Day #10 of Sugar Free Cherilee – the last 10lbs of baby fat!

I think I hit the rock bottom of the diet today.  Morning started out okay but flat tired on 7 hours sleep which normally is enough to keep me afloat and steady, especially with my one morning cup of fresh roasted french pressed java (thanks Robin and Kevin-the best neighbours ever who do a home roast!) and the fact that I love what I do!  I even tried to nap during a cancelled client session and still no relief.  This is not like me!

Ah-Ha-Really?

The one thing that has been the biggest change for me in this process is eating fewer carbohydrates and glucose in general from mid to higher glycemic foods such as sweet potatoes, brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat/kasha, bananas, pineapple, mangoes, kiwis, and occasional barley, corn snacks like popcorn, or corn chips. My body is instinctively telling me it needs some of these.  Not in a “oh my gosh if I don’t have a sweet potato now I will kill someone” kind of way, but more like dude, “you’re not meeting your energy requirements so eat a pear kind of way!”. Glucose is responsible for energy production and to get enough from vegetable sources alone is slim pickings.  Any higher carb types which break down into higher amounts of sugar I have been steering clear of such as carrots, beets, or corn as well as beans, and grains. For more information on what nutrients are in vegetables follow the follow link:

http://www.mercola.com/nutritionplan/foodalert.htm

I was afraid of not consuming enough carbohydrates because if you are not a a good planner and at home preparing various raw and cooked veggies it is going to be hard to eat enough and I find it a challenge. Also, there is only enough raw veggies you can snack on and also salads, and steamed veggies before they become tasting like water and cellulose! So…I am having some brown rice tonight and see how I feel afterwards and in the morning.

Away with mood, lethargy and fatigue.  Here comes a sunny morning, I hope:) Trying to find balance and success at the same time.

Courge and humour are hanging on by a thread.

Day #9 of Sugar Free Cherilee – the last 10lbs of baby fat!

I

It has been 4 and a half months since Kyra Sawyer was born and I am enjoying motherhood very much.  My perfect little angel lets me sleep at night and she teaches me what is really important in a day: quality sleep, eating small amounts all throughout the day, having at least one bowel movement a day, plenty of pees, smiling, playing, trusting and loving hard core.  I have never been happier.  That is not the point of this blog but feel it important to tell how I feel about my daughter so I don’t sound like an embittered new Mom with an axe to grind!  It is about my own personal fight and questioning of my weight but I know it has all been well worth it. 

I keep talking about how important my weight loss is and how I set my goal of 10 pounds from the beginning of this challenge and yet it is not just about the mighty scale but also my body fat percentage and how I feel in my old clothes, especially now that it is summer and I am back in my bike shorts:) My BF is high at 30% up from around 21% and my clothes are fitting but are tight.  Having just given birth (relatively speaking) and having formed a beautiful baby girl of 7 lbs. 6oz. in 9 months gaining 28 pounds, it should take at least that to get it off, or should it? Factors such as genes, age, activity level and nutrition come into play and only half of those I can control. So how can I expect to lose the weight so soon especially when I have heard clients, friends and bloggers speak about how bloody hard it is for them to shed the weight? Because I am superhuman, don’t you know?!

Crazy resemblance, don’t you think!? I have my image of myself and my old metabolism being able to drop weight and body fat in a few days and I want that back.  I was skipping for gosh sake’s the day before I gave birth – ask my Mom she took photos somewhere… Why is this not coming off faster?   

There is something I should tell you which is quite relevant to my situation.  I had a C-section and had a period of 2-3 months of relative inactivity not to mention the slowing down in the final few months of pregnancy, so all that combined could be enough to put a cork in the metabolism so to speak. I found the recovery from surgery very slow and although the surgeon told me she could tell my transverse abdominus was strong and that I would heal up in no time, she was a bit overly optimistic.  It was 2 months until I could really walk at pace and with no discomfort.  As a runner, I was going crazy…and as a plank specialist I was downright squirrely! 

I sign out each time with courage and humour I really ponder this each time because I truly believe if we approach life in this fashion we will endure everything, coming up smelling the flowers. We just have to have patience too – not one of my strong suits. 

Breakfast: Soaked cashews, water, hemp seeds, grated coconut, coconut oil, frozen raspberries, Metagenics Whey powder, cinnamon. My husband is back to drinking this shake and BTW he is down almost 8 pounds! So proud of him! 

Snack: Leftover chicken soup from last night with fiddleheads etc. 

Lunch: 2 pieces of natural roasted turkey breast, celery sticks and a peach

Snack: Lemonade made with Vitamix . Whole lemon with ends and some rind cut off (very high in bioflavonoids – great for immunity)  (sweetened with just a bit of stevia.  Very tasty on a hot day!) Handful of walnuts

Dinner Steamed salmon with green onions, on a bed of wilted swiss chard, red leaf lettuce, cherry tomatoes, sunflower sprouts. Dressing: olive oil, lime juice, chili powder, grated raw garlic, ginger, sea sat.  Yum!! 

Interesting article in the Globe and Mail on sugar rich foods such as milk, juice and pop adding to our waistline and diminishing our health:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/to-beat-obesity-the-answer-flows-free-from-the-tap/article4250327/

Courage and humour endure:)

Day #8 of Sugar Free Cherilee – the last 10lbs of baby fat!

It is amazing in this heat to be able to eat anything at all!  It is no wonder we tend to lose weight in the heat as we have less of an appetite and crave salads, chilled soups and light eats.  That is because our bodies are so busy cooling themselves down that if we were to eat larger amounts more energy is spent digesting than cooling and nature prioritizes not cooking its own organs! Lower BMI’s also regulate body temperature better so it is much easier to stay cool when you are trim. Add metabolic conditioning and you have a winning pair to be cooler in the heat as the thyroid has been conditioned to regulate better.

I remember a few years ago when I was doing hot yoga religiously and I went down to visit my family in Florida in the summer (I highly do NOT recommend this if you hate humidity!) but I was able to regulate my temperature even better than most of my family, and they LIVE there! I was doing yard work for them and they thought I was crazy.  Hot? Hell yeah, but I was able to tolerate it and sweat buckets too!

So…I am down another pound today putting myself at 138 down from 141! So, that’s 3 pounds in one week of sugar free healthful eating (and one glass of wine!) The amazing thing is how energetic I feel with no ups and downs throughout the day and even more energy at the start of my super early mornings of 5:30 am.

This is also the perfect time to have started this diet in the warm summer season where eating light and fresh goes right alongside the weather.  Winter brings warm cravings for heavier foods such as stews and soups often with barley or squashes.  Just the kinds of things to keep us warm and full but not always so great for weight loss.  In fact, winter brings on average about 5 pounds of weight gain for most people and a few body fat percentages.  Some of this is needed to insulate and keep warm, but if not kept at bay come the warmer weather, this is how most people have 5 lbs added to their weight year by year.

So happy to have added 2 pieces of fruit in.  I did not even have quinoa over the weekend as planned.  Didn’t feel I needed it.  Really is about getting through the breakfasts for me and feeling satisfied and having fruit in the shake makes all the difference. For me shakes works because I am up so early, but breakfasts of eggs, salsa, fruit like berries, are awesome! Can you believe I still have not had strawberries!

Note that I have been doing lots of coconut products but NOT coconut water because of the higher sugar content.  The coconut meal is higher in protein and fat whereas the water is higher sugar.  Now, ordinarily this drink is superior to any other in terms of a sports drink, or when in need of rehydrating in the heat.  Just not during this time…over halfway through the challenge and hoping weight keeps on falling off me!

Breakfast: Awesome shake -Brazil nuts (soaked), water, raw cacao powder, frozen raspberries (yum!), Metagenics whey protein powder (2 gram carb only-no lactose), hemp seeds, cinnamon and ice cubes

Snack: Scrambled eggs with kale and tomato salsa.  Handful of green olives.

Lunch: Leftover asparagus, cabbage pureed soup with few pieces of roasted turkey.

Snack: handful of raw almonds

Dinner: Chicken soup with fiddleheads (yeah, again!), cabbage, mixed mushrooms, celery, chicken.

Snack: handful of pistachios.

Courage and humour continue.

Day # 6 &7 Sugar Free Cherilee – the last 10 lbs of baby fat

Oh what a little more glucose can do! I had a terrific weekend and I owe it all to a little more berry in my shake.  Just that little bit of sweet was like something of a god send.  Sweet with a little sour, no banana as usual but PC organics frozen cherry, blueberry and raspberry….YUM! O.K. that and the fact that is was a stellar weather weekend as well. I am celebrating that I have lost 2 lbs!

I got a chance to visit the Brickworks market which I haven’t been to since they moved outside for the summer.  It was humid and warm and I went for a trail run followed by a lemonade sweetened with stevia made by my friend Alan of Merchant’s of Green Coffee claim, the proper way, so you don’t taste the awful aftertaste! By the time I got to the market I had one thing on my mind but it was around 12pm and guess what….all the strawberries were sold out! Nooooo! Okay, not meant to be. Still no craving, but would have been nice. Also, looked for asparagus and sold out!

Saturday

Breakfast: shake with berry mix as above, walnuts, cashews, water, Metagenics whey (2 grams of carb no lactose), hemp seeds, coconut milk, cinnamon, spirulina(have to have something sweet for this otherwise tastes like swamp water but feel so energized when I have this), vanilla bean

Snack: celery sticks with tomatillo salsa

Lunch: Asparagus, green cabbage, coconut milk puree soup, nutritional yeast

Snack/early dinner: Grilled trout, sauteed beet greens with green onion. tomato salsa

Dinner: Brown rice, salmon, olives

Sunday

Breakfast: Shake with same as above

Snack: 2 hard boiled eggs, 1 juicy delicious peach

Lunch: Leftover pureed soup as above, roasted chicken salad with field greens, sunflower sprouts, olive oil, apple cider vinegar

Snack: nothing

Dinner: Kale chips (yum:), Sauteed beef, mixed mushroom and tomato avocado salsa.

Courage and humour prevail!

Day #5 of Sugar Free Cherilee – the last 10 lbs of baby fat

You might have anticipated this but I just had the BEST glass of Bonterra organic Cabernet I have had in a week! So, this is what happened…

I am not blaming anyone else but myself BUT the other 2 folks doing this challenge with me both fell off the wagon this week; one with a half of beer and the other with a few dates and some brown rice.  One clearly more in my frame of mind that if you are going to cheat then make it good and the other with a lot more integrity than I!

Seriously though, I have been having a very tough time with mornings, making the same disgusting shake before I leave for work every morning -hemp seeds, bee pollen, mixed nuts (brazil nuts, walnuts, cashews), water and cinnamon for flavour. It leaves me very unsatisfied and unhappy and well, a little light headed wanting some glucose.  That stays with me until dinner most days and then at dinner I can eat something usually that I had a little more time to prepare and is tasty. So, that is what I am going to add in to my day – 2 servings of fruit a day and 1 gluten free grain like quinoa or brown rice. Oh my, if I start today, my wine can count as a fruit serving and my transgression could be forgiven! Could it be?? Done!

I think I understand why alcohol was invented – to smooth over the edges.  The end of a long work week, my darling girl fussing a little more than usual at the end of that work week.  And finding out everyone else went and played a bit.  No excuse really but…

Now, here is the thing that is great!! We had all been talking in our workout group this morning about how we all feel really good and starting to knock off a few pounds, AND that none of us had withdrawal from the sugar. We just miss taste, smell and the enjoyment of naturally occurring sugar.  And I get it. Sugar reducing is something we all should be striving for.  We all should eliminate our “sweet tooths”.  Not that we can ever fully do this as I mentioned humans are hardwired for sweets (and we need them!)  But we need to be in control of them.

If you are out there and say that your sweet tooth is the boss of you, you need to ask for help and do it NOW.  Messages have been pouring in from readers about how diabetes reversed and massive amounts of weight was shed and how energy, vitality and self control and image was restored by following a low glycemic sensible eating plan with exercise.  I believe this is what is going to work to get you in control of your health again.

Well back to the challenge with 2 servings of fruit and one serving of gluten free low sugar grain.  I already know what I am having…STRAWBERRIES (2 servings tomorrow!) and some quinoa for dinner.  Ah, life is good…very good! That’s my buzz from my one glass of wine:)

Breakfast: Yup…that shake:(

Snack: Realize the problem here is that I didn’t get any glucose really from am shake and don’t feel like more nuts or a salad quite yet. Did have handful of pecans and toasted shredded coconut.

Lunch: This was yummy.  Cucumber, tomato (always organic/non GMO – tastes like what mama used to grow not with rat genes splices in!), avocado, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, garlic and some nutritional yeast (tastes like cheese and is very high in B12 and is one of the best non animal sources of it.  In fact, just 1/2 -1 tbsp of it equals a full adult serving of B12.  Vegetarians rejoice! Not bad for a little parasite! Also great on homemade popcorn when I can eat that again as a treat:) Super cheap and tasty too.

Snack: Wine…ahhhhhhh!

Dinner: Pureed asparagus, cabbage,boccoli coconut milk soup. Spiced with cinnamon, dill, sea salt, pepper, roasted garlic) Mixed in Vitamix.  Not great but “fills you up”. (Your welcome Dad…another Dadism)

I will blog once for both days over the weekend.

Courage and strength tested today!

Day #4 of Sugar Free Cherilee – the last 10 lbs of baby fat

 What I dream of…..:)

Here is what I have learned so far (a lot!!):

1) I am not a sugar addict.

I have not suffered withdrawal or headaches or panic snack attacks. I just miss the yummy taste of fruits.

2) Food tastes better in moderation, both in serving size and frequency of consumption.

I have not felt overly full or heavy like before I started because it is hard to eat too much turkey stir fry or shredded coconut! Also, I am eating 3 meals and 1 to 2 snacks and not having a huge dinner as I am used to doing more often than I should because my sugar has spiked more throughout the day and a may have missed more snacks.  I have felt very even keel throughout the day. Not dissimilar to a low glycemic eating plan that I fully advocate and can’t wait to get back to! I just have to make sure I eat enough or else I start to feel lower energy and I am not doing a calorie counting.restricted diet although I am no doubt consuming a little less due to lack of carbohydrates.

3) It is hard to eat enough vegetables for carbohydrates AND make them interesting.

I use a lot of lemon, olive oil, flax oil, apple cider vinegar, spices like chile powder, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, cilantro, curry, dill, and lime with zest and nut butters. Also combining textures like in a steamed veggie pot of leafy greens like kale and chard with kohlrabi and red peppers.  Another staple for me is the vegetable dressing of:

-olive oil

– apple cider vinegar

– grated garlic and/or ginger

– tahini

= Yum!

 

4) This is not a high protein/high fat diet.

Please note I am not duplicating an Atkins diet here eating high fat, protein (emphasis on animal), and 20 grams of carbs a day! I am eating sensible meals comprised of meats, mostly lower fat turkey, chicken, fish, occasional beef (all about the same as before – 1-2 servings a day), eggs and tons of nuts and seeds, and all the low glycemic vegetables I can handle. So, no root vegetables-only what grows above ground with the exception of garlic and onions. It is really tempting to overdo the meats because they are more filling than vegetables but I don’t.

5) Spring/Summer is dismal without enjoying the fruits of it.

This is very telling for me is that the whole foods I am missing from this diet are also seasonal and sumptuous. Strawberries are the big one right now for me.  Had to turn down a free sample at Fresh From the Farm today! (what have I become!?)  This is just an exercise for me to see if I CAN stay away from them and also what happens to my cravings/metabolism . So lucky to be craving the good stuff and not the junk I have trained myself away from so many years ago like ice cream or candy. Folks, it literally took 5 years I would say for me to change the sugary way I used to eat about 10 years ago.  For example, first reducing my sacred double double coffee to a single single, then a half a spoonful and now black.  My palette and chemistry really did change back then and again it was following the low glycemic eating plan that helped ,e with this and time.

*Fruits are highly nutritious and complete removal can cause vitamin depletion and even scurvy without vitamin C high in papaya, strawberries, pineapple, kiwi BUT vegetables just as high are bell peppers, broccoli and brussels sprouts.  Again in weight maintenance and health, once I achieve the weight I am looking for, I will add low glycemic fruit back in for maintenance or that’s the plan now….cant’t wait-Yum!

6) Sweet is indeed the 1st of the 5 tastes of the taste buds.

Sweetness in flavour acts to identify energy rich foods, which we need for basic survival.  Sweet, bitter, sour, salty and umami (savoury) are the full 5 in most European and North/South American cultures, although it is  interesting to note the Ayurvedic tradition also includes pungent and astrigent. So great to explore all of these and expand our taste buds; the more we do that the less we favour just one, most often sweet!.

7) I like fruit!!! Can’t I just have one fresh seasonal juicy strawberry? Soon! Nuff said…oh, and I lost 1 pound….9 more to go.

Here is an interesting link to a research study linking low carbohydrate consumption to a virtual fountain of youth and who doesn’t want that?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1323758/Can-cutting-Carbohydrates-diet-make-live-longer.html

Courage and humour are getting stronger…

Day #3 of Sugar Free Cherilee -the last 10lbs of baby fat

Feeling good.  Maybe a bit light headed but tons of level energy. I had a near miss today but kept on the straight and narrow.  I got caught with my pants down…

How do you choose what you eat in a day? Even those most prepared with shopping and food prep can find it tough to stick to healthy eating because of what happens when you are outside of the house unprepared. It is a scary world of fast food, nutritionally devoid options out there. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail, right? That is what this diet is all about is planning, or is it? Well, yes….for the most part.

I got stuck at the airport picking up my sister in law waiting for 3 hours to de plane because of lightening red alerts. Well, I didn’t plan on that so did not have enough food on me. (I always carry a snack but shredded coconut pieces and walnuts only go so far;). Well, what is a hungry beast supposed to do!? The only possibility I could find was a local mom and pop burger joint and got a fully loaded salad with grilled chicken.  Sweet Caroline iceberg lettuce and genetically modified tomatoes suck! I mean really, why does this stuff even exist!? There is absolutely no nutritional value to iceberg lettuce.  It is cellulose and water and is utterly tasteless.   Although I am trying to lose weight, I don’t want to burn more calories chewing the stuff rather than eating nutritionally packed and delicious field greens, dandelion, arugula, mustard greens, but I digress…

By now you might be guessing I am a bit of a food snob and you would be right. I like my food fresh and I like it to be tasty. Also, as a rule it has to be good for me and be as nutrient dense as possible.

My point here is that although they laughed at me at the restaurant for refusing the side order of fries and the white piece of toasted bun, I have a choice even when eating out to be committed to this no sugar plan and to my overall health.  I had no problem what so ever saying no thanks. In fact, I felt very proud and confident. I usually do. These are not the regular temptations that tease me. I also would hardly ever frequent that kind of establishment for many of reasons that would cause me to digress again…

The reality is we all have the power to choose the foods that are right for us and that make us feel good not just for that moment fitting into your skinny jeans but for our lifelong goals. We need only be committed to the reasons. Easier said than done for most of us that live in the most over fed and undernourished nation in the world. Like debt, we need to live within our means and I can do that right now…I might need to add a piece of fruit and some quinoa soon though.  Really missing the natural sweet.  Big thing first off is that I did not experience any sugar  withdrawals like what most experience going off coffee, so that tells me I was not a sugar addict just perhaps indulging a little too often in it.  Still going to see this through…

Breakfast: same shake as both days but with delicious peanut butter.  My taste buds are getting sensitive to sweet and this actually tasted good and sweet to me.

Snack: again too busy with work

Lunch: Leftover turkey stirfry with spinach, garlic, cauliflower, and red peppers.  Yummy curry powder and cayenne for spices.

Snack: Cucumber wedges and shredded walnuts with pecan pieces.

Dinner: Tasteless plain salad with roasted chicken  and olives when I got home and celery sticks with almond butter.

Thanks for reading,

Courage and and Humour abound.

Day #2 of Sugar Free Cherilee -the last 10lbs of baby fat

Now into Day 2 and I am likened back to a blushing new romance that is exciting and full of promise at its dawn and then starts to show its thorns in the daylight.

The day ended well yesterday after teaching a spin class and was really hungry coming home to eat about 3 bowls of my chicken soup.  I added more fiddleheads, kale, and broccoli and although that seems like a lot of soup there is quite a lot of chicken broth and nothing to make it filling.  I didn’t miss a late night snack.

Today I am painfully aware of the fact that what I have undertaken is going to be hard, very hard and although I am starting to realize why people dream of sugar plums dancing in their heads, I am not having any major “to die for” cravings for chocolate or wine…yet.  I do, however miss my banana in the morning shake and quinoa, brown rice with my salads, stews or dinner.  It is more the pleasure of feeling full and that is a hard feeling grazing on what our ancestors did.

In fact, as I meal plan I am becoming aware that this is really a low carb, high protein, caveman/primal type diet save for the fruit and sometimes honey and maple syrup.   I must say if I could have fruit it would be much more manageable but therein lies the rub-SUGAR! So…the challenge continues. Can I complete this and will I suffer from cravings/low carb counts? Will I go insane becoming a scratch and sniff junkie of sweet fruits like mango or strawberries….oh they are in season too:(

I am trying to get as many plant based sources as possible and not make this about consuming as much animal protein as I can. This is bad for health and ethically wrong to be gluttonous an animal meats.  It is unsustainable and hazardous to your health – read “the China Study” by Dr. Colin T. Campbell. about links to cancer as well.

People, this is not a low calorie menu as some of you have written to me about concerned that I will be starving myself …I am having lots of high caloric, nutritious foods-olive oil, vegetables like kale, swiss chard, bok choy, fiddleheads, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, nuts and  seeds (all raw), avocado, eggs, chicken, beef, elk, coconut products, and as much of them as I want.  It is a matter of what I am not having. Carbohydrates also are the only macronutrient that chemically changes your body releasing seratonin and dopamine (read: feel good neurotransmitters) .  The higher sugar value, the more release at least momentarily- sugar high, anyone.  This repeated behaviour causes sugar addiction.

What I am trying to do is reset my palate away from sweets and retrain my body to better absorb sugars from good quality foods by giving my pancreas a break and yes, lose some weight too.  I have craved sugars so much since my pregnancy was over and am compelled to try this lest I fall into a pre-diabetic thunder thigh state!

Is this sustainable? Perhaps, as there is no calorie restriction per se and I am getting beautiful quality organic whole foods and getting quite full but honestly there is only so much toasted coconut I can eat at one sitting and I worry I am not getting enough carbohydrates.  The brain guzzles glucose mostly from carbohydrates so it is no wonder Atkins types feel light headed and spacey and wind up going for B12 shots for energy.  I will quit before that happens.   Will I go back to my balanced lifestyle and bring back in the good foods I love such as fruit, low glycemic grains, sweet potatoes an WINE? Does a bear shit in the woods?-you betcha!! (your welcome dad:)

Today’s meals:

Breakfast: 1 black organic coffee roasted by my fabulous neighbours.

Pretty tasteless shake- raw walnut and cashew milk (in Vita mixer soaked overnight), vanilla bean, hemp seeds, raw cocoa powder, cinnamon, cardamom, half an avocado.  I didn’t mind it much. Better without the stevia as yesterday and good addition of spices. When your husband texts you to say “Please refrain from ever making me that shake again”, one gets the idea he is not a big fan and it has been delisted from the summer patio breakfast menu!

Snack: Nothing…Ooops too busy working

Lunch: Big ass field green salad, few pieces of left over roasted chicken, sun dried black olives, 1/4 avocado, chia seeds, walnuts and pumpkin seeds, cherry tomatoes.  Dressing: olive oil, lemon juice, tahini and shaved garlic and ginger.  Yum! Hungry 2 hours later…

Snack: 2 soft boiled eggs, toasted coconut, green tea

Dinner: Meeting friend at Jamie Kennedy’s.  No doubt have some nice salad, rapini, or chard and fish.

Notes: Finding I need to force myself to drink enough water.  Not very thirsty. Also having a rather bland and almost stale aftertaste in my mouth.

I am taking a strong probiotic every morning on an empty stomach.

Courage and humour continue.

Day #1 of Sugar Free Cherilee – the last 10lb of baby fat!

Kyra just celebrated her 4 month B-Day yesterday which is awesome but in my mind’s eye I should be modelling swimsuits again (not that I ever really did:)! It’s true that I am a bit hard on myself and have pretty high standards when it comes to how I look.  Something engrained in me from being in front of the camera for years and then my current roles as a fitness trainer and nutritionist – I sell my myself based on how I look.  I feel very strongly about that and I also feel my best when I am at my fighting weight of around 125-130.  That being said, those that know me, know that I have a balance I need where I eat and work out well most of the time but then enjoy some wine and a few organic corn chip (read high glycemic, deep fried crap!) form time to time…After pregnancy I am not able to “get away” with these little indulgences anymore it seems so I am digging deeper and trying to reset my metabolism.

I am attempt to knock off the last 10 pounds of baby fat I have decided to take on a 2 week challenge of cutting out all sugars including added sugars such as honey, maple syrup, agave, palm/date sugars and also dairy, grains, fruit (including dried fruit), beans, legumes and even my staples of quinoa, brown rice and yes, WINE.  It appears that that wine was so dearly missed during my pregnancy that it has crept back a little more than a few casual glasses on the weekend.  It is rearing its ugly head during the work week as well. Oh my! This has gotten me thinking that although I don’t crave sugar outright, I am indulging through various incarnations such as alcohol, dried fruit, sweet potatoes, and even my beloved low glycemic grains.

I have been influenced also by reading about Dr. Natasha Turner’s new book “The Carb Senitivity Program”. After rifling through a few pages the way Amazon lets you, I realized I may be a little insulin sensitive something I wasn’t when I first learned about this in nutrition school.  I know…for years my husband has pegged me as an overly sensitive soul but really…I am displaying some of the symptoms. 1) Bloating after meals. 2) Sugar cravings-really wine, fruit, dried fruit especially. 3) Inability to lose weight -never had this before just now.

I am declaring war and giving myself a measured timeline to succeed.  I haven’t been this excited since the sun came out today after 4 days of dismal rain:) These blogs will showcase the good, the bad and the ugly. A chance to use myself as a bit of a guinea pig. My darling friend and client Krista is doing this with me, as is my husband Steve so it will be great to have the accountability and friendship when the going gets tough.  And it will.

So, Day 1 is off to a good start although I am getting hungry again. And all of my go to foods are off limits…hmmm that might tell me something!

Breakfast: shake consisting of half an avocado, hemp and chia seeds, raw cocao powder and vanilla pod.  Oh yeah, and stevia too.  Pretty bland and tasteless especially when you are used to half a banana and some dates in there too….oh missing those already.  Stevia is gross and not worth adding for sweetness.  Still have the acrid aftertaste in my mouth 3 hours later!

Snack: half an avocado with salt

Lunch: Steamed fiddleheads (seasonal and yum from market over weekend!) and spinach and 2 soft boiled eggs.

2 hours later and still hungry.  Made a chicken soup for dinner and really hard to know what to add.  Added some organic peppers to it and leftover fiddleheads.  Afternoon snack will be walnuts and dried toasted shredded coconut. This is going to be tough but already feel stronger and slimmer:)

Courage and humour.

Foods to Cleanse Liver

Here are seven important foods you may want to begin incorporating into your diet in order to maintain a healthy liver.

1. Garlic

Garlic contains numerous sulfur-containing compounds that activate the liver enzymes responsible for flushing out toxins from the body. This bulbous relative of the onion also contains allicin and selenium, two powerful nutrients proven to help protect the liver from toxic damage, and aid it in the detoxification process.

2. Grapefruit

Grapefruit is rich in natural vitamin C and antioxidants, two powerful liver cleansers. Like garlic, grapefruit contains compounds that boost the production of liver detoxification enzymes. It also contains a flavonoid compound known as naringenin that causes the liver to burn fat rather than store it.

3. Green Tea

Green tea is loaded with catechins, a type of plant antioxidant that has been shown in studies to eliminate liver fat accumulation and promote proper liver function. This powerful herbal beverage also protects the liver against toxins that would otherwise accumulate and cause serious damage.

4. Green Vegetables

Leafy green vegetables such as bitter gourd, arugula, dandelion greens, spinach, mustard greens, and chicory also contain numerous cleansing compounds that neutralize heavy metals, which can bear heavily on the liver. Leafy greens also eliminate pesticides and herbicides from the body, and spur the creation and flow of cleansing bile.

5. Avocado

Rich in glutathione-producing compounds, avocados actively promote liver health by protecting it against toxic overload, and boosting its cleansing power. Some research has shown that eating one or two avocados a week for as little as 30 days can repair a damaged liver.

6. Walnuts

Walnuts, which contain high levels of l-arginine, an amino acid, glutathione, and omega-3 fatty acids, also help detoxify the liver of disease-causing ammonia. Walnuts also help oxygenate the blood, and extracts from their hulls are often used in liver-cleansing formulas.

7. Tumeric

Turmeric, one of the most powerful foods for maintaining a healthy liver, has been shown to actively protect the liver against toxic damage, and even regenerate damaged liver cells. Turmeric also boosts the natural production of bile, shrinks engorged hepatic ducts, and improves overall function of the gallbladder, another body-purifying organ.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/035946_liver_cleanse_foods.html#ixzz1vhXqL1DZ