It's been 11 days since our first Detox ended. A new group of 44 people has started to conquer their sugar cravings and alcohol drinking and are on track to create healthy, fit and lean bodies.
I've been sticking to the Detox Diet for the most part. I told you about my first time having a glass of wine after 3 weeks - it knocked me out. I had a few cheats here and there but didn't necessarily enjoy them because of their after-effects - a little bit of wine with dinner or a piece of dark chocolate as dessert was all I really wanted to try. Overall, however, I haven't had the desire to go back to my old and more relaxed ways as no food can make me feel as good as I feel physically now.
I've lost a total of 13 lbs so far and it's just been very easy after the initial 5 days were over. Sure, it involves a lot more planning but it is absolutely worth it going shopping more often and making sure the fridge is stocked with veggies and lean proteins. I love exploring farmer's markets and picking local and seasonal produce. According to the Macrobiotic Diet principle, one should eat what's in season and what is available in your climate zone. So, no bananas or papayas for us Northeast folks.... Here's the farmer's market I visited yesterday in Brooklyn on Court Street. Amazing variety of all sorts of veggies of great quality. Shopping outside in the sun...
I also wanted to keep up a clean diet so I wouldn't look puffy for a photo shoot. We spent the early morning yesterday on the Brooklyn Bridge shooting "Sexy in Sweats" to show that sweats can look good. Yep, they can. Check out my very badass Kanye West getup :-)
I'll share the pics with you in the next newsletter (sign up on the website) and there are a few more on facebook.
I also have cut out milk and dairy. I used to eat and love cheese but it made me break out. Not worth it. I drink almond milk in my coffee and protein shakes for snacks - the perfect fillers. Other than that it's been pretty much smooth sailing. Oh, there was an incident with a bag of lentil chips. They were supposed to be my perfect guacamole scoopers but they ended up upsetting my stomach for 2 days afterwards. I can't handle chips or simple carbs anymore and I don't plan on introducing them back into my diet to the point where I get used to them again.
On a recent trip to Duane Reade I checked out their new "Restaurant Row" cooler section they have in their newly made-over stores. You can actually find some pretty decent snacks, such as hard-boiled eggs, celery and carrot sticks with hummus, small sandwiches with protein, and great salads. Stay away from the wraps (very high in carbs) and the flavored yogurts. Read your labels and pick something good when you're on the run.
You're probably wondering now - why does a body react so sensitively to foods after a detoxifying program? The answer is that you were reacting to these foods previously also but chances are you weren't aware of the effects because your diet was loaded with sugar, starches and other irritants that made you feel unwell but you couldn't put your finger on the cause. Not until you eliminated the slew of potential allergens were you able to feel amazingly well. You wouldn't know how amazing you can actually feel until you give yourself the chance for at least a week or two.
Here's what typically happens after an elimination diet. Once you have eliminated all the foods that cause you digestive upsets or other physical reactions, your system functions much more efficiently. You feel light, energized, your digestion is working effectively, and you are in a state of health. However, once you re-introduce certain culprits, such as dairy, grains, sugar, starch and soy your body will let you know it didn't like it. You may experience digestive upsets, sugar cravings, low energy, puffiness in your face, fingers and bloating, headaches and a whole slew of other symptoms. If you ignore them and keep eating those foods then you are training your body to become used to these again. Over time you are creating addictions and cravings for them and the physical symptoms simply become something you see as your 'normal' state.
There have been many studies recently that illustrate the addictive power of certain foods, such as sugar and high-fat foods. They act on the same center in your brain as crack cocaine or heroin do and you can get addicted fast. Before you know it you visit the same fast food joint and are feeding your addiction without noticing the physical side effects anymore. The whole idea behind a detox program is to help you regain control of your food intake and to positively affect how you feel with whole foods. Health is the name of the game. If you are healthy on the inside, it will show on the outside. That means you need to focus on what is good for your body, not what your brain tells you it wants to feed its addiction.
Often when I see clients or class participants come to class I can tell what they had to eat the night before class. When I see low energy or fogginess, chances are they drank the night before. When I see a puffy face with swollen eyes then the dinner was typically a high starch meal, such as bread, pasta, rice, or potatoes or sugar. It shows and it's not pretty. What's worse is the level of energy people have after such high-carb dinners. They wake up feeling like they have a hangover. How is that possible? After eating lots of carbs your body makes lots of insulin. That hormone tells the sugar in your blood to get into your cells to make energy there. The more insulin you make, the more sugar goes into your cells and the less sugar stays in your blood stream. Your blood sugar drops so low during the night that when you wake up you have no energy left and you feel like you got hit by a bus. It's hard to get out of bed and motivated for work. The simplest way to counteract this is by eating a dinner free of starch (rice, bread, pasta, potatoes) and sugar (no dessert, people!) and instead focusing on a lean protein with veggies (think chicken and broccoli or salmon with asparagus....). You wake up feeling refreshed and energized and with a clear head. It's your choice to make and you'll find that it's well worth skipping dessert. After all, you already know what it tastes like, right?
Hope you're out there watching the marathon! There are so many Slim & Strong participants running and our running coach Terence Gerchberg as well. Rooting for you guys: Lauren K., Kamen, Lisa K., Lisa R., Fiona, Eugene, Lauren G., Liz, Dawn, Katie, Leia, Tifany and Janine!
I have received many questions from the current detox group, who today is on Day 5. I'll share them with you in the next post.
I've been sticking to the Detox Diet for the most part. I told you about my first time having a glass of wine after 3 weeks - it knocked me out. I had a few cheats here and there but didn't necessarily enjoy them because of their after-effects - a little bit of wine with dinner or a piece of dark chocolate as dessert was all I really wanted to try. Overall, however, I haven't had the desire to go back to my old and more relaxed ways as no food can make me feel as good as I feel physically now.
I've lost a total of 13 lbs so far and it's just been very easy after the initial 5 days were over. Sure, it involves a lot more planning but it is absolutely worth it going shopping more often and making sure the fridge is stocked with veggies and lean proteins. I love exploring farmer's markets and picking local and seasonal produce. According to the Macrobiotic Diet principle, one should eat what's in season and what is available in your climate zone. So, no bananas or papayas for us Northeast folks.... Here's the farmer's market I visited yesterday in Brooklyn on Court Street. Amazing variety of all sorts of veggies of great quality. Shopping outside in the sun...
I also wanted to keep up a clean diet so I wouldn't look puffy for a photo shoot. We spent the early morning yesterday on the Brooklyn Bridge shooting "Sexy in Sweats" to show that sweats can look good. Yep, they can. Check out my very badass Kanye West getup :-)
I'll share the pics with you in the next newsletter (sign up on the website) and there are a few more on facebook.
I also have cut out milk and dairy. I used to eat and love cheese but it made me break out. Not worth it. I drink almond milk in my coffee and protein shakes for snacks - the perfect fillers. Other than that it's been pretty much smooth sailing. Oh, there was an incident with a bag of lentil chips. They were supposed to be my perfect guacamole scoopers but they ended up upsetting my stomach for 2 days afterwards. I can't handle chips or simple carbs anymore and I don't plan on introducing them back into my diet to the point where I get used to them again.
On a recent trip to Duane Reade I checked out their new "Restaurant Row" cooler section they have in their newly made-over stores. You can actually find some pretty decent snacks, such as hard-boiled eggs, celery and carrot sticks with hummus, small sandwiches with protein, and great salads. Stay away from the wraps (very high in carbs) and the flavored yogurts. Read your labels and pick something good when you're on the run.
You're probably wondering now - why does a body react so sensitively to foods after a detoxifying program? The answer is that you were reacting to these foods previously also but chances are you weren't aware of the effects because your diet was loaded with sugar, starches and other irritants that made you feel unwell but you couldn't put your finger on the cause. Not until you eliminated the slew of potential allergens were you able to feel amazingly well. You wouldn't know how amazing you can actually feel until you give yourself the chance for at least a week or two.
Here's what typically happens after an elimination diet. Once you have eliminated all the foods that cause you digestive upsets or other physical reactions, your system functions much more efficiently. You feel light, energized, your digestion is working effectively, and you are in a state of health. However, once you re-introduce certain culprits, such as dairy, grains, sugar, starch and soy your body will let you know it didn't like it. You may experience digestive upsets, sugar cravings, low energy, puffiness in your face, fingers and bloating, headaches and a whole slew of other symptoms. If you ignore them and keep eating those foods then you are training your body to become used to these again. Over time you are creating addictions and cravings for them and the physical symptoms simply become something you see as your 'normal' state.
There have been many studies recently that illustrate the addictive power of certain foods, such as sugar and high-fat foods. They act on the same center in your brain as crack cocaine or heroin do and you can get addicted fast. Before you know it you visit the same fast food joint and are feeding your addiction without noticing the physical side effects anymore. The whole idea behind a detox program is to help you regain control of your food intake and to positively affect how you feel with whole foods. Health is the name of the game. If you are healthy on the inside, it will show on the outside. That means you need to focus on what is good for your body, not what your brain tells you it wants to feed its addiction.
Often when I see clients or class participants come to class I can tell what they had to eat the night before class. When I see low energy or fogginess, chances are they drank the night before. When I see a puffy face with swollen eyes then the dinner was typically a high starch meal, such as bread, pasta, rice, or potatoes or sugar. It shows and it's not pretty. What's worse is the level of energy people have after such high-carb dinners. They wake up feeling like they have a hangover. How is that possible? After eating lots of carbs your body makes lots of insulin. That hormone tells the sugar in your blood to get into your cells to make energy there. The more insulin you make, the more sugar goes into your cells and the less sugar stays in your blood stream. Your blood sugar drops so low during the night that when you wake up you have no energy left and you feel like you got hit by a bus. It's hard to get out of bed and motivated for work. The simplest way to counteract this is by eating a dinner free of starch (rice, bread, pasta, potatoes) and sugar (no dessert, people!) and instead focusing on a lean protein with veggies (think chicken and broccoli or salmon with asparagus....). You wake up feeling refreshed and energized and with a clear head. It's your choice to make and you'll find that it's well worth skipping dessert. After all, you already know what it tastes like, right?
Hope you're out there watching the marathon! There are so many Slim & Strong participants running and our running coach Terence Gerchberg as well. Rooting for you guys: Lauren K., Kamen, Lisa K., Lisa R., Fiona, Eugene, Lauren G., Liz, Dawn, Katie, Leia, Tifany and Janine!
I have received many questions from the current detox group, who today is on Day 5. I'll share them with you in the next post.
Amazing picture, Ariane!
ReplyDelete