Why Health Buddies Work

For the past 10 days, I have been whining my way through Dr. John Douillard's Colorado Cleanse.  This cleanse is amazing and meant to spark your digestive fire, reinvigorate your lymphatic system, bring your intestinal villi back to life and flush toxins out of your body.  I need all of this to happen.  By getting my digestion back on track and healing my leaky gut, my food allergies should go away.  And that's why I'm putting myself through 14 days of hell....er, I mean a highly restrictive diet.  In the end, I should be able to eat all the cheese I want - that's what I'm telling myself at least!

Anyway, after reading Dr. Douillard's Colorado Cleanse guidelines, I realized I was going to need some support.  I was going to need someone to make sure I stayed on the virtuous path.  You see, I'm addicted to food.  I LOVE food and out here in L.A., we have loads and loads of flavor packed options.  I can get almost anything from American to Thai, Indian, Ethiopian, Mediterranean, Italian, Mexican - you name it, we've got it out here and it's good.  Real good.  Oh man, my mouth is watering just thinking of all the spicy goodness and culinary pleasures I will be able to consume in 5 days.  Ok, must stay focused...

So yeah, I needed some support.  I needed a health buddy or accountability partner (as is the buzzword lately). I needed someone to encourage and inspire me and remind me of the end goal.  I needed someone who would get in my face if I tried to make a run to one of my favorite local restaurants for a burrito, some curry, a juicy burger or some crazy good Italian food.

I described in detail the benefits of this cleanse and enlisted my husband as my health buddy. I told him there was no way I could do this without him because when it comes to food, I can easily falter if I'm not being watched.  Much like my toddler with the cookie jar, an eye would have to be on me at all times.

I was right.  After the first day, I was having my doubts.  In fact, I think I said, "We can't do this.  Let's go get some chicken tikka masala."  But my health buddy was  there.  He reminded me of the deep healing I would receive by sticking to the cleanse.  He reminded me of the added benefit that he and I would shed some of the baby weight we've both been carrying for three years.  He reminded me that it was for the greater good plus, he was eating the same limited diet I was so together, we could do this.

Day 3 and 4 - now, I'm starting to get angry.  I snapped at my Pilates instructor.  My blood sugar seems up and down.  I'm really hungry...although I'm not.  I'm not actually feeling hunger pangs.  I'm not physically hungry.  I'm just feeling strange as my body tries to readjust itself from years of bad programming.  In fact, I've been full of energy the last few days.  My body isn't bogged down by heavy digestive processing.  I'm using my fuel efficiently and burning the calories.  My eyes are bright and my skin clear.  My body is actually working.  BUT, my mind still thinks it's hungry.  We're so used to eating out of boredom, celebration, exhaustion or just habit that we forget to observe the body's cues to see if we're actually hungry.

A great thing about this cleanse is that it also provides instructions for observing your hunger; for understanding it on a deep level.  I've learned a great deal in these past 10 days about how I obsess over food.  Yes, my obsession is for organic, pasture-fed, whole foods but it's still an obsession.  As soon as I've finished one meal, I'm thinking about what to make for the next.  I live and breathe food.  Most of the programs I watch on TV are food centric shows.  I have an eating disorder - I love food too much.

Back to day 4, after having snapped at my trainer.  I tell her I think I can't do it.  I explain what completing the cleanse could mean for my body.  She looks me square in the eyes and tells me that I can do this.  Her gaze makes it clear that she's expecting me to complete the cleanse.  She knows I can do this.  In fact, we laugh about how I am usually the one encouraging my clients with their health, fitness and lifestyle challenges through health coaching and yet, I'm saying I can't do this.  No, she won't allow that from me and I know I can't let her down.  I march on. I now have a second health buddy to keep me on track.

Day 7 - at my best friend's house.  It's almost lunchtime and she's asking me how the cleanse is going.  I tell her that each day is getting easier and easier but that I want food.  Just real food; meaning the food I want to eat not the food I have to eat.   I'm listing off all of the things I've been craving since the cleanse.  Strangely, they are things I have never eaten or would never eat given how truly gross and bad they are for my body.  I tell her that I've thought about throwing in the towel.  I'm halfway through and don't know if I can stick it out.  She asks again what this cleanse is supposed to be doing for me.  After saying the words aloud, I realize, this cleanse has the potential to heal my illness or at a minimum, set the stage for optimal healing.  Just discussing the benefits is a powerful wake-up call that invigorates my resolve to continue. Having the added bonus of my friend directly tell me I can do this, reminding me that I'm halfway home, seals the deal.  And now I have a third healthy ally - someone who holds me to a high standard, knowing I can reach this goal. 

So, we're back to Day 10.  As with the past few days, I woke up with loads of energy and no blood sugar roller coasters.  In fact, I forgot to eat breakfast until 10:30 this morning.  In the past, I would have eaten two meals and a snack by 10:30; always feeling sluggish, mentally foggy and just plain tired.  I made it through the first few days, through the toughest part of the cleanse and am almost across the finish line.  I don't have cravings.  My day isn't spent thinking about food.  My body and mind feel clean and clear.  I AM going to make it to the end....all with a little help from my health buddies to whom I am eternally grateful.

Learn more about why you should enlist health/diet buddies or fitness partners.

What do you think?  Would you recruit a health buddy?  Do you have someone who keeps you on track already?  Share your story below.  I'd love to hear.

The Power of Sugar

I recently attended a health conference in Long Beach where I was absolutely shocked to learn from one of the speakers that sugar is actually 4 times as addictive as cocaine.  What?  Four times more addictive than what!?!  I couldn't believe it but the proof literally is in the pudding.  With Diabetes escalating every day and waistlines ever expanding, it is not only clear in research experiments but also to the naked eye, that we have an addiction to sugar in the U.S.  

One of the quickest ways to get control of your weight and balance your body's blood sugar/insulin processes again is by cutting sugar out of your diet.  Even if you only eat "natural" sugars from fruit, honey, agave nectar, etc., you could be ingesting an enormous amount of sugar per day.  Now, I am not saying to cut sugar out of your diet forever.  Fruits definitely have some health benefits as does raw honey but by eliminating sugar from your diet for a short period of time, you let your body learn to regulate your blood sugar levels, get a better sense of when you're actually hungry, increase your immune system's ability to fight off illness and ward off Candida infections. 

Sugar is pervasive in our American diet.  All kinds of foods that you would not associate with sugar have been processed with this other "white powder." Did you know that taco seasoning and tomato sauce contain added sugars?  Can you see the hidden sugar in the picture above? In her step-by-step e-book, "I Quit Sugar," Sarah Wilson surprises herself by discovering how much sugar she actually consumed in a day.

A year ago, I quit sugar.  My health improved immediately.  Once you quit sugar, you don't crave sweets as much and when you do take a bite of dessert, a bite is all you actually need to feel satiated.  However, Valentine's Day was just a few weeks ago.  My husband wanted to be sweet and brought home a small tub of coconut macaroons for me.  It's really the only treat I can eat without having a reaction due to all of my food sensitivities.  It started out as one bite of one macaroon.  At first I thought they were too sweet.  I went back for another bite then another macaroon and then another. 

During the next few days, I was exhausted.  I started adding caffeine and more sugar to my diet to cope.  Within the week, my face had broken out with acne, I was severely dehydrated and I had a systemic Candida infection.  All of this from one bite of an ultra sugary macaroon.  Can you say addictive?  That's right, say it with me again - "4 times as addictive as cocaine!"  I was addicted.  And like most addictions, I had withdrawal symptoms for days after I decided to stop the sugar roller-coaster madness.  I've now been sugar-free for a week.  My acne and Candida have subsided, I'm able to sleep better and I'm full of energy.  Plus, I lost a few pounds off of the tummy tire I had acquired during my sugar binge.  

Well, I learned my lesson!  I'm not perfect.  I'm a Health Coach who fell prey to the siren call of sugar but at least I had the tools and knowledge to reign it back in quickly.  It's amazing the power sugar can have over your mind. Want to come out of your sugar fog?  Try my 30-day kick sugar program at The Healthy Plate. 

Have you ever quit sugar before?  Are you still sugar-free?  What were the results?  Join the discussion below.  I'd love to hear from you!

Yogurt: Rich, Creamy Goodness With A Probiotic Kick

A few weeks ago, I purchased a yogurt maker.  Ever since I read, "French Women Don't Get Fat," I've wanted to make my own yogurt.  The author describes a method for making yogurt in a warm oven all night but I liked the idea of getting a yogurt maker that holds the temperature consistently.  So, I purchased the Euro Cuisine Yogurt Maker, 42 oz. of Raw Milk and a packet of yogurt starter.  You can also make homemade yogurt with organic, pasteurized milk.  All I had to do was heat the milk up to the correct temperature, add the packet of yogurt starter, pour the warm milk into the jars and let the yogurt maker do its job for the next few hours.  It only took 15 minutes to make the milk mixture. Easy peasy!

Fresh, homemade yogurt is unparalleled in taste and health benefits.  This rich, creamy concoction is a probiotic powerhouse to soothe your gut.  Many commercial yogurts have loads of sugar and additives to extend shelf life.  Yogurt made at home, where you control the ingredients is delicious and pure and it doesn't take much work at all.  Why don't you give it a try? 

*A note on raw milk - I never imagined I'd ever drink raw milk.  Many years ago, for a short period of time, I moved to an area surrounded by farms and became active in the Slow Food movement.  At one of our meetings at a dairy farm, the farmer brought out raw milk for us to try.  I was hesitant but to be polite, I tried it.  Wow!  It blew me away.  It was like no milk I had ever tasted.  As I drank it, I felt my body being nourished and I didn't have any of the tummy troubles I've often had with commercial dairy.  For that reason, when I do have dairy, I try to get raw milk cheeses and yogurts.  In California, we are lucky to be able to purchase raw milk at several groceries.  I prefer Claravale Farms Raw Milk but there are many other delicious brands.  There is even a Raw Milk Challenge going on at The Healthy Home Economist.  Give raw milk a try....you might be surprised. 

Who out there has made homemade yogurt?  Which type of milk do you prefer?  Join the discussion!

Food Magic. Molly Magic.

I think my friend Molly, is a magician.  She makes magic with her words.  She makes magic at her biodynamic farm, Apricot Lane Farms.  And she certainly makes magic with her food.

Molly shared with us a few weeks ago about the magic of Coconut Oil on healing Alzheimer's disease.  The post on her blog says it best but here's a teaser, "Like the effects of a bad high-school rumor, coconut oil came out of the 80′s with a horrendous reputation.  Demonized for its saturated fat content, you’d have thought that every heart attack began with tub of coconut oil and a spoon...."

Read more and see this amazing video on this magical food on Organic Spark.

I was awestruck when I first watched this video on Molly's blog.  Seeing Alzheimer's disease take its toll on families, I wanted to know more.  I started learning everything I could about coconut oil.  Coconut oil can be used as a body and hair moisturizer, all kinds of salve, for healing digestive issues, for weight management and much, much more.  Coconut oil can improve nutrient absorption, is anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-microbial and anti-viral.  I've started taking a few tablespoons myself per day to help with nutrient absorption and tummy troubles.  I have indeed started feeling better.  Did you know that coconut oil has also been used as an effective treatment for tooth decay?

Have you tried using coconut oil to stay healthy or heal yourself?  Please share below.