Day 10 - Detox Diet (last day)

Whoo hoo!!  Today was my last official day.  Blogging is interesting, I think about what I might write all day, but when I actually get to writing, I am tired and not as inspired.  I was really afraid of a Detox diet, but it was not scary at all, I do feel better and would do it again (just not so publicly).  Today I added back dairy and eggs and tomorrow, I will add meat.

Breakfast

• Green Tea
• Scrambled Eggs with cheese
• Grapes

Snack

• Greek Yogurt

Lunch

• Tomato Rice Soup
• Cup of Fruit

Snack

• Carrots and Hummus
• Few pieces of chocolate (couldn't resist any longer)

Dinner

• Glass of Wine (couldn't resist any longer on this either)
• Gio's Salad with feta, craisins, walnuts, and tomatoes (It was Open House night at my daughter's school)

Okay so here are a few things that I learned for myself

1. I can live without meat,  I do not want to be a vegetarian (yet), but I will probably try to have a few days each week without meat
2. I like coffee, but tea in the morning is just as satisfying
3. I like wine at night, but juice/seltzer and some tea is fine too, plus I do not like the way my breath tastes  from drinking wine
4. There is not great time to try a diet like this....you just have to jump right in and do it.  I did try to plan it during a week that was not so busy, but life is just busy, especially when you have young kids

And here is a few things I am grateful for

1. My husband, who can cook and does cook.  Thank you for making meals for yourself and the kids so I could concentrate on my project
2. Everyone who encouraged me!  I do have a Pitta/vata personality and tend to be very determined and focused when I have a plan, but I really think anyone could try this (if they wanted to)
3. Friends who share their health tips, the more you know and learn, the more your world opens up

Thank you all for reading.  This was fun!

Day 9 - Detox Diet

Tomorrow is my last day of this diet.  Today was not hard at all.  The plan was to add back some grains, nuts, seeds and legumes.  And I had a nice Swedana Massage tonight (thanks Mom).  

Breakfast

• 2 scoops of water mixed with water
• Green Tea
• Puffed Rice with almond Milk, cinnamon and grapes

Snack

• Almonds
• Bagel with lots of seeds (Sales rep came into the store with bagels and coffee)  I couldn't resist.

Lunch

• Cup of Fruit
• Tabbouleh

Snack

• Carrots and hummus

At the Massage

• Trail mix
• Pitta Tea

Dinner

• Yellow Rice and Black Bean
• 2 Capsules of AdvaClear

Tomorrow I will add back dairy and eggs

Day 8 - Detox Diet

Today was not as well planned as other days of this diet, but I did okay despite my poor planning.  The plan today was to add back a variety of fruits and vegetables and white rice.  I woke up very happy to have new things to eat.  I do not like eating the same things every day.

Breakfast

• Puffed Rice with Almond Milk, bananas and cinnamon
• Green Tea
• 2 scoops of powder mixed with water

Snack

• Apple
• Green Tea

Lunch

• Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Balsamic Dressing
• White Rice (I almost had Chinese vegetables with this, but I just couldn't bring myself to eat it)
• 2 scoops of powder mixed with water

Snack

• Pear
• Green Tea
• 2 scoops of powder mixed with water

Dinner 

• Caprese Salad (I did eat the mozzarella cheese and small piece of bread, so technically that wasn't legal)
• Fruit Smoothie

Dinner was at The Big E........I wasn't too sure I could stick with this diet there, but we found healthy foods at the state buildings.  The kids had cheese flat bread pizza, and my husband had salmon on a stick.

Day 7 - Detox Diet

Today was tough mentally, not physically, I really wanted to just eat something else besides my choices.  I didn't though I stuck it out and now I am glad.  Now I know I can do it, but I am looking forward to adding rice back into my diet and more variety of fruits and vegetables.

Today I ate the same as Day 5 and 6, although at lunch I had steamed Brussels sprouts (I don't think I cooked them long enough).

Day 6 - Detox Day

This day was not too exciting for food, basically the same as yesterday except I steamed cauliflower instead of broccoli.  Feeling fine....looking forward to eating more foods again.  Writing this blog is keeping me honest.  I have not given into cravings.  Thanks for reading!

Day 5 - Detox Diet

Last night I did not bring in food to Foxwood....I ended up eating the salad and green beans and a few strawberries.  The dinner sure looked good, but going home it was nice having a light feeling in my body and not a heavy bloated feeling.

For Day 5-7, the Metagenic food plan is to only eat vegetables (like broccoli, cauliflower, kale,and Brussels sprouts), greens (red and green leaf, romaine lettuce, endive, or spinach), apples and pears, and apple and pear juice. Plus 2 scoops of the UltraClear powder four times a day.

I was not to sure how it would feel when I got to this day, but I think my appetite has decreased a bit.  I do not feel hungry.  I did time my week so that this would fall on the weekend and this coming weekend is not that busy for us.

This is what I ate today

Breakfast

• 2 scoops mixed with water
• pear
• Green Tea

Snack

• Apple
• Green Tea

Lunch

• 2 scoops mixed with water
• Steamed broccoli
• Spinach with dressing (Flax seed oil, water, Cider Vinegar, Dijon mustard, oregano, basil, and garlic salt)

Snack

• Pear
• Green Tea
• 2 scoops mixed with water

Dinner

• Same as lunch

After dinner 2 capsules of the AdvaClear

Day 4 - Detox Diet

My kids were so cute this morning helping make the food I would be eating today.  My daughter said it was for my "diabetes"....that's what she is calling my detox diet.

Anyway, I woke up this morning with red eyes and slightly congested on one side.  Then I open my email from yoga journal and it said that it is not unusual to experience cold symptoms as toxins leave your body.  My symptoms are very mild though.

So I did my stretches and neti pot and added nasal irrigation, which is putting a few drops of sesame oil in your nose and tilting back.  I tried to do the meditation, but I must admit when you know you have lots to do in the morning getting ready for the day, meditation is difficult.

Here is what I ate...(today's elimination was all grains and nuts, so basically just eating fruits, vegetables, and legumes.

Breakfast

• "Milk" Shake smoothie - Almond Milk, water, ice, 2 scoops of powder, pineapple and cantaloupe
• Green Tea with Honey

Snack

• Celery and Hummus

Lunch

• Spicy Black Beans and Tomatoes (very good)

Snack

• 2 scoops of powder mixed with Water
• Celery and Hummus

Dinner - I haven't eaten yet, but plan to eat another serving of Spicy Black Beans, if Foxwoods allows me to eat my own food.  I am going to a pharmacy banquet where my sister is receiving an award

At bed I will take the 2 capsules.

Day 3 - Detox Diet

I woke up this morning with a lot of energy and really have not lost it like I did yesterday.  I tried the Yoga Journal video and did the neti pot rinse.  Today I feel like I am sending my body to the spa, I feel a bit lighter and good.

Today the elimination was Wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kamut and corn, but I could continue to eat rice, tapioca, amaranth, millet, and buckwheat.  I really didn't feel that deprived today, since I really don't eat many of these grains on a regular basis....the food I at today had rice in it so there's some carbs.

What I ate.

Breakfast

• Green Tea with Honey
• 1 scoop of the UltraClear powder mixed with water
• Puffed rice with almond milk, bananas and cinnamon (this was really good)

Snack

• Almonds

Lunch

• Kitchari with Coriander Chutney

Snack

• Pineapple, Celery, Kiwi, Avocado, mixed with Pineapple Juice
• 1 scoop of UltraClear Powder mixed with water

Dinner

• Kitchari with Coriander Chutney

Plus I am drinking a lot of water each day and end taking two AdvaClear Tablets.

Now the day really was great, although at the end of the day, it was my Dad's Birthday and when I went into my parents kitchen to heat up my dinner......the dinner I was missing smelled really really good.  

Good Night and thanks for reading

Day 2 - Detox Diet

Wow, I can't believe how complicated this is and I really can't believe I am sharing everything I am eating.  It puts more pressure on me to finish this self-imposed detoxification.  I did not have such a headache, in fact I really didn't have a headache at all.  I felt fine for most of the day until I sat down waiting for my daughters hair cut to be over.  Ever since then I just wanted to go to bed.

This morning I tried a few of the Yoga Journal Exercises and Meditations, and did the self massage before showering.  For those of you who don't know me I have a four and five year old and I work full time.  This detox is a time to slow down and do less, however it's hard to ignore work and kids.  I am doing my best, but it's not exactly according to the plan.

Here is what I ate today....and today I eliminated dairy and eggs and started the powder Ultra Clear Renew.

breakfast

• Green Goddess Smoothie (Cucumber, Avocado, Banana, Strawberries, Spinach, one scoop of the powder, and cinnamon) and Green Tea

snack

• Almonds

Lunch

• Vegetable Rice Soup

Mid Afternoon

• Another scoop of the powder mixed with water and a serving of the Kitchari

After work

• Pretzels and Pineapple Juice

Dinner

• Pasta, Beans, and Vegetables and Pomegranate Green Tea

Before bed

• two Adva Clear Capsules

Tomorrow elimination is certain types of grains, but I can still eat rice....not sure I am up to writing every night.

Day 1 - Detox Diet

Okay, I finished the first day and it really wasn't too bad.  I had a little headache this morning, but I really didn't feel bad at all.  Here is the plan I followed:
Day 1
Eliminate all

• Refined sugars
• Caffeinated drinks
• Artificial colorings, flavorings, and sweeteners,
• Flesh foods (beef, pork, lamb, poultry, fish, wild game)

My eating plan was to combine Metagenics program and the Yoga Journal program, however I didn't get the day 1 e-mail for Yoga Journal till a few minutes ago, so I had to guess.

This is what I ate

Breakfast

• Green Tea with honey (this may have had some caffeine, but it wasn't coffee)
• Piece of whole grain toast
• Smoothie made with yogurt, OJ, wheatgerm, and frozen peaches

Snack - Strawberries and Green Tea

Lunch - Vegetable Rice soup (I had planned to make Minestrone, but realized I didn't have cooked beans) 

Mid afternoon - Kitchari with Coriander Chutney & Green Tea  (this was really good, from the Yoga Journal plan)

Another Snack - Apple

When I got home - Whole Foods Trail Mix, Pineapple juice and Seltzer

Dinner - Steamed Broccoli and Pasta and Bean Dish - Pomegranate Green Tea

Dessert - Tapioca pudding with berries

Now some of my choices may not have all been regulation (like Trail Mix, but better than potato chips), but usually I have coffee, some kind of meat and a glass of wine at night.  Tomorrow the plan is to eliminate all dairy and eggs and start a powder mix.  After dinner I took two Adva Clear Capsules, from Metagenics.

Prep Day for Detoxification

Today I did a lot of cooking in preparation for a 10 day Detoxification Diet.  It was fun and I will share the recipes later in this article.  My name is Beth and I am the one who usually shares article and post on the Granby Pharmacy page.  About a year and a half ago I read an article about Ayurveda medicine which is a form of holistic alternative medicine from India.  It is actually quite ancient and the more I read about it I was quite fascinated.  One of the suggested ideas was to try a Detox diet to cleanse your system of built up toxins during the change of seasons.  Now I had heard of Detox before but more in reference to when you are trying to stop taking drugs or drinking excessively.  I had wanted to try the diet last fall, but was not able to.  In the past year I have really made a conscience effort to eat healthier, exercise and have also started taking vitamins from Metagenics.   

Our Metagenics sales rep at the store is a nutritionist and has challenged us to take more vitamins and to try a detoxification diet.  When I decided the date I would try it, I also read on www.yogajournal.com that they were also promoting a 7 day detox diet.  So I am combining the two.  I am excited and I guess a tiny bit fearful that I will not be able to do it for the entire time.  I am excited to feel better and learn healthier ways to eat, but I am afraid of headaches, feeling tired and being hungry.

So anyway, in an effort to share my journey, I wanted to blog about what I am eating and how I am feeling.  If you have done this before, please share your thoughts.  I have found so much information from friends who have also shared their experiences.  And if you have never tried something like this, I hope it may inspire you to try and eat and live a bit healthier.

Link to the recipes from Yoga Journal.  I seem to be predominantly a Pita, so I followed those directions.

I am also going to make a Minestrone Soup. 

Social Media for Independent Pharmacies

"The term Social Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue." as defined by Wikepedia.

Social Media is a fantastic marketing tool for Independent Pharmacies.  It does take some time to learn the benefits, but for the most part social media is free or low cost.  I have found Facebook to be the easiest for our pharmacy to start with. 

You have to first start with a personal page and then create a business page.  To add fans, or the number of people who "like" you, start with your own friend list.  To add your customer base, put a sign out on your door or counter, maybe even a bag stuffer.  We also started to add the Facebook logo to our advertising. 

Once your page is started, you must add content.  Start with your store basics, address, phone, hours, pictures, etc.  Then start posting on your wall.  A wall posting automatically posts on the walls of people or business's that "like" you.  There are so many topics for an Independent pharmacy.  In a social relationship you get more when you give more--so don't just post advertisements and sales.  Give back to your community and fans.

Suggested Topics

• Community Events
• Health Tips
• Seasonal Advice
• Pharmacy Industry Information
• Independent Pharmacy Industry Information
• Sales
• In Store Events

Also "like" other businesses, government agencies and organizations.  They are a great source of information to share on your own wall.

I know a lot more about Facebook and would be willing to help other pharmacies in the network set up a page or just answer questions.  I have dabbled with Twitter, Linked In, YouTube and Blogger, but do not have enough knowledge to share yet on the benefits from these formats.

Beth Galloway
Granby Pharmacy