This post will be my last official post on this site.

But don’t worry! I’m still writing, educating, and empowering women to have the confidence to be a RADiant Rockstar and love themselves fully.

I’m just doing it over at my other site:  www.IamFlourish.com

Let me tell you (FINALLY) what is going on with me:

If you have been following me for a while, you know that I have a very hard time slowing down and letting go of things I’m passionate about. I’m obviously very stubborn *wink* My body has begged me to change my ways and LISTEN to the signs. I listened, but I didn’t HEAR the depth of the request.

Jesus, I hear ya. I’m going to take out my earplugs and pull down my blinders and stop saying “YES” to so many parts and pieces. Spreading myself thin seems to be my trademark. I’m going to re-brand myself  - saying “YES” to my health so I can deliver the message you have allowed me, LOUD AND CLEAR.

Empowering people to live the life they have always wanted by gaining the confidence to love themselves FULLY.

Flourish believes in that message.

What do we do at Flourish?

Empower Sustainable Change.

How do we do that? Go check us out and see: www.IamFlourish.com

The blog : Coach Talk

If you felt that you could relate, in some way, to this video and my current state of internal affairs, let me know! And don’t forget – when your body is having an internal war, you need to treat the ROOT cause: THE GUT.

Last night I delivered the kick-off call for the Core Values Detox. We have a great community of committed individuals signed up and ready to ROCK n’ ROLL come Monday when the Core Values Detox officially begins.

It’s not too late to register. Check out the details: Core Values Detox

Once you register, I will send you the recording of the kick-off call – it will bring you INTO your body and start to understand how the GUT (or CORE) holds everything else together. You will NOT be disappointed. I’m looking forward to loving up my gut and beginning to feel SO MUCH BETTER! Join me.

Don’t forget – I’m not gone, just changing locations. We’ve got some prime real estate over at www.IamFlourish.com

Follow us:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/flourishforlife
Twitter: @CoachSelena
Pinterest: Coach Selena

Thank you for all your support and loyalty. I think of you everyday and I hope you have been inspired to LIVE.

Be RADiant-

Selena

Sooo Tired..

On the best of days, I wake up feeling awake and clear. I savor my hot lemon water, my breakfast of greens and eggs, and may or may not want a cup of green tea. My day progresses along with a focused mind (well, as focused am my ADD mind can get), an energized feeling, and very small (if any) cravings for sweets and salt, which I can easily manage.

Lately, these days are few and far between.

I have disappeared down a pit of “new normal,” which I am desperately trying to claw my way out of.

These days, I wake with a headache and my entire body turns to lead, objecting to get up. I have my hot lemon water, followed promptly by green tea…just to be followed up a hour later with some combination of Teecino and coffee because I.just.can’t.get.by.without.my.drug. *sigh*

Once the caffeine kicks in, I pray that is all it will take to get me through. Not so. As my fatigue sweeps over me and the cloud starts to set in my brain, I snack, and snack, and snack some more. All day long, my body is begging me for some way to boost it’s energy. What it really wants is sleep and rest, unfortunately, I feed it instead with the quickest form of energy: sugar.

In my defense, I start with the healthy ‘sweets’ – fruit, veggies, smoothies, and dried fruit and nuts. My intentions are good…but they fail almost every single time. I end up eating protein bars, dark chocolate, lots of almond butter, honey, and cacao…oh…and more coffee

Oh, it gets better. If I go too long with the sweets, then I have a salt cravings like NO OTHER. Organic blue tortilla chips and Daiya cheese come to the rescue.

And does any of this actually make me feel better?

NO.

At the end of the feeding fest, its usually way past my desired bedtime of 10 pm, and I ache all over.

Honestly, I soooo want to feel better. I dream of feeling like ME again – without the added stimulants and food binging to get me there. I KNOW, without a doubt, that sleep is one of the most important parts – the   “cradle”, if you will, of my recovery.

I realize, that no matter how many green smoothies I drink, how many supplements I take, or how many superfoods I cram into my diet, none of that will take hold if sleep is not happening.

Not only is sleep the key to rest and repair for our organ systems, it also has a strong hand in managing many hormones, including the one that regulate appetite: ghrelin and leptin.

Ghrelin: The Snacking Hormone

Hormones in Action

Ghrelin. Sounds like gremlin and to me, that is what it is right now. This hormone is secreted by the wall of the stomach when we are deficient in calories. It tells us: “Time to eat!” Ghrelin has been proven to increase in our system with sleep disturbance, in fact, this study* shows that even just ONE NIGHT of sleep deprivation can cause a rise in levels and an increased appetite. In this study**, it surmises that ghrelin also has a strong circadian rhythm. Yes my friends – we ARE connected to the universe. The sun rises and falls and our bodies are interconnected to the greater whole. – but I digress….

Leptin: The “How Can I Still Be Hungry?” Hormone

Leptin is secreted by the fat cells. This hormone tells us when we are full and is signaled when we have sufficient calories coming in. It also boosts our metabolism by encouraging the body to burn those calories we have ingested. In numerous studies, including this one***, leptin is affected with sleep deprivation. As the levels of ghrelin rise in our bloodstream, leptin levels fall. This causes us to KEEP EATING. We never feel quite full.

Do you notice on the mornings you are most tired, that all you want to do is eat (sweet or carby stuff usually) and drink coffee? That’s no coincidence – it’s your body revolting against the lack of sleep.

You are putting your body into a stressed state. We need sleep to survive and thrive. If we don’t get it, we feed ourselves as a mechanism to keep us ‘alive.’

Just to be fair and thorough, there are other components that go into the dynamic of feeling hunger and satiety. Insulin and Peptide YY are two. Insulin is secreted from the pancreas in response to glucose in the bloodstream. It comes in and sweeps up the sugar and helps to feed cells (and stores excess as fat). After meal, this is released and generally keeps us satiated for a time.

Peptide YY is found in the ileum and colon of your digestive system. It is secreted in response to eating and also is an appetite suppressant.

I KNOW this, why don’t I just go to bed?

Good question. I have done a lot of thought about this. I think it is a few things:

1. I’ve got a lot to do!

2. By the time I get home from work or get the kids to bed, I want some ME time – which translates into staying up late and snacking (hint: need new method here!)

3. Once I hit the 10 pm hour, I get my second wind …I’ve missed the wave of sleep.

4. …sleeping alone…I think this really does have something to do with it.

This has GOT to change. I’ve got more going on with my health than just THIS piece, which I PROMISE to let you in on soon. Sleep is a HUGE part that needs to be tended to. No more excuses. Just new methods!

Like….traveling to Maui for a week

My vacation w/ my monkeys

Sleep Success!

Now it’s time to act. No more pushing through to ‘get stuff done.’ No more staying up late to ‘relax.’ Instead, I’ve spent time in Hawaii with my monkeys and my brother. Laying in the sun, playing in the water, and going to bed early have been my standard over the last 6 days. I had hoped to get back to ‘early to bed and early to rise,’ and I have been successful. Granted, it’s really easy to get out of bed at sunrise when you have roosters waking you every morning and the temperature is 75 degrees at 6 am.

Let’s hope I can continue this when I get home.

How much sleep are you getting?

Take a look at your sleep patterns. Be truthful to yourself about what you need to do for your body. Trust me, you don’t want to end up where I am at right now…

If you need some tips, go back and read this post: 5 Ways to Maximize your Zzzzs  and Catching the wave of sleep.

BIG NEWS

I have a new program that is rolling out next week…more to come, but for now, here is a sneak peek: Core Values Detox

Be RADiant-

Selena

photo credit: http://www.lanimuelrath.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/leptinghrelin.jpg

Resources: *www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18564298

** http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ije/2012/530726/

*** http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC535701/

]]> http://radliferocks.com/why-lack-of-sleep-can-make-you-fat/feed/ 0 http://radliferocks.com/do-we-fear-or-live/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=do-we-fear-or-live http://radliferocks.com/do-we-fear-or-live/#comments Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:04:17 +0000 Selena http://radliferocks.com/?p=2145

Photo credit: KISDREAM

In the aftermath of the Boston marathon bombing, I worry about my family.

Are we safe?

Should we fear?

What is next?

The answer is as difficult and as easy as we make it.

I have to rest in this:

God is in ultimate control.
His plan is ALWAYS better than ours.

I need to live my life, enjoy my children, and make small changes to support the good in people.

Spread the joy, shower people with love, and believe in the Creator who will show us the way.

Take a moment and read this post I wrote over at www.IamFlourish.com

Changing the Face of Humanity

Be RADiant-

Selena

I mean, it’s just SLEEP!  Who doesn’t want to curl up in a cozy little ball and catch some ZZZZs?

Apparently I don’t. I’m not sure if it’s the I-don’t-like-sleeping-alone part, the I-finally-have-a-moment-to-myself-so-I-must-stay-up-and-make-the-most-of-my-time part, or knowing that because of my lovely internal warfare, I-have-more-energy-at-11pm-than-I-do-during-all-the-daytime-hours-combined part that keeps me awake.

Even when I lay in bed at 10 or 10:30 pm, I have a hard time going to sleep. I HAVE had a few good nights, but overall, this ‘detox’ is not going as planned.

I’m not sure what I’m going to do next, but I DO KNOW that I want to help YOU get the most out of your sleepytime and avoid the pickle I am in.

Jump on over to my other blog and website: www.IamFlourish.com and read my latest post: 5 Ways to Maximize Your ZZZZs

Make sure to check out the site if you haven’t already. This is where I rock and roll my group programs with my rockstar biz partner Julie Hunter.

Comment on the post, and I’ll send you a gift!

BE RADiant-

Selena

I’m not going to lie, it’s been tough.

My body is stuck in this cycle of staying up late and is having a hard time ‘converting’ the internal clock back to ‘Sleepy Standard Time.’

It’s not for lack of trying. I have been IN bed by 10-10:15 pm every night. The SLEEP part – well, that’s the challenge.

The night before I posted my sleep detox message, I was up to 2 am geeking out of some very exciting gut research. Yes, I’m a science nerd and I LOVE my job as a Holistic Nutrition Counselor. I’m taking another Full Body Systems Course to feed my need for knowledge and give my clients AMAZING results.

I figured that I’d be tired enough the next day, that going to bed early should be pretty easy.

I was WRONG.

My body was tired, my muscles ached, and my skin told me: YOU MUST REST.

I went to bed at 10:15 pm.

I tried to relax my face and body (my usual way to get myself to sleep), got in my favorite position (I’m a back sleeper), made sure the covers were just right, and settled in for some quality rest.

10:45 – still awake. I roll to my side and try again.

11:15 – still awake. This is where I start to bargain with myself, “If you are not asleep in 15 min, you can get up and read.”

11:30 – Yup – eyes WIDE OPEN. I really didn’t want to read, because the book I’m reading is on my Ipad. The light of the Ipad would probably stimulate me more and not help my situation. So, I got my notebook and headed to the couch to write.

12:10 – Feeling a little sleepier, so I thought I’d try again. Settled in yet again and focused on some deep breathing.

12:20 -still awake. “Crap. I’m going to be crabby tomorrow. And I can’t even have coffee.”

12:45 – this was the last time I looked at the time.

5:45 am – AWAKE. Ugh.

Tired and Wired

With my history of adrenal fatigue and the way my hormone cortisol tends to release, I had to get smart. Cortisol is the hormone that gets you up in the morning. It rises and falls in relation to the rhythms of nature. It’s high when you need to wake and low when it’s time to rest. My adrenals were spurting out cortisol in ridiculous levels starting at 4-5 pm. The peak: 10 pm.

This is why I do my best work late at night. Once I hit 10:30 pm or so, I am tired, but WIRED and ready to rock and roll. Given that I have two kids at home, this truly is the only quiet time anyway, so it works out….or so I thought.

Knowing what I do now, I realize that allowing this to continue was causing a huge cascade of damaging hormonal imbalance in my body. I’ll talk more about this in a later post.

The trick I need to master in order to go to bed and FALL ASLEEP at a decent time, is to catch my zzzzs BEFORE the peak of cortisol and hope that I stay asleep through the ‘wired’ phase going on inside of me.

Catching the Wave

The next night, I laid in bed a little earlier and I did read on my Ipad (I turned the brightness way down). I started to get sleepy and immediately shut it off and rolled over to go to sleep.

Fifteen minutes went by and I was still awake.

Next thing I know, it’s 7 am. YESSSSS!

Last night was even better. I fell asleep right away. Only to wake to two monkeys and one potty accident…*sigh* At least it was at 6 am and not 2am!

I’m on the right track.

How about you? Are you trying to get better sleep? Tell me what you are doing to get your beauty sleep. I’d love to know what your nighttime rituals might be.

Are you wondering how you can optimize your resting hours? I will give you some great tips, so stay tuned.

Be RADiant-

Selena

How About a Sleep Detox?

I feel like all I’ve talked about this month is “detox”, “detox,” and more “detox.”  Well, that’s because I have.

And it’s not stopping there.

I was doing a whole heck of a lot better when I switched from the 21 day detox to my very own Real Food Restart detox. I never got back to my pre-detox weight, but I was able to button my pants again.

The interesting, and scary thing has happened since I ended my ‘detox for my detox.’ I’m now completely fatigued, am craving salt and bread like mad (I NEVER crave bread, and usually it’s sugar vs. salt), and am suffering greatly in my workouts.

My first race of the season sucked for time. Granted, I had fun running it, but as high as my heart rate was and as hard as I felt I was running, my times did NOT reflect it one bit. I won’t even tell you what my finishing time was, so don’t ask.

This last week, all my workouts have hurt in one way or another and I felt completely wiped out afterward. I felt very heavy and cumbersome and didn’t have my usual pep in my classes. I even drew a blank in my Kick class! FYI – this is NOT a good way to keep people coming to your class.

Tonight as I write this, I’m at the beach with my boys. We have had fun and I was able to sleep way more than usual yesterday. But today, I couldn’t stop eating. I never got full and I was NOT particular about my food. It’s like someone else was living in my very healthy conscious body. It hit me this afternoon like a ton of bricks: you better get your adrenals and thyroid retested.

I’ve been thinking about it for about a month, hence why I thought the detoxing would be great. But maybe, just maybe, instead of relieving the emotional, chemical, and physical stress in my body, changing my eating habits and using products that my body obviously did not like, amplified the internal stress and completely whacked me out! I envision my internal workings of hormones running around with too many conflicting commands, not knowing what to do but run in circles.

Then I ran a race, had some coffee, and even some wine, all in one day. Was that it? The tipping point of my adrenals and thyroid that have been delicately balancing on the edge for months?

My not-so-sympathetic voice starts barking out orders:

All the major symptoms are screaming at you and you are pretending to not hear it.
Stop doing stupid shit thinking you will be fine. Get a grip and start supporting those organs again.

That voice is a little judgmental, so I like to put a re-frame on it to actually allow change to take place:

Thank you for allowing yourself not to worry about your adrenals for the last few months. This has given you the energy to focus on making a living at your new job and private business, finalize and move through the emotions of your divorce, and be a relaxed mommy to two anxious little boys. I ask you now, to update that method into one of supporting yourself in a way that can prolong this energy and sustain yourself as a part-time single mom, a successful holistic nutrition coach, and triathlete.

Aaahhh, much  better. I can accept that without any judgement or objection from my mind.

This is what I’m going to do:

1. Use the recipes from my Restart Detox and add in support herbs.  – PS, this initial round of the Real Food Restart Detox is coming soon! If you are interested in VIP pricing, you need to comment here or contact me. 
2. Join in with my Start line Basics Crew on April 2^nd and follow alongside this group with the training and fueling program. I know I’ll like it, since I created it – PS, if you would like a sample of the VERY WELL RECEIVED meal plan, meal ideas/recipes, and grocery list, comment here and sign up for my newsletter – I’ll get it right to you!
3. Begin yet ANOTHER detox: this one will revolved around SLEEP. Starting Today, I vow to go to bed no later than 11 pm as many days as possible. I am certain this will have a HUGE effect on all the other areas that seem to be falling apart right now.

I really hope you can join me.

I will be posting lots of information on sleep, and of course, sharing with you my progress:

1. Facebook – Flourish and RadLifeRocks
2. Blog – RadLifeRocks – for inspiration to get fit, eat food, and be a RADiant rockstar!
3. Blog – Flourish – for nutrition and fitness tips, group programs, and new ways to Flourish!
4. Twitter – lots of nutrition tips get posted here. Mainly about SLEEP this week.
5. Pinterest – a few key recipes will be making their debut on these pages!

More information on Start Line Basics, click HERE

Are you ready to SLEEP to feel better? Tell me if you think sleep might make a difference in your life.

Feel free to comment below or email me personally with questions: selena@radliferocks.com

Be RADiant -

Selena

For the Love of an Americano!

Did I get your attention?

I know, I know, you are thinking, “Say what you will, but I will NEVER give up my coffee.”

I hear ya. I LOVE my coffee too.

And, just like YOU, “Its not the caffeine. I just love it for the taste!” Or, at least that’s what I thought.

That’s like saying, “I don’t like MnMs for the sugar, just for the crunchy shell.” or “I don’t like to smoke for the nicotine high, but for the smell of the smoke.”

Friends, caffeine is the most highly addictive, most readily used “drug” around. Don’t be fooled.

While there may be some benefits to caffeine, there is also one particular reason why coffee could be LETHAL for some people:

The overproduction of insulin and insulin resistance. This leads to diabetes.

Further resarch has shown that the caffeine in coffee might be the culprit responsible for the secretion of higher levels of insulin from the pancreas.

Clearly higher insulin and glucose levels are not the work we want to bestow on a body healing from insulin resistance. Considering that diabesity affects nearly 1.7 billion people worldwide and growing, the nightly news now sounded the alarm of caution that perhaps our coffee habit is a detrimental addiction needing to be kicked to the curb. -Dr. Mark Hyman

Take a couple of minutes to read THIS: 10 Reasons to Quit Your Coffee

Give it Up?

Does this mean that you need to give up coffee completely? That depends on your current state of health. Are you are battling with pre-diabetes, sugar addiction, obesity, or just plain feel like crap? Then it’s probably something to try. At the minimum, we should all be aware of how much caffeine we are putting into our bodies on a daily basis.

I was a HUGE coffee drinker, ever since college – which was many moons ago. Over the last few years, I’ve taken it out for various reasons. The first reason being inflammation in my hip. Once I removed coffee, it improved! It was like magic. The second and MOST IMPORTANT reason was my battle with adrenal fatigue. Coffee stimulates the adrenals and makes them work overtime. Here is something  to think about:

Coffee provides energy that we do not have.
This means we are borrowing from our bodies without the ability to pay it back.
What suffers: your internal organs and hormones. Adrenals being a primary target.

Coffee still comes and goes out of my diet, however, at this point, it is generally decaf (swiss water processed if possible). Honestly, I feel MUCH better when I don’t have coffee at all. I have now enjoyed the flavor of tea so much, that I crave it.

Alternatives to Try

If you are a hard core coffee fan, going to tea is like going from milk chocolate to 85% dark chocolate: Not so easy.

That was me, so I did a little digging, tried a few things and found my favorite substitute: Teeccino.

My favorite alternative

1. Teeccino: An herbal caffeine-free coffee:  A mix of carob, barley, chicory nuts and other flavors (there are all kinds of varieties) it has the boldness and heaviness of your cup of joe, can be brewed like coffee (in a French press, via tea bags or in an espresso machine), and mixes nicely with a creamer or just a little honey.
2. Yerbe Mate: I really enjoyed this as well, but once the caffeine was out of my system, this had a little too much ‘punch’ for me. I liked the fact that it even tasted great cold. It also has powerful antioxidant properties, and it may also accelerate weight loss as it revs up the metabolism.
3. Green Tea: This is my FAVORITE right now. I especially like the ZEN tea that you can buy at Starbucks. Green tea has less caffeine than a cup of coffee but enough to give you a boost without any of the coffee jitters. Its also packed with Catechins, which are powerful antioxidants and potent disease fighters.
4. Licorice Tea: I discovered this caffeine-free gem when I was doing my first adrenal cleanse. Sweet and healing. “Licorice is an adrenal tonic and increases energy. It adds a pleasant taste to tea blends and can also be taken in tincture form,” explain Dr. Linda B. White and Steven Foster, authors of The Herbal Drugstore.
5. Rooibos Tea: Once I discovered I LIKED tea, I sought out another sweet drink: Vanilla Rooibos. A-MA-ZING. It tastes great hot or cold, mixes well with almond milk, and really curbs that afternoon sweet tooth that strikes every now and then.
   
6. Wheat grass or green drink: These are like the polar opposite of a cup of hot coffee, but can provide a very nutrient dense, energizing punch. It is easily assimilated into the body for a quick response, but it does taste, well… LIKE GRASS. I personally don’t mind that sort of thing, but many people do! *wink*

A Quick HOW-TO Video

Now that you have all the information, how about a little visual on how to make a cup of decaf coffee or Teeccino.

Here you go:

What do you think about your current coffee consumption? Are you willing to try a few alternatives? Have you ever taken coffee out and had amazing results? TELL ME!!!

Comment below so I can learn from you.

Be RADiant -
Selena

It is soooo nice to feel GOOD again!

I am happy to report that after just 3 days on my very own REAL FOOD RESTART DETOX, my belly has gone done and I feel normal again.

The only smoothies I had were ones that included fruits and veggies. No need for added powders or even much protein for the first few days. I used cilantro and parsley to pull out toxins, lemon and greens for alkalinity, and flax or chia for protein and added healthy fat. So refreshing and belly friendly…it makes me smile thinking about it.

Here is what I got to eat and drink for the first 3 days:

Green Detox Drink

Cut up veggie sticks

Restart Soup

Raw Veggie Salad with an Asian Flair!

Soaked and Sprouted Hummus

It’s no wonder I feel so good.

Day 4 and 5, I added in a little more animal protein and healthy fat. I also treated myself to a little Kombucha!

Baked Sweet Potatoes, Onion, in Coconut Oil

Kombucha!

I am also happy to say that those 7 lbs I gained while on the “other” detox…Four of them are gone as of day 5. (On a side note, remember, that the “other” detox was very helpful for the others…just not me!)

Did I mention I have difficulty staying true to a detox?

I told you how I feel about detoxes in my initial post. Well, it held true here. I had no accountability partner…and I had no problem justifying myself when I BROKE my own detox.

Really, I had two weeks of detox 1, and got off of chocolate, coffee, and alcohol. Then I had 5 more days of gut rehab. I lost that weight, I feel a million times better, and I’m still not craving chocolate! I also truly rather have an herbal tea or maybe even a green tea vs. coffee. I miss my wine, but don’t miss the sugar in it, so I will have no problem limiting my amount. Sooo, I can be done, right?

Yup, this is how my brain works sometimes. Actually I WAS trying to stick to it until Monday, but Sam had his basketball party and I ordered a gluten-free pizza, trying to stay true. When I got halfway through it, I realized it had regular cheese on it! Oh well. I ate the rest of it anyway…

Gluten Free Veggie Pizza

That night, I did have some banana ice cream with a dark chocolate almond cookie I made. But stopped at just that! YAY ME!

Sunday, I ended my week of Detox for my Detox with the Shamrock Run. Let me tell you about the “lackluster performance” right here.

And, I treated myself to a cup of coffee:

My Treat: An Americano!

Oh, and I had a glass of wine that night to celebrate!

Would You Like to Feel Better?

Now that you have had the ‘great honor’ *wink* of watching me suffer and come out the other side feeling MUCH better and free from the clutches of the cravings monster, are you at all interested in what YOU might experience on a detox?

Or, would you rather embark on your very own fitness and nutrition journey? The combination has been VERY successful for my graduates.

Here is the Facebook post that was put up by a Start Line Basics graduate yesterday after the Shamrock Race:

“I started my running venture 6 weeks ago. I started running 2-3 miles @ 10 min/mile pace. I ended at 9.5 miles @ 8:26 min/mile and 5 lbs lighter!!! Thank you Selena Maestas Moffitt…Start Line Basics:)”

I don’t make this stuff up. *wink*

If you think it’s high time to:

1. Stop making excuses and DO SOMETHING
2. Clean up your diet and see what MAGIC can happen
3. Lace up your running shoes and get MOVING
4. IMPROVE your time for your next running event
5. Try your first detox to RESTART your body for spring

Then join me!

START LINE BASICS: Next session begins March 26th  : Read all the details HERE

RESTART DETOX: First round will begin April 15th – This is an exclusive group, so if you are interested, please comment below and I will contact you.

Oh, it would be so fun to have you! I LOVE a party…

Have a RADiant day -

Selena

It’s not like I’m trying to say that you MUST detox or that ” I’m better than you because I like to cut back on all the crap when it gets out of control and get my self back on track.”

I absolutely believe that we need to take certain items out of our system to see what our body will do and how it will feel without them. The common offenders are: excessive toxins from non-organic meats, pesticides from certain veggies, excessive sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and the common allergens: wheat, corn, soy, and dairy. I like to rejuvenate my system at least twice per year, usually right after the holidays and right before training season. That’s just my humble personal opinion.

Truly, the 21 Day thing was intriguing to me. It was a work related detox that I was leading, so I figured I should join in as well so I could truly understand how the group was feeling and have relevant information to share with them as their guide. However, if you have been following me, you know that I didn’t last but 14 days and it was a PAINFUL 14 days!

I still feel a little “off.” My belly is still a little distended, my body still feels achy, and my energy isn’t where I would like it.

The good news is:

My chocolate intake is WAY reduced and back to my standard 85% dark chocolate treat every other day or so. My caffeine consumption in the form of coffee (decaf and regular), is curbed. I’m really enjoying Teeccino and Zen green tea. I also don’t need any stimulant in the afternoon anymore. YAY!

I’ve also stopped having wine or tequila every night. — Hold on, I know what you are thinking: “EVERY NIGHT? TEQUILA?” Well, the Tequila I drink is QUALITY stuff and is an ‘approved’ alcohol in my world.

Cabo Wabo

The frequency was the issue, not necessarily the amount. Let’s just say finalizing a divorce and figuring out the ‘new’ way of life can be a little stressful.

In order to RIGHT the residual WRONG in my body, I’ve decided to do another detox. This one is REAL FOOD based, and my very own creation that I’ve been working on for a few months.

I guess it’s time to put it to the test.

Re-Start Detox

I wanted to create something that was easy for the busiest of people, tasty for the pickiest of eaters, and works! The goal is to get people back on track when they indulge for an extended period of time, like a vacation, the holidays, or just stressful life. The other group of people who will like this are those who just need to dial things back a notch to prepare for training season, an event, a vacation, or to re-start their good habits again.

Day 1 – 3 (Phase 1) is based on getting “FRESH.” This first phase is pretty straightforward. You have one menu for all three days that are based on fruits, veggies, and nuts.

Day 4 – 7 (Phase 2) is about getting “BALANCED.” In this phase, we add in some clean animal protein, more healthy fats, and just good, REAL food. You have more variety, but not so much as to complicate things.

I tried to keep it simple with a daily protocol to hang on your fridge, simple recipes, and a grocery list.

It’s a good thing, because I don’t have a lot of time this week (or any week, for that matter) to mess around with a ton of recipes.

Preparing Detox Foods

On Saturday, I did some pre-planning and cooking in preparation for my next attempt to detox.

It all begins TODAY.

Here is breakfast:

Green Detox Drink

Wish me luck.

Be Radiant -
Selena

That is the longest, and most painful, detox I have ever done.

After talking to the representative for the product I used, we have decided I may have a food allergy to peas OR my body just doesn’t do well on powdered product.

Interesting.

Am I sad that I didn’t make it to 21 day? Yeah, a little.

On the positive side, I had hit the point that my chocolate cravings were back to normal, my skin cleared up, and my caffeine intake was curbed!  REALLY, I actually crave green tea vs. coffee and don’t need anything in the afternoon anymore! That is HUGE for me right now.

Max and Sam at the Great Wolf Lodge

I managed to keep things under control this weekend at The Great Wolf Lodge with my Kiddos. Thank goodness my swollen belly is better – I had to wear a bathing suit!

What I’m realizing now, is that my body still feels a little messed up. I’m achy and tight everywhere again and I just feel off. My poop is back to normal – THANK YOU GOD, but my belly is still not the same.

AND…I still have those 4 lbs left that weren’t there before this 21 day adventure started.

Detox for my Detox

I have been putting together a little “Kick-Start Detox” of my own. It’s REAL FOOD, and it’s just seven days long.

I am going to give it a shot to see if I can’t get back to normal.

I’ll post what I’m doing and a few RECIPES too!

Wish me luck and stay tuned!

PS – I also realized that my trigger foods are REALLY dangerous. I had a 1/4 bag or organic blue tortilla chips in my cupboard. Tonight, I ate them all. Why? Because I’m starting another detox tomorrow. Shameful…but true

PPS – add this to the list of trigger foods NEVER TO HAVE IN THE HOUSE! Tortilla chips now joins the ranks of: any chocolate less then 85%, anything that resembles a cookie, and red wine.

PPPS – my detox group all had really good results so far and MUCH less abdominal issues as we made adjustments to the amount of fiber and water they were ingesting. I guess I’m the weird one *wink*

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