I thought I would write about things I love this month. One thing everyday.
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Have you smelled this?
I know it is so late 90s. But a friend got me some for my birthday this year, along with a pair of naughty underwear that I have not put my pregnant and recovering rear in.
Anyway, back to the lotion. I have relished it. It is so delicious.
You can get it at Victoria’s Secret.
This detox is a lot more complex than I originally thought. I think though, that if you take some of the advice your quality of life with be greatly increased.
Day 22: Include high quaility Omega-3 fish oil, specifically EPA and DHA, in your diet. Fish oils benefit heart health, diabetes, depression, and even brain development. When it comes to detoxification, EPA and DHA have the ability to be incorporated into cellular membranes, thus improving cell function.
Day 23: Reduce you your consumption of sugar (substitute stevia, honey, xylitol, or agave nectar) and consume more complex carbyhydrates. In addition, you should eat less meat and, when you do, make sure it hormone-free, organically grown meat.
Day 24: Eat ample amounts of fresh, brightly colored fruits and vegetables, when have naturally occuring antioxidants that act as direct antioxidants and support the production of glutathione. These antioxidants include vitamin C (asorbic acid), carotenes (such as lycopene and lutein), polyphenols, and dozens of other phytochemicals.
Day 25: Eat 1/2 cup per day of cruciferous vegetables, which include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, collard greens, and rapini. These vegetables contain a number of important nutrients, making them extremely beneficial for general health. They are high in vitamin C and soluble fiber, but, more impressively, they contain multiple nutrients with well-known anticancer properties. These include diindolylmethane, sulforaphane, and selenium.
Day 26: Eat one clove of garlic per day and a handful of cooked onions. Onions and garlic are rich in a variety of organic sulfur compounds. Sutdues show both of these vegetables help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, regulate blood sugar, and provide antibiotic effects.
Day 27: And orange a day keeps the doctor away. Lemons, oranges, and limes have had a long history of use for internal cleansing, and are high in vitamin C and bioflavonoids, phytochemicals and powerful antioxidant effects. These compounds can quench free radicals and thus support the body’s detoxification pathways.
Day 28: Eat red fruits. Pomegranante, raspberries, and strawberries contain ellagic acid, a phenolic compound that has some excellent detoxification properties. Ellagic acid not only acts as an antioxidant, it also has liver-protective effects. Some research suggest that ellagic acid may help prevent cancer.
Day 29: Eat 1/2 cup (combined) of liver-friendly foods. Artichokes, dandelions, and beets have all been shown to help move bile more efficiently. Bile is produced in the liver and stored in the gallbladder. One of the important functions of bile is to move toxins from the liver to the gallbladder and eventually into the duodenum. Artichokes contain cynarin, which not only improves the flow of bile in the liver, but also helps lower cholesterol. Dandelion has a long history of use in liver conditions and has been shown to enhance the movement of bile from both the liver and the gallbladder. Animal studies have also show dandelion to significantly increase the clearance of toxins. Beets also improve detoxification.
Day 30: Drink at least 8-ounce glasses of purified water daily. Science tells us that the human body is anywhere from 55 to 75 percent water, depending on body size. To function properly, you need to replace the water lost through sweat and urination on a daily basis. Although our recommendation is for eight 8-ounce glasses per day, the precise amount depends on the level of activity, temperature, humidity, and other factors.
Day 31: Get your beauty sleep. It turns out that not getting seven to eight house of sleep per night can have some serious health consequences. In a landmark study at the University of Chicago, researchers found that people that slept 6.5 hours or less had a 50 percent increase in the insulin blood levels compared to those that 7.5 to 8.5 hours per night. Make sure that you get your eight house of sleep each night to ensure optimally functioning physiology and improved detoxification.
:: sweet hard working jj ::
:: kids who always love their moms ::
:: sweet baby smiles ::
:: gentry loving things Grandpa Bill made for me ::
:: caring and patient doctors ::
:: sweet visiting teachers ::
:: $4 prescriptions from Target ::
:: clearance clothes from Target ::
:: Target ::
:: oh shoot :: I have a bit of an addiction ::
:: apple cider ::
:: 30 Rock ::
:: trying to find a new happy thought :: what should it be :: disneyland :: spring :: gardens :: a new piano :: all of the above ::
:: netflix instant play ::
These tips are a bit depressing because all my favorite foods are made by Satan and shipped from Hell itself. Entemanns donuts. I miss you already.
Day 15: Go for smaller portions. Reducing overall body fat helps the body release stored toxins.
Day 16: Eat at home. What do fast-food restaurants and the processed foods we buy at the supermarket have in common? They all contain added chemicals to preserve the food, enhance its flavor, and make it look better. All the more reason to save some dough and pack a lunch.
Day 17: Become aware of the foods you consume. Begin eating organic produce that is free of pesticides and herbicides-the cost is not much different. If you can’t get organic, make sure you wash all your vegetables with natural cleaning solutions and peel your fruit.
Day 18: If you are going to eat meat, begin shifting to organically grown meat free of hormones and chemical additives. Be aware of the fish you consume and stay away from farm-raised salmon that have high PCB counts.
Day 19: Avoid the following: alcohol, coffee, soft drinks, hot chocolate, refined carbohydrates (found in cakes, cookies, muffins, doughnuts, and ice cream), sugar, chemical additives, preservatives, processed meats, fried foods, trans fats, and artificial sweeteners, dyes, colors and flavors. (Um, what is there that is left to eat?)
Day 20: Trans fat is by far the worst type of fat. Read labels and rid your fridge and pantry of trans fat-containing vegetable shortening, margarine, salad dressings, cakes, doughnuts, microwave popcorn, cookies, french fries, chips, and snack crackers. Start using healthful fats instead, such as coconut oil for cooking and olive oil for salads.
Day 21: Dietary fiber is critical for binding toxin-laden bile and carrying it out of the body. Add more fiber to your diet. Try oats, barley, legumes, fruits, vegetables, wheat, bran, and whole grains.
Should Tuesday be renamed Shoesday? I think it would be a lovely change of pace. Especially since I get daily shoe emails from Piperlime.
Dear Shoes,
I heart you very much.
Love, Makayla
The other night I was awoken in the middle of the night by a crying baby. In my drunken midnight stupor I bought these boots. In the morning I could not remember if it was a dream and checked my email. Sure enough, I had an email confirmation and could not find the cancel policies. So I kept them coming.
I love them.
:: Crispin the Terrible ::
:: Waiting for Winter ::
:: Papa, please get the moon for me ::
:: The Mummy and other Adventures of Sam and Alice ::
:: Sail Away, Little Boat ::
:: sweet baby smiles ::
:: pikolinos ::
:: baby sleeping all night ::
:: crochet hats ::
:: decorative storage ::
Here is the continuation of the 31-Day Detox.
Do you know if you need to detox? If you answer yes to more than 5 of the following questions, your bodies detoxifications system is likely being overwhelmed. By addressing these symptoms and warning sisgns now, you can ensure better long-term health.
• Do you feel that you are not as healthy and vibrant as other people your age?
• Do you have low energy levels?
• Do you often have difficulty thing with clarity?
• Do you often feel depressed?
• Do you get more than one or two colds a year?
• Do you struggle with your weight?
• Do you suffer from lack of interst in life or sex?
• Do you have digestive disturbances?
• Do you have dark circles under your eyes?
• Are you constantly hungry?
• Do you have trouble getting to sleep or do you want to sleep all of the time?
• Do you feel anxious or stressed out most of the time?
• Do you suffer from premenstrual syndrome, fibrocystic breast disease, or uterine fibroids?
• Do you crave sweets?
• Do you suffer from allergies?
• Do you have bad breath or body odor?
• Do you suffer from chronic postnasal drip or hay fever-like symptoms?
• Do you have sore achy muscles?
Day 8: Produced by mucous cells, mucin is a viscous liquid that not only protects the integrity of the intestinal cells, but also protects them from the acidic environment of the stomach. To improve the quality and quantity of mucin, DGL is probably the best natural ingredient available. Chew two tablets 15 minutes before meals and as needed between meals.
Day 9: Optimize bowel health by getting enough fiber in your diet. Dietary fiber is essential to normalized bowel transit time, blood sugar levels, and blook cholesterol levels. It also supports detoxification mechanisms. When looking for a fiber supplement, make sure it contains a high-quality combination of both soluble and insoluble fiber.
Day 10: Get plenty of antioxidants to help combat free radicals and cellular damage. There are a number supplemental antioxidants that can help. These include milk thistle (Silybum marianum), vitamins C and E, selenium, N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), resveratrol, CoQ10, and pomegranate.
Day 11: Detoxification is the biggest user of energy outside the brain. Supplementing with 100 to 200 milligrams of Coq10 per day is beneficial because it will enhance overall energy levels.
Day 12: The liver hs the most important organ for detoxification. Support the liver in its daily detoxification work with milk thistle, turmeric, artichoke extract, and dandelion root.
Day 13: The best way of reducing toxic metals is to ensure optimal glutathione levels in the body. A few ways of ensuring optimum levels are through taking milk thistle, NAC and alpha-lipoic acid.
Day 14: Incorporate daily exercise into your routine. Exercise helps lymph fluids circulate throught the body, which removes toxins and other harmful materials. When you go for that long walk, hike or bike ride; when you life those weights at the gym or putter in your garden, you are loosening up some toxins. The more intensely you do these activities, the more toxins are released.
We went for a 2-month check up the other day. The doctor thinks she is going to be a red head, I do too. He told me not to take her tanning. Good thing he told me because I was about to start turning her into a leather bag. I was also thinking about teaching her to smoke and how to pick up men for money.
It is probably to soon to say, but she may end up living the life of JJ. When JJ and I went to Hawaii, he stayed on the beach in the shade as much as he could. Gentry and I get dark tans. JJ burns and shrivels.
I get postpartum depression. I did with Gentry. And I did nothing about it except wallow in self pity and scare myself and my mom. I didn’t tell JJ about it until a year-ish later. I was ashamed.
This time I was more prepared, watching almost waiting for it to happen. So when it showed up this time I called the doctors office and they said to come in and get progesterone shots. They worked. But I could feel them wear off and Thanksgiving was a particularly sad day for me. Nothing was wrong. I was just sad and cried all day. And that guy died in the Nutty Putty cave and I kept thinking, “That is a great way to go. I should go join him.” I also thought a lot about getting in car accidents. And when anyone died on the news, I thought, “Lucky.”
I called the poop doctor one day in tears and frustration and let his nurse, Travis, know exactly those thoughts. He put me on with the Physicians Assistant, Keisa, and she called my OB/GYN office. Yes, I am on first name basis with all my doctors office staff. Post-baby is hard for me, I need lots of help. They immediately put me on anti-depressants and I went in for another progesterone shot. They told me that if I got worse, I needed to go to the emergency room. I asked what worse meant and they said, “If I started planning any of the above events.” I haven’t, and things have really mellowed for me.
Some ladies in my ward have been to see a hormone doctor and so I called one of them and asked for the information. I went in and the doctor gave me a list of supplements to take for depression and drew blood. I had had a progesterone shot 6 days before I went to see that doctor. When they drew my blood, my progesterone was still low. As well as my thyroid.
Our bodies naturally produce progesterone but after a baby you don’t need as much, so your body stops producing as much. Or in my case stops producing at all. Thyroid controls a whole bunch of things, but it also deals in depression. So under active thyroid also means I am not producing progesterone and the stuff my body needs to feel good.
This doctor put me on oral progesterone. So I have it constantly going into me. And gave me some supplements to kick start my thyroid.
I feel so much better and really am only on two prescribed medicines right now. The progesterone and anti-depressant. But the progesterone is something I am not creating by myself right now. It is nice to be able to get it and to also be taking care of myself rather than worrying about what a burden I am on everyone. Although, I still am. Just not as much.
Anyway, in my search for taking care of my body and being a better mother this time around, I have been going to the health food store quite a bit to get supplements and things I need. The latest being grapefruit seed extract which is bitter beyond belief, but gets yeast and bacteria out of your body and balances you.
Yesterday they gave me a magazine with 31-Day Detox. This is not the normal detox you hear about where you eat nothing or lemon water with paparika. This is just changing small things everyday so that you and your home are less full of toxins. I thought I would share them with you for a couple weeks. Not all at once. Cause, how many things are you looking to add to your life. If you have been trying to live green, you are probably doing a bunch of these anyway.
Day 1: Get rid of toxic household cleaners and find natural replacements. Dish soap, laundry detergents, herbicides, pesticides, and oven cleaners all contain chemicals that are circulating in your home and become incorporated into your body. Most health food stores now carry environmentally friendly cleaning products that are void of toxic chemicals.
Day 2: Reduce the use of toxic beauty products. Start using soaps that are free of chemical additives, anitperspirants that are free of aluminum, and toothpastes and moisturizers with only natural ingredients.
Day 3: Get a good air filter to reduce the amount of toxins that are recirculated throughout your home. Remember tha air in your home isfull of toxic chemicals, getting rid of them will reduce your over all exposure.
Day 4: Make sure the water you drink is purified. Add a filteration system to your showerhead to make sure bathing water is clean and toxin free. Remember your skin is an organ and a highly absorbable one at that.
Day 5: Every day, drink two to three 8 ounce glasses of water, each with the juice of half of a squeezed lemon. This is an excellent way to increase your hydration levels. Not only does the lemon provide flavor, it adds some extra vitamin C.
Day 6: Body healing can’t progress until the digestive tract is healed. Replenish good bacteria in the intestinal tract with live, active probiotics. When you look for a probiotic, make sure the product has a true delivery system that guarantees that a certain amount of live bugs get to the intestine. The most common bugs are Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium longum; take about 2 billion of these daily to ensure a healthy digestive tract. (By the way, probiotics have changed my life.)
Day 7: Supporting digestive processes with pancreatic enzymes is an effective way to improve digestion. Highly processed, chemical-filled foods, combined with everyday stress, can shut down digestion. But digestive enzymes, especially pancreatic enzymes, closely resemble human enzymes and can greatly facilitate the digestive process.
I will give you more of these later. But I think if you start working towards these things a little at a time you will feel better. I think that a lot of us are constantly low grade sick and that we may be doing it to ourselves by the way we live. I know I have. I am working on making things more natural in my life and I am feeling the effects. Honestly, probiotics have changed my life. So have the supplements that the hormone doctor gave me. Things are really getting better for me. I hope they do for you as well.
