GOSSIP FROM THE GIRLFRIEND GATHERINGS

Learning from YOU to empower ME !

Get A Grip on Change – Greta Grypp Report #4

By

SuperChgWomanGreta and I have collaborated FANTASTICALLY for the month of April.   On March 23rd I started the Virgin Diet and as of the date of this blog post I have lost 19 lbs.   Please note that I did not do any exercising during that period.   My success was all because I changed the food that I ate each day.   However, I know that in order to continue to have this success I need to reincorporate daily exercising again.

As I mentioned in last month’s post, I eliminated corn, soy, dairy, eggs, gluten, peanuts, and sugar/artificial sweeteners from my food intake.    The past two weeks, I reintroduced dairy and eggs to my diet.   Also, I had a couple of meals with friends that were non-organic even though I ate foods that were on the eating plan.   I did experience a negative reaction to this change and the weight loss did slow down.   So, I am reverting back to eliminating dairy and eggs again for several more weeks as suggested by the Virgin Diet.   It is apparent that I do have some food intolerances which evidently caused my weight gain.   I can never go back to eating eggs and dairy in the manner that I have for most of my life.

The next step is to keep eating organic and clean.    Even though the food costs more it is so tasty!   The fruits and vegetables are scrumptious.   I am eating a lot of wild fish and pasture-raised chicken with the occasional grass-fed rib-eye steak (I am a Texan).   I use spices and seasonings from Penzeys (http://www.penzeys.com) to switch up my taste buds so that I don’t get bored eating the same thing.   I have discovered that because the food is so tasty I don’t need to eat as much to feel satisfied.

There is an organization I want to follow that promotes “food as medicine” which I now believe is the purpose of food.    We human beings have re-purposed food into something that has made a lot of us sick.   Now that I have experienced the benefits of a few weeks of change, I want to move forward and I think following Ali Miller, RD, LD, CDE of Naturally Nourished (http://www.naturallynourishedrd.com) is the best next step for me.   I plan to attend one of her speaking events at the Urban Harvest Farmers’ Market that is scheduled several times a month.   I am also interested in some of her cooking classes.   Check out the website for some great healthy recipes.

Overall, I feel great.   I have lots of energy.   I am not dragging out of bed each morning.   I am not “foggy” in my thoughts.   The best benefit is that I still have enough energy at the end of my work day to come home and write.

QUESTION(S):

What do you think about the “food as medicine” philosophy?

 

Greta Grypp – The Choice to Detox

By

SuperChgWomanSeveral friends and colleagues asked me about my choice to do a food detox for 21 days.   They thought eliminating seven types of food (gluten, sugar/artificial sweeteners, corn, soy, dairy, eggs, and peanuts) was a little extreme.   Some even exclaimed to me, “What is there left to eat?”

My choice was due to the fact that it seemed every time I had a meal I felt ill.   I eliminated gluten and felt somewhat better but I still had issues.    Plus, I had little or no energy at times and struggled to complete my daily schedule.   I kept wondering how I was going to live the rest of my life feeling this way.   Then one day it occurred to me that I could very well be shortening my life by not addressing these issues.

I didn’t want any pharmaceuticals.   You know when you reach a certain age and go to the doctor with complaints the first thing they want to do is write a prescription.    Have you ever seen those commercials where they tell you the wonderful benefits of a new drug and then spend an additional 3 minutes telling you about the side effects in “munchkin” language?    It is scary.   So, since I believe God gave the human body the ability to heal itself and supplied nature with healing elements, I decided to try a more natural approach and to start with a detoxification.

I researched some various methods and many of them overlapped with their principles.    I finally narrowed my choices down to the Virgin Diet (http://thevirgindiet.com) and the Ayurvedic Detoxification (http://www.mapi.com/ayurvedic-knowledge/detoxification/safe-ayurvedic-detoxification.html).    I felt the Virgin Diet offered a more “user-friendly” approach to meal planning for my busy schedule and provided me a wealth of information on food choices.   I needed this because a part of this process was an admission that I truly did not know how to eat in a way that my body could “healthily” process food.  I chose the Ayurvedic Detoxification method because of the positive experiences I have had with Ayurvedic treatments in the past – in particular with the benefits of their Transcendental Meditation methods.

I am now completing Day 18 of the Virgin Diet – Cycle 1 – Elimination.   I have lost 13 lbs and I feel great.   Now, I will continue with Cycle 2 and Cycle 3 of the Virgin Diet while starting the 15 day preparation phase for the 45 day Ayurvedic Detox program.   I know that sounds extreme but their eating plans are virtually identical and I will only be adding the herbal supplements, cleansing teas, and daily meditations to the overall plan.

All of this is hard work for me because I am cooking every day and it is difficult to cook for one person.   However, I am embracing it as an adventure with new discoveries to be made along the way.   I think my body was long overdue for a “system reboot” and this detoxification is proving to be the perfect way to “get a grip” on a healthy lifestyle again.

QUESTION(S):

Have you ever done a detoxification diet?

Would you consider a detoxification diet?