So far So Good

I have officially lost 25 lbs since March 15th. Not too bad for a gal that is not trying just too hard. :) I have cut back on the sugar, not cut it completely though. I have also cut down on the caffeine.
Most importantly, I have started to move! Not homes mind you, but physically moving around as often as I can. I walked for 1 mile yesterday and half of a mile this morning. My goal is to do at least 1/2 mile daily.

I do feel better. I have more energy and I seem to be sleeping better. Most importantly, I am no longer achy. My muscles like me a bit more now. Muscles, like many organs and tissues in your body, love aerobic activity.

I am also drinking more water. This is helping with the edema.

My daily regimin of herbs and suppliments consist of the following:
1. A woman's multi-vitamin and herbal complex
2. PDA from Nature's Sunshie for enzyme and digestion
3. Master Glandular Formual from Nature's Sunshine for metabolic functions-we must support the hypothalamus!

On the menu for today:
Curry Tuna Salad with Greens

1 Large Package of Tuna in water
1/4 c Light Mayo
4-6 T of pickle juice (I use pickles made with Splenda)
2 celery stalks chopped into bite size pieces
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1 t curry powder (I use yellow)
salt and pepper to taste
2 hard boiled eggs chopped

Mix all ingredients together and let sit for at least 2 hours in fridge. Serve over lettuce greens. Whole wheat crackers are great with this! Not to mention a cool glass of lemon iced tea.

Great Food Tracker Site

There are a ton of food or calorie tracker websites out there but my personal choice is www.fitday.com
This site is free to sign up and it will also keep track of calories burned through daily activities and exercise.
You can set weight loss goals and even post daily notes in your journal.
It is so not easy to lose weight. Especially for those of us with a hormonal or thyroid imbalance. BUT it is doable and you can overcome this.

I will post more about my metabolic regimen in future blogs. It is working!!!

Blessed Be...

Dandelion Tea

One word-Edema. I have it bad. Cankles, swollen legs, fingers, arms, the works. It is always made 10 times worse with eating high sodium foods. No kidding. :) I know it should not take a rocket scientist to figure this out, but hey, I have my vices.

Enter dandelion tea. This not too tasty tea is not one I would consume for pleasure. At least not yet. My taste buds are still working. :) Besides tasting like a mud pie, the tea work wonders for water retention. One cup of this King of the Weeds and you will start to feel and see relief. Yes ladies and gents, it makes your trips to the restroom much more frequent. Essentially, this herb helps to detox the liver and kidneys.
Note: Due to strong detoxing effects possible side effects include gallbladder discomfort and possible kidney stones (if they are already present) So for you "stoner" people out there who suffer, I would not recommend.

Okay so after a night of eating cheese dip, yup, who moved my tea? I need some ASAP. :)

Blessed Be...

Ionic Foot Cleanse

About five years ago I was introduced to a detox method that was non-invasive and pain free. Not to mention it was cool to watch! A nutritionist friend of mine gave me my first foot cleanse. This is a method which utilizes ions within your body to pull toxins out through the bottom of your feet. To find a really good detailed description, please look at this site: http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4611270_ionic-foot-bath-work.html

My personal experience has been one of great relief. From gallbladder tenderness, joint pain, low back pain, sore muscles, even head and chest conjestion have been aleviated by the foot bath. The bath uses the power of electricity, not nescessarily chemical reactions. See here from ehow.com:

"The concept of positive and negative as it relates to the ionic foot bath is referencing an electrical rather than a chemical process. The ionic foot bath can actually be set to negative or positive depending upon the health of the individual and what that person needs improve their body's systems. The ionic foot bath when set to positive actually produces negative ions, and when it is set to negative it produces positive ions. "

Many patients and myself typically have more acid in their bodies thus benefit from a negative setting. I strongly encourage you to try a foot cleanse at your local health clinic or natural health spa.

These cleanses are very cost effective (starting around $25.00 per sesssion) and worth every cent.

Once I open my clinic, I will have several of these systems available and encourage each patient to receive a foot bath regularly.

The following are images I found online that shows the different stages of the detox session:

My last session was very interesting. I had a ton of heavy metals and my liver despirately needed to be detoxed. So what color do you think my water ended up becoming? Clear to black. Almost pitch black. And the heavy metal smell filled the room with a not so alluring aroma. Folks, this is not smoke and mirrors. It is science. It works and I would much rather dispose of these toxins out of my body instead of my poor liver trying to detox all of this junk itself.