Detoxed and 7lbs lighter! - The Dr. Oz 3 Day Cleanse

Thought I would share this you with all... some could probably use a kick start, like I did!

This is the claim:

"Eliminate harmful toxins, restore your system and reset your body with this detox cleanse from Dr. Oz. All you need is 3 days, a blender and $16 a day!" CLEANSE INFO HERE

(You can skip my daily dribble, and fast track to the bottom for a quick summary!)

I believe it all to be true, with the exception of the $16 a day. Sure, maybe in the Sunshine states where fruit is cheap. Not where I live though, where there is no Costco and Raspberries are $3.50/cup on sale! Groceries in general are more expensive in Canada, period.

However, I chose to do this cleanse - coming out of the summer, filling myself up on BBQ treats, all the food we missed while in Kenya, and of course the cold local ales, and VQA wines. I dare say I gained a few pounds and have not been caring for myself very well. I needed a re-set. Cleanse it is.

 I chose this cleanse, because it didn't require that I buy 'detoxifying' pills, shakes, tea... you know all those cleansing products they have out there... This was whole foods, and it was only 3 days. I can live with that. I hope.

A couple of the grocery list items, I already had at home. However, if you are to purchase everything, you will be looking at spending $160. Of course that will leave you with Flax seed, coconut oil etc to use after.

So... here we go. I will journal everyday and let you know how or if I survive it.

Day 1

Breakfast - It's pretty yummy. I'm used to a shake in the morning, so all good.

Lunch - I'm concerned that this shake will make me barf. Most reviewer disliked this drink the most. Then I read the ingredients. One whole cucumber. A whole cucumber!? WTH? I hate cucumber. Ack. I decide to peel the cucumber, which is supposed to reduce the bitterness. I couldn't even fit all the ingredients in my big blender! I had to blend and then add the rest. This batch made 2 large glasses. How can this be right?

I raise the glass up and give it the sniff test. Blech. All I can smell is cucumber. Give it a little taste... make a sour face. Another taste, followed by another and I determine it's not that bad. Thank goodness for the lemon and pineapple.

It takes me one hour to drink this glass, and I still have number 2 to down. I realize I'm supposed to take an omega 3. I use the liquid, flavoured fish oil, so I decide to add it to my second glass of green smoothie. Good choice, it definitely made it more palatable!

3pm, I quickly down what is left and rush out the door to grab my kids.
By the time I run them to swimming and make a pit stop at the grocery store, it's 4pm. Dinner wasn't far off, and I wasn't that hungry. And quite frankly, I really didn't have the time to make another shake as a snack. So I skip the snack shake.

On to Dinner. I'm overwhelmed with this feeling of wanting to sink my teeth into something. Visions of hamburgers, pizza, etc... fill my mind. I decide to make the kids an easy lunch of mushroom soup, grilled cheese sandwiches and fresh veggies. I dip my finger into Zahra's soup to make sure it isn't too hot, and then licked it up. Yes, my first cheat. But barely a morsel. Mmmm.... what I would do that grilled cheese sandwich.... dip it in Mushroom soup, dipped in Ketchup... Yes, my mind is cruel. 6pm - time to make my 'dinner'. In this shake, I intentionally cut the Cayenne pepper in half as recommended by many. I was also worried about this shake, but I found it to be quite nice with a little spicy after bite. This shake made 1.5 large glasses. Once again, it takes me forever to finish it. 8:30 before I am done. I suck.

Kids into bed, I sink into a lovely epson salt/lavender bath. It feels like a nice little reward for a good day of cleansing.

Out of the bath and snuggled in on the couch, I can't stop thinking about eating, chewing, biting. Really, I just need to bite and chew something. So I come up with this brilliant idea to make a couple celery sticks with almond butter. I figure this is not cheating because I did skip my snack shake, and these were two of the ingredients that I would have been able to have in the shake. Please tell me if I am wrong, but what difference does it make if the blender mashes it up, or my teeth? Yumm... it was DELICIOUS.

I hit the scale before bed - 3 lbs loss. Wow - is that possible?

Day 2 - I feel normal.

I decide to put on the kettle for my tea, before starting anything else. Feels good to start the day doing something for myself.

Breakfast smoothie went down easy...

Lunch - Once again, it was 3pm before I had finished both glasses. I added the Omega oil to the second cup, giving some variety with it's lovely flavour.

4:30... I think I'm doing quite well... cravings have not been near as bad as yesterday.

Until....

I hop on Facebook quickly and see a recipe for ... are you ready for this!?
Cheese stuffed mashed potato balls rolled in real bacon bits. Are you freaking kidding me!? Who comes up with this stuff!? All last week, my friends were reposting Gluten free pancakes recipes, whipped coconut milk watermelon cake and cute little men you can make with raw vegetables. And now, off all the times, this?! I want to shoot myself. Of course the photo is still ingrained in my mind. Cheese, glistening in the light as it oozes out of those beautiful balls peppered in crisp little bacon bits. BAD! I know your gonna ask for it... so here is the darn recipe, go ahead... you might as well enjoy it. Just don't tell me how good it was!

5:00 Make dinner for the family. The worst part about cleansing is having to make 'normal' food for the rest of the family. I need it to be quick and easy - Taco Salad it is. While my beautiful children are upstairs scarfing their faces with cheese nachos, onion spiced - browned to perfection hamburger, topped with cheese, sour cream, and salsa (in addition to the healthy salad parts of it)... I sit downstairs typing this journal. It's a good place for me to be. I think tomorrow's dinner should simply be cucumber soup with broccoli ice cream for dessert... or perhaps liver and onions.

Once again today, I missed the snack shake so I end the evening with 2 stalks of celery, laced with almond butter.

Scale reports that I am 2 lbs lighter than yesterday!

Day 3

I'm happy this is the last day.

The lunch shake seems to be getting more less appealing. It takes me almost all afternoon to get down the 2 large classes.

I find the dinner shake to be my most anticipated now. The Cayenne seems to make it feel more like real food. I am really digging the heat in the shake, which is surprising as I thought I would hate it.

I hate to tell you how I capped this evening off in celebration... but I feel it's only fair. Day 3 was Friday night, and we met with friends at a local pub. I resisted all the appies that were going around, but I did settle on a vodka/soda water with lemon. It almost fits the cleanse bill, no?

Scale reports another 2 lb loss!

Summary:

3 day weight loss from this cleanse was 7 lbs!

The most difficult part about this entire cleanse is not being able to eat.. that is 'chew' your food rather than drink it. I highly recommend that you forgo the snack shake and eat the ingredients of it instead of blending and drinking.

Treat the evening bath as your reward for the day... it is quite lovely.

I cut the Cayenne pepper down to 1/8th of a tsp. I suggest you do the same for your first dinner shake and see if you can stand more heat.

When it says half a lime.. this means the juice of half a lime. Do not add the whole thing.

Overall, I think this was one of the easier cleanses I have done with the greatest results. I already do a morning shake, but I believe I will start to add a lunch shake to my day here and there now. ;)

Give it a try and let me know how you make out!

A tip for you Diva's...

Yucky yes... but a topic worth touching upon. Some important information here ladies. Please watch this.



In addition, you can find many articles on his website about this. (He is a fantastic source of information for many things!)

Years ago, hubby and I saw a documentary about the 'sludge'... end product of sewage waste treatment - used to fertilize crops in China. (Well if that isn't one great reason not to purchase food from China!!) The pictures were horrendous... thankfully that it wasn't 'smellovision'! Basically, it was brown sludge with tampons and condoms spread all over the place. Gross. We are literally littering our planet with these things. Now... we can't do without condoms, those will have to stay in the landfill - but there is something you can do about the tampons!

So now we know that it is better for you, and better for the environment... your solution - is a Diva Cup. Here's to never running out of tampons, and never paying a dime more. I know... there is a gross factor... but honestly, you get over it. I think all Mom's out there can stomach this just fine!

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Diva Cup Website

AND - I literally whipped this post up so you can take advantage of today's offer on www.babysteals.com ! They are on for $17!!... they are minimum $30 here, so a great deal! Go now...!

My Laundry Secret - Green Series

I have always planned on making my own laundry detergent... but have found a much better alternative!

"Soap nuts are dried fruit berries that fall from the soapberry tree (Sapindus Mukorossi) found in Northern India and Nepal. Their outer shells contain saponin, which creates a natural soap when agitated in water - use them in place of traditional detergents and fabric softeners. They effectively clean, soften and remove odors from your laundry - naturally! They have been used for centuries as a natural way to clean laundry and much more!"


I know terrible video... but covers all the facts. ;)

If you keep an eye on any of the steal websites... you can get these for really cheap. (Like 20 cents a load!)
http://www.greenbabybargains.com/  is where I got mine from Yoreganics - for 50%, which turns out to be under 20 cents a load! I have heard that you can also purchase them on the Shopping Channel for under 10 cents a load!

1 kg bag would replace 9-32 load plastic bottles of detergent! If your still not convinced Read This:

The Benefits of Soap Nuts

If you're not yet convinced of their benefits or how to use soap nuts, the following information should answer some of your questions:

• Sustainable: It's a renewable resource, easily grown organically.
• All Natural: No funky or harmful ingredients.
• "Green": Less processing, less energy and less packaging.
• Affordable: They can replace multiple cleaners, and last longer.
• Reusable: Each berry can be used up to 6 times before it's spent.
• Hypoallergenic: No skin or respiratory irritation and non-toxic.
• Not Actually Nuts: They're totally safe for those with nut allergies.
• Simple: Throw them in your wash or make a simple liquid detergent.
• Odorless: But you can always add your own essential oils.
• Gentle: Their mild nature won't damage delicate clothing or surfaces.
• No Fabric Softener: They naturally soften your fabrics!
• Save Water: They rinse easier so require less water.
• Save Energy: You can use a shorter rinse cycle in your laundry, too.
• Front-loading Friendly: No suds are perfect for HE machines.
• Works in Any Temperature: Use them in cold, warm or hot water.
• Non-polluting: 100% biodegradable and safe for graywater systems.
• Compostable: Used shells can be thrown in your compost.
• Self-sufficient: You can even grow a soap nut tree yourself!
• Countless Uses: Look below for a few ideas on how to use soap nuts in your own home.

How gifting has changed in my house.

Stuff... we have too much of it, and I am sick of being a "consumer". (Still love to shop mind you... which pretty much makes me an oxymoron!)

Junk gifts... I want to make it more meaningful or useful than just the toy that ends up being tossed in the garbage a few months down the road.

So... I am trying to gift with not only the earth in mind, but also with those that are less fortunate.

Mister has a birthday coming up... and this is what we are giving him.

This is not the exact one, mind you - but it is similar. We bought him a 10 in 1 games table (table tennis, Foosball, air hockey and a bunch of others) that I found listed in a local facebook for sale group. Cost $50. I believe the original cost would have been around $300. Deal! And... we recycled.

For Christmas, I have a couple things in mind.

I LOVE these Go Green Lunch Boxes! A couple kids in Mister's class have these... and they are just wonderful!!

A. you don't have to use any plastic packaging that ends up in the landfills.

B. the kids can't lose the Tupperware containers (like they currently do) - saving me money!

However, at a cost of $43 - it is an item that I would not normally buy, which makes it a great gift for Christmas!

The kids, in addition to all of nieces and nephews - will also be recipients of KIVA cards! Another thing I LOVE!

Kiva credit or gift cards are used for micro financing. The kids can browse on the KIVA website and choose a borrower to which they will lend their money. It may be a farmer in Kenya who would like to purchase a dairy cow, or a Mother in Bolivia seeking to make repairs to her leaky roof. Once the children make their loan, they will then get update reports. Once the loan is paid back, the child can then choose to make another loan, donate it to Kiva, or withdraw the money.

This gift will obviously help those in need, but it is also an invaluable gift for our children as well.
Here are some of the benefits...

• Serves as a springboard to learning about everyday life for real people across the world
• Exposes students to the complex histories and cultures of countries often vastly different to their own
• Provides practical use of computer skills, in both navigating the Kiva website and using the internet as a research tool
• Teaches about basic business practices and economic principles
• Engages children in the practice of microfinance as microlenders
• Introduces children to the possibilities of social entrepreneurship
• Empowers children to know they can make a difference in the wider world today.

Perhaps you have some other suggestions for the upcoming gifting season? Please share them with me... I am looking for more ideas!!

Cloth diapers - not the same as your Mama's!

I felt this needed to be given the attention it deserves.

I was shocked a couple days ago when I found out that a diaper takes 500 years to decompose! This is quoted from Environment Canada. Also shocking was the discovery that as parents, we are breaking the law and causing harm to our drinking water!

By law, you are not permitted to dispose of fecal matter in to landfills! Poop in our landfills leaches disease and virus into the earth and water sources! Gross! By law, you are supposed to scrape the poop off the diaper - into the toilet, so it can be treated at the sewage facilities! Who knew? I don't know anyone who scrapes poo off diapers! But - it all makes very good sense, and I am still unable to wrap my head around 500 years. Basically, every diaper ever made still sits in a land fill. I feel terrible about my involvement in this and resolve to do better!

This is what I discovered about modern day cloth diapers!....

Those gross wet pails that were filled with bleach water, where the diapers were left to soak are a thing of the past! They have been replaced with:

and

Remember those safety pins, that weren't always so safe?

They have been replaced with this
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And if you are not interested in playing origami with cloth like this
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Then you simply invest in these:
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Scared of scraping poo? That's what flushable diaper liners are for! Just simply empty it in the toilet!
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Some smart Mama has even come up with this to make rinsing easier: Hooks right up to your toilet!!
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The only thing left to do, it wash and dry... but you were doing laundry anyway right?

If you make the change, you will save lotsa money!
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$2000 - $3000 in fact!

So, with all this in mind and the fact that:

With organic materials, they are easier on babies bottoms, reducing the risk for rashes.

They are environmentally friendly - the average baby produces one ton of disposable diapers for the land fill!!
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They are so darn stylish!
Why wouldn't you want to use cloth diapers?

For this still not yet convinced... check out this video

This Mom is going Green(er)!

Why? Because I spend waaay too much money on purchasing organic products when they can be easily made at home. Green is healthier for you, the environment and your pocket book!

If you are not an organic consumer - you may find some of these listed in your household product ingredients.


MIT (methylisothiazolinone)
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
DEA (diethanolamine)
Iodopropynyl butylcarbamate
Propylene Glycol
Tocopheryl Acetate
Parabens
Aluminum

These are just some of the harmful chemicals that you will find in your shampoo and other beauty products.
With your skin being the largest organ - it is only soaking these nasties right up! These chemicals are known to cause cancer, birth defects, Alzheimers, rashes, dandruff, infections, blisters, hives, reduce fertility and cause hormone inbalances - just to name a few. ;)

So, feel free to join me in the upcoming weeks as we make all natural, organic household products such as shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, lotion, deodorant and cleaners. It will not only be easy (and most ingredients you will already have!)... but fun too! (And I guarantee you they will work!)

Stay tuned...