Evolution Health & Fitness

Ranked #1 Cover Model Contestant Thanks To Your Support!

I am proud to announce that I have been RANKED #1 for this week's Face of Fitness contest! I'm in the running for the cover model shot for an up & coming issue of Fitness Magazine!

Thank you, thank you, thank you... for your overwhelming support & belief in me & recognizing my contribution to better the state of health & well being in your world!

Please vote today! With your help, I have a shot at winning this amazing opportunity. You, your friends & your family can vote every day from now through Sunday March 13th. My goal is to keep my #1 ranking all the way through this week!  

With your help, I can easily get there ~ which means I'll be part of the top 10 contestants (1 per week over 10 weeks - I am week #4), who will be narrowed down the 5 people (after further photo submissions in accordance to their rules & regulations, one of which is people's choice). The top 5 will be sent to NYC for a 3-day photo shoot. (They fly everyone out, but they'll send a car service for me). THAT photo shoot will be the determining factor to who makes the final cut!     

Help me stay at #1!
PLEASE VOTE FOR ME TODAY & PASS IT ONTO YOUR FRIENDS To Vote Too!!!

 

I'm Ranked #2 as Cover Model For Fitness Magazine! Vote Now!

Last week a fellow instructor-friend of mine sent me an email suggesting I enter the "Face of Fitness" cover model contest.

At first I was like, "no way. Me? a cover model? yeah, ok." Well, she was not accepting that as a response (thank you linda!) & instead, strongly urged me to rethink it & submit my story & my pictures anyway.

I realized I really had nothing to lose & in fact have quite a compelling story & one that IS worth winning for!!! Since I was 18 years old I've dedicated my life to inspiring others to move their bodies more simply because the rewards are far beyond the few hours a week spent in the gym or in my classes. A fitter YOU is the true secret to youthfulness, happiness, optimal health & an amazing life. I wanted everyone I could possibly rope in to experience it too!   

When you find your calling in life, you do whatever it takes, no matter what. My story proves that. Read some of it below, but those who know me well know I left out HUGE chunks that are a pretty big deal, but I was forced to keep it to 1500 characters, so this is what they got.  :-) 

So, I put myself out there & LOOK! My photo is ranked #2 for this week's top entries!!! (There are photos chosen every week, then the top photos of each week get selected as finalists - Please help me get there by voting TODAY!) 

It doesn't hurt that Steve & I can win a trip to Hawaii either! You see us at Evolution day in & day out. We sure could use a vacation!!!! :-)  

PLEASE VOTE FOR ME March 8th - 13th 2011 &
PASS IT ONTO YOUR FRIENDS To Vote Too!!! 

My Winning Photo:

 

My Winning Story ~ What I've Accomplished in Fitness:

When I look back 16 years ago, the first 3 years of my fitness career were brutal. I prayed that no one would show up to my class so I didn't actually have to teach. Ha!  

Well, something in me needed to master it. I spent my 20's honing my talents as a group fitness instructor. I was determined to be the best damn leader I could be.  

In 2001 I was working full-time in Graphic Design/Marketing & becoming particularly sensitive to how gyms were marketing to their potential clients. I witnessed our country getting fatter, yet the places I worked for catered to fit people. Why would the modern-day American want to join a gym where they didn't "fit"?  

I decided to be part of changing the direction of the gym industry. It took me over 3 years to research & develop Evolution Health & Fitness. I opened my doors in Haskell, NJ on 2/8/08.  

Evolution is my vehicle to help hundreds of people that need it, but might otherwise be too scared or intimidated to go get it. Our atmosphere is warm & welcoming, our programs are balanced & fun, social & yet a wonderful learning environment for self-empowerment.  

My gears are constantly turning to finding ways that inspire people to move more. So, my next phase delivers fitness in a whole new way allowing for busy schedules, intimidation factors, and financial restraints. We are in our beta testing stage, so stay tuned. When you choose me for the cover, you are about to introduce the next fitness star to America before any other publication!

VOTE FOR ME HERE! 

 

5 Non-Food Ways To Show Your Honey "I Love You" This Valentine's Day

It's typical & predictable to give flowers & chocolates for Valentine's Day, so I thought I'd share my 2 cents about REALLY showing love this <3 holiday.

1. Make fitness a team effort. It's a fantastic way to bond, not just for V-day, but many "sweaty" days together in your future (wink, wink). Bring your honey for free this coming Monday, Valentine's Day! Whether it's Ari's EvoCore & Cross Training with the TRX or his Cardio Drill class with stations, Lisa's spin workout, or willPower & Grace with Tracy, sometimes the best gift can be a hot experience together.

2. Feel like a kid again & carve out some arts & crafts time. Make your own Valentine's card! Pull out some magazines, construction paper, get scissors & glue. Sit down on the floor (my favorite) or at a table (if you still want to feel like an adult) with lots of space & go to it! Tear out messages & images that mean something to you & your honey. Make it a riddle & paste images together to create a story. Handmade cards can be so much fun to create & ones they'll want to keep. They can be funny, or sentimental. The cool thing is, you get to create it from your hands & mind to his/her heart.

3. Sit down & plan your next getaway together. Even if it's not until the end of the year. Make it a point to get away from the every-day & plan the escape! Decide your budget, figure out a 4-day weekend & start surfing the net. Its amazing the hot deals that are available to travelers these days. The planning & dreaming can be romantic & fun. Once you decide, print out a couple pictures of your destination & hang it up in your office or your fridge as a constant reminder of something to look forward to, something you are doing together inspired by Valentine's Day.

4. As the book title goes Love is a Mix Tape. One of our members suggested this book to me, so it's on my list of reads for this year. Inspired by the theme of this book, here's another Non-Food love task: Create a playlist of the songs you know your honey will love - even if you don't. What songs do you hear, that make you think of when you first met? or a time you took a road trip together? or maybe even the lyrics that express how you feel in such a way that makes you wonder, "why give a card when this song says it all?" Another movie I love that inspires this idea of expressing your love through music is High Fidelity with John Cusack. Check it out if you haven't seen it.

5. Send each other sexy & fun-loving texts all day. This is especially fun since Valentine's Day lands on a hum-drum Monday this year. So, when you're stuck at your 9-5 all day trying to catch up on emails, mix it up by sending out love messages every hour or so. It's exciting to await their reply. Then hold off... keep 'em waiting... and send another one. As it builds throughout the day, you'll look forward to seeing each other later on. It'll be easy to remember why you fell in love - it'll all come back after a bit of teasing & taunting thru texting.

 

What is Dana Eating Now? TWO Weeks Later!

You better believe this java junkie immediately went back to her caffeine drip the very next morning after the cleanse. 

Plain & simple, I wanted to go back. There aren't enough reasons to stop this coffee habit o' mine. Yes, I do remember the 3-day headache - oh-so-clearly, in fact. Which does lead me to question exactly how much was I consuming before I started my body clean-out? uh... a lot. That alone probably justifies a once-a-year detox - get it out of my system & hit the "do-over" button. But for now... 2 cups of Joe every morning make me happier than I'd like to admit. (Along with my daily dose of Steve, that is...)

I must say, it has been smooth sailin' back to the reality of eating whatever the hell I want. 

My taste for foods have changed... or shall I say, my appetite has changed. I went back to eggs. I love them. Have 'em for breakfast with a peach every morning. But, I have yet to eat meat. Chicken or otherwise. Just have no taste for it. Don't crave it. & Don't feel like I am even missing out on it. Although, I had this crazy dream last night that I ate BBQ chicken with the skin! Like 4 or 5 pieces or something. I woke up in a panic. Thinking... "Did I REALLY just eat that? What the hell?" whew! nope. Just a dream. 

I know you are gonna want to just slap me for this one, but i speaketh the truth - I actually find lots of other grains, veggies, nuts, fruit and fish to be way more appealing than candy, chips, or even pizza. & I love pizza! or...er... I did anyway.

It's also less appalling than consuming animal products that leave me questioning how the animal was treated, what they were fed and if they were ill and being dosed-up with antibiotics when they were slaughtered, packaged up & sent off to my grocery store. I work too hard for this hard-body of mine to consume meat from a sick cow infested with antibiotics. 

Do you know the last time I was on antibiotics? Hmmm. That's a good question. Definitely in over 10 years. So, in 2 words: "F That." My muscle is formed and my tissues are healed from clean protein sources as much as I can possibly help it.

& Oh yes... the sweet tooth. You want to know if I have caved & went for the cookies & ice cream, right?

You're probably not going to believe this, but growing up I was the queen of junk food. I was skinny & I knew it & I ate whatever I wanted - & yes, I was a complete brat, or actually "princess" was what my mother called me for years. Then somehow my all-time favorite Graphic Design professor in college picked that up about my demeanor & started calling me Princess yet again! I thought it was quite funny. But from her it just meant, I knew what I wanted & that was a good thing. Anyway... I ate all-sortsa junk ranging from Twinkies to Suzie-Q's, Oreo's to Ring-Ding Jr's. Oh, & yes...Reese's!!! They were my wholly grail of candy bars - which is well, not really a "bar" as much as a "cup". I tried them again awhile back. Maybe a year ago? I couldn't even swallow what I bit off. Totally gross. What an utter disappointment from memories of my childhood. 

Have my tastebuds changed? or has the recipe morphed to use hydrogenated artery-clogging oil and high fructose corn syrup in place of good old fashioned granulated sugar? My guess? a bit of both. 

Last year for my birthday, Steve made me a custom-designed, dark-chocolate & natural peanut butter cup the size of my neice's head (the 2-year old, not the 4-month old). It totally rocked my health"ier" candy-livin' world. DAMN! That was the goods! The old-school packaged Reese's? Not so much &... probably not ever again.

Even before the cleanse my "sweet" tooth was more closely resembling a "nutrient-packed" tooth when compared to the average chick my age. So, it was slightly skewed to begin with, but none-the-less, I still don't have a desire for cookies or treats right now. I'm happy with my fruit. :) Berries, melons, apples & pears... that just does the trick for me.

I feel my daily routine and work schedule has been in better balance the last couple weeks, which I shared was an introspective outcome of the whole cleansing process. I have noticed my happiness factor has lifted and despite all the gloom & doom that encounters my world every day being a business owner in this economic climate, I have done a decent job of maintaining a different perspective on my physical health - I think of it as a "tune-up" for knowing when my mind and my body has had enough. I know when I need the company of a good friend, I know when I need a "power Hug" from my sister and I know when I need to check out & be a wife for awhile. These are some things I've know in the past, but some nuts & bolts had to be tightened up before I lost my sh*t.

This, along with the vegetarian-based eating style, broader spectrum of foods now in my shopping cart at my pal, Trader Joe's, and my decreased desire to scoff down chocolate chip cookies on movie night, I am in a much happier place in my life than I was a mere 3 weeks ago.

This just goes to show you, you can change your ways, your habits, your perspective, at any point in your life. YOU decide. That's the beauty of it. I wanted this for myself, at this point in my life. It was calling to me, even though I knew how challenging it was about to be both physically & mentally. It was my decision and my soulful purpose to work through it because I know where I'm headed in my career. I wanted all the ammo I could find to propel me there. So I can rise above and create more goodness for the world. The only way to do that is with clarity & lots of energy! So.. I got what I needed out of that 9-day cleansing journey, and then some! It turns out to be quite a delightful little gift. But, is not little at all. In fact, it's really the bigger part of what this journey's all about.

Day#9 - Last Day of Cleansing Journey

Here it is, the final day of my cleansing journey. I made it! Ok, ok, technically I still have 8 hours to go. But, the good news is I can eat almonds, walnuts, quinoa, millet, soybeans & my fruits & veggies on this 9th and final "transitional" day back into the reality of my life.

I am feeling awesome. My skin is looking pretty dang good & my nails are tough as, well, nails. 

Since my last post, I had 3 solid days of "greens." No nuts, no grains, no beans for days 6, 7 & 8. Essentially, no protein, other than my bragg's I was adding to my salads.

The first couple days of my cleanse I lost my appetite. Well, it came back full force & I was constantly hungry during this triple-play veggie event. Avocados got me through... thank god. Something with yummy FAT & a creamy texture - it was an awesome addition to my other greenery. But then, maybe 2 hours later... hunger would strike yet again.

When I got to (for lack of a better word) "work" yesterday morning, I quickly realized I didn't bring enough to eat with me once I unloaded everything into the fridge. I had an arm-full of stuff I scooped up and brought from home, but it was mostly for juicing. It's amazing how much stuff you need for a cup of fresh juice, especially when your juicing 2-3x's a day. 

So, by 3pm I was ravenous & knowing I had to teach at 4:30 I was wondering if I was going to make it. Or how? Last week teaching Bodypump I thought I was going to DIE. alright, not die, but maybe severely break down & dwindle away into nothingness while my headache pounded me into the ground. 

Here's where I used my female powers. Some wives will bat their eyelashes at their husbands at 11pm on a Tuesday night to go out & get them ice cream or some other indulging soon-to-regret-treat, but not me! It was: *bat-bat* "Sweetheart ( I usually call him "hon", as in, short for "honey" so he knew something was up)... can you go to stop & shop & get me a bag of frozen organic PEAS pleeeze???" *bat-bat-big, cute convincing smile* "....but, now?"

Being the good stand-up man that he is - and this is only one of the many, many reasons I married him - of course he went. :)

I got my peas & heated them up with a bit of olive oil & added salt & pepper. 2 bowls & I was good to go! This snack is definitely a keeper.

I've learned something here. I don't think it's wise for me to teach and maintain my activity level with little to no protein intake. Somehow I removed myself from the sports nutrition standpoint of this and in hindsight, should have rested my body more through the process. 

It's one of those things that I would advise from the outside when consulting with someone on nutrition, but for whatever asinine reason just didn't think it applied to me. I workout through sickness, lack of sleep, feeling run down & over-trained, but would NEVER advise someone else to make these kind of choices that break the body down during a period of detox. Next time, I know better.

Will there be a next time? probably. I will most likely do this about once a year. Each time, my overall diet improves & eventually I eat mostly foods that naturally cleanse.

So.... onto the big question: "Did you lose weight?" I know that's what you ultimately want to know.

Yes, I did drop a few pounds, but that wasn't my main focus. If you want to lose weight it's lifestyle choice day in and day out, not a 9-day cleanse.

Part of what I wanted to learn through this was more about self-care. Yes, I work out and I'm physically fit. Yes, I eat healthy 90% of the time. But, I am neglecting some other self-caring aspects in my life. Time with friends. My family. Time to read or write. Slowing down a bit & asking myself how I'm feeling? what do I need? This cleanse has gotten me to mentally shift, therefore physically shift, priorities in my life.

So now I'm getting ready to step into tomorrow. I can eat anything I want, do as I please. Truth is, what I "please" is now practicing better balance in my life, and food happens to be included. 

I will go back to eating eggs in the morning that's for sure, and oh YES peanut butter! I can legally have rice - how exciting for me. I'll plan to eat salmon and scallops for dinner this week, but overall, I will be staying closer to vegetarian for awhile. Experimenting with some new recipes that incorporate fresh fruits & veggies... and what a perfect time of year. Farmer's Markets are just about to start up! 

This cleanse reminded me of all the stuff I don't always include in my diet. I used to go thru a dozen clif bars a week because they are convenient. 

So, It's good that I am reminded of these from-the-earth, natural, nutrient-packed flavors that are in alignment with my self-care shift in thinking and behavior. I may have to slow things down a bit by hitting the grocery store another time during the week in an effort to have the freshest of the fresh in my diet. But the ultimate result is way more important. A happier, more fulfilled life. Meaning, I feel better, I look better & I perform even better than before... all while I stop & smell the... vegetables.

Yes, I can use the excuse of "I own a business" or "my busy lifestyle..." ....blah... blah... blah.... truth is, I create it. I design it. It's my life & I make of it what I please. Whether it's cleaning out the junk in my house or the junk in my intestines, once a year it's good for me to do a bit of spring cleaning to get back down to the value of the basics; the true essence of a cleanse. 

Day #4 of Dana's 9-Day Cleanse

Happy to report, my headache is finally gone. The last of it left me during the night. It took THREE full days. damn coffee.

I fell asleep no problem last night (give me 5 minutes after my head hits the pillow & I'm usually out), but for whatever reason, I was up from midnight to about 2am. Couldn't sleep. I headed to the couch so I could watch some tv without disturbing steve. I quickly felt my hunger start to take over. 

I stumbled upon reruns of Sex in The City in hopes the awesome writers would engage me enough to forget about my level of starvation. Honestly, they are more dramatic than me, right? (which reminds me... I'm psyched about the 2nd movie coming out!) anyway... no go. When hunger takes over, I just can't focus on much else. It's a lost cause.

Here's my problem. There is tons of fruits & veggies I can have on my 3rd day in, but what I REALLY want is not meat, nor is it chicken, or pizza even! just natural peanut butter on toast. In this moment, that would make me soooo happy! In fact, I don't miss my chicken at all right now. Just some of those simple things I love about my regular diet that at 1 in the morning I am extremely tempted by & in fact, have in my house. Grrr!

I couldn't take it. My stomache was flipping out & I needed something. I tried an apple with salt - one of my favorite snacks anyway - but, it didn't tame my growling belly. 

Ahhh!!! I caved. I had brown rice. Quinoa just wouldn't do it. Pit of my stomach hungry & no appetite for anything I am "allowed to have" in my house, without waking steve up pleading "honey, can you go get me some blueberries?" 

I layed there for 30-minutes debating in my head about it. I craved the chewey texture, the warmth & with salt and just a touch of olive oil... yum!!! so, I did it & hit the spot. 

I admit, I picked up the box of multi-grain crackers from trader joe's & read the ingredients. I considered it for a brief moment before my rice decision. Couldn't bring myself to do it. I am cleansing my body. Crackers are processed & all processed food is off limits! Otherwise, what's the purpose of it all? It was the end of my 1st Liver Flush Day, I couldn't do damage while my body was in repair.

Days 3, 4 & 5 are considered my "Liver Flush Days."

Why "flush out" my liver, you ask? Here's my little bio lesson of the day: There is no organ that is more important to healthy metabolism than the liver - in many ways, it is to the metabolism as the heart is to the circulation of blood. The liver plays a critical role in four key areas of metabolism: fuel management, nitrogen excretion, the regulation water distribution between the blood and tissues, and the detoxification of foreign substances. 

So... Like any woman, I want an optimally running metabolism!

Now I detox my liver. Freeing all the toxins in my tissues, flushing them into my bloodstream where they can be filtered and eliminated from my body. Hence "Liver Flush." In the process, the body being the amazing organism it is, will also repair the damage I've done to my liver over the past year or so since my last cleanse.

I know I know... I eat clean 80-90% of the time. What damage could I possibly have done in a year? I mean, I rarely drink. I eat more of the healthier fats & stay low on the saturated ones. I eat beef maybe once a month. I do love my sushi tho! All I can say is its the job of the liver to process everything I put into my body. Every day, with every meal. That's a pretty big job to take on. I'm sure there is plenty of cleaning up to do, regardless of how "clean" I eat.

That means, no more nuts or soybeans for the next 6 days. Now my diet consists of my "master list" of veggies & fruits and only quinoa & millet for my grains. bu-bye almonds & walnuts! They don't come back into play until my last day of the cleanse, where I transition back to my normal diet. Whatever that is going to mean for me - now, I'm not sure.

First thing in the morning on days 3, 4 & 5, I am required to chug a full cup of this interesting "Liver Flush" concoction. It consists of cloves, parsley, oranges, grapefruit, lemon, cayenne pepper, a clove of garlic, fresh ginger and 2 tablespoons of cold-pressed olive oil. 

I find that if I chug it in one fall swoop, its really not so bad. In fact a creamy orangey kinda flavor. Yesterday I made the mistake of drinking it in 2 chugs. Today, I pretended like I was back in collage with a "lick, slam! suck." This time it was more like "slam it & suck it up." Cuz only seconds later I immediately taste the garlic. yummo! I immediately thought about all that sweat I was about to pour out teaching my boxing class this morning... sorry girls!

I must wait 30 minutes to eat, which isn't a problem cuz after that, not much appeals to me. I end up having a pear before I go into teach & then some fresh juice between my 2 classes.

I'm 2 days down with Liver Flush, only one to go!

I have another confession. Every day I am *supposed* to make this "master cleanser" - 32 oz of water, a whole lemon & 2-1/2 Tbsp of Maple Syrup. kinda sounds like lemonade. Not so bad. Yeah - and a pinch of cloves. I think it's this drink that is supressing my appetite. In fact can bearly get this master cleanser down without gagging. I just made amanda try it (cuz ya know, that's what big sisters do "this is gross, taste it!") & she even winced with a little gulp.... yeah, pretty sure its the cloves.

I've basically been taking my undrunken portion of this potion from the day before & adding more lemon, some syrup & topping it off with water. There's half a water bottle full on my desk staring at me right now as I type. .....Ok, ok, I'll take a swig.....

bleh! yup, just as aweful as I remember it to be this morning.

Like I said, I taught 2 back to back classes this morning, however, I am thrilled to share that my energy was awesome throughout the whole workout, both strength & cardio endurance, along with mental clarity. Good stuff! Already, I am feeling its effects and its showing in my physical performance & I love it!!!

I just read an article yesterday in the New York Times called "Diet & Exercise to the Extremes" that I think you may find fascinating. I certainly do. This cleanse, among MANY other things I am learning about our food sources, is making me rethink how I really want to eat once I do come down from this 9-day journey.

Well, it's 2:46 and I really do need to eat. For lunch I am having a salad with romaine lettuce, cukes, onion, carrots & avocado, with some Braggs liquid amino acids. If you've never tried Braggs, its awesome. its like soy sauce, but its pure vegetable protein instead. I love it on salads b/c mixed in, it creates a nice creamy dressing-like texture with the avocado.

Until next time...

Day #2 of Dana's 9-Day Cleanse

Why, are you wondering, would someone actually CHOOSE to eat ONLY "master cleanse list approved" veggies, fruits, grains and nuts... & cease all coffee-drinking for 9 days straight? 

Good question. My 2nd day in and I am wondering that myself. 

I mentally prepared for not getting my daily coffee fix... however, I didn't physically prepare for it, which would have been the wise thing to do. Maybe ween down over the last couple weeks? Why is it I encourage my clients to "ween down" with sugar, or salt, or beer... but I don't take my own advice? Because... I don't remember a headache like this last time! I thought I could swing it with only mild withdrawal. Or could that be mild denial?

About a year a half ago I did this very cleanse. I remember it being a challenge at times, but I followed it & got through it & by the end, I felt on top of the world! My skin was glowing & my cravings gone. so, with that memory in mind, I decided it's time. I am seeking mental clarity, better focus in my life and of course the physical feeling of having a clean slate with my body. 

I know what you're saying to yourself, & yes, I eat well now! I do my best to follow the 90/10 rule. I eat "clean" as they say. But I do have my cookies & chocolate from time to time and I eat my fair share of cheese, chicken, beef and some other stuff that could throw my body & my mind outta whack.

I rarely get sick and wouldn't ya know it, the week before my cleanse was scheduled to start, I came down with something. Luckily, only one day I feel real crappy. The rest of the week, I sounded worse than I felt, with a wicked-sounding cough, so it seemed to me this 9-day journey to detox came at a perfect time.

I am following a cleanse that a fellow instructor introduced to me. Its 24 pages long with a full explanation of the whole process. What you do on what day & why. So there is a nice long list of "approved" veggies, fruits, spices, etc. along with the dietary herbal supplements to support your body through the detox period. 

First, I ordered my supplements online (since they all couldn't be found at a local natural food store.) They arrived just in time. I highlighted what foods I would eat & compiled my grocery list. Day 1 & 2 I can have all the fruits & veggies I want, plus Soybeans, Quinoa, Millet, Walnuts & Almonds. A "plethora" of foods, wouldn't ya say?

So, Friday night Steve & I headed to Corrado's in Wayne. (yup - hot date night, right?) I've heard so many people rave about the great deal on their produce. I thought: Awesome! Let's go there.

Well, that was disappointing. Yeah... great deals.... on Genetically Modified "Product of USA" all over the place. No organic to be seen. We made a loop around the produce floor & headed right back out to the truck. Onto Trader Joe's! Its my fave place anyhow. (Sorry TJ's! I never should have doubted you.)

I stocked up the cart. Turns out it came to about the same as our normal grocery bill. I bought as much organic as possible. #1 Because if its organic, it cannot be GMO. #2 Because there are less pesticides #3 Because I support the american farmer & not monsanto, those evil bastards.

Sunday was the day before the cleanse was to begin. So, I cooked up my quinoa, divided up my portions, labeled the containers what day & what meal. I'm very organized like that :) This is something I do every Sunday anyhow... this week, was just different food. I was all ready - juicer, blender, ready, set go!

Monday morning, Day #1, comes. I was prepared to wake up with no coffee. I made my 32 oz of "master cleanser" of course - water, lemon, maple syrup & a pinch of cloves. I had my tea, some fruit & some nuts, ready to start my day!

Got into Evolution around 7 like usual for a Monday. Taught my 2 spin classes & felt great, as I normally do.

The day progresses... I have my quinoa & some walnuts. I have my afternoon "detox" tea. But... the inevitable headache creeps in. I had plenty of food to eat, but I was losing my appetite as the day progressed. 

I also noticed how cranky I was getting. Ya know, the feeling when you can't even stand yourself?? yeah. That was happening to me. not cool. my poor staff... LOL

4:30 rolls around & I have to teach bodypump. At this point I feel like HELL. I just want to go home & nap. By head is throbbing, and its causing me to feel a bit nauseated. But, it's my job to get up there & motivate. I slap a smile on and decide, "ok, I'll back my weight WAY off & I'll get through this. It's only an hour dana, suck it up." Well, half way through I was feeling sooo yucky, I was saying only what needed to be said & thank god was wearing a baseball hat to kinda hide my eyes behind. I felt them getting red & watery.

Another instructor was ill that night & needed her class covered at 7:15. I thought I was going to have to do it, but THANK YOU to my amazing staff who helped me juggle things around... I didn't have to teach. I am forever grateful, cuz I really wasn't doing well.

I never remember wanting to go home so badly before... not in a loooong time, anyway. So, I get home around 6:30, fall asleep on the couch to Real Housewives on Bravo (cuz ya know, THAT will help my headache?) Then steve wakes me up asking if I want to go to bed. It's 9:40pm. Yes... I crawled into bed & didn't get up til 7am.

Moral of story for day #1: Cut down on the caffeine next time, ya java junkie!

Day # 2 - Feeling better... but not myself, that's for sure. Headache is still looming, not nearly as intensely. Food doesn't seem appealing to me at all. Although I'm finding that juicing seems to help me feel better. It's 4pm and I just booked a 90-minute massage for a spa treatment downstairs. It was gift from a dear friend of mine - she's been urging me to use it for quite awhile now. She'll be pleased to know I booked it for 5pm... a detox during my detox, when could be a better time?

Day #3 is the beginning of the Liver Flush... I get to drink this crazy concoction.... stay tuned.