Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Celebrities using BP Cleanse, Master Cleanse


When I saw that John Green was doing the bpcleanse (BluePrint Cleanse), I had to check it out. My daughter is a HUGE fan of his and so I've read his books and know more than I need to know about the casting, filming and upcoming release of FIOS, not to mention that I had to buy her a Pizza John hoodie for Christmas and take her to Carnegie Hall last Jan. to see his show (which was great by the way and so I started following him on Facebook).

So if John likes bp I had to see what it was about... from what I can see it's a juice cleanse (although organic and pure, so that's a plus). It is relatively expensive so that's a negative. So, for people who like to do research and are thinking of doing a cleanse... before you buy the bpcleanse, check out Isagenix Cleanse for Life. You can order the 9-day program and get all your money back - less shipping - if you aren't satisfied so there's nothing to lose, except fat (shameless pun). Ask me if you want help or order directly from www.isagenix.com.

As I've said before, awareness of cleansing is good. I hear more and more celebrities talking about it and many people will follow what celebrities are doing. Yolanda from RHOBH (who I love on the show) is always talking about the Master Cleanse. I love the lemon juice aspect but the antioxidants and adaptations in Isagenix blow it away. Of course there are celebrities and many professional athletes using Isagenix, so which one is best? Do the research on the ingredients and make your own decision.

P.S. my daughter would be really mad at me for talking about John on my blog but she'll never know because she never reads my blog - serves her right because she is not letting me read the novel she wrote for nanowrimo!

Monday, December 9, 2013

November was a horrible month!!

November was a disaster because I let white flour and carbs back in my diet to the extent that it led to sugar. So I struggled the whole month trying to get back on track. 

Thankfully, I have been sugar-free for six days so today when two dozen Dunkin' Donuts came in to the office - literally the same ones as in the this photo - I didn't have any cravings and was able to sit four feet away from them all day without even thinking about it.

It would be great if I could just have a bite or 1/2 of a donut but that isn't how it works when you have an addiction to something. At this point my goal is to get back to the 48lb loss by the end of the year.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Trick or Treat!

TRICK OR TREAT!
I have let carbs back in my life and it's a slippery slope!! Funny how I can feel the cravings... 

bad foods calling my name, jumping in my path like a zombie in a haunted house.

We trick ourselves by believing that these "treats" live up to their name as something positive.

So it was a good time for this post to be on my Facebook page.

THE SWEETEST POISON...
LOVE Food Matters - words to live by! 

Sunday, October 20, 2013

EAT THE CURE - 10 TIPS




I follow Mark Hyman, a renown Dr who has a wellness clinic in Lenox, MA and is recognized as a leader in natural health and functional medicine.

He has10 tips for eating the cure and this is pretty much what I've been following.

In the last few weeks I've eaten some white flour and noticed that my body did not feel as good afterwards.

Dr Hyman also has a book called The Blood Sugar Solution and he educates people on why covering up a symptom with a drug is not the ultimate solution.

Monday, September 30, 2013

4 Month Progress - 48 lbs Gone!

-48lbs
Rededicated myself to living a healthier and longer life on May 28 so it's been 4 months. It seems like I should have lost more weight when I look back at all the things I didn't eat (bagels, chips, donuts, muffins, brownies, pie... the list goes on and on). 

But it really is more about how my body feels and it certainly likes healthier eating. I am able to run up and down the stairs and literally jump out of bed in the morning with no stiffness :)

I did a two day Isagenix Cleanse last week and it was a huge energy boost so I need to do more of those!



Saturday, September 14, 2013

WSJ - Why we eat junk food when we're stressed...

This article explains why we sometimes feel we have no willpower and it's proven that in times of stress or anxiety that we turn to certain kinds of foods. I've broken this cycle by getting the bad stuff out of my system so I no longer have these urges. I also know that I would be right back in the same situation if I turned to these foods when I'm anxious or stressed. WSJ - Why Do We Eat Junk Food When We're Stressed Out or Anxious?[image]  

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Happy to run up and down the stairs again!

Maybe some people can relate to this... when I was eating a lot of junk food (sugars, bread

products) I had to hold on to the railing to go up and down the stairs to my second floor. My knees were sore, my whole body was stiff.


Now I can literally run up and down the stairs without holding on to the railing!!!  I also literally jump out of bed in the morning with no stiffness! The power of good food (vegetables, healthy fats, proteins and delicious chocolate Isagenix shakes) is magical. 

I am (unfortunately) not doing any exercising now so my new found abilities are all due to the healthier food I am feeding my body. I was going to the gym 3x/week and bike riding a lot two years ago and I miss that but a more demanding work schedule is taking its toll. I will find a way to get some exercise in to my schedule.

I am still very overweight but being able to regain my health is priceless and feels way better than a piece of cake tastes.

Monday, September 2, 2013

Shakeology vs Isagenix

A friend on Facebook just started the Shakeology® program including the workout and is very sore but happy with her progress so far!!

I am not going to debate if Isagenix® is better. They are both low-glycemic, high quality whey
protein (not soy) shakes. They have many of the same excellent ingredients sourced from around the globe.

 
The bottom line is that a high quality shake (not Slim Fast or most others you find at the supermarket or GNC) is the healthiest meal of the day. That's Shakeology's tagline!  Kudos to the copy-writer on that one.

If more people understood that "food" should be stuff that's good for our bodies, they wouldn't say "oh you're just having a shake for lunch" when they are having a Subway sandwich. Nothing against the Subway sandwich (there are some healthier choices) but either of these shakes blows that away... blows anything away. 

I am happy there's another company It's the same as it's always been... the more nutritious food you can eat for a moderate number of calories plus exercise = healthier body. Add a nutritional cleanse and you're golden :)


Tuesday, August 27, 2013

3 Month Progress - 39lbs gone

-39lbs!
I should be measuring inches in addition to progress on the scale but I was pleasantly surprised to try on a pair of pants I haven't worn in a year and they fit perfectly! Two pairs of pants are now in the trash. Last time I lost the weight (90lbs) I also got rid of my larger size clothes.


What's different this time? I kept the weight off with no problem for almost two years and only had the issue when I started eating sugar again. I now know I can't have sugar, even in what they call "moderation." Maybe sad but I have to value my health more than cookies and cake.

Sugar addiction is far more common that people think. if you binge on carbs with sugar and have yo-yo dieted then this could be your issue.  It's seems a lot easier for an alcoholic to avoid drinking but sugar is literally everywhere and it's what we universally use to "celebrate" special occasions LOL.

Looking forward to more Isagenix Cleanse days this next month :)
 




Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Penn State Football Coach using Isagenix

Today I saw a post from Eric Coover that included a segment of the Penn State Training Days show. Apparently, the coach is on the 30-day Isagenix program.

Protein shakes are new to athletes LOL. Actually, there are many, many professional athletes using these superior protein shakes.

Fast forward to 12 min / 22 seconds of the show to see the coach talk about his "diet" and "cleansing." The players joke with him about drinking the shakes, can't wait to see his transformation!

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

It's so easy to eat healthy now...

It is so amazingly easy to pass up cookies, cake, candy and chips now that I have detoxed from
sugar.
NO
willpower needed, thanks goodness! It would be hard to go through life having that internal dialogue with myself every day.

I will weigh myself next Tues. at 3 month mark but my main satisfaction is from knowing I am giving myself the best chance to live a long and healthy life. I did a two-day Isagenix cleanse a few weeks ago and am going to do another this week.

I had to go totally off all sugar and chose to eliminate wheat (see Wheat Belly entry) but most people should be able to try this...
http://www.naturalnews.com/041683_sugar_addiction_breaking_the_habit_sweeteners.html 


Tuesday, July 23, 2013

2 Months - down 26lbs

Today has been 2 months since I went sugar free and wheat free. I lost 20lbs the first four weeks but only 6 the last four weeks. It seems strange to only six pounds when I am not eating any sugar (or sugar substitutes) and no wheat (except croutons on my salads). Some days I know I am not eating enough - too busy at work - but overall I think I'm eating enough. I am getting a lot of calories anyway from avocados. I eat a whole one on my salads.

IF I was just doing this to lose weight I'd be upset BUT I am really doing this to live a longer, healthier life. I need to fix the damage I've done to my body then eat healthy foods to give myself the best chance to be around a long time!

This next month I need to do a two-day cleanse so my body releases the toxins in my fat cells. I might weigh before and after the cleanse just to see what happens. I am aiming to do it this Thursday and Friday.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Doing great - no sugar or wheat since 5/28/13

I had previously gone without sugar for over two years and it wasn't as hard as it sounds once the cravings are gone. 

Now I have omitted sugar plus wheat and grains (still some legumes). The stuff I've deleted from my diet is white flour, wheat and processed foods so nothing that my body needs. In fact, it's all harmful stuff so I can see a longer, healthy life without it. I just hope I can undo the damage I did over the last 16 months.

This is what I ate today for lunch - so delish! It's just tomato, mozzarella, basil, balsamic vinegar, a little olive oil, Himalayan salt and pepper.

On July 23rd it will be 8 weeks and I'll weigh myself again. I found this cool blog with some great recipes that are sugar and grain free. Lauren is a young woman who was able to heal a bad digestive situation with healthy eating. http://empoweredsustenance.com/



 

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Cupcake or Heroin? There's no difference.


This Washington Post article just popped up on one of the news sites today... a new study just published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition implies that:
"... the quick spike and subsequent crash in blood sugar that comes after eating highly processed carbs activates reward and addiction centers in the brain."“Refined carbohydrates seem to be able to provoke food cravings many hours after consumption, at least in susceptible people.” I am obviously a "susceptible" person and like other types of addicts, I can't have any of this substance. Just like an alcoholic can't have a drink in moderation, I can't have sugar in moderation. I have finally come to terms with that after gaining a lot of weight back. But the benefits of good health far outweigh the taste.I continue to pass up many chances to eat bread, muffins, cupcakes, etc., on a daily basis. It isn't hard to do once it's out of my system. I just can't even fathom eating sugar again...

Thursday, June 27, 2013

But the government says we should eat grains

My very intelligent daughter told me I must eat some grains because they are in the USDA food pyramid - now a food "plate." While it's inconvenient to give up grains (how do you make a sandwich?), I know I'm not losing valuable nutrition or anything good by giving them up.

Dr Mercola recently had a great post entitled :

How Turning the Food Pyramid on Its Head Can Help You “Slim Down Without Trying” link

I asked my daughter to read it so she could understand why I made this choice. I didn't watch the Peter Jennings video but the summary article is excellent!

So as I think about if and when I will let wheat/grains back in my diet, I was excited to find some "no wheat" healthy recipes on this blog. I am going to test this one and report back.  

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

1 month without sugar and wheat - lost 20lbs

I weighed myself this morning and lost exactly 20lbs since I went sugar free and wheat free on May 28. Except for croutons on my salad and a few times eating chicken with breadcrumbs I've had no wheat or grains.

I almost feel I should have lost more given everything I gave up. I don't have any cravings for sugar but I know (because of what happened last fall) that if I start eating lots of bread and bagels it could be a slippery slope back to sugar. I need at least another month.

So what am I eating? Isagenix shakes (the IsaPro with more protein), lots of salads and vegetables, some fruit (not too much) and IsaDelights (thank goodness for them)!


Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Sugar free, wheat free 16 days...

I started eating sugar-free, wheat-free* on May 28 so it's been 16 days. The Isagenix shakes are perfect for this. I am not going to weigh myself until it's been one month so I am about half-way there. I really can't tell how much I've lost but I can almost run up the stairs without holding the railing whereas before I had to hold the railing and slowly walk up.

It seems extreme to totally eliminate sugar and wheat but they are only contributing to ill-health and have not one ounce of anything positive to offer me.

Over the 16 days these foods have been placed in front of me...
apple cider donuts (a favorite)
  birthday cake
    ice cream
      chips
         homemade bread
          pasta
            bagels
              fresh baked cookies
to name a few.

I didn't eat any of these because I knew that one bite would lead to another. It was pretty easy to physically resist all this, even when it's in my own kitchen, because the cravings disappear within a few days. But I still know I love these foods and it's hard... hard to beat an addiction like this when it's everywhere.

*The only wheat I had was croutons on my salad a few times and my lifesavers are the IsaDelight dark chocolate squares (as much sugar as 1/4  of an apple). They are the ONLY dark chocolate that I can eat -- one small square satisfies me. More info about these amazing chocolates.

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Wheat Belly??


I know I am addicted to sugar and that I need to have total abstinence (like an alcoholic or other drug addiction). But I also know that wheat (flour) is a cousin to sugar (quickly turning to sugar in the body) and that bagels, tortilla chips, cereal and other carbs without sugar are also causing me to binge.

So in an effort to finally get back on track - for good! - I decided to adopt the major premise of the Wheat Belly Diet (which is, of course, right on track with Isagenix).

I saw the Dr Oz show on Friday, May 24 and the author, Dr Davis, tested women's blood to show how a piece of whole wheat bread can cause blood sugar to spike more than a candy bar.

Dr Davis explained how we have been conditioned to believe that whole wheat products are healthy but that's like saying filtered cigarettes are healthy (yes, when compared to non-filtered). I stopped trying to force my family to eat whole wheat pasta a while ago for this reason (if you're going to eat unhealthy you may as well enjoy it).

How can I give up wheat? It's easier knowing that it's bad for me because it's grown using pesticides. Countries including Japan and South Korea won't import US commercial wheat because it's contaminated and genetically engineered. Link to full article.

So since Tues. May 28, when I started eating healthier, I've been able to almost totally cut out wheat (only had some croutons in my salad and some breadcrumbs on my chicken cutlet). No sugar either - by Friday it was pretty easy to ignore the giant chocolate chip cookie that came with my Panera box lunch salad. I have a long way to go but I already feel much better physically and do not go to bed at night with self loathing over my food choices :)

Friday, May 3, 2013

Andy Cohen Cleanse

I LOVE Bravo TV - watch all the housewives shows and just about every other reality show on there (Rachael Zoe, Brad, Flipping Out, Matchmaker, the real estate shows and Watch
Keep drinking that water Andy!
What Happens). Don't judge. I watch while I work on my laptop at night (my second job) doing websites, advertising and marketing for an Inn and Winery.


So Andy apparently is doing some kind of two week cleanse. He didn't say which one but I hope it's Isagenix - it's indisputably the best so hopefully he did his research and made the right choice! I know Gweneth Paltrow has some products. I have not done the research on them but she is well versed in health and wellness so I assume they're good. BUT, the ingredients that John Anderson has put in the Isa products are really unsurpassed!!

As for me, until I again completely give up the sugar that I am addicted to I won't be able to lose my 100lbs. It's one of the hardest things to give up because it's everywhere. My day job is particularly difficult because people bring in junk food all the time. No excuses though.

It is great to hear people talking about cleansing. When I started a few years ago it wasn't as prevalent. Our bodies cleanse naturally but doing the Isagenix nutritional cleansing is a great way to intensify the cleanse process without starving the body. I am going to do a two-day cleanse next week.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

I have not done well since last Sept.... I let the enemy back in -- sugar -- and have no chance when that happens. I used to work at home and had more control over what was in my house. Now working in an office I find donuts and cookies that people bring in to share.

It's like making an alcoholic work in a bar. I have to make hundreds of right decisions a month. Today a colleague litterally dropped some homemade cookies on my desk. I didn't have one. We have Girl Scout Thin Mints at home. I didn't have any.

There are some people who can have one cookie and some (including me) who know that one cookie will lead to 10 cookies.

My new goal is Sept. 10 to lose the 100 pounds - six months is aggressive but I know people whov'e done it!

Having a goal and declaring it is the first step...