Marvelous Me May: Push Yourself & Whole Grains

Wow, May sure did sneak up on us!! Sorry I have been somewhat MIA. Biking for Bellies in full swing, new job and cute nephews' have been snagging my attention. However, Marvelous Me carries on as we still have 8 months to get marvelous. I should say more marvelous than we already are, right?
I hope your April cleanse went well. It was definitely challenging for me, more than any other as my will power was somewhat non-existent for some reason. However, I did it, pulled through and feel better for it. Hope you do as well.

May is' Push Yourself & Whole Grains' month. Whole grains is pretty obvious; all grains that you consume should be whole and unrefined. Hopefully your cleanse has helped you steer clear of all that bad white stuff which will make this exercise a lot easier for you. Most restaurants, grocery stores and anywhere else that serves food really, has finally jumped on the whole grain wagon and made these grains accessible pretty much everywhere. However, I still do think we are a wheat-crazed society and limiting your consumption of wheat, even if its whole, is always a good idea. With so many other, tastier grains out there, there really is no need to stick to just one. Experiment with spelt, rye, kamut, barley, brown rice, oats, quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth, millet and teff. With this wide of a selection, this months' challenge is sure to be a breeze, right? Maybe not for all of you. I know many of you still have that white stuff lingering in the back of pantries, pulled out for those baking recipes that you are convinced would never work with any substitute. Well, now is your chance to try. Have your pancakes, muffins, breads, just make sure they contain one or more of the grains above.

Now to push yourself. I chose May for this as I originally was doing a 200 km bike ride in the beginning of June. I since switched my ride (and purpose for it) to August. However, I have a lot of training ahead which should not all be saved for July. So I will start pushing my self now. I need to change my 20 km rides to 30, then to 40, then to 50. My once a week spin class should be pushed to 2. I know many of you are running 10 k's or half marathon's soon. I have a friend entered in her first Spartan race. These are all great examples of how you can push yourself further than you have before. However, pushing yourself does not only mean on the physical level.
Have you been contemplating a career change but too afraid to take the leap? Have you been wanting to take a course but worried about how difficult it will be juggle work and school? How about starting a garden for the first time, but having no idea where to start? Or how about joining that dating site your friend told you about months ago? Well May is here and this is the best time to leap. Leap into what ever it is that you have been making excuses for not doing for as long as you can remember. There is no better time than now. Leaving your comfort zone is scary for everyone, but what I think is even scarier is living life in regret. Regretting not taking that exciting job because it didn't have a dental plan. Regretting not ever learning about philosophy. Regretting not being able to eat a salad made from your own backyard or waking up alone when your 60 when you always dreamed of one day having a family. Push yourself to a new level, out of your comfort zone and into the new. Realize your potential and once your are there, push even further.

May is the month where everything around you is blossoming and growing. You should be doing the same!

Spring Cleanse: 2 Weeks

Yesterday marked 2 weeks since we started our spring cleanse. This means for many of you, that you are rejoicing today in the most gluttonous of ways. For the rest of us, we carry on.

I 'm not sure about you, but this cleanse has proved to be my most challenging yet. Most people think that since I am a nutritionist and eat quite healthy on a regular basis, that a cleanse is like a walk in the park for me. Not so. I may be vegetarian and may be used to not having white sugar in my diet, however I am still a sugar addict. I am not afraid to admit it. I eat sugar everyday. Always from natural sources (honey, agave, maple syrup, dried fruit) but I crave something sweet everyday. And for some reason, my sugar cravings were much more harder to control on this cleanse. I caved a lot. My emergency organic dark chocolate bar (80% cocoa) was gone the first week. I bought a back-up for the second week and now that that one is gone I am starting my third. I had a piece (or two or three;) everyday! One thing I did stick to my guns on was no coffee and no alcohol, not even a sip. Alcohol has not been a problem but I have been fantasizing about a coffee since day 1! Aside from work and having to taste my recipes in a cooking class, I avoided gluten and dairy completely. Overall, pretty good, but certainly lower than my standard. I share all of my confessions with you so you know that even I, a nutritionist and avid cleanser, caves every now and then. Don’t let the little moments of weakness be your ending. If you gave into the craving, enjoy it, then get back on that horse and carry on to the end.

I am starting week three and am committed to putting in more effort than my last two weeks. Next Sunday will be the end of my spring cleanse but I will carry on alcohol-free until the end of April as it is Alcohol Awareness Month. I will try to get rid of any sweets – even the good ones, to avoid temptation. I cooked a lot today to have meals ready when my week gets busy. Its all up to will power now. One more week, that’s it. I can practically smell that coffee waiting for me!!

April Cleanse: 2 days away!!

Just a little reminder that April is just 2 days away. Which means, our spring cleanse is also only 2 days away!
Hopefully cutting out the sugar for Marvelous Me March proved to actually be possible, unlike your beliefs at the beginning of the month. Living with out sugar will prove to make your cleanse a lot easier as that will be one less item to get used to living with out. Remember, the key to surviving a cleanse is being prepared. Preparation = success! Time and time again, I have seen people cheat on a cleanse not because of a cravings or lack of will power, but because they were not properly prepared. As long as you have the right foods on hand and ready to serve, there will be no excuses. As April 1st lands on a Sunday, I suggest you use Saturday, a day off for many, to shop and prepare foods for your week. Sift through recipe books and stock up on veggies & fruits, gluten-free grains, nuts & seeds. This will make up the majority of what you will be eating for the next few weeks. Even for beginners, I suggest a minimum of 2 weeks. 1 week is simply not enough to get results. From my experience, things only begin to shift after 1 week and the real positive changes occur in the 3rd week. I am sympathetic to how difficult cleansing can be, especially if this is a first for you. However, as most of us spend 50 weeks of the year indulging and doing as we please, a measly 2 weeks of deprivation is nothing. Think of it as a gift, a reward to your body, for all the abuse it withstands the other 50 weeks of the year;)

I am re-posting the cleanse details. Take a look and start mentally preparing yourself. If you plan to do a 2 week cleanse, then pick the 2 weeks that work best for you. 2 consecutive weeks that don't include a lot of social events or a lot of over time at work. The food prep for a cleanse can be somewhat time consuming. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Now lets get cleansing!!

Getting Started

·      Because a detox consists of a break down diet, it is very cooling on the body. Therefore, you want to detox when it starts getting warmer out. That is why spring and fall are the best times.

·      Pick a time that is convenient and realistic for you. Don’t pick the 2 weeks where you have major events planned (i.e. weddings, parties). It will only make sticking to the detox program more difficult. Also, this program involves quite a bit of food preparation time. Don’t do it when you are scheduled to work over time all week.

·      Get rid of any temptations (i.e. chocolate, cookies etc.). This detox will be a real test on your will power so the easier you can make it on yourself the better.

Foods to Avoid

·      Sugar: all foods containing white sugar, brown sugar, glucose, fructose, corn syrup, cane sugar/juice/syrup, honey, agave nectar, rice syrup, maple syrup and definitely no artificial sweeteners (sucralose, saccharine, aspartame, neotame). Stevia can be used but only if really necessary – which I don’t think ever really is!

·      Coffee: it would be a good idea to slowly start cutting out the coffee as soon as possible to avoid headaches and coffee withdrawal. The only form of caffeine allowed is green tea.

·      Animal products: A purely vegan diet is recommended for a detox. This includes no eggs, fish, dairy products and honey.

·      Processed foods: pretty much anything that comes in a can or box is not allowed!! This includes tofu for vegetarians and almond, rice or soy milk. Some exceptions are organic Tamari sauce (make sure it is wheat free), olive oil, organic coconut milk and canned organic beans  (Eden). The better option would be to soak and cook all your beans but I do realize how time consuming that can be.

·      Gluten: follow a gluten-free meal plan. A detox should also be free from most grains with the exception of brown rice and quinoa.

·      Alcohol: sorry, no exceptions. Hey, the good thing is your friends will appreciate having a DD for the next 2 weeks!!

What to Eat:

·      Veggies, veggies and more veggies!! There is no limit except for potatoes as they are a starch.

·      1-2 grains /day consisting of brown rice or quinoa.

·      Fruits. Limit high sugar content fruits such as tropical  (banana, pineapple, mango) and eat fruits after lunch only to help balance blood sugar levels. Avoid dried fruit.

·      1-2 servings/day of beans or lentils.

·      Nuts and seeds with the exception of soy and peanuts.

Diet Guidelines

·      Drink water: first thing into your body every morning should be an 8 oz. glass of pure water with ¼ of a freshly squeezed lemon. Water should be drunk consistently throughout the day. The minimum requirement should be your body weight divided in half and that would equal the amount in ounces you should drink per day (i.e. weight=130lbs/2 = 65. 65oz of pure water per day minimum). Drink 6 oz. (177 ml) before meals. Water should never be ice cold. Warm or room temperature is best.

·      To break-the-fast, it is recommended you start each day of the cleanse with vegetables. 750ml – 1L of freshly juiced juice is recommended for breakfast everyday and to be drunk within an hour of making, as nutrients are lost. Carrot and beet juice, along with leafy greens are best.

·      Eat every two to two and half hours to balance blood sugar and energy levels (this is will help avoid the afternoon crash as well as night time munchies).

·      Eat organic. As we are trying to limit our exposure to toxins, we should avoid all pesticide-sprayed foods.

·      Finish meals and snacks by 9 p.m. Your liver detoxifies overnight and this time line helps its efforts.

·      Try not to overeat. To conserve time, you can make big batches of food to eat throughout the week. However, as fresh is best, try to add a fresh salad or veggies as a side to any leftovers.

·      As stress and anxiety can produce toxins internally, one should incorporate a program that will detox the mind as well. Balance and harmony is only achieved when there is a balance between mind and body. Incorporating Yoga, Reiki, Tai Chi and/or meditation are great ways to improve mental health.

·      Supplementation: Liver support during a detox is essential. Milk thistle or Hepato DR by St.Francis is recommended. Dandelion and parsley leaf is recommended for kidney support as toxins are flushed out of the body.

·      Enemas. Yes, you heard me correctly. As our livers begin to release existing toxins, we should assist to eliminate these toxins from the body and enemas are a great way to do this. Please feel free to contact me on how to preform an enema safely and properly.

What you might feel during the Detox

A Detox is a break-down diet designed to not only eliminate the toxins you ingest but release the toxins that already exist in your tissues. As this process occurs, it is possible to feel worse before you feel better. Some possible symptoms can be headaches, fatigue, gas, dizziness, feeling cold, irritable and/or emotional. Those with more toxins will most probably experience more symptoms.

 *Anyone pregnant, breast feeding or diabetic should not participate in this program. Those suffering from any other medical conditions please consult your physician prior to starting this program.

Please join me as I will be starting my 1 month detox on Sunday April 1. Whether you do 2 weeks or just 1, please join me and follow my blog as I will be writing about my experience. I will be able to answer any questions you have and help you feel supported through your journey to great health!
For those of you who are ready to feel great, The Green Blossoms Detox Program is a full a 7-day meal plan complete with all recipes including snacks and even a few treats. This program will guide you through a healthy detox with such yummy foods; you won’t even feel like you are depriving yourself! Sign up today and get ready to blossom!! www.greenblossoms.ca

The Health Benefits of Laughter

A colleague from school wrote this fantastic article about the benefits of laughter a while back. Although the month is coming to an end, daily laughter should certainly become a new 'regular' to your routine. And Hayley tells you why.

The holiday season can be a stressful time for many of us as we try to plan social gatherings, rack up credit card debt, and have to see people we don’t necessarily get on with (or for some, not even having anyone to spend the holidays with). Just the thought of it can evoke dangerous levels of stress to our bodies. My advice for a happy holiday is to lighten the load by having yourself a good old laugh! It will benefit you emotionally, mentally and physically.     

Laughter lowers stress, boosts mood and your immune system, according to Dr. Lee Bark of the Loma Linda University Medical Center. In one study involving sixteen men who watched a funny video, levels of the stress hormone cortisol fell 39% after a good belly laugh. Adrenaline (epinephrine) levels fell 70%, while levels of the feel-good hormone endorphin rose 27%. Not only that, but the “youth hormone” GH skyrocketed at 87%. When we are overly stressed, our hormones can lower energy levels, increase blood pressure and disrupt metabolic processes such as digestion. They can also lower testosterone levels in men and cause irregular menstrual cycles in women.  When we laugh, our feel-good hormones increase cell production (growth/healing), slow aging, and can improve our sleeping patterns. Having a giggle also improves our immunity by increasing the production of antibodies that keep us healthy and able to fight off diseases and infections which are so prevalent during the wintertime.*

One of my favorite moments in my Ayurvedic Medicine class was when our teacher hit the lights and started wailing out an enormous belly laugh causing the entire class to go into fits of laughter for a good 10 minutes. When she turned the lights back on, we all had tears of joy in our eyes and felt amazing. The energy levels in the class room were incredible!

Laughter is comparable to aerobic exercise according to Dr. William Fry, laughter temporarily speeds up the heart rate, increases blood pressure and breathing, expands circulation, and enhances the flow of oxygen in and out of the body. It exercises the upper torso, lungs, and heart, as well as the shoulders, arms, abdomen, diaphragm, and legs. In fact, a team of researchers at the University of Maryland reported that individuals who used humour in their speech patterns were less likely to suffer a heart attack than those who didn’t. Still other researchers have found that people with a good sense of humour overall experience less stress and better health.*

So when you’re feeling sad and stressed this holiday season try to think of things that make you laugh or at least put a smile on your face. Have a few funny memories on hand that can help you to feel better. If you can’t think of any funny memories, connect with your friends and family members that always have you in stitches and make you feel better. Take a time-out and put on your favorite feel-good holiday comedies (some of mine include Mr. Bean’s Christmas Special, Elf, and Planes, Trains and Automobiles). Check out your local comedy club or if you are too moody to leave your place then there are always online video clips of things that can make you laugh. Whatever you do be sure to spread some happiness and holiday cheer to those that need it most with a good HO HO HO, because when you laugh, the world laughs with you.

*D. Colbert, “Deadly Emotions” (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc. 2003)

Posted By: Hayley Shwaizer, CNP

Fruity Nut Balls

I love nut balls!! I love them even more that they are fruity and sugar-free!!!

This recipe could not have come at a better time. Although being sugar-free for Marvelous Me March has actually not been that bad, I still crave my sweets. Although these Fruity Nut Balls contain a lot of natural sugars from the dried fruit, therefore should still be treated, well, as a treat, they are a great healthy alternative to nutrient deprived white sugary treats. Just 4 of these sweet balls contain 6 grams of fiber and a whoping 10 grams of protein!!!

Ingredients

2 cups mixed dried fruit (cranberries, apricots, dates, etc.)
1 1/2 cups mixed nuts and seeds (almonds, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, etc.)
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/3 cup sesame seeds or coconut flakes (you'll get extra calcium if you use sesame seeds;)

Directions

• Put dried fruit in food processor and pulse until well mixed and sticking together. Take out and put in large bowl.
• Put mixed nuts and flax seeds in food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Pour into bowl with dried fruit.
• Cut fruit into nuts like cutting butter into flour. Continue until all nut mixture is sticking to dried fruit.
• Knead into 1 inch balls, roll into sesame seed or coconut mixture coating all around and serve. 

                                                                          YUM!!

Recipe adapted from www.wholeliving.com

The Journey of my Kidney Cleanse

The human body fascinates me more and more each day!! It is mind blowing how every organ, bone, muscle and cell are connected and all work in sync to provide the most complex, intellectual working machine in existence!

On Monday I started a much needed kidney cleanse. The kidneys are the first organs you need to clean when doing a full body detox, which is what I am doing. It is quite simple as it just involves drinking a concoction of brewed teas and tinctures along with a handful in supplements.  No real restrictions on diet except of course, trying to eat as clean as possible. The hardest part of this cleanse actually, is not being able to wear any jewelry for 6 weeks. I had to remove all my rings and earrings. I have permanent dents in some of my fingers because of how long I have worn them for and I feel totally naked without earrings. But, other than that, not much sacrifice is required for a kidney cleanse.

On Monday I went to a spin class after work and walked home after wards as I usually do. I felt great. Tuesday I woke up and my left big toe was a bit sensitive, but not enough to keep me from attending yet another spin class that night. I walked home fine after that class as well. However, Wednesday my big toe was even more sore and bothering me when I walked. By Thursday I was limping and Friday I had it up on the table icing it every few hours! I never stubbed or injured it in any way so I could not, for the life of me, figure out what happened and why it was getting worse each day. I knew as a healthy vegetarian, gout was quite unlikely. After a bit of research, I self diagnosed it as Sesamoiditis: inflammation in the joint of the big toe often due to much load-bearing activity. It is a condition that usually affects older people though, as it is a form of osteoarthritis. However, as I had just had 2 spin classes in a row, it somewhat made sense, as I could not think of what else it could be. This was a concern because the only treatment for sesamoiditis is rest and ice for the inflammation. Anyone that knows me, knows I don’t like being still for long and I worried that this may continue to return after each workout or long day on my feet. Not good.

Today, I hobbled to my Reiki treatment with a client of mine (a nice arrangement of bartering services we have).  As I told her about my toe, she pulled out her go to book and read how toe pain is directly related to the kidneys and how a kidney cleanse is even recommended for this sort of pain. Why did I not think of this?!  Of course I was getting this pain due to my kidney cleanse.
This is how Dr. Hulda Clark explains it:

The ends of your feet get the poorest "service" from your blood supply. They are the furthest away. The blood here has the most accumulated acid and the least oxygen supply. The body produces quite a bit of uric acid and this should, of course, be excreted into the bladder by the kidneys. But if the kidneys are doing a poor job of this, levels in the body and blood stream rise. The blood can only hold so much. It holds even less in acid conditions such as the ends of your feet experience. Uric acid begins to settle out or precipitate at our feet.

Bingo!! As I was/am releasing these built up toxins and uric acid in my kidneys, they entered the blood stream. And because I do have poor circulation, once these toxins got to my toe, they couldn’t/can’t get out. I LOVE IT!! Well, the pain I can do with out, but how the proper function of one body part relies greatly on the proper function of another is simply fascinating.

So back to the health store I went for some supplements to improve my circulation. Along with a eating an alkalizing diet, a few more days of icing and my poor attempts to keep still, I can rid my body of this toxic build up and have those squeaky clean kidneys (and pain free toe) I’ve always wanted!!

The Marvelous Me Project – March: More Laughter, Less Sugar

Can you believe its already March?! The months are flying by, which means a very good thing – we’re that much closer to marvelous-ness!!

Hopefully February has helped you find time for an exercise regime, time you never knew you had.  And hopefully you are starting to see  & feel some positive results from adding/increasing exercise to your life. Hopefully your diet has improved with all the healthy protein sources you’ve added to it. It is timely to keep track of exactly how much protein you are consuming everyday. However, now that you know your best sources, including enough of these in your diet will assure you are getting enough. But now its on to March’s Marvelous challenge =a doozy. More laughter, which we can all benefit from, is not too scary of a challenge. However, less or no sugar, now that’s tough!! But I hope you all know I would never set you up to fail. You can all do this. Will it be easy? No. But you WILL reap the rewards and thank me later;)

Did you know March is considered to be the most depressing month of the year for Canadian’s? In a typical winter (not the non-existent one that occurred this year), March is that month that teases you by making you think spring has arrived. Temperatures rise to the highest we’ve seen in over 4 months, the sun finally appears and buds are even beginning to sprout on the trees. Just after you pull out all of your favorite spring tops and put away those salt stained, clunky winter boots, the biggest snowstorm of the year hits. All while ‘ol man winter just points his finger, laughs and yells “Gotcha!”. Yeah, it hurts. That is exactly why we can use a little more laughter in our lives this month. As for sugar, well it is always a good time to cut this poison out of our lives. However, thinking ahead, April is when we do our spring cleanse where we cut many things out of our diet. Sugar, or the lack thereof, will be one less thing to worry about as we will already be used to living without it.

Basic rules:

#1: Laugh everyday! I don’t mean a little bitty chuckle. I’m talking a belly-hurting, teary-eyed, weak-in-the-knees-type laugh. For many of you, this may already occur. Therefore, your challenge is to find ways to increase the laughter in you life. For the first few days of March, become aware of how much you laugh in a day. When these beautiful moments occur, jot it down quickly in your agenda or write a memo in your phone. Do you laugh once a day? Or do you go a whole week without a laugh such as this? Many of you may not be aware of how lacking in laughter you are. Throughout this month I will be exploring new ways to add laughter to my life and potentially yours. I will be attending my first Laughter Yoga class, head out to a live comedy show, download some stand up comics for my ipod to listen to in the car or on the TTC and spend time with some of the funniest, happiest people in my life.

#2: Cut sugar out of your diet radically or completely. Whenever asked for nutritional advice, no matter who I am talking to, I will always suggest cutting out refined sugar from their diet. I have not found any benefit to this over produced, nutrient-deficient substance other than its cheap for food producers to use. That’s it.  I will not even claim that refined sugar tastes good because once you cut it out, you will realize it actually doesn’t. However, for some reason this white poison is found EVERYWHERE!! That is what makes this challenge so difficult. Many of you may not even be aware of how much sugar you consume in a day.  If you eat out and/or consume processed food often, my guess would be you’re eating a lot! Therefore, your challenge this month is to cut out refined sugar completely, however you can substitute it for natural sources instead (honey, maple syrup, agave, stevia). Raw sugar cane is not the best alternative so I suggest using this in moderation (if at all). For those of you who, like me, have cleared your life of the ‘White Devil’ and made the switch to natural sugars long ago, don’t think you are off the hook. Although these sugars are metabolized differently and do not affect our blood sugar levels like refined sugar does, they are still in fact sources of sugar. Cutting these out would still be highly beneficial. As well, eliminating these of the diet also means getting rid of many unwanted calories. Being that I have a HUGE sweet tooth, I will provide some sugar free recipes to get you by as well as some tips to curb your cravings.

We made it 2 months so far! Although our motivation may have slipped at times, remember that wagon. Don’t wait to jump back on because it will leave without you! These wouldn’t be called challenges if they were easy. And if they were easy, this would all be so boring and the outcome would not be so rewarding. But what could be more rewarding than looking into a mirror and saying ‘I am MARVELOUS!”