TUNE UP

Part B

It’s easy to get into bad eating habits, eat when we aren’t hungry, and overeat.  This often results in bloating, lethargy and a generally heavy feeling.  Who wants that?  Has the thought about giving up certain foods for a few weeks to test the body’s response ever crossed your mind?  It has for me, even though I eat a healthy diet.  I’m always up for an experiment.  So, I started with some research.

This is what I found… The Standard American Diet (abbreviated as SAD;(, does not have our best interest at heart.  Americans typically consume 3 meals a day and many snacks.  It takes the body 18 hours to eliminate one meal.  Our bodies already work 24/7 and we create unnecessary work when we overfill them.  On top of the excess, food is no longer basic or natural -- modern food has created a whole new vocabulary. 

The body can only handle so much “SAD”-ness before showing signs of illness.  In her smash hit, Crazy Sexy Diet, Kris Carr says, “if we fill our bodies with anti-nutrients, or too many fats, proteins, sugars, salts, and so on,  the leftovers create stagnation and blockages that result in clogged arteries, weight gain, poor circulation, lack of oxygen and energy, to name a few.”  I also read that up to 90% of disease can be linked back to an unhealthy digestive system.  We control what we eat, right?

If we care about our bodies, we have to decipher what we should be eating and what to avoid.  One thing has always been clear, eating mostly vegetables and fruits is always a great choice.  This is one of the forces behind what seems to be a growing juice cleansing movement.  Being a health fanatic, I decided to “get involved” to see what this movement is all about.  I mean, who wouldn’t want to cleanse their bodies with light liquid nutrition to maximize body’s natural flow.     

One of the most healthful properties of juicing is that vitamins, minerals, enzymes, antioxidants, and phyto-nutruients from raw fruits and vegetables go straight into the bloodstream with little effort.  I’ve read that 90% of the anti-oxidant action in produce is in the fruit (or vegie), not the fiber.  Juicing removes the fiber from produce, allowing the body to more quickly absorb and gain nutrients. 

Frequent juicers report a number of benefits like:

-          A nice glow

-          Fewer colds

-          Better sleep

-          Energy

-          Strong bones

-          Healthy organs

-          Leaner body

-          Balanced blood sugar

-          Lower cholesterol and blood pressure

Who wouldn’t want these benefits?

To prepare for my first juice cleanse, I eliminated most acidic foods from my diet and focused on alkaline boosters, such as dark leafy greens, green juices and smoothies, almonds, avocados, and certain grains like millet.  Steven Bailey ND, author of Juice Alive, says these alkaline foods flood the body with chlorophyll, enzymes, vitamins, minerals and oxygen.  The PH Miracle’s Dr. Robert Young MD also emphasizes that an inflammatory, highly acid forming diet, made up of meats, dairy products, sugar, wheat, and coffee can cause the body to have to work diligently to balance pH levels, leaving you feeling lethargic and foggy.  

So, my typical day now begins with a hot water, lemon and a dash of cayenne – the capsaicin stimulates circulation to the digestive tract.  I complete my Active Isolated Stretching and Strengthening routine before having something like the Bright Green Mega-Nutrient Smoothie (recipe below), always aiming for a 3:1 ratio of vegetables to fruits.  I add fruits and lightly steamed vegetables with quinoa, brown rice or millet throughout the day, supplementing this with vitamin D, B12, Multi, and calcium along with plenty of water and herbal tea.

In a week’s time with these changes, I am honestly sensing more clarity, a natural balance, and good vibes – I really do feel like I am taking the right steps to help my body thrive.  Now that I have found a rhythm eating even more delicious, nutrient-dense, fiber rich foods than I’m even used to, it’s time to give my body the more intense break it deserves.  My new juicer has arrived, and it’s time for my first 3-day juice cleanse!   This is fun.

Are you ready to revolutionize the way you eat?  Are you ready to give up meat and dairy, or maybe try a 3-day juice cleanse to break bad habits and cravings to increase vitality?  Even a small commitment can shift your way of thinking.  If your eating habits have you feeling flat, challenge yourself.  Do something different.  Shake things up.  If you do, I predict the changes you experience will be perfect and appropriate for you.  You will learn something new.  You will grow.  And hopefully, your body will be thanking you for freeing up extra energy so it can focus on repairing and rejuvenation.  You are a healer and you can heal yourself. 

Stay tuned for my 3-day juice cleanse diary…

Bright Green Mega-Nutrient Smoothie

1 cup coconut water

1 juicy pear

1 scoop hemp protein powder

½  avocado

1 small cucumber

1 TBsp bee pollen

1 TBsp maca, and maqui, 

Spirulina powder

Fist of spinach

4 -5 leaves of romaine

5 ice cubes

Stevia

“Practice makes perfect…  More like perfect practice makes perfect”  -- Gray Cook

Have you ever noticed that one side of your body seems tighter, weaker or just feels different?  I went years with solid fitness and performance results knowing that my left hip was tight and causing imbalances throughout my body.  When I was riding or running, I always felt like my left leg was behind my right.  I would also have difficulty lifting my left thigh when practicing back strengtheners, like locust in yoga and swan-dive in Pilates.  Things just felt awkward.  I chalked it up to my childhood diagnosis of scoliosis – something I was managing to keep pain-free.

As the New York Times bestselling author Kathy Freston said “Wellness is a continuum”.  We get better as we go, get more informed, find a better way, and through the process are continually reminded that everything is connected.  As I explained in my earlier story, this latter point was stamped into my consciousness with every painful movement!  Move something here, and something else moves there.  The concept was really starting to hit home.

Rewind 5 years…  I can remember being told by my husband’s long-time coach and massage therapist, Al Devereaux, that I had a visible imbalance, probably originating in the psoas.  He could see what I felt.  He also suggested Active Isolated Stretching and Strengthening (AIS).  AIS was pioneered by kinesiotherapist Aaron Mattes from Sarasota, Florida and popularized in the running world by NYC musculoskeletal rehab gurus Jim and Phil Wharton.  It has helped countless professional athletes, dancers and others to rebuild and maintain balance throughout their careers. 

This was promising information, but it was not until I was recently forced to slow down that it really resonated.  Wellness is a continuum, right?!

So, I finally learned AIS, which confirmed the tight left psoas and a weak left glute, even after years of yoga and Pilates.  More importantly, I learned firsthand these can be improved with focus, attention and time.  I’ve been working on this every day since and it is making a big difference!  Something that I have noticed since I was a kid in ballet, is improving and feeling better.  That’s a great feeling.

It is helpful to be aware of your imbalances.  It is even better to face them head on before they knock you down.  You can stomp most of them out with perfect practice.