Ultimate Reset: Day 1

Day 1: IS DONE!! Only 20 more days to go! I was READY for this, and thought about starting it right when I got the kit, because I was so excited. But, I decided to keep to my schedule of starting on Monday, so I could plan and prep the right way.  The first few days of something can be the hardest or the easiest. This was a bit of both.
Easy, because I was excited to start and READY, and I was pleasantly surprised how much food the plan provides. I wasn't hungry at all! Hard, because the fear, the unknown, the uncertainty. But I survived, and pleasantly surprised at how much food I got to eat! I wasn't hungry at all!

BUT, there were some drawbacks too: no coffee, no chewing gum, steamed kale.

Why did I want to give up sugar, coffee, gum, and eat steamed kale? I needed it.
I was in a cycle, where I would eat clean for 3 days and then have 2 or 3 days where I would indulge a little here and there. A glass of wine here, a piece of chocolate there. And way too much caffeine, between coffee and my pre-workout Energize, which I started drinking throughout the day, making myself dependent on caffeine.! I also was chewing about 10 to 15 pieces of gum per day....what more of an artificial food is there than chewing gum?  My cravings were getting out of control.
Also, summer is coming! While I believe anyone can rock their bathing suit with confidence, personally I would like to lose a few pounds and stop this horrible eating cycle.
Finally, because the Ultimate Reset suggests limiting strenuous exercise, I thought this would be a good time for me to do it, because I two weeks ago I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, a stress fracture, and knee hyper-extension, so my orthopedist also told me to avoid strenuous exercise!

What is the Ultimate Reset? It's a 21 day cleanse that resets your system and clears out the toxins. This cleanse is not an extreme plan like fasting cleanse nor one where we only drink liquids. I eat delicious, colorful, WHOLE FOODS, appropriately selected to support the cleansing of the body while nourishing it with a healthy balance of macronutrients. This plan is occurring at the turning point of the seasons from winter to spring, a good time to prepare for summer ahead.

This program is to help clear the physical, mental, and spiritual self of toxic chemical and emotional burdens, in the hope that you will make yourself open to the highest level of wellness and abundance life has to offer. The process of cleansing oneself opens up all pathways: mind, body, spirit, inviting us to live on a higher energetic level and often a healthier more abundant one.

During the Ultimate Reset, it is recommended to do light walking, gentle stretching or light yoga, so strenuous exercise should be limited. Since I'm a fitness instructor and sometimes teach 2 or 3 classes per day, I am making some modifications, specifically suggested for fitness instructors in the booklet.  First, eat more calories to maintain my energy to teach. Second, explain to the participants in the class that I will be taking it easy, which I already am because of my foot and knee! Yes, I am expending more energy than a light walk or yoga, but I'm eating bigger portions, and adding half a banana to my Shakeology each day. So far, so good!

How was Day 1?

I had to get my mind set for this! There is a mental component. While, I'm a little sad I'm following a specific meal plan (I love food and all kinds!!) to change my habits I need to change what I was doing, and my nutrition parameters had gotten too fuzzy! So having to adhere to a strict schedule definitely makes me feel like I'm in control again.

No chewing gum. This was my biggest challenge. I chew gum after I drink my Energize in the morning. I chew gum after breakfast. I chew gum while I work, after my shake, after lunch, while I walk the dog.....I chew gum ALL DAY LONG. I chew it as a stress release AND because it helps me focus. BUT, there are artificial sweeteners and chemicals in gum, and this plan is about releasing the toxins from the body. So, I just kept myself busy!

Also, I missed my Energize. I teach a 6 am Boot Camp class and usually chug a glass of Energize before I go. While it's all natural, it still has caffeine in it, and I was relying on it too much. I would take it before my own workout, and then again if I taught any other fitness classes during the day. I was dragging a bit because of this. 

For dinner, when my family saw I was making salmon and asparagus, they wanted to order out for pizza and then go get ice cream for dessert!! I wouldn't let them talk me into it!
My Ultimate Reset kit came with a natural fiber cord bracelet to wear, to remind you of your commitment, so I put it on, showed it to them and told them what it meant! I needed their support.

Another challenge is the timing! You have to take the supplements (which I'll explain more about as we go) 30 minutes before a meal. After that, you can't drink anything until 30 minutes after eating. This is because liquid dilutes the digestive juices and enzymes. So for optimal digestion, don't drink anything with your meal or 30 minutes after.

Then you have to wait 2 hours before you take your next batch of supplements and wait another 30 minutes before you eat. I found myself fixating on the clock and counting down the minutes before I could drink my water and eat again!

DAY 1 FOOD and SUPPLEMENTS:

7:30 am:  drink 24 oz water with Mineralize and Optimize supplements

30 minutes later: Breakfast - 2 scrambled eggs, generous portion of steamed kale, whole grain toast (Steamed kale --- blech -- after I took this photo, I mixed the eggs and the kale and put it on top of the plain, unbuttered toast)!

2 hours later: Mineralize and Optimize supplements

30 minutes later: Lunch - Miso Soup and Microgreen Salad with Miso Sesame Dressing - HUGE salad, delicious dressing!!

2 hours later: Power Greens powder with water

30 minutes later: Snack - Vegan Cafe Latte Shakeology (the NEW flavor - delicious)!! + 1/2 banana

2 hours later: Mineralize, Optimize, Soothe supplements

30 minutes later: Dinner - baked salmon with herbs, baby purple potatoes, asparagus

Thoughts: Not too bad! The potatoes were just plain, so very bland. But I couldn't even finish this plate of food, so I'm definitely not starving!

I drank an entire gallon of water today plus a few glasses- this keeps me hydrated for my fitness classes.
So, that summarizes day 1. I'm pretty tired, so it's time for bed, without technology or TV..... Tomorrow is another day of "resetting."
Stay tuned!

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