Updates & Squats

Hey, friends! I apologize for my absence! It's been a very busy past few weeks. 

Since my last post I got a job in my field! I'll be starting August 12th. I am so excited! It seems to be moving so quickly. 

Mike and I went camping in Connecticut with some friends from college. It was a total blast! Needless to say it was difficult to come back to reality on Monday. 

My diet completely crashed and burned to the ground while we were camping. Burgers galore, beer & wine, even some ice cream! I enjoyed myself and I'm getting back on track now. I did prepare an enormous batch of quinoa for the trip to have with trail mix for breakfast, however the second or third day we were there it got water logged with raw meat juice.

Ew.

So that was a bust. But I tried! 

Since I've been back home I have been running more. But my body is certainly playing catch-up. 

I ran 6 miles on Monday and a little over 3 on Tuesday and I have been so exhausted since! Time to retrain my legs. 

I'm excited (and a little scared) to announce that I will be running my first marathon (26.2 miles) this year in October. I'll be doing the Bay State Marathon in Lowell, MA. 

Although I've already been getting back into running, my training officially starts on Sunday with a 9 mile run. Whew buddy! 

I've also been meal planning to keep myself on track. This morning for breakfast I had one of my favorite wraps!

The picture isn't the best. But it's gluten-free, super healthy, and delicious!

Ingredients:

Brown rice tortilla wrap
Almond butter
1 banana sliced in half
Strawberries (as many as you like)
Gluten-free granola

It's very easy to make, quick for those mornings when you don't have a lot of time. Which happens to be most mornings! haha

I've also been doing a TON of squats! I developed two different tabata work outs to target those glutes. I'll share the first one with you guys.

So tabata is basically a form of high intensity interval training (HIIT) where you spend 20 seconds of doing activity at an intense rate with 10 seconds of rest in between. One round of tabata lasts about 4 minutes with 1 minute rest in between each tabata. 

Trust me, 4 minutes doesn't sound like a lot...but when you're working out in this way, it certainly is!

My first squat challenge consists of regular squats (tabata 1), plie squats (tabata 2), sumo squats (tabata 3), and weighted squats (tabata 4). 

For a total time of 18:20!

If you can last the entire time, you'll work up an incredible sweat, feel an intense burn, and pump up those booty muscles! Whoo!

After this circuit I do anywhere between 256-352 squats.

I use an app called "Seconds Pro" to create these work outs. 

The entire workout looks like this:

Regular Squats (heels shoulder-width apart, knees in line with your toes, back straight, chest up, get as low as you can!)

0:20 regular squat
0:10 rest
0:20 regular squat
0:10 rest
0:20 regular squat
0:10 rest
0:20 regular squat
0:10 rest
0:20 regular squat
0:10 rest
0:20 regular squat
0:10 rest
0:20 regular squat
0:10 rest
0:20 regular squat
1:00 rest

Plie Squats (spread your legs wide with your toes pointing outward, like a plie that a ballet dancer would do--only in squat form!)

0:20 plie squat            
0:10 rest                        
0:20 plie squat            
0:10 rest 
0:20 plie squat            
0:10 rest 
0:20 plie squat            
0:10 rest 
0:20 plie squat            
0:10 rest 
0:20 plie squat            
0:10 rest 
0:20 plie squat            
0:10 rest 
0:20 plie squat            
1:00 rest

Sumo Squats (these are so fun! spread your legs wide like a sumo wrestler and get low! for extra challenge alternate wide leg kicks as you come up from the squat--hooorah!)

0:20 sumo squat
0:10 rest
0:20 sumo squat
0:10 rest
0:20 sumo squat
0:10 rest
0:20 sumo squat
0:10 rest
0:20 sumo squat
0:10 rest
0:20 sumo squat
0:10 rest
0:20 sumo squat
0:10 rest
0:20 sumo squat
1:00 rest

Weighted Squats (use the form of a regular squat but put some weight in your hands! whatever you're comfortable with)

0:20 weighted squat
0:10 rest
0:20 weighted squat
0:10 rest
0:20 weighted squat
0:10 rest
0:20 weighted squat
0:10 rest
0:20 weighted squat
0:10 rest
0:20 weighted squat
0:10 rest
0:20 weighted squat
0:10 rest
0:20 weighted squat

And BOOM you're done! Make sure to stretch out those legs!

I hope this was helpful!
Continue to take great care of yourselves!
xoxo

Clean: Days 13 & 14 -- The End & After

Hi, everyone. So after two full weeks of Clean and three weeks total without gluten, dairy, soy, alcohol, caffeine, processed sugar, red meat, etc., I have decided to end the program. 

At the end of the first week I was feeling great. But by the end of the second week I was feeling terrible. 

Let me clarify. 

Eating what I was eating on Clean was great. The food was tasty, I was still able to enjoy really healthy delicious meals. 

But where I was struggling was with the liquid meal aspect of the program. 

At this point in my life I am just not ready to eat liquid meals twice a day for three weeks. Two weeks was long enough. 

So although I did not complete the entire program, I did complete two thirds of it and went basically a month without  dairy, soy, gluten, alcohol, or the like as previously mentioned. 

After the program I am still eating clean. Yesterday for dinner I still had my brown rice tortillas with avocado, butternut squash, and kale. 

This morning for breakfast I had, for the first time in months, pancakes! However, they were gluten, dairy, and soy free. =)

But still delicious! 

Here is the recipe: 
1 cup almond flour (I used brown rice flour for my pancakes)
1 cup almond milk (you can also use coconut milk)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon flax meal
2 teaspoons cinnamon (the original recipe called for 1 teaspoon but you can adjust this to your liking)

I substituted regular syrup for coconut nectar. 

Yum!

Not having solid meals for so long affected my energy levels at the end of the cleanse and I have not been consistent with exercise for a full week. 

This heat wave we're experiencing isn't helping either. 
On Sunday I ran a hard 8 minute mile and did a tabata stair routine at the stadium down the road for 16 minutes. I walked home telling myself I didn't want to overexert myself or risk heat exhaustion, however, I definitely suffered from heat exhaustion for the rest of the day. 

My brain was just not working right. And I couldn't sleep the entire night on Sunday.

Once I begin working a regular job, I think I will substitute breakfast for a liquid meal. It will be faster to prepare and a healthy way to begin the day. For now I'll relish mornings when I have time to make pancakes during the week. =)

That's also a piece of news since I've ended Clean. I have a job interview tomorrow! 

It's with a mental health organization up on the North Shore doing both outpatient and in-home therapy. It is a fee-for-service position which I told myself I wouldn't do. However, it would be my first job (if I took it) out of graduate school and we all need to start somewhere. 

The experience sounds highly appealing. Great benefits. Training opportunities galore. And I would be able to work with one of the girls I interned with two years ago who also graduated from Simmons. =D Crazy awesome! 

So I will let you all know how it goes. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I'm so ready to begin working. At the moment I do have a job, but it's not a social work position. 

I can't wait to begin long distance running again! I wish this heat would die down a little because I want to exercise outside! But at the moment it's dangerous to do so. Perhaps I'll be able to get out for a run this evening when it's cooler. We'll see!

I went a little crazy at my trip to Whole Foods the other day and got some Vega Sport samples. 

I've heard good things about the gels. I'm hoping to replace the GU gel I formerly used during long runs. I know that stuff isn't good for my body. 

On Sunday I used the pre-workout drink and the sustain powder and they both tasted delicious and gave me a ton of energy. Helped my work out for sure. Especially since Sunday was my first day off the program. 

So now that I am off the program it's time to seriously consider what I am going to do about dairy and gluten in my diet. 

At this point I am going to try to be dairy and gluten free at least 5 days a week. I had some ice cream the other night and woke up sneezing like crazy. So I'll also have to find some dairy and soy free ice cream if I'm going to indulge again! I know they make coconut milk ice cream so I'll have to look for that at the supermarket... Or just go for sorbet. =)

We are going camping for the 4th of July and I am so excited! We'll be going kayaking during the trip...one of my all time FAVORITE activities! So I need to up my workout regimen a little more before we head out next week.

This means I'll be able to do BOXING again! Ugh I have missed that class. I miss the total body ass-kicking and the all over soreness the next day.

And I miss my mind numbing 10+ mile runs. I can't wait to go for a run longer than 3 miles again. This entire month I've only run 18 miles. The break has definitely been nice for my body. It has helped me explore alternative exercise methods. But I do miss my first love. 

That's about all I have today my friends. I'm going to finish prepping for my interview!

I hope this was helpful! 

Continue to take great care of yourselves. xoxo

 

Clean: Days 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12 -- Halfway There

Whoaaaa hey there guys! Sorry I've missed out on a few days... This week has been a bit of a whirlwind. 

I've been getting my resume in order--worked on it for over two hours yesterday--and job hunting like a maniac. The good news is: I'm really happy with my resume and I've found four places to send it out to today. 

The search will only continue! 

So let's recap the past few days...

Sunday: Day 8
I relaxed and took a rest day from exercise. It was nice to spend some quality time with my boyfriend, which we don't seem to get too much of these days.
I was craving chocolate like a maniac. Made myself a cacao powder and almond milk smoothie. Boom.

Monday: Day 9
I worked, made myself a pineapple, lime juice, and mint shake for breakfast. It was abso-fucking-lutely delicious. Made an embarrassing typo on Instagram (@racheleatsclean) about it. Remember, "cunt" your pineapple well for this shake, guys. =P

Then I met up with my friend, Katie, and we wrote our testimonies for the hearing of bill H 1077 -- An act establishing a loan forgiveness program for Social Workers in areas of need. The hearing was on Wednesday. We also began looking at positions available in the greater Boston area for Social Work. 

Meanwhile, the Bruins were playing at TD Garden and I was bummed I couldn't be there...

Tuesday: Day 10
I woke up feeling really sick. I think it might have been the AC in my apartment. Or maybe a side-effect of this cleanse. I was getting behind on taking my supplements. 
However, thankfully I began to feel better by the afternoon and made myself a bangin' lunch.

You better know I ate that watermelon like a boss. Mmmm mmmm!
No exercise this day either. More rest than anything.
However, at the end of the day we did go to one of Mike's coworker's houses. And therein lay some temptation. 
But! I remained strong! Stuck to my plan, and didn't cave in to my cravings. 

And at the end of that day I was even more proud of myself. My abs were still in tact, and I had no reason to experience self-loathing for poor eating decisions. 

Don't eat the cake. Eat for your life. Eat for your longevity. Eat for your peace of mind. 

Wednesday: Day 11
I spent the majority of yesterday working on my resume and searching for jobs for which I'd be qualified. Aka, jobs hiring a "license eligible" clinician, otherwise known as a "green clinician" -- right out of grad school. Heyoooo, that's me! 

My friends Katie and Leslie helped me a lot with my resume. Leslie gave me some amazing advice. She's ten years older and therefore wiser, so I trust her judgment. =)

After that I organized which sites I would send my resume to. Today I will be sending out my resume to a few locations in the North Shore. Mike already works up in the North Shore and I figure if we move there in a year it would be easier to already be working there. Plus, we would be able to commute together which would be fun! 

Ridin' in that HOV lane, bitchhesss!

Today, after I send those applications, I will be looking at places in Boston. That's where we live now and commuting would be easy. 

Yesterday I ate another kale and butternut squash avodilla. I can't get enough of those things. I ate them for most of this week. And I'll be eating them again today. I don't care. They're easily prepared, have saved me $$ and are wicked healthy!

I absolutely love that quote. Remind yourself of that the next time you have a craving or are about to eat something you might later regret. Give your body what it deserves, not what immediately gratifies you. 

Today (Thursday): Day 12
Ah and today marks the point at which I am more than halfway through this cleanse. 

Real talk for a minute, folks... I MISS FOOD! I miss allllll the food. I miss gluten (despite how much it bloats me and gives me horrible acne)... I miss CHEESE (despite how upset it makes my stomach).

However...these are only fleeting thoughts. Once I calm myself down and bring my mentality back to reality, I don't want those things anymore. I do miss having solid meals instead of liquid. 

This, as you know, has been my life....EVERY DAMN DAY

Yup...

I am trying not to overwhelm myself with this job search and finishing the cleanse. Dr. Junger talks about not implementing too many changes at once. It might set you up for failure. Or a momentary set-back (because I don't believe in failure). 

But it's definitely challenging. I am anxious about how I will alter my nutrition regimen and my lifestyle after I complete this cleanse. I know that gluten gives me horrible acne and bloats my stomach like crazy. 

So I'm going to make it a point to be gluten free at least 5-6 days of the week. It's going to be very difficult in the beginning. It's expensive to live that way and gluten is everywhere! So I'm going to need to do some research to learn more about what a gluten-free lifestyle looks like.

And hopefully down the line I can be gluten free 7 days of every week.

Now what about dairy...right now my thoughts on dairy are that it would be ok to have it 2-3 times a week. In small amounts. Maybe a few slices with an apple for a snack or sprinkled very lightly on a dinner. 

I'm sure my thoughts on that will change.
If I can avoid having it during the week altogether that would be even better. But we'll see what happens in the beginning. 

Anyway, today is an absolutely gorgeous day. I was thinking about going to the beach in a little while for a couple hours. After I send out those applications. 

And then tonight I'm going to see World War Z! I am so excited to see it. The book was amazing. 

Real life confessions: I love zombies. 

But if you ask me the movies are never as good as the books. But I'll keep my fingers crossed for this one. 

So that's all I have for now, my friends.
Take great care of yourselves. xoxo

Clean: Days 6 & 7 - Cravings for Kale

As week one on Clean comes to an end, it's been two weeks since I've been gluten, dairy, and soy free (including the one week elimination phase prior to beginning the detox). No caffeine, no alcohol, no processed anything.

And I feel fucking fantastic! Holy moses I'm radiating with energy. I haven't had this much energy since I was 16. Granted, that was only 8 years ago... but still! 

Dr. Junger talks about how this detox will leave you feeling your physical age, not your chronological age. So although I'm chronologically 24 (which is still pretty much an infant) I'm feeling physically 16--not mentally. haha Oh I would never ever again want to be an adolescent. Pass!

But wow! My mood, my energy. I'm feeling so happy and positive all of the time. Who wouldn't want to feel this way?

Yesterday and today I started craving healthy food. I experienced my first ever cravings for kale! Now, I've always liked kale and have enjoyed it in some of my food. But yesterday and today I was really craving it!

That's another wonderful thing about detoxification--you start to crave the healthy foods your body was intended to digest! 

For breakfast both of these days was once again the berry cinnamon smoothie--I really can't get enough of this stuff!

On day 6 I ran 3.1 (5k) hard! I hadn't run in 10 days prior to that but I wanted to come back with a force. I ran it in 24:49 which is my fastest 5k yet. I finally managed to achieve negative splits (which, for those of you who don't speak runner, means that as I ran each mile my pace increased) with mile 1 at 8:11, mile 2 at 8:09 and mile 3 at 7:48. 

After that I did 100 squats with a 20lb weight. 

Then I satiated my kale cravings with a sauteed butternut squash and kale avodilla! Yes, avodilla! Because who needs queso when you have avocado!?

No cheese. No gluten. Brown rice tortillas with a splash of EVOO. Smothered the entire thing in avocado and talk about a lunch of champions!

These things are so easy (and not to mention quick) to make I've decided to eat them for the next few days. So what that's not much variety in my week, but I like to keep things simple. 

I've been snacking on pistachios, cherries, and apples with almond butter. Not at the same time. I allow myself one snack a day if I really feel I need the fuel. 

Almond butter tastes amazing. I'll never go back to peanut butter. It has half the saturated fat of peanut butter; it's not processed the way peanut butter is, and you don't have to question if there was once fungus on your nuts. Bahaha. 

But seriously though, once I read the words "fungus" and "peanuts" in the same sentence in Dr. Junger's book I said, "Oh hell no. Not in my belly ever again." 

Almond butter, for the win! (With an organic Granny Smith apple, cuz Granny Smith is my fave.) 

Today is day 7 and according to Dr. Junger, I am past the most difficult part of this cleanse. And I really feel that too. 

A few days ago I would be watching TV and a commercial would come on for some sugary goodness and I would want that treat immediately. 

Today, when I see those commercials, I feel a little sick and I don't crave those things at all. If anything it makes me want to eat more veggies! 

The old me would have been like "that's disgusting, what's wrong with you? Go eat a burger." haha Not anymore. 

Like I said earlier, I had bounds of energy today. And even now I feel like my body is just vibrating. I don't know how to explain it. 

I started the day with a 20 minute tabata abdominal routine. 

Then went on to do 100 squats again with 20 pounds of weight.

Afterward I biked 5.2 miles to the beach and back. Soaked up my vitamin D for the day. Got a little sun burnt...whoops.

I showered and ate lunch which was a repeat of day 6. But I don't care cuz it was just as delicious the second day in a row as it was the first!

And then after lunch I found myself with more energy than I knew what to do with! I was very surprised. Earlier in the week I was feeling so depleted. Now it feels as though I've not only rebounded, but I've surpassed the energy level I've had in years. 

So I ran hard over to the stadium a little less than a mile from my apartment and did a 20 minute tabata interval training session on the stairs. 

20 seconds ON: running up and down the stairs as fast as I could go.

10 seconds OFF: resting and breathing deeply.

Twenty minutes of this. I was spent. My legs were jelly. I walked back home feeling renewed and awesome. 

I'd like to say I kicked the day's ass. =P

But on a more serious note, if you're finding everyday that you're tired, unmotivated, bloated, depressed, with low energy I would recommend detoxifying! 

I've said this on my instagram page (@racheleatsclean) and I'll say it again: Big Pharm and the FDA don't want us to know that the majority of our health problems can be resolved with an adjustment in our diets. 

A healthy nutrition regimen is the way to go if you want to feel great, stay healthy, look younger, and boost your energy. 

I challenge you to go gluten free just for a week and see how you feel at the end of day seven. 

If you like the way you feel, go a week without dairy.

I would also recommend substituting one solid meal a day for a liquid one. This allows nutrients to get to your body faster since liquids digest more quickly than solids. 

Plus it's faster to prepare and easy to make enough for left overs the next day. 

You don't have to do any of these things. I'm just suggesting what's been working for me. 

And also...I sneezed only twice today. Okay, I know that's random. But before this cleanse my allergies were terrible! I seriously could not walk outside without sneezing countless times. Runny nose, itchy red eyes, the works. 

And now I can count on one hand how many times I sneezed today. It feels amazing to be basically allergy-free. 

Anyone who struggles with allergies knows how debilitating they can be. When I was younger (around 19 or so) I remember a day when I literally spent all day napping on and off because I would wake up, sneeze for 20 minutes straight (no joke--it was terrible) and be so exhausted from doing so that I would just pass out. Awful! And not to mention just miserable! 

I am so ready for week two! I think I actually might be sad when this cleanse is over. There are so many things in my life that will be permanently altered after this cleanse--and I mean in a great way! 

I am so thrilled because a couple of my friends have told me that they will be beginning the Clean Program also! I am so excited for you guys--you know who you are! 

That's about all I have for today, friends. Continue to take great care of yourselves. Love and cherish your body in a manner which it deserves. xoxo

Clean: Day 5 - Healing Runes

So yesterday marked the end of day 5...and today marks the beginning of day 6. Since I didn't get a chance to blog yesterday (which I'm really trying to stay on top of), I'll just focus on a recap of the day. 

I discovered another smoothie which I've added to my favorites list. The old me would have been so sick of my constant enthusiasm for literally EVERYTHING. However, I'm  likin' this new positive perceptual adjustment. 

We should be excited about what we're putting into our bodies anyway. We're fueling our lives! With the right fuel comes a shiny, well-functioning machine. 

So this ^^ was breakfast yesterday morning. A berry cinnamon shake comprised of:

1 cup of blueberries 

1 cup of raspberries

2 cups coconut milk

1/2 avocado

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Dash of Stevia

Blend well and voila! A delicious fruitie smoothie with a kick. 

I cannot explain how good I felt after drinking this. It was as though my entire body was vibrating. I'm a believer more than ever that the key to feeling healthy, vibrant, and amazing is 80% diet and 20% exercise. If you give your body what it was meant to digest, you'll notice the difference. 

For lunch I finished the remaining chili lime chicken I made four days previously. My boyfriend was so proud of me. I've never been someone to eat left-overs. It's been a constant struggle for me to remix my food the next day. However, this cleanse is teaching me how to get creative.

Blam! Chili lime chicken with mango and papaya salsa on top of brown rice bread slathered in avocado with sauteed kale. Jam packed with nutrients and protein. I was satiated until dinner time. 

My energy is starting to come back! If the weather holds up I'll hopefully get out for a run today. If not, definitely tomorrow. It's been so rainy this week. =(

Yesterday I did a 45 minute HIIT routine with tabata cardio training. 

For those of you who don't know, HIIT is: High Intensity Interval Training. It kicks your ass, makes you sweat, and leaves you feeling sore the next day. It sounds miserable but you feel so amazing after you complete one of those work outs. 

You can find plenty of free HIIT and tabata videos online. So it makes it easy to do in your own living room. Gee, do I sound like an info-mercial or what?

Anyway, for dinner (since I couldn't get enough of that breakfast shake) I remixed the berry cinnamon smoothie with a scoop of protein powder. 

Since I found the hemp protein powder to taste absolutely disgusting (I'm still searching for a tolerable recipe. A friend of mind gave me one which I'll try after the cleanse is up--simply because it contains some ingredients I can't eat while detoxing) during my trip to Whole Foods last night I searched for a new one. 

And I found this: 

It tasted delicious in the berry cinnamon shake. So I have found the protein powder I'll stick with for a while. Another friend of mine suggested vega sport protein powder which I'll have to check out after I finish this one. 

Vega is gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, with no added sugar or preservatives. It's entirely plant-based protein powder with antioxidants, greens, omega-3, probiotics and tons more. 6g of fiber and 15g of protein in every scoop. For some that might not be enough, which I'm assuming is why someone suggested the vega sport protein powder. I think that one has about 25g of protein in every scoop. 

But, for now, this one will do. =)

Last night I also discovered that on this cleanse I can have CHOCOLATE MOUSSE! 

Holy moly it felt like Christmas morning when I found that out!

So, of course, I made it immediately! Small dessert after my shake. I won't be eating it every day. It keeps for a week in the fridge so maybe tomorrow I'll have some after lunch. hehe

For those who eat a lot of sugary, processed treats, this most likely won't taste too appetizing. I know this concoction probably wouldn't have tasted that great to me three weeks ago. However, now that I've allowed my taste buds and body to take a break from the constant inhalation of processed foods and copious amounts of gluten, this stuff tasted damn delicious! 

It's super clean, and actually pretty healthy:

2 avocados

1/4 cup coconut nectar

1/2 cup organic raw cacao powder

1-2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

Dash of almond milk

I garnished mine with unsweetened organic coconut flakes. 

Delish! For those of you who are skeptical on avocados, you can't taste that ingredient at all in this mix. So don't worry. However, if you're an avocado-aholic like me, it won't make a difference!

On a more serious note, since beginning this cleanse I've started to explore my spiritual side even more than I have in the past. I'm curious about what has led me to where I am now and how I can act most effectively in the present to ensure a fulfilling future. 

I discovered the healing runes a couple years ago and have been calling on them ever since during times when I am seeking spiritual clarity.

Two nights ago before bed I cleared my mind and allowed my fingers to pick three runes that would guide my direction moving forward. 

I picked these: 

When I looked them up in the book to learn what they meant

I found this: 

Innocence: (I'm paraphrasing) Receiving this rune is meant to be a gentle reminder of the wholeness and simplicity we knew at our beginnings. Our first nature is innocence. Receiving this rune also acknowledges the long road you have traveled to arrive where you are today. Honor the ones who have guided you. Allow yourself to feel and reclaim that innocence once again through your healing process. Use this day to bring harmony where there is discord and balance where there is instability. 

Patience: (Again, paraphrasing) By drawing this rune, you are being asked to show patience in some aspect of your life. If you are someone who has endless patience for others and none for yourself, this rune is a reminder to take the time to give yourself the gift of patience. Acknowledge and appreciate your efforts and remain grateful for the progress you make along your path to growth and healing. With the practice of patience comes perseverance, trust, and wisdom. Patience speaks to us and comforts us, saying, this too shall pass. 

Hope: (Paraphrasing) This rune signifies the light of hope which urges us to continue on despite the surrounding darkness. Rather than collapse and overwhelm yourself in thoughts of the future, remain in the present. Beyond the burdens of humanity, we claim our inheritance of hope. 

I thought these three runes were entirely fitting to my current situation. I even find it a little striking that I used some of these exact words in my previous post. I don't think it is a coincidence that I drew these runes. 

I strive to lay claim to my own innate Hope, being patient while embracing the innocence of both a new beginning and the continued path to healing and spiritual peace. 

Namaste.

"I honor the place in you where Spirit lives, 

I honor the place in you which is of Love, of Truth, of Light, of Peace. 

When you are in that place in you, 

and I am in that place in me, 

then we are one." 

xoxo

Clean: Day 4

Day 4 has come to an end... and I feel... pretty damn good! My mood is so much better today. I didn't have a nightmare last night, only a couple bad dreams. But they weren't scary dreams like the ones I had nights before. 

For instance, I am deathly afraid of spiders. I hate them. They're disgusting. Get them away from me. And one of my nightmares was crawling with spiders the other night. 

I swear I even woke up in that hazy mid-dream barely-conscious awareness and saw one crawling across the bedroom ceiling. I woke Mike up to confirm and he brought me back to reality. 

So, hopefully (knock on wood) there will be no more icky spider nightmares! Blachhh!

I started the day with my favorite smoothie (almond milk, cacao powder, and blueberries). This literally jump-started both my energy level and my mood. There's something about great tasting food (or, in this case liquid) that makes my entire day brighter and better! 

I'm noticing slight differences in my skin but larger differences in my body! I've slimmed down an entire pant size already!

Today I began a different exercise regimen than I've done in the past. Before I was heavily cardio-focused (I don't think I'll ever give it up, I loveeeee to run!) and now I'm integrating more weight training and tabata interval training! 

Today I did two different tabata sessions. I did an 8 minute squat and push-up session and a 22 minute ab/core session. 

Throughout the day I've been doing squats and lunges. I can't tell you how many squats I did today...but I know one thing for sure...tomorrow I'll probably be feeling like this: 

All that exercise today definitely had me working up quite an appetite. I haven't gone running in 8 days. I miss it. But I haven't had the energy for it. I'm hoping to go roller blading tomorrow and then be running by Friday. 

I'll have to develop a regular exercise regimen for the remaining two weeks of this program. I'm type A by nature so that should be easy. I plan, I make lists, and I thrive on organization. 

I couldn't find brown rice tortillas at the grocery store last night. I didn't have time to go to Whole Foods so I settled with Brown Rice bread. I'm not entirely sure that this is following the Clean guidelines. It's still gluten and soy free, however. 

Anyway, for lunch I reheated the chili lime chicken with papaya and mango salsa and added it to the brown rice bread which I slathered in avocado. 

By the way, 

!! haha

And the end result looked like this: 

You can already guess that it tasted damn freaking delicious! 

For dinner I made my own smoothie concoction which consisted of almond milk, almond butter, and cacao powder. It's healthier than eating chocolate or binging on ice cream and all the ingredients abide by Clean's rules! 

 ^^ That is the daily struggle! However, each day that passes I want chocolate and alcohol and wheat less and less. I already know that soy destroys my system; so staying away from that isn't an issue. And while I do love dairy, I have to remind myself that my IBS ardently disagrees. >.<

Gluten, however...oh sweet gluten. You are so tasty! But seeing the changes in my body has made me realize how much gluten bloats you! I was looking at my passport picture that I had taken last year, and even my face looked bloated!

Gluten is also the reason I had that pesky under belly button fat that would NOT go away. But now, as each day passes, it's slowly disappearing! =)

Before my liquid dinner I had a small snack...two slices, plus a small end piece of watermelon. 

Watermelon is my absolute favorite (in the summer time)! It was also my first word! Although I couldn't quite pronounce it so it ended up sounding like "Wahh-my."

In the springtime, I cannot get enough black cherries. 

In the winter I love to snack on frozen raspberries (I know that doesn't really make sense, why eat cold things during a cold season? But I do it anyway because they're freaking tasty as fuck.) 

And in the fall...you guessed it...apples! I love apple picking, baked apples stuffed with cinnamon, raisins, and granola, apple pie. Anything with apples, get in my belly! 

What else did I do today...Oh yeah! I filled out my licensure application for my social work exam! Eeeek! I still have to get it notarized and, silly me, I forgot to order my official transcript from Simmons. So I did that today as well. I'll be able to send out the application next week for sure.

Then it takes about 2-4 weeks to get approved to take the exam, and another 3-6 weeks to schedule the exam. Meanwhile the fee for sending your application is $155, then another $200 something to schedule your exam. And after you pass another $70 ($68 if you want to be exact) for the actual license! 

And then--when you're good and broke--you'll be all set to start your career (one that pays in sunshine and rainbows)!

Real talk, I didn't enter the field of social work to get rich. But I know that my spiritual calling and my sole purpose here in the physical world is to empower others and spread positive energy and light to those who need it. 

There's nothing more fulfilling to me than helping another person. All the money in the world could not match that emotion. It's one that is so profound it is without verbal and written description. 

With a deep instinctual knowing that I am becoming who I am meant to be, I am moving forward, without hesitancy, into this field. 

So, yeah, you could say I'm pretty passionate about Social Work. =)

What I'm learning while I'm embracing this cleanse is that patience and perseverance are so important when it comes to attaining your goals. We have such incredible power and ability within ourselves. When we tap into that energy there is no end to our limits. When you love yourself, remain patient with yourself, and don't give up on yourself, you can achieve some pretty incredible things. 

My wish for you is that you love yourself enough to take care of yourself the way you deserve to be taken care of. 

If you are just beginning to learn to love yourself, as I was not long ago, my wish for you is that you remain patient and face the fear of embracing the healing process that will unfold. 

With love and peace, 

R.

xoxo