nutrition

My Semi 2-Day Detox...

So after falling flat on my face after Memorial Day…I was starting fell bloated, sleepy with headaches and stomach aches, and dear I add poor bowel management. I really could not take the trip if I was paid and I was majorly clogged. So these were all the classic warning signs that I tell people about all the time.

TIME TO DETOX! I did feel like going for a colon cleanse even though I am overdue so I opted for a 1 day fast followed with 2 days of fruit and veggies.

Saturday went great. I focused on schoolwork, yard-work and even played some ball while drinking a gallon of water throughout the day. Later I went home and had some tea. I survived until midnight (26 hrs after my last meal) until after the game where I had a small salad with a couple of oz. of chicken breast. Not bad and I felt better but that wasn’t part of the plan. Either way I woke up today, had my tea with lemon, several hours later had some veggies and egg whites. I just had a green smoothie with berries, bananas, protein, touch of 100% cranberry juice, aloe and mean greens.  Whoa! The thing about detoxing is this smoothie is sweet as hell.  I’ve had it before but not like this…

Anyway I’m not where I want to be but my last bathroom trip felt like heaven. I’ve done a 5 and 7 day detox so this was just a chance to give my body a break. I will continue to do fruit and veggies and sneak in some protein via egg whites and tuna but I just want to take it easy this week. No..I’m not one with Buddha nor do I have found the light but I am going to the bathroom…thank God…

The End of Overeating!

Nice post from theLawRawtory.com site featuring the author David Kessler M.D.

Oddly enough I’ve been feeling like crap since Memorial Day weekend. Constipation, stomach pains, bloated, headaches and straight up tired…I think we know what time it is…DETOX!  Usually, when I detox I work harder on house projects and on my rental properties, I consider this my personal time.

We all know what’s important here slimming down, eating better, and enjoying high quality food instead of high quantity food. I’ll keep you posted…

6 Thoughts That Will Keep You From Getting Thin

(BlackDoctor.org) — Do you hear those voices in your head talking to you? I do, all of the time. I always here that little voice that tells me, “One candy bar won’t hurt” or “It’s okay if I don’t go to the gym today because the next time I go, I’m gonna work twice as hard to make up for it.”You know those suggestive little voices that whisper in your ear… and suddenly you’re knee-deep in ice cream? Change the sabotaging, discipline-destroying thoughts, and you can change your life, or at least your weight.

I ordered the grilled cheese, so why not get the fries, too?

One treat at a time. I’m indulging in grilled cheese, so I’ll trade the fries for a salad.

Here’s How: “The thought pattern is, I’ve already blown it for today, so I might as well keep going,” says Janet Polivy, PhD, a psychology professor at the University of Toronto. She calls it the “what the hell” effect and says it causes people to devour so much food that they feel they’ll never get back on track. To prevent this scenario from playing over and over, Polivy says, you have to redefine your idea of healthy eating. Allow yourself the occasional treat, as long as it’s accompanied by smarter food choices like fresh fruit and vegetables. At roughly 500 calories, one melted cheddar on rye a week should hardly make you fat. Habitually tackling on a large order of fries, however, might.

I’ll just have this one cookie.

If I can’t stop at one or two cookies, I shouldn’t have any at all.

Here’s How: We stand by the above tip that it’s okay to eat your favorite foods, provided you’re the type who can stop after a small amount. “One cookie could turn into 1,000 calories or more if you proceed to eat the whole bag,” warns Stephen Gullo, PhD, president of the Institute for Health and Weight Sciences. He suggests that you take a step back and honestly assess how you’ve reacted to your favorite foods in the past. You may discover that chocolate chip cookies trigger uncontrollable cravings but one square of dark chocolate appeases your sweet tooth quite nicely.

My husband says I look fat, so I guess I should start exercising.

I want to get in shape for myself, not for him.

Here’s How: Whether or not you need to shed a few pounds, acting in response to someone else’s hurtful remarks will breed self-doubt and lower your self-esteem, says Marlene Schwartz, PhD, co-director of the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders in New Haven, Connecticut. To reset your weight loss goals so they revolve solely around you, sit down and figure out how you could benefit from changing your lifestyle. (Writing your thoughts out on paper might help.) If you identify areas that need improvement, talk to your spouse about how he can play a part: Plan low-fat weekly menus together in lieu of eating out, or take walks after dinner instead of watching TV. Alternatively, if you’re exercising, eating right, and feeling pretty healthy the way you are, Schwartz says, “tell him that this is his problem, not yours.”

What’s the point of losing weight during the winter? I’ll get in shape for summer.

By eating more now, I’m creating a lot of extra work for myself when spring rolls around.

Here’s How: A study by scientists at the National Institutes of Health tracked 195 people through the holidays and found an average weight gain of about a pound.

By the following year, most had gained another half pound, and the researchers predicted that the trend would only continue. To prevent this outward creep, Gullo says, keep thoughts of summer in your house all year long by hanging a bikini or skimpy sundress on the back of the bathroom door, and visualize yourself wearing it every time you head for the leftovers. He also proposes committing to a regular exercise program in the fall, “before the winter blahs set in,” because lugging last night’s comfort food through an hour-long spinning class isn’t so comfortable.

Fat runs in my family, so why bother exercising?

I can’t change my DNA, but I can change my fate.

Here’s How: “Genetics helps determine your natural weight range, but you have some control over where you fall within that range,” says Edward Abramson, PhD, an expert on obesity, dieting, and weight disorders and the author of Body Intelligence. Rather than aiming for a size 2, aim for health: If being overweight is a family trait, diabetes, heart disease, and other obesity-related illnesses could be, too, Schwartz says. Walk to the grocery store, choose the stairs over the escalator, and take good care of the body you were born with. “It’s important to distinguish between body size and body health,” she says. “Research shows that people who are overweight and physically fit can live longer than people who are ideal weight and not physically fit.”

After that grueling workout, I deserve a bacon double cheeseburger.

After busting my butt at the gym, my body deserves the VIP treatment.

Here’s How: “Most people overestimate the number of calories they’ve burned,” says Brian Wansink, PhD, a professor of marketing, applied economics, and nutritional science at Cornell University and author of Marketing Nutrition. To burn off a bacon double cheeseburger, the average 140-pound woman has to jog at a rate of five miles per hour for more than 60 minutes. Recast your concept of reward: Instead of seeking food, take a luxurious bubble bath, rent a guilty-pleasure movie, buy a new pair of shoes, or lose yourself in a good novel.

I’ll grab a candy bar to get me through my mid afternoon slump.

When my energy flags, I need food that will help me go the distance.

Here’s How: Candy and other sweets have little nutritional value, and they destabilize blood sugar, causing you to have more cravings later on, Gullo says. To head off a snack attack, he suggests, “reprogram yourself to seek out a mini-meal 30 minutes before you usually hit a slump.” By eating before you’re famished, you should be able to resist the sweet stuff and choose foods with enough protein, fat, and complex carbs to keep you sated and energized until dinner. Some of Gullo’s top picks: bran crackers with low-fat cheese, a hard-boiled egg, or a cup of low-fat yogurt.

By De’Laney Rowland, BDO Staff Writer

Skinned Cat, Raw Meat Ming's BBQ Atl Resturant

This is for my Atlanta people…avoid Ming’s BBQ in Doraville GA at all cost! Story below taken from myATLtv.com when a skinned cat and raw meat were found behind the resturant.

DORAVILLE, Ga. — A Chinese restaurant in Doraville is on probation for the next six months after police made a disturbing discovery outside the back door of the restaurant.

Doraville Police responded to a complaint about the mess behind Ming’s BBQ on Buford Highway and took pictures of a skinned cat and raw meat allegedly being stored outside.

The pictures were taken on January 23, 2009. They show grease traps overflowing, pigs stacked in buckets, boxes of raw meat stacked outside and pieces of meat hanging from a fence in the back of Ming’s.

Police said they actually witnessed an employee throwing the meat over the fence into an abandoned field next door.

“We had lots of concerns because there was so much meat outside,” Officer Rosemary Martin told 11Alive News. ”We actually looked at a couple of layers on top and saw that they were not the temperature they were supposed to be. So we called the health department, and the health department came out.”

Officer Martin issued two citations: one for failing to clean the property, the other for unlawfully discharging grease and oils.

In court a couple of weeks ago, a municipal judge issued a $5,000 fine, ordered the owners to serve 60 hours of community service and submit to weekly inspections for the next six months.

“They did get everything cleaned up,” Martin said. 

After scoring a 59 during a DeKalb health department inspection in January, Ming’s improved dramatically to earn a 96 during a re-inspection two weeks later. 

When 11Alive News checked the back of the restaurant on Monday, it was clean.

A manager who identified himself only as “Jack” declined to go on camera, but he insisted the meat captured in photos wasn’t outside for very long and was in the process of being moved to refrigerators.

Since then, he said Ming’s has stopped ordering so much food, changed food suppliers and put food safety managers on duty at all hours.

There was another disturbing discovery by police. They took photos of a skinned cat at the back of Ming’s.

The owners told police at the time that they didn’t know anything about it.

The manager told 11Alive News he was offended that it would be connected to the restaurant in any way.

Turbulence Training: Can't Out Train Bad Eating Habits

You can not out train bad eating habits trust me I know. Diet, exercise and recovery are the three pilars of fitness.  At 212 and 18% bodyfat I workout 3-4 times a week. Sometimes as intense as you can be and sometimes just to goof off. Either way the past month I’ve been up since 5 A.M. working hard…but I’ve also been eating more as if I deserve it. Diet is the name of the game. You can workout till you are blue in the face but poor nutrition will sabatoge everything. Working out will actually become second nature, almost a no brainer.

Dieting will become 80% of the game. It will be the difference maker and the hardest part of your day.  Craig Ballantyne makes a simple but true point here…check it out!

Cook Yourself Thin: Lifetime TV

Popeye's Out Of Chicken: Are there other options? Look Who's Complaining!

This is actually sad and to top things off I felt exploited. I will not get on a political tirad but we make decisions all the time. I’m not sure if the disgruntled patrons are upset because of a missed deal or if Popeye’s chicken is that good. kenniffonline.com said it the best:

I’m sorry but I have to comment on this video, apparently Popeye’s had a sale (that I missed) that caused more outrage then joy in the African American community. I’m actually concerned about the comments from those who were interviewed by channel 13. Now I know when you go to a fast food spot your expecting to eat that food, but when it’s closed or their out of something, your expected to go else where or find an alternative, but not these residents of Rochester. Yelling at a machine and stating how are you suspose to feed your kids is not gonna make the chicken appear or make the lights come on in an already empty restaurant. And saying what are you gonna do now that Popeye’s is out of chicken is ridiculous, hey here’s an idea “Go Somewhere Else People!!!”. Now I know my black people love fried chicken and so do I but come on folks there are other healthier food places and just cause it’s a sale does not mean “go buy me I’m good for you”. This was just a little disturbing to me for some reason we need to burden our horizons and I know its been said before but for real this time, this was sad.

People get some salad! It is not the end of the world and there is always KFC if you really want chicken or what they call chicken these days.

Before and After Weight Loss Success Photos: How'd she do it?

The beautiful thing about blogging is how huge a solid network of bloggers can be. From web surfing to active community bloggin, I have been fortunate to meet and work with a lot of people. One of those people being Elizabeth, a 37 years young (she might kill me for the age disclosure) sister from Indiana. One of the reasons I love working out, is not only does it change you physically but also mentally. Below is her story…please share it as an example.

In 1997 I began having severe pain and cramping… I found out that I had endometriosis. I had surgery, thus began my ongoing battle with this disease. Every two years I would have to have surgery to scrape down my uterus, and to try to contain the growth. This was unsuccessful time after time. In between these surgeries I was given different medications to combat the pain, to try to slow the growth of the disease. By the time it was all said and done, I was on 6 different medications, including medication for hypothyroidism. In September of 2007, I had one final surgery that was supposed to take care of the problem once and for all. That surgery was also unsuccessful because in February of 2008, I ended up in the emergency room with heavy bleeding and pain so severe I couldn’t walk in. My doctor informed me that we could no longer try to prolong a hysterectomy. I had emergency surgery that Thursday to remove my uterus and my right ovary. Luckily, he was able to save the left ovary. When I left the hospital, I weighed a whopping 170 lbs. A month later I found a lump in my left breast. I had to have an ultrasound and a mammogram, which showed nothing. However, the right breast was the one that showed the fibristic tissue and could be a problem the doctor said. He also added that if I lost at least 40 lbs. I could severely cut my chances of developing full blown breast cancer my more than half.

That was it, I decided that I didn’t want to be unhealthy anymore, and I could see my quality of life lessening more and more daily. I decided that I was not going to be unhealthy anymore. That I wanted to live a productive life, that I was too young to be sick. That I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. And that I didn’t want all the diseases passed on from generation to generation from my grandparents and their parents. That I would be the one to finally break the mold of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer. My doctor released me to begin exercising in May of 2008. I bought an elliptical, and began doing cardio 4 times a week for 30 minutes. I cut out all pop, all sugar and all processed food. I also stopped eating anything that was dyed white. I started making sure that I got at least 7 hours of sleep every night. I also joined my local gym and began lifting weights. I read everything I could find about healthy eating, weight lifting, cardio, etc. By August of 2008 I had lost 30 lbs.

However, I was stuck. I couldn’t seem to lose that last 20lbs that I wanted. I still felt heavy at 5’0 tall, and still 140lbs. I ended up meeting a trainer at the gym who completely changed the rest of my life so far. I began training one day a week, and the other days he told me what to do for my exercise routine. He gave me an eating plan, and the guidelines for exercise. I started working out 6 days/ week. I started weight training 3 days/week. I began eating 5-6 small meals a day, which consisted of high protein and complex carbs at every session. I began ingesting at least 1 gram of protein per lb. of body weight. I changed my cardio from evenings to mornings. I began increasing my cardio from 30 minutes to 60 minutes / day. I started looking at life differently. I no longer lived to eat. I began eating to fuel my body to perform. To feed my muscle to continue to help it grow. The weight began falling off. I trained for 3 1/2 months, and am now currently at 107 lbs. with 11 % bodyfat. I never believed it could happen. I am healthier than I have been my whole life, even when I was younger. I am no longer on any medications whatsoever. I drink at least a gallon of water each day, get lots of green veggies. I started looking at working out differently. It no longer was a chore. It has become a way of life. I look forward to going to the gym and sweating all the toxins from the day out, and lifting weights to feel my body molding the way I want it to. To be able to manipulate the muscle, and to see the shape taking place.

I am a work in progress, just like we all are, but most of all, I want to be encouraging to others. Especially other black women. To let them know that they can succeed with their goals. They can change their bodies. They can be healthy and strong. That our genetic makeup does not “have” to predetermine the people that we are. WE are the ones to determine who we are, and what we will become. And that our daughters can look at us and be inspired to continue in our footsteps on the journey of life in a healthy and happy way.

How’d she do it? Leave a comment, email me or subscribe to BlackFitness and I’ll send you her personalized workout!