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I'm five days into my second Whole 30 and it's been a combination of emotions.
I gave up coffee. Whole 30 doesn't require this, but Arbonne's 30 days to healthy living does, and so I haven't had coffee since Monday. I've had a pretty persistent headache all week. A few of the days I took Aleve, including today, and it's still here. So that's definitely not my favorite part of this.
Someone this week asked me, "Why coffee?" It's acidic. What I've learned about food in the past year since I began consulting with Arbonne is that ideally, our body should be alkaline rather than acidic. In an alkaline state, your body can relax, it doesn't have to work to "fight off" chemicals or rescue itself from ingredients in our foods that are not in our best interest. Check out this link for a cool graphic and see where your favorite foods lie on the pH scale! I also found this article (not sure of the source, but seems legit). In addition to the acidity, I always flavor my coffee with a sugary, flavored creamer, and if I can't have creamer, then may as well just forget it.
On day two I had zero energy. Like I couldn't even return a text in the evening, I just wanted to lay there with my eyes closed. My energy ebbs and flows, hasn't leveled out yet, but I did go for a run/walk last night after school so that was good!
The biggest thing has just been the ongoing narrative in my head, about the cookies, carbs, and wine in my vicinity. I haven't cheated once, but I have to seriously talk myself out of it each time. As I'm rereading It Starts With Food, I'm reminded that this isn't my fault - we are living in a world of FrankenFood - it's all manufactured to get at our senses of pleasure, but it's not nutritionally sound. To compound this problem, because of the overcarbsumption, the signals in our body do not function properly. We're eating superficially flavored and chemical-laden foods, but because they have zero nutritional value, the hormones in our body don't tell our brain we are full. So we keep eating and the pattern continues.
Why is this happening? Money. Nabisco wants to sell you massive amounts of Oreos, so they process the cookies with the best chemicals so you can sit and eat the whole pack in one sitting, getting not one ounce of nutrition, and since your hormones probably aren't working right, you never become full.
There's so much more behind the science of this, I am not even fully grasping it yet, but I highly recommend the book.
I tell myself this is hard, but then I read this:
So, I will persist, and hope for a dream of wine or Oreos.
Three years ago, on this day, I finished a Whole 30 (thanks, Timehop!) Today I'm starting another one... modified. Here's my plan:
- Eat whole, clean food: fruit, veggies, meat, berries, nuts
- Eliminate toxins: gluten, anything processed, sugar, alcohol, coffee
- Add Arbonne supplements - protein powder, fiber boost, digestive enzymes, fizz sticks, detox tea, and a 7 day body cleanse
- Workout (already did two miles today!)
- Mind my mind - pay attention to the emotional stress that comes with all of this, and
- Blog as I go, because it makes me more accountable and your comments motivate me (hint, hint) : )
Have you read It Starts with Food? I had to order another copy of the book because I'm already living the emotional hell of this food challenge, but it's definitely necessary since I had such a great time over the Easter holiday and gained 4 pounds in 4 days. #GrowUpMichelle
Today, I sat there at lunch eating a super healthy Greek Salad, with homemade dressing, and all I could think about were the croutons that were not in the salad. (Even though the salad was delicious.)
And then, I just came home, and had some guacamole left over and was seriously considering the tortilla chips - Just a few, I told myself - and was even reaching for and grabbing the bag.
I'm only on DAY ONE of this 30 days to healthy living!
(I put the chips back.)
Anyways, I know I always feel so much better when I am more proactive with my health and summer is coming so it is certainly time to do so. If you read my blogs the next few weeks, I'll be sharing from the book I mentioned above and also reporting on my status. Stay tuned for more!
If you picture your life five years from now, how does it look? Do you have financial freedom? Time freedom? Are you able to spend your time doing the things that you love or are you spending most of your time building someone else's business?
About a year ago, I asked myself that same question and realized if I didn't change something or add something, in five years I would be in the same place I am now - living paycheck to paycheck, wondering how I would ever pay off my student loans and only dreaming of my next vacation. And so when Mary shared Arbonne with me and asked me if I was interested in changing my life, I said yes.
Yes to super-premium, botanically based skin care.
Yes to personal care products free of parabens and other nasty ingredients that are, unfortunately, business as usual here in the States.
Yes to a nutrition line that is Vegan, non-gmo, Kosher, free of chemicals, formaldehydes, and dyes.
Yes to better gut health and sleep, and more energy.
Yes to continuous education in health and wellness.
And in that moment, that was all I thought I was saying yes to, but since then I've realized there's a few more things coming my way...
Yes to a tribe of women who are amazing and positive and some of my best friends.
Yes to financial freedom and time freedom. As much as I love my career in education, as much as I love to teach middle school kids, as much as I love my colleagues, teaching is never going to afford me the lifestyle I desire, a lifestyle that includes financial freedom and the ability to leverage my precious time.
And today, I ask you... where will you be in five years? Arbonne isn't the only opportunity for creating passive income and the opportunity for legacy money. Perhaps you've got a plan. But if you don't, maybe Arbonne could be for you.
Let's grab a coffee or a have a Skype date. I'd love to share with you what I've been blessed to learn in the past year!
Be well,
