PHASE 1 - COMPLETE

Well, yesterday I officially completed Phase 1 (of 3) of the Maker's Diet. I can honestly say that I feel great and am full of energy. It has been rather hard to stay away from certain foods and especially sweets, but I have done it now for two weeks - except for a few exceptions :-) Now, four more weeks and I will have completed the 40 day challenge. Yay for nutrition!


If anyone is interested in seeing what foods are "OK" to eat on the Maker's Diet, I found a blog that has the food list. Click HERE to see it.

The Maker's Diet

A while back someone recommended a health book to me called The Maker's Diet by Jordan Rubin. I'm not really a "health nut" by any stretch of the imagination, but after reading this book I was fascinated by Rubin's claims. It is hard not to consider a healthier diet after some of his statistics and information about what American's eat. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is straight up harmful to your health. Even fruits and vegetables you buy at a local grocery store are filled with chemicals in order to mass-market them. To me this is pretty eye-opening.

Rubin is a naturopathic doctor and nutritionist who in college suffered from a severe case of Crohn's disease. After trying hundreds of medications, supplements, "miracle" drugs, and visiting doctors all over the world, Rubin turned to the Bible for answers. Through the aid of a doctor, Rubin began following the strict dietary laws that God commanded the Israelites to in the Old Testament. Through this and a few other supplements Rubin was completely cured of Crohn's disease. His "miracle" drug was an ancient book written for primitive people living thousands of years ago.

Through this he has created The Maker's Diet along with other supplements to help aid people towards the healthy lifestyle that God designed us to have. There is a 40 day health challenge at the end of the book that is extremely rigorous and I have decided to take that challenge. I'm not going to follow it to a "T" but I will be within 90% of it. I just can't afford doing it 100% - organic food is expensive! On top of that, there are 5-6 supplements that are required for it. Nevertheless, I am excited to see how good I feel after doing this and not having fast food for 40 days! So don't ask me to go to lunch at In and Out, ok!

If anyone is interested in health and wants an education about just how bad our diet is in America, then I highly recommend reading this book whether you do the 40 day challenge or not.

Here are some of the supplements that I am taking for the next 40 days:
- Perfect Food: A green food supplement. This is nice b/c I don't like many green vegetables
- Super Seed: A whole food blend of seeds, sprouted grains, and an excellent source of dietary fiber
- Vitamin Code (Men's Formula): a RAW multivitamin
- Oceans 3 Beyond Omega-3: This is more than just Omega-3. It also has OmegaXanthin from the ocean

OTHER HELPFUL RESOURCES
www.makersdiet.com
www.gardenoflife.com
www.oceans3.com/
www.beyondprobiotics.net

Excelling in 2009

A friend asked me the other day if I made any New Year's resolutions and at first I went blank. I have never been big on "New Year's Resolutions" but the more I thought about the question, the more I realized that I do have some goals and aspirations for the big 2009.

I am definitely a visual person and need to "see" my goals in order to keep focused on them. I also like to be neat and organized, although I fully admit that it is difficult at times. If I am messy it means one thing - I'm stressed and overwhelmed. All that is to say, I am choosing to create habits this year that will help me focus on the goals I want to achieve. So meet my new best friend - X.



Excel is a program for my personality. You can make lists, charts, graphs and formulas to serve your purpose, whatever that may be. Right now I'm a novice at best with X, but I'm hoping that will all change this year. As I learn it, I know it will help me focus on what I want to accomplish and EXCEL in life (no pun intended).

To start, I made a simple and somewhat generic list of goals and things I want to do in 2009. This is only the beginning. My plan is to add to this and build more and more "action steps" to help me excel in them. If you have read my blog in the past, you know that DISCIPLINE has been a key word for me. It will continue to be in '09. But I just don't want to be discipline. No, I want to EXCEL in everything I do.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."
- Colossians 3:17

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Aaaaa....What's up Doc?

My favorite Looney Tune has always been Bugs Bunny. He always found a clever way to humiliate Elmer Fudd, Marvin the Martian, and Yosemite Sam. And he was always nibbling on a carrot. Before, I only liked them if they were accompanied with loads of Ranch dressing, but now I've learned that I actually like them without it.

I have been trying to eat healthier so I've ditched the potato chips, hostess cupcakes, etc, and instead I've been buying grapes, apples, bananas, and carrots. And now I love them! What is even better is that I found out some great nutritional facts about eating carrots:

- they help your immune system
- they help maintain healthy skin
- they help regulate metabolism
- they help maintain optimum health
- they have a high Vitamin A content
- they are loaded with fiber

No wonder why Bugs liked them so much. If you are looking for healthy alternatives to junk food, then I highly recommend carrots. They're great! And if you're a Bugs Bunny fan then enjoy the video below.

PS. Road Runner is also favorite, because he is so fast! :-)