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Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Let the diet begin...

...and by diet I am changing what I am eating, not trying to lose weight. I've done a couple detoxes before, some more successful than others. Part of the problem is that it is really easy to get bogged down in the insane and unverified amount of information that is out there. Detoxing can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people and so the information is at times conflicting depending on what the ultimate goal is. 

You have to assume that any detox you undertake will affect your mood to some extent. Any wiggle room of doubt as to why you are giving up certain foods and you are sure to find yourself giving up on the detox entirely. Remember the end objective, have a clear plan and remember why you are sticking to it. Is there enough data to support giving up a food group? If there isn't, maybe you shouldn't be giving it up. That way every time you are craving something you can remind yourself very specifically why you cannot eat it. "I really want a [delicious food] right now but I can't eat it because [really good reason]". This helps me stay focused. 

The diet/detox I have decided to take on this January is one of the largest organ: the skin. This is just a really nice way of saying I am going on a "Beauty Detox". Woohoo! My inspiration for this diet came about because Casey and I, one day, will get married - and it would be nice to have really healthy skin blah blah blah. I have been encouraged by what I have read - and during my "prep days" I have learned so much. 

In a nutshell - the focus on this detox will be about eating more not less. Awesome, right!? There are a few things I have to cut out of course - some of my own volition, most for skin purposes. I am cutting out coffee, added sugars, and refined carbohydrates. I am keeping alcohol and meat to a minimum. The purpose of cutting out refined carbs is that it spikes your blood sugar, and therefore your insulin levels, which in turn creates androgens (are you seeing this cascading effect- it goes on...) which in turn promotes sebum (oil) production, and your skin gets clogged and you break out. Truth! Follow the link to an article from The Journal of American College of Nutrition. If you google Acne + Insulin + Androgens you will also turn up with a ton of stuff. Additionally, this diet will focus on foods with a low glycemic index. Eating foods that don't spike my blood sugar will give me stable energy throughout the day, which is a bonus. Woo. 

I started off with a load of books (Don't laugh at the Sephora book, there is actually a chapter written by Dr. Perricone who is a renowned derm [is that how the cool kids spell it?])




My goal is to begin everyday with a workout and smoothie (pictured below). I would like to consume (and will be keeping track of) 94 g. of protein, 22-26 g. of fiber, and less than 25-50g. of sugar (not counting natural sugar from fruits). Additionally, I want to drink the recommended 64 oz. of water which includes green tea (decaf or caf) because that is probably the absolute best thing I could do for my skin and my body.  The nutritional ranges are due to the fact that, unfortunately, there is still some fluctuating information out there. The focus is on eating foods with loads of antioxidants, omega 3's, and have anti-inflammatory properties. I am giving up all meats with the exception of chicken and fish. I am also giving up dairy with the exception of yogurt. 


This is my daily smoothie:

1/4 c. frozen cherries
1 c. original greek yogurt (might be kefir in the future)
1/2 c. spinach
1 t. Chocolate Syrup
1/4 c. almond milk
1 scoop Vanilla CryoSport Protein Powder

I haven't actually begun the detox yet - hence the chocolate syrup. But I don't know if I can give it up. I know - lame! But I can pack way more spinach into this sucker because the chocolate masks the flavor of everything. And it's only like a teaspoon, come on!



The awesome salad that I am totally in love with. There is actually spinach on the bottom of this thing - it is just covered up by other goodness :). The egg is way better if you boil it at home instead of purchasing store bought eggs - it is awesome still warm on this salad. No joke. I did cover this salad with sesame seeds but the picture was no good. Albino turds. :(

The salad:

Spinach
Beets
1 Boiled egg
Cherry Tomatoes
Beecher's Cheese (because I really need to use it up)
Some kind of vinaigrette (I can't spell that word for the life of me). I just bought a champagne vinaigrette from TJ's and it only has a gram of sugar!


I have, so far, found it especially hard to maintain my protein and fiber levels at what I would like them to be. I am no holds barred giving myself clearance to eat whatever I want to maintain these levels - still takes work! The first two days of prepping I got 50 and 61 g. of protein - compared to the 94 that I want. I also consumed 9 and 2 g. of fiber compared to the 22-26 that I want. I think I will probably just get some kind of fiber powder and add it to my smoothie.

As for my lifestyle I am full-time college student & full-time employee. I am exhausted by the time I come home! It is really difficult for me to find the energy after a long ass day to make any sort of complex meal - hence why my blog dropped off the face of the earth - fucking busy. (and probably lazy too). I need to find and make meals that are super quick and do not require a lot of clean-up. So detox or no - easy meals are fun to read about, yes ?

Detox/diet (not sure what to call it) is set to potentially take place January 7-18. Super.

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