Day 15 & 16 of My Beachbody Ultimate Reset

Monday, Day 15

Today, is the start of phase 3, Restore.

Breakfast

4 1/2 cups of fruit for breakfast, low glycemic, of course, for the remainder (1 more week + another week after) of my Beachbody Ultimate Reset.

Lunch

Miso soup and Asian Cabbage Salad for lunch. The salad was a little strong-tasting. I know that the next time I have it, I will be halving the amount of dressing I make for it. It was good, although strong.

Miso soup & Asian Cabbage Salad

Dinner

Dinner was a baked sweet potato and garlic veggies. I think my sweet potato was a little too big. Some of the ingredients the guide gives a size estimate in pounds for, but not the sweet potato. It would be more helpful to give ounce- or pound-wise measurements, rather than small, medium, or large, too. Obviously my sweet potato was a large one, but I ate it all anyway. I wasn't sure how hungry I would be in the morning if I didn't eat all my dinner, and it was a good meal! Oil, Himalayan salt, and herbal seasoning for the potato. Garlic, lemon juice, and Braggs Liquid Aminos for the garlic veggies.

Garlic Veggies & Baked Sweet Potato

Tuesday, Day 16

Breakfast

One thing I do when preparing my fruit for breakfast is add up the cups the guide recommends, so, just as I had yesterday, I'm having 4 1/2 cups of fruit for breakfast today.

Lunch
 
I had a snack of quinoa and avocado before class this morning, then a microgreen salad with pumpkin seeds and creamy garlic dressing for lunch. It was yummy, although I'm used to pairing my salad with another dish (as has been done for the past 2 weeks of the Reset.

Dinner
 
I ended up eating some of the apple slices that my son's daycare had for snack, when I went to pick up my son. This was cause for postponing my dinner. I had my supplements, then ate about 8 p.m., and I did a horrible job making my dinner! I added things at the wrong time and burned a few things. Even though the recipe called for the burner to be on high, it was too hot. The smoke detector went off!

Dinner was Asian stir-fry which called for coconut oil (which I love cooking with now), garlic, ginger, carrot, broccoli, red bell pepper. bok choy, sesame oil, and Bragg Liquid Aminos. Now, the bok choy cracks me up, because when I finally got around to watching the DVDs that came with the program, I realized that the chef starred in the cooking class DVD, holds up the Napa cabbage and calls it bok choy. Well, it's funny to me :)

Day 12 of My Beachbody Ultimate Reset

Friday

Breakfast
 
I had another delicious fruit  bowl again for breakfast. I recommend, as the guide does as well, variety in the fruit you have. I love fruit, but I don't want to be bored! By the third week, I'll be having a fruit bowl every morning, if you see my dilemma. I was also reading in the guide about the weeks following the Beachbody Ultimate Reset, and the steps to take. I'll be having fruit for another week following the Reset, as well!

Lunch

Lunch was the hearty vegetable miso soup and a microgreen salad. It was a beautiful day outside, so I ate outside until my son decided it was too warm, and time for use to go back inside.

I had a snack of snap peas, carrots, and cauliflower with dressing. After that, which I also ate outside, I spent time prepping our garden pots. It was a good distraction, along with the laundry my son helped me fold and put away.

I got a little discouraged today when I was reading about what to expect the 4 weeks following the Reset. I won't be back to my normal routine, not even yogurt or eggs from weeks 1 and 2, for a few weeks. Then, the 4th week following the Reset, I can begin to reintroduce meat.

I'm not an alcoholic, but I do like a drink every now and then, but that's another thing I will be waiting a few weeks for, as well. I really wasn't living an unhealthy lifestyle prior to my Reset, nor did we eat out often or eat a lot of junk food, but I do enjoy pizza, donuts, and a vodka cranberry every now and then.

I'm definitely not complaining out the cleanse, because so many dishes have been amazing, and I plan on continuing to make many of them after the Reset! Also, the way my body is changing for the good, has made this Reset so worth it!

What Fruit Should You Have?
 
I do regret buying the fruit I bought earlier today, when I said I wanted variety. I bought mango, bananas, and pineapple. I regret this purchase, because when I finished watching the DVDs that came with the program, it isn't recommended to incorporate those fruits into the program. They are higher on the glycemic index, so they are broken down into glucose much quicker than lower glycemic fruits like pears, plums, peaches, or apples.

Dinner

Dinner was Mediterranean Beets, coconut collard greens, and millet. It was fairly delicious. I believe I was trying to prepare too many dishes at once, and got some things crispier than others. When they say 'don't let the millet burn,' you should realize that it will quickly burn if you really aren't stirring frequently, and adding water when you should.

Mediterranean Beets, coconut collard greens, and millet

About Half way through my Beachbody Ultimate Reset

Day 10, Wednesday

Breakfast

Fresh fruit plate for breakfast with kiwi, honeydew melon, raspberries, half a banana, and a kind of mango that I've never had before. It was a bit smaller than a regular mango. I sprinkled cinnamon, which made breakfast even more delicious! (Here is where I tell you that I haven't entirely watched the DVDs that came with the program. If I would have already, I would have learned that banana and mango are not recommended for the Beachbody Ultimate Reset, because they are higher on the glycemic index. This means that they are converted to glucose more quickly, and therefore cause a quick, high blood sugar spike. This is not very healthy for the body. The guide gives recommendations for lower glycemic fruits, such as peaches, pears, and apples, but you can also look up 'glycemic index' on the internet to find a more extensive list).

I had a quick snack of pitted dates (another mistake, since these are high glycemic, as well), and a few apple slice before I ran to class. It's definitely nice to have pre prepared snacks in case of emergencies. The guide talks about meals that are easier, and take less time, to prepare for various reasons. After all, the Reset has many new recipes, some of which take quite a bit more preparation than others.

It is recommended that the Reset be done at a time in your life where you are able to commit to following the program verbatim. This ensures that you get the best results, and aren't hindered by extra stresses, such as travel where you aren't able to prepare more complex meals. I am practically washing dishes after every other meal, since I go through the majority of our measuring utensils. And that's saying a lot, since we have about 3 sets of both measuring cups and spoons! It's also nice to have some good quality skillets. We recently picked up some aluminum ones at Costco, and they are so easy to clean!

Lunch

I can't get over how filling the sweet potato and roasted red pepper bisque is! I had it for lunch, in addition to an entire Greek salad of romaine lettuce, a whole cucumber, a medium tomato, and 5 kalamata olives. It was delicious! I wasn't a fan of tomatoes before the Reset, but after eating them quite often, I'm able to tolerate them.

I didn't have a snack this afternoon (which was ok, since I had a snack earlier). Also, my lunch was late, and I didn't finish eating until 1:30, so I wasn't starving when dinner came.

Sweet potato and Roasted red pepper bisque

Dinner

The quinoa-lentil salad and steamed broccoli were yummy for dinner. I made a double batch of the salad, since I'll be having it again tomorrow. It definitely saves on time to look ahead for the next days meal, and see if you can cut preparation time by doubling some recipes.

I went to bed hungry, and was actually hungry a few hours before, so I had a cup of white tea, which helped a little. White tea has one of the lowest caffeine contents. When you look for teas, look for 'caffeine-free,' not 'decaffeinated.' 'Decaffeinated' teas have usually gone through a chemical process to remove the majority of the caffeine, while caffeine-free tea has not gone through a chemical process.

By this point, I've already lost 4 1/2 lbs, and I am stoked!!!
Are you ready to get support to prepare for summer with this amazing, gentle detox cleanse? Contact me, and I will answer your questions, and help you get started right!

www.myultimatereset.com/iib4

Cleaner Sugar Substitutes

Sweeteners

Wondering what is out there when it comes to sweeteners? I grew up wanting to add the sweet stuff to my cereal, then my tea, and for awhile I was adding it to my coffee. Now, monitor the sugar  intake of my son, who is a type 1 diabetic. We have definitely learned a bit about sugar in the past 1-1/2 years!

I include a little information about the glycemic index of a few of these substitutes. Glycemic index is the ability and rate of a particular food to raise blood sugars. A food higher on the glycemic index will raise blood sugars faster than a food that is lower on the glycemic index. So, on your journey to becoming a more health conscious individual, here are some sugar alternatives that you may have not known about already, and some that you know about.

As with just about everything we eat, there has been research that shows pros and cons of foods. Oftentimes, the results from one study can contradict the results from another. If you hear the same results often, you may be more likely to believe it. Also, listen to your body, and the affects that food can have on it, as well. For the longest time, the artificial sweetener sucralose, which also goes under the name of Splenda, was causing me horrible migraines. The following are just a few options to consider as replacements for white sugar.

1) Agave-most agave comes from the blue agave plant. This sweetener is sweeter than sugar, so you will want to use less than you would of sugar. It is also lower on the glycemic index.

2) Rice amasake-made from fermented brown or white rice (or mix of both). This sweetener looks like yogurt, and adds some texture, but not as much sweetness as sugar. You will have to experiment to see how much you want to use (a few recipes I've seen call for 1-2 cups, but maybe start with less).

3) Brown rice syrup-has a higher glycemic index than sugar, so you will probably use less than sugar.

4) Barley malt-not as sweet as sugar, but it causes lower spikes in blood sugar, and can also be beneficial for the texture of baked goods.

5) Date sugar-made from finely chopped dates, so adds fiber, but is more expensive than sugar. Date sugar doesn't melt like regular sugar, but can replace equal parts brown and white sugar. It may appear as small black flecks in baked goods.

6) Fruit juice concentrate-made from fruit juice that has been cooked down. You can find this in the frozen section.

7) Evaporated palm sugar-made from coconut palm blossom juice. Substitute equal parts of white sugar, and enjoy because it looks, tastes, and melts like white sugar. It's also low glycemic index.

8) Evaporated sugarcane juice-may be very similar in nutritional content as white sugar, so use caution. This can be used in equal parts.

9) Stevia-a sweet herb from South America, and is several hundred times sweeter than white sugar, but with zero calories. It can be found as a powder or liquid extract. 1 tsp. replaces 1 cup of sugar.

10) Xylitol-comes from a birch tree, and is almost as sweet as sugar, but fewer calories. It also is lower glycemic index. It's been shown to promote healthier teeth and prevents cavities (you can find it in gum), but in larger doses, it can cause GI issues.

11) Yacon syrup or powder-made from yacon roots, which are South American vegetables, tastes similar to molasses, and doesn't elevate blood sugar levels.