Half Way Day! Cleanse Days 4 & 5

I have to admit I've already slacked off on the blogging a bit. I had a headache (dull) on days 2, 3, & 4 and it was all I could do to get kids to school, fed, and making sure spelling words and piano lessons were practiced! 

Here's what we've been eating...

Breakfasts: Nitrite Free Pre-Cooked Sausages by Applegate Farms, "real" oatmeal, cottage cheese, scrambled eggs whites, leftover veggies and fresh tomatoes.

Lunch: Cottage Cheese, leftover chicken & veggies, tuna + avocado salad, salad with leftover chicken (raspberry balsamic vinegar + olive oil + salt/pepper dressing)

Dinner: Leftovers! 

Snacks & Supplements: Fresh Fruit, Salsa Fresca Rice Chips, UltraClear, AdvaClear, UltraFlora, Green Tea, Pomegranate Juice + Colon Cleanse)

Overall update: I am feeling much better since my headache left but still a little "foggy". I taught childbirth class on Saturday and I think it was a great way to get my mind off of the headache. I think the biggest change I've noticed is that my overall swelling has gone down. My wedding ring was getting tighter and I was feeling like my skin was tighter behind my knees. I know I've lost a lot of water weight and my wedding ring comes off easily now. I'm not sure how that is going to play out on the scale/body fat %, but I feel better so that is a big bonus. AND I'm realizing that I don't NEED caffeine to get through a day! WOW!

Cleanse Day 3

I felt much better this morning, got adjusted and had more energy. (Until this afternoon when the headache came back. I think I'm going to try drinking my one caffeine earlier in the day.) 

Here's what we're eating:

Breakfast: "Real" Oatmeal & Applegate Chicken Sausages (frozen in Hy-Vee Health Market)

Lunch: Wes had leftover tuna "salad", fruit, & roasted veggies. I was unexpectedly away from home so I stopped by Hy-Vee Salad Bar for cottage cheese, lettuce salad with grilled chicken/oil/balsamic vinegar, and a few raspberries. Yum! 

Dinner: Spaghetti Dinner with Veggies--spaghetti squash, marinara with ground turkey meat in the sauce. *Note--be careful with your marinara. A lot of them have milk and sugar in them. Try to find the best quality sauce. We like Muir Glen marinara. 

Snacks: Two UltraClear shakes which I blended with a few frozen blueberries; I found some gluten free rice chips for Wes. I'm trying to lose weight so I am skipping as many grains as possible. Since I had oatmeal for breakfast, Wes gets to enjoy the chips! 

Supplements: UltraClear, UltraFlora, AdvaClear, Natural Calm, Green Tea, Pomegranate juice

Other things going on: I got adjusted this morning which is something I always look forward to. Yesterday I had a massage which is wonderful! We're so blessed to have two massage therapists at Waukee Wellness who fill up their massage times quickly.  

I've also been doing the belly-breathing exercise from the cleanse manual. It takes less than 5 minutes to do and was a great way to "reset" during my busy day. Don't skip this step! 

Cleanse Day 2

Day Two Plan

Breakfast: Cottage Cheese, tomatoes, and chicken for me; Grilled Turkey Burger & rice for Dr. Wes

Lunch: Tuna + Avocado + Dill pickles + Tomatoes= Tuna Salad (VERY good!), carrots, apples

Dinner: Lemon Chicken & Veggie Bake 

Snacks: UltraClear Shakes 

Supplements: UltraClear, UltraFlora, AdvaClear, Green Tea, Natural Calm at designated times of the day

Exercise: Dr. Wes made it to 5:30 Crossfit so I have NO excuses, but I still have a bit of a headache so I skipped today. I'll try to go for a walk in the evening. 

I had a can of Zevia Cherry Cola for my caffeine--so good! I also drank some Passion Fruit Iced Tea (herbal/no caffeine) in addition to my water. 

I also had an impromptu massage with Kendra today. It was so wonderful to take a nap (I even snored!) and have her work on my head because of the headache today. Darn caffeine cravings! 

Day 1 Review: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

Day one was tough. One of the hardest things I've ever done. I'll give you the good, the bad, and the ugly about my day and the other staff members' days too. Complete honesty. If you have questions for me or the staff, leave us a comment below! 

The Good

• I survived. (See The Ugly section)
• I really enjoyed everything I drank all day. Fruit juice, Very Berry UltraClear, Chocolate UltraMeal, Chicken Broth, herbal teas.
• I've already lost of a lot water weight--many trips to the bathroom. A good reminder to have sympathy for all of the pregnant women I work with!
• No excessive bathroom trips for the reasons I had in my head that a cleanse would entail--if you know what I mean. 
• Being without solid food makes me really aware of putting completely nutritious things back in. I haven't had any normal cravings today (except an afternoon tea) and I am so excited to be motivated to keep going! 

The Bad

• I didn't chew anything. That is really a weird thing to miss.
• I was pretty tired in the morning and was in bed early. 
• I drank so much liquid first thing in the morning that I felt nauseous. 

The Ugly

• I got a migraine. Not even a little "I-can-still-function" headache. This one took me down. It's nice being married to Dr. Wes because he was the first one to say, "Eat something. It's not worth it to feel this terrible." I attribute this to my caffeine problem. I typically have four or more servings of Iced Tea and Zevia soda throughout the day, so I was hurting. CONFESSION: I ate something at 9pm. I had gone over 24 hours without food, so I did my best to imitate an UltraMeal shake with real food. I ate a half-serving of cottage cheese and half of a banana. I almost instantly felt a little better, and it allowed me to be able to fall asleep. **IF YOU DO A CLEANSE THAT RESTRICTS CAFFEINE (as it should), START WEANING OFF CAFFEINE IN ADVANCE!** The directions told me this but I really thought I'd be ok. 

Staff Update: Dr. Wes was surprisingly chipper all day. He was hungry and a bit tired, but he did great. I think two of us had headaches (caffeine related), and two others had to end the day early by just going to bed. We all felt hungry throughout the day.  Otherwise, it's going really well with the office staff. 

If you are interested in doing a Metagencis cleanse through our office, talk to Dr. Wes or Dr. Jason at your next appointment and they will get you going! 

Liver Cleanse, Day 1

We're stocked and ready to go!

Did you know that we are one of the only cultures that doesn't routinely participate in some type of body cleanse or fast? Throughout history people have found various ways and reasons to help their body reset itself to a healthy state.

Our culture continues to pile in the processed junk day after day after day...without ever allowing the body to cleanse and reset itself.

We've decided to go through a liver cleanse over the next few weeks and wanted to share our experience with you. I don't think we'll get the symptoms and results like a short term cleanse would. We aren't the type of people that need that immediate change. We're perfectly fine with healthy long term changes for our bodies--how ever long that might take.

Day 1 Plan--Liquid Diet ONLY

Morning Routine: Pomegranate juice & Natural Calm; UltraClear, Supplements

Throughout the day: Juices, Chicken Broth, and UltraMeal by Metagenics

Evening Routine: Green Tea, Supplements, UltraClear

I've never done a day without solids, so I'm a bit concerned about what will happen. My biggest fear is getting a headache or being dizzy while I'm watching kids after school. I also drink a lot of caffeine during the day and have cut a lot out, but only having one serving makes me nervous! I'm also hosting a Norwex party that night and don't want to be a crazy-lady either. My biggest excitement is being able to drink some fruit juice. I consider juice to be a "junk food" and it will be fun to try some different flavors too.

If you are interested in doing a Metagencis cleanse through our office, talk to Dr. Wes or Dr. Jason at your next appointment and they will get you going! 

Pre-Cleanse Preparation

I've received the documents needed to complete this cleanse. I can't share all of the details with you online, but I can share with you how I'm getting ready to start the 10-Day Cleanse on Tuesday. I will be hitting the local farmer's market tomorrow to get lots of fresh, local produce. This isn't a necessary step, but it will help me get motivated to get started!

Stocking the House with Good Food

Day 1 will be a liquid diet, so that's one day I don't really have to plan for. 

The other days will include the following items at our house:

• Chicken, egg whites, turkey, fish (Costco/Local)
• Fruits, veggies, and parsley (Farmer's market)
• Rice, Oats, Buckwheat, & Quinoa (Costco has a great blend of these items) 
• Cottage Cheese & Plain Yogurts (Hy Vee)
• Pumpkin Seeds & Sunflower Seeds (Hy-Vee Health Market)
• Stevia sweetener and Agave Nectar (already own)
• Herbal & Green Teas (buying more just for fun)
• Pomegranate Juice (Hy Vee Health Market)

This looks like a short list, but I am excited about the combinations that are possible. I will be starting a Pinterest board for the cleanse too. We don't typically have many grains or dairy here, but will try to use some of the items during the cleanse for variety. Dr. Wes will probably eat more of the grains than me since I am hoping to lose weight during the cleanse, and he is just cleansing and losing body fat. 

Buy a New Blender Ball

This again goes to improve my motivation and make it more exciting. A Blender Ball is a necessity, but a new one is not.  I also got out our blender as it will be living on the counter for the next 10 days. 

Hydration Items
I have a really cool water bottle that infuses fruits/veggies into the bottle without the pulp. I bought it Brookstone awhile ago and really like it. I will also be using a glass Life Factory water bottle and other various water bottles in the house. I think I will get a few ready to go each day with either lemon or lime or cucumber or combinations. 

If you are interested in doing a Metagencis cleanse through our office, talk to Dr. Wes or Dr. Jason at your next appointment and they will get you going! 

Healthy Staff, Healthy Patients (Fall 2013)

I'm back! After a much-needed break from blogging, I've decided that it's time to start sharing more healthy info with our patients again. However, this time it isn't about something I know--it's cleanse time at the office.  

 Our staff will be doing a Metagenics 10-day cleanse starting on Tuesday, October 1. For 10 days, we are eliminating and re-introducing certain foods into our diet. As the wellness coordinator for the office, I thought I would share my experience with the cleanse day-by-day. This cleanse is meant to clean out the liver and reset our bodies to a healthier state. I'm a bit nervous--I've never really done a serious cleanse with food elimination and supplementing. And I'm nervous about the product called Colonix. It's one of the supplements we will be taking. Colonix doesn't sound like a feel-good product. 

Disclaimer: This is no where near my weight.
You'll have to check the board at the office to
track my progress!

We invite you to follow our staff through our journey. Want to see first hand how healthy we are? Stop by the office and check out the board with our detailed goals, action steps, Waist Hip Ratio, Body Fat %, and our weights. YES you read that right, our weights. 

I am anxious to get started, but more anxious about seeing, feeling, and living the results. I need a good kick-in-the-rear and excited to see what my results will be! 

--Katie

If you are interested in doing a Metagencis cleanse through our office, talk to Dr. Wes or Dr. Jason at your next appointment and they will get you going!