Recreational Drug Use

I'm not talking about weed. Or ecstasy for that matter.

I'm talking sugar.

The Standard American Diet is full of it. A typical day in my eating life of the yore could have gone like this: cereal for breakfast, or a bagel and OJ. A granola bar would have been an excellent morning snack. Lunch consisted of a PBJ, some pretzels, and a yogurt. Or a Lean Cuisine. I'd be hungry again around 2:30 or 3:00 so I'd reach for, oh, I don't know, a Zone Bar? Some Cheeze-its? For dinner it was pasta with garlic bread. Eating every 3 hours or so, and I was usually still hungry, cranky, sleepy, and irritated.

Can you see all the sugar there? Or the carbs that digest into glucose, which is the same thing?

Dr. Mark Hymann, in the video on this blog, referred to sugar as a recreational drug. The Standard American Diet has us eating too many carbs, including too much pop and other sugary drinks, and too much processed food. (80% of processed food has added sugar!) We are eating this way, and we shouldn't be, and he feels so strongly about sugar, he says it should be consumed only very sparingly. Let me show you what happens when you eat a day's worth of food like the one I mentioned above:

(Side note: I'm pretty sure I got this right, but it's all super new to me, so if you find an error, please tell me!)

Your body wants to maintain an equilibrium, called homeostasis. A constant temperature and balanced blood sugar levels are examples of this. If you eat a bowl of Lucky Charms and a side of toast for breakfast, you get that super quick surge of energy from the sugar. But the body does not like for blood sugar to be high, so the pancreas releases insulin to ferry the sugar from the blood, and sends it one of three places: the liver, the muscles, or fat cells.

As the insulin goes to work, your blood sugar levels don't just go to normal range, they crash way below normal. This crash signals your brain that you're hungry again, and the hormones coursing through your system leave you craving those same sugars it just removed from the blood. You reach for the granola bar and then the whole cycle repeats itself for the second time that day.

This is where we've been misled about dieting and calorie counting or carb counting or counting whatever. We shouldn't be counting anything. We shouldn't be eating every three hours. Instead, we should just be eating those nutrients that will satiate us and keep our blood sugar in normal range. When you eat that way, you can have three meals a day and be good to go.

In Body Love, Kelly LeVeque suggests instead we create meals around these four macronutrients, the Fab4:

Green and fibrous carbohydrates
Purpose: promotes gut health by feeding the beneficial bacteria, adds all the essential vitamins and minerals we need, removes toxins from the body
Green carbohydrates, think: Organic veggies deep in color (have as much as you want!)
Fibrous Carbohydrates, think: fruit, whole grains (including oatmeal, pasta, and whole-grain breads, rice, wheat, seeds and nuts, starchy veggies such as potatoes, corn, and squash, and beans, lentils, and peas (should be a small portion of your meal)

Protein
Purpose: cell and tissue growth, signals to your brain you're full
Think: Grass fed beef, free range chicken, wild caught fish, eggs, a protein powder with a full amino-acid complex (Arbonne's!), quinoa, buckwheat, chickpeas

Fat
Purpose: brain functioning, hormone production and balance, immune protection, slows digestion
Think: Wild caught fatty fish, avocados, the oils: olive, coconut, or a clean butter, and nuts, chia seeds

LeVeque says, "When the body doesn't get sufficient amounts of these food sources, or the foods come in a form that has been modified by chemicals or is low in nutrients, the body adjust in a number of negative ways, most of which lead to weight gain and inflammation." (p. 18)

Basically, if you are not eating that way most of the time, your body is probably in a constant state of inflammation, which means your organs are working OVERTIME, ALL THE TIME to correct everything back as close to homeostasis as possible. This chronic inflammation manifests as a variety of symptoms: acne, psoriasis, weight gain, poor sleep, migraines, PMS, brain fog, etc etc. If left untreated, ask LeVeque goes on to say, "Your body might turn on itself and develop diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, and cancer" (p. 19).

You guys, knowledge is power, and I'm so glad I learned all of this! Now, I know if I'm going to reach for that donut, I will be aware of the crash that will follow shortly thereafter, and I will have some kind of Fab 4 meal or shake or snack nearby to stop the cycle from repeating. It's not that we can never indulge, it's just that we have to know how to respond when we do decide to have that treat.

Optimal blood sugar levels, created by eating #Fab4 at each meal

I'll be back again soon with another post on some of my favorite Fab 4 smoothie recipes. Some people say that a protein shake isn't a real meal, but I disagree. Mine are packed with vegan protein, spinach, avocado oil, fiber, and some fruit to sweeten it up. We're talking 5-6 hours of no hunger and no cravings because your blood sugar is set to a normal range. That's a win in my book!

If you don't want to wait, here are a few things you can do now:


1. Contact me about Arbonne's 30 Days to Healthy Living (30DHL). Our program is built around balancing blood sugar, creating optimal gut health, and eating clean, all of which will lead to reducing inflammation in the body and releasing those symptoms mentioned above!

2. Get a copy of Body Love and read for yourself.

3. Watch Fed Up on iTunes, I watched it last night, $3.99 rental.

Thoughts? I'd love to hear from you! Have you completed a 30DHL? Read Body Love or watched Fed Up? Were you already aware of this blood sugar situation or is this new? Please leave a comment with your feedback!

Be well, friends!

Welcome home!

I have missed blogging.

I wrote a post about Brené Brown's Daring Greatly (a book that has TRANSFORMED my life) over winter break and as I wrote, I thought to myself, "Wow, I love writing. I miss blogging. I need to do this more!"

For a LONG time I was doing most of my writing on my other blog, BigTime Literacy. I'm a teacher and an Literacy Coach, and so I have lots to say about that. But lately, I've found I've been super interested in nutrition and health and wellness, and really, I'd like to reinvigorate my little lifestyle blog over here.

So... I plan on posting more over here. March 1st starts the Slice of Life Story Challenge over at Two Writing Teachers, and I'll be connecting this blog with them for the first time (although it will by my sixth year participating in the month-long writing challenge!) It's always good to connect with others who have similar interests (writing and teaching to name a few) so I'm excited to see what will become of Hello Good Good Life over the next month and a half!

I originally began blogging here on HelloGGL back in March of 2012 as I took on my first Whole 30 for a month. Since then, I've learned so much about nutrition as I participated in and coached others through Arbonne's 30 Days to Healthy Living. But really, it's cool to come back to my initial purposes for writing, which had to do with living a healthy lifestyle.

And so I return home, where Hello Good Good Life was built on the idea of creating a great life, and was inspired by the song Good Life by One Republic. Our time here on Earth is so short, we should be living not just a good, good life, but THE BEST life. And so together, here with you, I hope to find things that can get at that.

Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to connect with me on Instagram and Twitter. And if you're all about that teaching life, there's years worth of posts over at BigTime Literacy.

Anyone want to write with me for a whole month? LMK and I can help set you up on a blog easy peasy!

Until next time, sending wellness wishes :-)

#Arbonne30

The Arbonne Mission

Health and Disease

#Arbonne30 Program

Eliminate acidic, addictive, allergenic foods:
Gluten
Dairy
Soy
Caffiene
Alcohol
Sugar

Three Big Differences

Nutritional Rebalancing

#Arbonne30 Program

For 30 days, we add health in six key areas:

1. We eat whole foods (1 ingredient) that are organic, cage free, grass fed, etc. We also add supplements that fit this ticket, Vegan protein and a fiber boost. We replace pop and coffee with Fizz Sticks. And, you may also add Greens Balance to get full servings of fruit and veggies.

2. We eliminate allergenic, acidic, and addictive foods: gluten, dairy, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, sugar. 

3. We increase nutrient absorption - You are not what you eat but what you absorb. We do this by adding health via our daily probiotics, Digestion Plus.

4. We balance blood sugar in the meals we cook and the supplements we use to add health.

5. We support organs of elimination with Detox Tea and the Body Cleanse.

6. We eat mindfully, listening and paying attention to our bodies.

Community focused!

Facebook group led by our holistic health coaches.

Personal coaching from your independent consultant :-)

Build DISCIPLINE

Our best product!

#Arbonne30 completed and sustainable!

A few years ago (2012, damn, that was a long time ago!) I competed a Whole 30. This is a program that is a jump start to the Paleo lifestyle. It's an elimination diet. With this program you eliminate dairy, alcohol, grains, legumes, added sugar, Carrageen, Sulfites, and MSG, and "junk" food. What you eat on a Whole30 is veggies, fruit, unprocessed meats, seafood, eggs, nuts & seeds, (some) oils & ghee, and coffee. (Reference)

When I completed that program all those years ago, I lost 6 pounds. You can read about my month-end reflection at this link.

Since then I've tried many things, and most recently it was Arbonne's 30 Days to Healthy Living and Beyond. Our program is also an elimination diet for 30 days but our philosophy is a bit different. We eliminate all things that are acidic, allergenic, or addictive. These foods cause inflammation in our bodies, and lead to poor health and eventually disease. Arbonne's mission is to add health to our lives, and we do that by eating clean, whole foods, and supplementing them with products that support our bodies. More on that in a bit.

Before I dive in a bit more about Arbonne's philosophy and why I have such belief in it, I have to tell you that with Arbonne30, I lost 13.1 lbs in four weeks! That is double what I did in four weeks of the Whole30. DOUBLE. And that's just the scale victory. I had a lot of other non-scale victories, too, like:

• No more cravings
• Eating WAAAAYYY less, but never really feeling hungry
• No head fog after too many carbs
• No headaches from caffeine
• Way more energy
• Clear and glowing skin!
• Clothes fit better (actually pulled out some old pants that hadn't fit in a while)
• Happier - you guys, generally speaking, I'm a happy person, but the past few weeks I've been extra happy. It's kinda crazy!

So, what sets Arbonne apart? This image is a nice summary:

Arbonne is focused on a few things:

1. Whole Foods Eating - we shop whole foods (think: 1 ingredient)  that are organic, cage-free, or grass fed
2. Avoiding inflammatory, addictive, and triggering foods, specifically gluten, dairy, sugar, soy, caffeine, and alcohol, which trigger the immune system and cause inflammation
3. Focus on the importance of absorbing our foods - Our supplements are nutrient dense and not depleting. They are meant to help your organs absorb all the nutrients you take in with each meal

Our philosophy is to guide people into a whole foods way of eating. We give people the tools to put down the inflammatory foods, and also create a lifestyle which is totally sustainable.

Another HUGE difference with Arbonne is that we created supplements to add helath to our bodies and support our organs of elimination - our liver, GI track, skin, and lungs. These organs help our bodies expel what it doesn't need, so, being the smarties they are in our Research and Development department, Arbonne developed products to optimize the work of our elimination organs:

• Detox Tea - replaces coffee and helps our liver work it's best. For example, milk thistle supports detox pathways in the liver. Peppermint (tastes great!) and has an affinity for the GI Tract. (And there's like 5 more - watch the linked video, our Dr. Tanda Cook, Naturopathic Physician and Arbonne Independent Consultant.)
• Digestion Plus - We need beneficial bacteria in our diets because they help us break down and absorb our food. You guys, I've learned: we are not what we eat but WHAT WE ABSORB. Let that sink in. We are what we absorb. So, if you do not have enough bacteria to break down and absorb the nutrition you're eating, you're not getting the benefits of all that kale and raw nut butter and free range chicken! Additionally, serotonin, the feel-good hormone, is produced in our GI tract, and needs these enzymes to produce at good levels. Perhaps this is the reaosn for my excessive happiness? :-) :-)
• Fizz Sticks - These replace pop and coffee (which are acidic, and sugared) but have so many benefits. They are a clean energy source and way more ALKALINE-forming. They taste awesome and have B Vitamins which help us out with stress. They contain chromium, which helps balance our blood sugar. WINNING!

And there are more, including Fiber Boost, Vegan Protein, and a 7 day cleanse.

But wait, there's more still. Our program offers a 30 day private facebook group that delivers education around everything we do, topics including: 

• Gluten
• Gut Health
• Elimination Organs
• Soluble and insoluble fiber
• Balancing Blood Sugar & pH
• Truth about Olive Oils - which are good quality and those that aren't
• Meal planning, including 4 weeks of compliant recipes (that are delicious!)

The list goes ON and ON and ON.

That Facebook group is important for the education, but also the community. It's great to see people's results, have them cheer you on from the sidelines, and have a group to be there together when you are struggling, too!

At the end of the day, I'm not settling. I'm not settling for feeling or looking poorly, not settling for anything less than health and wellness, and from a business standpoint, I'm not settling on a teacher's salary that cannot deliver the things in my life that I want and need.

I share Arbonne because I BELIEVE in their philosophy and what they do, and I get that this company is a vehicle to financial and time freedom. 

So what did I learn in 30 days with Arbonne?

1. You can restrict the American Diet and not feel bad. You can go to a baby shower and have the veggies, salad, fruit salad, and meat minus bread, and still be happy. It's just food, not love. (Friends reference, anyone?) It's okay to let it go.

2. When the scale won't move and you've only "cheated" with a Lara Bar and some fruit, you better start counting your calories and make sure you've gotten enough so your body does not think it's going into starvation mode and store fats, rather than releasing them. My week four my scale was exactly the same as week three until the last day when I added more nutrition. The last day of the week? Down another 1.2 lbs!

3. When you do this kind of program, do so with a friend! There are currently three of us that work together, and we each make different recipes and swap them around for variety. We work together, cheer one another on, and are there to support one another. 

4. Yes you can! Yes you can complete this challenge and actually continue going. I'm planning on continuing for another four weeks, with one cheat meal around Fat Tuesday. With the education and recipes, this program is meant to take you beyond the 30 days, and you most certainly can.

5. It's affordable. Many people skoff at eating organic and grass fed, but if you spend your money there, prepare food at home, and use the supplements as they are meant to be (and in a pinch), it all comes out in the wash. You can afford this. (For perspective, I'm a single teacher living alone on the north side of chicago and I can afford it. You can too.)

6. It's not all just easy and rainbows and puppies. Anything worth doing takes discipline. You will need discipline, especially getting through the first week or two while you are detoxing yourself. The supports are put in place for your success with this program, and yes you can accomplish it. (Nod to my brother-in-law for reminding me of this and inspiring my One Word for 2018: Steadfast.)

7. Working out: In January I did eleven sessions of yoga. That's it. This challenge takes place in the kitchen and is focused the way we are nourishing our bodies, but the yoga? That's helpful too, for physical and emotional well being.

8. From a business standpoint: Lead by example. ALWAYS lead by example. People are talking to me about what I'm doing because they look at me and I look better and I'm happier. If you want your business to flourish, you have to get disciplined about your work.

Want to know more, including taking a look at my before and after photos? Head over to my Private Facebook Group (click Join Group) to check those out. You'll also get a feel for what Arbonne is all about. In this group I share about health and wellness, well being and happiness, and keep my shoppers up-to-date with the new promotions and incentives that Arbonne offers. I'd love to see you over there learning along with us!

Wishing you health and wellness this month and beyond!