Spring up!

Posted on April 5, 2013 by mariahge

The tulips and hyacinths are pushing through dirt on my little chunk of land. I’ve gone to 5 yoga classes in 6 days and am feeling sore, but also a little bit stronger. Yoga and spring, right after a detox is all such great timing for me. Although, any time we make positive changes in our lives is great timing. Now that I’m feeling a little strength come back, I feel more motivated to do even more. Get outside in fresh air, reconnect with friends and family I haven’t seen in a while. Weed the garden.

Exercise is the other critical factor to good health. Nutrition and exercise work together so well. Our organs and bones will age with us, but we can do a lot to keep them strong and functioning well into old age through exercise and eating nutrient-dense, foods (a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, legumes, especially). Muscles, however, are another story. We lose muscle mass in old age because of inactivity, not because of aging (excluding a very few disease conditions). If we strength train when young, middle aged, or when elderly, it will benefit our strength, stability, digestion, moods, and of course that cute tush. Some moderate cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and good nutrition can set up a beautiful foundation for health, energy, and quality of life.

What do you do to stay motivated to exercise?

Happy hiker.

Forward we march

Posted on April 2, 2013 by mariahge

Post detox. My cravings were anxiously waiting for the end of the 21-day detox; the end arrived, and well, meh. I wasn’t so interested in binging, splurging, indulging, or otherwise reverting back to where I was. Yes, this is a good feeling. The feedback from the other detoxers is also exciting. The level of compliance varied, but so did the individual goals. Any change we can make toward eating more health-supportive foods is a great accomplishment. Here are the most common results from the fellowship:

Cut out some processed foods and drank less soda/alcohol
100% compliant with the protocols
Increased energy levels
Weight lost (5-15lbs!)
More real food intake
Less processed food intake
Cholesterol levels were cut
Tummy aches, sinus issues, were eliminated
Sleep was deeper and more restful

Those were just a few of the most common results of this detox. But the one I love most of all: awareness. Awareness was increased around foods that heal and foods that make us sick, stuffed up, and inflamed. Of course, a detox isn’t the answer to all that causes ill, but it can be a start. It can help give the liver a break so that it can function better. Bigger issues can take longer to heal and require specific nutrients, and lots of patience.

My next personal challenge: 20 yoga classes at my local studio in April. I’ve been out of practice for a couple months, too laden down by work, school, other work, pups, life. But I’m going to take advantage of this sense of commitment and get back to it! It’s all part of the equation to live long, strong, and energetically.

What is your personal challenge this month?

Day 20.

Posted on March 30, 2013 by mariahge

20/21 One more day!

This past week was a nutritional monkey wrench for me. I caught a stomach virus and was severely limited to what I could tolerate to eat and drink. But don’t fear, I still stuck to the detox protocols! Although, it was also because the protocol was what was best for me. My tummy and conscious limited me to mostly meals of brown rice, apples, and ginger kombucha. The kombucha was a life saver, packed with good probiotics, energy-boosting B vitamins and enzymes that help make everything work. It’s definitely the best replacement I’ve found for the ‘flat soda’ that seems to be common.

Ginger is an excellent tummy settler. Everything from when you’re sick and nauseous to pregnant and having morning sickness. Ginger also helps with nasal congestion, settling a bloated-gas belly, improves the absorption and assimilation of essential nutrients in the body, and it’s even been known to be an aphrodisiac. wink-wink!

I knew it was time to move back to more substantial food when I started to get a headache. It was a clear signal from my body saying “OK, we’re done healing, now let’s get back to full speed.” Not that I recommend getting sick, but I have to admit, I feel fully cleansed having done an unplanned mini fast this week. And, it’s nice to know my immune system is working! It was pointed out to me yesterday that getting sick now and then is a good sign that the immune system is doing what it’s supposed to do, keep us healthy and strong.

I let breakfast this morning go to whatever I craved, within reason; I needed more nutrients, so almost ‘anything goes’. When I say ‘whatever I craved’, I always think about my cravings, and try to get to the root of the real need. Craving: Big burger, cheese, and fries? Analysis: I need some minerals and protein. Action: What’s the best source for that? I had some roasted ham (pasture raised, no nasty additives) and juiced up some carrots, a beet, half an apple, and a lemon. Result: Happily, I am feeling very satisfied!

Done, good, completely rebooted, and strong. I also feel like the sugar-craving devils have been reduced to little mini devils I can squash out easily.

How do you deal with cravings?

Day 17.

Posted on March 27, 2013 by mariahge

17/21

Soooooooooooo, it’s been requested I discuss some cholesterol and glucose numbers. And since yesterday was “Diabetes Alert Day”, I’ll delve into that topic. Sugars (yes, again) are the fundamental source of so much that threatens our good health. We need glucose (sugar’s form in the blood) to fuel the brain, muscles, and create energy. However, the amount we need is grossly less than what the average American consumes. If the grocery store layout were indicative of what foods we need most, the produce section and the whole middle section with the aisles would swap places. All those aisles would be condensed to a few shelves in the corner.

And, this layout would help eliminate type II diabetes, much of the obesity issues and related diseases, cancer would be asking for handouts in the streets (kicked out its fancy mcmansions), and inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis, would be added to the rare species list. But, I diverge.

Blood tests for cholesterol and glucose levels can be indicators of how our systems are working (there are many more that can also help, but we’ll stick to these today). One member of the detox had her cholesterol and blood sugar checked last week, and the numbers were significantly better than what the were before the detox (eliminated the sugar in her diet and increased vegetables, variety, and home cooked meals). Consequently I went and had mine checked this week. Also, much better. My HDL (‘good’) cholesterol number (51) was higher than previously, my fasting blood sugar (glucose) levels were lower (82), and triglyceride levels (57) were lower. Huzzah!

Eating well really does make a significant impact on our health.

Day 15.

Posted on March 25, 2013 by mariahge

15/21

Well today stopped me in my tracks, hard. Apparently a stomach virus decided to give me a day of fasting (among some other less pleasant effects) to this detox. When I was able to keep down some water, I tried kombucha. It seemed to do the trick and give me a little energy (much better than chemically laden, HFCS flat soda and nutrient-void crackers).

Short post today, still in recovery mode. But yay! to ginger (good tummy spice and a natural anti-inflammatory) and kombucha.

Hope everyone is having a good start to the week..

Day 11.

Posted on March 21, 2013 by mariahge

11/21

We are adding back some foods, as they’re tolerated today (nightshades), and hopefully that will make some in the group sing or do the jig. Some questions came up about food reactions. One common reaction to a common allergen is gluten and joint pain/aches. Gluten acts like sugar very quickly in the digestive tract and is a very savvy inflammatory agent. And if the person is sensitive to gluten, it’ll be even more pronounced. How does this work? Well, let’s talk a little bit about food allergies (aka food intolerance, food sensitivities).

Food allergies. There are two common types, classic (IgE, immediate reaction) and non-classic (IgG, longer term reaction, 2 hours to several days) allergies. The classic type is well known, albeit less common, the make-sure-to-carry-your-epi-pen-with-you type. The non-classic type, however, is much more common and can cause an unlimited number of conditions, such as the following:

Chronically tired
Gain weight easily
Boated after eating
Frequent gas
Diarrhea or constipation
Abdominal pain
Sinusitis, runny nose, sneezing
Rashes, itches, asthma, shortness of breath
Recurrent colds, sore throat
Water retention, swelling under eyes or swollen fingers/ankles
Headaches/ migraines
Muscle or join aches after eating certain foods
Brain fog

Food allergies often develop when the inside lining of the digestive tract becomes permeable or abnormally ‘leaky’. This is likely due to many factors (one or a combination of) an abundance of sugar, processed foods, refined grains, antibiotic use, excess alcohol, use of OTC pain killers (aspirin, ibuprofen), gut infections, poor good gut bacteria, and/or excessive physical or emotional stress. A vicious cycle is created with a weakened gut and food allergies. A leaky gut can quickly lead to food allergies. Food allergies contribute to infections, candidiasis, lack of enzymes, lack of HCI, further contributing to a leaky gut.

The leaky gut allows incompletely digested food proteins to enter the blood stream, which the immune system sees as foreign invaders and attacks. The immune system attaches antibodies to the particles. It then attacks and digest them with specialized cells, phagocytes, and releases a cascade of reactive chemicals (i.e., histamine), which also cause many of the sudden and chronic symptoms we experience as allergic reactions. (Note: Celiac’s disease a different category, it is an autoimmune disease, not a food allergy)

What can we do? An elimination diet is one of the best ways to determine food allergies. The good news is that you usually feel better fairly quickly once the allergen is not in the system. The next step would be to heal the gut and strengthening the immune system, all, naturally, with real food nutritional protocols. Don’t be sad, there’s hope and always lots of real food alternatives, right around the bend!

Have a great day.

Day 10.

Posted on March 20, 2013 by mariahge

10/21

Half way there! This detox is breezing by now, yes?

I got a big bunch of parsley the other day and have been adding it to nearly everything. It is used as a garnish so often that I think its nutritional value has been overlooked. Parsley can help purify the blood, cleanse the kidneys (healing balm to the urinary tract, gentle diuretic), is high in vitamin C (three times more than citrus juices), rich in potassium, helps balance blood sugar (especially with adrenal malfunction), helps lower blood pressure, is a warrior in protecting against cancer, and it also increases the depth of respiratory movement.

So grab a bunch of parsley and num num away.

Pretty Parsley

Do you have a favorite herb?

Happy first day of spring.

Day 9.

Posted on March 19, 2013 by mariahge

9/21

The days are flying by. Spring is tomorrow. My garden is in need of some prep work. School work is piled high (understatement). Work is thankfully a bit slow this week. I’ve got nothing planned to cook today. I juiced this morning (beets, cucumber, lemon, pear, parsley, celery, carrots). I’m going to see what creative things I can do with my left over roasted chicken.

There’s something so fundamental for me about roasting a chicken, picking off the meat for another meal, making stock with the carcass, using that stock to make yet another meal. The original recycling. I like food that is nutrient dense and has many uses. Like the gardening cycle of planting, harvesting, eating, composting, planting. It’s beautiful in its simplicity. (simplicity = the theory, not necessarily the work, I’m still figuring that part out!)

Can’t wait for summer’s garden!

Stress was my original motivator behind this detox. I’m happy to report, I feel like I have a much greater handle on my stressors than I did before the detox. Sugar (and this includes alcohol) is not a friend to stress. We may reach for it when we’re stressed, but the biochemical pathways lead right to illness. Illness can range from a cold to chronic fatigue, tummy ache, painful joints, weight gain. Pretty much anything the immune system has under it’s control can be harmed by physical (including nutrition) and/or psychological (work, finances, relationships) stress. They both activate our sympathetic nervous system, which triggers our adrenals to get to work releasing hormones. Those hormones are designed to help us fight an attacking lion. Too much of these adrenal hormones and all hell breaks loose in the body (see above, about the immune system).

This week, I’m going to focus on psychological stress management, now that the nutritional stress has been removed from my body. More long walks with the pups, get my bum to yoga class, and even try some of the guided mediation I was taught once upon a long time ago. The goal, other than to get good and calm amid my life storm, is to get out of the sympathetic nervous system’s hormonal cascade and allow my parasympathetic nervous system to heal, digest, and be calm.

Om.

Day 7.

Posted on March 17, 2013 by mariahge

7/21

One full week! The group has been reporting better detox symptoms (less headaches, brain fog). It sounds like most have been compliant, too. This is great and warms my heart so very much. It was a rough week for some, especially with the caffeine withdrawals. But, alas, perseverance and good food have won out. Forward we march to better health and habits.

I had a delicious, slightly more bitter juice this morning: 1 small beet, 1 pear, 2 celery stalks, 2 small carrots, 1 lemon, and about 1″ of ginger. I had that with a side of garlicy guacamole and some flax seed crackers. Breakfast! My juicer hasn’t seen this much action ever. I’m happy to be getting some work out of it.

Now I’m off to take the crazy pups and myself for a nice long walk. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Eat good greens!

Jones & Indy

Day 2.

Posted on March 12, 2013 by mariahge

2/21

Last night was better than I expected but not blissful. Habits are hard to change and I believe habits can last longer than cravings.

Planning and not planning. I think I need to balance these as well as the stress in my life. Stress is the primary motivator for my detox. I need to take the bull by the horns and get control of this runaway beast. School and work and life have all been kicked up a couple notches recently, and I’ve let my healthy habits fall to the side. My the excuse was that I’m too busy, too much else to focus on. But deep down, I know that this is the most important time to address and deal with these stressors. Or I will be trampled by that bull, and I only have myself to blame. My resolve: attack. Attack with a good diet, relieving a lot of stress on my organs, nervous system, brain chemistry. Attack with massage, stretching, yoga, long walks (my nutty pups love that one most), and deep breathing. I need to calm the heck down. Attack with attitude: Moxie and good vibes.

As I sipped on my tea last night, I found myself worrying about the weekend (still days and days away), about wine and chocolate temptations mostly (yep, total girl cravings). I thought “wait a second. that’s NOT today, and I’m doing GREAT today.”

With any new diet change, your best friend is going to be planning (and best defense against the stress from the changes). The better you plan, the more successful you’ll be. However, I think it’s important to know when not to plan. But, this is nothing new, it’s the old wisdom of taking one day at a time. Let go of yesterday, let go of tomorrow, live in today.

With a slow deep breathe, I tackle today. And only today.

Last night I made stock out of the chicken bones, and roasted a butternut squash. There will be soup with lots of ginger very soon. And Congee is up next as well! Stay tuned.

What is interesting on my menu for today? Probably lunch (and hopefully soup): Shrimp sauteed in garlic, onion, ginger, turmeric (one of the best health supportive seasonings out there), in coconut oil, with quinoa & arame.

Hope you all had a great day 2! I know a lot of caffeine headaches and moodiness are running bulls out there. Address, breathe, and remember, it’s just today. Tomorrow is its own problem, not today’s problem.

KALE

Keep active, live energetically.

Tag Archives: healing