Tea and Detox

After last week's fun and festivities, this week has been a little rougher on me.  

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.

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.

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!

Another year older...

So it is official.  I have turned 30.  This weekend ushered in a new era of me.  It was filled with some of the best friends I could ask for, supportive family, and the realization that turning 30 meant nothing other than another year of experiences to learn from.

My weekend started out with my paraprofessional, Pam surprising me on Friday.  When I came into work (after a much appreciated 2 hour delay), she had my classroom decorated in balloons an this was hanging outside my door.

She had secretly gotten my mom to give her pictures of me growing up and made a beautiful 30-shaped collage.  It was pretty awesome seeing how far I've come.  

Saturday night some of my friends came by to celebrate.  That celebration eventually ended in a game of darts around 2:30am that included Tim and I going against my brother and mom.  Good stuff.  

Sunday was my actual birthday, and actually ended up being the most low key.  Most of the day was spent lounging around, which was briefly interrupted by my involvement in a pretty epic picture for Tough Mudder (more on that a different time).  Finally my mom made my favorite meal and I finished out the day with my family.  

I found it pretty awesome that on my special day, this was in our newspaper.

Yep, that's me and some of the ladies of Team Adrenaline gracing the cover of this month's Her Times (part of our local newspaper).  They had put a call out for local ladies to share how they get fit and fellow TA member, Jen Kelly, wrote a beautiful response recognizing the importance of camraderie.  Read hers, and the other responses here.

As I turned the page into the next chapter of my life, I recognized how much my goals have changed.  Since the last list was so much fun, I decided to come up with another list of things I want to accomplish.  This time, I'm giving myself 10 years.  I figured coming up with 40 things I want to do before I turn 40 wouldn't be too difficult.  Still, I found myself short.  I have already accomplished so much, and I'm still figuring out where I want to go from here.  So, I took the items from my 30 before 30 life that I still wanted and went from there.  Recognizing how much change can occur, I also left a few spots at the end so that I can ambitions as they come up. 

Bri's 40 Before 40 List

1. Run a marathon - Already registered!  Wineglass Marathon - October 2014.

2. Visit Ireland

3. Get a tattoo

4. Ride on a motorcycle

5. Travel further west than Toledo

6. Attend an NFL football game, preferably Steelers

7. Completely refinish one room of the house

8. Have the equivalent of one month's salary in savings

9. Golf a full 18 holes, and keep score

10. Pay off all my credit card debt

11. Take M to Disney

12. Swim with dolphins

13. Complete a triathlon

14. Earn my Ed.D in Special Education or at least start on my coursework

15. Become a Health Coach

16. Go ziplining

17. Ride a horse

18. Hug a koala bear

19. Take pictures of my feet in the ocean on both the Atlantic and Pacific coast

20. Host a holiday meal

21. Learn to drive a stick shift

22. Have a conversation in Spanish

23. Be able to complete a pull up

24. Volunteer

25. Attend an even that requires formal attire

26. Write letters to the five people who have most impacted my life

27. Ride in a helicopter

28. Run in the Disney Princess Half Marathon

29. Go on a cruise

30. Donate my hair (again)

31. Go wine tasting in a limo or party bus

32. Completely unplug for a week, write about the experience

33. Make something and sell it

34. Repeat our honeymoon, only this time bigger and better

35. Go for a day sail on the Niagara

36. To be added when I'm 32

37. To be added when I'm 34

38. To be added when I'm 36

39. To be added when I'm 38

40. To be added when I'm 39

Looks like I have some work to do, but I'm excited to get started.  Getting to 30 has been quite the journey, and I can't wait to see what is coming up next!

Year in Review

It's almost been a year since I started this journey.  A journey that started with me flipping out about my age, and feeling as if I was missing out.  It's hard to think that in a week, that "end point" that I had in my mind will be here.  I will be 30.  As much as it bothered me, there was nothing I could do about it.  

I started this year with a list of 30 things I felt I needed to accomplish before I hit the big 3-0.  Thirty things I wrote down to "prove to myself" something.  What that something was, I'm not so sure about now, but I was definitely out to prove something.  

Regardless of what I was out to prove, I started this year vowing that I was going to stop sitting back and start doing something.  That vow became the catalyst to a life-changing year.  So to commemorate an awesome year, recognize the end of my 20s, and to satisfy those who were wondering, I figured I would go through my list one more time.

30 Things to Do Before I'm 30

1.    Run a 10k - Funny how this was actually my second running accomplishment of the year.  I finished a very slippery, cold and snowy Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning.  My time was far from ideal, but I did convince the hubs to break out an early Christmas present! We also coordinated and ran a Christmas Story 10k to raise money for a local charity.  I will say, there is nothing quite as fun as running through the city in an elf costume!

2.    Finish a half marathon - At one point mid summer, I didn't think this was going to happen.  After the whole shenanigans with my broken foot, I had my doubts.  Still, I finished, which was my goal to begin with.  It wasn't the best time, but it was my time, and that was all that mattered.

3.    Travel further west than Toledo - I came close, but actually did not make it much further West that the "Toledo line."  Still, our trip to Asheville, NC got us kinda close and I still got the chance to visit an awesome city!

4.    Shoot a gun - I can thank the hubs for this one.  He got into sporting clays about a year or so ago.  Ever since he has been joking about me going with him.  Finally, I agreed and he took me out.  One hundred targets later and I was at least holding the gun right!  

5.    Visit New York City - Although discussed several times, this was something that did not happen.  Yet, looking back at my year, I don't feel as if I missed out on everything.  I will say that there is a trip to New York (state) in my near future....but more on that another time.

6.    Start a blog/journal - Done!  It's been hit and miss.  Sometimes I get really into posting, and other times I feel as if I'm just writing for me.  Still, I put myself out there and that is a HUGE step for someone like me.

7.    Go to an NFL football game - Maybe next year!

8.    Read at least 10 books off of Time’s Top 100 Books of All Time list - I got started on a few, but couldn't find any that could keep my attention (and that I could understand!).

9.    Take a class unrelated to teaching - I did participate in a few different cooking classes throughout the year.  The funny thing is, once I started on my new journey of wellness, I sort of made my own class.  I started learning about things for me, and actually put down my sappy love stories and started reading books related to health and wellness.  I'm considering this one accomplished!

10. Finish re-painting the house (Master Bedroom, Guest Bedroom, Downstairs Living Room, Basement Bath) - We repainted the downstairs living room and bought the paint for our room.  That's about as far as that one got.  

11. Have the equivalent of one month’s salary in savings. - At one point this year, I could have checked this one off.  Then things happened and slowly that stash got depleted.  Still, I'm better off than where I started.  

12. Host/Cook a holiday meal for the family. - I tried on this one,  but my mom's love of all things "get together" got in the way.  Until she is willing to give up the reins for a holiday, it looks like I'm going to have to take a back seat.

13. Take a weekend trip focused on M. - Because of schedules and money, we weren't able to travel anywhere.  But we definitely did way more than we ever have before.  Children's museums, the beach, every park imaginable....we made sure to carve out time each week for our girl.  For that reason, I'm considering this one edited, but accomplished.

Loving the Kidzu Children's Museum in Chapel Hill, NC!

14. Go to a concert. - Talk about a great night!  Not only does the Zac Brown Band put on a heck of a show, I was there with some of the most awesome people I know!

Zac Brown awesomeness!

15. Have a girl’s weekend somewhere other than Erie. - Running the Color Run in Cleveland provided an impromptu weekend with the girls.  I originally planned on going with a different friend and leaving the morning of the race.  But, plans changed and soon some friends of mine from high school were inviting me to not only ride with them, but share a room overnight and have a great time.  

16. Golf a full 18 holes, and keep score - Nope, and I'm blaming this one on Tim.  I asked, several times, for him to take me out.  It just never happened.  At least my pretty golf shoes are still clean!

17. Pay off at least 2 of my 3 credit cards. (and keep them that way!!) - Another nope, and this one is a bit of a touchy subject with me.  But I'm getting there.

18. Get another tattoo - On hold for now until some issues with the dermatologist get sorted out.  

19. Organize all my pictures and back them up.  Maybe even get some printed out. - I love that this was on here, because it was exactly the opposite of what happened.  Instead, over the summer our old desktop went kaput and I thought we lost ever picture of M we had ever taken.  Luckily, my computer genius brother-in-law was able to recover them for us!  I assure you that since then, I have made sure to back EVERYTHING up!

20. Try at least 3 new foods (or re-try foods I haven’t tried in a while) - I lost count on this one.  Sushi, rye bread, and BBQ chips were a few of the starters and it has continued from there.  I now try to taste at least one bite of something new if it is presented to me.

Who would have ever thought spaghetti squash would be come a regular meal in our house?

21. Ride on a motorcycle - Tim sold it before this happened...but I did get some nice basement furniture out of the deal!

22. Change my hairstyle/hair color - Several times!  Ombre, highlights, ombre & highlights, and it's looking like next time it may be an all over color.  My stylist and I have seen more of each other in 6 months, than in the past 6 years!

23. Complete at least one random act of kindness/pay it forward type action - This was another ironic item on my list, as this year I was at the center of the pay it forward movement sparked by #ajo.  Not only did I pay if forward several times, I also was on the receiving end several times.  It was little things like someone paying for my child's Happy Meal that helped to restore some of my faith in humanity.

24. Make/build something - Spurred by my every growing Pinterest boards, this year I vowed to check some of the projects off my list.  I can confidently say that I started several projects.  However, I did find that finishing them became my problem.  Instead, I often decided I either didn't need it or it wasn't good enough and would through things away.  Now that I have a better idea of where I want to go with my house decorating I think that maybe I can actually finish, and use, a project....maybe.

25. Surprise someone - Thanks to my new found friends, I've happily been part of many surprises this year.  Talk about a great feeling, doing something unexpected for someone who truly deserves it!

Love these people!

26. Learn to play the guitar (at least some of the basics) - At one point I think I changed this to playing the piano more, and then changed it back.  Needless to say, with all my other activities going on this year, this item fell by the wayside.  

27. Improve my Spanish - Thanks to Duolingo I not only brushed up on my Spanish, but also learned a little Portugese and French.  Can I hold a conversation?  No.  But I can name a few items!

28. Learn to drive a stick shift - Nope, didn't happen.  It would probably help if I knew someone who drove a manual vehical...maybe before I'm 40.

29. Have a spa day – Surprisingly, this is the one I felt the most guilty about.  I treated myself to a shellac mani and getting my makeup done on a day off.  After I was done, I looked nice (and fell in love with shellac manis) but could think of a million better ways to pamper myself.  Oh well, live and learn.

30. Celebrate my 30^th in style! (think Limo, sequins, bubbly!) - Since I'm not 30 yet, this one obviously isn't completed.  Ironically enough, through this year of change, so has my perception of the perfect way to turn 30.  Now, instead of a huge production, I'd much rather a night with my friends.  Comfortable and informal, as long as I'm surrounded by those I love I couldn't ask for much more.

So I "failed" on about a third of my items, yet I would call this year anything but a failure.  This year was pivotal in helping me discover myself.  I'm happier, healthier and more fulfilled than I ever have been.  I'm looking forward to my 30s and what is to come.  Stay tuned!

Happiness

Enjoying the little things

“The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it's all that matters.” ― Audrey Hepburn

It's been over a week since I last posted, and what a whirlwind of a week it has been. 

I had my three week checkup with the foot doctor and was told that I was cleared for activity again.  I made a point to get to Team Adrenaline that night, I couldn't wait to work out with everyone again.  I don't know which I missed more, the work outs or the people.

We had planned a run around Findley Lake and then a stop for ice cream.  I originally planned on riding my bike, but was thrilled to be able to run it.  I ran the entire 5+ miles and felt great.  That is when I made up my mind to still run the half marathon on the 16th.

I finally got into my classroom Wednesday and Thursday and started to sort through the mess of unpacking.  In a way, having to move my classroom for a year has been a blessing.  I've been able to clean out and go through things, a task I never would have gotten to otherwise.  Even though it is work, I don't really mind it. 

I participated in a Zumbathon Thursday, two hours of Zumba with some great friends.  And Saturday we worked out at the beach to get ready for the Beast.

To say I looked forward to getting back into things would be putting it mildly.

With Tim enjoying a little time off, we've also been spending a lot of time as a family.  We made good use of his birthday gift and roasted marshmallows.

The biggest event in our house this week was M's birthday.  I still can't believe that my baby is 4!  I never believed people when they talked about how fast kids grow until I had one of my own. 

We got M the bike she had been begging for.  Her tricycle was getting a little too small for her to really enjoy it.

She is still getting used to riding her big girl bike.  So far we've only had one major crash, straight into the pine tree.  We've even made it around the block once! 

We had M's birthday party at Claytopia this year.  As much as I loved planning the big parties in the past, this party was probably one of my favorites.  It was easy, which is always nice, but still a lot of fun. 

 

 We actually had more trouble with the adult table than the kids.  Leave it to my mom and my aunt: dumping water, spilling paint

 

After, we had one tired birthday girl.

The week was capped off with a picnic with some of my Team Adrenaline friends.  There were turkeys:

 

And minion cupcakes....

 

 

And of course, there were shenanigans.

 

 

Overall this week helped me to appreciate the little things in life.  Good friends, a happy family, the ability to move without a boot again. With the beginning of school creeping closer and closer, it is my plan to enjoy these little things as much as possible before my time is again devoted to lesson planning and IEP writing.  





It's like spring cleaning, for your body

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”  ― Hippocrates

After a week of indulging during my vacation in North Carolina, I returned feeling less than healthy.  I was sluggish, bloated, and overall just feeling icky. I had gone back to my old ways of eating on vacation, and enjoyed my fair share of BBQ and I could tell.  MMMM....crabcake sandwich.

I decided I needed a jumpstart in order to get me back on track and feeling like myself again.

Upon doing some research, I decided to try a 3 day cleanse developed by Dr. Oz. Now, I am not a huge fan of Dr. Oz for reasons on my own; but the cleanse looked like the type of thing that I needed to get back on track.  It included a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and didn't involve any of those gimmicky things you often find in these types of cleanses.  It was basically just getting back to healthy eating again by way of pureed produce.

So, making up my mind and using the provided grocery list (huge plus!), I headed off to the grocery store to get my food for the next three days.  I was pretty proud as I headed up to the cash register.  My cart was filled with a plethora of colors including a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.  I was excited, as there were many new (for me) fruits and veggies to be included in my smoothies.  What I wasn't excited about was the price, I guess I didn't think about how much all those items would cost.  But I figured it was for a good cause, and I knew that any left overs would be fine for Tim or M as well.

A couple things before I go into the details of my cleanse:

• I was not in this for weight loss.  Instead I was looking to cleanse my system and get back on track.

• I have already been eating rather clean (other than vacation) since May.  This has definitely changed my taste buds, and I've found that I'm more in tune to the subtle sweetness of many things.  Things that I find flavorful and delicious, I've found that others see as bland. Also, many people who had done the cleanse before complained of feeling irritable and moody.  I attributed that effect to the lack of processed sugar.  How do I know this?  I went through a week of it when I cut out processed sugar back in May.  It sucks, I know; but when you get past that, you'll never want to go back to eating crap again (unless you are on a Southern vacation).

• I tried very hard to buy organic.  The only things that were non-organic were the avocados, bananas, and mangoes.  This added to the cost, but I believe it is worth it.

• I didn't exercise during the cleanse.  I planned on it the first day, however, decided not to after looking at my calorie intake.  I track my food; not because I'm counting calories, but because I like to see where I'm strong (like Vitamin A), and where I am deficient (protein).  Seeing the total calories for the day, I decided not to go burn any as I wanted to stay true to the cleanse and wouldn't be able to replenish when I got home.

Day 1

Starting the day off with a cup of green tea was no change for me.  I have always been a tea drinker, although I tend to lean more towards chai than green.  I did not include the stevia in my tea, as I normally do not sweeten my tea.  The lemon was more than sufficient to sweeten. 

The breakfast smoothie was a raspberry banana smoothie with some other "stuff" thrown in there.  This was by far my favorite smoothie, sweet but with a slight tang provided by some lemon juice.  I was optimistic.  If breakfast went that well, the rest of the day should too, right?

I made it to lunch no problem.  The breakfast smoothie kept me full and satisfied.  I kept up with my water intake like normal (about a half gallon by lunch). 

The lunch smoothie was, interesting, and very...green.  Celery, green apple, pineapple and cucumber were just some of the green ingredients.  It smelled good and I was still optimistic.  It had a surprisingly sweet flavor, although the celery provided a unique and unexpected undertone.  It wasn't bad, but it wasn't something I would choose to make on a regular basis.  Along with the different flavor, it had a very different type of consistency.  The best way to describe it was pulpy.  I decided just to drink it as fast as I could and get it over with.

The lunch smoothie did fill me up (it filled almost two glasses!).  I made it to dinner and didn't feel like I was hungry.  At this point, however, I was definitely missing solid food.  There is something about chewing that helps to satisfy.  Still, I made my dinner smoothie.  This one included many fruits and veggies I rarely (if ever) eat.  Mango, avocado, and coconut water all made their appearance.  The recipe also called for cayenne pepper, which I thought was an interesting addition.  I don't mind spicy food but I was worried about how the cayenne would effect the flavor of the smoothie, so I only included half the called for amount.  Overall the flavor wasn't too bad, and I finished it without any issue.  Still there was a weird heat to the smoothie (thank you cayenne) that I couldn't decide if I liked or not.

By the end of Day 1 I was looking forward to the detox bath.  I love my baths, and any excuse to take one is good for me.  It was a nice way to end the day, and helped me to forget all the stress of grad school that I was dealing with that day.  Going to bed I was surprised I was feeling like I had only drank my meals all day.  I did, however, dream of eating solid food.

Day 2

I slept great, but couldn't determine if that was an effect of the detox or running after a 3 year old all day. 

I woke up early, looking forward to my cup of tea.  I got to enjoy it by myself, in silence, as Tim and M were still in bed.  That makes for a great start to the morning.

I went through the smoothie regiment once again.  This time I knew what to expect so I threw a couple extra raspberries in my morning smoothie, blended the lunch smoothie extra long (still didn't help), and still put in only half the amount of cayenne into my dinner smoothie.

I was feeling a lot better.  I wasn't as sluggish, and I was surprised at the amount of energy I had.  Another surprise was how much I was peeing.  I drink upwards of a gallon of water a day so I'm used to frequent trips to the bathroom.  Still, this was way more than normal. I attributed it to my body flushing out toxins.  Tim thought is was comical when I even took a potty break at Toys 'R' Us; I am not a fan of public toilets.

Knowing I would end the day with another bath was exciting.  I loved the me time, and felt like if anything it allowed me to unwind a bit before bed.  M was jealous, so she got her own bath after I was done.

By the end of Day 2, I felt pretty good.  However, I was looking forward to finishing so that I could once again chew my food.

Day 3

I again got the morning to myself.  This time, I got to drink my tea and watch a rainstorm pass.  It's the little things in life...

I again slept well, and I was excited for the last day of the cleanse (I know, I'm weird).  I was starting to feel like myself again and noticed that the sluggishness and bloating from before were gone.  At this point, however, I was ready to be done only drinking my meals. 

I was itching to get some exercise in. I've gotten used to being active, and really get bored sitting around. Since I didn't want to venture to the gym, I took Tim and M on a trek to the gorge instead.  It was nice to get moving and get outside.  Plus, M really loved throwing stones in the creek and exploring the trails.  As expected, I did feel a little out of gas after the hike.  I knew this would happen, knowing that I was not taking in any extra calories.

By the end of day 3 I was pretty excited.  I felt better, and felt like the cleanse was just what I needed to get back to me.

Results

All in all, I'm really happy I did the cleanse.  I feel like myself again and feel like I can get back to my sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free way of eating that keeps me feeling good. Would I do it again?  Possibly.  If I get back in the situation I started in, it is something to use that I know helps quite a bit.

Even though I wasn't in this for the weight loss, I did lose 3 pounds in three days. 

This isn't a miracle cleanse by any means, nor did I expect it to be.  It did just what I wanted it to, reset my system so I could get back to feeling great.  True, I could've turned to over the counter medicines to combat the fatigue or bloat that I was dealing with; but I think using my food to help get back to normal was a much better choice.