Isagenix, My Everyday Nutrition Machine June 26, 2009
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Ever since my big cleanse, I’ve been thinking it’s time to take my nutrition up a notch.
I’ve been shopping around for a daily cleansing system. I wanted one to augment my normal diet, clean toxins out-and take my fitness to the next level.
My focus now is off losing fat…it’s on building muscle. Which, of course, has lead to change from complete disdain for protein shakes to a sudden fascination with them.
So, how to combine a daily cleanse with the perfect shake system?
Enter Isagenix-a nutritional cleansing and wellness system.
It combines nutritional shakes, supplements and the daily cleansing liquid Ionix Supreme to not just provide nutrition, but to clean out toxins on a daily basis.
There’s also a 30-Day Nutritional Cleanse, which consists of two shakes a day plus a healthy meal and snacks, a 9-Day Nutritional Cleanse, and-best of all-a Total Health And Wellness program that adds shakes and supplements to your daily diet.
And-I’m loving it.
It’s like my spring cleanse, only better: lots of energy, plenty of focus, and best of all, I’m already seeing better definition in my calves and abs.
Isagenix is sold online, via direct marketing-and I like the product so much, I’ve signed up as an independent associate of the company.
A complete list of the products is available on my website here.
Meanwhile….watch for future pics and updates. I’m really thinking this system might have been the best fitness decision I’ve made.
Dirty Fun In The Mud Run June 8, 2009
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Suffice to say, my latest fitness foray has left my seven-year-old Sketchers a total write-off.
Today I was a willing participant in a charity run that takes the fundraising high to a down-and-dirty low: the Mud Run.
It’s an off-road and all-terrain course through the Claireville Conservation Area near Brampton where your major goal is just one thing: to get dirty. Very, very dirty.
Two river crossings, a mucky uphill slope and the grand finale of a huge mud pit all but guarantee it.
And it was the most fun I’ve had in ages.
My mud run buddy-a fellow FITmiss girl-and I first landed a couple of soakers, progressed to some slip-and-sliding and finally took a triumphant tumble through the thigh-deep mire of the mud pit. And we laughed the entire time.
It’s the most liberating thing I’ve done in ages. Getting down in the dirt, getting close to nature, getting your clothes completely destroyed-it’s one of the most freeing things the human soul can experience.
And at 5km through hilly, uneven terrain, it was one of the best things my body could experience too.
As for those seven-year-old Sketchers, which, if you do the math, lands them back in my fat years? I think a mad dash through a mud pit makes a fitting sendoff. Then again, after an intense dousing under a power hose. they may yet be resurrected.
After all, I’m going to need a good and worn out pair for next year’s Mud Run.
Couple Conundrum: We’re At Rival Gyms June 3, 2009
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My boyfriend and I have a problem: we are in love with different gyms.
What attracted us to each other when we first met, naturally, was our mutual dedication to health and wellness. We were both really pleased to find out the other belonged to a major gym, but shock! horror! alas! We both had pledged loyalty to separate sides of Toronto’s mega-gym war!
Simply put: I’m a GoodLife girl. And he’s an Extreme boy.
For those who don’t know, GoodLife Fitness and Extreme Fitness are arguably Toronto’s hottest fitness chains. It’s tried, tested and true GoodLife on one side, and brash and sexy up-and-comer Extreme on the other.
They’re both in heavy competition for the GTA’s fitness dollars, and now, they’re in competition for our boyfriend-and-girlfriend affections.
We’ve never been able to work out together. There’s other factors at play, of course: our schedules and our fitness goals and even our fitness levels. But, obviously, belonging to rival gyms is a big one.
One of us will eventually have to give. While I love Extreme’s facilities-besides being undeniably sexy, they also offer features that my gym doesn’t-I also love GoodLife’s people, instructors, and the fact that my home club is a mere five-minute walk from my place.
My boyfriend, though, loves Extreme for being-well-extreme, and remains unconvinced that any other gym could compare.
Sigh.
Like all couples, we’ll work it out someday. But maybe not without major fitness therapy first.
Weekday-Morning-Workout Foods May 29, 2009
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Sometimes the hardest part about weekday morning workouts isn’t “how will I wake up?” but “what can I eat that’s quick and nutritious?”
Early morning workout breakfasts need to be both packed with carbs and protein and easy on the stomach. They need to be quick, so you can hit the office by 9am. It needs to provide plenty of fuel, because you haven’t eaten in eight hours or more, but it also can’t weigh you down while you’re powering through a cardio routine.
Hit the perfect food balance used to drive me crazy. But after five years into my new lifestyle, I’ve developed a hit list of fast and nutritious early morning workout foods.
Whole-wheat english muffins with almond butter. Carbs, fibre and protein all in one, and best of all, it’s portable-great for when I’m running late and literally need to dine and dash.
Muesli “breakfast” pitas. A new discovery that I’m quickly falling in love with. Rich and dense and full of carbs-and ALSO portable.
Trail Mix. I learned not to fear and love trail mix on my cleanse. I usually go for a kind my bulk food store calls “harvest mix”-equal parts nuts and dried fruits. It’s full of protein and fibre and delightfully crunchy.
And yes….
The Flor-Essence “Power Smoothie” . Yes, the smoothie I drank throughout my cleanse that I initially loathed on principle, but grudgingly admitted I really liked it later. Yogurt, berries, ground flax seed, almond milk and banana….mmmmm. This one needs a little time to settle in the stomach, but if taken first thing in the AM makes a great pre-workout breakfast.
That’s what’s powering me through early morning spin classes and neighbourhood jogs-and gives me great energy for the start of my day.
What I Love About Summer #1: Early-Morning Jogs May 26, 2009
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What’s the best part about summer fitness? There’s more daylight hours to do it in.
One of the biggest complaints plaguing 9-to-5 types is that there’s no time to “squeeze in” a workout during the weekday. The solution that’s usually offered is to lace up your sneaks before work and exercise alfresco, thus starting your day off on the right, healthy foot.
Which, of course, doesn’t work in a Toronto winter, because right until about the time you need to leave for work, it’s still very, very dark. It’s rather a dangerous exercise environment, especially if you’re a woman.
But now it’s May, it’s beautiful, and it’s bright and clear at 5:30 am. And voila: I have the whole early morning available for a jog around the neighbourhood.
I was never really able to use the “it’s too dark to work out” excuse anyways, since my gym is a five-minute walk away. But weekday mornings ARE jam-packed and every precious minute counts. So I love that my workout can begin the moment I step outside.
And hey, out in the morning air, greeting the world just as everything is waking up, feeling the new sunshine on my face…it really is the best way to begin a happy, healthy day.
Annnnd Here Comes The Summer Social Season May 21, 2009
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…..so after getting royally gypped, weather-wise, for the 2-4, summer weather has at last arrived in Toronto!
And with that also comes one very important realization: food is social, food is communal, and food is at the centre of the way humans interact.
That is exactly why it can be such a challenge to stay in shape.
Case in point: when the people of Toronto were finally able to escape their concrete office towers and celebrate in the gorgeous sunshine yesterday. My friends and I, beaming ear to ear and reveling under the dazzling sky, quickly decided we had one thing left to do: seek out the patio and bask in the late spring air.
We sought the comfort of our fave spot, Kramers, and then checked out the brand spankin’ new patio at St. Louis…and then promptly settled down to daquiris, martinis, and brews.
I had meant to go to the gym and burn several hundred calories. Instead, I consumed several hundred calories.
OOPS.
Yes, the summer social season has arrived.
The thing is, I didn’t even really want any of the drinks (ever since The Cleanse, my cravings for junk have been way down). So why did I, then?
Answer: I wanted to be a part of the great rituals of summer. And somehow, it didn’t feel like I was taking part without a drink in my hand.
That’s the true reason why it can be so hard to choose the right foods: it’s not that we crave them, it’s that we crave being part of the indulgence. We crave the feeling of being just like everybody else.
Absurd, I know. I’m not like everybody else-my metabolism is awful-and I don’t want to be like everybody else. That’s something to remind myself the next time we all hit the patio and I need convincing that Perrier is enough.
Christie Lea Turns 30 May 14, 2009
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I’ve crossed that treacherous threshold, the one that’s come to represent the end of youth and the beginning of adulthood-on Monday, May 11, 2009, I became 30 years old.
And I couldn’t be happier with my place in the universe as I crossed it: fit, healthy, and full of the recognition that I have full responsibility for the way my life and body turn out.
And I couldn’t have been happier with the celebrations and friends who helped me usher the next decade in!
First, the private booth at C Lounge on Friday night. I’ve always wanted to do the VIP thing. Always. At it was my 30th so I said HELL, I’m doing it. Our own private booth, dancing all night long, dinners and drinks with friends new and old….it was a magnificent night.
And, for the Big Day? A one-day getaway with The Boy to Le Spa Scandinave At Blue Mountain.
Le Scandinave recreates the traditional Scandinavian bath ritual: hot bath, cold plunge, sauna or relaxation room, repeat. It’s in the open air, and it’s absolutely gorgeous and abundant. I’ve been dying to try it for more than a year.
And….I’m happy to say that I felt healthy and fit in my new Victoria’s Secret bikini. The hard work is truly beginning to show.
I wonder if what you’re doing the very moment your time of birth arrives affects what the next stage of your life will be like. Because as it happens, when I turned 18 I was riding Top Gun at Canada’s Wonderland…foreshadowing of the rollercoaster 20s that were to come, perhaps?
So I’m happy to say that, at precisely 12:21 pm on Monday, May 11, 2009, I was sitting under a waterfall of hot spa water under a beautiful spring sky, surrounded by flowers in bloom, completely taking care of my body and my self and knowing everything is possible for me this decade.
Everything.
Unsubstantiated Quackery Of The Day: Apple Cider Vinegar May 8, 2009
Posted by christieadams in Uncategorized.Tags: Apple Cider Vinegar
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Yes. YES. I know I’ve been a negligent blogger. It’s been for good and exciting reasons, however, involving my career-but I promise more updates to come.
Anyways. Ever since I did the cleanse, I’ve really gotten in to adding supplements of all kinds to my diet. Most are actual vitamins, so I feel sheepish confessing that there’s one in particular that I’m taking for superficial reasons alone: Apple cider vinegar.
As in a single shot of apple cider vinegar each morning. It’s so acidic half my face gets sucked inward and smells like my gym socks after spin class. It’s not pleasant.
But I take it anyway, because anecdotal evidence suggests it’s good for creating flat abs. It’s also a favourite trick of the stars for when they want to get their abs looking rock-hard.
Even I can’t believe after all I’ve been through that I’d attempt at dietary shortcut recommended by Cosmo.
But here’s the thing: after taking a (gag) one-ounce shot of apple cider vinegar each morning for the last month, my abs ARE looking much leaner.
And though there’s no solid proof yet that apple cider vinegar trims stomach fat, there is evidence that it’s excellent for regulating blood sugar and even for managing diabetes.
So I’m going to keep knocking back my daily dose of apple cider vinegar. At the worst, it will leave me in the same position as before.
Bottoms up.
First Resto Review: The Annex HodgePodge May 1, 2009
Posted by christieadams in Features.Tags: Annex HodgePodge, Health Food, Toronto, Vegan
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So there are perks to being a fitness blogger: last week I was invited to review The Annex HodgePodge, a Toronto resto with a promised menu of fresh, healthy and affordable food.
It also promised plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. Could affordable healthy food in Toronto exist? And, moreover, could carnivorous me eat a fully vegan meal and enjoy it?
In a word, yes.
Co-owners David Urbonas and Jenna Katz have created a scrumptious menu of homemade soups and delicious rotis ready to satisfy the discerning-and penny pinching-Toronto health nut.
David shows me to a seat in their cozy storefront-most of their traffic is takeout-and serves me a bowl o f sweet potato soup. It’s rich, creamy, and a steal for just $4.49 for a huge bowl.
Then he offers up a spinach salad with dried cranberries, slivered almonds, candied walnuts and Jenna’s secret dressing. It’s paired with a spinach lentil roti. The meal is unbelievably hearty and nourishing, cheap (less than $10) and except for the salad’s brie cheese-completely vegan. And I loved every bite.
The adzuki sesame roll and carrot ginger soup-HodgePodge’s signature-were also delightful and perfect for cool spring nights.
HodgePodge’s roti/roll deal is quickly becoming a neighbourhood favourite. At $15 for six rolls, it equals dinner for a week for less than $20. HodgePodge’s rolls are available in stores across the Annex, where they’re no doubt a hit with starving U of T students.
I finish off with vegan chocolate cake from Sweets Of The Earth. They have a much earthier taste than your typical dessert-but it’s a good one. And if that isn’t your thing, HodgePodge plans to start serving gelato this summer.
It’s true-there is affordable health food in Toronto.
And yes, it’s also true-I had a vegan meal, and I liked every bit of it.
The Annex HodgePodge is located at 258 Dupont Street (just outside Dupont subway station). Open 11-8 Monday-Friday, 11-4 Saturday, closed Sunday, 416-513-1333 .
Christie Lea: Going On 30… April 28, 2009
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A movie was on the other day that I’d completely forgotten about: 13 Going On 30 with Jennifer Garner.
Its reappearance was timely: in just two more weeks, I will hit the big 3-0.
In a word: CRIKES.
I guess I really am a grownup now.
The movie’s premise-where an awkward 13-year-old girl’s wish to be a flirty-‘n-thriving 30-year-old comes true overnight-had me recalling my own 13-year-old self.
What would that girl say if she could see me?
As far as awkward 13-year-olds go, I was as awkward as they come: pudgy, horrid self-esteem, and alternately wistful and sulky that I had not been born with the flirty, bubbly manner and long legs of many of my contemporaries.
So there’s many things about me that would have that 13-year-old delighted.
She’d be thrilled that I can wear miniskirts and tight tops at last. She would also think my public relations job, house in the city, trendy wardrobe, great circle of friends, hot nights on the town and tall, dark and handsome boyfriend were soooo awesome. Like, the most awesome thing in the whole world!
Actually, I really do have all my 1992 counterpart could have ever wanted. All of it. And that’s a good feeling.
She’d be dismayed about some things, of course. For starters, that I’m not a famous singer. Also, that bodysuits went out of style before I was fit enough to wear them.
And she might get stubborn and reject all the hard work and mental perseverance it’s taken to achieve all of these good things. I’m sure she’d just want to skip to the good stuff.
So, if I could, would I skip over all the teenage heartaches and twentysomething (tell me I did NOT just use that word) misfires to get to where I am now?
I appreciate everything I have all the more because I had to learn it to earn it. Thirty, Flirty and Thriving.
Skip that? Not for all the chambray in Smart Set’s Spring 1992 collection.
My 30th birthday arrives on May 11, 2009. I’m meeting it with all guns blazing.
The Biggest Challenge I’ve Ever Faced?Getting In Shape.The Next One? Staying That Way November 12, 2008
Posted by christieadams in Features.Tags: Christie Adams, Fitness, Weight Loss
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Welcome to Christie Lea Gets Fit!
Four years ago, I finally accomplished a dream that had eluded me since I was 13 years old: fixed my diet, stepped up my exercise, and became healthy and fit for the first time in my life.
Now, I’m facing an even bigger challenge: staying that way.
I’ve slacked off on some of my goals and picked up some old habits, and as a result, I’ve put some of the weight back on.
So it’s time to take my diet and fitness to the next level.
I’m going to examine where I’ve gone wrong in my diet, discover new ways to keep fit, and turn my body into the lean mean machine that I know it can be.
Along the way, I’ll share the tips and tricks I’ve discovered-and any advice is welcomed as well.
Follow me on the path to true health and fitness!
Christie Lea Needs A Good Belly Dancing Studio November 24, 2008
Posted by christieadams in Features.Tags: Arabesque Dance, Aradia Fitness, Brant House, Cheval, Mayada's Bellydance, Om Laila
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I’ve overlooked one of the more crucial forms of cardio I should be trying-and certainly one of the more
enjoyable ones.
And that would be dancing.
My best friend and I have been talking endlessly about taking a dancing class. After a workout session at her condo, she admitted she found cardio machines boring and said we should go for it.
There once was a time where she and I spent every Saturday night tearing up the dance floor of Brant and Cheval and, no matter how many drinks we’d had, would wake Sunday morning with rock-hard abs. All that winding pays off!
Now, of course, we’re growing up and being responsible and missing out on exercise we never even knew we were getting.
I love to dance. I’ve never had any formal training (I was far too stubborn and impatient a child for that to have been possible) but I have more rhythm and instinct than I first realized. And best of all, really intense dances-like salsa or belly dancing-are a workout in themselves.
So my BFF and I are going to take belly dancing classes. We love the beautiful movements-and the beautiful things it does to your abs.
We just need to find a good studio-or teacher-in Toronto. Some that I’ve considered:
Mayada’s Bellydance-offers a variety of levels and has been recommended by several people.
Arabesque Dance-more than just dancing, it offers the whole experience.
Om Laila-another one that has good word-of-mouth that we should check out.
If anyone has taken classes through these studios, or can recommend one I haven’t heard of, post it here!
And yes, I have considered Aradia Fitness-but that’s a post for another day.
Off for an afternoon walk…
The Fat Girl In Disguise November 25, 2008
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I originally published this in 2006. Sometimes, I still feel like this to this day.
A Milestone, Of Sorts: My First Skinny Jeans Wore Out! December 2, 2008
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I have achieved a special, but somewhat sad, milestone: my four-year-old low riders have gotten so old and
tattered that they’ve fallen apart.
It means a lot to me that I’ve been fit for so long, my first batches of “skinny” clothes are wearing out-even if it means I have to part with my first-ever pair of skinny girl jeans.
The pants in question are none other than the ones in my “After” picture: light blue, size 27 low riders from Garage (I was so used to ungrowing my clothes by then that I often bought them cheap).
I loved them-they made my butt look great, they showed off my freshly whittled waist and newly formed abs, and best of all-they were jeans that only really healthy and fit people could pull off.
True skinny girl jeans, in other words. I was so happy when I bought them that I actually went home and cried.
An added bonus was they were also remarkably unforgiving pants. If I had slacked off on my new routine even just a little bit, it would show in the half-inch of muffin top along the waistband. I started calling them my watermark jeans, because if I put them on and they looked great, then I knew I was meeting my diet and fitness goals.
They’ve been with me through a second round of school and back, to bars, nightclubs and cozy weekends home. Those low riders have seen many ups and downs-including the ones on the scale.
Alas, while my new lifestyle has (mostly) withstood the march of time, the jeans have not. Last winter, I caught them on a nail and ripped a hole on the hip. They started to wear out and fade and finally, just before my boyfriend’s birthday, the seam wore out in the butt and they ripped open.
People were surprised at how upset I was about it. But the jeans were special-my gold medal, my trophy that said “I did it!”
So I have to say goodbye to my beloved low riders. It will be hard. But it also means that I’ve been fit now for a very long time, and that there will be many more pairs of low riders to come.
When Did I Decide I’d Had Enough? Here’s One Reason…. December 7, 2008
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People always ask me when I decided I’d had enough of being fat.
A lot of them assume (and perhaps hope) that there was one Eureka! moment where I was magically snapped into
weight-loss mode.
The truth is, there wasn’t-it was a series of moments that finally evolved into the state where I wanted more than anything to be in shape.
That said, there was one incident early in the summer of 2003 that stuck with me well into that fall.
I’d ordered myself takeout from Swiss Chalet-home of the magic mystery sauce, and absolutely marvellous fries. I topped it off with a giant Coke and Vachon caramel cakes for dessert.
(What makes me cringe now is, at the time, I didn’t think I’d made too unhealthy a choice for dinner.)
Well, for whatever reason, a dry little crumb from those prepackaged little cakes went down the wrong tube, and I choked on it.
Not badly, but the kind where you cough and hack for a good five minutes until at last you can speak normally again. In the process of dislodging that miserable little processed crumb, I ran my throat raw and ended up sounding like Marge Simpson for the rest of the evening.
I guess a virus entered my poor raw throat, because by the end of the next day-and after a day as my then-career as a Toronto Blue Jays usher, I’d lost my voice completely.
And I didn’t get it back for two days, and it was a good two weeks before my voice and throat fully recovered. All from a little caramel cake that didn’t even taste very fresh.
The worst part was I was so humiliated that I’d choked on junk food, I told everyone I’d choked on a baby carrot instead. I could just imagine people’s reactions if I told them the truth :” Typical. The fat girl choked because she was pigging out.”
But then I started thinking about my own reaction. Of course it was typical that I’d choked on junk food-maybe I was eating too much of it. I’m a big believer in symbols, and the heavy irony of the situation wasn’t lost on me.
Why had I choked on the caramel cake, of all things, why not a chicken bone, or a piece of dinner roll? Why was I so embarrassed to tell everyone how I’d lost my voice-was it because I was mad at myself for eating so badly? I thought about it all that summer.
Looking back now, if I hadn’t had enough by then, my body certainly had-and it was sending me all kinds of signals to smarten up and eat right. I’m glad it did.
Believe It Or Not, It’s Easier To Stay Fit In Winter December 10, 2008
Posted by christieadams in Cardio Workouts.2 comments
Many of the weight-conscious people I know dread the coming of winter. They see it as a four-month (okay, it’s Toronto, FIVE-month) minefield fraught with snowbound days that make it impossible to exercise and chilly nights
met with hearty, pound-packing meals at every turn.
(and, some sheepishly admit, winter clothes conceal all the little bulges that are impossible to hide in summer.)
Staring down the barrel of my sixth (!!!) Weight Watchers winter, I can tell you that I actually find winter health and fitness much easier.
Summer is where I’ve always had a problem. People panic about Christmas, but in summertime, you’ll get invited to barbeques and patio parties every night of the week. You’ll whine that it’s too humid to go jogging (yes, we Torontonians have a comfort threshold between 15 and 25 Celcius). And then there’s my personal pitfall: I’ll be set to go to the gym and be lured away by friends promising margaritas on the rooftop patio. Ta da! Instead of burning 500 calories, I’ll consume 500 calories. It’s always a mess.
Winter on the other hand, can be much easier.
For one thing, people get a lot more incidental exercise in during the summertime. You’ll expend twice as much energy trudging to the subway because you’ll have to actually lift your legs up and out of two feet of snow. Scraping the ice off your car must be an easy 50 calories. And you can get a fantastic upper body workout shoveling the driveway.
For another, winter food may be heartier, but it’s often healthier than summer fare. Yes, the margaritas get replaced by Baileys and hot chocolate, but winter meals don’t seem to include bowls of chips and party mix.
Most of all, there are so many great winter sports that are so much fun, you don’t realize how much you’re challenging your body till you’re done.
Skiing, cross-country skiing, skating, showshoeing….they’re all extremely challenging. Then there’s my newest winter sport: snowboarding.
I’ll admit it. I’m a total ski snob and I turned my nose up in the air at boarding for years. I was finally convinced last year, however, to give it a try. And I’m glad I did.
Boarding is a constant balancing game. You’ve got to keep your legs and your core engaged the entire time, or you’ll tumble over. My abs and quads looked great by the end of the day-though my body didn’t, due to several wipeouts on-oh, so humiliating for an experienced skier!-the bunny hill.
It hasn’t quite replaced skiing in my heart, but I’ll be adding boarding to my winter repertoire for sure.
It’s easy to stay fit in winter. Like anything on the journey to health and fitness, you just need to push yourself.
Did I Mention I’m Hypoglycemic? December 11, 2008
Posted by christieadams in Dietary Updates.add a comment
An important little bit of information I’ve neglected to tell you, which always throws an interesting monkey wrench into my diet plans: I’m hypoglycemic.
Hypoglycemia (thanks to dear old Wikipedia for the definition) essentially means I have low blood sugar and too
much insulin. If my glucose levels get too low, or spike suddenly and then crash, I may pass out-as I did on a few occasions before we figured out what was up. In severe cases, hypoglycemia can cause seizures and induce comas; it can also progress into diabetes.
What does that all mean? In a nutshell, I have to eat frequent, small meals throughout the day. That means carrying a stack of high-protein, low sugar snacks with me at all times. Failure to do so can make me pass out-not a good thing if I’m in public-and before that, make me extremely irritable.
By “extremely irritable” I mean “total beeyotch”. My first sign that I need to eat something NOW is when everyone around me suddenly becomes unbelievably annoying. Then I realize it’s just me and reach for my food stash.
It definitely adds a wrench to the whole idea of weight management, though in the end, it can actually make the process easier.
Eating frequently means I never get too hungry. And having to watch my sugar intake-no, unfortunately, having an excess of insulin does NOT mean I get to eat all the refined sugar I want-means I have to make sure I eat a balanced diet that’s low in sugars.
Not surprisingly, though, I’ve also slacked off on carrying around a stash of “e-foods” with me at all times. So when my blood sugar drops, I’ve ended up buying whatever’s available to bring it back up-and sometimes packaged oatmeal cookies is the best of what’s available.
The point was driven home yesterday after attending a ridiculously overpriced “seminar” that was really a six-hour sales pitch-seriously, if any of you have signed up for a Peak Performance seminar, get your money back NOW-in which the organizers’ idea of “refreshments’ were pitchers of tap water. And I had shown up with not a Tic Tac to my name.
With my warning headache setting in-it’s a fuzzy feeling in the frontal lobe-I knew I needed to eat something, anything. A Starbucks yogurt parfait and cookie later, I’ve learned to remember my e-foods.
My goal for this week? Stock up on portable fruits, soy nuts, and proteins. I don’t feel like fainting in the middle of Christmas shopping.
I Did It-I Applied To Carry The Torch! December 16, 2008
Posted by christieadams in Uncategorized.Tags: Olympic Torch Relay, Vancouver 2010 Games
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I’ve done it. Thrown my hat in the ring, cast my line in the feeding frenzy, name your cliche: I’ve applied to be a
2010 Vancouver Games torch bearer.
And I truly hope I get picked. The Olympics are all about achievement and celebration of the human body-and what better way to drive that point home than to have a former fat girl carry the torch?
I am proof of what an amazing machine the human body is. Given the right fuel and plenty of ways to burn it, any body can become strong and powerful, lean and mean. It’s testimony to what it means to lead a healthy lifestyle.
I want to inspire anyone who has struggled with their weight-and who faces a daily battle against their metabolism and yes, their cravings.
It will be months before they announce the torch relay participants. I’ve pleaded my case, I’ve told my story-he’s hoping that the powers that be agree!
Weighing In (No Pun Intended) On The Whopper Virgins Fiasco…. December 16, 2008
Posted by christieadams in Features.Tags: Add new tag, Burger King, Eating Habits, Whopper Virgins
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I’ve got to throw in my two cents regarding the blogosphere controversy that is Burger King’s “Whopper Virgins”
campaign.
The Whopper Virgins campaign, in case you haven’t heard, attempts to deliver the ultimate blind taste-test: by sampling the Whopper vs. Macdonalds’ Big Mac to people who have not only only never heard of Burger King, but to people who have never even heard of burgers. Specifically, three remote villages in Thailand, Romania and Greenland.
Not surprisingly-except for maybe Burger King and its ad agency-this has North America in an uproar. After taking a look at the ads myself, I have to say I’m pretty disgusted too-though not over cultural exploitation, like many others.
I’m disgusted that Burger King would attempt to bring such unhealthy food to regions of the world where eating well is still a part of daily life.
We’re in an era where most fast food joints are improving their menus, by choice or by public pressure, and Burger King instead spends an insane amount of cash to foist its greasy delights on a whole new crowd of people.
It’s like they looked at the obesity rates in the States and, instead of being concerned that their product could be tied to such unhealthy lifestyles, thought “DAMN, we’d better find a new market FAST before everyone in America dies from eating our food.”
The only thing that reassures me is (despite the condescending narrative accompanying the ads) most of the villagers seemed wildly underwhelmed after losing their burger virginity. They also looked like they found the whole thing ridiculous, which is why I’m not up in arms about human exploitation.
Obesity is out of control in North America. Furthermore, most fast food places are under fire for it. Maybe Burger King should have cleaned up their act first before hauling greaseburgers to remote East European villages.
Think The CLA Is Starting To Work… December 15, 2008
Posted by christieadams in Dietary Updates.Tags: Body Combat, CLA
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…Both the good and bad news this week is my weight hasn’t budged.
I would be frustrated that nothing has changed, except for the fact that I’ve already had one large Christmas dinner (last Sunday) and a rather BIG indulgence night during our Christmas party on Saturday.
So the fact that the scale still reads the same-and did I mention that the party preparation made me miss Body Combat Saturday morning? -leads me to wonder if the CLA has begun to take effect.
It’s hard to tell, because I’ll be the first to admit I’ve been indulging myself.
But if it is, I find it reassuring. If my weight is holding steady despite these holiday treats, imagine the impact if I keep up my exercise routine and skip the Christmas treats that aren’t really that special anyways (I’m not a cracker person, so why did I eat so many just because they were in a red and green box?).
Spinning today and Thursday morning. This week? Take extra care, because from next weekend on there will be holiday temptations galore.
My Christmas Health Plan Part 1: Keeping Fit Without My Gym December 23, 2008
Posted by christieadams in Cardio Workouts.Tags: Christmas, Plyometric Lunges, Workouts
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At last, one of the most wonderful days of the year is nearly here-Christmas!
And like many people, I’ll be travelling home for Christmas. Home now, for me, is no longer Small Town GTA, it’s my parents’ retirement paradise in cottage country.
Yes, Christmas in the wilderness, surrounded by pristine snow, towering jack pines, rocky outcroppings and playful
woodland creatures right out of a Disney film-it’s a northern paradise, it’s perfect for Christmas, and I can’t wait to be there.
It has just one flaw: there isn’t a gym for 50 KM near the house.
It’s a scary prospect, I’ll admit, when faced with Christmas dinner and no gym to help burn it off.
Fortunately, there are plenty of other ways to keep fit up north using the natural tools all around me.
Here is my plan for staying healthy and fit during my Christmas holiday:
1.Snowshoeing. Think Toronto has too much snow already? Cottage country hasn’t seen the grass since sometime around Remembrance Day. And there’s easily three feet of snow on the ground.
Snowshoeing is a necessity, not an optional activity, at my parents’ place. So I’m taking it upon myself to learn how to do it.
When done at a steady pace, snowshoeing can burn hundreds of calories in an hour. And it’s a great way to take in the natural splendour of the north. It’s win-win all around.
2. The natural terrain. My parents must have had siege mentality on the brain when they bought their northern paradise: Its front yard is a 150-foot steep slope right down to the lake.
While it sucks in summertime if you get down to the dock and realize you’ve left your drink on the deck, it is great for the legs. During my summer visits I would run “relays” up and down the terraced path from the house to the water. 10 or 15 of those suckers, and you’d be ready to fall in the lake.
Relays won’t be as easy with three feet of snow on the ground, but the climb up and down will have extra resistance added now. All my energy will be focused on powering my legs. It should be interesting.
3. Gym workouts that can be done at home: A no brainer here. Even with all the Christmas cheer and extra relatives around, I should be able to find time and space for crunches, lunges, and arm curls.
My parents are fitness fanatics themselves, so they’re well equipped with an areobics ball and a set of dumb bells. Three sets of The Plank on my bedroom floor, a series of plyometric lunches in the front hall, and I should be good to go.
And now I must pack. Tomorrow: Navigating the food minefield.
Christie Lea’s Christmas Health Guide #2-Food December 24, 2008
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Merry Christmas Eve!
And before we embark on one of the happiest, food-filled days of the year, let me issue my holiday healthy food
suggestions.
And in the interest of full disclosure, let me say this:
Christmas, along with my birthday, is the one day of the year where I let myself indulge.
Why? Well, because everything that appears on the Christmas buffet table truly is a “ten”. It’s all exquisite, it’s all homemade, it all only appears at Christmastime.
I mean things like chestnut stuffing, gingerbread men, turnip puff, rum and eggnog and the piece de resistance, the plum pudding.
So I will indulge. I will treat myself. I will enjoy every bite. And then I’ll get back on the treadmill on Boxing Day.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas And Happy New Year! December 25, 2008
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I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year.
May all you days be merry and bright, may they all be filled with fun and fitness-and may you truly enjoy everything in front of you on your Christmas table!
All the best,
Christie Lea
New Years Resolution #1: Be Driven December 30, 2008
Posted by christieadams in Features.Tags: Resolutions
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Hello again!
Back from the winter wonderland that is the Haliburton Highlands-land of the silver birch, home of the dial-up, hence the lack of updates. Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas.
I’m proud to say that despite being literally snowbound for two days, I did keep my morning routine plans-dumb bells, crunches and plyometric lunges.
There’s less than 48 hours left of 2008 so it’s time for my New Years’ resolution.
For every year since 2003, my resolution has been the same: to keep doing what I’m doing.
That made sense in ‘03, when I’d lost over 12 pounds and was well on my way to my goal, and it made sense in ‘04, when I’d reached it, kept it, and was about to begin my postgraduate diploma.
It doesn’t work now, since I DON’T intend to keep shuffling along and doing an adequate job of keeping fit. Coasting is what I’ve done this year, and I have no desire to coast through my life.
What I want is to be what I was in ‘03 and ‘04: I want to be driven.
I want to have success in my sights, I want to know how to get there, and I want none of my own roadblocks to stand in the way.
I want to be driven. I want nothing to matter more than to achieve all my dreams-none so more than to be really, truly fit.
I want to be driven. So that is my New Years resolution for 2009: To be driven.
New Years’ Resolution #2-Five Fitness Activities I Will Master In 2009 December 31, 2008
Posted by christieadams in Cardio Workouts.Tags: adventure racing, Aradia Fitness, personal training, Resolutions, Workouts
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It’s the last day of 2008, and I want to set some fitness goals for next year.
If yesterday’s post was a general attitude for 2009, today’s is all about the specific things I want to learn next year.
So, to wit, here are five sports and activities I want to add to my 2009 goals.
Snowboarding-As I’ve said before, I’m a skier at heart but boarding is growing on me. It’s a challenge to “un-learn” some of the skiing habits that are ingrained in me, but I’m determined to become…well, perhaps not an expert, but a boarder who can at least make it down the bunny hill at Blue.
And, in order for carless me to get there, I’ll be getting more active and making more friends through meetup.com . There are several groups dedicated to city dwellers who love skiing but would have no way of getting there without the good graces of generous carpoolers. There’s already several trips planned-so I’ll have to get aboard one soon.
Belly Dancing-I love to dance and my usual cardio routines are getting dull. Plus my best friend wants to learn with me. What could be better than trying out a form of dance that is elegant as it is punishing to the abs?
We also haven’t ruled out pole dancing classes, because they really do look like fun-so we may be giving Aradia or Flirty Girl Fitness a call.
Canoeing/Canoe Tripping-I’ve grown up in the outdoors, I’ve spent summers in the north-and yet I barely know forward from backpaddling. A discrace!
I have many more opportunities to learn, though, thanks to my parents’ new home on a northern lake and their old fiberglas canoe. Meetup.com, again, also has several groups dedicated to beginner Toronto canoeists, so I can learn between trips to cottage country.
Or, I could suck it up and ask for lessons from my younger, Junior-Ranger-Canoe-Hauling-Lifeguard sister. Sigh. Guess 2009 is also about being humble.
Personal Training-After six weeks of revving up my fitness routines, it’s obvious that I’ll only meet my muscle conditioning goals with the help of a trainer.
I need the help correcting the tiny faults in my stance and lift that are preventing me from hitting the muscles I want. And-yes-I need the motivation of a trainer-even just so I know somebody will be watching if I slack off at the gym.
And finally:
I want to try an Adventure Race. Adventure racing takes place on bikes, by swimming, by climbing and on foot. It’s immensely challenging and fun, and I’ll need to get my form in top shape before I try it.
One is taking place in Toronto near my birthday next May. It sounds like an appropriate birthday goal, don’t you think?
So there you have it: five new fitness activities for 2009.
A Happy New Years to you, wherever you are!
Christmas Aftermath: And The Damage is…ZERO? January 5, 2009
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Since today is back-to-work time for me, it also officially means Christmas is over (waaahh) and I can officially assess the damage of the holiday season.
And that damage is….nothing?!
Scale this morning puts me at 141 pounds-which is what I weighed on December 5.
In the interest of full disclosure, I haven’t had any official weigh-ins since that time and it’s likely that my weight has gone up, and then back down, over the past month.
I know this, because my pants were much tighter a week ago. And after extra helpings of chestnut stuffing, plum pudding and gingerbread it really wasn’t a shock.
But I have taken care since then to hit the gym nearly every day and though I again ate and drank to excess on New Years Eve, it all seems to have balanced out.
What worked: Daily exercise, even if it was just a walk through the hills of cottage country, and sticking to my at-home fitness routines while up north, despite the lack of a gym.
Nevertheless, I’m disappointed to enter 2009 back where I was six weeks ago.
Let the New Years Resolutions begin!
BUT NEVERTHELESS: This week, it’s all about cleansing January 5, 2009
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I’m not going to rest on my laurels about my weight-neutral holidays. Weight gain or no, I’ve spent the last two weeks eating a heavy sugar-and-carb laden diet, with dramatic drop off in my veggie intake and a slowdown in my training regimen.
It’s simply not beneficial to my fitness goals. And, besides, it’s been my experience that it can take up to a week for weight gain to appear. I just may be red-faced about my no-holiday-weight-gain boast next Monday.
So this week I’m going to perform my annual post-holiday clean up.
Since Christmas is one of the few times of the year where I indulge, the first week of January is where I reign it all in. This week is all about being very strict: no treats, no alcohol, no refined sugars and no bad carbs.
I’ve found that this very disciplined week helps my body realize the onslaught of holiday food was just temporary, and that we’re heading back into healthy territory ASAP.
Wish me luck. But, to tell you the truth, I’ve eaten so many goodies over the last two weeks that I’m not sure if I even WANT to taste another Christmas shortbread cookie.
Why I Won’t Go Vegetarian January 6, 2009
Posted by christieadams in Dietary Updates.Tags: Energy Density, vegetarianism
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I’m willing to try several uncharted paths to fitness. Cutting out meat, however, is not one of them.
It’s something I’ve researched and, after looking the facts over, I do not think it has any benefit to getting in shape. Cutting back on meat, yes. Cutting it out completely, no.
I’ve already cut down on most “heavy” meats like beef or pork, along with meats that have been fried, breaded, or smothered in cream sauce. In fact, I really only enjoy chicken, fish and seafood that’s been baked, grilled or roasted. This has been my standard for years now, and these meats add the protein and fats I need to maintain my shape.
It is difficult, if not impossible, to make up for the healthy fats and protein that would be lost by switching to beans, tofu and legumes. Add in the loss of Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B-12, the latter only really found in meat, and you’ve got a recipe for weakened muscles and an unhealthy body.
Additionally, the ED of most beans and legumes can be very high and, while I enjoy soy nuts or chickpeas as a snack, they don’t provide me with enough to get through the day.
And….to acknowledge the elephant in the room: I see nothing morally wrong with eating meat.
Yes, carnivores should take care to learn where their meat has come from, and avoid cuts that come from factory farms. I buy only free-range meat or eggs. While there’s nothing wrong with raising animals for food, there’s something very wrong with abusing them horribly while they grow.
I feel humans are designed to be meat eaters (we have incisors for a reason, and it’s not to chew through undercooked lentils) and that we can only get the nutrients we need that way.
So I’ll happily keep poached salmon and roasted chicken in my diet-and I’ll happily enjoy the health benefits they bring.
Launching Resolution 1 of 5: I Start Bellydance This Friday January 7, 2009
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We’re almost one week in to 2009 and I’m proud to say I’m about to begin one of my five fitness goals. This Friday, my best friend and I will start bellydancing classes.
I have to admit I’m excited-and it feels good to be this excited about exercise. I’ve never taken formal dance classes
before, believe it or not, so this is something completely brand new. And bellydancing is such a gorgeous art form-and yes, I am looking forward to what all the graceful movements will do for my abs.
We’ll be taking intro classes at Hannan’s Bellydance Studio every Friday for the next six weeks. I’m hoping that means that, by the end of February, I’ll be on the road to getting my body back-and be ready to move to the next level of bellydancing classes!
I’ll give you my post-dance-class rundown each Monday morning. Here’s to me trying not just a new form of fitness, but a new form of art.
Bellydancing, Week 1-Great Class, Even If I Got My Undulations Backwards January 12, 2009
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That. Was. Fun.
Friday night marked the start of bellydancing lessons for my BFF and I-and it also marked my first official dance class ever.
Hannan’s Bellydance is a cozy studio on the second floor of Yonge and Eglinton’s shopping strip. But its mirrored walls are hung with colourful fabrics and instantly transport you away from Yonge n’ Eligible’s hustle and bustle.
There are about eight of us in the beginner class, all of different ages, shapes and sizes-it’s fun to see women from all walks of the world united by a love of dance.
And thank god our instructor was enthusiastic, warm-and endlessly patient. She’s fabulous.
As for the actual athletics of the sport-yes, your abs get a good workout. In fact, it’s your abs doing all the work.
Be it moving your hips, your ribcage, beginning a shimmy or an undulation, it all starts in the core. You’re feeling it by the end of the class.
And, of course, the strength bellydance gives to your core-not to mention that coordination required for dance benefits all cardio and weight training endeavours-means that bellydance is going to have an immense benefit for my workouts.
Our official homework for this Friday’s class? Five minutes of shimmying each day-rapidly moving your knees by using your hips to create the essential “bellydance” effect.
My unofficial homework? Practicing my undulations-thrusting the ribcage up and then waving the motion down through my hips. For whatever reason, I keep doing them backwards and rippling my hips upwards first. Ruins the effect. So I’d better practice.
My bellydancing goal? To master this first simple dance we will learn during the six weeks of the class-and then moving on to the intermediate level.
Is The Recession Causing A Rise In Unhealthy Eating? January 12, 2009
Posted by christieadams in Dietary Updates.Tags: Eating Habits, The Globe And Mail, Velveeta
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I suppose the recession made this inevitable:
The Globe And Mail is reporting a rise in the sale comfort and convenience foods-sales of mac n’ cheese, Velveeta and breaded appetizers are soaring through the roof.
People are trimming their budgets everywhere and I suppose it shouldn’t be a shock that the cost-cutting would extend to the pantry. When the axe is threatening to fall at work, t’s much more tempting to stock up cans of Chef Boyardee’s finest than to spend soon-to-vanish cash on organic herbs, broccoli and free-range beef.
And, lets admit it: much more comforting, especially if you’re a reluctant consumer of produce and unfried meat.
I suppose it’s good news if you have stock in Lipton Sidekicks, but it’s bad news for everybody else.
We’re only in the very earliest stages of a seismic change towards healthy, clean living. Obesity rates are still on the rise, especially in children. As recently as six months ago, there was still an intense focus on getting active and eating well. It appears that it’s now all about to come undone.
What’s frustrating, of course, is that The Globe’s report means people still think healthy eating equals expensive eating. It couldn’t be further from the truth.
A head of romaine lettuce or bundle of spinach is anywhere from $1 to $2-about the same price as a bag of pasta. So it costs roughly the same to serve ground beef with tomato sauce alongside greens instead of atop linguine.
Prepared, frozen entrees run anywhere from $3 to $5-about the same per serving as cooking it from scratch.
For whatever reason, though, people continue to believe it’s cheaper to eat unhealthy food and the recession is only likely to perpetuate that myth.
Which is scary because, of course, the long-range effects of a poor diet are much costlier-financially, physically and emotionally-than a healthy one.
Update: It’s Time To Practice What I Preach January 14, 2009
Posted by christieadams in Day In Review.Tags: Eating Habits, GoodLife, Weight Watchers, Workouts
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It’s been nearly two months since I launched this blog. And at this point, I’m really no closer to my goal.
Am I disappointed in myself? Of course. There’s one big habit I’ve failed to kick-mindless eating and snacking-and it’s acting as a barricade to all my goals. 
I’ve been making decisions and recommending solutions for seven weeks now-without ever thinking about how they work for myself.
So it’s time to practice what I preach. It’s time to make sure I’m stocked up with my power foods. It’s time to make sure I carry my e-foods with me when I’m away from the house or office. And when post-workout calorie deficit cravings kick in, it’s time to push through them instead of giving in.
Most importantly, it’s time to truly embrace the Weight Watchers program. It’s time to follow it to a tee, it’s time to make sure I attend a meeting every single week-and it’s time, I think, to post my daily diet here for your perusal.
I know I’ve taken some valuable steps. I’ve added spinning and belly dancing to my workout routine. I’m going to meet with a personal trainer at GoodLife soon to begin some one-on-one sessions. My fitness regiment is under control.
Now it’s time to control my diet too.
It’s time to practice what I preach.
The Bedtime Snacking Dead Zone January 15, 2009
Posted by christieadams in Day In Review.Tags: Eating Habits
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I think I’ve identified one of my big flaws: I snack, and snack mindlessly, in the hour before bedtime.
I do it right as the day comes to a close: I’ll have made healthy choices for my three meals and three snacks, I’ll have had a day full of activity and fitness, and I’ll be congratulating myself on a job well done. And then….
…..half an hour later, and I’ll have downed buttered bread, some squares of chocolate, a nibble or two of my roommate’s ice cream. It’s all half-thought of nibbling, often done while standing in the kitchen, and it’s been adding anywhere from 100-200 extra calories to my day.
I think the only excuse for it (such as it is!) is that I get cocky. Or I feel I deserve a reward for being so “good”. Or that I’ve been “good” all day so one little cookie won’t hurt.
And then I mope about making no progress on this blog!
Why do I have this attitude? I think my “congratulations” to myself says it all. Instead of viewing my healthy lifestyle as my ONLY lifestyle, I’m viewing it as a game to be won…and whatever happens after “doesn’t count”.
Except it does, and it looks like I need to accept that all over again.
And remind myself that the “reward” is my Guess low riders fitting properly again!
Stay Tuned: My Life May Be About To Take A Whole New Turn… January 22, 2009
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Please excuse the complete lack of updates, folks. Life in the past week has taken an interesting turn.
Don’t worry, it’s for the better, and if it continues along this path, it will be for the very very best.
I can’t tell you much now, but I can tell you that I might be embarking on a new career project that not only fits my day job ( public relations) but is a perfect synergy with my health, wellness and fitness goals.
In other words, it could be the work-life synergy of a lifetime. Sorry. I just like saying synergy. Who doesn’t love Synergy? Truly, no one was as truly outrageous as her. But I digress. ( And my nerd slip is showing.)
Stay tuned!!!
And Now I Can Tell You: I’m Working For insideout Health and Wellness! January 28, 2009
Posted by christieadams in Features.Tags: insideout, personal training
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Yes, darlings, I’ve achieved the ultimate work-life balance.
I’ve officially joined the fine folks at insideout Health and Wellness as their new Communications Director.
The team at insideout-lowercase “i”, if you please-is doing fantastic things in the Leaside community. Their focus is not just on healthy activity, but on healthy living-inside and out.
Hence why they’ve gone beyond the traditional cardio-and-weights setup in the studio to also offer nutrition consulting, yoga, pilates and dance, and massage therapy available on-site.
insideout is also heavily focus on kids’ fitness and health-crucial when child obesity rates are soaring-and corporate health and wellness as well.
And its these great people who are going to give me the final push I need to reach my goals.
From now on, I’ll be training with their staff-starting with the wonderful Lisa-and marking my progress in these pages. And coming soon, you’ll be able to catch my progress on the insideout website: www.insideoutstudio.ca .
There’s still more changes coming to my professional life-and it all must be kept secret so I can’t tell you right now!-but my new career path will have me creating communications for the health and fitness world.
It’s a perfect synergy-and it’s all I could have hoped for!
And Here They Are: My Official “New Before” Shots January 31, 2009
Posted by christieadams in Cardio Workouts.Tags: insideout health and wellness, personal training
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Alright, folks, I’m being brave: I’ve officially begun training, so here, in all its unedited glory, is what I look like right now:
What do these photos reveal, other than my hair really needs a trim and that I forgot to wear gym socks?
I carry the majority of my weight on the abs and hips. In fact, I think ALL the weight I’ve gained back is on the abs and hips.
I have to admit, it’s a bit of a shock to see these. * It really drives it home how much I’ve slacked off-and let some bad habits return.
But on the other hand, it gives me a set starting point and some sharply defined (if only my abs were still the same) parameters to work with.
My trainer, Lisa, and I also took some measurements and that actually makes me happy in an odd way.
My one regret about my fitness journey is I never took any measurements when I first started out. I can’t tell you how big my hips were or how wide my thighs used to be-though I can certainly go by the size 36 Fat Jeans still sitting in my closet. (Yes, I have my Fat Jeans and yes, I’ll pose for the classic Skinny Person Proudly Displaying Their Old Jeans picture).
So now I have measurements-I left them at the studio so I’ll have to post them later-and, to quote a Weight Watchers staffer from long ago, I’m not worried because that’s the last time I’ll ever see those numbers.
*For the record: NO, I DO NOT THINK I AM FAT. And I’m not about to go on a diet of celery and Tic Tacs either. What I DO know is I have rediscovered some very poor eating habits, slacked off on some excellent fitness habits, and allowed the self-damaging of a hard and hard-won body. That’s why I’m unhappy-and that’s why I started this blog in the first place!
A Missing Piece Of The Puzzle-And A Shameless Plug Alert February 3, 2009
Posted by christieadams in Dietary Updates.Tags: insideout
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Today will be Day Three of training at insideout, which is fine by me.
I have to say, I love working in such a positive, happy environment-it makes you WANT to better yourself well, inside and out.
I’m also in the middle of organizing one of my first events for insideout, and I’m pretty excited about it, actually. Why? It’s going to help me solve a missing piece of my Get-Fit puzzle: we’re hosting our first nutrition seminar of 2009 at our studio this Saturday.
“Nutrition For Every BODY: Eat Right For Your Type” is basically Nutrition 101: what’s healthy, what’s not, and what’s
best for endomorphs, ectomorphs, mesomorphs and everyone in between.
It will show everyone healthy and wise-and yummy!-choices to help you eat well each day.
We’ve got a fantastic nutritionist, too: Cristina Guguliemi is bright, approachable and best of all, knowledgeable.
This will help me solve the food part of my puzzle. I’ll admit, folks, I’ve preached healthy choices here in my blog, and yet I haven’t truly acknowledged them for myself. My attitude has been “I know, I know….where are the granola bars?”
Anyways, if you live in Toronto I highly recommend you join us this Saturday, February 7 at 1:00pm in Leaside. It’s a full hour of nutrition how-to, and it even leaves time for your morning chores and your evening events.
It’s $8 in advance, or $10 at the door-space permitting. We’re expecting to sell out so RSVP to ensure you have a spot!
You can do so by calling (416) 849-4765 or mailing info@insideoutstudio.ca.
Or check out our event listing on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=61005740129&ref=mf
And, for that matter, insideout’s group page on Facebook:
Personal Training Update #1-Hitting Below The Belt February 4, 2009
Posted by christieadams in Cardio Workouts.Tags: Hannan's, insideout, personal training
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I’ve decided the mark of a good personal trainer is how much you’re swearing at her by the end.
I’m three sessions in on my new legs-and-core regimen with Lisa, and she may be the best thing that’s ever happened to my quadriceps.
At least that’s what I keep telling them. They’re not too happy with her right now. Why would they be, when they’ve been worked harder this past week than they have been in a whole year?
After a long discussion about my weight goals, Lisa and I both agreed to target my lower body more than my upper body. As these pictures show, my upper body really doesn’t carry much excess fat (though, of course, my arms have lost some of their definition after a year of neglect). In fact, the lovely Amelia of Hannan’s declared “You have a very nice upper body” at our last class. Get below the natural waistline, though, and things start to happen.
Solution? Lots of leg and core training done in multiple reps with few breaks in between. It means lots of balance work on the ball and on the BOSU, and lots of squats and runs.
Lisa also introduced something brand new to me: the ladder.
It’s no more than a rope ladder laid flat on the floor, like an elaborate hopscotch. You can’t be fooled by its innocent appearance, though: the ladder means moving lateral sets of planks, push ups, burpees and hops. Several sets. Back and forth. Many times over the span of an hour.
My legs are screaming by the end. My quads feel like Jell-o. And it’s the best. feeling ever. I both fear the ladder and cheer at the sight of it.
As for Lisa herself? She’s bright, she’s encouraging. She also keeps up a relentless pace and makes me push harder each time. I want to clobber her at the end of each session. And that’s why she’s an excellent trainer.
Results yet? It’s only been a week, so I know better than to look for them.
But I do FEEL better.
Bellydancing, Week Four: Mastering The Figure Eight February 9, 2009
Posted by christieadams in Cardio Workouts.Tags: abdominal exercise, bellydancing, Hannan's Bellydance
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I’m really growing to love bellydancing.
I love the sensuality of the moves, I love the music. I love the jangly hip wraps that sparkle with shiny gold coins. I covet a full bellydancing outfit, though I am many, MANY lessons away from being able to move well in one.
But most of all, I love that I’m having fun working out again.
And it is a bigger workout than it looks. Sure, it may not be intense aerobic activity (at least not at the beginner level). But to make a fluid transition from one muscle group to the next in the core-which creates the elegance that bellydancing is known for, and which looks so damn easy when a pro does it-requires incredible muscle control and strength.
One of the toughest moves for a beginner is the “Figure Eight”-twisting and undulating the hips in a figure-eight motion. As with everything in bellydance, it’s much tougher than it looks.
Not only does it require a simultaneous twist of the core while shifting your weight from one hip to the next, it all must be done with your feet flat on the floor. This means the only way to complete the figure-eight is by using your lower core muscles-a challenge if they aren’t as strong as they could be.
It’s certainly been a challenge for me, because I have to fight my body’s natural urge to lift my feet because it makes the job easier. For the last two weeks, my figure eight has looked more like an awkward hip shuffle.
But this week, I’ve finally gotten the hang of it. It looks so lovely. And it works the lower abs tremendously.
I’ve been having fun practicing the figure-eight while I’m going about the house. My boyfriend likes it. I must be doing it right.
My core is feeling much stronger than a month ago-especially with the addition of personal training-and I’m having fun taking dance lessons for the first time ever.
My best friend and I are signing up for the next session. Who knows….we may get brave and join the spring recital.
Our Nutritionist Speaks-And My Pantry Gets An Overhaul February 9, 2009
Posted by christieadams in Features, Uncategorized.Tags: Eating, insideout, Nutrition
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So insideout held its first nutrition seminar on Saturday, and it was probably the best hour we all could have spent this weekend.
Christina Guglielmi, our nutritionist, spent an hour taking us through a set of ten nutrition goals that will help everybody-and every BODY- get healthy inside and out (see what I did there?…hahaha..ha.)
Much of it I already knew-but, I’ll admit, much of it I hadn’t really accepted. Hearing it from the proverbial horse’s mouth, though, helps drive it home.
So which of the Goals do I need to address?
The first Goal is a positive one: “Eat Balanced Portions of Macronutrients” : Proteins, Carbohydrates, and Fats.
These are the bodies’ “building blocks” and, after Saturday’s seminar, it’s clear that I haven’t been eating enough of them.
I know this, because what I’ve been eating instead-especially at snack time-are simple carbs and refined sugars like granola bars and oatmeal cookies-and often worse.
That flies directly in the face of another of the Ten Goals: “Avoid Refined Or Processed Foods”. Sure, I don’t eat fried food anymore, butiIt was a sobering realization to look in my cupboard and count how many things have ingredient lists 20 items long and full of names I can’t pronounce.
Unfortunately, this means I have to limit the baked goods and breads I have a weakness for.
Fortunately, it means I can add more of the things I enjoy: salmon for Omega-3 fatty acids, dark leafy greens and sea vegetables (an excuse to splurge on seaweed salad each Friday) and almonds and high-fiber complex carbs.
The big one: “Address Unhealthy Eating Habits”. My biggest one, and the biggest hinderance to reaching my goals, is mindless snacking right before bed.
I’ll go on nighttime benders of eating food-often just for the sake of eating it. So this goal is the one I need to meet. Even if I succeed at the other two, it will be for naught if I eat when I’m not hungry!
So out with my granola bars and cookies. In with eggs for each morning and smoothies for lunchtime. It’s going to be hard at first. But I’m determined to succeed.
Finally We’re Getting Somewhere: Definition Is Returning To My Arms February 10, 2009
Posted by christieadams in Cardio Workouts.Tags: personal training
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Breakfast: Fried egg
Organic mocha yogurt
Apple
Snack: Earl Grey tea with milk and honey
Whole grain toast
You can call it too soon. I call it a welcome relief after three months of plateaux.
I’m only a few weeks into personal training, but my arms and shoulders are returning to top form.
I first noticed it on Saturday, during a session after our nutrition seminar. Lisa had me doing squat-and-arm-curl combo and as I watched my form in the mirror, I realized my arms were no longer fleshy tubes. No, there was a definite curve in my upper arm, curving as a proper bicep should.
Then on Sunday, during boot camp, the same thing happened: I was watching my form and noticed you could actually see my shoulders and delts flexing and contracting.
Delighted? Beyond delighted. It’s not what it was before but it means it’s on the road again.
There’s a long way to go, but I’m more encouraged than I have been in months that I’ll get there.
Valentine’s Day, Or, Coping With A Woman’s Right To Chocolate February 12, 2009
Posted by christieadams in Dietary Updates.3 comments
It’s T-Minus two days to the day that everyone either loves to love or loves to hate: yes, it’s Valentine’s Day.
I’ll confess to being in the former group. I’m a hopeless romantic at heart (see what I did there?) and I love the whole schmoopy, schmaltzy ceremony of it all: candlelit dinner, romantic presents, flowers and frills and the heart-shaped box of chocolate.
Ah yes, the chocolate.
Now seems like the perfect time to discuss women’s love/hate relationship with chocolate.
It gets even worse every time any celebration comes up-and especially on February 14, when all those pretty pink satin boxes start appearing in every store.
This is now my sixth (!!!) V-Day since I adopted a healthy life, and I’ve spent them both single and moping and happily attached. In either case, given my extreme feelings about Valentine’s Day, I’ve had the overwhelming urge to either stuff my face in self-pity or blissfully gorge on Aztec gold.
So what’s a healthy-minded woman to do? Especially when you really want one of those silly chocolate boxes just because it’s so romantic?
Planning for the indulgence is a must, of course. But, fortunately, there are healthy options that exist.
Most women have gleefully noted that’s there’s plenty of evidence that we actually need chocolate-and that a little bit is actually good for you. True (hurray!) but be sure to read the fine print: the miracle chocolate in question must be at least 70% cocoa and the serving size is no more than a mere 1,5 square a day.
Fine. So have your sweetie (or treat yourself) get you some dark chocolate-and in a small serving. Dark chocolate is rich in flavour and a little goes a long way.
Or get them individually wrapped. You’ll be less likely to slip into the mindless-eating cycle if you have to unwrap each square.
If you must have a milk chocolate, creamy-centred indulgence, a small box of rich, delicately crafted truffles is a better option to a whole box. Again, the serving size is small, the taste is rich, so you’ll take your time finishing the whole box.
As for me? I will be having a romantic Valentine’s weekend with my man. He has been a huge support for my health and fitness goals. So he’ll spoil me, but he won’t tempt me with a satin box full of milk chocolate.
Yes, I guess I should be happy about that.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Spring Cleansing At insideout February 25, 2009
Posted by christieadams in Dietary Updates, Uncategorized.Tags: Cleanse, insideout
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Nobody in Toronto wants to jinx anything, but it’s late February and we’re getting signs that spring could be, might be, not far off.
(And now I’ve jinxed it. I apologize in advance for any first-of-spring snowstorms).
So it’s a good time for me to start something I’ve been considering all the long winter: a full-body cleanse.
Cleanses, for the uninitiated, help your body get well on the inside. Through the use of supplements, usually in pill or tea form, those on a cleanse can purge the body of toxins and emerge healthier-and, potentially, a few pounds lighter.
Cleanses usually involve a special diet-fruits, veggies, lean meats and no processed food-and the programs can last anywhere from a week to a month.
I’m weighing my options about how and where to begin. Do I go for the full-on onslaught-purgative teas, cleansing systems and all-or do I simply choose to eat clean? And how long should I cleanse for?
I’m daunted by some of the systems out there. Some cleanses last for 25 days or more and, as much as I wish I could, I don’t know if I could go an entire month without my favourite treats, breads or a glass of wine with Friday dinner.
I’m comforted by the fact that several insideout people are starting cleanses too. I’ll be checking in with most of these good people to choose the cleanse that suits me best-and we’ll be able to support and encourage each other every step of the way.
Meanwhile, if anyone can recommend a good cleansing system, post it here.
Tentative start date? March 1. Stay tuned.
Flor-Essence Cleanse: End Of Day 1 March 3, 2009
Posted by christieadams in Uncategorized.Tags: Cleanse, Flor-Essence, Weight Watchers
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24 hours into my 25-Day Flor-Essence cleanse, and I’m too curious about what’s happening to mind the hunger and
the cravings.
I really do want the whole experience, and I want the Flor-Essence tea to work as it should. So I’ve followed today’s suggested meal plan nearly down to the letter, taken great care to prepare my tea with unflouridated water (more on that later) and, right now, am pushing through my usual bedtime sugar-’n-carbs craving.
Funny how Weight Watchers alone was enough to make me do that before. Following this cleanse feels like when I first joined WW, in fact: I have the same curiosity and drive.
Speaking of WW, here was today’s meal plan:
-Power Smoothie (Rice milk, yogurt, frozen fruit, banana, flaxseed)
-Apple and Raw Almonds
-Hard-boiled egg on mixed greens
-Steamed veggies on brown rice
Each morning is started off with a glass of lemon water, followed by the Flor-Essence tea and then breakfast half an hour later. Each evening is ended with a second cup of the tea.
This morning was particularly yummy-the afternoon, not so much. I like the “Power Smoothie” a lot. The afternoon’s meal of veggies on veggies, though, was trickier. Carb cravings tend to hit in the afternoon, and it’s extra hard to push through them when you know you’re only allowed spinach.
And being hypoglycemic, my morning snack wasn’t enough. I had to add another serving of almonds in the afternoon.
Still, I didn’t notice a big difference until my evening spinning class. I was much weaker than usual, which I was expecting. I wasn’t expecting the weird reaction when I started to sweat, though. Every pore felt like it was purging-toxins? Residue? I’m not sure. It was definitely strange-but good strange.
I’m feeling lighter and hyper-aware of everything my body is doing right now. My sugar cravings feel almost superficial, like a whim and not a need. Same thing for snacking for the sake of chewing.
The tea itself has a woodsy, medicinal taste that’s neither good nor bad-it just is.
That’s not to say I’m not hungry. I am and I wish I could eat more. So I’m off to bed-I’m curious to see what the morning will bring.
My Ingenious De-Fluoridation System…. March 3, 2009
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The Flor-Essence cleanse presents one problem: the tea, and all other beverages, must be made with unfluoridated water.
That’s a bit of a hurdle in Toronto, where all our tap water has been fluoridated.
I already only drink water from a Brita filter, but that won’t remove the fluoride. It’s too expensive (and wasteful) to spend a month drinking bottled water either.
So what to do?
Solution: a makeshift fluoride removal system.
Apparently, if tap water is left standing for 24 hours, preferably over a heat source, the fluoride will evaporate. So I’ve been getting my water through the following steps:
1. Fill a Brita jug full.
2. Once the water has filtered, pour it into a glass jug.
3. Place the jug on a heat register (or warm space) and let sit.
4. THEN wait 24 hours and use in Flor-Essence tea.
It doesn’t matter that the water is warm, since it’s just going to be heated anyway, and boiling the water gets rid of the “stale” taste.
It’s a labour-intensive process, sure. I feel a bit silly carrying a jug of water from my room to the kitchen, true. But since fluoridated water apparently reduces the efficacy of Flor-Essence by half, it’s worth the temporary inconvenience.
Now, I just need to get my roommates to stop laughing at the water jugs all over my room.
Spring Cleanse Day 2: I Want Candy March 4, 2009
Posted by christieadams in Uncategorized.Tags: Cleanse, Cravings, Flor-Essence
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So I got through my first day with very little difficulty. Then today, the sugar cravings hit.
Hard.
I was warned that the first five days of a cleanse are the hardest, and now I know it’s true. One day without sweets was a novelty for my body; now, it’s just saying “Um…hey, joke’s over, can we have some chocolate now?”
The cravings were exacerbated by the fact that today’s menu contained virtually no sugar at all-not even fruit:
-Soft boiled egg on toast (in my case, poached on Ezekiel bread)
-Trail mix
-Toast with goat cheese and carrots
-Whole wheat pasta and veggies
On the plus side, today was a complete carb bonanza, which made me happy. I see why fruit was cut from the menu-the minimal sugars in the bread and pasta were supposed to suffice.
Whatever the case, by 2pm I wanted sugar BADLY.
There was nothing to do but push through the cravings, and I’m glad to say I did. Well, for the most part: I got hungry and couldn’t face another handful of trail mix, so I had an apple.
It was either that, or make a mad dash for the corner store and the first chocolate bar I could get my hands on. Still, I’m a bit disappointed in myself. Who knows what reaction I might be feeling if I’d just noshed down a few more sunflower seeds?
At least I got past the desire for candy. Tomorrow: I get another Power Smoothie for breakfast AND fruit for my snack. That should keep the sugar munchies away!
Day 3: On The Threshold March 5, 2009
Posted by christieadams in Uncategorized.Tags: Cleanse, Eating Habits, Flor-Essence
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I was warned that the third day is where it gets hard. Part of me is ready to throw in the towel-and part of me is raring to push forward.
It was very difficult today. It goes beyond battling the sugar cravings: the Flor-Essence tea itself is starting to kick in.
I feel light-headed and so do my limbs. When I sweat, it feels like every pore is open and purging. And, well, lets just
say what Flor-Essence politely calls “elimination inconsistencies” are starting to occur.
There are two warring factions in my head. One is screaming that this is all so stupid, and what am I going through all this for?! And the other is saying to keep going, that I’m about to discover the wonderful things my body can do.
If you want to be spiritual, the Ego is at war with the Self.
At least I’m not hungry tonight, sugar cravings or no. Here’s what I got to eat today:
-”Power smoothie”….WITHOUT the supplement Flor-Essence keeps relentlessly plugging.
-Apple and crackers and walnut butter….modified to a single slice of Ezekiel bread and almond butter. Tasty!
-Salad greens with olives and pumpkin seeds….modified to include Atlantic salmon. The meal plan grudgingly admits that if you “must” have animal protein, make it deep-water fish.
People who follow this blog know my stance on vegetarianism. So I’ve been happily adding salmon to the plan in place of the various nuts and legumes it suggests.
Ahem. Moving on.
-Vegetarian chili. They warned that this week was all about fiber intake. They weren’t kidding.
I want to feel spiritual and embrace what’s going on right now. Instead I’m tired and I’m cranky and too focused on all the things I can’t eat.
BUT my number one resolution this year is to be driven. And it’s March 4, or “March Forth”. It’s also one of my best friends’ birthday, and I can’t be cranky, now can I?
Off to have a bath and my evening Flor-Essence tea. Maybe I’ll feel better tomorrow.
Cleanse Day 4: Things Truly Begin March 6, 2009
Posted by christieadams in Uncategorized.Tags: Cleanse, Eating, Flor-Essence
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It seems the first three days were just a warm up. Today is the day the cleanse really took effect.
For that, I’m glad. Enough with the banal food cravings and miniature portions. HERE, at last, is a true experience.
As horrid as that experience may be at the moment: today the forecast of full-body aches came to fruition.
Today started out pretty good, actually. After an evening of carb cravings, the bowl full of yogurt and yummy, yummy granola on today’s menu was heavenly.
Then I sat down to begin the days work and WHAM. In what seemed like a nanosecond, I suddenly had cotton mouth and aches and pains throughout my whole body. It felt like the worst hangover imaginable-or a really nasty case of the flu.
And it honestly set in that fast. I guess this is what Flor-Essence means by cleansing at the cellular level. Forget my pores-every cell in my body is purging.
And it’s been the case all day long. In the oddest way, though, it’s wonderfully fascinating. There’s nothing for it but to sit back and live the experience.
Today’s menu helped, at least-though my sugar cravings haven’t gone away:
-Hummus and crackers
-Egg salad on Ezekiel bread (I mixed the eggs with olive oil, basil and pepper)
-Veggie burger and green salad. I almost rebelled at this point and got a salmon burger, but decided to give Amy’s Kitchen California Burgers a try.
They’re very nutty and a bit crumbly, but tasty. And a much better alternative than the sickly soy offerings you usually get (I will never understand why vegetarians refuse to eat meat, and yet have gone to such great efforts to create products that taste like meat.)
I’m very sated but have visions of oatmeal raisin cookies dancing in my head. I don’t know when the cravings will abate.
The aches are likely to continue. I know it has to get worse before it gets better. Time for another bath and then bed.
Day 8: A Fine PH Balance March 10, 2009
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Week Two of the Flor-Essence cleanse is going to bring out the weirdest menu items ever seen on my dinner table.
It’s also going to bring the sweet sounds of carrot juicing throughout the house at 7AM. My roommates may never forgive me.
The abrupt change in diet is because Week Two is all about balancing the PH levels in the body. Most of the North American diet is highly acidic, so the cleanse comes with a diet heavy on alkaline foods like dark leafy greens, some nuts and fruits. That’s why this week I’ll be eating things like steamed kale and raisins, avocado and onions.
And after one day on the PH-balance swing, my moods are swinging along with it. I’m not a very pleasant person to be around right now, and I know it.
I spent Sunday wondering where I was going to get carrot juice from-it appears on the menu four times this week-so my boyfriend brought over his juicer for me. It now sits proudly on the counter in all its steel glory. It’s a very romantic present.
Carrot juicing is a labour intensive proposition. The result, though, is actually rather creamy and sweet. (Now, if only I didn’t have to scrape out all the carrot mush from the juicer afterwards….)
And that’s a good thing, because that’s all I got to eat for breakfast today.
Along with this:
-Chilled edamame
-Mixed greens with avocado and raw nuts
-Sprouted grain tortilla with veggies and salsa.
You can see why I was actually dreading this day of the Cleanse most of all.
Oddly, though, I wasn’t even hungry. I couldn’t finish my lunchtime salad. Others who have done Flor-Essence have told me their stomachs “shut down” in week two and that seems to be what’s happening.
Still, I feel tired and I KNOW I’m cranky. I think it’s going to be a rough week.
Stay tuned.
P.S. The carrot mush? The Boy wants to make veggie burgers out of it. I’m more inclined to make carrot cake. We’ll see who wins.
Day 9: Walking For Wheatgrass March 11, 2009
Posted by christieadams in Dietary Updates.Tags: Booster Juice, Cleanse, Flor-Essence
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Today’s menu included one of the most important items on the whole Flor-Essence cleanse. And I nearly missed out on taking it.
In addition to the tea and lemon water, today’s breakfast included a shot of wheatgrass juice.
Wheatgrass, for the uninitiated (which included me) is not your average vegetable. It’s a nutritional powerhouse, packing 70% chlorophyll and nearly every known vitamin imaginable. Drinking a single 1-OZ shot is equal to eating two and a half pounds of veggies.
And, as of last night, it was also nowhere to be found for sale.
I’ve been buying all of my menu items the night before I need them, and it hasn’t been a problem until now. In retrospect, it was a bit stupid for me to assume it could be found on the shelf at Sobey’s.
Then I remembered that you can buy it from Booster Juice. Too bad I remembered that ten minutes before it closed. D’oh.
I contemplated my alternatives. The Boy suggested I juice the next closest dark, leafy and alkaline vegetable he could think of, which was spinach.
Perhaps it was the thought of liquid spinach for breakfast, or the urge to follow the Cleanse just right, but I vowed to get up early and walk 20 minutes to Booster Juice for breakfast.
I’ve had a few moments of doubt during this experience. I definitely got one after walking that far, in the cold, with a growling stomach.
Curiosity got the better of me, though, when the smiling girl at Booster handed me a shot glass full of vivid green liquid. So I downed it.
It’s the first time I’ve had pure wheatgrass juice and it…wasn’t bad. Rather like drinking a lawn. Much better than liquefied spinach.
It didn’t help with my hunger pangs later, though. It was another hungry day. I can only hope that the wonder wheatgrass juice is indeed detoxifying my liver, giving my metabolism a boost and helping my body get very healthy.
At least tomorrow’s menu is a regular-sized one.
Day 10: This Is Habit-Forming March 12, 2009
Posted by christieadams in Day In Review.Tags: Cleanse, Flor-Essence, Weight Loss
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….a short post tonight-I spent the evening at the League Of Kickass Under 30 launch at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Met some great people tonight, talked some fresh new ideas-and only drank Perrier. After being handed drink tickets. I also ignored the samples of dark chocolate everywhere. I’m pretty proud of myself.
In fact, on the whole, I’m proud of myself. Ten days in, and this cleanse has become my new way of life, part of my everyday routine. It IS my reality now, and not a bizzare anamoly.
The first ten days were rough. The physical aches and pains, the cravings, the mood swings-I know I’ve driven my boyfriend crazy-but I’m the cleansing grove now.
Yes, it also helps that after two days of starvation-size portions, today’s menu was more like what I’m used to:
-Granola and plain yogurt
-Carrot juice and fruit
-Sprouted grain wrap with egg salad, tomatoes and spinach
-Bruschetta on whole grain toast
Mmmm.
It took ten days, but I might just have the hang of this thing.
Day 11:Change Is On The Way, Know It March 13, 2009
Posted by christieadams in Day In Review.Tags: Cleanse, Flor-Essence
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Sometime while my ego and self were busy waging war during this cleanse, my body went and made a whole bunch of changes.
Among those: elevated energy levels, clearer skin and a weight loss of five pounds.
Whoa.
I first noticed it last week, as I chose an outfit for my friend’s 30th birthday. On a whim, I pulled out my Guess dark-rise, bejewelled low-riders. As in, the ones that haven’t fit properly all winter. Well, they fit now.
It became clear today, though, that big changes are afoot. I had a training session with Lisa and we were both startled by the end of it. I’m landing lunges faster, balancing with more accuracy, and lifting more weight than just two weeks ago.
And my skin….a week ago, on the day I was experiencing flu-like symptoms, I also broke out in rashes all over my body. This isn’t uncommon, apparently, on Flor-Essence because your cells are all purging. Still, it wasn’t pleasant and to top it off, my face broke out too.
Now, my skin looks like I’ve been washing it with morning dew from fairy land. It’s been ages since it looked this clear.
It became so easy to do this cleanse once it became a habit. Now that I’m seeing-and feeling!-the benefits, I’m more encouraged than ever to stick to it.
Nighty-night.
Cleanse Weekend 2 and Day 15: Missing The Point Of It All March 17, 2009
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My cleanse is more than halfway over. (Happy birthday Heather!) But it’s only now that I’m really realizing the whole point of doing one.
To recap: the weekend was a bust. Alkalizing the body may be a good thing on paper, but it does crazy things to my temperament. I’m not sure if it’s a process I will repeat again.
But I just may, and come into the process better researched than this time. I didn’t bother researching why it’s so important to have balanced PH levels in the body. So I was scornful of the whole process, and perhaps I rendered it ineffective. Certainly, I didn’t stick to the meal plan to the letter and, if ever there was a time to to eat the recommended foods, it’s while you’re balancing your PH.
Anyways, that made me realize the most important thing about this cleanse: I’m supposed to be doing it for me.
I don’t have to do it. No one is making me do it. I’m supposed to be doing it to become healthier, to experience a change.
Instead my focus has been on what I can’t do and how many more days I have to “endure” it.
Every time my focus changes to the future, I’m missing the point of the present: to experience the amazing changes taking place.
I’m glad I’ve had this epiphany, because this week is focused on “proper food combining” and bringing the stomach “back online.” And today’s menu was delicious:
-”Power smoothie”
-Apple and almond butter
-Butternut squash soup and whole grain roll
-Stir fried veggies in tahini
Add in some soy nuts and a banana in the afternoon. Heavenly.
Dinner was especially delicious. I’ve always shied away from tahini because of the calories and fat. But paired with veggies, which have virtually none, and it’s wonderful.
Tomorrow: St. Patrick’s Day-and the last “party” event to be impacted by the cleanse.
Cleanse Day 16 and 17: Of Green Beer and Dry Cereal March 19, 2009
Posted by christieadams in Uncategorized.Tags: Cleanse, Flor-Essence
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It was a bit weird to be the only person in a bar on St. Patrick’s Day drinking a club soda with lime.
But there I was, nonalcoholic beverage in hand, being asked over and over by emerald-clad patrons where my beer was and then getting pitying looks when I told them why.
Now THAT’S dedication. 
Not that I can pat myself on the back too much today-for the first time in more than two weeks, I nibbled this evening.
Dry cereal. The usual culprit. Organic, sprouted grain cereal, but nevertheless. And I don’t feel as, well, as cleansed tonight. I feel lazy and imbalanced. My body feels overloaded.
The difference is astounding. I wonder if this is how I felt all winter and didn’t know it.
I miss the cleansed and refreshed feeling of the first week-as grumpy as I was about the menu plan.
Now, my mind feels clearer but my body feels gunked up. Go figure.
It’s a bit of a hard lesson-but ultimately, a valuable one.
Time for my Flor-Essence tea and then off to sleep.
Cleanse Day 18: Coming Back Online March 20, 2009
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I really can’t believe I’ve been following this “return to health” for 18 days now.
I’m happy to say that this week, which focuses on proper food balancing, has brought all systems back online: I feel strong again-only I feel quicker and more alert than ever before.
After two weeks of going easy on the cardio, I’m able to go at it full force again and it feels fantastic.
What else is fantastic? The food this week. Today’s meal plan was amazing:
-Oatmeal with raisins and nuts
-Trail Mix
-Mixed greens with salmon
-Wilted spinach on quinoa with chickpeas
After last week’s ph-balancing doldrums, this is paradise.
It just feels so good to feel strong again!
Cleanse Day 24 (And Most Of The Previous Week…) March 26, 2009
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Forgive the lack of updates-it would appear that work has gotten in the way of my blogging efforts.
But it hasn’t gotten in the way of my Cleanse. Which brings me to my happy news: it’s the end of Day 24, just one more day to go, the end is in sight!
More updates to come (I promise!…)
How’s THIS For Incentive? My New Bikini Just Arrived April 16, 2009
Posted by christieadams in Uncategorized.Tags: Bikini, Weight traning
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That’s right: I ordered myself a pre-birthday, post-Cleanse present: a new Victoria’s Secret bikini that I’ve been eyeing since Christmas.
It was one of those things where you fall in love with it on sight. The gorgeous teal! The gold whip-stitching! The adorable cloisonne orchid on the shoulder and hip! I had to have it.
Now all I have to do it look great in it.
My body is well on its way and most people say I look fine in a bathing suit. But I’ve worked too hard and come too far to look merely “fine” in a bathing suit.
And with the May 2-4 Weekend (the Victoria Day weekend, for the non-Ontarians) just a month away and with my birthday LESS than a month away, I have some work to do.
This birthday is a big one and I intend to go into it looking absolutely amazing.
Nose to the grindstone, then: the Cleanse got me started and now it’s time to finish!
