Rocky Mountain High

A nice new view from the Baxyard...The Baxes are taking a much needed break in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. We are very fortunate to have a great place to stay in the Dillon/Silverthorne area compliments of Dave's dad. It is such a treat. And we especially love this time of year. Though nothing is open in terms of skiing, etc., we enjoy the peacefulness and quiet and a few days of family time - no practices, games, work, school, etc. What could be better.

After a long drive and about 500 hundred, "Are we in Colorado yet?", we arrived to a couple feet of snow and bright, crystal clear Colorado blue skies. So far we are enjoying every minute.

We are learning about elevation changes, altitude sickness, the Continental Divide the timberline, how big a rock it takes to break the ice of a frozen pond at 11,000 feet and that Clara and Dave will be the skiers in our family and Davis, Eden and I prefer snowboarding. Today...off to ice skating and some other outdoor activities - temps in the upper 40s and sunny.

CLEAN: Week Two

Green Smoothie Mustache - Hey Spinach growers out there - here is your new ad campaign!



One of my lunches - it is making me hungry just looking at it!

Wow! I am actually already on Day 18 - and I have yet to update Week Two. So here it is...

This is what I was to expect in Week Two:

Bad Dreams: "It's not unusual to have bad dreams at night or bad moods by day. What is getting dislodged and eliminated is not just the toxicity caused by chemicals but also the quantum toxins of stress and anxiety." Let's just say Dave was worried - mostly about the bad moods. But I haven't had either. So I guess that is good. I have just really felt a sense of calm and balance this week.

Headaches: This could have been a problem - but none for me. But remember, I spend two to three weeks before I actually began the "Cleanse" adapting my eating to fit the plan without actually existing on smoothies, juices and soups.

Energy Surges: "You're starting to feel the surge of extra energy that has been liberated by reducing your food intake. It may take a little while for your body to know what to do with this extra energy. In the meantime, put it to good work. Go for a walk or run, even in the middle of night. Get some house cleaning done and reorganize your closets. Read a book or write those letters you should have written months ago." I can say I have definitely experienced this. I have not been up all night every night - but there were a few nights in there that I found myself up at 4 a.m. busy cleaning out my desk and my drawers in my closet. Stuff I needed to do. What I tried to, because I know myself and know I need sleep, was to just lay in bed and meditate. Worked well.

Weight Loss: "You may find that you lose weight during the first ten days but then get stuck." Wow, how true. I lost four pounds the first week, then remained at that for Days 8 - 15. And since I am beyond Day 15 now, I can say that I have lost an additional three pounds and I am not trying. I have increased my portion size in the morning and evening and added some additional snacks. I think this is just my body realizing this new lifestyle and changing what it needs.

So...my thoughts. I love this. That doesn't mean I want to continue this for the rest of my life. But I am very excited to continue my journey into Week Three. In fact, I am almost wishing this were a four-week cleanse. I plan to finish up Week Three and then continue eating the allowed foods from the Elimination Diet portion of Dr. Junger's program for the next few days after that. I am going to be in Colorado for a vacation with my family, so I am sure there will be a few moments of indulgence, but I really need to monitor how my body handles things. For almost three weeks, I have had no sugar, red meat, carbohydrates, dairy, eggs, wheat, or any gluten product. 100% of the foods I have been eating are fresh - with the exception of grilled chicken and salmon. We shall see where this goes. I have had a lot of people ask if this is something they should do. I say, why not? My body no longer aches, I feel better, I feel refreshed and almost never tired. There is nothing to lose.

CLEAN: Week One

Okay. I was really planning on doing this daily, but the days this week have gotten away from me. A good thing when you are doing a "detox". Here are some things I have experienced this week.

1. Sleep. I will admit I love early bed times. And the reason I love them so much is because I wake up every day usually before six. So if I am going to get 8 hours of sleep, I have be in bed by 10 p.m. if not earlier. Well, when I started this, I had just returned from a trip to California (which really messes with your sleep patterns) and I had two late night events planned on Day 1 and Day 2. One of the things about doing this and really reaping the benefits is to focus on all things related to wellness - a solid eight hours of sleep being one of them. Remarkably, I have been sleeping a lot. And it has been easy. Saturday, Sunday and Monday (kids were off school) I slept in until 8 a.m. each day. That is unheard of for me. And each day since, I have been waking at 6:30 or 7:00 only because the alarm went off. I am loving this.

2. Funny thing. On Sunday morning after getting up, Dave asked me if I felt deprived. I said no. Thinking well, maybe, a little. Saturday night we attended a wedding reception - wedding cake is my favorite food! But when I really felt deprived is when I came home from swimming and Dave (trying to help me out by making breakfast for the kids) had biscuits baking in oven, bacon on the cooktop, and waffles and eggs! I love breakfast...almost as much as wedding cake. I felt deprived.

3. Day 5 - Very Hard. At least it was for me. My body was not-so-silently protesting all the fun new things it was consuming, and not consuming. I spent a lot of time in the bathroom and battled some stomach cramps. But it only lasted a few hours.

4. Green Smoothies. Yum! Spinach, Almond Milk, Frozen Organic Peaches and Honey Crisp Apples are so good blended into a smoothie. And my daughters, especially Eden, who won't eat a piece of lettuce to save her life, loves them. Wants one everyday after school. I told her I would make her one, wouldn't you?

5. My skin. "Skin Elimination. Skin rashes or breakouts during the first few days of Clean are not uncommon; they are a sign that accelerated detoxification is happening." Okay. I will wait it out. Because I am not prone to breakouts, I will just see what happens. It is not bad, but not something I am used to. Things I love about this program that are new to me. I bought a nice skin brush and have been "brushing" my skin every other day followed by a "hot-cold" plunge. I just do this in the shower, by alternating between water as hot as I can tolerate for one minute followed by as cold as I can go for a minute for 4 minutes. This feels great, especially after a workout.

6. My mind. Yes, quieter. My thoughts are not so scattered and I feel a lot less frazzled about life. Dave has noticed a calm around our house, even with the kids. I have not noticed it, but I am in the middle of this and have to take his word for it.

7. Piriformis. Day 7. I did a hard treadmill workout that usually I am grimacing through the whole time. This workout is always followed by a day of limping and pain. No pain today, not on the treadmill or during the day.

8. Weight. I am down about 4 pounds and that really is the lowest I want to go without sacrificing muscle mass. So, I will increase the smoothie portion sizes this week and really watch it. I have a scale that measures body fat and it had not shown a significant decline, but I do notice I am cold all the time and that for me is usually a sign that my body fat is going down. So, I am just watching.

So, in general, a good week. Trust me, I would love to go out and eat a piece of pizza or a hamburger and fries, but the food, smoothies and snacks I am eating are good! And I look forward to them everyday. Today for lunch I had grilled chicken, squash, and zuchini with quinoa and brown rice, cranberries and pine nuts! It was really good. For snacks, I am eating fresh vegetables, raw cashews, almonds and lots of blueberries and raspberries. And, though, I only have had one day with headaches from caffeine, etc. (Day 3) I wouldn't mind warming up with a latte and sitting in a coffee shop reading a book. But that can wait, and maybe, by the end of this I won't even want to do that.

CLEAN: Day 1

In case you were wondering...there really isn't ever going to be the perfect time to start a 21-day cleanse. I picked a Friday in which I knew I would be attending a sit down charity event with a meal - not ideal. But this is definitely something you need to schedule on your calendar, just as you would a vacation. I have my 21-days squeezed in between my trip to California last week and our annual family trip to Colorado over fall break at the kids' school. Part of the reasoning for the timing is because I look forward to this Colorado trip so much that it makes the three weeks between now and then seem so attainable. We will see.

Ready to Start: Set your intention

Take a few moments to ponder and set your intention. Do you "have" to do it, or do you "want" to do it? A strong desire guided by the righty intention will get you started powerful. It is very important that you set the right frame of mind and they way to think about the program you are about to start. If you think about this program as something you have to do for your health it will not be as powerful as thinking about it as something you want to do. We always make time for what we want.

Envision a different you: Visualize where you want to be. What you want to look like. How it would benefit you socially, financially, spiritually and emotionally to live in a state of vibrant energy and mental clarity?
Make a Clean log: Record your intentions, well-being, eating habits. It is important to note the changes in appearance, body functions, energy levels, mood and outlook.
Take a photo of yourself. Memory is tricky. (Hence the photo above)
Establish your support system: Dave is on board (not an active participator) but as someone who is going to help with preparing meals for the kids and just being generally supportive. If anyone out there wants to join me for all or part of this ... let me know. From the few weeks I spent before I started this, I am certain that even one week on this would be worth it.

Day One:
8 am: Blueberry, Carob and Almond Milk Smoothie
11 am: Apple
Noon: Roast Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar, Garlic and Rosemary Wild Rice Pilaf
3 pm: Almonds, Blueberries and Raspberries
6:30 pm:Apple and Butternut Squash Soup

Exercise: Pilates and Jump Rope

And so it begins...

my first attempt at a 21-day, for lack of a better word, detox. I am excited and terrified. I have read and reread, spent hours in the grocery store, prepared and practiced making juices, smoothies and spent the better part of the last three weeks (except my recent binge fest while in Southern California this week) on an "elimination" diet - which basically just helps you get ready for the changes ahead.

I am going to spend the next 21 days following Dr. Alejandro Junger's Clean Program. Dr. Junger is board certified in internal medicine and cardiology. In addition to having trained and practiced medicine in New York City, Dr. Junger studied Eastern medicine in India and was the medical director of WE Care Holistic Health Center in Palm Springs, a world-famous center for fasting, cleansing, and detoxification.

His system, in a healthy nutshell, is a truly holistic approach that is intended to restore the body's natural ability to heal itself.

Here is the plan:

1. I will have a liquid breakfast and dinner. These liquid meals are a combination of smoothies, soups and juices. Most of which I have found to be quite good (never thought I would drink anything made with Kale...let alone call it good). All of which I will detail in this blog.

2. I am allowed one solid meal a day. A healthy lunch made with the "allowed" foods on the list. Also will be detailing those meals here.

3. In order to allow your body to truly benefit from a detox, it must be allowed one 12-hour "food-free" period. So after I have my last liquid meal of the day, I will wait a full 12 hours before having the next liquid meal.

4. I will be drinking lots of water, exercising, meditating, hot-cold plunging, carefully watching comes out of my body, (pleasant, I know), etc.

The list goes on. My promise is to do the best I can at this. I will be open and honest on this journey and I encourage you to read and follow along. You may be asking, why? Those who know me, know that I live a pretty healthy lifestyle. But I have my hang-ups too. So here are some of my reasons:

1. I am tired of being tired.
2. I have had a nagging piriformis problem in my right leg for over two years now. I have tried not running, running, walking, physical therapy, yoga, etc. Nothing works. I truly believe this will resolve this - more on why later!
3. I don't want to drink coffee/espresso anymore.
4. I find that I am forgetful and have difficulty concentrating.
5. I had a dangerous, life-threatening blood clot 4 1/2 years ago and I still have residual swelling in my left leg as a result of the damage to the valve.
6. I would like to lose 5 pounds in the process.
7. I want to quiet my mind.

So, there it is. Like I said, I am very excited. So, stay tuned. And if you have any questions, send them my way, if I don't know the answer I will find it. I am very aware that this is not going to be easy. But I am very committed to the changes, both positive and negative that it will bring.

JoEllen