Day 10. Feeling Good

My skin is starting to look a little bit different.  The pores on my nose are always noticeable to me and the last couple days they have become much less noticeable.  My skin is also smoother and there haven’t been any new breakouts despite the time of the month!  For years I’ve been trying to figure out how to prevent those pesky period chin and jawline pimples, but haven’t had much success.  I always get at one or two.  This time, NONE!  SUCCESS!!!!

People keep asking me what I am eating.  Today I had the Green Drink at 7am.  A banana at 10am, A Veggie and Tofu Phad Thai ( that i made with yellow squash, bokchoy, broccoli, tofu, and rice noodles) for lunch, pumpkin seeds and apple slices for a snack later in the afternoon and then a hearty salad with some quinoa mixed in and, my favorite, avocado, for dinner. And a vegan chocolate chip cookie for dessert.  I saw them at Trader Joes and I couldnt help myself!  No animal products! Though, it is packaged. I think each day I make it without cheese or bread is a success and I deserve a vegan cookie.  ha!

I miss butter.  BUT, I am down 6 lbs so far.  Its not my main goal, but I might as well keep track of that too just to see.

 

What your Face could be telling you about what you are Eating

What your face could be telling you about what you are eating and how your organs are doing:

Horizontal Lines above the Eyebrows could be caused by waste accumulated in the intestines.  This means you will want to step up the daily raw greens and cut back on the dairy.

Vertical lines between Eyebrows could be caused by the liver not removing all the toxins.

Bags Under Eyes could be caused by eating too many sugars and pastas. Removing processed grains and adding in more greens to your diet should get rid of those bags within a week

Circles Under the Eyes caused by Bread and Dairy in the diet.  Adding in the Green Drink and adding Milk Thistle to that should help the circles go away (unless of course you are over stressed or really tired)

Circles and Bags under the eyes could also be a sign of adrenal exhaustion.

Crows Feet – too much processed food. This also indicates that your adrenals are being over worked and that oyour body is acidic and imbalanced. If you are a smoker, stop! If you are drinking tons of caffeine, stop or cut back. The Green Drink in the morning would be a great addition to your diet.

Lines around lips, nose and mouth – These lines point to digestions. Not enough toxins leaving the body and not enough minerals and omega-3 fats being absorbed. Adding 1/4 cup flaxseeds to your diet daily ( in the GREEN DRINK!)

SO, what I’m getting at is the Green Drink will save your life.  Ha! Ha! Ha!  Its really a hard thing to change your entire diet, but its not too hard to add in one Green drink a day.  Another great Green daily Drink is this Glowing Green Smoothie – Find it here: http://kimberlysnyder.net/2009/07/11/green-smoothie-recipe/

 

Glowing Green Smoothie:

• 1 1/2 cup of water
• 1 head of organic romaine lettuce, chopped
• 3-4 stalks of organic celery
• 2 organic apples, cored and chopped
• 1 organic banana
• 1/3 bunch of organic cilantro
• 1/3 bunch of organic parsley
• Juice of ½ fresh organic lemon

Add the water and chopped head of romaine to the blender. Starting the blender on a low speed, mix until smooth. Gradually moving to higher speeds add the herbs celery and apples. Add the banana and lemon juice last.

 

The politics of Cheese

I’m interested in Nutrition in the way that it affects the body and educating myself on how to eat the right things to promote well being, good health, and beautiful skin.  I don’t get too into the politics of Animal Products, but I thought this article, from the New York Times, on how the government is simultaneously warning us of obesity problems in the United States and promoting the sale of cheese. They did and interesting marketing plan with Domino’s Pizza where they added 40% more cheese to boost sales. It worked. Now Domino’s is back in the game, but what about the consumers who, by eating this pizza and all this cheese, are getting more and more obese? This Marketing campaign was funded $12 million by an organization called Dairy Management.  What is Dairy Management?  Its a marketing creation by the United States Department of Agriculture.

So, consider this article a little ” food for thought”     http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/07/us/07fat.html?_r=2&emc=eta1

Day 7. Flaxseeds for Skin Care and Essential to Diet

I started with Flaxseed on Day 1, adding 1/4 cup to my morning Green Drink.  I didn’t have any problems and I think its one of those sneaky things you can add to anything.  I bought an organic ground flaxseed, but you could grind them yourself.  I wasn’t sure how effective my Magic Bullet would be at grinding seeds, but I’ll try it out.  I have to say flaxseeds are a great source of fiber! You will be more regular than ever!  This a good thing because it helps keep things from building up in your gut.

Flaxseeds and your skin:  I have been using flaxseed oil in skin care for the past 4 years.  I find that its a fantastic healing agent as well as calming down redness.  It is also great for dry skin and mature skin during a facial.  For at home use, I offer and Organic Locally made Rosehip Seed Oil for $22.  People who use it absolutely love it.  It makes a big difference in the overall appearance of the skin and keeps the irritating tight sensation away for those with really dry skin.  If you want Rosehip Seed Oil for your own personal use, I am happy to ship it to you, just call 206-682-2727.

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for normal skin and body function, however, they aren’t naturally produced by the body so they have to be introduced to your body through your diet.  Flaxseed oil can be applied directly to the skin to help lock in moisture and can improve a dry, dull complexion. The omega-3 fatty acids found in flaxseeds are also anti-inflammatory, which means they can help minimize redness and skin irritation.

Click this link for more information: http://thedermblog.com/2008/06/06/flax-seed-oil-and-your-skin/

Fun Flaxseed Facts:

• The Babylonians cultivated flaxseed as early as 3000 B.C.
• Flax was one of the most important crops to early American farmers, acting as a fiber and preservative that helped sustain the population
• Crushed flaxseed has been found to decrease the frequency of hot flashes in post-menopausal woman by 50%.
• The species name in the scientific name of flaxseed, Linum usitatissimum, means “most useful.”
• European emperor Charlemagne passed laws requiring the cultivation and consumption of flaxseed due to its culinary, medicinal and fiber usefulness.
• When adding flaxseed into your diet, begin using only one teaspoon and slowly build up to the intake goal to avoid bloating.

 

 

Day 6. I Need Recipes

So…… i decided to treat myself today and went to lunch at a vegan thai restaurant.  I’ve always loved this restaurant anyway so I was very excited for the mock beef.  It looks and tastes just like beef.  Delicious!  I wanted to order the whole menu, take it home, and stock up my fridge for the week.  BUT, that would be really expensive.  So, I decided I need to sharpen my cooking skills.  By the end of this I’m going to be a master at making thai and indian dishes vegan style!!!

My skin is looking really smooth and awesome!  My energy level is so low.  I gave in and drank black tea today. That didnt work, so i brewed coffee, but then i fell asleep while the coffee was brewing….. so, I think I’ll have iced coffee tomorrow.  I just can’t deal with this low of energy!  I’ll also add in Vitamin D and Iron supplements just in case thats the problem. I have to eat every 3-4 hours on the dot.  Its a weird thing.  BUT, i guess thats that what we are supposed to be doing, right?  ELMO – Eat Little Meals Often.  I think thats funny, but I remember it.

Day 5 Drink Your Greens

The magic bullet is the best thing ever!  I got one to make my morning Green Drink and I’m in love with it!!! The green drink is a blended mixture of fruits, kale and water.  Its pretty good despite the way it might sound.  It doesnt taste like kale at all.  It takes on the flavor of the fruit.

Green Drink

3 leaves Kale

2 bananas

1 fleshy fruit ( i like apples or frozen mangos)

1/4cup flaxseeds

1tsp milk thistle

water ( 8-16oz)

Day4 Sleep like a princess

Remember Cinderella who had to be home by midnight because her beautiful dress would turn to rags??

Every hour of sleep you get BEFORE MIDNIGHT is EQUAL to TWO hours of sleep AFTER midnight.  For reasons unknown to me, our bodies ‘reset’ at midnight.  This makes it very important to be asleep by then so that your body can properly repair and replenish itself.

I’ve been in bed by 11 and asleep by midnight every night this week.  I’ve been eating this clean diet and yesterday i was SO tired I could barely stay awake on the train ride home!  I went to sleep when i got home and slept. I was also hungry all day long yesterday so that was annoying. I drank tons of water, ate bananas, apples, pumpkin seeds, a salad, beans, rice, whatever i could eat. Today, I felt great.  I wasn’t tired.  I wasnt even hungry.  I just ate my usual meals.  I also felt a lot less bloated.  SO, maybe my body is starting to adjust. I hope so.  If my energy level doesnt go up, I might have to make an exception for black tea.

I posted Day 4 pictures of my face to flikr.  I can’t believe I’m putting these awful pictures on the web!!  Ha! Its all for the good of this experiment.  Its kind of fun coming up with recipes.  I roasted some red potatoes tonight for dinner and they are YUMMY!

Day 4. Left Side.

 

This side of my face is looking a little bit better.  The breakouts are no longer inflamed.  They are healing. ( but that could just be time and not what I’m eating)  One thing I have noticed is that my skin is less oily.  I usually have to re-apply my makeup mid afternoon because of shine that appears between my brows.  Didn’t have to do today.