Crazy Sexy Diet Adventure Cleanse~Day 5

Ekkkk I haven't been able to update & I guess in some ways that is a good thing. Sooooo here is a quick update of what has been going on.....

Day 2 

Was really a great day <3 I tweaked the juice around subbing the pears with a red apple. I also left out the romaine lettuce/ginger and added a little bit of pineapple. For me I liked this combination a lot better and was able to drink around 32oz. I didn't really eat lunch but snacked on unsalted roasted almonds. For dinner I had a romaine salad topped with avocado & cherry tomatoes w/ vegan ranch. Followed by a marinara I made from fresh veggies and for the 1st time I tried some gluten-free noodles not to bad I have to say! 

Day 3 

 Was a complete disaster! It started out with pretty much a lot of stress and things just not falling together. I did do a coffee enema that evening which I HIGHLY recommend. I will talk about this more in another post. I had to do a lot of running around and getting things sorted out. I have a very bad habit of when I am stressed of not eating or just forgetting to all together. I ended up pretty much not eating that day. I ended the day eating some yummy vegan sushi. I like nori but after a couple pieces it gets overwhelming. I also don't like that I can't take a smaller bite and have to shove it all in my mouth. I found soy wrappers a few weeks ago. Chad found a place that used them & picked some up for me :) 

Day 4 

Pretty much the sewage of day 3 seeped into day 4 nice huh? I pretty much ate a couple handful of almonds & some corn chips/salsa. I was able to finish all the errands I needed to do and tie up all the loose ends that made the last 2 days stressful. Because I like to be positive I can say I was able to get 2 really good and restful nights of sleep! Feel asleep fast and slept really hard feeling refreshed when waking up. 

Day 5 

When I put my mind to it. I can do anything. I am Wonder Woman and I wear bullet proof cuffs. I am able to wrangle my cravings with my Magic Lasso and remove them via my Invisible Plane-I'm in charge!

So today started out with some some hot water w/ lemon & cayenne. I have been doing this every morning and I am really really liking it. I don't think it is something I am going to stop doing anytime soon. I didn't juice this morning that is mainly because I have decided to change it up a little bit. I am STILL going to be juicing but I am going to switch to the smoothies in the morning. I really looked at my eating habits overall over the years. The only time I have ever been able to really eat in the mornings and not get sick was for 2 yrs. That 2 yrs was when I was breastfeeding Maxwell and it was only because I would force myself to eat oatmeal & blueberries. I need the calories in the morning/afternoon so I am going to make smoothies. I will still be juicing but I am going to be adding a smoothie(s) :) 

Along with my normal exercise I really really need to finish my pages on here I started a push-up, squat, and sit-up program last week. I also did a huge thing that I am determined to stick to. I have a bad bad bad habit of weighing myself multiple times a day. It is pretty much just a habit the scale is in the bathroom, and when I go in there I just step on it. Yes, I know your weight fluctuates through out the day. No, I don't think after peeing or eating it makes that big of a difference. It just is a bad habit. So I got rid of it OK, that's a lie I put it away I was originally going to weigh myself after the 21 cleanse. Then I decided that this cleanse is not about losing weight so I am not going to do it then. This cleanse was about not about only continuing to be a vegan. It was bigger then that. It was like Kris talks about not being a muffin vegan. It was about cleansing my mind, body, and soul. So I am going to wait till April 8th which happens to also be Easter. I love Easter it just might be my favorite holiday. It will also mark the 40 day mark of the last time I will have weighed myself. I am debating instead of weighing myself at home waiting and getting my body fat % measured. This is what really matters to me more then the # on the scale! 

I am sucking no reason to candy coat it at meditation. It is something I really really want to get good at. I think it is important way before I read this book. It is something I will get better at! I know right now it is hard and I know it will get better as I work on it. I have a hard time shutting my mind off for even 15-20 mins. If anything this just means I really need to get good at this! One thing that I really giggled at was when Kris pointed out The Beatles did it every day & if it was good enough for them it was for you. I am a HUGE  Beatles fan! Like not someone who just likes a couple of their songs. I LOVE them <3 I have pretty much my whole life and might be somewhat of a super fan lol They are actually what I listen to well probably 80% of the play list when I run. 

Tonight I am headed on a run & am planning on getting some strength training in along with my squats, sit-ups, and push-up challenges. I am also hoping to sit in the sauna at the gym for awhile and mediate in there. One thing I haven't talked about really is the dry brushing that is recommended. I have been doing this and I.LOVE.IT!! My skin was already pretty soft but even after such a short time I notice a huge change. My skin feels like I have been layering the lotion on. Which is kinda funny because I haven't used any since I started dry brushing :)  

Crazy Sexy Diet Adventure Cleanse~Day 1

DAY 1 

I am capable, confident, intelligent, resilient and in charge. Heath and happiness are my birthrights and I accept with gratitude. 

Day one 1 went well with a few but expected bumps in the road. I started the day out really well and experimented with Kris's "Make juice not war" green juice. It was good but not my favorite. It wasn't hard to drink by far and I don't even want to say it was bad. It just needs to be tweaked a bit to make it a perfect blend for me. I am also going to get a fancy big wine glass to drink it out of. I think a pretty glass is what I need to drink my Princess Juice out of. Yeah I renamed it Princess Juice <3 My biggest issue which has nothing to do with the cleanse is that I just don't eat enough. I tend to not eat during the day and then eat my only meal in the evening. It isn't on purpose I just honestly forget or even worse fill up on fluids. I love to sit and drink ice cold water and hot tea all day. Maybe snacking on raw almonds off and on. The messed up thing is it doesn't happen because I am running around. Most of the times it happens when I just sitting at home. I am have to get better at this and I am hoping that if anything this cleanse will help change this! I have decided that if it means setting a alarm on my phone or even carrying a bento box with me I will do it. 

20 questions for 21 days

1. Did you abstain from coffee? Yes, I cut most of that out when going vegan in November :)
2. Did you abstain from alcohol? Yes, this isn't a big deal for me.
3. Did you abstain from gluten? Yes, I am really excited about this!
4. Did you abstain from animal products? Oh course! 
5. Did you abstain from crack(aka sugar) and choose low-glycemic fruits and better alternatives such as stevia or agave? Yes
6. Did you dry brush today? A big YES and I LOVED it!
7. Did you clean your sinuses with the good ol' neti pot? No, but I am planning on going to the store and getting one ASAP I never thought I would say that!
8. Did you move your body for at least 35 minutes? It was my *rest* day but I did get in a pretty good work out.
9. Did you meditate for at least 15-20 minutes? I only made it 8-9 minutes, but it felt great. I AM going to get to 20 minutes. 
10. Did you chew your meals throughly and mindfully? Yes 
11. Did you laugh out load and tell someone you loved him or her today? I was very filled with love and let everyone around me know that <3 
12. Did you spend time in nature? Even 5 minutes is better than nothing. No...I won't even stretch the truth and lie. 
13. Did you get 8 hrs of uninterrupted sleep? Big ol' fail on this one :(
14. Did you eat today and juice? Yes, but I need to get better. I talked about the juice issue. My biggest issue is that I just do not eat enough. I tend to forget to eat till the end of the day. I am determined to get better at this. Even if it means setting a alarm on my phone!
15. How much purified water did you consume? No, I need to either buy or get a filter. 
16. What supplements did you take? I get B-12 shots(changing to sub-lingual once I use up the last 8 I already paid for. I don't want the aluminum in my body!) I need to pick up some Vitamin D. 
17. How was your elimination? It is not where it should be still. It was great right after going vegan(1st time in my life!). The 1st month I went to a pretty much raw vegan. When I added back in grains etc. it was very apparent my gluten intolerance. 
18. What time did you stop eating? There hours before bed is optimum? Yes
19. How did you feel physically? I was tried near the end of the day but that had to do more with being tired. Overall I felt great.
20. How do you feel emotionally? It was a good day. I was emotional but in a good way. 

Can I be Crazy & Sexy?

A few days ago I ran to the grocery store to just grab a couple things really quick after I picked Alexander up from school. My plan was to get in and out before the  madness of the 3-6 PM rush. I was done and Alexander manged to pull me into the book/magazine isle. As I attempted to shuffle him along a book caught my eye or maybe the title of the book did. I flipped through a couple of the pages attempting to see if I could find anything crazy or sexy. Then headed on my sweet little way. 

That night for some reason I couldn't get this book out of my head. I actually couldn't sleep I kept thinking about the couple of pages I glanced at. That morning I ran out and bought the book. It has been a very very long time since a book called me. I sat down and read it all in one afternoon and by the end of the 1st chapter I knew why. 

I feel silly because I didn't know who Kris Carr was!! I slightly remember seeing her a long time ago on CNN. She is the author of Crazy, Sexy, Cancer & also had a documentary on TLC titled the same. As I was reading it all I could think was, "Why didn't anyone tell me about her before!" I can honestly say I feel like I stumbled upon this book at the perfect time in my life. 

This book took a whole new take on a plant based diet. Not only did Kris Carr take an approach that was easy to understand. If anything she talks about it in a very real and honest way. It was refreshing because being a vegetarian/vegan is not hard! If anything it is painfully simple people just want to think it is hard. There is no counting carbs, points, calories, or anything else. It's simple you just don't eat anything that had a mother or face. Being a vegan you just add in stuff that comes from an animal. I think the biggest issue with most people is that they approach it as a diet. Going veg/vegan is not a diet it is a lifestyle. I personally think that this is a huge positive! Who wants to be on a diet the rest of their lives? Kris Carr does't talk about it as a diet even if the book has diet in the title she jokes about that too! 

The book is funny & candid mixed with information that can not only change but save your life. When I first picked it up I thought it might be similar to the Skinny Bitch book. I liked Skinny Bitch don't get me wrong, but I had several issues with it. It can be very overwhelming reading it and not in a good way for many people. I laughed at many parts and their overall attitude toward life in general. Skinny Bitch at times has the feeling of the mean girls in high school attempting to bully you into going vegan. They also promote a lot of processed/mock meat substitutes. You don't read Skinny Bitch and feel really inspired after. With Crazy, Sexy, Diet you feel inspired to want to make a change in your life not just diet. She also promotes eating clean & living up to your full potential. Kris is also really good at talking about how a plant based diet might be the best, BUT also talks how even incorporating aspects of it could change your life. Someone who never plans on going veg could read her book and take a lot from it. As someone who has been a vegetarian most of her life and recent vegan I felt like I had found a pot of gold <3 

Sickies

The last few weeks I have not been feeling very well :( BUT lots has happen! I am hoping to post tomorrow about everything.

KT Tape

There are products I like & then there is products I love....

The first time I tried KT Tape it was a complete impulse buy which I don't usually do when it comes to running stuff. I usually spend hours of researching things online to see if they are REALLY worth it. I never usually throw something in my cart and just see if I like it. I guess I shouldn't call it a complete impulse buy. I was in the store looking for something for my knees just not tape. 

Like many people especially runners I have had issues with my knees. If anyone has done their research they will find out running itself isn't really that bad on your knees. I think runners just tend to just be more aware of their knee's most of the times. For me blaming running would kind of be silly with my history. I can probably on me fracturing my knee cap when I was 9, refusing to properly dive in volleyball in junior high always landing flat on my knees, a horrible fall during a cheer practice, and wearing high heels most of my life. Most people would think I am around 5'8....I am 5'4 ;) I like being short but I love the way heels make me feel! All those things have not been to kind to my knees over the years. When I got back into running I didn't listen to everyone like I should of. I walked into a big box store and got myself a pair of *running* shoes. I thought I was fine for quite while in my extremely poorly fitted shoes. I am pretty sure the many months I ran in bad shoes caused me problems I am still dealing with now!

It all started when I started to be able to really feel my knees when running. This is very unsettling feeling, but I didn't let it really bother me. Then the soreness after the runs, and not the good soreness you feel after a good work out. I started to warm up longer, stretch better, iced my knees more, and massage none of it made a difference. I kept running and added more strength training hoping to see a difference. I continued to run every other day doing around 4-8 mile runs. Believing that it was just a chapter that would pass. 

Then I woke up one morning to bring our oldest to school and I couldn't get out of bed. My legs were locking up and my knees felt like someone took a hammer to them. I considered calling Alexander into school it was that bad. I was scared I wouldn't be able to drive. I manged to roll out of bed and stretch my body. I was sure it had to be lactic acid build up & everyone else I talked  to agreed it probably was. I wobbled for almost a week after. I walked like I had just rode a horse bare back for 12 hrs. Standing up was horrible and getting out of the car I actually would shriek with pain. I just figured the more I moved the quicker I would get better. It lasted about a week and got a little better. Then I went for a run and was brought to my knees no pun intended. I have a very high pain tolerance. I have had natural child birth and didn't think that was that bad.....this made my eyes weld up in tears. 

I got in my car and drove down Iliff trying to decide if I needed to go to the doctor or just consider this a sign I am not suppose to be a runner. I was at this point in complete tears thinking I was going to have to stop running. 

I pulled myself together and pulled into a sporting goods store and decided I was going to get a knee brace. After opening up and trying on every brace they had in the store I realized that a brace and running was never going to be an option. I am sensitive about how things feel on my body. The feel and bulk of even the thinnest one would drive me crazy. I had issues even wearing knee pads when I did play volleyball. My husband has taped his knees off and on over the years with the athletic tape. It always looked sloppy and never seemed to really help. I have tried it also many times and saw really no difference. I didn't even consider trying it again.

As I was walking out of the store feeling defeated I looked down and saw a display of KT TAPE. At first thought it was just pretty colored athletic tape in nice boxes. I giggled to myself and even thought they had a nice gimmick going. BUT I grabbed a pink roll and bought it. I went home and did a full support wrap on my knees. The next day my knees felt better. I really thought it was all in my head tape couldn't make my knees feel better! I then started to research and found out there were gangs of people who also were having amazing results with KT TAPE. I was still cynical I won't lie. After a couple days of rest with the same tape still going strong I went for a run. It was one of the best runs I had since all the issues started. I didn't feel my knee caps during the run and if anything it felt like they were supported. After that I became a believer and my knees had a full support wrap on them almost every day for a couple months. Then in a light support wrap when running. It made a huge difference during and after. 

Then I had some issues with some rolls. I don't know what happen but it wasn't sticking. I think I might of just gotten some bad rolls. I had been though lots of rolls no issues. I was devastated. I stopped using the tape for a couple months and started to have knee pain again. I think this was due to over training on hills & some cross training that was very hard on the knees. I ended up talking to John at KT TAPE & he apologized and offered to send me some of their new PRO KT TAPE. I am a big one on good customer service and he exceeded it. He was very nice and personable. For many that might not matter, but for me it is what will make me loyal to a brand. Now I have been reading all about how amazing this tape was. In fact I don't think I read one negative about it other then you could easily wear it for a week & it still would be going strong.Which isn't really a negative thing! 

I got the package today....

There is no comparison I am beyond floored how amazing this stuff is!! 

The original was good don't get me wrong, but this is a whole different level of awesomeness. This is not a just stickier then the original. If I said that it would almost be insulting it.  I have only worn it one day but I am hooked. I will go as far to say I actually don't see any reason for anyone to buy the original. The price difference is not that much more which I was shocked of. Like I said I have only worn it for 1 day and I would happily pay $30 roll. I am in love with this tape! I have bought lots of things for running but KT TAPE & my beloved Brooks Adrenaline gts 12's have been the most valuable. If anything they are the reasons I am still running today. The new PRO tape has just re-forced that.

• One of the things I was concerned about the stickiness. I did have some issues with a couple of the original one, but many rolls before that worked like a champ. I would usually get 1 really good day and it would last sometimes up too 3. The first day the tension was great but it did lessen over days. You can wear it with no prob in & out of water BUT I soak in a bath almost nightly on top of showering in the morning. A very hot bath for sometimes a hour+ I think that if anything why I usually would only get a nicely tight wrap 1 day. Others who just shower I have heard it lasting tight for longer. The 2nd-3rd day of wear it still did make a difference.

•  There was part of me that thought because the PRO is suppose to also last longer it would be harder to apply. If anything it is the opposite. The PRO seems like a different adhesive I had no issue whatsoever it actually was the easiest application I have done. I ran 3 miles, did some strength training, sat in the sauna for 15 minutes, and then soaked in a bath....my tape feels exactly like it did when I applied it this morning. The tension is still perfect and none of the sides have rolled it looks like I just applied it.

• The PRO doesn't have a T strip like the original. I didn't know how I felt about this at 1st but I can say I really think this might be a good thing. I think if you needed to you could make a T strip by cutting it. The full strip seems to make it even stronger. 

• It doesn't seem as stretchy as the original and you have more control over it. This is my favorite part! Between my knees and husbands I have done applied KT a lot. The PRO is so easy to apply. I though my 1st knee was a fluke this morning, but after I did the other one I knew it wasn't.

• The tape is light but powerful that is what made me fall in love with KT when I 1st tried it. The PRO is the same it isn't bulky at all.

• One huge difference I see between the two is that the PRO really holds and stabilizes so much better. It is like night & day. I tread lightly saying that because the original is great but no where near what the PRO is. Now that I have tried the PRO I can't imagine ever going back. Even if someone was trying it for the 1st time I would still tell them to get the PRO. 

PRO KT TAPE

Comes in a awesome hard carrying case making it easy to bring with you!

Reflective 

Another surprise???

Tucked into the side of the box with the direction you also get a KT sticker! 

This picture was taken AFTER a 3 mile run, 30 mins of strength training, 15 mins sauna, and 1+ hot bath. Oh and it has been on for going on 11 hrs. It still looks and feels the same.

A full week

It has been a full week since I have ran or had any real strenuous exercise. It has been a 2 weeks full of knee pain, battling the sickies, and rounded off with a wisdom tooth. I woke up this morning feeling amazing which means I'M GOING RUNNING <3 


I woke up to some yummy Tazo Awake & almond milk tea. Then had some Kashi
GOLEAN Crisp! Toasted Berry Crumbles with almond milk. It is the first time trying this Kashi cereal and I have to say I really like it!!! It tasted really good and was really filling. I am really bad at skipping breakfast....well I am really bad at forgetting to completely eat till 5-7PM. I am trying to get better at that and when I do eat breakfast I like to eat fresh fruits or oatmeal. That usually fills me up but leaves me feeling *light*. I probably had 1-1 1/2 cups of the Kashi and I was stuffed! I will eat it again but not as much and probably not in the morning. I could see myself eating it as a lunch.

Oh and before I forget did I tell you I am in love?

I love jalapeno chips. Like I really really love them!! I can remember the first time I had Tim's Cascade Jalapeno Chips  when I was younger and it was pure love. There is nothing that compares to Tim's they have a great taste, are hot, & are made in good ol' Washington state in Vancouver. I honestly have memories of these chips and attempting to eat them. Since moving to Colorado 8 yrs ago I have searched high and low for them with no luck. When I went vegan I was looking on on a list of vegan friendly foods and staring right at me was Tim's Cascade and I was heart broken. I considered having family or friends mail me a case from Washington or Oregon but quickly realized that I would sound insane. I have tried many different brands since moving to Colorado but most of them were cheese jalapeno and nastiness. Then yesterday Chad came home with a surprise for me Kettle Jalapeno Chips they are vegan, made in Salem Oregon I <3 to buy products from the Pacific Northwest, and taste great! They are no Tim's but pretty good :) When it comes to jalapeno chips I try to not buy them too often because I could easily eat a whole bag. They are also not the healthiest no matter how you slice and dice it. They are kind of like the rolled jalapeno potato tacos I make that I have also veganized. They are a treat.

The saga continues...

This Friday I get to get my wisdom tooth extracted :( It is why I have been feeling so crappy. I couldn't understand why I was having all this ear pain that radiated into my jaw. Then it hit me.....your freakin' wisdom tooth you refused to have pulled!!!


A few months ago I was having some pain and dragged myself to the dentist. She confirmed I had a wisdom tooth come in and needed to be pulled. She reassured me it was going to be very easy to extract. That it was half way out and not covered by gums at all. She then left the room and they assistant came in with a tray of tools and syringes. I then jumped up and said I needed to go to the bathroom. I then stalled in the bathroom trying to figure out a excuse to get out of it. I came back and told them I couldn't today because I had another appointment I couldn't change lies!! 


I am not sure why I did this to be honest. It was nothing short of just plain dumb now that I think about it. I am not scared of needles and have a pretty high pain tolerance. I am one of those woman that plans a completely natural child birth and then giggles afterwards because I can't understand why people think it is so bad. BUT a year or so ago Chad had 2 impacted wisdom teeth extracted and that messed me up! His face got all swollen and after I made the huge mistake of looking in his mouth and it was horrifying! The worst part was the meds wore off 1/2 way through and he could feel it why did he tell me this. We no longer go to this dentist and he should of demanded to be referred to a dental surgery center. We listened to the the dentist and he promised he could do it, and that was a mistake. I know mine is not a impacted but it still scares me.

After going in and being looked at it was confirmed that was what has been causing all my issues. Because I was squeezed in between a couple people it wasn't able to be done today. It really sucks because I am the only one I can blame for this. I am not able to run because my ear and jaw is killing me. I refuse to take even more  Ibuprofen so can attempt to run. I was able to do some yoga today that did relax me. I also felt nice and limber afterwards :) On a positive note I think I may found me a running buddy!! Now just to get this wisdom tooth extracted, because it is kinda cramping my style.