Day 3
It’s not a surprise that when you detox all of a sudden someone wants to take you to your favorite restaurant or make you your favorite dessert. The testing of the will power is excruciating!!! It’s so much easier to give in. DON’T!!! You’re mental muscle of self control will only get stronger when you start using it. If you don’t, you’ll get weaker and weaker. It’s a daily battle! Use the exclusive members board for support and encouragement! You can do this!!!
1) Wednesday! Upper Body Strength Training Day!
I’m so excited to have my sister Marty in town visiting for Spring Break. She is the creator of BarYoga and the owner of Rebar Fitness. Marty will be teaching a hard core conditioning class that will work every inch of our bodies! I love that we have evolved into the fitness world and are building a great community of people who are ready to take their fitness to the next level. I also have another sister, Karen that teaches Zumba classes. I love that as a family we can inspire each other to be fit and healthy! Surround yourself with people who will support your fitness lifestyle. It makes it so much easier when they are for you and not against you! Here’s a picture of us doing Zumba:)))
2) Food- Clean Eating! Read this article from Tiffany McCauley of The Gracious Pantry
Are you wondering what clean eating is?
Would you be surprised to hear that there really aren’t any fitness goals you can achieve without it?
The above question may seem extreme, but the simple truth is, you just cannot get healthy without eating healthy. You can exercise from the time the rooster crows until the cows come home, but if you make a run through your local drive-through afterwards, you just are not going to get anywhere fast.
Food is the big ticket to good health. If you eat garbage, your body will show it. If you eat whole, healthy and fresh foods, your body, skin and soul will glow with health that gives you endless energy.
THREE METHODS FOR EATING CLEAN
METHOD 1
There are many people simply looking to remove the chemicals from their diets and bodies, and therefore eat clean. Their focus is NOT on losing weight, but on general health.They avoid processed foods of all kinds, yet eat only when the need arises or three times per day.
METHOD 2
(I believe this is the most common/popular method at the moment)
- Eat Lots Of Plants – Eat food that is straight from nature. (Some people say “as close to the way nature made it as possible”. But I think that leaves too much wiggle room – in my humble opinion) Eat mostly foods that are off a tree, bush, plant or vine, and you’ve pretty much got it covered. The idea is to stay away from anything that humans (food corporations) have altered in any way.
- Include Meats - Eat meats that are whole and straight from the butcher. Don’t buy pre-packaged meat products because you never know what’s in them. When possible, buy whole meats and grind them yourself. You’d be surprised what’s in ground turkey meat! You can also select a few turkey breasts and ask that the butcher grind them for you. Many butchers are more than willing to accommodate.
- Enjoy Grains - Eat grains that are still complete and haven’t been broken down into “glue”. Stick to brown rice, whole wheat and other whole grains.(For a list of foods to stock your pantry with, check out this list.)
- Read Labels I don’t know how many breads I’ve picked up at the store that say they are whole grain. But when I take a look at the ingredient list, white flour is the second ingredient after whole wheat flour!
- Eat Fewer Ingredients. Try not to purchase foods that have more than 3-6 ingredients in the ingredient list. And be sure you recognize each and every ingredient. If you find a “mystery ingredient” such as “spices”, contact the company! Ask them what they consider to be spices. If it’s anything other than honest-to-goodness herbs and spices, avoid it! And remember, if you can’t pronounce it, it probably shouldn’t go into your body.
- Eat 5-6 small meals per day. This may seem like a lot at first. But remember, you are eating smaller portions. If you really have a hard time with this, prepare your regular three meals and a snack for the day, and divide lunch and dinner in half. You’ve instantly got 6 small meals!
METHOD 3
There is also another method of eating 3 regular meals and squeezing in 1 snack for a total of 4 meals. You eat every four hours instead of every 2-3. This concept is from Jillian Michaels and the theory behind it is that if you eat every 2-3 hours, your insulin stays continuously spiked and you end up with a higher chance of diabetes.
I have no idea if this is actually the case. I’m simply supplying information for you to consider. Do what feels right for you. The Gracious Pantry does not endorse one method over another.
IN CONCLUSION
Clean eating may feel a bit overwhelming at first, especially if you have a lot of changes to make. My advice is to take baby steps. Make little changes every day and don’t beat yourself up if you make mistakes. We all do. Just realize that it’s what you do the majority of them time that counts.
SIDE NOTE: Many folks who are very accustomed to processed foods have a difficult time with the natural flavors of real food. They claim they don’t like vegetables or anything much that is healthy.
If you are one of these people, I’m here to tell you that over time, your taste buds WILL change. If you start eating this way regularly, you’ll see that eventually, the stuff you used to love just doesn’t taste the same any longer. I’ve even found this to be true with organic foods. There are certain foods I ALWAYS buy organic. On occasion, when these foods become available to my dinner plate in a non-organic version, I can definitely taste the difference! It’s amazing how “numb” our taste buds have become to real foods. Give it time. You’ll learn to love your spinach!
Article: © 2010 Tiffany McCauley of The Gracious Pantry
3) Mantra of the Day – Gratitude
How are we doing in the area of gratitude? Gratitude is a perspective. How you see things will determine how you speak. What do you say about your body? Do you whine and complain about your body? The spirit of ingratitude is serious. Look at the synonyms for ingratitude! – careless, demanding, dissatisfied, faultfinding, forgetful, grasping, grumbling, heedless, ingrate, insensible, oblivious, self-centered, selfish, thankless, unappreciative, unmindful, unnatural, unthankful.
WOW! When we are ungrateful, this is where our energy goes. You get more of what you focus on. When you are your worst critic, you will continue to find things to criticize. When you have a spirit of gratitude, you will have a clear perspective of how good you have it. I have friends and family with fatal illnesses. I’m sure they would LOVE to trade places with people who are healthy and able. We need to make a decision to STOP being ungrateful. Let’s replace those thoughts with gratitude. You need to speak life to yourself daily. In Proverbs 18:21 the Bible says that Life and death is in the power of the tongue.
We have the power to speak life! What we speak our feet will follow. If you believe that you are fearfully and wonderfully made, you will start to treat yourself with honor and respect. Friends, let’s really go after this area of our lives and break these cycles so that our daughters will learn how to value and honor their bodies.
Love you guys and I’m rooting for you!!! XOXO:)))