It’s the final week of my cleansing health adventure and I’ve had some folks reach out with questions. This really excites me! There’s nothing I’d like more than to help others achieve their best selves and am willing to work with anyone who reaches out to me.  Here are answers to the questions I’ve been getting Maybe they’ll be beneficial to you as well…

Is the Cleanse and Restore Challenge all you are doing to lose weight?

No, it’s not. My goal is not to lose weight with the Challenge per say, it’s more to get me ready to lose weight after the Challenge is over.  I’m not trying to loose weight now.  Much of it is happening organically.  I have always been a hard running active person.  Then in August 2016 all that changed; I became completely inactive, and put on a whole lot of weight.  Now that I’m able to move without pain again I have started to slowly get back to some level of activity.  Is it a hard core work out program?  Not by any means—that will be coming shortly.  But for now I’m doing just a little bit to see how my body responds.  So I do a half hour of core activation and low weights (2lbs) 7 days a week the moment I get out of bed, an hour of Yoga 5 days a week usually in the evening, and cardio for 30 minutes 4 times a week usually early morning after weights.  What? I know that may sound pretty hard core! But we’re all different.  Our bodies all need something different.  This may seem like a lot of activity but for me it’s not.  It’s just a baby steps start.  And so far I feel fantastic.

The other thing I’d say is I’ve adjusted my portion size at meal time. I’ll admit I continued to eat like mad when I was inactive, which was a no-no, plus I only ate 2 meals a day and did lots of “pain grazing”.  So now, I’m eating 3 meals a day that are about half the size of the meals I’d been eating before, and then I have a mid-morning and mid afternoon snack to keep me from attacking innocent bystanders that have food in their hands.  Now that it’s been over 20 days  I rarely go wild with hunger mid-day, but boy, that first week was quite the killer!

What I think the cleanse is doing is helping me to purge the toxins and gunk out, jump start my metabolism, and support  absorbing a much higher nutritional value with what I eat, and take with my essential oils and the cleanse.  So far I freaking feel like an athlete reborn!

Doesn’t that Cleanse make you “bathroom bound” all day?

No, no, no, not at all. This has been a very gentle process.  I know some people have said they spent more time on the throne….others have had the total opposite effect.  I haven’t.  One thing that I’ve done consistently is take the supplements with food –literally intermixed with eating something—and I’ve been drinking roughly 64 ounces of water a day.  That may seem like a lot of water, but I count my morning coffee in there….lol….which amounts to about 16 ounces, and it’s still technically not enough water to be drinking per day just to be normal.  Perhaps that makes a difference?  I’m not sure.  But I will say that I feel like my body has been absorbing what I put in it, as though it was depleted and trying to recharge or something.

You get up at 4:45 and go to bed at 11:00? Geeze you look so good! Aren’t you getting run down? Aren’t you worried about getting sick?

Well, yes and no and thank you! I do get up early and turn in late.  Usually.  But not always.  I feel great. I listen to my body.  If I’m starting to feel tired or sore I back off of things for a day.  I meditate, too, and that bring me serious instant restfulness.  Truthfully I feel more energized and focused than I have in a very long time.  Plus I am taking fairly regular doses of essential oils internally and diffused in the air to support my immune system with all the flus and viral infections going around.  I seem to be rock solid and “healthy as a horse”, even while being subjected to sick people on a regular basis!

Aren’t you worried about taking all that product? How can that be safe?

Not worried at ALL! The decision to stop ingesting synthetic products purchased over the counter in stores was the best thing I’ve done for myself in a long time!  What I’m using now is all natural.  Nothing synthetic about it.  Our bodies only take (absorb) what they need, and, crazy as it sounds, let us know when it’s enough.  I know when I need to use a certain oil, because my body tells me.

What kinds of foods are you restricted to with the Cleanse?

There are no real restrictions, depending on what you want to achieve. The way to reach optimal results is by following a “clean” eating plan, and because I’m such an overachiever, well I went all out and decided to go somewhat Paleo/Keto.  But I’m no purist, as you will see.  I’m always going to be a food baby and celebrate awesome foods of all kinds!

What does that mean? I eat pretty much everything I did before.  It would be easier to describe what I don’t eat:

• Milk (but I stopped that 15 years ago)
• Cheese (but I have sprinkled some fresh grated Parm on a few things)
• Breads (notice I didn’t say carbs)
• Pork (but I didn’t have to)
• Chips (but I did find some that fit the plan)
• Sugar (but that doesn’t include honey)
• And anything “processed” meaning it came in a package with a list of 5 syllable words describing what’s in there.

Some specific examples of my meals during the Cleanse include:

Breakfast:

• Indie Egg Bake—chopped onion, garlic, mushroom, tomato, zucchini, green pepper and 8 eggs with curry, turmeric and s&p baked in a brownie pan and sliced for 6 mornings of breakfast.
• Italian Egg Bake
• Mexican Egg Bake

I should point out that breakfast was the most significant change for me. Prior to the Cleanse I always alternated breakfast tortillas and breakfast sandwiches with skinny bread for my normal routine.  A serious carb overload that I’ve taken a break from.

Lunch: left-overs from dinner items, or a spinach/romaine salad with chicken breast and avocado slices

Dinner:

• Steak and mushrooms with pan grilled asparagus
• Chicken soup with barley
• Baked Grouper, broccoli and ancient grains
• Spaghetti /w/turkey burger and spaghetti squash noodles
• Broiled garlic shrimp, Brussel sprouts and brown rice
• Bison taco salad (with those natural tortilla chips I found)
• Roasted chicken, sweet potatoes and pole beans
• Pan seared salmon and Quinoa kale salad

OH I could go on but I think you get the picture…..

For my mid am and pm snacks I nibble on things like carambola (Star Fruit) slices, blueberries, apple slices, banana, pineapple and mango, chopped radishes and celery, cashews, pecans and almonds, with an occasional half an avocado thrown in there.

I stop eating any food by 7:00 pm

So does it look like I’m restricted? I think I may be eating more than before!  I am never hungry.  I don’t crave much except maybe if I start thinking about it, I start to miss my late night garlic potato chips, dark chocolate and red wine….oh there I go again day dreaming…stop!

And I guess I have significantly decreased my alcohol consumption which is not a big deal to me.   I could, actually eat about anything I want with no apologies.  With this plan, I’ve lost 12 pounds in 22 days.  I’m already about half ways to my Memorial Day goal.  Do I feel restricted?  Heck no!

Isn’t that a lot of pills to take? Isn’t that a huge expense?

Well yes, at times it is a lot of pills, especially on this last leg, and it gets pretty darn confusing! But it’s only a 30 day commitment.  The purpose is to get healthier.  I don’t really look at the pills as pills.  They are natural supplements that are fresh and good for me.  I’m okay with muddling through the schedule for taking them.  It shall be over soon.  As for the cost…the Cleanse and Restore Kit was $326.67 and I needed an additional $50 bottle of TerraZyme for the month.  Geeze I’ve spent more than that per month in Caribou Coffee and going out to the bars and partying!  Seriously, I feel like my health and wellness is worth way more than that, so I consider this an investment in my wellbeing.

I’ve heard of doing Cleanses that make you dizzy, or sick. Does that happen to you?

No, I’ve been feeling really positive except for only once, but I think I understand why. I did get a touch of a dizzy spell one day early into the Cleanse.  I hadn’t eaten lunch yet and I was so hungry!  Then I smelled food from one of our local gourmet restaurants and got light headed and positively crazy for that food like a Banshee. Whoa!  I took some deep cleansing breaths, closed my eyes for a few minutes, drank some lemon water, talked myself back to civilized, and I was back in the game, feeling fine.  As my body adjusts to all the changes I’m putting it through it seems less “resistant” and more ready to go with the flow.

How do you know what to do? It all seems to be so overwhelming!

If you’re talking about just plain getting on track with improved health then, I agree. When you look at the nutrition component, the activity component, the mindset, the coordinating of things, the myriad of essential oils with countless combinations to address endless ailments, yeah, it does seem to be a bit overwhelming. I’m immersed into being an exemplary doTerra Wellness Advocate Director, so I devote a tremendous amount of time to it.  Lots of trust, patience, training, research, studying, being under a seasoned oilers wing, and of course I’ve done somewhat of a “trial and error” on my own self with amazing results.  Much of this practice is intuitive.  I’m addressing nutrition, exercise and healthy immune function, which dove tails into physical, mental and emotional health.  The resources at my fingertips or with a phone call are phenomenal .  If anything I feel empowered.  This path provides such a wide open opportunity for improved health head to toe.  Inside and out.  I’m excited to be what I consider a “life student of essential wellness”.  I’m excited to share this knowledge and freedom with others.  So, truthfully, just start small.  Tackle one thing at a time.  Maybe it’s cutting portion size.  Maybe it’s doing a 30 day cleanse first.  Maybe it’s just taking the LLV supplements for a while.  However you decide to start, whenever you decide to start, please do it with support…do it with me!  Come to one of my workshops, or we can create one for your own group, too.  What do I always say?  The opportunities are endless!

When is the best time to do a Cleanse and Restore?

Whenever you’ve decided that you are ready to commit to 30 days of something that may be somewhat out of your comfort zone, but will most certainly bring you pleasing results!  I probably wouldn’t do it at Thanksgiving or Christmas though.  That might just be asking for frustration, hehehehe!  I will likely do mine annually in January, and would be happy to have others join me next time!  That said, if you’re ready now, message me and we’ll get you started!

If you’re not seeing your question here…..well…..that means I’m sending your answer via email as the content is a little “graphic” or super personal for the world wide web!  You can also get back in touch with me and we can discuss further.

Well it’s about time for my lunch and TerraZyme. Cinna-Bean Soup today.  My attempt at creating a vegan dish.  It was going really well until I added the hamberger……………It’ll be on my website in the next week or two, once I perfect it.  I think the burger might have done the trick!  Counting down the days to completing my 30 Day Cleanse and Restore Challenge.  More soon!

Thank you for reading my post. I’d love to hear your thoughts!  All comments are greatly appreciated.  Life is an adventure—good or bad, and it begins today!  If you like what you see, please let me know by “liking” my website. You can even join my tribe to automatically receive new postings ‘hot off the press’.  There’s a place to do that right on my home page.  If you are interested in learning more about doTerra and the Cleanse and Restore Challenge, please reach out for me! I would love nothing more than to help you achieve your healthiest self too!  I also offer essential oil wellness workshops for formal and informal groups—let’s set one up for you and your friends or colleagues or department.  As always, please feel free to share with others who may find meaning and value in exploring limitless possibilities with PR Brady AdVentures. Thanks again!

As promised, I’m checking in with an update on the Cleanse and Restore Challenge I’ve embarked on. Wooo Who00, I’ve made it through Phase 1, and have completed the first half of the Challenge!  Sure has been an interesting 15 days!  Just as I had hoped I’m feeling better than I have in a very, very long time.

I must admit, I do have a slight advantage in seeing great results so far. Here’s just a little back story….

Last October I began taking the Life Long Vitality supplements, mostly because I felt so depleted from the previous year of physical issues. The 3 supplements, taken together, are amazing!   I noticed I had more energy and felt “lighter” within a couple weeks of incorporating them into my daily routine, even without changing anything else.  People that I hadn’t seen in several months would say things like “wow you look so great, what are you doing?”  and that was pretty much the only thing I was doing.  One of the main reasons I started taking LLV was to hopefully improve my bowel movements which had become “extremely not normal” over a year ago (LOL,  I know, T.M.I.!).  I have to say, things did improve some by about mid-November, and this was with only taking one of each of the three supplements daily (suggested quantity is 2 of each 2x a day).  Now with this cleanse challenge, I’ve been taking one of each with breakfast and with dinner.

In addition, there are several little changes I’ve made for the cleanse that are rather interesting:

• Caffeine Freak here, I’d been drinking a pot of coffee a day for years; now I’m drinking ½ or less of a pot daily and don’t seem to miss it.
• Guaranteed I’d be having a glass or two of wine with dinner each night since the beginning of time; now I enjoy a glass or two of wine with dinner maybe every 3 nights, and I don’t seem to miss it.
• Maybe I’d grab a bottle or two of water, or not, every day; now I absolutely drink 3 16 oz. containers of water with lemon oil or more, daily.

I thought it would be hard to follow this challenge, but it hasn’t been hard at all. My biggest shift has been with portion size, rather than foods.  I’m not a processed foods chick.  I eat pretty clean as it is.  The items that I’ve “given up” for the month apparently weren’t all that important to me, because it’s not a hardship to not have them.  Even the carb craze of pasta, potatoes, and pizza has been bearable.  I’ve made amazing dishes that fulfill me so I hardly notice the absence of carbs (but I also take comfort in knowing I’m half way home to getting me some noodles again….in moderation!).

So during Phase 1, (the first 10 days) I dropped a few pounds and felt even more alert and energized. Seems I slept better and woke up better, too.  By mid-afternoon I’d get crazy hungry, but I could instantly satisfy that with a couple almonds or a half of an avocado, which are some of my afternoon snack choices.  I peed and peed and peed all day and my bowel movements got remarkably “better”( I know, T.M.I . again!) There were only a few times I became a tad lightheaded (sugar or carb withdrawals).  When that happened, it wouldn’t be for very long.  Some deep cleansing breaths helped with a couple swigs of lemon water.  Days 2 – 8 an occasional burp would rise up out of nowhere.  Those burps were wonderfully fragrant tasting like flowers (LOL) and quite interesting to experience!  Actually, I’m rather missing them.

Now I’m half way through Phase 2 (the second 10 days)

My body feels somehow a little less “puffy”. I’m flattening out (well, not everywhere! ) and don’t feel bloated.  Even my fingers got “skinny”.  This seems so strange to me, as I’m consuming more liquids than I ever have. Still peeing like a racehorse, and I am downright proud of my #2’s. My eyes seem “brighter” than normal.  My skin feels softer and tighter.  And my hair—OH MY!  My hair!  People who know me know I’ve been worried about my hair for the last 5 years or so.  Believe it or not, I’ve lost 1/3 of my hair or more in that time—it’s been shedding by the handfuls (although you’d never think that by looking at me) and I’ve been terrified I’m going to lose it all.  But suddenly now I’m not experiencing  alarming hair loss anymore!  I’ve stopped shedding hair!  In fact the texture of my hair seems to be changing—seriously!  It’s softer, more manageable, and not as quick to tangle! This in itself is so very exciting for me!

I’ve had a little bit of tummy growls that are new. Must mean things are moving around.  My energy level remains high, I sleep well and wake up refreshed, and by golly I’ve now dropped 9 pounds since January 3^rd—without trying–and I’m eating fantastic!  I’m excited to see what the next 15 days will bring.  So far, I couldn’t be more pleased with how my Cleanse and Restore 30 Day Challenge is going!

 

Thank you for reading my post. I’d love to hear your thoughts!  All comments are greatly appreciated.  Life is an adventure—good or bad, and it begins today!  If you like what you see, please let me know by “liking” my website. You can even join my tribe to automatically receive new postings ‘hot off the press’.  There’s a place to do that right on my home page.  If you are interested in learning more about doTerra and the Cleanse and Restore Challenge, please reach out for me! I would love nothing more than to help you achieve your healthiest self too!  I also offer essential oil wellness workshops for formal and informal groups.  As always, please feel free to share with others who may find meaning and value in exploring limitless possibilities with PR Brady AdVentures. Thanks again!

                                                                                                                                                       

Finally! It’s time for a new adventure!  The doTERRA Cleanse and Restore Challenge begins today!  Time to re-set my body and get to my healthiest self yet!  Yessir, I’m up for the challenge–I’m in it to win it!

What do I win?

The results and satisfaction of completing a natural process that will improve my immune system, improve how my body functions internally and improve my overall health and wellness. I’m a firm believer that our environment can kill us.  Goodness knows, stress is a killer!  When I look back at my life, and the way I’ve run hard and fast, for sooooooo very long……years and years of stress and bad choices and putting my health last…I’ve not been  a good friend to myself.  Like many people, I’ve gotten so clogged up with the ‘gunk’ of day-to-day life on the go, that even though I do eat fairly good, my body simply can’t get all the nutritional benefit it should.  The last year of health issues really put it all into perspective for me. I’ve been running on empty long enough!

I’m done with that lifestyle. I’m putting myself first now.

I’ve already been doing that with my shift back to alternative medicine and essential oil use to ‘self heal’ from a year of dreadful physical issues.

Now the best thing I can do for myself is to Cleanse and Restore my poor abused self, and give myself a fresh, healthier start. I deserve it!  Our bodies are our temples, and it’s time to “clean house”.  Naturally reset my body for optimal wellness.  Following the Cleanse and Restore process will help condition me to continue making those same wise choices after the challenge is over, which in turn, will keep me on track with living a healthier lifestyle, and allow me to gently and naturally lose 25 pounds by Memorial Day.

How does it work?

I’ll be taking a series of specialized natural supplements at different times throughout the month designed to gently pull out the bad toxins and stuff out of my system, and replace it with good stuff:

• A blend of digestive enzymes to aid in the digestion of food and absorption of nutrients.
• A combination of essential oils and caprylic acid to help cleanse and support the digestive system.
• 6 BILLION CFU’s of 6 different strains of probiotics.
• A botanical blend to support the liver, kidneys, colon, lungs and skin.
• A botanical blend to support the body’s natural ability to rid itself of unwanted substances.
• An essential oil blend to support cellular health, function and renewal.
• A natural “cleanser” for the body and to aid in digestion.
• And the bonus is I’m a doTERRA Wellness Advocate, and using all natural therapeutic grade essential oils to support much of the process!

Combine that with eating “clean” (which I, for the most part already do but could do better, especially with portion size) types of foods that support the body during the cleansing process, and continue to feed it the most nutrition to boost my metabolism and immune system, increase my strength, endurance and energy. I’ve designed a 30 day menu for myself that is somewhat Paleo, somewhat KETO, and much of what I already do.  I don’t feel like I’m giving up anything, because truthfully I’m not (well, I am sad to see the Beer Chips go…).  Because I love to cook, fine tuning my eating routine is actually fun!

Combine that with a steady commitment of meditation, yoga, aerobic and strength training. Having been pretty much incapacitated for over a year with health problems has left me feeling (and looking ) like a blob.  P.R., the human blob.  I’ve not felt like myself for so long!  The good news is I have already been working to get back to my physical and mental health routine and my health has been improving, but not to any great degree, mostly because my body just hasn’t been ready.

That. Changes. NOW. Thanks to diligence and changes I’ve been slowly making, I’m stronger and virtually pain free now.  I’m ready to create the best version of my healthiest self!

My faith in this program is so strong, I’m sharing my progress here over the next 30 days. Watch the magic unfold.  I’m so excited! This is going to be quite the adventure!

 

Thank you for reading my post. I’d love to hear your thoughts!  All comments are greatly appreciated.  Life is an adventure—good or bad, and it begins today!  If you like what you see, please let me know by “liking” my website. You can even join my tribe to automatically receive new postings ‘hot off the press’.  There’s a place to do that right on my home page.  If you are interested in learning more about doTerra and the Cleanse and Restore Challenge, please reach out for me! I would love nothing more than to help you achieve your healthiest self too!  I also offer essential oil wellness workshops for formal and informal groups.  As always, please feel free to share with others who may find meaning and value in exploring limitless possibilities with PR Brady AdVentures. Thanks again!