When your body is addicted to a substance, a DETOX is usually necessary in order to get your mind to cooperate with what your heart wants you to do. This applies whether you’re a drug addict, an alcoholic, or plain and simple…a sugar addict. It is very difficult for someone to consider themselves a sugar addict. Food is a part of our lives… an acceptable and enjoyable part of our lives. Part of our societal culture is to gather together to eat. The highest traffic area in your home is the kitchen. Parties include food. Business meetings include food. Fundraisers include food. Food is everywhere. Unfortunately for us and even more unfortunate for our children…the food we provide at all these social functions is usually food that is not good for us. Cupcakes, desserts, bagels, bread, crackers, chips, cookies, soda…the list goes on and on. Usually in the corner of the buffet you’ll find a barely touched vegetable tray or some fruit. Since from a very young age we associate these foods as “treats and goodies,” it becomes increasingly difficult for us to want to eat the “whole foods.” We are taught to be addicted to sugar. Therefore, it is the norm and since it is “accepted” in our society, we don’t diagnose ourselves with the label of “addiction.” But the truth is that most of us are addicted to sugar.

One of the biggest reasons we are oblivious to this addiction, is that most of us don’t even realize that what we are consuming is in fact sugar. Since I began my quest to eating healthy, I get asked all the time what my trick is to having lost weight. I have told many people quite simply, I gave up sugar. The most common response to that comment is…”Oh, well I don’t really eat a lot of sugar in my diet anyway”  If the conversation evolves and we discuss more in depth what the person’s daily diet is like…almost always, the only sugar they are avoiding is the obvious one. The chocolate chip cookie, or the dessert. But what they don’t know, is that sugar is in everything these days. People are not trying to overload on sugar….they just don’t KNOW what they’re eating. That is why one of the biggest principles we live by is to Read the Ingredients. Carbohydrates turn into sugar in our bodies, and even though we need carbohydrates in order to have energy, it is important that what we are eating are 100% whole grains and not intaking the wrong kinds of carbs.

From the moment our day begins we put sugar in our coffee, have a bagel or cereal for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch (yummy bread), some chips and  maybe a soda, a cookie for snack?? (well only today because it’s Johnny’s birthday but tomorrow we’ll be good!), rice or pasta for dinner with ragu sauce (oh oh, did we check the sugar content on the ragu bottle?)…of course these are just examples and some days are better than others but overall,

Our society is addicted to sugar and carbohydrates. This makes it very difficult for most people to lose weight and feel great.

That’s where the detox comes in. Detox can take many forms depending on your personal needs. Maybe you want to test yourself out and see if you are a victim of sugar, so one option is to cut out sugar completely from your diet for a while. I did that for 3 weeks and discovered that I was TOTALLY a sugar addict. For those 3 weeks I had headaches, I felt nauseus, I even felt anxiety, but slowly those symptoms started going away and I was able to overcome that addiction.

Others need a little more structure and would like to actually follow a “detox meal plan.”My girlfriend did a 21 day detox which she loved. Here’s the link: http://www.wholeliving.com/152870/2012-whole-living-action-plan

I actually took many recipes from that article and highly recommend them.

Maybe 21 days seems too long for you and you just want to experiment with small changes instead of drastic ones. This wonderful article gives you small steps you can take in the detoxification of your body.

http://www.hungryforchange.tv/detox

Maybe you eat healthy all week but splurge on the weekends and need a detox day.

Whatever your goals are, there is always room for some detoxing. And the nice thing about it is that it gives you a kickstart in this process. I find that when I detox, even for just a day, I make better choices in what I eat, and I crave bad foods less.

I encourage you to try either of these two websites to incorporate detoxing in your life. And please, let me know what your experience was like.

Orlando has changed tremendously in the last 6 months. The transformation has not only been physical but emotional also. Becoming healthy, losing weight, having more energy and looking better is powerful for the whole family dynamic. We are a better family as a result of this change. Keep checking in to our blog to find recipes, articles, and more to discover how you to can start leading a healthier lifestyle.

Funny how life happens in spurts…. its almost as if the universe collaborates all at once to show you a lesson or lead you in a certain direction, or deviate you from another. At least in my life, when I’m heading for change, all the circumstances around me seem to present themselves in a way to sway my decision one way or the other.

Right around the time that I made the decision to stop eating sugar, my thumb nail started to deteriorate. It looked like I had fungus, or my nail was falling off. It was gross and scary. Coincidentally, my father had been on a radio program with a young doctor from the University of Miami who was presenting a different medical philosophy. My dad called me and said, “I really like this guy. He’s fresh, he seems very intelligent and he’s got great energy. You should go see him”

At the time, Orlando went in for a general checkup (after canceling the appointment 3 times because he didn’t want to go!) and came out raving about this guy. He said he was like a Motivational Doctor. This doctor didn’t judge Orlando for his lifestyle or yell at him for being overweight. Instead he told him things like… “just pile on the greens.” That may sound silly but this doctor also believes in the power of food. His attitude and demeanor left an impact on my husband and PLANTED A SEED. Sometimes that is all that is necessary to start the process of change. Just plant the seed. Orlando did not change right away, actually it took him another 6 months. But from that day forward, at least he did start piling on more greens to his meals and that eventually led to a life where we consume more vegetables than anything else. That little comment would later on become one of the cornerstones of our lifestyle.

Once Orlando came home with such a positive outlook on this doctor, I immediately made my appointment to get my disgusting nail checked out. My mother had had a similar nail problem and had gone to a dermatologist who injected steroids into her nail… A very painful procedure, with zero results.

In my case, my doctor took a look at my nail and told me that clearly I did not have enough “GOOD FATS” in my diet. He suggested things like making milk out of sesame seeds and raw almonds. Coconut oil, avocado, olive oil, etc. He told me he would do bloodwork to confirm but that I needed to incorporate these essential oils in my diet. Needless to say that my blood tests corroborated that I was extremely deficient in good fat. My cholesterol was too low, my liver enzymes were slightly elevated… I had all the signs of Hyper thyroidism…but it was as simple as changing my diet. Within 3 months of that visit, my nail was growing back normally and all my blood levels had normalized. The change was remarkable.

It has changed my perspective on food and healing when my doctor recommends ginger for headaches or nausea or almost any other ailment, raw almonds for heartburn, spicy soup for sinusitis, or good fats for a sick nail.

My doctor believes that food IS medicine. What a concept!!!! To think that we do not have to live our lives depending on pills or antibiotics… That our remedies can come from the produce aisle at Publix instead of Walgreens!
Of course, when the time calls for it, my doctor will be the first to prescribe an antibiotic. And there are definitely times when medicine is necessary. But wouldn’t it be wonderful if medicine could be our last resort instead of our first? And we could teach our kids a life of prevention instead of treatment?

That is our goal….what is yours????

For a look at one of my doctor’s interviews, click on the link below. His name is Dr. Virgilio Sanchez.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyQyVWYHYn0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

DIET OR LIFESTYLE? WHY ARE WE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THE “SECRET” TO LOSING WEIGHT?

MY HUSBAND, ORLANDO, HAS LOST 45LBS IN 6 MONTHS. PROBABLY ON A DAILY BASIS HE GETS ASKED THE QUESTION “HOW DID YOU DO IT?” OR “WHAT’S THE SECRET?”

THE TRUTH IS THAT THE WAY HE EATS SHOULD NOT BE A SECRET. IT SHOULDN’T BE COMPLICATED. IT SHOULDN’T REQUIRE DIET PILLS OR MAGIC POTIONS. IT SHOULDN’T COST HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN A “DIET SYSTEM”

SO I DECIDED TO SHARE WITH YOU HOW MY HUSBAND’S MIRACULOUS WEIGHTLOSS STARTED.

ON JULY 19TH, 2011 MY LIFE CHANGED FOREVER. A FEW WEEKS BEFORE, A PERSON VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART HAD BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER. LOOKING AT MY GENETIC BACKGROUND, I WAS CONFRONTED WITH THE REALITY THAT CANCER RUNS IN MY FAMILY, ON BOTH MATERNAL AND PATERNAL SIDES. THIS REALIZATION MADE ME FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE AND POWERLESS.

ON JULY 19TH, I MET A DOCTOR FROM THE “ANTI-AGING WORLD” WHO WAS AT ONE OF THE CONFERENCES MY FATHER ATTENDS AS PART OF HIS PROFESSION. I HAD THE FORTUNE TO SIT AND SPEAK WITH HIM ABOUT CANCER AND FOOD AND THE BELIEF THAT THE TWO ARE LINKED. I CONFESSED THAT I DIDN’T EAT VERY HEALTHY…BUT THEN AGAIN, I DIDN’T HAVE TO BECAUSE I WAS GENETICALLY THIN. I COULD EAT 15 CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES IN ONE SITTING AND STAY THE SAME WEIGHT! HE TOLD ME SOMETHING THAT STRUCK A NERVE…HE SAID, YOU MIGHT BE THIN NOW, CAROLINE, BUT WHEN YOU TURN 40 YOUR METABOLISM WILL CHANGE. YOU WILL DEVELOP A BELLY AND YOUR BODY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH YOUR EATING HABITS.

THAT DAY I MADE A DECISION. I DON’T KNOW FOR CERTAIN THAT CANCER AND FOOD ARE LINKED BUT THE CONCEPT MAKES SENSE IN MY HEAD. IN A WORLD WHERE EVERYTHING IS PROCESSED, OBESITY IS ON THE RISE, INACTIVITY AND STRESS ARE COMMON EVEN FOR OUR CHILDREN…AND EVERYONE IS GETTING SICK, KIDS AND BABIES INCLUDED…I CAN’T HELP BUT THINK THAT OUR LIFESTYLES ARE KILLING US.

SO ON THAT DAY, I CAME HOME AND TOLD MY HUSBAND THAT I WAS ELIMINATING SUGAR FROM MY DIET. SUGAR, BECAUSE THE DOCTOR TOLD ME THAT IT WAS OUR BIGGEST ENEMY. MY HUSBAND SAID OK AND KIND OF BRUSHED ME OFF, BUT I WAS COMMITTED TO MAKING A CHANGE. THERE BEGAN THE JOURNEY I’M CURRENTLY ON OF EATING DIFFERENTLY, EDUCATING MYSELF ABOUT FOOD AND HOW IT AFFECTS OUR LIVES, AND LOOKING FOR SYSTEMS THAT WORK FOR MY FAMILY.

IT WASN’T UNTIL JANUARY, 2012 THAT MY HUSBAND FINALLY DECIDED TO START APPLYING MY PRINCIPLES TO HIS OWN LIFE. TODAY HE IS A DIFFERENT MAN…WE ARE A DIFFERENT FAMILY…AND WE LOVE IT!

WHAT ARE YOUR MOTIVES?

IT WAS ONLY WHEN I MADE THE CONNECTION THAT THE WAY I EAT CAN HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON MY MOOD, MY WEIGHT, AND MY FUTURE HEALTH THAT I WAS ABLE TO ADOPT A CHANGE OF LIFESTYLE THAT IS SUSTAINABLE. MY HUSBAND DID ALL SORTS OF DIETS FOR THE LAST 6 YEARS OF OUR RELATIONSHIP AND WOULD NEVER LOSE ENOUGH WEIGHT, WOULD GET FRUSTRATED OR BORED AND GO BACK TO HIS OLD WAYS, WOULD REGAIN THE WEIGHT…AND THEN START ALL OVER. IT WAS  A VICIOUS CYCLE. HE FINALLY STARTED APPROACHING FOOD WITH A DIFFERENT PARADIGM. WHEN HE STOPPED TRYING TO LOSE THE WEIGHT IN 3 MONTHS AND STARTED TRYING TO NOURISH HIS BODY WITH THE PROPER VITAMINS, MINERALS, AND ENZYMES THAT GOOD FOOD OFFERS …THE POUNDS BEGAN TO SHED NATURALLY. THE TRANSFORMATION IS INCREDIBLE!

THIS BLOG IS NOT INTENDED FOR SHEDDING 10LBS BEFORE SUMMER, OR DOING A CRASH DIET FOR 3 MONTHS…THIS BLOG IS INTENDED TO SHARE THINGS I HAVE LEARNED ALONG THE WAY TO CHANGE THE WAY MY FAMILY EATS…AND HOPEFULLY CAN HELP YOU CHANGE THE WAY YOU AND YOUR FAMILY EAT. LITTLE CHANGES MAKE BIG DIFFERENCES SO DON’T BE AFRAID TO START SLOWLY. THIS IS A “LIFE” CHANGE…NOT A DIET. WE ARE STILL LEARNING AND CHANGING. HOPE YOU WILL JOIN US FOR THE RIDE.