Ok... so my attempt previously to become superwomen (30 days of minimalism on my other blog So I Can Sleep) was somewhat of a failure. I realized that doing all of those things, changing so many aspects of my life overnight was rather stressful. While it could be done, I feel a more gradual approach is needed.
My inspiration for this came from a documentary I stumbled upon while skimming my instant queue on Netflix after a 10 hour work day. It was entitled Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. The director- a man in his late 30's goes on a 60 day adventure to New York City to be tempted by some of the worst food (for your body) in the world while drinking only juice for every single meal. It was astonishing to watch his transformation before your eyes. Even more amazing was watching a follower of his transform from a 430 lb. man to less than 230 lbs in a years time. Unbelievable. So I thought I should try it and see what other healthy effects it could have on me.
My primary goal in doing this, while not weight loss, is an increase of overall health, energy, and mental clarity. I recently started a new job working as a personal trainer while also finishing my doctorate in chiropractic. Needless to say, my time can be limited. I went from eating very healthy, exercising almost daily, to eating less and less healthy... even finding myself going 5-9 hours without eating before I realized I had missed a meal. oops. I cannot think as clearly, and explaining exercises or dietary recommendations to clients is becoming more difficult. Multitasking is impossible and I even find myself in the middle of an activity forgetting what I am currently trying to do. Stress. Stress comes in may forms, mental, physical, emotional, dietary, environmental, and probably others. My primary focus here will be on the dietary and environmental, but I will be taking action to reduce physical, mental and emotional stress as well.
Dietary: I will be doing a 30 day detox. While I have done Standard Process detoxes as well as Metagenics in the past This time I will be using farm fresh produce and any leftover supplements periodically. Most food will come from farmers markets or local farmers. I plan on also getting some frozen organic fruits from a co-op, which are cheaper and comparable to farmers markets as the produce is picked at freshness. The Majority of my food will come in juiced or smoothie form. I have a Jack La lane juicer and Vitamix blender which I will use to prepare my meals. I will eat many vegetables in their raw form, with the occasional soup, or saute so I feel like I'm eating "more" normal. I was concerned about the fat and protein deficiencies as a juice fast does not include these nutrients so I have decided to add coconut oi, and some nuts to my smoothies to get fat. For protein, I have free range chicken, 100 % grass fed beef organic beef, and 100% grass fed organic whey protein sweetened with stevia, which tastes awesome. Fruits will most likely come from farmers markets, but occasionally I will add some from frozen or non-organic sources to have more variety. I may add some quinoa, or lentils to soups as well, beans and chickpeas. Because I love to cook I will have as many spices (which are not pre-mixed from a store) or aromatics (onions, garlic) as I want.
You may have noticed that I haven't written out some huge list of things I can't have. That has one primary effect on me- I will WANT it. If someone says (myself included) that I can't have something- I will want that very thing exactly, and I don't think I'm alone in this. So to avoid that mindset I have gone through a ton of websites/cookbooks and created a bunch of recipes that have everything I am going to include in my meals. That way when I am hungry and want something now, I won't encounter a list of things I can't have, but instead a large list of recipes that I CAN have... simple but effective. But, for educational purposes= I will not be eating any gains (that means bread, rice, oats, etc) Sugar (minus the occasional fruit, Stevia, or Xylitol) , Starches (Corn), Or any common allergens- Soy, Dairy, gluten, eggs (in the beginning) peanuts etc.
Physical: I will be doing a workout almost daily. In the beginning I will probably feel less energetic, and I know some people can feel sickly in the beginning phases of the elimination diet so I might focus on light cardio and minimal strength training.
Mental/Emotional: Yoga- I work at a Club that offers this daily- I will attempt to do yoga 3X a week during this process.
I will be providing you with resources that you can use, as well as posting my favorite recipes from this adventure!
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