Today is Day 1 of our January Detox. A great bunch of participants have again committed to 21 days without booze, sugar, processed foods and promise to exercise at least 3 hours per week and drinking lots of water. I’m along for the ride again. I felt incredible after doing the October detox and maintained my results for the most part and kept up with a clean diet until the holidays. I did not reintroduce dairy into my diet, apart from a little milk in my coffee and a piece of cheese perhaps once a week. However, I haven’t been as diligent about getting my veggies in recently and I have not been as good about drinking lots of water.
The holidays certainly were a bit more relaxed than usually and since the scale shows me 4 extra pounds I’m ready to clean up my act again. No guilt on this end for sure as I believe that holiday foods come around once a year and I enjoy them within reason. However, I know how much more energized I feel when I eat very clean and hydrate well. So, I want to get that feeling back asap.
I spent the holidays upstate in my new digs. I relaxed in front of the fireplace, got the house ready to be lived in and enjoyed long walks in the woods with my boyfriend and our pup. My mom visited from Germany for Christmas but she was in such agonizing back pain that she ended her visit early. Unfortunately we didn't get to do anything we had planned to do, so I was quite disappointed about the entire experience.
My energy was very low as I had come down with a wicked cough before the holidays and spent several nights awake (along with my neighbors for sure) from coughing . Catching up on sleep was my goal but that didn’t happen until the last few days of December. So, things didn’t go according to plan but the change of pace was absolutely needed and appreciated.
I got busy planning a Spring and Summer retreat upstate. You can look forward to a retreat filled with activities sure to get you glowing, smiling, and energized: twice daily boot camp workouts, meditation sessions, hikes in the woods, hypnosis, delicious organic vegetarian cuisine, spa and healing treatments and an amazing bunch of people to share the experience with.
As I was eating my last supper yesterday evening (definitely not in a religious sense) before starting detox, I noticed how this time around I am so much more relaxed going into it. Whereas in October I wanted to be sure to do it right and focus on all the details, this time around I know what to expect, what the temptations will be, what my foods of choice will be, and what outcome I can expect. I certainly don’t expect it to be any easier than last time, but having a previous detox experience under my belt gives me more confidence and calm about what the next 21 days will bring.
I enjoyed wine and champagne almost daily over the holidays and went to several parties with amazing food and desserts. I was surprised to see that I put on only 4 lbs because it sure felt like more. The problem was that I use my jeans as a way to tell whether it’s time to buckle down my diet, but I had forgotten to pack them. I could certainly tell the difference without the jeans but I also decided that it was ok to relax for a little. Water retention can make you feel pretty heavy and bloated. Your body holds on to about 3-4 grams of water for every gram of carbohydrate you eat and my mom’s cookies sure had a few grams :-)
So, with my first day of detox I’m back to my determination of making a few things happen:
My biggest focus will be on drinking at least 3 liters of fluids a day. I have been feeling incredibly dehydrated due to the cold outside and heat running all day. My skin looks better, my energy is better and I’m less hungry when I’m well hydrated.
Another goal will be to get more sleep. I struggle with this more than anything. I get up at 5am and don’t get to bed before 11pm. Not enough. The more tired I am, the hungrier I get. Plus, I can’t focus well. That’s gotta change.
Prep meals: That’s a biggie because as long as I have food in the fridge that fits my needs I’m a happy camper and everything is smooth sailing. But, when that fridge is empty and I’m hungry, then I’m left with making not so great choices. I’ve started doing that today by whipping up a huge batch of carrot-ginger-pumpkin soup and making a frittata (recipe to follow).
Today was insanely busy and I was very tired. I was hungrier than ever and I know my stress hormones are kicking in. A rocky start but it’s a start.
Food diary:
Breakfast: 3 egg-sandwich on whole grain bread, 1 cup of coffee with almond milk
Snack: Protein shake: Almond milk with 1 scoop Bluebonnet Strawberry Whey Protein
Lunch: Thai veggie curry (loads of veggies in a coconut curry sauce with chicken)
Snack: Carrot-ginger-pumpkin soup
Snack: Egg salad on whole grain bread
Dinner: Carrot-ginger-pumpkin soup
Workout: None
Supplements: Fish Oil, Multivitamin, metabolic support, mushroom blend for immune support and respiratory health
Water intake: drank lots of detox tea, water and soda water (3 liter goal was met).
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