Woo hoo! Last day of my cleanse! That went by really fast. I feel like I could have done it without any hesitation for another 2-4 days as long as I'm as busy as I've been. My biggest challenge now is...what the heck am I going to eat tomorrow and Friday?! I was so used to not having to think about it!
Read MoreAt one point yesterday, I thought to myself: "One day was easy, but do I really have to do this for 2 more days??"
I'm happy to report that Day 2 was a success and this cleanse has been A LOT easier than I'd expected! I attribute that to a few things...
Read MoreLet's get this party started!
I woke up this morning really excited about starting my juice cleanse! (Miss my last entry? Click Here for more info on why I wanted to do this and which cleanse I decided to use)
My day looked a little something like this...
Read MoreLast night, I invited two of my friends to my apartment for a raw food dinner. I prepared a variety of wraps and fillings so they could make their own spring rolls, sushi rolls and burritos. It was fun to watch them get creative with different combinations and I think they really enjoyed it! Afterward, they reported being full, but not in a "disgusting, sick way" like they would after a heavy, cooked meal. I think they were both surprised at how satisfied they could be just on raw food alone, particularly since they're so accustomed to eating meat at dinner time.
Read MoreI'm so fortunate that there is such a large community of health coaches in San Diego. Since many of us haven't met each other yet, I decided to host a gathering at my apartment and invited everyone over this past weekend for a healthy potluck. I was thrilled to connect with old friends and meet others for the first time.
Read MoreConfession Time...
I did NOT want to exercise this morning!
My cycling buddy was on a business trip today, so I had a really tough time motivating myself to get out the door for a solo workout.
Read MoreYesterday, I thought I was doomed. My headache, bodyaches, and chills were debilitating and I thought I was going to have to spend this gorgeous weekend cooped up in my apartment. Fortunately, listening to my body and nourishing it with everything it asked me for was the secret to my recovery.
Read MoreAfter getting glorious 9 hours of sleep last night, I woke up this morning feeling well-rested and excited about the day. So you can imagine my surprise when 10:30am rolled around and, as if on cue, I got pummeled with a pounding headache, chills, swollen throat, runny nose, body aches (particularly in my neck and shoulders) and an overall sense of weakness.
Having had a busy weekend planned, I was less than thrilled about the timing of Mr. Flu's arrival. I know why he showed up though.
For the last couple of weeks, I was go, go, going non-stop...it was a new experience for me as I almost never find myself going so fast without stopping and have no problem make time for self-care and rest.
But between a newly overwhelming workload, combined with extra work on a project I'm working on in my free time (really fun, but time-consuming), and coast-to-coast travel, I found myself running on 5-8 hours of sleep without slowing down. Boy did I got a glimpse into the lives of busy people who don't stop. I couldn't live like that!
To combat the overwhelm and busy schedule, I concentrated on eating nutrient-dense foods to at least give me enough energy to get through the day. It worked, but after several consecutive days of not getting enough sleep, I knew that focusing on my diet wasn't going to be enough. So I got 9 hours of sleep the last few nights and felt much better.
But imagine how weak my immune system had gotten by today after several weeks of stress, running around, and flying across different time zones.
When my body talks to me, I listen. I don't start downing the meds to treat the symptoms. I listen really hard so I can treat the root of the problem and let my body heal itself using natural remedies.
So when my mind and body couldn't take it anymore, I left work early and fortunately had all of the ingredients in my house to make my Flu Fighting Tea so I didn't need to go to the store. Great!
Garlic, Ginger, Juice from a Fresh Lemon, and Cayenne Pepper.
Does that sound gross to you? It's really not, especially when you think to yourself that what you're nourishing your body with is going to help you feel better.
Jam-packed with antioxidants, antifungal and antibacterial properties, Vitamin C, and everything you need to boost your immune system and detoxify your body. It's important to get plenty of fluids into your body as well, so I've already had 3 cups and will continue to hydrate myself while I'm feeling sub-par.
All you have to do is combine the ingredients in a mug, pour hot water over it, let it sit for at least 5 minutes, and enjoy.
Since it's too late to prevent the flu, my hope is that drinking this tea and getting as much rest as I can will shorten the duration so that I'll be back in action in no time at all.
The next time you're sick, try letting your body heal itself by giving it what it's asking for. By resting your body, drinking plenty of fluids, and nourishing it with flu fighting ingredients, you should feel better without the intervention of pills or other medicine.
Below is an overview of my experience on the raw food detox, without the nitty gritty of the details of my every day.
Read MoreDay 4: Success! That wasn't so bad, now was it? :-)
In true detox fashion, I woke up from another food-related dream (I was ordering food at a rooftop bar) and to another 1.5 lbs released...wow. I do want to emphasize that losing 6 lbs in 3 days is NOT typical, but it does reflect that I made some poor eating choices the prior week (I'm not perfect either!) and the excess weight fell off as soon as I started nourishing my body mindfully with clean foods in the appropriate amounts.
Read More
