Cleanse

Today is day 14 yea!! I'm so happy that I've stuck with it regardless of a few boo boos here and there. Last night I was craving one of my favorite meals, mashed potato, cream corn and beef paddies. I made that and just switched the meat with my homemade veggie paddies, it was really good. Before the cleanse I had a headache every single day, my energy level was down to a point where I was worried about my health, and as a result I was consuming Tylenol all the time to try to feel better. After the first few days on the cleanse my headache stopped my energy level has improved tremendously and my mood is better. My digestive system is still not working all that well but I realize that will take eating well all the time (not just for 21 days) to fix completely.

Keeping on Keeping on,
Leslie

Cleanse

This morning I woke up in a not so good mood, and took it out on myself again. I through the last piece of gluten free bread into the sink and put on some regular toast!! Now instead of beating myself up (like I usually do) I'm going to accept that I am not perfect and that I don't have to do things perfectly all the time in order to succeed. I'm an all or nothing kind of person and it's good to stretch that part of my brain that wants to completely cave just because of one mishap. It's day 11 today and I am continuing on this cleanse despite that small set back. I have the rest of the day to make better choices.

Kathy Freston will be on Oprah's Soul Series tonight, watch it at www.oprah.com. (All of the soul series shows are archived). So if you miss tonight you can always kick back later on in the week and watch...

I made some really good sugar free muffins on Sunday, I still want to tweak the recipe but I will share it as soon as I think its just right.

Onward and upward,
Leslie

Cleanse

It's been 7 days since I started the cleanse. Doing o.k., but this week I have to say I've been a little grumpy!! Cravings for sugary foods was really intense on the 4th day but that seems to have eased off a bit. Also I had a headache on day 6 and 7 and I know I'm not drinking enough water! So I have to make a conscience effort to do that. Kathy suggests in the book to get a massage while doing this so I think I will book one, maybe that will help with some of the tension I'm feeling. Started back doing yoga which is helping ease some of the tension as well.

Has been 5 weeks since I ate any meat and I don't miss it at all!! Being without dairy has been a challenge but so far so good. The only change I made was I switched back to the regular green tea, I really do not like the decaf one. Green tea according to Dr. Oz is really good for you so I don't feel guilty about taking this one back.

Another great find "apple butter" it's simply delicious. (no sugar but still sweat and yummy).

I have lost about 4 pounds of bloat and feeling so much better physically...

Talk soon,
Leslie

Cleanse

I'm on day 3 and things are going well, I have had some struggles with the gluten free part of the cleanse. Also I'm missing my regular green tea, I'm not fussy on the decaf kind. Went out on the boat with my husband today and I actually turned down going for ice cream. Was it hard to say no? Yes! but I did it anyway. I've had an assortment of things for breakfast;

gluten free bread (toasted) Yuck!!
gluten free Eggo's with mashed banana on top, (it was good but would have been better with syrup)
vegan protein mixed with orange juice.
millet cereal
old fashioned steel cut oats topped with banana, Cinnamon, and a splash of soy milk! (this is absolutely delicious)

For lunch and supper; salads, baked yam, vegetables, veggie burgers

For snacks, sugar free banana muffins (the recipe I have is good but I want to tweak it before I share it with you), fruit, tea, millet cereal, green drink

*the green drink I use is greens plus by Genuine Health
* the protein drink is by Interactive Nutrition it's called absolute vegetarian protein, I mix it up with orange juice and a tablespoon of psyllium husk

So far so good I think, at least this cleanse gets me thinking out side the box when it comes to food. I am forced to come up with alternatives and that (for me ) is a really good thing.

Leslie

Cleansing Journal

I start the 21 day cleanse tomorrow and I think I'm fairly prepared. It's amazing but sugar, gluten, and animal products is in everything!! But I managed to find gluten free bread and waffles, organic peanut butter, organic raw blue agave (for sweetness)!!! I'm a sugar addict.. Some millet puff cereal and I have recipes for vegi burgers, black bean burgers, ect. I will post all the recipes that I have tried and like.. It's suggested that we take vitamin B12 during the cleanse so I bought some and have been taking for the past few weeks, but I found out today that the b12 vitamin comes from an animal source! Wow I can see why Kathy says you have to lean into wellness. This life style change will be an ongoing process for the rest of my life.

I know in my gut that becoming a vegan is my path to take. Eating meat has rarely if ever brought me any joy, I hated handling it and cooking it. I am a very sensitive person and have been finding over the past few years that that sensitivity has become problematic in my life. Symptoms including anxiety, depression, unable to sleep, emotional pain associated with any kind of animal that is hurt or killed. The deep sadness and anxiety around this issue has been enormous (it really keeps me awake at night)! I think Kathy's book has come along at the right time, my spirit has been wanting me to stop eating flesh for a long time I just wasn't ready to listen until I read Quantum Wellness. Spiritually eating meat is a complete contradiction to how I want to live my life. Living in a constant state of denial and sleepiness is driving me crazy. It's time to wake up!! I cannot and will not continue to ignore the urgings of my spirit. So this part of the cleanse is easy for me (sugar and baked goodies is another issue). Maybe I can't stop all the suffering in this world but I can one meal at a time lessen that suffering, and the impact is has on all the world.

Leslie

Beginnings

Well I have been thinking about setting up a blog for some time. I have called it Quantum Wellness as I am going to use this site exclusively for health related issues such as diet, exercise, cleansing, alternative lifestyles, recipies, favorite reads, quotes and spiritual insights. And some of my own mussings about the process of living and how I work through the changes that occur in my life. As we are ever evolving and that to me is the fun part about life. You never know what's around the corner.

I have just read an amazing book and I'm hoping you will go out and buy yourself a copy and of course Read It!! The book is called Quantum Wellness by Kathy Freston. Kathy shows us that wellness is a dance between mind, body, and spirit. By eating consciously we are impacting the environment, all the creatures of the world and each other in a positive way.

There is a 21 day cleanse in the book which I am committed to doing and I hope some of you will join me. For 21 days you eliminate all animal products, sugar, gluten, alcohol, and caffeine from your diet. Kathy goes over all the why's of each in the book and I can tell you that since reading it I will never eat meat again. I am committed to change and learning to eat and live in a more conscious manner.

Quote from Kathy:

"Wellness is much more than the lack of disease. Health is about vitality and vigor and energy. It is about excelling at the many challenges that face humans daily."

Although I have already made many changes to my diet since reading the book I am doing the actual 21 day cleanse starting on August 8th, 2008.
In the mean time I am doing research on new sources of nutrition, gathering recipes (which I will share here) and preparing well for the 8th. Planning ahead is probably the most important part of doing the cleanse. I will share all my insights, struggles, and of course my successes with you.

Love and Light,
Leslie