Well, I am a little over half-way done with my 8 day intensive cleanse! (Thank goodness!) I did the Lemonade Diet (aka: Master Cleanse) for 3 days to prepare me for the Blessed Herbs cleanse, which I am on day 2 of. It's pretty intense, although I must say, so far, is going MUCH better than last time -- where I was miserable, and practically sprinted to the grocery store on the eve of the 5th night to get a can of organic veggie soup.... lol. I was reading my cleansing notes from last time too, and it looks like I broke the all liquids diet a couple times, once to indulge in a sprouted cinnamon-raisin bagel w/honey. MMmmmm... honnneeeeyyy.
The hardest part of this, other than the occasional stomach cramping due to the digestive stimulator's (if you know what I mean...) :) and frequent trips to the restroom due to drinking 90 ounces of water and juice a day (insane!), is just plain missing food. I torture myself at night inhaling whiffs of the dinner's Curt whips up (a cheesy, broccoli, pepper something last night...); and crazy enough, just about EVERYTHING sounds good. Two days ago, I would have committed murder for a fish-fillet sandwich from McDonald's, which is more than weird considering a) I haven't eaten at McD's in about 4 years, and b) I have never even so much as looked at a fish-fillet, little-lone eaten one! Ha. Soooooo yeeaahhh. Just like last time, cleansing is nuts!
I've decided to prepare myself this time with planning how I will come off the cleanse on Friday, and with the meals I'll make for the few days after as well (no grains or meats at least for a couple days). Then, onto the anti-inflammatory diet -- which, to be honest, I might slightly modify... (I just don't know if I can live without tomatoes for 6+ weeks!!) Until next time, pray I make it through this!
Also, I'll be adding a few pics of the Blessed Herbs cleanse either later tonight or tomorrow :o)
Monday, March 30, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Spring Cleaning & the Anti-Inflamatory "Diet"!
As long promised... the "horrible" cleanse is about to begin! I figured spring was as good as time as any to do a little cleaning, shall we say, and so starting today, I am in cleansing mode (though I barely stayed motivated through Curt's egg's benedict, left-over Chipolte burrito, and asparagus-cous-cous-mango chicken stir fry today... you are killing me sweet, loving hubby!) But here it is, 8:15 pm, and as promised, today was the lemonade cleanse for breakfast, lunch, and snacks, and steamed veggies for dinner (trust me, veggies have never looked so good in my life). Tomorrow will be much the same, and the lemonade "diet" will gradually turn into the fresh squeezed apple juice Blessed Herbs concoction Sat. morning....
And why, you ask, would anyone put themselves through something like this? All I can say is that doing a cleanse once or twice a year is not a bad idea, and it's highly motivating to eat healthy afterwards. I just love giving my body a clean-slate in a sense... and all liquids for a few days gives your digestive system a chance to rest and recoup! Something that has definite benefits for me and my whacked out stomach. Not only this, but I am now embarking on a whole new "diet" (not for weight purposes people!)... The anti-inflammatory diet! This way of eating is meant to test whether or not eating non-inflammation causing foods will have a profound effect on my skin (i.e. NO MORE BREAK-OUTS ALREADY!). Basically, I will be really happy if it helps, and really sad at the same time, because guess what's on the no-eat list?? In case you were wondering, the tragedy follows below:
Inflammation causing foods (no-eat): White potatoes, peanut butter (NNNNNNNNOOOOooooooooooooo!), citrus fruits (lemons OK, don't ask me why), wheat, dairy, all refined sugars, tomatoes (boo-hoooooo), corn, non-organic meats, pork, beef, chocolate (I practically live off of chocolate... or should I say, did live off of chocolate...), and caffeine - which I don't consume anyway. Brutal huh? BUT, perhaps it will be worth it! I just figured, after being on prescription drugs for my skin for 14 + years, isn't it time to give the natural route a chance? So here is your chance natural route!
The Master Plan:
Thursday & Friday: Lemonade cleanse, digestive stimulator, non-caffeinated herbal teas, steamed veggies, and tons of H20!
Saturday: Lemonade, digestive stimulator, herbal teas, and H20
Sunday-Wednesday: Fresh squeeze apple juice with the Blessed Herbs cleansing packets (about 5 a day), digestive stimulator, tons of H20, and herbal teas
Thursday: Fresh squeezed veggie/fruit juices, steamed veggies, tea, and H20
Friday: Much the same, except fresh fruits and veggies added as well
Sat.: More of a normal day, healthy eating.... following the anti-inflammatory "diet" for the next 6-8 weeks!
....... WISH ME LUCK! and of course I will be updating frequently and explaining more about the cleanses and eating plans as I go along. For now, how about a tall glass of lemonade before bed?
Friday, March 13, 2009
March upDate!
Hi all! Nothing too exciting to report as of late... just continuing on with student teaching and Curt is as busy as ever with teaching and coaching these days... Things are going well for both of us, but it will be nice when next week is over and we are on spring break! yipeeee! A week for Curt, and dare I say, two weeks for me, which is fabulous. One exciting piece of news was that I had a job interview two weeks ago that went really well, but because none of the school districts in the area are hiring next year due to budget cuts, I won't hear anything about a potential job until this summer, when enrollment numbers come in, etc. Such is life, but I am optimistic, despite the state of our economy! (just don't watch the news.... it's dreary enough to depress anyone, and it's made me see why I need to start reading more again!) :)
On the health front, that scary cleanse I talked all about when I was doing my raw experiment will be making its way out of the box and into my tummy during the second week of my spring break (starting two weeks from today). If you want to be tremendously entertained by someone else's experience, or rather, experiment, please tune in! It's sure to be quite the undertaking, if it's anything like the last time. Oh! And just three weeks ago, Curt and I signed up to begin receiving these amazing boxes of organic produce from local farmers off a semi-truck that comes through our area. The produce has been AMAZING... truly yummy. It's so satisfying to eat something that tastes so darn good, and is good for our earth, AND supports local farmers. It's "win-win-win" if I were to quote Michael Scott ("The Office" people! If you don't watch, you must start now!)
All for now... and on to writing grad papers and lesson plans! The fun never ends :) hehe.
Cheers!
On the health front, that scary cleanse I talked all about when I was doing my raw experiment will be making its way out of the box and into my tummy during the second week of my spring break (starting two weeks from today). If you want to be tremendously entertained by someone else's experience, or rather, experiment, please tune in! It's sure to be quite the undertaking, if it's anything like the last time. Oh! And just three weeks ago, Curt and I signed up to begin receiving these amazing boxes of organic produce from local farmers off a semi-truck that comes through our area. The produce has been AMAZING... truly yummy. It's so satisfying to eat something that tastes so darn good, and is good for our earth, AND supports local farmers. It's "win-win-win" if I were to quote Michael Scott ("The Office" people! If you don't watch, you must start now!)
All for now... and on to writing grad papers and lesson plans! The fun never ends :) hehe.
Cheers!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
February Update
I can't believe that it is already March! As usual, time is flying by as life seems to always be so busy. Katie's student teaching at Cottonwood Elementry School (6th grade) is going well, and despite huge budget shortfalls in almost every school district in the State of California, she recently had a job interview - awesome! Teaching is also keeping me very busy as well (5 Advanced Placement World History classes, and 1 AP US Government and Politics class) and Track season has also just began so my days are quite long! The weather in SoCal is great this time of year...sunshine almost every day, and usually in the high 60's...although it is 73 today! I talked with mom and dad earlier this week, and it snowed 4 inches or so in Bellingham, so I know all of you folks in the PNW are jealous of our weather!
On the political front...well what can I say. Looks like we are headed back in the direction of Big Government. Personally I don't trust the government to do anything right, so more government is never good. The stimulis bill and outrageous new budget of the current administration is just unfathomable to me. I just don't see how increasing social spending, creating more entitlements, and nationalizing anything is going to cause a new generation (or anyone for that matter) to be more creative, develop a better work ethic, and get us out of this hole we are in. I'm going to refrain from getting on my soap box though, and direct you to read a great article about all of this: http://www.cnbc.com/id/29434104. By all means the President is still my President and I will respect him and continue to pray for him, but it is not looking good folks!
The week of February 15-22 was the annual Missions Conference at our church, and what an awesome week it was - we had an opportunity to meet, talk with, and hear from missionaries all over the world - Japan, India, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Jews for Jesus, an amazing speaker from the Voice of the Martyrs, and a great band - Fronline Generation. The theme of the missions conference was "The Persecuted Church." It was really a great opportunity to see how great we really have it here in the United States, yet how so many of us take our freedoms for granted. There are 40 countries in the world where faith in Christ is illegal, the Bible is outlawed, and the Church is greatly persecuted. Did you know that more people have died in the name of Jesus Christ in the 20th and 21st centuries than all other centuries combined? A pastor from Ethiopia spoke to us about being imprisoned and tortured for his faith, watching loved ones murdered before his eyes for their belief in Christ, and the incredible trials he has been through and witnessed. It made me question...how many of us have had to put our faith to the test like that? And if we had to (and the way this country is headed, believe me, the day will come) how would we respond? Matthew 5:10-12 says..."Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of rightousness, for there is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Some cool websites to check out in regards to what our missions conference was all about if you are interested:
Voice of the Martyrs: http://www.persecution.com/
Jews for Jesus: http://www.jews-for-jesus.org/
Frontline Generation: http://www.frontlinegeneration.com/home/
We also had the privilige of hosting one of the missionaries, Paul Chandran for a weekend. Paul and his wife Leela work with Christians In Action in Kerala, South India, where they care for poor and orphaned children, care for the elderly, teach English, plant churches, and of course preach the Gospel. Getting to know Paul and spend time with him was a real blessing, and Katie and I both hope to make it to India sometime soon to visit Paul and help out with his ministry and efforts!
On the political front...well what can I say. Looks like we are headed back in the direction of Big Government. Personally I don't trust the government to do anything right, so more government is never good. The stimulis bill and outrageous new budget of the current administration is just unfathomable to me. I just don't see how increasing social spending, creating more entitlements, and nationalizing anything is going to cause a new generation (or anyone for that matter) to be more creative, develop a better work ethic, and get us out of this hole we are in. I'm going to refrain from getting on my soap box though, and direct you to read a great article about all of this: http://www.cnbc.com/id/29434104. By all means the President is still my President and I will respect him and continue to pray for him, but it is not looking good folks!
The week of February 15-22 was the annual Missions Conference at our church, and what an awesome week it was - we had an opportunity to meet, talk with, and hear from missionaries all over the world - Japan, India, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Jews for Jesus, an amazing speaker from the Voice of the Martyrs, and a great band - Fronline Generation. The theme of the missions conference was "The Persecuted Church." It was really a great opportunity to see how great we really have it here in the United States, yet how so many of us take our freedoms for granted. There are 40 countries in the world where faith in Christ is illegal, the Bible is outlawed, and the Church is greatly persecuted. Did you know that more people have died in the name of Jesus Christ in the 20th and 21st centuries than all other centuries combined? A pastor from Ethiopia spoke to us about being imprisoned and tortured for his faith, watching loved ones murdered before his eyes for their belief in Christ, and the incredible trials he has been through and witnessed. It made me question...how many of us have had to put our faith to the test like that? And if we had to (and the way this country is headed, believe me, the day will come) how would we respond? Matthew 5:10-12 says..."Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of rightousness, for there is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Some cool websites to check out in regards to what our missions conference was all about if you are interested:
Voice of the Martyrs: http://www.persecution.com/
Jews for Jesus: http://www.jews-for-jesus.org/
Frontline Generation: http://www.frontlinegeneration.com/home/
We also had the privilige of hosting one of the missionaries, Paul Chandran for a weekend. Paul and his wife Leela work with Christians In Action in Kerala, South India, where they care for poor and orphaned children, care for the elderly, teach English, plant churches, and of course preach the Gospel. Getting to know Paul and spend time with him was a real blessing, and Katie and I both hope to make it to India sometime soon to visit Paul and help out with his ministry and efforts!
Katie, Paul, and I
Red = nations that restrict Christianity and the Bible by law
Dark Grey = countries in which Christians are often victims and targets of violence
Sunday, January 25, 2009
2009 Inauguration
Hey everyone! While Katie has been a ‘blogger’ for quite some time now, this is my first official entry. Last week I took 10 of my students to Washington D.C. for the Inauguration of President Obama…and it was an awesome experience. Now for those of you who know me quite well you know that I am a conservative republican, and that I am a very political person to say the least. However, let’s put politics aside for this historic event that I was so blessed to be a part of and bring some of my students along for the ride. Being in D.C. for this historic event, really was a once in a lifetime experience. I am a very firm believer that the United States is the greatest nation on God’s green earth, and this event defined as to why that is so. Our nation is a nation of people from every background, ethnicity, religion, race, etc….but the one thing that binds us together, the one thing that defines us, is that despite all of our differences we can live, work, play, educate, and govern together as one. The inauguration of President Obama is a huge culmination of events and progress in our nation…regardless of whether you are a elephant or donkey. Lincoln and MLK Jr. were without a doubt smiling down from heaven upon our nation last Tuesday…along with hundreds of thousands of others who at some time or another, in one way or another, have fought, stood up for, or given their lives to the ideals of democracy, freedom, and equality for which our great nation represents.
While my political ideologies have not swayed, through a lot of research, reading, thought, and witnessing the Inauguration of our 44th President - our first black President, I have come to this conclusion. The President of the United States is not only our nations President, he is my president. Regardless of his decisions, his executive orders, the bills he will sign and veto, his beliefs and his stances, he has my support. Our nation is a great nation because we change, we progress, we stand up for those that don’t have a voice, we allow not just the majority to be heard but also the minority. President Obama represents something our nation needs so desperately at this difficult moment in time in which we are faced with – youth, energy, new ideas, change, and direction. And while I may not be on the same page as my President, I will support him, pray for him, and hope for the best. Being in a crowd of 2 million people on our nation’s front yard I realized something. First of all, I realized that I was the minority witnessing such a historic event – a white conservative male. Second of all, as I looked around and noticed the many elderly African American people who made the trek to our nation’s capital to witness our new President that WE elected take the oath of office, I realized that this was an end to a long, long struggle for many of them, that I can not begin to understand. Regardless of what the future holds, and where Obama and the 111th Congress lead our nation, the Inauguration of President Obama was and will always be a defining moment in our nations history and heritage, and well as a major turning point on the road of progress. I truly believe that this will also give many people hope, encouragement, and motivation to realize that anything is possible if one can endure and persevere, at a time when they may need it the most.
Now, let me put my philosophy and thoughts aside…about the trip! The 10 outstanding students that came along with me on this adventure, were exactly that – outstanding. Truly these kids were great, and honestly could have gone on this trip alone – without me and the tour guides. Their maturity and respect level, as well as their thirst for knowledge and appetite for history really blew me out of the water. I had all of these kids as 10th graders in Advanced Placement World History, and now that they are all seniors, have quite a few of them in my Advanced Placement US Government and Politics class. Each and everyone of these students are off to college next fall – from UCLA, UCSB, Cal Berkley, Harvard, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, Cal State Long Beach – and they all are amazing young adults – what can I say I am very proud of each and everyone of them (and hope that I have taught them something along the way!).
We were able to see much more than I had anticipated with the amount of people that were packed into D.C. – we saw Mt. Vernon, Arlington, USMC Iwo Jima Memorial, Vietnam Wall, Korean War Memorial, the Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson and FDR monuments, the National Archives, Library of Congress, the Capital Building visitors center, the Museum of Natural History, the Museum of American History, the Air and Space Museum, and Holocaust Museum, the WWII memorial, and of course witnessed the Inauguration itself (in which we stood in the National Mall for 8 straight hours in 20 degree weather – standing room only!). Our tour guide, bus driver, accommodations, and flights (Virgin America is my new favorite airline!) were all great, and therefore I cannot say enough about how great World Strides is (the company I booked our trip through – highly recommended!) We lost no one, and by the way on this trip I became quite “text message savvy” as that was the easiest and quickest way of communication – although my students say that I am quite slow at it! We also ran into Martin Luther King Jr. III, though his bodyguards keep us at bay – so no pictures. Katie’s sister Jenny and her husband mark (who works on capital hill for Maria Cantwell) were able to meet up with us for a bit one day as well, which was really great. Katie is now telling me that this is rather a long blog entry, so I will wrap it up with this final thought… This was an awesome experience, one that a textbook will never be able to fully describe and/or explain.
While my political ideologies have not swayed, through a lot of research, reading, thought, and witnessing the Inauguration of our 44th President - our first black President, I have come to this conclusion. The President of the United States is not only our nations President, he is my president. Regardless of his decisions, his executive orders, the bills he will sign and veto, his beliefs and his stances, he has my support. Our nation is a great nation because we change, we progress, we stand up for those that don’t have a voice, we allow not just the majority to be heard but also the minority. President Obama represents something our nation needs so desperately at this difficult moment in time in which we are faced with – youth, energy, new ideas, change, and direction. And while I may not be on the same page as my President, I will support him, pray for him, and hope for the best. Being in a crowd of 2 million people on our nation’s front yard I realized something. First of all, I realized that I was the minority witnessing such a historic event – a white conservative male. Second of all, as I looked around and noticed the many elderly African American people who made the trek to our nation’s capital to witness our new President that WE elected take the oath of office, I realized that this was an end to a long, long struggle for many of them, that I can not begin to understand. Regardless of what the future holds, and where Obama and the 111th Congress lead our nation, the Inauguration of President Obama was and will always be a defining moment in our nations history and heritage, and well as a major turning point on the road of progress. I truly believe that this will also give many people hope, encouragement, and motivation to realize that anything is possible if one can endure and persevere, at a time when they may need it the most.
Now, let me put my philosophy and thoughts aside…about the trip! The 10 outstanding students that came along with me on this adventure, were exactly that – outstanding. Truly these kids were great, and honestly could have gone on this trip alone – without me and the tour guides. Their maturity and respect level, as well as their thirst for knowledge and appetite for history really blew me out of the water. I had all of these kids as 10th graders in Advanced Placement World History, and now that they are all seniors, have quite a few of them in my Advanced Placement US Government and Politics class. Each and everyone of these students are off to college next fall – from UCLA, UCSB, Cal Berkley, Harvard, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, Cal State Long Beach – and they all are amazing young adults – what can I say I am very proud of each and everyone of them (and hope that I have taught them something along the way!).
We were able to see much more than I had anticipated with the amount of people that were packed into D.C. – we saw Mt. Vernon, Arlington, USMC Iwo Jima Memorial, Vietnam Wall, Korean War Memorial, the Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson and FDR monuments, the National Archives, Library of Congress, the Capital Building visitors center, the Museum of Natural History, the Museum of American History, the Air and Space Museum, and Holocaust Museum, the WWII memorial, and of course witnessed the Inauguration itself (in which we stood in the National Mall for 8 straight hours in 20 degree weather – standing room only!). Our tour guide, bus driver, accommodations, and flights (Virgin America is my new favorite airline!) were all great, and therefore I cannot say enough about how great World Strides is (the company I booked our trip through – highly recommended!) We lost no one, and by the way on this trip I became quite “text message savvy” as that was the easiest and quickest way of communication – although my students say that I am quite slow at it! We also ran into Martin Luther King Jr. III, though his bodyguards keep us at bay – so no pictures. Katie’s sister Jenny and her husband mark (who works on capital hill for Maria Cantwell) were able to meet up with us for a bit one day as well, which was really great. Katie is now telling me that this is rather a long blog entry, so I will wrap it up with this final thought… This was an awesome experience, one that a textbook will never be able to fully describe and/or explain.
President Obama greeted us all as we got off the plane in D.C.
at the USMC Iwo Jima Monument - the largest cast statue in the world (that is one piece)... Semper Fi
Our view of the Inauguration - we were much closer than I thought we would be...but still glad there was a jumbo tron close so we could actually see!
President Lincoln...
This guy we met was holding up this sign near the Lincoln Memorial...the other side read "from slavery to history baby!" He had to of been the happiest guy I have ever met!
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