Slim People in Progress

Do You Need to Detox?

This time of year, it's easy to read articles or hear people talking about doing a "detox." People go on a detoxification diet for lots of different reasons - everything from the large amount of toxins we ingest everyday from our food and environment to trying to recover from an overindulgent period of heavy, less than healthy foods. I know for myself, I eat heavier foods in the winter. I'm not a big meat eater, but I do like a nice steak every now and then, and I definitely eat more warming foods during the colder months. Add in some baked goods, a few cocktails when entertaining and after awhile, my energy and body feel stagnant.

I'm of the mind that most of us can benefit from doing a cleanse or detox once a year. Even under the best of circumstances eating healthy whole foods, most of still don't eat optimally. Simply put, doing a detox can help you to give your body a much needed rest from foods that are highly congesting - dairy, meat, fried foods, sugar, alcohol, and wheat just to name a few. And there's not necessarily a right or wrong way to do it. Yes, you can buy detox packages and programs at your local health food store, get colonics or take lots of herbs, but frankly, it doesn't have to be that elaborate.

My detox usually consists of 1-2 weeks of fruits, vegetables and non-glutinous grains like quinoa with ample amounts of water to help flush my system. I do a lot of juicing with organic vegetables and concentrate on increasing the amount of raw foods that I'm eating. Just giving myself a break from heavy, congesting foods makes a big difference in how I feel and my energy levels. Over time I add back in high quality fish and chicken. What I know for sure about myself, however, is that dairy and wheat just don't agree with me and this is a helpful means to get in the habit of eating a lot less of it. Check out the Detox Diet by Elson Haas, one of my favorite experts in this area. His book has simple explanations, menus and suggestions for detoxing.

This also begs the question of whether detox diets are an effective tool in weight loss. Generally, I think they're less helpful for weight loss as people often resume their normal eating and gain lost weight back. I think it's much more impactful as a tool to improve your overall health. And the key is about how you can maintain eating healthy, high quality foods throughout the year, not just when you feel like you've overindulged.

What are you experiences with doing a detox and in what ways has it been helpful? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Happy and healthy eating,

Wendy

Team in Training Celebrating 20 Years

Team in Training (TNT) is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.  This announcement is for folks in Los Angeles County.

As you know, last year I trained with TNT to run the Nike Women's Half Marathon. It was a phenomenal experience and changed my life for the better.  Nearly a year later, I'm still running and loving it.

I have a friend I recruited last year who is doing her THIRD event!. She walked the Long Beach Half last Fall; walked the Los Angeles FULL marathon in March, and is now going to train to run the Nike Half in October.  She's awesome!

The training for Fall events is starting soon. If you're not in Los Angeles, check online for meetings near you. If you are in the L.A. area, here are the info events coming up:

It's the 20th Anniversary of Team In Training. Help us reach the billion dollar mark by passing this information on!!!

We are training for :

Long Beach Full & Half Marathon (run or walk)
October 12, 2008

Nike Women's Full & Half Marathon (run or walk)
San Francisco - October 19, 2008

We have recruitment meetings for the Westside Team scheduled as follows (I live in The Valley, but I trained on the Westside - cooler in the summer and you get to train near the beach!):

Slowing Things Down to Lose Weight

Hi everyone,

I'm pleased to be a guest blogger on Slim People in Progress!

I wanted to kick off my series of posts by talking about the power of slowing down our busy lives and tuning into our bodies to help us lose weight. I don't know about you, but I'm constantly on the go, often going from one appointment to the next, rushing to eat in between and trying to fit in as much in my day as is humanely possible. Usually, I'm being "over the top" about what I think I can do in a day, and I have to consciously decide I need to slow down.

But what I've seen in myself as well as countless clients, is that when we're constantly on the go, we never give ourselves the chance to rest and get quiet. And it's in the slowing down and getting quiet that we can tune into our bodies and figure out what they really need. You may be wondering what that has to do with weight loss, and the answer is everything!

When we slow down and tune in, we eat more mindfully and are aware of when we're actually full. It's also possible to be much more in the experience of eating and increase our awareness and enjoyment of the food (what I call the ecstasy of eating) - really chewing, tasting and fully appreciating our food. Have you ever had the experience of eating in front of the TV, and you look down and your plate is empty, yet you don't remember actually eating? Just something as simple as eating in silence for a few meals will help you be much more present in your body and hear what it might be trying to tell you.

Also, when we slow down our eating and breathe more deeply, we increase the flow of oxygen. And when we do that, we actually increase our metabolism. In essence, slowing down speeds things up.

One of my favorite people I studied with in nutrition school was someone named Marc David. I love his approach to weight loss which is all about slowing down. Check out one of my favorite books he wrote, The Slow Down Diet. Another resource I love is a book called One Bowl by Don Gerrard. It's one man's story of how he got in tune with his body and lost weight by eating all his meals from the same bowl, a very interesting concept.

What do you do to slow down? How does that impact your ability to lose weight? Have you ever practiced conscious eating and limited the distractions to really focus on your food? I'd love for you to share your thoughts.

Happy slow eating,

Wendy

Have you found your happy weight?

This week I got a media inquiry in my email box from a reporter who wants to interview women in their 30s and 40s who have found their "happy weight." She was looking for:

...a woman was overweight but is now fit and loves her new figure; a woman who lost too much weight or hit her "ideal" weight (according to the doctor or charts), but ended up being happier when she was slightly heavier than that ideal weight; and a woman who is overweight but feels great that way.

This was my response:

Two years ago I joined Weight Watchers and lost 35 pounds in about 9 months.  During that time I also started working out more doing Pilates, going to a gym and then started running.  I've since gained back about 10 pounds and it's OK.  I'm fitter, happier and enjoying my new found inner-jockette.  I even ran a half-marathon last year, something I never thought I would do in a million years because I was a total couch potato most of my life.

My point is that even though I've gained some weight back, I'm not worrying about it as much, or at all, and I have a better attitude about fitness. I like it. I make it part of my must-do schedule.

So I ask you. What does "happy weight" mean to you and have you found it?

Introducing Wendy Battles...

As you can tell, I'm not doing the best job keeping this blog up to date. Too much to do, too little time. But I'm always thinking about it.

I'm pleased to announce that we have a new guest blogger who will be contributing posts about once a week...Wendy Battles...

As owner of Healthy Endeavors, and the Don't Worry, Get Healthy System, Wendy inspires women to prevent and reverse heart disease and create a healthier lifestyle, happily challenging women across the country to take their health to heart.  Specifically, Wendy provides nutritional and lifestyle counseling for busy women who are ready to make lasting, heart-healthy changes and embrace great health once and for all. She also provides group health coaching and delivers speeches and seminars to a broad range of audiences and organizations interested in optimal health.

Wendy studied nutrition at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and is a certified Holistic Health Counselor. Her practice is based in North Haven, Connecticut and is pleased to work with clients across the country.

Wendy blogs over at Healthy Endeavors. Welcome Wendy!