Thursday, October 20, 2011

Product Review - Frank's Finest Spirulina Gamasio


I picked this up three weeks ago and have since been sprinkling it on just about everything savory. A lovely, emerald green mixture of hemp seeds, spirulina, Himalayan crystal salt and onion powder, it's a brilliant twist on a popular Japanese sesame seed condiment. Spirulina is an excellent source of protein, minerals and B vitamins and contains a full spectrum of free radical fighting carotenoids. It aids in removing toxins and promoting beneficial bacteria in the gut while hemp seeds are rich in essential fatty acids and protein. Try it on your salads, quinoa, eggs or whatever for a great boost of nutrition. It's absolutely delicious, vegan and gluten-free!

Shop Frank's Finest

Monday, October 17, 2011

21 Day Detox - Conclusion

Last Friday marked the end of my official detox so I just wanted to share my final results. All in all it was a great experience and I feel amazing. 14 days of juice is challenging but such a great reboot for the body. I'm lighter, more energized and my skin has improved considerably. In the end, I had a net weight loss of 5 pounds and my blemishes have improved 50%. My skin has been much less oily and congested and I'm nothing short of thrilled.

I'm glad I did the work necessary but won't be doing anything that radical for at least another 6 months, which will be the perfect time of year to do some 'spring cleaning.' I've officially switched over to the Body Ecology diet and so far I'm loving it. It's a bummer not having my fruit smoothies but I'm enjoying it and feel very grounded.

The premise of the B.E.D. diet is to cut out all forms of sugar and yeast and consume a highly alkaline diet of mostly vegetables, some seed grains (like quinoa and buckwheat) as well as eating cultured vegetables with each meal so you replenish the beneficial gut flora. I happen to love sauerkraut and kimchee so I'm eating it like it's going out of style. I'm also making my own coconut kefir to drink in the mornings and evenings. In addition, I'm also taking oregano oil capsules. Just an FYI the Oreganol brand capsules I recommended in my past post are NOT vegan. I've switched to Gaia Herbs brand instead which is in a vegetarian capsule but not quite as potent. Right now I'm taking 2 capsules 3 times a day. My typical meals so far have been:

chia pudding
green juice
kale salad
seaweed soup
green energy soup
cooked quinoa
some lightly cooked veggies
flax crackers
sunflower seed pate

I'm keeping it pretty simple and working on some sugar free desserts using stevia and xylitol instead of agave. A lot of the recipes from my book work well on this diet or can be adapted to be B.E.D. friendly. For fermented foods I have a whole chapter on making your own.

For those considering trying this diet I would like to mention that you do not need to do a 14 day juice fast as I did to start. The B.E.D. is a very cleansing diet on its own. I'll post more about it in a few weeks with my results and some photos of what I've been eating.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Detox Days 16-18

Day 16

My appetite is back and though I feel like I could eat a huge meal, I can't. I had fruit for breakfast, a couple small collard wraps for lunch and another two for dinner.

Today is my last day of fruit and sugar of any kind for several weeks. I'm transitioning to a Body Ecology Diet where no sugar, alcohol, yeast, vinegar or any other substance that feeds candida is allowed. It's going to be a challenge but I think it'll be fun to come up with some raw B.E.D. friendly recipes. I stocked up on flavored stevia, xylitol and Lakanto and I'm ready to get creative though I am certainly going to miss my fruit. I already know I'm going to slip up once persimmons are in season.

Day 17

Surprised to find I lost another pound. I like the way my clothes are fitting so I don't mind at all. I'm working out so I'm sure it will come right back in the form of muscle soon enough.

I went in for colon hydrotherapy this morning and kept my intake light all day. I had chia pudding for breakfast (sweetened with xylitol), 1 quart of green energy soup and some nuts and kale chips. I had a busy day of auditions and appointments so I had to keep it simple by preparing portable meals. Today was stressful and ended with a couple new zits by the end of the day. My husband says my legs are looking f.i.n.e so who cares about some pimples. :)

Day 18

I feel awesome and strong. Had more chia pudding for breakfast, salad with beets, avo and tomato for lunch. I was on the phone all day coaching clients so I missed dinner but I did sneak in some sauerkraut, coconut kefir and berry sorbet. According to the B.E.D. diet, berries, pomegranate, lemons and limes are allowed. Hallelujah!!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Detox Days 14-15

Day 14 Last day of juice fasting

I had 2 quarts of green veg, about 1 quart of fruit juice, two cups of herbal tea, 1 cup of miso soup and one cup of almond milk with protein powder. Had a 1 hour massage in the morning and kept busy around the house all day. I feel great and little anxious to end the fast. I wish I could go a little longer but it's time to get back to normal life.

Day 15 Now what?

One super important thing to remember about juice fasting is that you have to break it very gently. Your body hasn't digested food in a while so you need to go slow as not to shock it. Also, your metabolism has slowed way down.  You've lost some weight but you will gain it right back and then some if you jump right into your old diet. The rule of thumb for fasts is that however many days you fasted, divide by two and that's how long you should ease out of it. Some health leaders say 1 day for every 4 or 5 days but it depends on the individual. I find slower is better, especially for long fasts, but it's up to you. Listen to your body.

I fasted 14 days so I'll take the next 7 days to get my metabolism revving and fire up the digestive system. Many years ago, when I knew nothing about healthy juicing, I did the Master Cleanse for 7 days and broke it with a big Indian dinner. Do I even need to describe how horribly miserable my night was? I've come a long way since then.

First day of breaking the fast, I suggest starting off with some fruit. One type of fruit at a time not a fruit salad. Citrus or melon are great.  Next day, try some blended veggies like my Green Power Soup with little to no avocado. Then add a light salad. Slowly add your regular (healthy, clean) foods until you're feeling back to normal. Also, get back to the gym or whatever exercise floats your boat. This will stoke the metabolism so you can keep most of those shed pounds off (if weight loss was one of your goals).

Today went like this:

Lemon water with MSM, cayenne, noni powder, probiotics, fulvic acid and stevia
Niacin/rebounding/sauna 45 minutes
1 quart green juice
11am two oranges
 2pm small bowl of grapes
4pm 1 cup almond milk with SunWarrior protein
5:30pm two large heirloom tomatoes, sliced, with 1 teaspoon olive oil and small dash of sea salt

 It felt so good to chew food again!! The best part of it is I don't feel obsessed or attached to food. My cravings are in check and I feel balanced and in control.

This morning I weighed myself and lost another pound making total weight loss 5 lbs. Fasting puts you in a catabolic state where muscle break down rapidly. I worked hard for mine so I added protein powder to my daily regimen. Some would say it's wrong to do on a fast, but I found it energizing and made the fast much easier.

So how's my complexion you must be wondering? It's getting much better. The oiliness has subsided considerably and my blemishes are going away on my face, back and chest. I did so many different detoxifying things the past 2 weeks it's impossible to say if any one thing helped. I believe the probable cause for the improvement is that I've most likely eliminated food(s) that have been creating the inflammation. I won't know for a month what foods I will have to avoid but I will be very cautious as I start to reintroduce solid foods and return to a normal diet.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Detox Days 12-13

Day 12

I went in for acupuncture to balance out my hormones and support my kidneys and spleen. According to TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) I have "dampness" and a spleen deficiency. Don't worry, it's not deadly. It's about being balanced. My body needs more grounding, warming foods now and less sweet, cold raw food which I don't have a problem with. I don't think 100% raw is the only way to eat. Obviously, I am a strong advocate of eating densely nutritious food but that can be both cooked and raw. As the seasons change, warm food is important and if my body needs something, I'm not going to let silly rules or dogma interfere with my well being. We tackled 3 different things in the session and I felt like a human pincushion with needles around my ankles, knees, lower back, spine and arms. I was so drained afterwards, I went home and passed out on the couch. Next week might be easier since I'll be eating again.

Today I had two quarts of juice, 1 quart of herbal tea and 2 cups of miso soup. No supplements at all since I'm gearing up for my allergy test on Saturday.

Day 13

Today I went to the chiropractor to get my monthly adjustment. Unlike my acupuncture session, this actually energizes me. I wanted to do cartwheels out the door but the doctor would definitely have frowned upon it.

I also did another infrared sauna session. Last year, out of concern for the geo engineering (chemtrails) taking place across the world and my worsening airborne allergies, my husband and I decided to buy a sauna for the backyard. It was an investment but we felt we were worth it. It's made by Luxspa and it's Gabriel Cousins endorsed. It seats 3 adults and has a CD/radio that I use to listen to Coast to Coast AM with George Noory late at night or occasionally a meditation CD.

The infrared sauna is superior to ordinary saunas because the far infrared waves can penetrate deeper into the fatty tissue to get the toxins moving and since the temperature is lower (a dry heat) than a typical sauna you can stay inside much longer. I usually do about 45 minutes but you could go over an hour if you're a sauna warrior. AND you burn 300-600 calories per hour as your body tries to stay cool through sweating. It's a lazy person's weight loss dream.

I like to take my detox a step further by taking 1000-1500mg of niacin. Niacin is a B vitamin that creates lipolysis in the fat cells, i.e. breaks down fats. It's such a great detoxifier, that in Europe, high doses of niacin are given to drug addicts in rehab. Theraputic doses are 2500mg - 5000mg and up. I've done 2500mg once. Never. Again. It will make your entire body bright red, hot and itchy. Fun stuff. Start with 100-200mg and see how you do before venturing into megadoses or you will be very, very uncomfortable. After I take the niacin and feel it starting to kick in, I jump on my mini trampoline for 15 minutes. Rebounding, or cellercising as some people call it, helps move the lymphatic system (the metabolic garbage can of our body). Rebounding works every cell in your body and helps to make the niacin more efficient. I try to jump every day for 15-30 minutes, usually while watching Dr. Oz.

Here's Dr. Mercola speaking about the niacin/rebounding/sauna protocol at the Longevity Now Conference.

 

Saunas are one of the best things you can do for your health besides eating a clean diet. I think with the increasing amounts of pollution in our air, water, food, etc, and cancer cases and thyroid disease exploding we are experiencing toxic overload. I believe, one day, saunas are going to be standard issue in every household, like television sets. We need a way to get the toxins out easily and there is no faster way than by sweating it out. I understand not everyone has money or room for a sauna but you can find deals for sauna sessions in your area by checking out websites like Groupon, Living Social and Lifebooker. Lifebooker has a lot of health and beauty deals so I would try them first.



Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Detox Days 10-11

All in all it's been smooth sailing. I'm not that hungry but I do miss solid food. Today I hardly had any appetite and only had 2 quarts of juice. 1 quart was fruit, the other vegetable. I haven't exercised at all the past 11 days except for rebounding. I usually exercise every day for at least 45 minutes but I feel like I would run out of steam if I try to do anything too active. If my bike wasn't broken I would definitely have been able to do that but resistance training and elliptical, no way.


Today I filled out my allergy testing forms from Every Body Cleansing. I need to abstain from all supplements for 48 hours before I collect my saliva on the enclosed ziplock baggie. They check for 400 different food allergens and give you recommendations on what foods are ideal and what to avoid. I won't have results for 3-4 weeks but I'll let you know how it goes. Very excited to see the results but if they say I can't have avocados, I might have a complete meltdown.

Latest stats:
Energy: good
Sleep: excellent
Skin: improving
Total weight loss: 4 lbs

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Detox Days 6-9


I was at the Longevity Now Conference this past weekend so I didn't have time to post any updates. It was challenging having to lug juices to the event but I stayed focused and hung in there. Being surrounded by so many health leaders, experts, coaches, etc. was really exciting and kept my mind occupied. My energy was up most of the time but when it dipped I went over to SunWarrior and took some nips at their booth. Healthforce Nutritionals also had some tasty drinks on hand and some chlorella tablets to gnaw on.


I really enjoyed the speakers and topics this time around. My favorite speakers were Kevin Troudeau and Dr. Bonlie. Kevin told his incredible story how a judge has banned him from TV for life and ordered to pay a $37 million dollar fine for quoting his own book on television. He has such a passion for health and truth, I was very inspired by his talk and his courage. Dr. Bonlie is a magnetism expert. I actually had lunch with him at the Health Freedom Expo a few months ago where he told me about the catastrophic solar storms we'll be having next year. He skipped the doom and gloom and spoke about his magnetic therapy which was totally fascinating. He designed a magnetic bed pad that I hope to buy someday soon. They chelate heavy metals while you sleep! Does that mean I don't have to juice fast anymore, Dr. Bonlie??? Say it's so!

Anyway, it was a super fun weekend but one of the highlights was getting to sit down with Kevin Gianni and discuss my acne issues. He's been pretty open about his own struggle with acne on his website and how he was able to resolve it with a combination of Body Ecology Diet, cultured vegetables and eliminating foods he was allergic to (FYI he did the Every Body Cleansing test I ordered). Surprisingly, he had a lot of success with oregano oil capsules. Oregano oil is very potent as a liquid and pretty hot and spicy if you've ever tried drinking it with water so you definitely want to use the capsules. He recommends taking it for 3-4 months until the skin clears up. I ordered mine here. It'll knock out all the beneficial bacteria in your gut as well as the bad so make sure you eat some cultured veggies each meal or take probiotics.

 BTW, my complexion is actually improving. It's gone from moderate acne to light. Fingers crossed that it continues on that path!

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