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! 

Organic Produce Delivery--Too Expensive or Money Saver?

We just received our weekly organic produce bin from Prudent Produce. We've been using this company for the past few years and continue to love having a bin of fresh organic produce delivered to our front step each Monday. They also have lots of grocery "add-ons" that meet our clean-eating standards.

The Absolute Truth!

Does eating clean mean spending a fortune at the store? We don't think so. Our budget for four people (Dr. Wes, myself, and two boys) is $151/week. We consider eating healthy part of our "health insurance" policy and look for the cleanest foods to eat when we're at home to ensure long-term health. We eat 85% of our meals that are prepared at home. If you know Dr. Wes and his love of Pancheros, you can probably figure the other 15% is eating there. 


This week we decided to try something new. I tried to buy ALL of our groceries from Prudent Produce to see how close we could come to skipping the grocery store completely. Here's what we got and what we spent:

Mini-Produce Bin (This is what was in the mini-bin this week. We subbed a few items)
2 each Bananas
2 each Navel Orange
1 each Romaine Lettuce
2 each Fuji Apple
1 each Avocado
1 each Tommy Atkins Mango
2 each Tomato (IA)
1 5oz Baby Spinach
1 each Breakfast Radish

Add-Ons  

Natural White Cheddar Cheese Curds (16oz)

Natural Mild Cheddar Cheese Slices (7oz)

Stacey Tortillas (wheat)

Apple Cider Vinegar

Broccoli

Grape Tomatoes

Salted Butter (lb-4 sticks)

Beef Breakfast Sausage

Chicken Bites

All Natural Turkey Meat Sticks

Local Grass Fed Beef - GSGF (Monroe, IA)

Motley Kale

Blueberries

Strawberries

Total: $91.80

Ha! Love this! Same goes for anything that is "sugar free"
or "reduced sugar". 

Additionally, I bought eggs, bacon, salsa, Dr. Zevia, and some other random things at Hy-Vee today (I ordered eggs too late and missed out on eggs from Prudent Produce). We easily stayed within our $151 weekly budget for food and have lots of good, clean food to eat this week! Yum! 

What's your health worth to you and your family? Are you buying fresh produce and clean meats, or do you put chemicals in your cart? Would you save money if you never went down the store aisles? Are you sacrificing money today for your future health? 

Weekly Meal Prepping

One of our favorite routines in the Nyberg household is preparing as much food on Sundays as possible. This has been one of the BEST changes in our home for our health and sanity throughout the week. Here's what happens after I come home from getting the groceries on Sundays...

Breakfasts

1) Cook a dozen cage-free organic scrambled eggs. Mix one dozen eggs with a little coconut milk and add to a large skillet that has some hot coconut oil in it. (Sometimes I make hard boiled eggs too)

2) Cook breakfast meats like sausage and/or bacon according to packages. We like the precooked sausages found in the Hy-Vee Health Market Freezer. We throw them on the contact grill and brown them. Bacon--bake on broiling pan at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Be sure all meat is nitrite free! We also cook bacon on the contact grill too. 

3) Wash and prep any fruit that can be prepared ahead of time--grapes, blueberries, strawberries, etc. 

4) Sometimes I'll make a batch of Paleo Pumpkin Muffins or a treat like too. 

Dinners

1) Decide on recipes. I like to marinate meat before grilling or cooking it, so I will typically make the marinades on Sundays and put the sauce into a gallon ziplock baggie (or dish). Then on the day of the meal, I throw the meat in the baggie in the morning or sometime in the afternoon so it's ready to go. 

2) Prepare the meats--slice up chicken, make hamburger patties, shape homemade chicken nuggets, put a roast in the crockpot with veggies and set into the fridge, etc. Tonight I made a marinade in a large baggie;  wrapped chicken in bacon and put the sauce on it; put green beans, chicken, and sweet potatoes in a 9x13 pan with butter & Mrs. Dash; started thawing beef. 

A little fuzzy, but you get the idea! Chop those veggies!

3) Prepare the veggies--dice up zucchini & squash; slice carrots/tomatoes/peppers/onions; snap green beans; etc. Having veggies already cleaned and ready to cook makes it easier. I typically just use a little butter in a pan or throw them in a steam-pot to cook them for dinner. 

Lunches

PACK ON SUNDAY! Start with a meat (we like DiLusso Nitrite free deli meat at HyVee or leftovers) and add veggies. Raw veggies are great! Remember those veggies you just cleaned and cut for dinners? Use some of those! Salads can be pre-made--just don't use the dressing yet. 

While cooking at home definitely takes time, we've found that prepping our food on Sundays really helps. Maybe Sunday isn't your day--but find a time and make a commitment to clean, healthy eating. You'll love the results!

9x13 Pan; Green Beans, Carrots, Chicken, Sweet
Potatoes; Mrs. Dash; Butter squares.

Recipes We Used This Week

Paleo Bacon Wrapped Honey Mustard Chicken

Budget Friendly Balsamic Mustard Chicken

Chipotle Lime Rubbed Steak

Medical Doctors Vs. Chiropractors--Who Loses?

Q. Why don’t Chiropractors and medical doctors get along?

A. This is a big problem that you, the patient, are dealing with these days. There is a misconception that medical doctors don’t refer to Chiropractors and vice versa. While this is true for some, it’s not the way it should be. When this occurs, there is only one loser in this scenario, YOU! There is a time and place for medicine and there is definitely a time and place for Chiropractic. Chiropractic is not for just neck and back pain. Unfortunately, that’s what most people believe. There is so much more to Chiropractic. If MD’s, DO’s and Chiropractors would work together, our society would be a much happier, and healthier place.

Chiropractic operates under the fact that our nervous system controls and coordinates every

cell, tissue, and function of our bodies. If one of these nerve pathways is interfered with, then

wherever that nerve goes to may not function at a 100%. Chiropractors remove this interference

with the use of the Chiropractic adjustment and help the body heal on its own. There are over

100 certified adjustment techniques and the goal is to find the one that fits you. Chiropractic

helps people become healthier along with making healthy lifestyle choices, eating well, exercise and mental stress reduction techniques. As a healthcare professional, I would advise you that if your M.D., D.O., or Chiropractor are not open to working with your other healthcare

professionals in your life, then you should find a new one. It’s not about us, it’s about you. The

priority should be on whatever it takes to get you and your family healthy.