Perfect Health Diet Retreat, New Fitbit, Whole Food Juicing and T-Tapp

In just  few days, I'll be heading out to NC for the Perfect Health Diet (PHD) Retreat. I am super excited to be going on this two week adventure and very proud of myself for contacting the organizers and arranging to come on a work/study basis. This program is amazing and well worth it, but simply not in the budget this year. I'm glad to be going as the onsite helper, where I'll be able to reap the rewards of the program and assist the other participants as well. I will be sharing much of what I learn/experience here periodically while at the retreat.

In other, related news, I decided to take the plunge and buy myself a Fitbit Flex. I've coveted these for some time, but again, budget concerns kept me from making the purchase. Oddly enough, it was the upcoming retreat that spurred me into action. One of my duties will be to make the morning coffee, etc. so I'll need to be one of the first people up. Part of the PHD is working on your circadian rhythms and good sleep is extremely important in that regard. The last thing I wanted to do was to wake up my roommates (I'll be in a shared room with other women) with my blaring iPhone. Yikes! So what does this have to do with the Fitbit? Well, the Flex version has a silent alarm feature that vibrates to wake you up gently. I've tired it out and it works! I've also been loving the step tracking, which is fun to watch in real time on my phone. I am such a little kid. Easy to please :)

My more recent food related passion is juicing. Yes, really. I was always so against it, due to the blood sugar spiking and fiber wasting. Well, I found a way that does neither. Enter Whole Food Juicing. Using my trusty Vitamix, I'm able to blend my veggies and fruit so well that it drinks like a juice but still keeps all the fiber. There are tons of great recipes at the Blender Babes. My current favorite is a version of this Giada De Laurentiis one (I use cucumber instead of the carrot and granny smith apples to keep it bright green). I've really been enjoying these and feel great getting in so many more raw veggies.

Last but not least, I am still loving my T-Tapp DVDs. Doing the basic, 20 minute workout 2-3 times per week has me feeling way more toned and great in my own skin. I can't even explain how awesome it is. The effort to results ratio is astounding. I've never done such an effective workout, especially one that doesn't leave me in a puddle on the floor by the end. I highly recommend you check this out!*

*Please note that many of the above links are affiliate links to Amazon. If you click on one of them, and then go on to buy something, I get a small percentage, which is awesome. However, I get nothing for recommending T-Tapp. I just think it's wonderful :) And I only link to anything that I truly use and love whether it's on Amazon or not. 

New Discoveries and a Shift in Focus

For the past three years, I’ve been focusing pretty fiercely on my attempt to lose weight. I’ve tried to keep a good, body positive perspective but have never lost sight of that end goal. Since my experience with Intuitive Eating prior to discovering Paleo, I’ve been pretty fearful of letting go and losing control. I did not trust myself to make good decisions for my health so I settled on the prize of weight loss to keep me on the straight and narrow. I also harbored a secret fear that no one would ever take me seriously in the Paleo community if I was still fat.

I don’t know if there is something physically, psychologically, or otherwise holding me back from achieving my desired body composition, but any which way, I’m over it. I am over actively trying to change my body. Here’s a little recap of what I’ve been working on lately to take the very best care of myself without the express goal of weight loss:

Dressing Your Truth

I’m in love with this program. I look and feel better than ever and haven’t lost a pound (not that I’ve weighed myself!) I cannot recommend it highly enough for promoting great self-care and expression true to yourself. Life changing.

T-Tapp

I’d heard of this before but never thought it would be for me. It was mentioned in one of the DYT videos and I decided to give it a whirl. I feel more toned, energetic, and have gotten lots of compliments from Cute Man since doing this 2-5 times per week. The basic workout takes less than 20 min. Score.

Perfect Health Diet

Yes, that again. I’m just eating real, normal food while avoiding nasty oils, processed food, added sugar, and wheat products. The biggest difference is that I’m not doing it to try to diet or lose weight. My only goal is to promote overall health and avoid the acid reflux, psoriasis, headaches and other health problems I dealt with pre-Paleo. I’ve also started incorporating resistant starch, which blunts blood sugar spikes and promotes gut health. It just means that I cook my potatoes and rice a day in advance to allow them to cool down after cooking in order to allow the RS to be formed. My appetite is WAY down and my sugar cravings have diminished a lot. I feel almost incapable of overeating. When I’ve had enough, I have to stop right in my tracks with a feeling of not being able to take even one more bite. I can’t eat even half what I used to for dinner. Very interesting. I am not eating any rice noodles or other gluten free processed foods – those seemed to set me off and gave me acid reflux. I started with the RS after listening to this Latest inPaleo Podcast. More info on Free the Animal (warning – he is very unpolitically correct, so if you’re easily offended, please avoid).