My my my....The Detox is working.  I had some very small headaches today.  Just a little bit and very briefly, would have gone nearly unnoticed except that I do notice everything that goes on with my body.  I wondered whether it was just because I really need new prescription glasses, but I think it has more to do with the detox.

One of the greatest misunderstandings and confusion in the field of nutrition is the failure to properly understand and interpret the symptoms and changes that happen in the body after following a better nutritional plan.  When the use of toxic substances and stimulants such as coffee, tea, chocolate, cocoa, food additives, artificial sweeteners, pharmaceutical drugs, etc. is suddenly stopped, headaches are common and a letdown in the body occurs.  This is due to the release of these toxins into the bloodsteam on their way to being eliminated.

Before these toxins reach their final destination for elimination, these irritants register in our conciousness as PAIN--in other words, headache!  OK, so I guess I'm more toxic than I thought I was.  But I must remember that my headaches were truly mild and almost unnoticeable, but nonetheless I had them.

The good news is that with most detox plans, if any symptoms are experienced they usually subside within two or three days, and you begin to feel stronger due to the recuperation which follows.   I have worked with some clients who have severe detox symptoms.  They think the detox is making them sick, but it is just the opposite.  The detox is working!  Severe symptoms are usually due to severe toxicty, and much rest and lots of water help you to get through it.

My breakfast today consisted of yogurt, flax oil, almonds, dried coconut, coconut oil, and fresh berries.  Lunch was a nice salad with turkey.

I was teaching a class last night and never had a chance to get dinner.  I had some raw trail mix before hand, then ate some of the yummy heatlhy Mexican food we made in the class.  Ole!

Supplements and lots of water.  It was another good day.

The warm lemon water in the morning is a practice I have been doing for years.  I do it now without even thinking about it.  If I run out of lemons I just drink the warm water.  It is so comforting, warms me in the morning (sometimes even makes me sweat).  The warm body temperature prepares me for some morning exercise, like outdoor walking in the early morning hours or rebounding.  I set up my rebounder on my back patio so I can breathe in fresh morning air while I'm bouncing.

I did get to to the cranberry water today.  I don't put any sweetener in it, I've kind of gotten used to the dilute taste of the tart berry.  It's a great replacement for those pre-made electrolyte drinks.  For breakfast I made a fruit smoothie with blueberries, strawberries, coconut milk and almond milk, a little bit of my cranberry water, whey protein powder, flax oil, and a little bit of stevia.  YUMMY!

Lunch was 2 hardboiled eggs, a whole cucumber, toasted peptias, and lettuce.  Not very exciting, I know, but it was a day of being out and about and it was all I had time for.  I couldn't get too creative.

Later in the day I ate a pineapple spear and a half of a pear for  snack.  It was all I was hungry for.

Dinner was nice, my hubby actually helped get it ready.  Made a big salad with spring mix and butterhead lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, fennel, and cooked yellow beet.  My herb vinaigrette is really the only dressing we eat in our house.  It's so good that I don;t really have a taste for anything else.  I had some roasted turkey breast and some more of the orange rice pilaf and just a bit of baked sweet potato.  I mixed in a little cinnamon and coconut milk with the sweet potato. That gave it a nice flavor.

Took the supplements and probiotics.  It was a good day!

I started my 14-Day Detox program yesterday on Monday, March 29th.  I was not completely prepared for this, having just returned from four days  in Texas visiting family and attending the wedding of my close and long-time friend Rossi.

After the trip, my body definately was ready for the detox.  My family smokes, so I was breathing second hand smoke for several days.  The food at the wedding, although not horrible, was not my favorite and I loaded up on cheese and meatballs along with the fresh veggies from the crudite tray.  And I did have one glass of white wine. While at the wedding I mostly drank tonic water with lime.  I mention this so you all know that I am human and do make a few exceptions when I make the rare occasion of attending a wedding.  When I returned home on Sunday, I was looking forward to a big salad!

On Monday morming I started the day with my glass of warm lemon water. I squeezed a whole lemon into a 16oz glass, filled with some cold water and then added hot water to get the right temperature.  I have a bottled water dispenser in my home that will dispense cool water and hot water.  I have learned the exact amounts of cool and hot water that I need to add to my glass to get the correct temperature for my lemon water.

Being in a hurry to get out the door, I forgot to take my morning Detox capsule!  For breakfast I had a pear and a cup of nonfat greek yogurt.  Later I had a 1/2 ounce bag of Raw Trail Mix that I purchased from Trader Joe's. 

Mondays are my long cooking days.  I prepare food for a family and also for myself and my husband that lasts us through the week.  When I do my cook days, I usually don't sit down to eat until late in the evening, so there was no formal lunch break.  I taste things, and of course everything I cook and taste is within the parameters of the Detox.

During the day I had 2 hard boiled eggs, tasted some orange rice pilaf that I made with brown basmati rice, orange juice, chicken broth, and onions.  Also had some raw cucumbers  and fennel.  It was a long day, so I mostly drank water, but also had some iced tea with stevia.  I forgot the cranberry water, but promise to do better with that today!

When I returned home I made myself a great salad with butterhead lettuce, carrots, fennel, cucumber, and pepitas. Poured some of my apple cider vinaigrette on top and enjoyed a salmon patty and some more or the yummy orange rice pilaf.

I did remember to take my evening detox capsules, along with vitamins and probiotics.

Tomorrow I will blog today's events!  I'm a little more with-it today so I hope to share my great day.

I am humbled when someone approaches me to tell me how their lives have been positively changed by following Plan-D. Some people embark on changing their lifestyle without support around them, however I found that method to be a lonely and tough road. I know that I had support around me to stay on course, and I watch Plan-D students that have support succeed more easily in losing weight and gaining health.

This prompted me to think we should form a Plan-D Support Group program where these groups can sprout up anywhere. It would be free for participants. It would be free for the Support Group Coordinators who start them.

The Plan-D Support Group would be a safe place to express victories and challenges, ask questions, exchange ideas and recipes, and experience the joy of working together to achieve a common goal. It would also be where the Coordinators would have regular standing conference calls with me so they are properly supported.

If you have been positively impacted by following Plan-D and would like to help others eat more healthfully, then I would encourage you to consider starting a Plan-D Support Group in your area. Support is crucial because it helps us to cultivate a belief in ourselves and connects us to others in ways that we don't often find in other relationships, especially when it comes to changing our food choices.

There will be no weigh-ins, no calorie counting. The intention of this group is to create a space for change; to educate and enlighten others on the value of proper nutrition, and to support each other in their transition to happy, healthy living.

For those that are interested in starting a group, please email me at supportgroups@plandee.org. I will follow-up with information about my next scheduled orientation call, and, after your orientation, I'll send you a Plan-D Support Group Starter Packet to get you on the road to helping others.

For more details, click here for the webpage describing the Plan-D Support Group Program.