Tranquil Tuesday: Spring Cleaning

Hope everyone has been doing well. I have been spring cleaning and taking a breather. I've also been enjoying a break from Facebook, our laptop and this blog. I started seeing a nutritionist a few weeks ago and feel like I have my smile back. Please forgive my absence but know that when this is over I will have some wonderful, healthy recipes to share with you and stories to tell about my detox, the real spring cleaning.

When I utter the word detox so many people have asked, "Which one are you doing?" I didn't know there were so many out there. I am working with Kasia Kines at Sunlight Natural Health on Falls Road and doing the 30 Day Whole Foods Detoxification Program. I found her through our massage therapist Jenny Ayres, also at Sunlight Natural Health. Kasia and I first met in late March for two hours so she could review my needs. I filled out a ton of forms (homework) before our meeting. After reviewing my history she suggested that I may have adrenaline fatigue. I was getting ten hours of sleep but I was still exhausted. After long work weeks with events and travel I would need the whole weekend to sleep to feel like I could just get up on Monday mornings. She put me on a B12 regimen that has literally saved my life! My friends at work keep asking, "What are you ON?" I joyfully respond, "Dude, it's my B12!"

After finding this diagnosis accurate I decided to dip my whole body into the pool of nutrition and plunged into the 30 day detox. It has been a blessing beyond words. We started the program with a three hour class and lunch at Sunlight Health the day before Easter Sunday.

Kasia taught us about how to eat and what times of the day we should eat. Most importantly is that our brains need glucose to function. When a person goes into a coma they are hooked up to glucose so they don't become brain dead. We need glucose in the morning to sustain our brain activity throughout the day. Not just protein! It was like a huge light bulb going off for me. Our brain is most active from 2pm to 6pm.

We learned about grains and beans.

We received a great manual with recipes, our detox program sample and lots and lots to study. Kasia even prepared us a wonderful vegan meal for our lunch that day. I Tweeted!

We started with a raw green drink. I guessed many of the ingredients which is seriously my favorite game. She included kale, pears, spinach, ginger, lemon and apples. It was different but tasty. I'm adding mint to mine for my morning jump start.

She prepared a hot water, lemon and ginger mixture to sip with lunch.

The soup she served was so delicious I bought all of the ingredients and made it immediately. It was a curry, lentil soup with cauliflower topped with cilantro. We had black beans and rice and a sauerkraut and carrot salad as our entree. It was SO much food. I couldn't finish it. But again, our bodies need these type of carbs to help our brain activity in the afternoon. This concept was totally foreign to me. But thinking back to my Adkins diet days I remember always, always being exhausted and just wanting to go home to bed after work vs. working out.

Finally, she served these beautiful cardamom balls for dessert. They were completely vegan, gluten free and seriously so good. It was a big, great meal and a wonderful lesson.

Forgive me while I take some time to get back to a full and more balanced game plan. After a week and a half with no alcohol, no dairy, no wheat, no eggs, no sugar I seriously have more energy than I can ever remember. I'm not tired in the middle of the day. I haven't had COFFEE for over three weeks! My sweet husband keeps telling me how happy I look and that makes my heart sing. I'm SINGING all the time. At work, I'm dancing in the hallways. I'm ME AGAIN!!! I remember when my Uncle Johnny was dying he said to me, "Being sick is a full time job." I want my health to be a full time job. So in health I wish you all well!