In my last post, I mentioned that I had shifted my priorities. However, I completely neglected other aspects of my life such as my nutrition and fitness regime. I was becoming pretty frustrated with the way I looked and felt. The more I focused on my frustration the less I was inspired to eat right and workout, so the phase went on for a couple months leading me to gain weight. I avoided social events because I was embarrassed with the way I was letting myself go and my confidence went downhill.
Inspiration
I knew I needed something to look forward to that would make me want to make a change and to start taking care of my body. When I am excited about something it turns chores into pleasures. If I have a REASON then working out and eating right turns into something I call Effortless Effort. This is when you are so excited for the end result that you become proactive and committed. The effort is something you look forward to doing rather than dreading.
Action
I also knew I needed to reset the tone of my eating habits. I can’t think of a better way than to do a detox. Luckily, I had the opportunity to do the 21 day Detox Kit from The Clean Program which consisted of a shake for breakfast and dinner and a healthy lunch (according to the dietary guidelines). Upon opening the package, I was impressed by the simplicity of the program. I didn’t have to go buying all sorts of different items. Everything I needed came in one kit. I immediately got started on the detox and took notes along the way.
My Results
*Improved Workout Recovery: I actually kicked up my workout regime during my detox, which normally is not recommended, but I felt so much energy that I wanted to maximize the results. I noticed I would get sore after some intense workouts, but it didn’t last long. It felt like my body was so fluid that there was no space for the stagnation of lactic acid. In addition, I felt that any microtearing of the tissues healed very rapidly due to the energy being freed up by the detox. My body was able to go heal the places it needed to recover quickly, which allowed me to complete 2 hours a daily exercise on this program.
*Improved Appearance: Puffiness left my face and under my eyes, and much to my surprise the hyperpigmentation on my face started to diminish. I have heard that it was possible during a cleanse, but this was the first time I really noticed the dark patches on my face begin to fade away. This was extremely exciting because I would go through great measures to cover it with makeup, so it is an amazing feeling to feel like I look just as good with less makeup. Woo hoo!
*Weight Loss: I lost a total of 10 lbs from the start of the pre-cleanse all the way to the end of the 21 day kit. 5 lbs came off before I even began the shakes, which was probably water retention. Then throughout the 21 day program I continued to lose another 5 lbs.
*Stamina & Energy: I definitely noticed I was sleeping much less and lighter at the same time. I felt like tackling projects that I had been procrastinating on. Plus, in the gym when I would normally start to hit a plateau during my workout, I felt a burst of energy that allowed me to go further with my workout. I was really seeing rapid results in my workout stamina.
*Quieting of the Mind/ Sense of Peace/ Focus: I tend to have a mind that runs like a hampster running in a wheel which can be very distracting, but during the cleansing process I noticed a significant decrease in mental chatter. I am not too sure what it is about a cleanse that does this, but it feels like the mind went on vacation or to the spa. I just felt a sense of peace and the ability to focus.
*Appreciation for my body and for healthy food: I gained an appreciation for my body during the program. I felt gratitude to have a strong able body that is free of disease and pain. I also gained an appreciation for the flavors and textures of food. When you complete a cleanse, it really heightens your taste buds and even very simple dishes seem to have much more depth to them.
My Modifications
Bigger Shakes: I made my shakes with either frozen blueberries or raspberries, water, 2 packets of stevia, along with the formulas MOVE and NOURISH. Since I worked out most days I noticed I wouldn’t feel quite a satiated as I would normally feel if I wasn’t working out so intensely. To curb the appetite a bit I would drink a glass of water beforehand and I would add more frozen berries and powder to the shake so that it felt more dense. This really seemed to do the trick so I wasn’t tempted to break from the plan. I wouldn’t suggest others to do this, but this is something I did so that I could maintain a workout regime.
Lunch Suggestion: Make your lunch the night before or while you are sipping on your shake. If you wait until you are hungry to eat lunch and still have to take the time to prepare the meal, chances are you may make a poor choice.
Side Notes
Pre- Cleanse Diet: For 4 days, I basically followed a very simple eating regime of just plain fruits and veggies in their raw state. Nothing fancy. I thought I might struggle with the cleanse so to prepare for it I went as basic as I could with the diet.
Menstrual Cycle Revelation: Normally, I will experience an increase in appetite and cravings, a decrease in energy, and some bloating. On the rare occassion I would get some cramping as well as low back pain. However, my cycle came and went without much notice. I am really feeling that if we cleansed during our pre-cycle and even during our cycle that suffering women would be relieved from PMS and cramps. I am going to experiement a bit more with this myself and I encourage you to do the same. That is if you are a woman reading this post. 😉
Who CLEAN is Best Suited For
* Newbies: People who are new to the detoxification experience. Some programs can be pretty intense for the average person. If detoxification happens too fast a person can feel like they are weak, tired, or coming down with flu-like symptoms. This cleanse is very gentle and because food is allowed on this cleanse it makes the process very doable. This program will provide enough fuel to keep going with your normal activities and still get great results of a cleanse.
*Fast Paced Peeps: Some people are have pretty complicated schedules and the last thing they need is a detox that requires a lot of prep work. This program comes with everything you need and requires VERY little to perform on a daily basis. The work is all done for you so that you are not slowed down or boggled with a plethora of steps and a rigid schedule.
*Schlumpers: These are people who are in a rut (mentally, emotionally and/or physically), who are feeling a lack of passion, motivation or inspiration in their lives and they just need some sort of jump start to get them back on track. Since burdens are being removed from the body, it frees up energy within. The mind, body, and spirit are all intertwined. The changes in the body affects everything. The mind becomes clearer and we begin to view the world and our capabilities on a whole new level. It’s the catalyst that starts the road back to inspiration.
*In need of Healing: Detoxification is really great for people who are recovering from injuries or trying to get a handle on health ailments. The best way to heal the body is to give it a rest so that it can do it’s job of healing itself. When the body is not busy digesting complicated meals, the energy is freed up and goes to work where it is needed. Injuries or post surgeries often recover much faster when a detox is in place.
*Chunky Monkies: I have to giggle when I write this because I was in this category a bit. These peeps are in need of shedding some poundage. Water retention and sludge that is weighing the body and digestive track down is whisked out of the body with a great detox. This program really resets the appetite, taste buds and heightens the appreciation for healthy food. The 21 days really gives momentum to break bad habits and you can become a more refreshed version of yourself.
Conclusion
Truth be told, I didn’t follow the plan to perfection, I didn’t always have a shake for dinner and sometimes I would snack in between, but I still experienced great results. I feel like I am out of my slump. I feel like I have awakened. I feel passionate, excited, and the momentum to keep going on my health journey has been reinforced. I feel inspired about my life and have the desire to improve the quality of the lives around me. I feel like I’ve got my groove back and that to me is PRICELESS!
I have been going to Glen Ivy Hot Springs for almost 10 years and it always seems to bliss me out. I don’t know if it is due to the immense amount of detoxification from the sauna, steam room, or mud. Perhaps it’s just a good healthy dose of sunshine, water and lush greenery. I almost feel like I have a nature deficiency if I am not around plants.
Anyhow, I have been making it a point to keep myself in a heightened state and to keep allowing my life to unfold in beautiful and magical ways. This is just one of the ways that I enjoy spending my time. I read, I write, I dream, I savor, I celebrate. I just feel fantastic every single time I go here and I ALWAYS meet the coolest people in the mineral bath. The vibes are just rocking. I leave with the softest skin, a golden glow, and an open heart and mind!
To be honest when I received tickets to attend an International Alchemy Conference I didn’t really know what to expect. I really didn’t even know exactly what “alchemy” meant. However, after seeing that Dr. MasaruEmotoand Don Miguel Ruiz would be speaking I knew it had to be a good thing. Upon arrival to the event someone stopped me and mentioned that I did not “look” like someone who was into alchemy. What does an alchemist look like anyway? Once I walked into the conference everyone looked normal to me & I didn’t feel out of place at all.
I was thrilled with the opportunity to hear Dr. Emoto speak. The room was packed, but somehow I was able to get a front row seat. He spoke in Japanese and had a translator, but his jokes and charm were not diluted in the translation. I felt goosebumps throughout his entire speech. According to Dr. Emoto goosebumps are messages from our DNA that deciphers consciousness. I couldn’t agree more. I usually know something is powerful by my goosebumps.
I first learned about him from the film “What the Bleep Do We Know” with Hidden Messages in Water. That was so powerful that I did the rice experiment in 2007. I even posted a blog on water earlier this year. I was blown away by the results and have forever been changed. As Dr. Emoto explained, water is consciousness and within it is our message from God.
Dr. Emoto shared his journeys of healing water around the world and found that within a short time after a ceremony a rainbow would appear. Some of them were double rainbows that were not common to the area at all. He explained that a rainbow is a symbol for peace. Suddenly I was taken back to a memory of when I lived on the North Shore of Hawaii. Everyday I would smell a light scent of pineapples and see a rainbow right in my backyard. Most of the time it would be a double rainbow too! What a beautiful thing to experience!
Dr. Emoto shared the Law of Vibration. He demonstrated resonance and how a perfect pyramid magnified and extended the vibration. AMAZING demo! He shared that music is vibration and water loves beautiful vibration. He feels strongly that music is medicine. I couldn’t agree more. He expressed that even more important than listening to beautiful music was to sing. Our bodies, like water love music and we can feel the vibration emanating from us. He said the person who invented karaoke should have won a Nobel Prize. I agree! In spirit of that, we sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” paying close attention to the lyrics. The IZ version happens to be one of my most favorite songs ever. I actually felt inspired to sing more knowing that I was healing my body. I am making a point to sing everyday!
We enjoyed his photos of water’s response to different environments from placing water on a photo, exposing it to beautiful music and words. Speaking negative words has a negative effect on the water and of course, since our bodies are at least 75% water we must be aware that it also affects our bodies negatively. Positive words create beautiful sound. Dr. Emoto called our bodies “Little Universe”.This inspired me to speak more positively. I’d love to only speak eloquently and beautifully especially since I know it not only affects my body, but consciousness itself. Dr Emoto explained that consciousness is information from God and it is locked in our DNA. We can unlock DNA from water. He shared that water is the connection between God and Man.
The most beautiful crystal formations came from the words “Love and Gratitude”. He broke down the yin & yang balance of these words:
Love – Gratitude Fire – Water Oxygen – Hydrogen Live – Death Active energy – H2O- Passive energy
His message was to have love and gratitude with every sip of water we consume. In his ceremonies he says to water, “Water we are sorry. Water we love you. Water we respect you. Water we thank you.”
In addition to Dr. Emoto, I enjoyed listening to Don Miguel Ruiz speak. He is the author of Mastery of Love which is one of my top 10 favorite books. I loved bumping into a fellow raw foodist, Courtney Pool who works at Tree of Life. She was beaming with beauty and light. I was thrilled to see many raw foodists & yogis at this event. I was in heaven with the Om Gym. This looks so fun. It is like having yoga poses and various stretches with an assistant to get you deeper into the pose. Range of motion is crucial to our bodies. I find it interesting that the most flexible people tend to have very open minds too. Another mind body connection, eh? An open body = open mind? Hmmm..
I first found out about a biophotonic scan in 2004 at a Spa Convention. I was already working in the health & beauty field, but my diet was not nearly as good as it is now. In 2004, my score was 46,000. I was retested in 2005 and my score improved to 52,000. I was happy to see the increase. However, after listening to Dr. Gabriel Cousens about biophotonic energy in his Rawkathon Interview w/ Kevin Gianni, I knew I could do even better. A live foodist would be in the 80,000 range. I have work to do. 😉 Dr. Cousens explained biophotons as sub-atomic particles from which all creation is made. It is our line of communication into the energy field and our luminosity. Here are scores of people and how their diet affected their biophotonic score.
Junk food- 1000 units Organic Cooked Food- 20,000 units Newborn Baby- 40,000 units Live foodist– 83,000 units Fasting w/ herbs- 118,000 units
Apparently, organic wild crafted foods are 2x higher in biophotonic energy than organic cultivated food, & organic has 5x more biophotonic energy than commercially grown food, and cooked/irradiated food has none.
It is sad to think that most of the world is eating food without any biophotons. It makes sense that our ability to make clear decisions would be affected since the energy field is jumbled and depleted. Think of us operating our life on dial up versus the fastest internet service.
We also want to shine in this world. We aren’t much different from the food that we eat. Here you see Kirlian images of food. Imagine a Kirlian image was taken of you. What would it look like?? Would it shine and radiate or would it be dim?
In addition, Dr Gabriel Cousens explained that the higher the biophotons, the better the communication of the cells in the body. Illness occurs when chaos is in the field. We need order and energy to heal and have well being. You find you become more spiritually in tune when the communication field is enhanced. This is probably why I felt so high during my fasts. I also felt such spiritual awakening. Who knew it could be measured in a scientific way?
See where you can get yourself a biophotonic scan with this locator. Prices may vary from complimentary to $20. My session was $10. Hardly anything when you think about the perspective it gives you.
If you are running through life feeling overwhelmed and not really making the impact you know you want, or wishing you felt alive and filled with passion then you are going to LOVE me!
