Another Year

This is the time of year most of us reflect on the past 12 months, wallow in self-pity for what hasn't gone right, and then vow to do it better next year. Usually, a month later, we’re back to our old habits. I've reflected on this blog’s past year and chose to skip right to what’s going to change in the new year. However, old habits won’t creep back in this time.  This was my first attempt at blogging, and we’re almost at our 1^st anniversary. I’m excited that I still have the desire to live a natural life, and even more excited about sharing the journey with you.

I look forward to posting more consistently, at least twice a month, and sharing information that will fuel a desire in you to live a more natural life. Enjoy the holiday season with your loved ones, and thanks for sharing my journey!

Decisions, Decisions...

Hi! So, I’ve spent the past few weeks going back and forth about whether to become a vegan, vegetarian, or stay the same carnivore creature I am. It’s a big decision, and I don’t want to just rush into anything. However, since the time I watched Forks Over Knives, I’ve watched two other food-related documentaries, “Food, Inc.” and “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead” and I’m convinced I will be staying away from meat for the most part. My diet since I last wrote consisted of maybe 10% meat, but there was no real strategy to it. I’m hoping to get some decent research in as to my basic dietary needs so I don’t become malnourished in the process. While I’m gathering my info, I will not stress very much over whether I’m eating meat or not. So, the real decision now becomes Vegan or Vegetarian. I really like milk, eggs, and cheese, so I’m not sure Vegan will be my thing. Plus, eggs are a great source of protein. I can’t definitively say though, because I never thought I’d give up meat at all.

Here’s what I’ll do. Starting November 1, I will cut out beef and pork from my diet. I’ll keep other meats to a minimum, but they won’t be forbidden. I’ll probably stay like this for at least the month of November because I’m not sure I’ll be able to resist Thanksgiving goodies. Interesting time to transition to a veggie lover, huh? By the end of this week, I should have an idea of my basic dietary needs and how to fulfill those. I want to stay healthy and fit regardless of my preferred diet. I’ll check in with any updates, as usual.

Have a great week, and thanks again for sharing my journey!

A Change of Heart

It’s been a long time since I last wrote a post. This blogging thing is not easy when you have the disease of “can’t sit still” as I do. Anyhow, I just finished watching the movie, “Forks over Knives” and I just had to share.

When I last wrote, I was in the middle of a Paleo Diet, a diet rich in protein, fruit, veggies, and fats; no sugar, grains, legumes, or nuts. I must admit, I had lost weight, felt, and looked great when I finished 2 weeks. I tried to adopt the lifestyle beyond the 2 weeks my trainer asked me to try, but it was a bit hard because my heart wasn’t in it. I also was a bit hesitant because I couldn’t see how a diet rich in fat and meat could be good for my overall health, especially my heart. So, I figured I’d try to modify the diet. It didn’t work; instead of adding in otherwise restricted foods in moderation, I went overboard and ended up back to my old diet. Fast forward to September, I spent 10 days on a Daniel Fast, not eating meat, dairy, sugar, or yeast. It was very restricted, but I found great recipes and made it through. Once again, I lost weight, and felt better, but it wasn’t even 3 weeks later that I’d gone back into the sugars by telling myself I could handle one or two indulgences here and there. I didn’t mind minimizing my meat intake, but without proper planning, things just weren’t where they needed to be.

While on the Daniel Fast, I wondered if I could become a true vegan. I like meat, always have, so why would I want to cut it out? And ALL animal by-products??? Who doesn’t love a good omelet or mac and cheese every now and again. I have a few friends who have adopted the lifestyle and they all say they love it. After watching “Forks over Knives” I’m not sure I can stay healthy and live longer WITHOUT adopting the lifestyle as my own. Now, I’m not going to get all crazy and dive in tomorrow. I am a researcher by heart, so I need to really take a look at recipes, nutrition facts, and how it will fit into my active lifestyle. I’ve recently developed a love for golf and am also increasing my weekly workouts, so I don’t want to jeopardize the fuel my body needs. I will take the next few weeks and see if this is something I can realistically do. If you haven’t seen or heard about the movie, it is a documentary highlighting a whole food, plant-based diet, based on research and clinical findings. Many diseases we all have, or think just “runs in the family” can be reversed and eliminated by changing our diet. I’m willing to try it now more than I have been before.

I’m not big on tofu or soybean based products, which has scared me away from the diet before, but I know I can tailor it to fit my lifestyle, so that will also be a part of my research. I don’t know what will come of this, but if nothing else, I will eat less meat and dairy and more fruits and veggies.

I hope to write again soon with any findings or just every day natural living thoughts. Please comment if you’ve seen the movie, or even if you haven’t, but have thoughts on the vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. Have a great week, and thanks for sharing my journey.

Change In Diet- Paleo

So, I thought I'd be experimenting with "Green Smoothies" and telling you all about my adventures with the weird looking drinks, but my personal trainer changed that a bit. A little over a week ago, he asked me to try a new (for me) diet, called the Paleo diet for at least two weeks. It's also known as the Paleolithic or "Caveman" diet. I don't really like the word diet because it always makes me think I'm restricting myself from the fun of food. So I was skeptical before I started researching the plan. What was I going to have to give up this time, only to completely revert back when the two weeks were done? The results surprised me a little and now I'm a week into it and feeling like I could possibly make this a lifestyle.

The Paleo Diet is based on the thought that when humans were created, there was access to only a few foods, and this is how we are meant to eat today. There are a lot of variations, so I'll stick with what I know in the most basic form. You are allowed to eat meat, eggs, nuts, fruits and vegetables, and certain fats. No grains, legumes, salt, sugar, or dairy. There are exceptions within these categories, but that is the gist of it. So far, looking at recipes and planning out my weeks hasn't been too bad. Take this week so far, I've had a frittata with chicken sausage, tomatoes and spinach for breakfast, a variation of the stuffed pepper dish for lunch, and baked chicken breast with sautéed veggies for dinner. Snacks have mostly included almonds and golden raisins, also fresh fruit. Not bad, right? This diet is very "doable" and I'm excited to see the results. Do I miss my bread, pasta, brownies, cookies, oatmeal, etc? (I can go on and on with that list, LOL) I have had a few weak moments where I find myself plotting to dig into one of those restricted groups as soon as I hit my 2 week mark, but quite honestly, I haven't craved any of it like I thought I would. It does take some getting used to, mostly because it's so easy to find something to eat without thinking about what I'm allowed to have. I had a minor victory yesterday when a sales rep brought in free lunch to the office. Sandwiches galore on all kinds of different breads and various fillings, just so tasty looking. Thank goodness though; there was also a huge bowl of salad, with slices of grilled chicken in another bowl. I proceeded to fill my plate with the salad and chicken, skipping their very creamy dressing and opting for my olive oil and balsamic vinegar I had with me since I had a smaller salad I brought from home. I completely ignored the chocolate chip cookies, and it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I was satisfied and hadn't ruined my diet.

So here I am at the end of week one and I'm not pulling my hair out, so that's a good thing. I've already thought about my meals for next week and I'm excited about trying new recipes. So far, I've felt like I've had more energy, and am less bloated. I'll keep you posted on any weight loss or body changes that take place. I have also had a few green smoothies while on this diet, but I haven't been consistent with them. I'll devote more time to them in another post. I have to give a special thanks to my friend Theresa who decided to take the challenge with me and has been so supportive and encouraging.

I hope you all are having a great week, and thank you again for sharing my Journey!

My Natural Journey Update

Lately I've been asked more about my experience with alkaline water and how to test your body's pH. Not only that, you wouldn't believe how many people I've spoken to in just the past 2 weeks who have engaged me in a conversation about living more naturally and removing chemicals from our lifestyles. It made it that more urgent to get back to my blog and focus more on my personal journey. So here I am! J

The last time I wrote, I explained a bit of the benefits in drinking alkaline water, so I know you're wondering, did it work? I honestly believe it helped me in a number of ways, but let me tell you my issue was not finding the water, but it was still drinking enough of it. My body needs at least 2 liters of water a day, but since I'm pretty active physically, I need more. It was difficult for me to consistently drink more throughout the day. However, within the last month, I've really been able to focus on drinking more and have been doing so. My goal is always to drink at least half of a liter when I first wake up in the morning, before my feet hit the floor. Then while I'm at work, I drink 1.5 liters. Anything I drink at home or at the gym later is all a plus. I've seen differences in my energy level, my skin is clearer, and my eyes and nasal passages are not as dry when I wake up in the mornings. I don't think it's a cure-all, but I definitely see the benefits of hydrating my body with alkaline water compared to acidic water.

Over the past months, I've heard about Kangen water, a purified alkaline type of water that you have to create at home using an ionizer that costs approximately $4000. Apparently, it's the best water for you, but I don't exactly know why. There's a weekly talk held locally about its benefits, so I may check it out in the next few weeks and let you know what they're saying about it. I recently went to a Bikram yoga class that carries Kangen, but when I asked the instructor about it, she said the Essentia water (pH 9.5) I was carrying at the time was the best bottled water I could get. Kangen can't be bottled and kept on the store shelves because it loses its benefits after 2-3 days. I'll keep you posted if I decide to check it out.

Oh, before I forget, I've gotten the question about testing your body's pH. The most convenient way is to purchase pH test strips, usually found in health food stores. The strips will come with their own instructions, but basically the best way is to test your urine or saliva first thing in the morning before eating or drinking anything. I haven't retested mine since changing my water, but I will try to do that soon. My diet hasn't changed in regards to its pH balance, so I'm not sure I will see that much of a difference, but I am curious.

So what's next for me in my quest? This week I'll be doing research on Raw or Green Smoothies. Generally, it's a smoothie you make using a green leafy vegetable, fruit, and water. That's it. I will share the results of my research in the next 2 weeks, and start drinking them once I've completed that.

As always, please consult with your physician before starting any new regimen. Thanks again for joining me on my quest. Have a great week!

It’s Been Way Too Long

Hi everyone, please forgive me for taking so long to write another entry. My entire February and March months were extremely busy with a transition into a new job. However, I tried not to stray very far from my natural regimen, if I can even say I have one. Within the next few weeks, I'll update you on my alkaline water, and introduce some other techniques and products into my daily routine. Thank you for being patient with me and sharing my journey. Have a great week!

Water is water…or is it? I used to think so!

    It's common knowledge that our bodies are made of mostly water. We need it to survive. We can live weeks without food, but only a few days without water. Every day our bodies lose water (on an average, 2 quarts/day) through normal body functions like breathing, perspiration and urination. If you live a more active lifestyle, you lose more on a daily basis than those who are more sedentary. Our body needs water for so many reasons; most importantly, so our organs will function properly, our joints will move freely, and our immune system will continue to keep us healthy. So when we're properly hydrated, things go smoothly. We can even see better weight loss results. What happens when we don't replace the water we've lost? Our body is smart enough to hold on to what we have and ration it to the parts of the body that need it most. Still, that means there are parts of our body that suffer when we don't hydrate ourselves daily. That's why many of our ailments can be traced to dehydration.

I know I should drink more water. I've even done the calculations for the recommended amount of water I should be drinking daily. It's not a definite, but a suggested start is your body weight in pounds, divided by 2; that gives you the amount in ounces of water to drink per day. I already know I don't drink as much as I should. Now that it's winter time, it's more evident in how dry my skin and scalp feels, and in the mornings, I wake up with dry eyes and nasal passages. It drives me crazy! So…I should just drink more water, right? Well, yes, but not just any water. I know you're probably thinking water is water. I used to think the same thing until my eyes were opened. One of my coworkers lent me a book called "The Seven Pillars of Health" by Don Colbert, MD. The first pillar is water and the points he shared really stuck with me. I won't get into too many specifics, but I hope this information will lead you to search for more.

Most of us know that there are many harmful chemicals in regular tap water. How many times do you see some fancy filter at someone's home, either on their faucet or in the fridge as part of a pitcher? Because of this, bottled water has become a part of our lives. Everywhere you go, someone is carrying around a bottle of water they've bought at the local grocery store or gas station. I am one of them, but I found out all bottled water isn't created equal, and just because it's bottled doesn't mean it's good for you. Did you know that some famous brands of bottled water are simply filtered tap water? And most are very acidic, which hurts, more than helps your body. This is the part of water I never knew about until I started reading more. Not only do our bodies love water, but our internal organs function best in an alkaline environment. When our bodies are acidic, we are out of balance and this leads to the same issues we can have when we simply aren't hydrated. Too much acid in our bodies affects the calcium in our bones, our circulation, digestion, cell function, and overall quality of life. This means we need to keep our insides at a pH greater than 7. Our highly acidic diets and daily stresses usually help to keep us more acidic, which is why we have to do more to reverse that. There are full alkaline diets, which I may try in a later blog, but for now, I will stick with changing the water I drink.

When I first learned about the importance of alkaline water, I decided to search for water with a higher pH. I'd read somewhere else that it was best to look for a pH of 8 or greater. I was pleased to find that there are brands out there that list their pH right on the bottle. I realized this around October of last year and started incorporating the "better" water into my daily routine, but not consistently. I still kept my "go-to" brand simply because I could buy it from just about anywhere. Convenient is not always better, however. Anyhow, even with the slight change, I felt that I had more energy and even my skin looked better. Later, in late November, I decided to go back to strictly more acidic water to really note the changes, if any. Within a week, I felt more sluggish, my fingernails were splitting more often, and that's also when I noticed how dry I felt in the mornings. I knew overall I didn't consistently drink as much water as I should, but I always had at least a liter a day, so I think there was more to it than just the amount of my intake.

I went out a few weeks ago to search for alkaline brands of water to see if it's become more convenient to purchase. I was happy to see that most local grocery stores in my area carry at least one brand. I'm going to stick to 1-2 brands during these next few weeks. The two I've found to be high in pH and easy to find near me are Acqua Panna (pH 8.19) and Essentia (pH 9.5). I've listed links to more technical information on both brands at the end of this entry, if you're interested. Of course my goal is not only to drink more alkaline water, but also to just drink more, so this is like 2 challenges in one. Because of my calculations, I know I need at least 2 liters of water a day to stay properly hydrated. However, because I work out frequently, I need even more. I'll start slow and try to get to 2.5 liters by the end of the first week. I almost forgot to mention that our food does provide us with some water as well. Fruits and vegetables are the place to start, but you can do an internet search to find other water-rich foods.

I checked my body's pH over the past couple of days and I average around 6.3, so I'm slightly acidic. Let's see how these waters will help. I'm excited about the possibilities! Feel better, AND lose weight? WOW! J

Thanks again for sharing my journey. Have a great week!

 

Acqua Panna Quality Report- http://www.nestle-watersna.com/pdf/AP_BWQR.pdf

Essentia Water Technical Information- http://www.essentiawater.com/techletter3-01-03.pdf

Welcome to My Journey!

Hello! First, let me introduce myself. I am not much different than the majority of you reading this blog right now. I am a working individual on a quest to live healthier and incorporate as many natural products and ingredients into my life as I possibly can. I've started this blog because I've spoken to many others who are also curious about this lifestyle change. I want to share my experience in the hopes that it will help someone get there quicker.

Why did I start in the first place? That's a longer story that I will cover in more detail in a later post, but here's a little info. Since maybe 4^th or 5^th grade, I have had my hair chemically straightened. I don't know why my mother started, but it became the norm for me. Last year in June, I decided I no longer wanted to use harsh chemicals on my hair. July 1, 2009, I went to the salon and got my hair cut very short, removing the hair that was still treated with chemicals. Since then, I've experimented with various products and techniques to style my hair and found that natural is simply easier and healthier. I've also recently become more consistent with my diet and exercise in an effort to lose weight and live an overall healthy lifestyle. This, along with my hair has piqued my interest in living naturally in all or most areas of my life. So here we are now.

The Current Me

I realize that since you don't know me from a can of paint, you have no idea what benefit I will gain from transitioning to a natural lifestyle, or if my journey is even worth it. So I need to tell you a little more about me in my current state. I am a single, never been married, healthcare professional who lives in the Northern Virginia area. I keep myself pretty busy between my occupation, my church, and my social life. Typically 4 of 5 weekday evenings, I have set activities that are not easily changed.

I would describe myself as a "fairly healthy" individual. Since I work in healthcare, I know what's right, but I can't say I always adhere to it. I have a sweet tooth that just won't quit! All of that sugar landed me with a few extra pounds that I finally decided had to go earlier last year. Since May 2010, I have been working with a personal trainer and I am really pleased. I am not at my final goal, but I have improved in so many ways. My energy level has increased, as did my strength. I am much more consistent in my diet and exercise routine. I have also lost most of the pounds my sweet tooth added. I typically plan my menu for the week on Saturday or Sunday so that I can be more conscious of what I am putting into my body. I try not to go to the grocery store hungry because that just helps me pick up extra items I do not need. I don't eat fruits and veggies every day, but I am doing better about reducing the number of processed foods I eat on a daily basis. My coworkers order out for lunch often, so I cook my meals on Sunday evening. This helps me have something to bring to work for lunch and I'll be less tempted to look at the mostly unhealthy, unnatural options on the menu. I take a multivitamin everyday; omega-3 capsules, and supplemental magnesium at the suggestion of my trainer. I get asked often about what vitamins are best to take. It really does depend on the individual, but for a general overview, I found Vitamins and You by Dr Oz, to be very helpful. As my journey continues, I may tweak my vitamin intake as well. I drink 40-60 ounces of water a day. It is recommended for someone of my weight to drink about 65 ounces per day, so I'm just about there.

As for other areas of my life, I usually don't consider natural products. Not because I don't want to, but I just never took the time to think about it, until I stopped using a relaxer on my hair. I have increased the number of natural products I use on my hair, but I'm still experimenting to find out what will work best for me. Until then, my hair and skin regimen consists of many well-known items that use chemicals I probably want to stay away from. Any other categories, like household cleaning products, I haven't even given it a thought to use natural products, until now.

So that's me in a nutshell as it pertains to my "natural life" so far. I'm excited to see what will come of this quest. What should you expect from me? Every 2-4 weeks I will explore a new natural product or technique and update you on how it's affected me. I will attempt to blog every week on my progress as well as my research on new things to try. I do this in a quest to live a life that's natural at least 75% of the time. Will I strive for more? YES! However, I don't want to make too lofty of a goal. I want this blog to be interactive as well, so please feel free to offer suggestions and if possible, I will try it. Results will vary, so please be mindful of this if you choose to try any of the same products. This blog is about me and my personal quest to live natural; please consider your current health status before engaging in any of these products.

Remember, with my experimentation, I want to help you, so please tell me if you do so and how it's influenced you. Again, welcome to my journey, enjoy the ride! Have a great week!