How Toxic are You?

“…tough choices become easier when we think about them in terms of doing the right thing, and although it may hurt initially, it invariably makes things better in the long run.” ~ Robert Vaux

 

It’s not often you’ll find me speechless but that’s what happened this evening.  As part of my “Spring Cleaning” campaign, I made a commitment to complete a 3-day Detox Cleanse; what a perfect way to “spring clean” my body I thought.  Although not a fan of “quick-fixes,” I’ve done research on this particular plan and it’s the healthiest I’ve found.  I’ve wanted to do this program since last summer.

 The reason I’m speechless is that I actually convinced my husband to join me in this quest.  For the life of me, I can’t understand how I talked him into acquiescing.  Of course, he was adamant about proceeding at first; after all, he is NOT a fan of fruits and vegetables, no less those blended together in a drink.  He can handle a banana smoothie on occasion but only if I add some peanut butter or chocolate syrup.  Not this time!

 

Four drinks a day plus some supplements and a nice Detox Bath at night for three days – almost like being at a Spa!  I’m not sure how much I’ll enjoy drinking fruit & veggie beverages daily, forgoing solid food for 3 days.  One thing I know for sure; I’ll have to be the best cheerleader in town if I hope to encourage my hubby to tough it out with me.  Hopefully the nice, warm, relaxing bath at the end of the day will help entice him…key word being “hopefully.”

Oh and then there’s the exercise.  I showed him the TurboJam workout video I attempt to do daily.  He gave me one of those “are you kidding me” kinds of looks and said “good luck with that one.”  I’ll have to find another way to get him to do some cardio with me….hmmm,  60 minutes?  Maybe I can get him to do at least 30!

This ought to be interesting.  I’m heading to the grocery store tomorrow for all the necessary ingredients.  I’ll also be tweeting and posting our progress on Facebook.  I’m thinking, if I tell my DH “others” are following us for the 3 days, maybe he’ll feel too proud to back down.  Oooh, I can’t wait!

 

My goal is not really to lose weight, although I’m sure I’ll lose a little water weight one way or another.  I really just want to get rid of excess garbage and toxins in my system so I’ll feel more motivated about continuing to eat healthy and exercise regularly.  Here’s hoping the results will be well worth the effort. 

“The man who thinks he can and the man who thinks he can’t are both right. Which one are you?”  ~ Henry Ford

A Goal Without a Plan is Just a Wish ~ Antoine de Saint Exupery

First, I’d like to apologize to any readers who may have noticed I’ve been somewhat sidetracked lately.  This blog is about living life to its full potential.  Occasionally other passions put me off target.  Having said that, I’m back to writing about things in my life which I have limited control over but are important to me: love, family, good health, proper nutrition and exercise, fond memories, good friends, spirituality, adventure and community.

 Notice I did not mention weather.  We were hit with another Nor’easter today; however it’s not nearly as bad as the hurricane was.  Our first snow fell this afternoon and actually the sight of white snow blanketing our green lawn and orange pumpkins was quite pretty.  Pretty does not mean I want it to linger; I hope it will melt soon.

Now back to concentrating on the next meal plan I’m going to tackle.  I’ve done quite a bit of research and found a site (U.S. World and News Report) that summarizes some of the best plans to date.  I’ve decided to try the TLC Plan (#2).  Notice the numbers at the end of each diet indicating whether or not people found the plan to be effective.  Of the first ten diets, only three, 2 Vegetarian and Weight Watchers, had more positive feedback than the others.

 The remaining 15 on the list, which I am not illustrating here, were:

• Eco-Atkins Diet                      Abs Diet
• Flat Belly Diet                         Medifast
• Jenny Craig                             Nutrisystem
• Macrobiotic Diet                    Glycemic Index Diet
• South Beach Diet                   Atkins Diet
• Raw Food Diet                        Paleo Diet
• Slim-Fast Diet                        Dukan Diet
• Zone Diet

The challenge for me is finding a plan I believe I can stick with.  If I have to avoid a certain type of food that I’ve enjoyed all my life, it will only make me crave it more.  That’s part of my addictive personality I suppose.  Of more concern is trying to find a plan which my husband can manage, as he needs to keep his cholesterol under control.  As it is, convincing him to eat more fruits and vegetables will be no easy task.

Here is an overview of the TLC Diet:

• Type: Low-fat.
• The aim: Cutting high cholesterol.
• The claim: You’ll lower your “bad” LDL cholesterol by 8 to 10 percent in six weeks.
• The theory: Created by the National Institutes of Health’s National Cholesterol Education Program, the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes Diet (TLC) is endorsed by the American Heart Association as a heart-healthy regimen that can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Cutting back sharply on fat, particularly saturated fat, (think fatty meat, whole-milk dairy, and fried foods), strictly limiting daily dietary cholesterol intake and getting more fiber, can help people manage high cholesterol, often without medication.

Our goals are to both lower LDL and lose weight.  Therefore, I’m planning daily caloric intake of approximately 1,800-2,000 for my husband and 1,200-1,300 for me.  Saturated fat intake will be less than 7 percent of daily calories and no more than 200 milligrams of dietary cholesterol a day.  On TLC, we’ll be eating lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat or nonfat dairy products, fish, and skinless poultry.  I’ll be working with a dietitian to formulate daily meals that are feasible for our lifestyles as well as working in an appropriate exercise schedule we both can enjoy.

The goal is to reduce LDL cholesterol levels by 8-10 percent and lose between 10-20 lbs. within six weeks.  At least with this plan, we’re in it together.  I won’t have to prepare separate meals all the time.  My biggest challenge is being creative; incorporating fruits and vegetables into meals without being obvious. 

I have a few more days to prepare my meals and get ready to begin anew on Sunday.  Thank goodness for whiteboards; they’ll come in handy to chart daily meals and weight loss.  I’m looking forward to engaging in another plan which will help encourage healthy eating and physical exercise.  Time to get out the ball, band and weights again!  Just as long as I don’t have to get out the shovel…yet.

“To lengthen your life, shorten your meals.” ~ Proverb