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Good Morning….

 This morning I calculated the effectiveness of the 10 day challenge.  I think the GREATEST gift was offering my body nothing but the highest quality of nutrition for the past 10 days.  I am grateful for the whole food products that ForeverGreen International provides!  Due to my “overall” well-being I can say I will adhere to this program and way of eating from here on in. 

The main motivation for doing the 10 day challenge to health was to get “back on track” with a healthy nutritional program and to improve my overall health.  I feel I accomplished it.

The results of my 10 Day Challenge are:

Weight loss: 3.5 lbs

Inch loss: 2” on the stomach, 2” on the “lower belly”, 1” on the hips, 1.5” on the thigh,

¼” on the calf, 1/4” on the bicep and ½ inch on the chest. 

My clothes fit MUCH loser in all the right places!

 My blood pressure went from 123/79 to 102/60 which was really exciting and my pulse went from 77 to 72.

 Although my energy increased over the 10 days, I did not change my fitness/exercise in any way.  If I had, I am sure the results would have been more dramatic!

 I haven’t retested my body composition at this time and won’t be able to have an accurate assessment of my cholesterol count as I had the test on day 5 and have not retested it, but from what I remember doing this 10 day challenge in the past, a Naturopathic Doctor friend of mine did the before and after cholesterol reading and was amazed that her BAD cholesterol went DOWN 70 whole points in 10 short days!  Yes, as Hippocrates once said “Let food be thy medicine!” 

Aside from the physical assessment of what occurred in 10 short days, the before and after questionnaire provided even more value!  Scale of 1-10, 1 being low and 10 being high. 

	Before	Now
Current State of Health	7	9
Current Energy Level	6	8
Satisfaction with Sleep Pattern	7	9
Satisfaction with Body weight	2	4
(I find us women to be hard on ourselves in the discussion of weight)
Current food Cravings	8	1
Current Level of Satisfaction with Life	5	8

 

So there you go…. I feel like the 10 day challenge was a huge success.  I can only imagine what the results will be for me in 30 days.  A little “tweak” here and there yields big results in the long run…. And for that I am truly excited.

 The beginning of the New Year, 2010, I am going to facilitate a 10 Day Challenge for anyone who would like to participate.  I will coach and mentor all participants for free.  If you are interested please send me an email and I’ll send you information as the date gets closer.  joyedgerton@gmail.com

Day 10 coming to an end.  It has been the easiest 10 day nutritional program/cleanse that I have ever done.  Much easier than the Master Cleanse in which all you “drink” is fresh lemons and water with maple syrup and cayenne pepper.  True, you get to drink  as much as you want and as often as you want- for 10 days straight…  Now that is extreme.  I have done that program 2x and believe in it 100%, but it is much more difficult than what I just experienced.  An effective cleanse, but this is not the time of the year to drink lemonade-it is far too cold in Vermont!

Besides  Health is a habit, not an event!  The “10 Day Challenge to Health” is not a diet or a cleanse but a healthy nutritional way of eating.   During the past 10 days I truly got back in touch with the whole food nutrition that I know serves my body  best and I promise myself to maintain the self care I have developed.  Tomorrow I will take my measurements, weigh myself and take my blood pressure.  I’ll share the results…..

 

Breakfast:  (Which has become my favorite meal during these 10 days!) 

The Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal I am eating as I write in today’s blog is delicious!  19 whole foods, nutty and crunchy with big chunks of apples- and all I had to do was add hot water, stir, and wait patiently for 5-10 minutes! 

I am going to do my best to create my own version of this oatmeal until my next shipment arrives.  It won’t be easy and in order to get half the ingredients that are in this, it will certainly cost more to make my own, or yeah, and then I’ll have to “shop and chop”!

 Yesterday Dave cooked his typical breakfast of over easy eggs, fried potato and toast and the interesting thing is he cooked AND ate his breakfast while I was still eating my cereal.  This goes to show that whole foods, being rich in fiber and having many textures- takes longer to eat- but by the time you finish the cereal, you are full and satisfied.  There is enough time to have your brain signal to the stomach that you are full.  That is a good thing!

 Today is day 10….and I have mixed emotions about this being the “official last day” of the 10 day challenge to health…. But in reality it is just the beginning of a more conscientious way of eating.

 I do have to admit that giving Dave a good morning kiss was especially delightful today as I got a chance to “sort of taste” the flavor of deep rich coffee that I do miss.  If it’s not around, I don’t miss it, but when I smell it in the morning, yes, some days have been more difficult than others to not have a craving. Yes, I’d say my one cup of coffee is something I will still have.  Keep in mind, coffee is not bad, I eliminated it for 10 days because it is a stimulant and I wanted to be as raw and clean as I could.  But coffee is not bad- the dessert cream I put in, however, is another story.

 Tomorrow I will get on the scale, take my measurements, take my blood pressure and body composition, and report the “findings” and post them on the blog.  I do hope that this has inspired some of you to eat more consciously- for your health, your energy, your waist line- for your life.  If I can assist, coach or mentor any of you to reach your goals, please do not hesitate to contact me.  joyedgerton@gmail.com or 802-846-7415.

 If you decide to embark on the same (or similar) 10 Day Challenge as I have- here are a couple of suggestions that I believe will make it easier for you.

 Know the end result is “just the beginning”.  In other words, when you have completed 10 full days of eating nothing but whole natural foods, do NOT retreat back to those old habits that you have strived to leave behind.  Gently introduce other healthy foods…and eliminate those that no longer serve your body well…but don’t go crazy, still enjoy your favorite foods..but now- in moderation.

 Having said that, hopefully your taste buds have grown accustomed to the taste of “real” food (unprocessed or cooked). Don’t deprive yourself of that snack or meal that you absolutely love because it is not a whole food nutrition- just make it an “occasion” and not a way of life.  By doing this you shouldn’t feel a bit deprived.  When you are deprived or believe you are, that is when you may go on a binge.

 When you begin your ‘10 days’ make sure you have all the foods you need on hand as to avoid hunger or being without a meal.  In addition, if possible, limit accessibility to the foods that you will not be able to have but absolutely love.  (for me that was having no wine in the house, and no cheese and crackers!)

 If you happen to go off your program in one meal or snack, no worries, simply get back on track.  Whatever little steps you are taking to improve your diet and overall health, they will add up in the long run.  The worse thing is to beat yourself up and feel “guilty”.  Don’t do it!

 I ran into a situation last night that made the “challenge” well, “literally a challenge”- and it wasn’t that I was deprived- I just “felt deprived!”.  We went to my folks for dinner and then had my daughter and granddaughter  also join us for the night.  I was surrounded with the aroma of foods that I love and would have eaten, including before dinner cocktails and dessert after dinner….. not to mention popcorn late at night with my granddaughter.  I stayed true to the program, but I realize that if a good rule of thumb is if you don’t need to socialize or have meals with others, then it is best not to put yourself among temptation.  Honestly, I loved my meal of a large raw salad and Lentil Chili….it was very satisfying- it was just that I “felt” deprived.  No need to put yourself in that situation if you don’t need to…and thankfully today is day 9 and I won’t have too many more of those opportunities- by choice.

A great book that I love and highly recommend is “Living Foods For Optimum Health” by Dr. Brian Clement.  I read that for the first time back in 1999 when I spend 3 weeks at Hippocrates at their living foods institute.  An easy read packed full of great information and inspiration….

Until later….

 

Another great day… a full one for certain.  I wanted to pass along some information that is important for your health, especially if you are now inspired to eat more whole foods and raw veggies. 

And this, just in time for the Thanksgiving / Holiday Season…  The  following is information from a farmer who grows and packages carrots for IGA, METRO, LOBLAWS, etc.

The cocktail (baby) carrots available in small plastic bags are made using the larger crooked or deformed carrots which are put through a machine that cuts and shapes them into cocktail carrots – most people probably know this already.  What you should also know is the following: Once the carrots are cut and shaped into cocktail carrots they are dipped in a solution of water and chlorine to preserve them – the same chlorine used in  your pool!  Since they do not have their skin or natural protective covering, they give them a higher dose of chlorine.

You will notice that once you keep these carrots in your refrigerator for a few days, a white covering will form on the carrots.  This is the chlorine which resurfaces.  At what cost do we put our health at risk to have esthetically pleasing vegetables?

Chlorine is a very well-known carcinogen, which causes cancer…  I thought this was worth passing on. Pass it on to as many people as possible in hopes of letting people know where these carrots come from and how they are processed – ESPECIALLY since these are considered “cute” snacks for our kids!

BEWARE!  All pre-cut veggies as well as fruits have begun oxidizing.  Cut fresh and use fresh!  There is even more danger with fruits.  If a melon, for instance, is going bad – they will ignore the fact that the whole fruit is now energetically spoiled and – they will cut off the “bad” and cut up the rest in pieces… and… charge You more for their “trouble”…  More deception from people we think are acting in our best interests!

 

I love Wednesdays… they are my MEMA day with Kamaria, my granddaughter who will be 2 in a month!  She keeps me in “check” on what is important in my life…keeps me young by laughing and doing fun things like “singing and dancing like no one is watching”…. and I realize that SHE is one of my WHY’s on being healthy.  I want to age gracefully and be healthy and alive to see her turn 16- then go off to college, get married, have her own children and even see them have children.  In other words, I have 1/2 my life behind me and the rest & best is still to come! THIS is why I decided to take control BACK and begin treating my body as the amazing temple that it is!  This 10 Day Challenge has been wonderful in getting me back on track!

So many times we KNOW intellectually that whole foods, fresh air, plenty of water, exercise and a positive mindset are crucial to our health…and sometimes we feel indestructible and forget to do those basic things that we know will ADD to our health like deposits in our “health account.”   I’m saying now…take a look at where you are at, like I am doing….promise to take better care of yourself.  Self care is NOT selfish, it is a gift to give yourself.  My passion as a coach is helping people get back on track for optimal health and happiness and to discover their true passions in life.  Since we ARE what we eat….today begin with feeding your body right.

All of ForeverGreen’s product lines  support one’s health.  Today, I know I’ll be sharing my FrequenSea with Kamaria, she always wants her 1/2 shotglass of this delicious tonic…and when I open my pulse bar, guess who will be there to want a couple of bites?  When I am sipping my soup, who will want some of the small noodles/veggie broth from the Asian Garden Soup?  You got it… little Kamaria… who at a young age- appreciates healthy food at her young age.

I read a quote that I love today… it is “Yesterday is a cancelled check; tomorrow is a promissory note; today is the cash you have so spend it wisely”.  Spend YOUR day wisely in all areas that will ADD to your life!  I will do the same.

“It is the will to change that motivates us to seek health.”  I love this quote…. it came from an email from “Oprah Magazine”
— Harriett Goldher Lerner

                                       ~   Fresh, Raw Kale Salad   ~

This is one of my favorite recipes.  I have given it to many people over the years and everyone loves it!  Most people don’t think of kale as a vegetable to eat raw, but try it, you will LOVE IT!

It is EASY to prepare (yes, I love things that require little effort when it comes to food preparation) and is great as both a side dish or can be a meal.

Large Bunch of fresh kale – clean the kale and rip into small pieces

½- whole fresh lemon (to taste)

Olive oil to coat the greens (some like it with more oil than others)

Bragg’s Amino Acids (liquid, with “soy sauce” flavor)

1 whole ripe avocado

Fresh tomato

In bowl, mix the Kale, olive oil, lemon together.  Add Bragg’s to taste.

Mix well.  Add sliced ripe avocado and slices of fresh tomato for garnish.

Enjoy!

*  This is absolutely delicious with ForeverGreen’s PULSE sprinkled on top. I like the cherry best. 

PS.  I am having this for dinner along with Asian Garden Soup!

Day 7…. The count down is on…

I actually love the whole foods that I have been living on with this “10 day challenge” – in fact so much that honestly unlike any other “diet” or “cleanse” or “challenge” I have done in the past where you can’t WAIT til it’s over, this time it truly is just a new beginning! So, rather than saying… wow, only 3 days left, I say, ahhhh, my healthy “stash” of ForeverGreen foods is about to run out and I am not happy about that. So what I am going to do (and you can too) is to order MORE of these products!

To order YOUR supply of some of the foods I have come to love, feel free to go to my website. Look at the catalog of choices in my “online store” and if you are interested in any, call me. I’ll show you how to purchase them at wholesale and help you make YOUR healthy selections, depending on your goals. (802-846-7415).

Remember the saying “Health is a habit and not an event!”? So what I am going to do is to CONTINUE all the great dietary habits I have been creating over the past week and slowly begin to incorporate lots of other raw whole foods into my diet. Mainly vegetables and some fresh fruits. This time I vow NOT to go back to some of my sloppy eating habits.

Have you ever heard of the “rainbow” way of eating? It makes it easy to eat healthy. Simply put, when preparing a meal, have as many colors on your plate as possible. Include many textures as well….and it will delight your pallet.

Until later….as I must get ready to go for my daily walk down to the beautiful water front here in beautiful Burlington, Vermont. A passionate topic for this blog, something I love…exercise.

The products can be found here!

                                              Joy’s Cocktail…                                            

 1 ounce FrequenSea

1 scoop Pulse 8

1 packet of Azul

6 ounces of water

Blend all ingredients with 6 ounces of water in the blender with ice…. You will have a delicious frothy power-packed healthy “cocktail”. 

* I never thought I’d say it but I enjoy it more than my favorite double vodka gimlet!  (For a sinful treat when you are NOT on the 10 Day Challenge, add a double shot of vodka and I’ll bet you’d have one energetic “punch”- literally!)