We Want a Diabetic Alert Dog!

More Than Just a Work Dog, It's A Friend

Long post alert, but it's worth it;)

It has been awhile since my last blog post, and I felt it was past due time to update anyone who may have been following my previous blog posts. In the past I have blogged about a variety of topics, including fitness, nutrition, my time in the navy, as well as my experiences being a mom of a type 1 diabetic.

Do you or someone you love, or know have type 1 diabetes?

Many of you may know that my 6-year-old son, Isaac, is a type 1 diabetic. Type 1 diabetes means that my son's pancreas no longer produces insulin, which requires him to get insulin through his insulin pump that he wears at all times. Insulin is the key to our cells, which allows cells to use the carbohydrates we eat as energy. Without the insulin, and thus, without the energy for our cells, we die.

On September 20, it will have been 2 years since Isaac's diagnosis. It has been a quick 2 years, filled with many good, and many not so good days. We have watched him finally gain weight and height. We have gone from injections, and now are using an insulin pump. It's a little less tedious at times, but still a struggle to change his infusion set every 3rd day (as it still involves a needle).

There have been many mornings where he has woken up with wonderful blood sugars, while other mornings (many of them happening in the past couple of days), in the 50s (his blood sugar range I'd like him to wake up around is above 100, but below 200). It has been rough!

Previously, things were going fairly smoothly with Isaac's diabetes (as smoothly as I could hope, considering). Then, life happens, and it may be (and probably is) a variety of factors that come into play.

Stress, growth, activity, and so much more can affect blood sugar, and boy have we had a lot of stress and activity, but still not a lot of growth. I know that he is growing, and I know that all kids grow at their own pace, but it can be disheartening to see the scale sitting at the same number for months. It is also disheartening to hear this 6-year-old shout 'why do I have to have diabetes?!' For a time, I was checking my blood sugar at the same time that Isaac would check his, and it has helped, but I know that he feels alone in his battle. Yes, I see diabetes as a battle, and what I can do for Isaac is to pray, hope for a cure, and give him my love and support.

Recently, my son attended a 1-day diabetes camp, where he got to spend the day with other type 1 diabetics. They did a lot of fun things like horseback riding, digging for gold, leather working, and hiking. When the day was drawing to a close, parents were invited to meet up with the group at a large park, where we were introduced to some diabetic alert dogs, and their trainer, KC Owens, who is also the founder of Tattle Tail Scent Dogs, which breeds and trains dogs to alert for type 1 diabetics (among other needs, as well).

I got so excited listening to KC talk about the dogs she has trained, and occurrences with her own alert dog. Her passion for these dogs, and the importance of the job that the dogs do made me vow that I would get one for Isaac. Not only are these dogs awesome for catching low and high blood sugars earlier than we could, they are incredible companions! Since they are work dogs, they are able to go just about everywhere.

I truly believe that having a diabetic alert dog would help Isaac in so many ways, not only for his low and high blood sugars, but for friendship! He feels so alone, and depressed at times, and I wish we could afford an alert dog now! Since I'm a student, and my husband works full time (many days he works 12 hours) at a low wage to pay the bills, we are working hard to save as much as we can.

The past couple of months have been the craziest for our family. Not one, but both of our old vehicles stopped working, so we drained our savings to purchase a third, and much more reliable vehicle, all at the same time that we decided to buy a house (since our mortgage will be close to what we are paying now for rent).

Being a Team Beachbody coach has helped me during the past year, but life has a way of allocating my time, so I have not focused on helping others as much as I should. I want to do more! I have goals that I want to achieve, including getting a diabetic alert dog for my son!

I love to help others achieve their goals, and Beachbody can help me to achieve my goals through helping others. I employ you (if you have been touched by my son’s story and our longing for a diabetic alert dog) to step forward if you are ready to commit to your health and fitness.

What are your goals? What do you want out of life? Now, what is holding you back?!

You can help us, while I help to support you, and help you to achieve your goals of losing weight, feeling healthier, gaining confidence, and gaining (or regaining) your health.

Send me a message, friend request me on Facebook (Sarah Biesen (Shull)), or visit my website: www.beachbodycoach.com/iib4. I look forward to hearing from you!

My Fitness Journey: An Update

2012

Since it has been close to 2 years since I began my fitness journey, I decided to update my transformation story.

My serious transformation story didn't begin for any particular reason. I wanted to begin working out. I wanted to get into better shape. I didn't think there was anything wrong with the way I looked. I always felt loved, no matter how much I weighed. My husband never criticized my weight, nor did other family or friends. I was content.

Yes, my clothes were getting tighter, and I did notice the numbers on the scale going up, but I don't remember being bothered by that fact. I thought I was keeping active enough. After all, I had a 3-year-old boy that I was keeping up with. At least, that's what I thought. Looking back at the pictures, I wonder how "active" I really thought I was.

 

You know the saying "calories in, calories out"-well, my calories in were quite a bit more than calories out. Ever since our son, Isaac, was born, we were told he was small, and we needed to see a dietician. Heck, from the day he was born, the nurses were forcing formula on him, because they were concerned for his health! We continued to hear it up until only a few months ago, at the age of 6.

 

Well, my husband and I tried to remedy Isaac's weight gain predicament by feeding him donuts, and quite a few other fattening foods over the course of about a year. No wonder I had gained so much weight-I was eating as many donuts as Isaac. I wasn't the one who had a medical condition that prevented me from gaining weight-Isaac did. He was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in September 2012. His body wasn't able to use all the sugar that we were feeding him. Looking back, we're saddened, because although the sugar wasn't the cause of his diabetes, it certainly wasn't doing his body any favors. If you want to read more about my son's story, you can find it in previous posts, including this one.

 

Since that summer, I've lost close to 40 pounds, and my husband has lost about 20. About 5 years ago, I began using Jillian Michael's at home fitness programs, but I wasn't very consistent. The habit formed, but fizzled out for various reasons. I just wasn't motivated. I moved on to other fitness programs, and then did some month-long challenges. I did a burpee challenge, and various other challenges that focused on different parts of my body, and I slowly trimmed down.

P90X & Focus T25

Sometimes I would be consistent at working out, but I still wasn't motivated. I found my motivational soul-mate workout in P90X a little over a year ago. In fact, I was so motivated by this workout and my Beachbody coach, that I signed up to coach. At first, I didn't really want to coach others, but then I thought about how many lives I could reach, and how many others I could help to live healthier lives.

Nervous about starting Focus T25

After P90X, I began Focus T25, and faithfully did the majority of the workouts at 5:30 in the morning-before my brain knew what I was doing. The workouts were good, but I missed Tony Horton (even though he is a little annoying). I also enjoyed how short the workouts were, and since I was back in school, 25 minutes was a better length of workout.

 

I like my short workouts

 

Clean Eating Support Groups

Around this time, I began hosting clean eating support groups. With these clean eating groups, I provide clean eating recipes, shopping lists formulated from the recipes, as well as providing support, tips, and advice about clean eating. These groups have helped multiple members lose an average of about 1.5 pounds per week just from eating healthier! It's exciting to see lives changed, and healthy habits established. You can learn more about these groups here. You can also check out some of my other clean eating blog posts, including this one, as well as get more healthy awesomeness at my 'like' page, Sarah's Drive, on Facebook.

P90X3

 

P90X3

I decided to try out P90X2, but didn't make it very far before P90X3 came out. My coach had invited me to join another challenge group with her doing either Focus T25 or P90X3, so I decided to snag P90X3 and go for it! Then, a month into the workout, our car decided to retire, and I hurt my back trying to push the car off a tow dolly. So, after a month of recovery, I jumped back into P90X3. And then, one month into Restart #2 of P90X3, my mom surprises me with the Beachbody Ultimate Reset. So, poor P90X3 was postponed for another month before I restarted it. And now, it's safe to say I will finish P90X3 this time...unless some other unforeseen event interrupts P90X3 for a third time.

 

Food for week 1 of the Beachbody Ultimate Reset

Beachbody Ultimate Reset

My journey through the Beachbody Ultimate Reset was a life-changing experience for me. I learned a lot about myself, and the unhealthy relationship I had with food at times. After my Reset, I feel more in control of my eating, and I think before I eat. Nowadays, weeks after finishing, I still don't drink water during most meals. Drinking water during meals dilutes stomach acid making it harder to digest.

 

Another tidbit I've learned, not from the Ultimate Reset, but from the research I do almost daily to become a better fitness and nutrition Beachbody coach, is that you should eat your meat first, and then your salad. This is because it's harder for your body to digest animal protein, and your stomach acids will need to work on that first, instead of being diluted with salad first. You can read about my Beachbody Ultimate Reset journey, beginning with my preparation here.

In the months leading up to my Reset, I had gained about 7 pounds, and I definitely wasn't happy about that! I didn't think I was doing anything differently, except that I was probably stressed, and sitting on my behind more than I should have been. I'd also started having some digestive issues. My mom has always had digestive issues, at least for as long as I can remember.

 

I mentioned the Ultimate Reset to my mom, since it's known for straightening out many of the digestive issues that can complicate our lives. I'd also told my mom about the digestive issues I was having, and how I hoped to, some day in the future, go through the Reset myself. Long story short (you can read about the long story in previous blogs), my mom bought a kit, along with one for me! My mom lost over 15 pounds, and I lost 9 (which was about 7% of my body weight). 

 

Now

Since the completion of my Reset, I took up running again, and do that twice a week in addition to my P90X3 workouts. I recently began using the MyFitnessPal app on my phone to map my caloric intake, as well as output. My husband bought me a heart monitor for Mother's Day, so I've been mapping my calories using that. Unfortunately, that heart monitor was having a few issues, so we purchased another one, so I could continue mapping the calories burned from my workouts.

I've completed P90X3, & have since then completed the 3-Day Refresh, which is a 3-day cleanse (kinda like a mini Ultimate Reset), Chalene Johnson's PiYo (low-to-no impact, but amazing sweat with Pilates, yoga, body weight training, & flexibility), and P90X2.

 Yes, I'm a free coach, and I take helping others seriously!

 

new heart monitor!

 

Do you want support?

If you want help getting started on your fitness journey, I would love to help you! Together, we'll help you make a plan, and find what works for you!

 

www.beachbodycoach.com/iib4

Day 21, the Final Day, of My Beachbody Ultimate Reset

Day 21, Sunday

I've unfortunately still have pain, and I think it's just gas pain :/ It might also be from quinoa (which is one of the snacks that is allowed during the last week of the Beachbody Ultimate Reset. I'll just have to pay more attention the next time I have it.

 

Lunch

Lunch was good, since it was the jicama-avocado salad that I made yesterday. Marinating it overnight was a nice touch.

 

I have my meals planned out for the next 3 weeks, as I phase foods back into my diet. I planned out my meals by writing a schedule down on paper, but you could do it in your phone, or however works best for you. I like to be able to see the game plan, without having to look at a tiny screen.

 

Today, we purchased most of what I'll need this week. I have found that some produce really doesn't even last a week before it gets droopy such as lettuce, spinach, and herbs. I still like to trim the ends of the leafy produce and put them in water like a bouquet of flowers.

 

Dinner

Cucumber-avocado soup and roasted veggies is delicious. I'm glad that I didn't add more of the jalapeno to the soup than I did, because it made it the perfect spiciness! However, after having so many bites, I don't think the soup is as delicious as I first thought. I added a good serving of no-salt herbal seasoning blend, and heated the soup, which made it much better!

 

Cucumber avocado soup & Roasted veggies

 

I stayed up until midnight, and had some chocolate. This really isn't recommended in the guide, which encourages you to continue using the Phase 3 recipes for another week to readjust your body.

 

The day after

I weighed myself this morning....I lost 9 lbs, and I'm in shock!

 

I did not set out on my Reset journey planning on losing weight, but did it! I started my Ultimate Reset at 121.5 and ended weighing 112.8 lbs. That was 7.2% body weight lost in 21 days, just from following this gentle cleanse.

 

I ate about 1500 calories every day, followed the supplement regimen, kept in contact with my mom for the support. My mom lost about 15 lbs during her Ultimate Reset, which she finished up about a week after mine. 

 

It was so worth it to agree to doing the Reset at the same time as my mom (we'd originally planned on starting the same day, but my mom ended up getting the flu the first day of our Reset).

 

If you want support to get started on a journey to a healthier you, please contact me! I'd love to walk you through, supporting you, and holding you accountable to achieving the goals that you set out for yourself.

 

 

Your goals are important! Your health is important! YOU are important!

www.beachbodycoach.com/iib4

www.myultimatereset.com/iib4

Guest Blogger, Jen Bottom from Behind the Refrigerator Door

Ultimate Reset- YOUR questions, MY answers

The Beachbody Ultimate Reset is a program where you RESET your body to do things it was naturally intended to do. 

With our environment and the foods we eat we take on "baggage" that disallows our body to function at it's full capabilities. 

Anything in italics is from the Beachbody Ultimate Reset Program & Nutrition Guide. 

If it is not italics, it is my answer.

Beachbody Ultimate Reset. To learn more click here.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself. I am 41 years old. I was a teacher for 15 years. I am a wife and a mother of two teenagers. I spent an entire decade (my thirties) over 40 lbs overweight. I am now passionate about health and fitness and teaching my family and friends all about what has worked for me!

What made you decide to do the Beachbody Ultimate Reset? We recently moved back from spending two years in Beijing, China. After living there I knew I needed to detox with the horrible pollution. The strict meal plan intrigued me about this cleanse. I was not interested in a juice cleanse or anything too dramatic. I liked that it is all natural and healthy eating. I decided this summer would be my "Super Scary Summer Plan" and the UR would be Phase I. Pushing myself to do hard things is something I recently have enjoyed doing. 

Did you feel tired? Yes, I felt extremely tired. I have always required a lot of sleep and this just validated that.

Was it emotional? Not any more emotional than I already I am. I am pretty "needy" during the week before my period (which was around day 13-15 on the Reset). My kids might say I was grumpier. I think that was mostly from not exercising.

Did you miss working out? YES! Exercise, for me, is like a daily "Reset" and when I don't do it, my day feels off and I feel as if my hormones and chemicals are all out of whack. For the first couple of days I did walk and do yoga. After that, I really didn't. I really just felt lazy.

Did you lose weight? Yep! I did! Although I really was not doing this for the weight loss, it definitely was in the back of my mind the entire time. I thought I would've lost more weight than I did.

What did you hate about the Ultimate Reset? At first, I HATED the miso soup. Then I learned how to make it better (blending up the seaweed). At first, I HATED the Detox supplement. You drink it three times a day, beginning in phase II. It is brown with lots of floaties in it. But, I quickly got used to it and just downed it. The "green sludge" a.k.a. Alkalinize supplement I drank daily for all 21 days. It is green and just tastes like spinach. That wasn't as bad tasting for me. All in all, the supplements really grow on you and prove that we can do things that are hard if we are just persistent at it.

I learned I would DO A LOT for my health!

What was the hardest part of the Reset? If it was any longer I would say not eating what others around me were eating. For example, I went to a graduation party where there was just a little bit of fruit and no vegetables. There was yummy meat dishes, lots of creamy pasta salads and desserts.  I had eaten my Reset lunch before we went, and intended to eat my Reset dinner when we got home. We ended up staying at the party longer than I thought and I was pretty resentful about the yummy food that was being eaten around me. Then I got home and my dinner was going to take 45 minutes to prepare. So I just had a salad. Situations like this were doable because I was focused for 21 days. Like I said, I don't think I could've done that for even 30 days and been as successful.

Did you learn any tips or tricks to make the Reset easier? PREPARE- Shop ahead of time to insure you have ALL ingredients. Read the next days menu the day before and plan out your prepping. 
SHARE- Tell people what you are doing, especially family members. Most dinners I cooked for my family too and just added some more protein to theirs. They really liked the recipes A LOT and it helped me to have their support. I didn't want to feel like I was alone on a desert island. Also, knowing that I was making my nightly Facebook and Instagram posts helped me to be accountable.
WEAR- the bracelet! When I saw the bracelet I thought it was dorky, but I came to rely on it as times got hard. Now I wear it with pride!
SUPPORT- Find and join an Ultimate Reset support group! I can help you find one. This is something you will want to do with others. Your family will not quite understand everything you are going through. I am a "words of affirmation" gal and didn't feel like I was getting that from my hubby, but my fellow Reseters were meeting that need for me!

What did you love about the Ultimate Reset? I loved so many things about this process. First, I love that it is only 21 days! It is the perfect amount of time- not too short that it's easy, but not too long that you are nutso by the end. 
I loved pushing myself and challenging myself. Each time I had house guests, went out to a restaurant, went to parties or packed my food and supplements to go I felt a huge boost of confidence and empowerment. 
I loved have a pre-planned menu and shopping list. I loved having ALL the ingredients for every single recipe at hand. I loved learning new healthy foods and learning how to cook.
I loved being on a food schedule, with supplements thirty minutes before eating. With the supplements I would drink a full glass of water thirty minutes before eating and I would find that I would not be as hungry when it was time to eat.
I loved being in a support group, with others doing the same exact thing. Each day we would post and comment to each other our struggles, emotions, etc. It was really bonding and strong doing it together!


What did you learn from the Ultimate Reset? I learned SO MANY things from the Reset, I could go on and on. Mostly I learned that I eat usually eat for taste, instead of for health. The amounts I would eat prior to the Reset and what I would choose was ALWAYS based on emotion, rather than smart decisions. I have always wondered what it would be like to be one of those people who just "eat to live". Being on the Reset made me feel that way. I ate what my body needed, no more. I ate the BEST choices for my body, not my taste buds...You know what? IT FELT GREAT! Taking the emotion out of eating was so refreshing and I could really focus my emotions on SO MANY other things that deserved them more. For other things I learned click here. 

I used to think my body NEEDED sugar, especially on certain days out of the month. I learned that was just my head rationalizing my wants. 


Did you go up in weight when you started eating again? I ended the Ultimate Reset four days ago and have maintained my weight loss so far. I definitely did NOT go back to the way I used to eat. I will now eat far less meat and sugar.

Why is Shakeology not allowed on the Ultimate Reset, if it is supposed to be the "healthiest meal of the day"? We encourage you to follow the Beachbody Ultimate Reset meal plan exactly as written. You can, however, drink vegan Shakeology as a healthy, delicious breakfast alternative (phases 1 and 2) or snack option (in all three phases). Because phase 3 calls for less protein, we recommend using only a half serving of vegan Shakeology as a breakfast alternative during phase 3. I didn't get my "rear in gear" soon enough to switch my Shakeology order to vegan in time, so I went without it. I really, really regret that because Chocolate Vegan would've been a fabulous treat to have! Next time...for sure!

Why are you not supposed to workout? It is best not to do any strenuous exercise during the next 3 weeks. When you think about it The Reset is already giving your body a serious internal workout. It's important to allow your nervous system to remain in a relaxed state, and to refrain from asking your body to repair muscle tissue at the same time it's cleaning and releasing toxins. But even though you aren't doing any resistance training, you won't lose muscle or lean body mass during the Reset. Plus you'll soon reap the rewards of an internal system that works more efficiently, and a muscular system that's been allowed to rest, recuperate and recharge. 
As I said before, not working out was a challenge for me. However, I did feel achy at time, which justified that it was actually detoxing from my body. This is completely normal and expected.

Would you ever do it again? For sure! Ideally, I would LOVE to do it twice a year. Jan 1st and again in the fall. Two of the people in my support group had done it before and were mentioning that it is easier, mentally, doing it the second time and that you get different things out of it. That was interesting to me. I look forward to doing it again!

What are your favorite recipes? I posted many of my favorite RESET recipes here on the page. Please look under the label "recipes" to find them. Some of my favorites were the salad dressings, Roasted Roots, Roasted beets, Hearty-Vegetable Miso Soup. Jicama-Avocado salad, Coconut kale...there are really so many! I DID NOT like the cucumber-avocado soup.
Here are things that will now be a STAPLE in my house: toasted pumpkin seeds, homemade salad dressings, tempeh, beets, Bragg liquid aminos, rice vinegar, toasted sesame seed oil.

Advice for those considering the Ultimate Reset? Get your Vegan Shakeology ordered in time! Also, you can do this! If I can do it, anyone can. I am someone who used to consider myself a "quitter". With that being said, you will want to do it at a time when you can fully commit to it. There WILL NOT be constant trips to the bathroom, BUT you will be spending more time prepping your foods and your body will need rest. So consider WHEN you will do it. Set yourself up for success by working with a coach who has done the Ultimate Reset. The more support, the better.

Any more questions? Comment below and I will answer them for you! If you are interested in doing the Ultimate Reset, please contact me at jenlbottom@gmail.com or facebook.com/jennifer drake bottom.

I would LOVE to help you through this amazing process!

Day 8 of My Beachbody Ultimate Reset

Monday

Breakfast

Today is the start of Phase 2, Release, so breakfasts this week mainly consist of fruit plates.The fruit plate filled me up for a little longer than the last time, so I think my stomach is adjusting to the portion sizes.

We brought Isaac's cupcakes, plus, we ended up baking a Minecraft Creeper cake, for his birthday party at school. We ended up staying up until midnight to make the cake. It was so hard to not try it, but there will always be more cakes and sweets in the future. It's worth it to focus for 21 days (which is actually a pretty short time period), and not feel the guilt or fail just because my will power wasn't strong enough! Your health, and mine, are so worth it, and it's important to not let food control our lives.

Isaac's 6th Birthday Cake & Carrot Cupcakes

Also, this week, another supplement is added to the mix, Detox. It's a lemony powder that you stir into 8-12 or so ounces of water, then wait, and stir again after 1 or 2 minutes. It actually tastes pretty good.

Lunch

For lunch, it's just a microgreen salad and avocado, which is different from the microgreen salads of last week. Last week, the microgreen salads were always paired up with other dishes. I foresee the need for a snack today! We'll see, though!

Dinner

I made it through another day! The pinto beans and rice was good with steamed zucchini, and, instead of string beans, I had asparagus. If you are afraid of beans, don't be, and read through your guide. It explains that normally beans will not cause problems, and they haven't since I've been eating them.

I'm hungry now, though, and I believe it may be because I'm still not drinking enough water. I just stated to my husband that I wanted donuts, pizza, and cake! I will make it through!!!!!!

Day 7 of My Beachbody Ultimate Reset

Sunday

Breakfast

I wasn't very hungry for breakfast, but I think it's because of the banana I had before bedtime :/ I swapped out the tempeh, avocado, and steamed spinach for another breakfast: farina with walnuts, apples, and maple syrup. YUM!

We went shopping today after church, and I wished I had brought another bottled of distilled water with me. Drinking water helps to bed my hunger moderately, as well, and since I couldn't eat until I got home, it would have been nice to have the extra water! To make matters worse, I didn't sit down to eat until 1:45, since the Beachbody Ultimate Reset recommends waiting 30 minutes before eating after taking supplements.

Lunch

Quinoa Salad & Microgreen Salad

Quite a few of the dishes are a little overwhelming, and as I realize this, I make annotations in the guide. I plan on using many of these recipes in the future! One of the overwhelming dishes is one I had today; quinoa salad. It was paired with microgreen salad, which has cucumber, tomato, shredded carrot, jicama, baby salad greens, red bell pepper, and sprouts. I grow my own sprouts at home, since I can't seem to find them at any of the stores I've looked at. They are so easy to grow, too!

Homegrown Wheatgrass Sprouts

Dinner

Baked Tempeh for dinner was a little late, but actually quite good. It was marinated for an hour in apple cider vinegar, Bragg Liquid Aminos, sesame oil, pure maple syrup, and garlic. I hadn't liked it before then, that's for sure! Tomorrow, is my son's 6th birthday, so while the tempeh was marinating, I was preparing his cupcakes for his class. I was actually less tempted to lick the spoon than I thought I would be! Unfortunately, I'm becoming used to eating late, and tonight was no exception, as I ended up eating at 7:30.

Day 6 of My Beachbody Ultimate Reset

Saturday

Breakfast

Breakfast was a little less tasty than I wanted it to be, so I stirred up the apples, flaxseed, and oatmeal, then put it back in the microwave for another minute. The apples were slightly cooked, I added cinnamon, and it was delicious! The recipes for the Beachbody Ultimate Reset are very stove- and oven-intensive, but I'll occasionally use the microwave, especially for foods (like oatmeal) that I've been cooking for a long time in the microwave. This saves a little electricity and time. Most of the recipes call for water that is heated on the stove to boiling over medium heat. This takes quite a bit of time!

About an hour after I'd eaten my breakfast, I realized I'd forgotten to eat the yogurt that I was scheduled to have with my oatmeal, so I went ahead and ate it. It's sometimes difficult to remember each facet of the meal, as there is a lot of flipping back and forth between the meal plan for the day and the recipes in the back (I have, now heading into Phase 3 today, memorized a few of the recipes, so it's definitely gotten a little easier).

Oatmeal with apples & flaxseed

Lunch

I had my lunch all planned out in advance! I made the quinoa salad, which has, of course, quinoa, olive oil, Himalayan salt, Bragg Liquid Aminos, lemon juice, tomato, cucumber, kalamata olives, parsley, and mint leaves. I made the salad about 2 1/2 hours before I had planned on having it, then my parents arrived. I knew they were coming, but not the time. They came to celebrate my son's 6th birthday, so we ended up eating out for lunch, and I ended up having a salad pre-coated in vinaigrette dressing :( and it was just a head of lettuce! It was quite an excruciating meal, as my son had pizza, and it smelled amazing, especially on the walk back home after lunch (since I carried the leftovers home). I've never thought I had a weakness for any foods, but this cleanse is revealing how much I've liked the ability to eat whatever I wanted. This is not to say that I chose to eat everything junk all the time, but that I liked to eat a donut, pizza, or a couple of little cookies every now and then.

I did try a few bites of the quinoa salad I'd made earlier, but the taste of the mint was a little overwhelming. I saved it to have for tomorrow, so we'll see if marinating overnight will help to blend the flavors a little more evenly.

Dinner

Dinner was good, and was called Roasted Root Medley, as well as Zucchini-Cashew soup.

Roasted Root Medley

I'm definitely not perfect, and it's been nice having my husband and mom available for support. Even my son has reminded me not to give up. Last night, I had a banana before bed, because I was so hungry. This journey is stressful, but it will be worth it! If you want to take back your health, strengthen your will power, and begin to take control of your eating habits, this Reset has been doing this for me!!!

www.myultimatereset.com/iib4