Detox info

Well, here is my information on what the detox was like and how to do it the best way so that you can succeed. Only do it if you are seriously mentally committed to following through with it. GNC Preventive Nutrition® Complete Body Cleansing Program 7 day is the name of the detox that I did. Depending on whether you get it on sale or... not, it is 25-35 dollars. It is for 7 days, and it is some serious stuff. If really want to “reset” your body so that you clean out your liver, don’t feel cravings for stuff, boost your metabolism, and feel better, you should seriously not eat any wheat, dairy, or caffeine for the seven day period. You can eat a veggie omelet here or there, especially since breakfast is such a difficult meal. (My trainer said that was ok). You have an AM packet of pills to take (they are big) and a fiber packet to dissolve in water (it doesn’t taste that bad). Then a PM packet and a probiotic pill. You take both sets of pills with a meal. It won’t bother your stomach, if you eat something with it, and also I did not have any crazy cramping/ diarrhea or anything like that. It was gentle on my stomach and I feel great. I am still not drinking coffee because I don’t need it! I “reset” myself so I just don’t need caffeine. I tried to eat a wheat wrap after the detox, and it just tastes terrible to me. If you can make it through the detox, you won’t have crazy cravings and whatnot. Even chocolate cake doesn’t taste good to me right now. I ate two bites of pizza a few weeks ago and not only did it taste terrible but later my arms were really itchy (allergic reaction to the wheat!)

So here’s a day by day breakdown of how it went: Day 1) not too bad, no crazy side effects, adjusting to not being able to just snack on whatever you want. Day 2) If you are giving up the caffeine, you will have a headache. Day 3) Depending on your level of caffeine dependency, you may have a headache still. Coffee was the only caffeine I drank so I was ok by day 3 with the headache (I don’t drink pop). Day 3 is really the worst. You will start to be feeling cravings for wheat and carbohydrates. Remember, you’re really not eating any carbohydrates, sugar etc., etc. There is a food guide meal plan thingy included it in but it is basically salad, vegetables, fruit, lean meats such as chicken or fish and so on. You had better have the money to load up on fruits and veggies and things that you enjoy (I really enjoy fish so I bought a ton of fresh fish out of Sams, it is really reasonable there) and be able to afford to plan your meals ahead of time. Day 3 is the worst- you are addicted to the wheat and carbs and I was basically hungry ALL DAY . I ate a veggie omelet, salad, and fish twice. Day 4 was better. Not insanely starving. Starting to really have energy. You can feel the metabolism boost. Eating a lot of fruit/veggies and humus is good to if you like that. Day 5-7 is easy. Aldis is a great place to load up- broccoli, cauliflower, celery carrots, fruit all like 1-2 dollars SUPER CHEAP so that is a great stop. If you can get through the first four days, especially the first 3, you will have kicked any addictions to food/caffeine that you have and by day 6 and 7 you won’t want certain foods. Like I said before, I did go back to eating dairy afterwards, but four weeks now going strong no desire for wheat at all. I am hardly eating any carbs whatsoever. I have had two cups of coffee. I enjoy drinking it but don't feel like I "need it" like I did before. If you want to do the detox, but not give up caffeine, that's fine. The deeper you do it, the better the results will be but the level you do it is up to you. Let me know how it goes! I would love to hear from anyone who decides to try this!

So, sorry for not updating my past and present pictures yet. I have been (and still am) really, really sick...caught a bad cold from somewhere and my throat is swollen so I don't look like me at the moment. As soon as I am better, I will post my now picture and a picture of me taken in July.
There is a lot to say about wheat, with a lot of professional resources to go to, so I am going to break this blog into two parts. First of all: What is the difference between having celiac disease and being sensitive to gluten? Celiac disease can be tested- although beware, the test is not 100 percent accurate from all of the sources I have read and you can have false negative tests. I tested negative for celiac disease myself- but that does NOT mean that I don't have a sensitivity to gluten, which is a protein in wheat or certain grains. People with a sensitivity to gluten may experience "allergic reactions" that they do not even realize that they are experiencing until they stop eating wheat. Rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue, Crohn's disease, asthma, psoriasis as well as other skin rashes or sores that look like cold sores, hashimoto's thyroid disease, acid reflux, hair loss, and future heart problems are just some of the problems wheat can cause as cited by Wheat Belly by William Davis MD, The Gluten Connection by Shari Lieberman PhD, CNS, FACN, and a further analysis on the China Study by Denise Minger (who has an upcoming book out next year in January but can be found at http://rawfoodsos.com/ ). All have done extensive research on the gluten connection to health problems. Some of Denise Minger's ideas can be found in The Wheat Belly, but I will attempt to summarize her work briefly so that there is no confusion with the China Study results and her work.  The China Study itself was conducted by Dr. Colin Campbell in conjunction with Cornell University for 20 years. They analyzed the health and eating habits of the Chinese. His book discussing his results is called "The China Study" and can be purchased at your local bookstore or amazon. I have not read this book yet, so I put a disclaimer on the information I provide about it. I will read it and let you know what I think.  In short, the china study's findings were said to demonstrate the ill effects of eating animal products and that a vegan lifestyle is the best for human health. In 2010, Denise Minger reviewed Campbell's data and made a public blog that reviewed what she found about wheat. Her reanalysis of his public made data showed a strong connection, with pure statistics and data, between coronary heart disease and wheat flour consumption. The data is absolutely fascinating so I encourage you to check out her blog and grab the book Wheat Belly by William Davis MD who provides not only an amazing breakdown of wheat and its affects on the body, but also many personal testimonials of patients he's treated, a fascinating section describing Denise Minger's work, and a break down of the history of wheat and how it was genetically modified. They are the professionals! I'm just spreading the word here so be sure to check them out!
Being sensitive to gluten: what does this mean to me? It could mean that some of the health problems you have been facing for many years could be resolved by simply removing one thing from your diet. People with insulin resistance, such as myself need to understand the affects of gluten on the body. The GI index ranks foods based on the level that they affect your blood sugar. The more that a food raises your blood sugar, the higher the GI index. Foods with a low GI raise your blood sugar and insulin gradually and overtime and have been shown to assist in weight control and help with insulin resistance. Grab a book on the GI index and take a look at what you are eating- if you have insulin resistance or any form of diabetes, and are not eating foods that are on the low side of the GI index it will be extremely difficult to loose weight and be healthy. Knowing what those foods are, however, may surprise you. In reading the wheat belly, I discovered that two slices of whole wheat bread actually have the same GI index as eating a candy bar!!!! So every time someone with insulin resistance is eating two pieces of wheat bread, the insulin levels in their body are shooting through the roof. Their insulin already doesn't work correctly so it is not breaking down the carbs and sugars- it is storing them directly to fat! (This is also discussed in detail in the Wheat Belly among other sources). I wish sincerely that someone would have explained that to me many moons ago.
So, I started the gym in July, was working out four to five days a a week. I had a personal trainer but was only loosing two-three pounds a month. I was becoming more and more frustrated. My personal trainer suggested a detox (look for a follow up post on what I took and how it affected me). After 7 days of not eating wheat as part of the detox, I couldn't believe how much better I felt! As part of my good fortune, I was reading the Wheat Belly at the same time that I was doing this detox and it made my resolve even stronger. I was sure that I had a sensitivity to gluten after reading the book and not eating gluten just for one week. It has almost been a month since I have stopped eating gluten. In the first two weeks alone, I lost eight pounds. I have more energy, sleep better, and am beginning to suspect that my hashimotos' thyroid disease is related to the wheat consumption. In his book, Dr. Davis describes how in people that are sensitive to gluten, the gluten isn't properly broken down in your body and sneaks out into your bloodstream. In some people, it attacks their thyroid (I have a severe thyroid condition called Hashimoto's diease which is specifically mentioned in his book) and in others it can cause Crohn's disease or severe arthritis. I am having blood tests done to see what my thyroid level is and to see where my insulin levels are since I have stopped eating wheat. I have lost a lot of weight so I imagine that my thyroid will be functioning better in any case (over forty pounds now) and in previous tests, even though I thought I was eating better, my insulin levels were still very high. Other symptoms I had of gluten sensitivity? The cold sore/herpes like rashes on my face that I always thought were cold sores but never responded to any cold sore OTC or prescription medicine, as well as hair loss. I had continued hair thinning that I always thought was related to my thyroid, even though my thyroid has been stable for a few years now. After I told my mother all of this, she stopped eating wheat also. There is a whole chapter in his book just about how wheat causes inflammation. Her inflammation is down and she feels better also! Incredible! It is like a cult we have started- we have been spreading the word and encouraging people to try just one week. Try one week wheat free, with a detox if you can stand it, and see how you feel. This will be a good test to see if you are sensitive to wheat or not.
So next time: Wheat and you part 2: I'll touch on how wheat causes inflammation and some of the other things I mentioned; the history of wheat and how it was genetically modified and what that means to us; how wheat is addictive!; how wheat affects aging; and some tips for going wheat free and sticking to it.  Live healthy have energy, and most important, be happy!

My first post! This one is for all the emotional eaters out there...

Every week I plan on posting a little bit about my life and the struggles I have gone through. I currently have lost over 40 pounds over a year's time, am not eating wheat or gluten at all due to a recently discovered sensitivity to gluten that has been holding me back (stay tuned for an in depth post on that!) , and am going to a local gym 4-5 days a week and seeing a trainer. I will post a picture of me now compared to a picture of me taken just in July so you can see the difference. But, back to this week's topic: Emotional eating!
Many, many people eat when they are happy, or upset. Or for many reasons that are not for the reason they should be eating: because they are hungry. If you can just eat when you are hungry, and stop eating when you are full (like those damned skinny people!) then you too will take a first important step to good health. But how do you stop yourself from having an ice cream cone to make everything better? Well, lets start with where the emotional eating started.
For me, it started at a young age. I had a very stressful home life. My parents did not get along very well and there was often screaming or yelling. My father was obsessed with exercise and even though I didn't have any weight problems until I was an adult (I was a perfectly normal sized child and teenager) I ended up with low self esteem due to my father's obsession with exercise from a young age of 10. I did endless "gilad" exercise videos before I was allowed outside to play as well as had to walk 1 or 2 miles (my father had a route planned out around the neighborhood) before I was allowed to do anything else. Control was his game, and control he would have over every aspect of our lives. I wasn't allowed to eat sweets, or things like bacon or french fries. All of these things put together are a bad combination for a child. Tell them that they have to exercise everyday and that they aren't allowed to eat this entire list of things leads to feeling like you are fat and worthless and grabbing that 'illegal' candy bar will stick it to the man and make you feel oh so much better. Well, that is exactly what I did. My best friend and I would grab some change laying around the house and go down to the local "harlicks" pharmacy and candy store where you could buy candies for 5 cents a piece. From that early young age I made a habit of 1) eating whatever I wanted as soon as my father wasn't looking just because I could, and of course it made me feel better and 2) hating and despising exercise and was determined to do the least amount of exercise and cheat in anyway possible.
Now, as adults we know that eating right and exercising are an important part of life. You have to balance the two without going off the deep end and either eating everything in sight or not allowing yourself to eat anything and then feeling guilty about it when you do. Feeling guilty about eating something sweet or whatnot will not help you when you are loosing weight or trying to have a healthy lifestyle- do NOT get stuck in the "well I already ruined today so I may as well eat whatever I want today" routine!!!! Don't go there. Allow yourself your one indulgence for the week- a couple drinks with a friend or enjoying grandma's cookies you only get once a year. Then move on. As long as you don't drink everyday or eat all grandma's cookies you're all right. Remember, balance is everything. Having said all that, if you don't TEACH your child about balance, then how will they know???? If you just say "eat whatever you want" or "you can't eat anything sweet or drink any pop ever!!!" that will not get you anywhere. It certainly didn't get me anywhere. I wish that as a family we could have done a sport or exercises that was enjoyable together that could have changed my life in a  more positive way. Alas, I wasn't meant to have a fitness partner (which makes it a lot harder) but I did meet some amazing people along the way that helped me to be where I am now. (more on them in future posts!)
So, how did I overcome emotional eating? Well, learning balance was definitely a key factor for me. Also, my journey of overcoming emotional eating and eating healthy in general has taken place over an entire year! It doesn't happen overnight! And do NOT be hard on yourself- that is something that I faced greatly when I first started personal training and luckily for me my personal trainer and some of my friends encouraged me and told me to stop being hard on myself. To remember to have that balance, and not freak out because you ate a cookie and then eat everything in sight. Eat the cookie. Move on. Eat some celery. Feel better. That was the one thing that helped me. The other thing that helped me was that sometime after I started the gym, in July of this year, I took responsibility for myself. Despite having some severe thyroid issues, and having a difficult childhood, only I am responsible for the weight I am/was. Only I can decide to not eat that fudge in the break room at work or decide to not drink soda pop (I have not had soda pop in over a year). No one is making you put the food in your mouth. You have to want it- really, really bad- I hit rock bottom with my insulin resistance (another issue I have, and more on that because it is related to the gluten free diet I am on) because my insulin levels in my body were really high. If I kept eating and living how I was, I was going to give myself diabetes (I do not have it, nor do I ever plan on having it), and also I was feeling the many side effects of having my insulin be high and out of control such as high blood pressure and what I like to call "tweaking out" for no reason. I hit rock bottom and decided that food DID. NOT. CONTROL. ME. PERIOD. That I was going to hire a personal trainer, and do everything they told me to do and not just buy a chocolate bar every time I had a stressful day at work. Do you eat to live or live to eat? That's the question right??? Do you want diabetes or to have a stroke? Or do you want to live each day with energy and happiness? Listen, life is short- one of my good friends died earlier this year of melanoma. He was 36 years old. He taught me a valuable lesson- life is short so get off the couch and put down the doughnut. Finally, if you are trying to avoid eating those carbs or sweet treats, you MUST have other foods around that you enjoy to snack on that are healthy. It will be impossible to not snack when you are hungry or on the go. So figure out what vegetables, fruits, nuts, rice cakes, whatever, that you like, and have them around. Put peanut butter in some celery sticks in a bag and have it ready to go. But already cut apples (Sams club 3.98), to take in a hurry and some almonds around. It is a lot harder to eat healthy if you don't have things you enjoy that are healthy readily available to you. Lastly, educate yourself. Go buy a Glycemic index book so you can learn what foods have what affects on your body. Did you know that eating two pieces of wheat bread has the same glycemic index as eating A CANDY BAR??? Huh, neither did I until about two weeks ago. More of those tidbits related to gluten/wheat in the next post.  Read. Learn. Figure out what works best for you and your body. Live healthy have energy and most important, be happy!