It's Called "Pop" not "Soda"

It is officially Lent, so for the next few weeks I am soda pop free. Except the occasional Sunday, because every good Catholic knows Sundays don't count during lent. I am pretty sure that I will continue to avoid pop even after Easter. I don't know if I can commit to giving it up completely, but I am definitely going to limit my consumption. We all know that pop is bad for us but exactly how bad is it?
Here is a table that explains just how bad pop is for you body:

That alone is enough evidence to get me to lay off the soda. Which hopefully shouldn't be a problem since I found this delicious new water "recipe" that actually helps your body!

Sassy Water:

1 pitcher
8 1/2 cups water (ideally filtered water)
1 teaspoon grated ginger (to boost metabolism)
1 medium cucumber, sliced thin (a natural diuretic, helps the body release stored excess water)
1 medium lemon, sliced thin (a digestive aid and liver cleanser)
12 leaves spearmint

I encourage all of you to try it!

GM's Wonder Diet

I managed to stumble upon yet another detox, recently. This one is definitely a little off the wall. It claims, if you follow it exactly for 7 days you can lose about 10 to 17 lbs and also feel "an abundance of energy and an improved disposition". I wanted to share this detox because it is strict and it definitely limits your diet for the week. Call me crazy, but I am so intrigued by this diet, as well as testing my will power and my body's limits, that I kind of want to try it. I'm all for losing weight and having more energy, I'm just not sure about the "improved disposition" part. I tend to get a little grumpy when I am hungry or dieting to the point of restricting what I eat. You never know, though, this could be the miracle diet. Here it is, I would love to hear your opinion of it:

During the first seven days you must abstain from all alcohol
You must drink 10 glasses of water each day

Day One All fruits except bananas. Your first day will consist of all the fruits you want. It is strongly suggested that you consume lots of melons the first day. Especially watermelon and a loupe. If you limit your fruit consumption to melons, your chances of losing three lbs. on first day are very good.
How and why it works:  you are preparing your system for the upcoming programme. Your only source of nutrition is fresh or canned fruits. Fruits are nature’s perfect food. They provide everything you could possibly want to sustain life except total balance and variety.

Day Two All vegetables. You are encouraged to eat until you are stuffed with all the raw or cooked vegetables of your choice. There is no limit on the amount or type. For your complex carbohydrate, you will start day two with a large baked potato for breakfast. You may top the potato with one pat of butter.
How and why it works: Day 2 starts with a fix of complex carbo-hydrates coupled with an oil dose. This is taken in the morning for energy and balance. The rest of day two consists of vegetables which are virtually calorie free and provide essential nutrients and fibre.

Day Three A mixture of fruits and vegetables of your choice. Any amount, any quantity. No bananas yet. No potatoes today.
How and why it works: Day 3 eliminates the potato because you get your carbohydrates from the fruits. You system is now prepared to start burning excess pounds. You will still have cravings which should start to diminish by day four.

Day Four Bananas and milk. Today you will eat as many as eight bananas and drink three glasses of milk. This will be combined with the special soup which may be eaten in limited quantities. (G.M.'s Wonder Soup: 28 oz, Water, 6 Large Onions, 2 Green Peppers, Whole Tomatoes (fresh or canned), 1 Head Cabbage, 1 Bunch Celery, 4 Envelopes Lipton Onion Soup Mix, Herbs and Flavouring as desired. )
How and why it works: bananas, milk and soup sound the strangest and least desirable. You’re in for a surprise. You probably will not eat all the bananas allowed. But they are there for the potassium you have lost and the sodium you may have missed the past three days. You will notice a definite loss of desire for sweets. You will be surprised how easy this day will go.

Day Five Today is feast day. You will eat beef and tomatoes. Eat two 10 oz. portions of lean beef. Hamburger is OK. Combine this with six whole tomatoes. On day five you must increase your water intake by one quart. This is to cleanse your system of the uric acid you will be producing.
How and why it works: Beef and tomatoes. The beef is for iron and proteins, the tomatoes are for digestion and fibre. Lots and lots of water purifies your system. You should notice colourless urine today. Your allowance calls for the equivalent of five “quarter ponders”. Do not feel you have to eat all this beef. You must eat the six tomatoes.

Day Six Beef and vegetables. Today you may eat an unlimited amount of beef and vegetables. Eat to your hearts content.
How and why it works: Day 6 is similar to day five, Iron and proteins from beef, Vitamins and fibre from vegetables. By now your system is in a total weight loss inclination. There should be a noticeable difference in the way you look today, compared to day one.

Day Seven Today your food intake will consist of brown rice, fruit juices and all the vegetables you care to consume.
How and why it works: Day 7 finished off the program like a good cigar used to finish off Victorian meals, except much healthier. You have your system under control and it should thank you for the flushing and cleaning you just gave it.


Additional Comments

Vegetables as may be taken in the form of a salad if desired. No dressing except malt, white or wine vinegar, squeezed lemon, garlic, herbs. No more than one tea spoon of oil.

You have been given a recipe for the WONDER SOUP which can be eaten in unlimited quantities. This soup is a supplement while you are on the program and it should be a pleasure to eat. Not everyone likes cabbage, green peppers, calory etc. This recipe is not inflexible. You may substitute vegetables according to your taste. You may add any vegetables you like: asparagus, peas, corn, turnips, green beans, cauliflower, etc. Try to stay away from beans (lima, pinto, kidney, etc.), however, because they tend to be high in calories even though they are very good for you.



   1. Water (flavoured with lemon/lime if desired).
   2. Club Soda is OK.
   3. Black Coffee. No cream or cream substitute. No sugar or sweetness.
   4. Black Tea = Herb or Leaf.
   5. Absolutely nothing else except the fruit juices which are part of day seven. No fruit juices before day seven.




It says that this program can be repeated as often as you would like until you have reached your desired weight loss. Personally, I don't think this is the ideal way to go about weight loss, and probably isn't the most permanent, but it seems like a good supplement to a healthy diet and exercise regimen. The best part is after the first 7 days, if you choose to continue the detox, they suggest 2 glass of white wine that week.  Although, it does say "Under no circumstances are you to drink any other alcoholic beverages with the exception of beer which is allowed. Any liquor (bourbon,vodka, rum) is forbidden. Cream drinks are especially forbidden. You may have an occasional cordial such as creme de menthe or schnapps, but you must always limit yourself to two drinks. If you wine, drink only wine that day. If you have beer, drink only beer that day, etc. Alcohol adds empty calories to your diet. However, after the first week it will help your digestion and settle your stomach." Any diet that encourages wine is a winner in my book.

A Little Off Topic

I realize this blog is supposed to be about eating right and how food affects our bodies, but this post is going to be a little off subject. I'm currently on vacation in Florida so things are quite a bit different for me this week. Usually, I get up every morning and run, then I head home and get ready for my day which typically consists of either home or cleaning (sometimes both), then at the end of the day I head into work. But, that's the nice thing about being on vacation. You get to have a break from the same old daily chores. I will admit, there is one downside; going out to eat more often and not exercising as much. I have have a feeling getting back to the gym next week is going to be very difficult. I try to stay on track when on vacation but it's way to easy to give into temptation. Especially when that temptation is fresh, homemade key lime pie! This week is going to be a set back for me but I know I can work past it.

No More Pop

After my last post about the wonderful and amazing qualities of water, I decided to give myself a small challenge, which my mother/workout partner decided to take on with me. The rules were simple; no pop for 4 days and try to drink only water. I say "try to drink only water" because I wasn't going to say no to coffee, green tea or iced tea and Crystal Light, since those are mostly water anyways and still have some healthy benefits. Believe it or not, it wasn't that hard to avoid pop. I found that as long as I don't keep any in my house, I'm not tempted to drink it. Also, the little Crystal Light packets that you can add to bottles of water are delicious, so if I was getting sick of drinking only water all day, I would have one of those.

I used to drink a Diet Coke a day. I've always tried to keep my pop intake to one a day and have rarely exceeded that limit. I'm one of those people who loves Diet Coke and I've it is one of those things that people either love or hate. There really are not many in between. Well, I am one of those Diet Coke fanatics. I love the stuff, but am still surprised at how much I haven't missed it this week. I'm sure it will be a wonderful and joyous reunion once I partake in consuming one again, but I am content without it right now. Even as I write this I am drinking a cranberry lemonade Crystal Light "water".

My mother and I have talked about giving up pop for Lent. (In case you don't know, Lent is a Catholic holiday leading up to Easter that lasts for 40 days and 40 nights. Fasting is encouraged although not required and is interpreted by giving up something such as chocolate, pop, video games, etc. or by choosing to do good for yourself or others such as working out every day or volunteering/donating your time where it is needed). I'm pretty sure my mom gives up pop every year but I never have before since giving up my precious Diet Coke for 40 days seems like such a daunting task. I think this year I am going to take on the challenge of no pop for Lent and maybe even up the ante by avoiding all sugary and carbonated beverages. They say it takes 21 days to make or break a habit (I've also heard it takes 40 days, I'm not sure which is correct) so if that is true, it will only be difficult to get through the first 3 weeks then it should be smooth sailing from then on. Oh, and Lent starts next week so I think I need to drink all of the soda I can this weekend! Wish me luck!

H2 OH!

According to dictionary.com, water is defined as;

wa·ter 

[waw-ter, wot-er]

noun

1.

a transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid, a compound ofhydrogen and oxygen, H ₂ O, freezing at 32°F or 0°C andboiling at 212°F or 100°C, that in a more or less impure stateconstitutes rain, oceans, lakes, rivers, etc.: it contains11.188 percent hydrogen and 88.812 percent oxygen, byweight.

2.

a special form or variety of this liquid, as rain.

3.

Often, waters. this liquid in an impure state as obtainedfrom a mineral spring: Last year we went to Marienbad for thewaters.

4.

the liquid content of a river, inlet, etc., with reference to itsrelative height, especially as dependent on tide: a differenceof 20 feet between high and low water.

5.

the surface of a stream, river, lake, ocean, etc.: above,below, or on the water.

Water is the most important substance we put in our bodies! We can't live without it and it does so much more than most people realize. At any time, our brains are 75% water, our bones are 25% water, and our blood is 83% water. Not only does it hydrate us, it is involved in almost every process that is required for life and homeostasis. It helps to regulate our body temperature, carries nutrients throughout the body, eliminates toxins and waste from the body, and it improves digestion. 

Did you know that drinking more water can actually help reduce water retention? Crazy, right? When we don't drink enough water, our bodies hold on to what we already have in us. This is because lack of water in our bodies is perceived as a threat and we go into a survival mode. 

Water also helps our bodies maintain muscle tone as well as helps to prevent skin from sagging due to occurrences such as aging or weight loss. 

Amazing H2O!

Dandelion Root; An Evil Tea.

I didn't stick with the detox. The mix upset my stomach so much that I couldn't deal with it. I had my last drink of it Wednesday night and am still feeling a little ill. I was curious about why I was having such a reaction to it so I did a little bit of research. I think it is safe to assume the dandelion root is the culprit for all of my problems.
According to livestrong.com, dandelion root is very beneficial to our health. One of its benefits are improved digestion, thanks to its laxative properties (I wish I would have read that before I drank it). It also says that it has effects on the liver and gallbladder. They say it breaks down toxins in both organs, helps ease side effects from traditional medicines that are absorbed by the liver and it can help with appetite stimulation for upset stomachs.
The only side effect I found was an allergy warning. It seems that some people are allergic to the milk found in the stem and that people with allergies to marigold, chrysanthemums, ragweed, daisies, chamomile or yarrow should avoid drinking dandelion tea. 
Finally, I learned that drinking dandelion tea can have some upsetting gastrointestinal effects. Not only does it increase stomach acid which can lead to hear burn, it also has a tendency to cause upset stomachs and diarrhea.
This is slightly confusing because in one paragraph they claim it is helpful to upset stomachs while in another they state it causes them. After this experience, I can say I am not a fan. 

Detoxing

Today, I decided to try a detox. I'm heading to Florida in a week and want to look a little better for my trip. This specific detox claims you can lose up to 5lbs of water weight in 7 days. The recipe calls for 60 ounces of distilled water mixed with a tablespoon of sugar-free cranberry juice, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and one dandelion root tea bag. You have to drink 60 ounces of this concoction a day for 7 days and voila! 5 lbs are gone.
I have to tell you, this drink is not the most crave-able beverage I have ever had. The dandelion root tea gives it a very earthy flavor, kind of like dirt. But, other than that, it's not completely horrible. The hardest part is drinking 60 ounces in one day. I have it divided into a 30 ounce water bottle so I'm not carrying a huge jug around all day, and it is hard enough to finish the first bottle. Hopefully, by next Wednesday I will be feeling and looking 5lbs lighter!


*Update* 2/9/12
After two tries, I was only able to drink about 15 ounces before feeling and/or getting sick. Something in the mix didn't work well with my body. I'm assuming the culprit is the dandelion root. I had done some research on the herb because the box explicitly warns not to drink if you have an infected gallbladder. Since I don't have one anymore, I wasn't sure how I fit into that category. All of my Internet findings were contradictory. Some said it was really good for people without their gallbladder while there were a couple that said it was bad for people who were without one. I guess it isn't going to work out for me. Oh well, I guess. On to the next crazy weight loss/detox plan!

Just a Little Update...

I have to say that I have been feeling really good lately. I finally got back to the gym and working out encourages me to make healthier food choices. I've been cooking more and ordering out a lot less and I have really noticed a difference. I don't remember the last time I got sick after eating something too greasy or fatty and I am very thankful for that. Even though I was busy the other night and ordered pizza instead of cooking, I still feel really good. My biggest regret is not doing this sooner. I wonder if I would have been more thoughtful about what I ate in the past, maybe I'd still have my gallbladder. All I know is that I want to keep myself healthy because I never want to go through another surgery like that again.