T16:26:00.003-05:002012-02-02T11:54:47.068-05:00Cleanse Day 9: the difficulty of business lunchs during a cleanse<div class="MsoNormal">Today was the first day I have eaten out at a restaurant since beginning the cleanse. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a business lunch with a pre-set menu where I could choose one of four items. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This proved to be somewhat difficult since I wasn’t able to ask for something on the side and forced me to change what I would normally order. Typically I would have ordered the Greek Salad, but because I can’t have cheese this week I had to order chicken and rice instead. Normally, a meal comprised of just protein and rice is not ideal (where are the vegetables or fruit?) so I decided to just eat the meat and then ate some carrot sticks when I got home to round out the meal. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">What I ate today…</div><div class="MsoNormal">Breakfast – apple and peanut butter</div><div class="MsoNormal">Snack – Greensfirst shake</div><div class="MsoNormal">Lunch – Grilled chicken with carrot sticks</div><div class="MsoNormal">Dinner – <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sautéed Kale, mushroom and asparagus risotto, and grilled shrimp. I cooked the Kale in a skillet with some olive oil, mushrooms, diced garlic and leeks. It was my first attempt at coking kale and it turned out great!</div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436137917944359281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524033279261321288.post-69246560586532197372012-01-25T16:12:00.001-05:002012-02-02T11:56:03.352-05:00Cleanse Day 8: the return of meat to my diet<div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Today I was able to eat meat again… YEY! I’m not that big of a meat-eater, but there’s something about being told you can’t eat a certain food that makes you suddenly crave it. It’s not until I do a cleanse and can’t eat meat for a week that I realize how hard it is to get enough protein in my diet without it, which then makes me realize that I’m probably not getting enough protein on a regular basis since I don’t eat that much meat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While it was hard, this time I was able to find a lot of alternative forms of protein that I can add into my normal diet to ensure I get enough protein. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>What non-meat foods do you eat to get protein?</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My diet for day 8…</div><div class="MsoNormal">Breakfast – apple, walnuts and coffee</div><div class="MsoNormal">Snack – Clementine</div><div class="MsoNormal">Lunch – leftover vegetable quinoa from yesterday</div><div class="MsoNormal">Snack – Grrensfirst shake</div><div class="MsoNormal">Dinner – Chinese lettuce wraps. This is my homemade version with a great orange taste. You can tinker with the spices to get the exact flavor you want, and then the leftovers are great for lunch the next day. </div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436137917944359281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524033279261321288.post-55563413885434456602012-01-23T19:20:00.001-05:002012-02-02T11:56:56.906-05:00Cleanse Day 7: getting creative with other forms of protein<div class="MsoNormal">Today is the last day of the first week, which means I can start adding proteins and rice back into my diet tomorrow. I must admit that I do not miss protein that much, but I am looking forward to having a larger pool of recipes to pull from. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During this week I have had to modify a lot of my previous recipes to fit the cleanse mold, and am excited to get back to an almost normal diet. Sadly chocolate will not be included until the last week… boo</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Breakfast – half an apple and banana with some walnuts</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Snack – other half of the apple and banana</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Lunch – Carrots and Humus </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Snack – Greensfirst shake </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Dinner – <a href="http://www.novachirodoc.com/index.php/healthy-recipies/" target="_blank">Vegetable Quinoa </a>(Quinoa looks similar to rice or coucous but is actually closely related to the spinach family. This item is high in protein and a great addition to a normally vegetarian meal), steamed broccoli, and one of the eggplants with humus and spinach from the other night. I had some extra eggplant leftover from the other night (just sliced, not cooked) so I made one of eggplant steaks. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436137917944359281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524033279261321288.post-65177061213077122002012-01-23T19:18:00.002-05:002012-02-02T11:57:59.811-05:00Cleanse Day 5 and 6: my two biggest difficulties<div class="MsoNormal">Confession time, I have been really bad about eating the past two days. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still kept to the cleanse as far as not eating certain things, but I just did a bad job of eating. The first day (Friday) I ate plenty of fruit, nuts and beans but was definitely lacking in vegetables. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vegetables are such an important part of a diet, even though I wasn’t eating anything ‘bad’ for me I still wasn’t eating the things I needed to provide me with the nutrients I need. The second day, I ate breakfast then got busy and didn’t eat again until dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While doing a cleanse I should be eating more food than normal (because of the fact that it’s mostly fruits and vegetables) and not less. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, here is my plan of attack for next week….</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look up more recipes that involve vegetables.</div><div class="MsoNormal">2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pre-cut a bunch of veggies (carrots and celery mostly) for easy eating access when I want a snack </div><div class="MsoNormal">3. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make sure my snacks are vegetable related. </div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436137917944359281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524033279261321288.post-66690050524003875842012-01-20T16:31:00.002-05:002012-02-02T11:58:33.184-05:00Cleanse Day 4: First dinner at a non-cleanse doing house<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last night I had dinner at my Dad’s house. I love going over there because there is always good food that is also healthy (along with the company), but I was a little nervous for last night because my boyfriend and I are doing the cleanse but he isn’t. He asked what I could eat, and was willing to be very accommodating but I was still a little hesitant. Luckily, my dad is amazing in the kitchen and came up with a great dinner!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What I ate….<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Breakfast – banana and almonds<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Snack – Greensfirst shake<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lunch – Moroccan Salad (same as the other day) <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Snack – rest of the homemade vegetable soup and a clementine.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dinner – <a href="http://www.novachirodoc.com/index.php/healthy-recipies/" target="_blank">Bean Stew</a> with spinach salad (had cranberries, walnuts, and carrots with olive oil and salad vinegar). <o:p></o:p></span></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436137917944359281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524033279261321288.post-58098697211287046762012-01-19T11:15:00.003-05:002012-02-02T11:58:49.014-05:00Cleanse Day 3: craving chocolate<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I miss chocolate. In an attempt to eat healthier, and less ice cream at night, I started keeping a chocolate bar in the refrigerator and having a small piece after dinner as a treat. But a small piece started to become a couple of medium size pieces and has now replaced my dessert. Yes dark chocolate is a much healthier dessert than ice cream, but my hope is that after this cleanse and not eating chocolate for 21 days that the cravings will be less (cause I could sit down and eat a whole large bar). Because it may have only been 3 days, but every time I open the refrigerator door and see the chocolate bar I want to eat the whole thing!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>Breakfast</b> – apple with peanut butter<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>Lunch</b> – <a href="http://www.novachirodoc.com/index.php/healthy-recipies/" target="_blank">Homemade soup</a> (leftovers from the other night), but this time I added some fresh sliced avocado to it (after it was heated) which added a nice flavor and gave it a little more texture. <o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>Snack</b> – Greensfrist shake and later some walnuts and cranberries<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>Dinner</b> – ‘Eggplant dinner’ and asparagus.<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I cooked the eggplant two different ways, one with humus and spinach and the other with tomatoes. <a href="http://www.novachirodoc.com/index.php/healthy-recipies/" target="_blank">Click here</a> for my recipes. Note: The tomatoes-eggplant dish wasn’t as good at the other one. It was lacking something in the flavor. I tried adding olive oil/balsamic vinegar to it but it didn’t add much. Typically you would do this recipe with mozzarella cheese (which is stated in the recipe) which adds a lot of flavor, but I’m not sure what to replace the cheese with. Suggestions?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The asparagus was really easy to cook. I just cut the ends off, put it in foil, added a little olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, wrapped the foil up and baked at 350° for about 15 minutes (until tender but not mushy). </span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436137917944359281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524033279261321288.post-43254055227606887902012-01-18T11:01:00.002-05:002012-02-02T12:00:01.728-05:00Cleanse Day 2: altering plans slightly to minimize temptations<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last night I had a dream that I was eating a cupcake, but after one bite remembered I was doing a cleanse and got sad that I had to stop. I think this dream steams from the fact that while planning things to do with friends I keep forgetting (just for a second) that I’m doing a cleanse so planning a happy hour next week might not be the best idea. So, instead I changed my lunch plans to getting coffee, and going out to eat to coming to my house for dinner. This way I am able to keep the cleanse diet while still being social. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here is what I ate yesterday….</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Breakfast – apple and a handful of walnuts. I also had a small cup of black coffee. <o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Snack – Greensfirst shake<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lunch – My version of a Moroccan salad. A typical garden salad with beets, dried dates, butternut squash (cooked but cool), and almonds. I didn’t use a dressing because of all the other flavors in the salad.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Snack - another apple with peanut butter. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dinner – Stir-fry. You can find my 'Quick and Easy Stir-fry' recipe <a href="http://www.novachirodoc.com/index.php/healthy-recipies/" target="_blank">here</a>. Note: typically I use chicken sausage or leftover meat to add protein to the meal, but last night instead of meat I added a can of black beans. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dessert/after dinner snack – clementine and a hand full of cashews. <o:p></o:p></span></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436137917944359281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524033279261321288.post-39955853354232071232012-01-17T13:37:00.004-05:002012-02-02T12:00:12.170-05:00Cleanse Day 1: and so it begins<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As I mentioned in my last post, yesterday was the first day of my cleanse. So far I haven’t had any issues other than finding myself very full after dinner at 7pm and then hungry again at around 9pm. This is probably due to the fact that I had soup for dinner but nothing wrong with a healthy snack at 9pm. Here is what I ate yesterday….<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Breakfast – apple and a handful of walnuts<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Snack – Greensfirst shake<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lunch – Garden salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dressing. <o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dinner – Homemade veggie soup. <a href="http://www.novachirodoc.com/index.php/healthy-recipies/" target="_blank">Click here</a> for my recipe. Also ½ cup black beans (not in the soup but on the side for protein)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dessert/after dinner snack – a handful of cashew and dried cranberries and a clementine. <o:p></o:p></span></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436137917944359281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-524033279261321288.post-90830254514375095762012-01-16T12:51:00.003-05:002012-01-16T12:52:16.718-05:00Goodbye Toxins… Hello Energy<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Today is the first day of my cleanse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are many reason’s someone might do a cleanse, but in general it helps flush out all the toxins we have accumulated over the year and helps turn over a healthier GI tract. I’ve done two cleanses before and by the end I notice I have twice the energy, I can think clearer, my skin looks AMAZING!, and I don’t crave those crummy crabs as much. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">For the next 21 days I will be chronicling my journey. I’ll be sharing what I ate that day, issues/successes, and anything else you might find interesting or helpful. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope with will help support those who are doing the cleanse with me, and inspire other to do a cleanse program themselves. <o:p></o:p></div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span></span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18436137917944359281noreply@blogger.com0