School has been tough, several new kids and lots of paperwork to finish. Add in one snow day and one two hour delay due to the Polar Vortex and that's even more of a downer. My desk looks like a tornado came through, with piles upon piles of things that need finished. If the desk fairy came through my room, I think she'd be quite disappointed in me.
I'm sure I'll catch up and everything will be fine, however stress and me never really get along.
My normal go-to is a nice glass of wine, or three or four. Seeing as I have quite the assortment (especially after my birthday) this would seem like a good idea.
However, I have embarked on another journey to help me "detox" from the holidays. Doc (our fearless leader of Team Adrenaline) decided that a detox to start the new year would be a great thing. In short, the detox consists of avoiding processed and artificial sugars, caffeine, and alcohol for six weeks. Here's his version for anyone that is interested.
The detox is very similar to what I did in the spring with Challenge Erie. I had more or less stuck to the no sugar rule since then, with exceptions from time to time (and very frequently over Christmas).
Always a glutton for punishment, I decided to also eliminate dairy and gluten. I had toyed around with eliminating both for a while and discovered I felt a lot better without them. But still, it makes for some difficult eating.
Always a glutton for punishment, I decided to also eliminate dairy and gluten. I had toyed around with eliminating both for a while and discovered I felt a lot better without them. But still, it makes for some difficult eating.
Instead of starting January 1 with all the other detoxers, I decided to wait until after my birthday. After all the hoopla I had put around turning 30, the last thing I wanted to do was worry about what the labels said on everything I ate or drank that day.
Since starting the detox, I feel a lot better. My energy is back and I'm not feeling as "bloaty." I've gotten past the first week of feeling crappy and cranky, which I'm sure Tim and M really appreciate!
When the detox was first starting, one of the more discussed topics was that of tea. Because we are detoxing from caffeine, coffee is a no-no. Decaf is ok, but unless you drink it black there really isn't much you can add to it (no sugar means no lactose means no milk). I've never been big on coffee but I've always liked tea; so, I was excited about the green light to try so new types of tea. It was through this discussion (and an impromptu Team Adrenaline trip to Wegman's) that I was introduced to the world of loose leaf tea.
I was excited to say the least. In fact, I was so excited I immediately purchased my very first tea infuser, the Tea Rex!
I admit, I bought it more because he was cute than anything. I learned very quickly, Tea Rex is only good for big, chunky teas. The tea I was using ended up making its way through the holes and soon I was drinking chunky tea. To add insult to injury, the thing was a pain in the ass to clean!
After sharing my Tea Rex saga with my TA friends, I received this adorable guy from Leslie. She had seen him at the Co-Op and couldn't resist.
RoboTea (as I lovingly named him) did much better than Mr. Rex, although still had some flaws. My tea didn't end up near as chunky, although there still were bits of tea floating around. And I quickly learned the importance of securely closing him, as the first time I tried he popped open spilling his contents all over my kitchen floor.
Finally ended up with a new tea infuser that has done the job. This one, made by Teavana, not only came with a sample of tea (which I can't drink until after the detox because it has added sugar), but also has done a great job of allowing me to enjoy my new Green Tea with Blueberry obsession.
The way this detox is going so far, I have a feeling it is only going to get more and more interesting, but more on that later!
When the detox was first starting, one of the more discussed topics was that of tea. Because we are detoxing from caffeine, coffee is a no-no. Decaf is ok, but unless you drink it black there really isn't much you can add to it (no sugar means no lactose means no milk). I've never been big on coffee but I've always liked tea; so, I was excited about the green light to try so new types of tea. It was through this discussion (and an impromptu Team Adrenaline trip to Wegman's) that I was introduced to the world of loose leaf tea.
 |
| Always some type of shenanigans when TA is involved. |
I was excited to say the least. In fact, I was so excited I immediately purchased my very first tea infuser, the Tea Rex!
I admit, I bought it more because he was cute than anything. I learned very quickly, Tea Rex is only good for big, chunky teas. The tea I was using ended up making its way through the holes and soon I was drinking chunky tea. To add insult to injury, the thing was a pain in the ass to clean!
After sharing my Tea Rex saga with my TA friends, I received this adorable guy from Leslie. She had seen him at the Co-Op and couldn't resist.
RoboTea (as I lovingly named him) did much better than Mr. Rex, although still had some flaws. My tea didn't end up near as chunky, although there still were bits of tea floating around. And I quickly learned the importance of securely closing him, as the first time I tried he popped open spilling his contents all over my kitchen floor.
Finally ended up with a new tea infuser that has done the job. This one, made by Teavana, not only came with a sample of tea (which I can't drink until after the detox because it has added sugar), but also has done a great job of allowing me to enjoy my new Green Tea with Blueberry obsession.
The way this detox is going so far, I have a feeling it is only going to get more and more interesting, but more on that later!
