I see the light!

Hi all!


The blog title is a line from a Broadway song...."There is a light at the end of the tunnel.. (chorus 'I see the light, I see the light!')" .

• For some reason or another as I sat down to right this and reflect on my day this song just popped in my head. It was a song I performed in the choir back in high school for our Tribute to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Today, the words of this phrase seem to mean an awful lot to me. As good as I have been feeling since the start of the detox, I am glad to see it come to a close. I kind of just went through the motions today of the detox. No variety or anything fun, but I got through it! I am looking forward to trying the new ideas for meals! My entire family can join in! I can't wait to eat chicken, cheese and salad again!

I am also really looking forward to week 3 when we focus on staying fit. I really need to find something that will work for me and my schedule. Right now I have not really sat down and spent time to think what and where it fits in.

I spent my day at home with my family. My husband was home so that was such a blessing. He spent a lot of it outside plowing our foot and half of snow we got last night and today, but otherwise hung out the boys so I could get caught up on laundry, dishes, etc...... plus I got to go get my hair done!

This is the second time writing this b/c somehow it deleted over half the blog when I hit enter! I hope I did not forget what else I said before! I am missing a cousin night out tonight......yes, I could of gone and enjoyed the company, but my stomach hurts today and I felt like I would be no fun. Plus, my little one has a cold and I did not want him around my mom who gets sick if someone breaths on her! My eldest still went to "Babi's" house for a sleep over - he was SO excited! My husband went to the cousin night out and will probably have a sleep over at my brothers house as well! No drinking and driving!

I am going to probably fall asleep when the little one goes down............why not, right?!?!?

I hope you see the light.........I do

Maria

One more day!

Good Evening!

I have just gotten home from my work day. I taught school in the morning, then I talked to Tania Hannan and Terri Trespicio on the Sirrius Radio 112 (fun!), then I taught a gymnastics class, grabbed my kids, rushed home got ready again to go back to our high school for a gymnastics meet! Just a bit busy, however I still managed to get in my meals! I did not get to exercise but my body feels it just from my work day! As soon as I complete this entry I am off to shed away those toxins with the bristle brush.
I had one big win today when my wonderful mother set two containers of her homemade baklava and cookies in front of me (not intentionally) at the announcers table and I did not eat one! I would be lying if I said I did not want it, (it was totally killing me), but I just sipped on my water and offered it to everyone else!
Tania gave me some good advice on the radio today on what I could do if things weren't "moving" fast enough. She said to my "Smooth Move" tea (medicinal) and have just a 1/2 cup. I noticed on the comments there were many people concerned of the same thing.
I need to keep this short b/c I am way past the 10pm bedtime and need to still finish a few things.
I love reading comments so I hope to see more!

Happy (last day of) Cleansing!

Maria

Day 2 and feeling good!

Hello!

I have to say I feel way better today than yesterday!!! I am actually starting to get creative with the choices of food. My friend and colleague, Kirstin, is participating in the challenge with me so we keep talking about what "meals" we created. She is someone who never ate vegetables, and I have to say I am quite impressed with her ideas on how to get them in her system without gagging! Our lunch table at school (omg - sounds like I am really in middle school!), has been discussing the challenge everyday. We all look to the "head" of the table for advice on our choices since he is a very health conscious person. Others have joined in and our trying some of the ideas Kirstin and I have discussed. We are talking about starting to take turns making a healthy lunch for the whole group.
On to our other discussion........o.k., my discussion about how I thought by this point I would be best friends with the toilet.........I told my lunch table I am going to have to go the card section of a store.........we all giggled......hope you get it and giggle, too.
The afternoon was spent at gymnastics practice. Our team girls (Kirstin's and mine) are so into getting the updates on the detox. It is pretty cool to have them all asking questions and discussing healthy food options.
This evening my husband was home again for dinner so we fed the kids the leftover chicken and pasta, with fruit. I had bought him and a stuffed pork chop and we steamed fresh asparagus. I was so excited about my easy creation tonight for me. Aside from the asparagus (4 spears) I took black beans and all natural diced tomatoes and mixed them together over the whole grain rice. It was delicious! I put a tablespoon of hummus on it, because I am craving it! Must be my Lebanese blood!
For exercise I played Sonic and Mario Olympics on the Wii - talk about a workout! I was terrible at it, too. My 5 year old was trying to help me but I could not even make it out of last place! AHHH!!! I also did some crunches, push ups and chest press (I pressed my 2 year old over me)!
When I close out this blog for tonight I am heading straight to the bath! I can't wait! I have a lavendar oil since there was not grapefruit oil anywhere around here! I plan to journal in there, too.
Tomorrow I will be on Martha's Sirrius Radio station 112 at 10:15am - if you can tune in it would be fantastic! You can check up on what they are doing for the challenge at www.marthastewart.com/radioblog One of their girls, Jennifer, is blogging, too! Check it out!
Ok - I am off to relax!
Happy Cleansing!

Maria

Day 1 of detox

Hello again!

First day of full detox almost over! Three more to go! I would by lying if I said I am following it all to a "tea", but for 98% of it I have. :)
One thing I learned is that I definitely do NOT like lemons! I have a friend from college who despises tomatoes and I never could truly understand how one food could turn someone off so bad...........well, now I know! I am going to try a lime tonight with the warm water. Hopefully it will be better to my taste buds!
I enjoyed my oatmeal - it is Kashi, Go Lean with a hint of vanilla (all organic) and I sliced some bananas and the 1/8 of teaspoon of cinnamon. I took advantage of the mid-morning snack of an apple and the 10 raw unsalted almonds. I had a meeting for my athletic director position at a Red Robin - talk about hard! The smell was literally killing me. I ate the almonds then and sipped on water with no ice.
Lunch and dinner I changed a bit since I did not have my mid afternoon snack. I ate the 2 cups of vegetables (broccoli, carrots, edamame, water chestnuts)for lunch and then for dinner I ate the whole grain rice with hummus on top! My favorite was the hummus on top of the rice. Took away the bland flavor. Not sure if this is OK, but it is what I did for dinner. I did some research on the edamame and where I thought since it was soy bean it would be o.k., I read (I think from the editor of Body and Soul) that soy is hard to digest. Time will tell!
I must have not seen that we needed Ginger tea, so I had Green tea tonight.
My mind was SO consumed today with what I was eating and when that I did not even stop to think what I wanted to do for exercise. Tomorrow I will go for at least a 1/2 hour walk and some Wii Fit. I want to buy Jillian's new Wii Fit game (Biggest Loser).
If you did not know, the Martha Stewart Show is doing a segment every day of the challenge. We are suppose to "tune out", but a little Martha won't hurt!
Until tomorrow................
Happy Cleansing!!!!

Maria

Goals

Good Evening!

I hope everyone is doing well! I have a terrible headache (I am sure from the lack of caffeine), but I am managing.
I FINALLY did my grocery shopping today. What an experience it was going through the store looking for "new" items (in my mind) with my 2 year old in tow! Tomorrow I have a meeting (atnear a Trader Joe's so I am going to stop in there to get a few more items.
We had a wonderful family dinner tonight! It is a rare occasion where all 4 us can sit down at the same time! Plus, we all ate the same dinner! That is rare in of itself because my 5 year old is by far the pickiest eater I know so when my husband does not get home for "dinner" time I just make the kids what I know they will eat.
So, I set some goals for the end of the 5 weeks. I wrote them in my journal last night along with some other thoughts. One of my goals is to limit myself to 1 caffeinated beverage a day. Along with the goal stated in my earlier post to cook dinners 5 times a week at home. I have 3 other goals and I am sure there will be more as I proceed through this challenge.
We had a family media detox tonight. We had a really nice time all together. Although, as soon as I finish here I have to watch the Biggest Loser.........as much as I know we are not suppose to be watching it is one of my favorite shows! This time I will not be eating my bowl of ice cream with a slice of cake, though!
Many of my co-workers and friends have joined in on the challenge - I am wondering if we should have a special bathroom at school for the next three days?!??!

I sincerely hope that each of you stick with it and push through these next four days - WE CAN DO IT!!!!! When I was talking to my cousin, Peter the other day, via facebook, I talked to him about how nervous I was and this was his response:

"You need to focus on the thrill of it, the benefit it will have in your life, the confidence you have in yourself to see it through, even though you know it will be a challenge at times-
You need to WELCOME it
Embrace it
Let it be GOOD that you're a little nervous"

Happy Cleansing!

Maria

P.S.

I saw on some of the comments that another woman has joined in the blogging - if you want to read her blog it is: http://mrsschrage.wordpress.com/

Also, there is a Body and Soul Challenge Group on the LiveStrong website. Here is the link for that: http://www.livestrong.com/groups/group/body-and-soul-challenge

Let the games begin!

Hi everyone!

So, I was getting so nervous yesterday with the anticipation of the challenge, but now I am excited! It may seem silly, but I am so proud of myself for having only 2 diet Pepsi's!
Since the actual detox starts in two days, I went with the plan to start cutting back on the sugars and processed food. I at a fiber one bar and banana for breakfast, subway for lunch (minus my usual barbecue chips and diet soda fountain drink), a granola bar for a snack and at dinner some organic cous cous and a Gish (a Lebanese delight).
I caught myself at the gymnastics school where I coach (family business) reaching for M&M's and then stopped myself and laughed b/c I totally was not even thinking! My brothers were there and giggled a bit at me, too.
At the school where I teach, I have a bumblebee candy dish that sits on my desk.......my way of getting students to visit me :) Even though it was filled with chocolate (not sugar based candies since we are not allowed in my district), I put the BEE away as to not tempt myself to eat anything from there. I may get some carrots to place in there for them - I am sure they would love it! :)
So, after I get my kids to bed tonight, I plan to write in my journal all my goals for the challenge and to answer the questions posed for Day 1 about what are my food choices, weaknesses and good parts of it. I will have to fill you in tomorrow..........my kids need me!
Happy Cleansing!
Maria

Questions Answered

Hello everyone!
I was so excited to see all the comments so far! I think all of us doing this together will help us all through this change in our lifestyle!
Many of my family and friends are asking the same questions as you are about what to buy, what to be ready for. They had sent me a "rough draft" a while ago, but nothing since.
All I can suggest is that starting tomorrow reduce your caffeine intake by 1/3rd. Start to think of goals you want to accomplish during the 5 weeks and write them down.
For example: By the end of the five weeks, I will make 5 dinners a week at home.
Make your goal measurable. If you say, by the end of 5 weeks I will cook more....it is not measurable b/c who is to say what you actually did prior to. Make sense?
The actual detox will start on Wednesday. My suggestion would be to buy vegetables, whole grain rice, legumes, oatmeal (not processed), lemons, hummus, raw almonds (unsalted). Those are some of the items I saw in the rough draft they sent me.
I hope this helps!
Happy Cleansing!

Maria