Cleansing your….

Cleanses.  The newest fad in the ever-changing fad industry.  The definition of a cleanse is a liquid fast, aka no food.  Somehow these are sweeping the nation as the best new thing your body definitely needs (I hope you hear the sarcasm).  However, a cleanse is like any other fad, it is a DIET.

Cleanses are widely publicized by the rich & famous.  Take one of my favorites Yolanda from the RHOBH (If you don't know the abbreviation, this part will make no sense so kindly skip down to the next paragraph).  The B just got done with serious treatment via port-a-cath for Lyme disease which was in her brain.  What was her first thought?  Now I need to starve myself & drink all these gross juices which give me no nutrients & have diarrhea for at least a week straight.  Smart, really smart.

Cleanses are just like any other crazy diet, depriving your body of things causing you to lose weight.  Off the cleanse, back on goes the weight.  Now don't confuse my hatred of cleanses with a hatred of juicing.  I think juicing is an excellent tool to help continue your balanced diet, however I do not believe these should take the place of meals.

 

So let's disprove some of the common beliefs about cleanses…

Myth 1:  Your GI system needs a break from food to rejuvenate & function at it's highest capacity

Fact:  Your GI system was created to process & break down actual food & nutrients.  Juicing & drinking concoctions actually deprives yourself of daily nutrients sending your body into starvation mode.  This will lead to a temporary weight loss aka water-weight & in some severe cases can cause you to gain numbers on the scale as your body tries to preserve anything & everything, preventing actual starvation

Myth 2:  Colon cleansing is necessary since undigested foods cause mucus build up therefore producing toxins

Fact:  There is no scientific proof that toxins are produced due to undigested food, however a colon cleanse may help with chronic constipation due to the repeated reflexive contractions in the bowel due to repeated bowel movements…..aka constant pooping which I do not have time for.

Myth 3:  Cleanses help to improve your mental outlook

Fact:  If you mean help your mental outlook by helping you understand what starvation feels like, then sure.  But otherwise blood sugars are down, nutrients a low & dehydration is becoming an issue, not a very clear way to think.

Myth 4:  Cleanses help to rid your body of sugar, which is a toxin.

Fact: I love this one.  Sugar is sold as this evil ingredient.  Not if it's natural, people!! Fruit has plenty of sugar.   I'm pretty sure the trees the fruit comes from don't have some hidden agenda to poison us with more sugar.  All in moderation natural sugars are good, its what gives us energy.

Myth 5:  I must take supplements during certain types of cleanses to help replace the nutrients I'm not gaining from food.

Fact:   I mean this one is hilarious.  So I'm not going to eat any food to try & get clean, but since I am not eating any food I still need to make sure I'm getting the correct vitamins that usually come from FOOD.  Also, if you are taking supplements you are still placing artificially created substances into your body.  Isn't the entire point of a cleanse to get clean??  Supplements are totally counterintuitive to that idea.

Myth 6:  You NEED to cleanse in order to help keep your body functioning & clean.

Fact:  You know what our bodies need?  They need a balanced diet with plenty of vitamins and nutrients.  They don't need chronic diarrhea, starvation, dehydration & deprivation (almost a perfect alliteration lol).  You are not cleansing anything…..in fact you are dieting!

Hope this myth buster addition of PracticallyFit has helped clear up any of you who are thinking of jumping on the cleanse train.  In my opinion if you are feeling the need to do a cleanse you probably need a good, sweaty work out & a spinach salad.  That should do the trick!

Turkey Fat

Ahhhh good morning readers! It's been a while….Just relaxing with a pumpkin spice chai tea latte and with the newest dog addition, Olive!  So let's talk about everyone's favorite time of the year coming up, the holidays!

I'm not the biggest fan of what Thanksgiving has turned into.  Instead of being a holiday to spend with family/friends giving thanks for all of our blessings, it has turned into "all the things I don't need but really want & will push any living thing out of the way to get" holiday.  In addition to all the hype surrounding the sales, which now begin on Thanksgiving day as if Friday wasn't enough, it has become the obesity epidemic's poster holiday.  Yuck, absolutely yuck.  GET A GRIP AMERICA….idiots.

Now Christmas is more my style.  A season, not just a day.  The magic of Christmas with the belief in Santa & the birth of Jesus is truly inspiring & uplifting.  Not to mention there is no emphasis on stuffing yourself to the point of having to undo a top button on the ol britches.

However, the holidays can be stressful.  Duh a time where your whole family gets together is bound to be stressful.  Trust me my grandmother (Omi) is famous for pointing out pounds gained or zits at the Christmas table.  But the holidays can also be stressful due to the over abundance of food & parties.  My job can be the worst.  Patients always feel the need to bring in tons-o-food during the holiday to say thanks.  It's the thought that counts, right???  Wrong, if I eat another Christmas cookie or chocolate covered something I will vomit.  Just say thanks, or bring a card.  Okay, just kidding some treats are nice, but I don't like cake, remember that.  Self-control, not easy during the holidays.

To combat the usual holiday flab that is impending, I am committing myself to a moderately healthy holiday.  Yes, I will indulge is more sweets and tasty homemade food than usual.  But I am drawing the line!  No more lbs. in November or December.  Now how to do this???

First, institute a family way to exercise.  I have kindly ask if my family would all like to do the Turkey trot on Thanksgiving.  A fun, family event & a sure way to bond and have great stories later.  Those who do not care to get off the couch on the holiday, no problem.  It is your holiday, you do whatever floats your boat.  I on the other hand will be running 5 miles, so I will not be in a diabetic coma come 6pm.  Christmas is easy this year.  We will be in Cleveland with my younger cousins, so sled riding & ice skating will be some fat-burning fun.  Get the kids out to play!

Second, control yourself.  Like you've never seen pumpkin pie before??? Chill out, 1 piece will suffice.    What makes holiday parties so much different than any other party throughout the year when it comes to eating?  Sweets are not my downfall, my downfall is Omi's home cooking & cheese.  I could eat like a thousand cheese cubes at a holiday party.  Hello cholesterol!  Don't look at it as depriving yourself or else you will just crave it more, look at it as "hey I'm full, I probably don't need that third piece of fudge."

So this holiday commit yourself to a healthy you, stuffing yourself silly never made anyone feel good right?  Practice your healthy habits throughout these holiday months and I promise come January the new years resolution won't be to shed the pounds like it has been every other year!  Welcome to the holidays everyone!

Olive, Harry's new baby sister!

Accountabilabuddy

For my readers who enjoy South Park the title & picture above is for you.  And those of you who are like what the f**k is an accountabilabuddy, ignore the South Park reference & just read the following blog.  Accountability.....a way to make us responsible for our actions or lack of actions.  It can be a character trait, you feel accountable to yourself therefore you do what you need to do.  However, when it comes to health & fitness a lot of us have a hard time making ourself the person to be accountable to.  Hence an accountabilabuddy.
An accountabilabuddy is someone to keep you in check.  If you have someone else that is relying on you, you are more likely to follow through and stick with the program.  I think it's really easy to say well why do I need to work out today?  Who will know if I don't?  Or if I swing through the drive-through I can still lie to myself about being healthy.  And you are right, if you don't work out, or you swing through the drive through you are only hurting yourself!  But if you had a buddy there WOULD be someone you are letting down.
Having a work out or health buddy is a great addition.  I love working out & sharing health tips with my girlfriends.  If I am meeting someone for a run, a yoga or spin class I am 100% going to go.  If I don't I've not only let myself down but also my friend.  My hubby and I also help to keep each other accountable by running together & sharing the burden of healthy food prep.  Colin is NOT a morning person, but if I get up to run he'll get up with me to keep me company (also keeping him in shape).  And for food, I do the healthy grocery shopping & makes the meals. 
I also have a couple friends that I discuss healthy eating with on a regular basis.  It not only helps to keep my eating habits in check, but I also learn great new tricks and recipes.
So if you are feeling bored & in a rut, instead of giving up grab a friend!  You and your accountabilabuddy can enjoy a feel good work out or meal while also spending some QT.  I bet you'll find you are less likely to flake out on that work out if you've got your bff counting on you!

Go for the goal

 How do you keep yourself wanting that fit & healthy lifestyle????  How do you keep yourself wanting & working for that rockin' bod??  Most of us would probably answer with something like, do I have a choice?  But you do.  You could totally give up....why not?!?  You could let yourself become sedentary, eat whatever you wanted & just give up.  It's an option.  For individuals like me, it's not an option.  I choose to have healthy eating habits & exercise because I deserve it and my body CRAVES it.  But at times we all hit those walls.  Where you say to yourself, I absolutely CANNOT go to the gym today.  If I eat another green vegetable instead of chips I might die.  It's called burn out!!! And it's normal, everyone deals with it.  We get burnt out with jobs, friends, exercise, eating, etc....it happens.

How do you combat when it happens??  Sometimes I persevere, I push on & just tell myself to tough it out.  Sometimes I give in and have a day where I eat crap (I pay for it later though when I feel like total sh*t).  And sometimes that feeling of giving in or giving up is exactly what you need.  However, if you are running into this too often you may need a change in thought.

Goals.  Goals are my favorite way to combat the burn out & that bored feeling.

Recently, I have uncovered a feeling of calm that I have never known.  So much that the calm has almost made me anxious as stupid as that sounds.  But I realized for the majority of my life my entire being & purpose has revolved around goals.  I have found myself, for the first time in my life, goal-less.  First there was getting into college, college, getting into PT school, then graduate school, 10 Ks, the marathon, half marathons, the wedding & now....nothing.  And also recently I had found myself tired of the routine...get up, work out, work, come home, sleep, repeat.  Time for a challenge.

Goals are a great way to get rid of the boredom & give yourself a new challenge.  I set goals for my patients every day & watch them slowly & steadily achieve.  I see how achieving one small goal can be life-changing for my patients.  And you don't need to be a patient to have goals.  It can be 1 goal, it can be several goals.  They can be physical, mental, nutritional, whatever floats your boat!  The most important thing is that they are realistic & something that is important to you.  When starting something new I like to start small and set short term goals.  Upon reaching that first goal I can set another.  That feeling of achievement will empower you to want to do more.  Long term goals allow you to make lifestyle changes & improve you.

I know for 2014 one huge goal for me is getting my RYT 200 hour completed, so I will finally be a certified yoga instructor.  That's a huge long-term goal.  Now for the short term I'm a little stuck....I'll have to think, maybe another race, maybe a triathlon????  What to do, what to do.......Try setting a short term goal for yourself if you are in that burn out era like I have been.  Then try a harder challenge & set a long term goal.  What are your goals???  How do you want to challenge yourself to improve you???

Stressed to the max

Part of living a healthy lifestyle is keeping your mind healthy along with your body. This is an area where I do NOT excel. I frequently spread myself  too thin trying to do it all, work, exercise, chores, marriage, friends....the list could go on and on.  I rarely leave  time to just relax and clear my head.  Being type A there is a constant "to do" list in my head, so shutting it all off is extremely difficult for me!  However, in order to make time for some mind health I must reach a breaking point where I'm about ready to explode. SO NOT HEALTHY!

Approaching 27 (this Thursday!) I am finding myself, as I've said in previous blogs, becoming more confident with myself.  Along with this growth,  I am realizing the power of a healthy mind.  Without a healthy mind being successful in other areas of life especially general health is next to impossible!

This weekend I had a horrible rush of anxiety while on a quick weekend trip to Boston for a wedding.  Thank goodness I was surrounded by wonderful family (it's funny how when u have great in-laws how they feel just like the family you grew up with) & also surrounded my ever-loving husband, whom all re-assured me that this was normal & it was okay to feel anxious especially with how busy we have been.  This was our third weekend in a row traveling & our schedules have been CRAY.  In addition to a crazy schedule, work has been wild with all the new Medicare changes, lots of private pay patients & of course my lovely blog.  We also have some good changes possibly coming and although they are good stressors they still help to produce stress.  Back to the family....this public display of sharing led to a family meditation session.  We are totally weird right?  But hey it really helped.  This weekend helped me to reconfirm my budding realization of how important a healthy mind is to overall health & your being.

Harry is laying at my feet in a deep puppy sleep & I am envious of his innate ability to not have a care in the world.  So tonight, as I sit here with a glass of red wine, some soy candles, a furry dreaming foot warmer, & the soothing sounds of the Lumineers in the background I am giving myself the benefit of relaxation.   I am surrounded by a world of blessings, a great husband, great job, great family/friends, the list goes on & on....and if I allow my "to do" lists to get the best of me I don't ever get to really appreciate or enjoy these blessings.  If there's one thing my procrastinating hubby has taught me it's not to sweat the small stuff, most things can be done tomorrow.

Whether it be therapy, yoga, meditation, or the simplicity of 5 minutes of silence to focus on our breath, we all deserve time to de-compress & exercise our most important muscle...the mind!  Cheers to my readers this week, I challenge you to find time to exercise your mind this week & find out what is eating you from the inside out and really standing in the way of being a happier you.

Bust that core on the foam roll

Another foam roll video!  This time using the foam roll to work your core!  Firm up those abs for the last weeks of summer!

Got Posture??

Check out this video for some good posture stretches using the trusty ol foam roller!