BOO TO ECZEMA



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I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m gonna have to up my raw food & vegan food intake. And when I say “up” it, I mean by a good bit. I have been fighting bouts of eczema on my legs (and arms) for awhile. While I was on Carolyn Akens “Body Rejuvenation Detox” program, I could see it calming and diminishing a whole lot. Almost went away. Oh, but of course, since I ended it, it’s crept back up and out in full swing as if it wants to be seen this spring and summer. Not happy about it and I’m not having it.


I’m trying not to get bummed about it ‘cause I really wanna wear some cute spring/summer dresses & shorts but my legs are making me wanna hide. Now I do understand (and know) that I can get a great makeup artist to airbrush my legs until they are back to a healthy norm. If anyone knows how to cover up unsightly blemishes please share.

I first noticed it a year or so ago, after using a certain product. I eventually put that product to rest. But ever since, it’s been a battle. And trust, I’ve been doing every external natural product like stinky Neem oil, ACV juice and my own blend of essential oils in shea butter. They’re just not doing it. And I am one who believes that your nutrition plays a major part in your wellness. So ultimately, I understand that I gotta go back to eating 100% vegan; raw vegan all day and clean vegan at night. Kinda makes me angry cause I count myself as a bit of a foodie but it is what it is. And I gotta do what I gotta do.

Honestly, with the warmer weather hitting, I want to get out and socialize more. And along with this, I envisioned myself eating & drinking whatever I want. Again, basically being a bit of a foodie. But that will have to be shelved for a little while. And I’m okay with that. Besides, I had planned on doing extended periods of eating all vegan. Though I must admit, this will help me get to where I want to be in my diet lifestyle and while training for the Peachtree Road Race. So I’m getting with it with a smile.


In the meantime, I’m taking all suggestions on how to do coverage (makeup) on legs.

Post Title → BOO TO ECZEMA

MY REVIEW OF CAROLYN AKENS BODY REJUVENATION DETOX PROGRAM

One of my green goodie juices.

Okay, lovely ones. Here’s my review of Carolyn’s Detox program


After getting over my immediate apprehensive once I committed to going thru this detox, I was excited. I was looking forward to doing something good (and long overdue) for my body. Then I received the detox program, I was bit put off. I honestly was expecting a 1, or at most, 2-pager document that would just give me step-by-step instructions on what to do everyday. Here's the thing: After sitting my impatient-want-what-I-want-now ass down and reading the materials, it dawned on me that I was in “microwave” mode. “Damn”. *hangs head*

Allow me to briefly explain: I was so used to getting things in a condensed format, super fast. And much like the microwave meals & fast food; I've found and observed that condensed and super fast can and do leave you without a bunch of essential things that you need. Aside from the fact that that wham-bam way of doing things can leave you feeling a bit empty once it’s all said and done. It negates the fact that everyone’s body is different. It skirts the issue of considering a person’s personality, emotional state and where they are in life. After reading all the materials, I realized that her detox program respects the individual, unique person. No, we are not assembly line machines so why should any program presented to us be a cookie-cutter, general quickie program. There is absolutely nothing general about you, me or anyone else.

Almost gone spinach, pear, apple & mint smoothie.

Having said that, I loved the fact that I could modify this detox to fit my needs and where I was mentally & emotionally. There’s nothing dogmatic about it. Love that. So much information was provided to ensure that I fully understood what a detox is, what it can do for my body, what to expect during a detox and how I can safely & effectively execute it. There were sample menus for different types of detoxes, listing of detox herbs and different detoxification methods explained in detail. This is not only a program but also an education. On top of which, Carolyn’s support is always there for you. You get weekly calls with her and daily emails. And as an added bonus, you get an awesome Q&A conference call with Karen Langston, internationally recognized nutritionist and recent heroine entrepreneur.

After my “Aha” moment of realization, I fell into the program with fervor. My first week went well, although I had bouts with nausea, headaches and not my usual amount of energy, which I didn’t realize until the following week when I felt soooo much better. This detox was actually a joyful & eye-opening experience for me. Maybe it was because it wasn’t a rigid “you-can-only-do-this-this-and-this-and-it-has-to-be-this-way” type of detox but more of an exploration of the delicious and healthy bounty that the earth provides us with. Okay, I admit it. That description might be a bit – deep. But I really had fun and enjoyed it. I enjoyed juicing collard greens, cabbage & garlic for the first time. I enjoyed trying the delicious quinoa. And I actually really enjoyed the taste of avocados. Haha! It was also fun coming up a light & clean, vegan dishes for dinner. Go figure. I felt as if I discovered a new world of flavors but more importantly, I discovered that I could actually do this. I could actually go more than a week without eating any type of animal products. Yay me!
 

Spiralized zucchini with portabello mushrooms, red & yellow bell peppers, red onions & fresh garlic lightly sauteed in evoo.

Will I do this again? Hell yes! I'm so happy that I started my year off with this detox. As a matter of fact, I am continuing this way of eating. As stated earlier this week, I have not thrown in the towel on meat, fish or eggs but I’m certainly cutting my intake of them way down. And I also look forward to going thru vegan-spells; meaning eating 100% vegan for a month or months at a time.

Would I recommend this detox program? Again, hell yeah! This program is an education & a detox. Not just a program that you do quickly and forget just as quickly, but a lasting effective program that teaches you the importance of a detox, why one may be necessary and that it is in fact doable on all levels.

Oh, and I forgot to mention my bmi (body mass index) has dropped and is back in its healthy range and I lost 10 lbs. Damn, I really had put on a few pounds. I’m so stoked that I’m back in some of my favorite clothes, too.  
A note for Carolyn:
Carolyn, words cannot express my thanks & appreciation for you allowing me to experience your program. I have gained so much from this. Now I feel prepared to take the next steps in my healthy journey. Now I know that I can eat a clean, vegan diet. Where I once apprehensive and unsure as to whether I could prepare some healthy (& edible), clean vegan meals, I now have the confidence and know that I can successfully do so. And now that I feel great & my bmi is back in check, I can get my swerve back on. Just kidding. Well, uh, not really. Haha! Thanks so much. And may only the best continue to come your way.
Much luv & {{Hugs}},
Cheris

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Carolyn Akens Body Rejuvenation Detox Program
Website: CarolynAkens.com
Carolyn Akens on facebook: http://bit.ly/fbcarolynakens
Carolyn Akens on twitter: www.twitter.com/carolynakens
Email: carolyn@carolynakens.com
phone: (678) 807-9187

Post Title → MY REVIEW OF CAROLYN AKENS BODY REJUVENATION DETOX PROGRAM

DETOX UPDATE III - THE HOME STRETCH

Well peeps,

I'm in the home stretch of the detox. With 17 days of Carolyn Akens Body Rejuvenation Detox program under my belt and 4 more days to go. I'm armed with a sizable amount of leafy greens, fruits & veggies accompanied by some whole grains to make it thru the next few days.

I must say that I have enjoyed this journey. Although I can't say that I've missed one or two things that I was in the habit of having or just plain enjoyed. I can say that, for the most part, it has (and still does) feel great treating my body to nothing but good whole, clean foods. I love that feeling. I swear making a serious conscious effort to do right by your body is a form of love; self-love that I've never quite understood until now.

I've already planned out my juices & smoothies for the rest of my detox. And I'm really excited about them. I'll be trying some new combo's with veggies I've never juiced with before like cabbage & collards (tried for 1st time last week). I've done dishes with quinoa ("keen-wah") and steamed some veggies that I've never considered steamable. All in all, I'm having fun.

Anyhoo, I just wanted to drop in with a quick post on my detox experience so far. My full review/experience/results will be posted next Thursday.

{{Hugs}},

Post Title → DETOX UPDATE III - THE HOME STRETCH

DETOX UPDATE II

A simple salad I made that was so delicious.

Woo hoo!! Hi Gorgeous!

Let me start by saying that I feel good. I really do. =)


*Forewarning: There will be some content in this post that you may consider tmi. Just so you know.*

For those of you who may not know, I'm on Carolyn Akens Body Rejuvenation Detox Program , which lasts for 21 days.  I am rounding out my 2nd week on it. Woo hoo!!

On to the details:

This past week has been much better than the end of last week. Let me give you a glimpse into the day-to-day detox happenings for me.

Thursday
Felt good. Noticed how my pooch (stomach) is going down. Felt nauseas later on. (Story on that coming later in post). Had a couple of foul-smelling loose stools. Felt better after eliminating though.

Friday
Woke up feeling better. Still experienced some slightly loose stools.

Saturday
Felt good. That is until another wave of nausea hit. Story on that coming later in post.

Sunday – Wednesday
Felt & feeling great! Great physically and emotionally. I’m more inclined to workout this week. And I’m amazed at the energy and vitality that I’m feeling. I really am. Not sure what I expected but, it’s like I want to run and keep on going.



Okay. So here’s the breakdown on my bouts with nausea:

I had to take my daughter somewhere after school. And with a limited window of time, she grabbed something from the fridge. A hotdog. Once the hotdog was ready, we hopped into the car to be on our way. As the car doors closed, I was engulfed in this serious hotdog aroma. At first, it smelled absolutely magnificent to me. I thought, “Oh God. That smells sooo good.” Not a minute later, I was thinking, “Oh God. That smells soooo.... awful.” It’s funny now but it was not a cute situation to be in. From that moment on, I felt horrible and just wanted to be home. About an hour & a half later, we finally got home and I commenced to drinking the lemon water. I even tried some fresh coconut juice I'd gotten from the Farmer’s Market. None of which helped. Eventually, I had the urge to use the bathroom which was exactly what I needed to do. Eliminate the toxins thru excrement that were jacking my body up. And so it happened and I felt much better.

Saturday’s instance was quite similar. A friend of mine was having a business event that I was determined to attend. Well, at least, show my face at. I couldn’t stay long because I had to pick up my daughter from her ever-time changing cheer practice. Little did I know that it was best that way. When I got to my friend’s home, they were still getting prepared for her event. Her sister was putting the finishing touches on her hair & makeup. Her hubby was in the kitchen frying up some chicken. Yes. That was it right there. I smelled it and thought, “Hmm, haven’t smelled that aroma in awhile.” You know the one, that home-fried chicken smell. Anyhoo, I was okay for most of the time that I was there. Even had a few pieces of fruit. But an interesting thing happened once I got in my car to go pick up my daughter. I noticed the fried chicken, or better yet, fried chicken grease aroma was still with me. It was in my coat and clothes. So as I’m driving in this closed-up car, I’m noticing this scent more and more. And not in a good way. Damn! Here we go again. So this time, I took it upon myself to purchase an enema to help the process. Cause I hate feeling like I need to hurl.

Needless to say, after all was said and done, I felt much better.

And oh…. I’ve now graduated to green, odorless poop. I know. Tmi.

Lol.

Post Title → DETOX UPDATE II

DETOX EXPERIENCE & UPDATE

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Hi Beautiful Ones!


Here's what's been going on with me so far on Carolyn Akens "Body Rejuvenation Detox Program", which I started on this past Monday.


So here’s the day-by-day rundown on my experience so far:


Monday – Went well. I felt good. No cravings. No worries.

Tuesday – Woke up to a slight headache. Eventually went away. Came back for a visit & stayed later on in the day thru the bed time. Panicked a bit because I was stuck in the house and couldn’t restock on dwindling supply of produce. Did get in a nice walk outside.

Wednesday – Better day. Restocked on produce. Slight headachey off and on, but took Carolyn’s advice to drink lots of water & juice. Be glad when folks go back to school/work, so that I can really get into my meditation. Planned menu for rest of week and weekend.

I honestly haven't had any cravings. Which is a little weird because I kind of expected it. Or maybe it hasn’t hit me yet. I believe because I am being nourished with wholesome juices, smoothies and greens. Not to say that certain foods haven’t crossed my mind. Case in point: I was so excited about getting in the car and driving to the Farmer’s Market & Natural Foods Warehouse that I was about to include a trip to Whole Foods. No sooner than I thought about Whole Foods, did sushi pop into my mind. I think it just came out of my anticipation of getting out of the house after being cooped up. Either way, I quickly reminded myself about why I was doing a detox.



Here's a more detailed description on my Tuesday trip ("walk outside").
I got enough produce to get me through to Wednesday, the day I’d have more dinero to stock up til next week. As the media has shown the entire world, the South, mainly ATL, was put to a standstill by the snow, which was then topped with ice. So I slightly began to freak out come Tuesday when I looked at my dwindling stash. I ended up walking to the nearest grocery store (Kroger) for some detox tea, organic lettuce and distilled water. No biggie. I wanted to get out. And the walk was great exercise. Try walking in snow, some slush and dodging icy patches and you’ll be guaranteed a good workout. Plus it was absolutely wonderful to get some fresh air, albeit was freezing. Anyhoo, got to the store and all the lines were ridiculously long. Seriously. Let me break it down to you. When the 15 or less register’s line starts from there and ends midway in the frozen section aisle, we’ve got a problem. On top of which, the self-checkout section was totally closed because “the system needed repair”. Mk. But I digress, there was absolutely no water and the organic produce was slim pickings.


But it was all good. No worries. I kept it clean with what I had and managed to get a green smoothie and a salad out of what was left to accompany my own juice. Woo hoo!


*Side Note: Even before I embarked on this detox, I began considering going 100% vegan for a set amount of time. Like 30 days, a couple of months or so. Just so you know, it is something I’m considering. Off and on, I’ve been researching a lot of vegan cookbooks, checking their ingredients and whatnot.

Things I’ve noticed….even more.
There are WAY too many food and restaurant commercials on tv. It’s ridiculous but I do know the game of it all, so I just turn away or turn the tv off. Definitely cutting down on the media. I can see how people’s plans to live a healthier lifestyle can be thwarted and derailed by being into the television too much. My plan is to go for an entire day without the television or radio. Ideally, I’d love to shut down social media, television and radio for awhile. Not sure if I can successfully make that happen but I’m willing to give it a try.  Also, looking forward to a doing all juices for a few days of the detox.



STAY TUNED FOR:

EXERCISE & MEDITATION EXPERIENCE DURING DETOX

UPDATES ON DAILY DETOX EXPERIENCE

FULL THOUGHTS ON EXPERIENCE OF C.A. BODY REJUVENATION DETOX PROGRAM

Til next time,

Post Title → DETOX EXPERIENCE & UPDATE

IT'S DETOX TIME FOR C.O.

Hola Beautifuls!

I intended to get this post up earlier but wasn't feeling too hot. Let me tell you. Proper sleep and rest is VERY important.

Anyhoo... I hope everyone survived the holidays with little to no weight gain. I managed to come through without gaining weight. So I'm happy about that. I'm sure I could've trimmed down some more had I continued to work out consistently and lowered my holiday indulging some more. Am I upset about it? Not at all. I enjoyed my holidays.

Seeing as this is the New Year and I discussed going thru Carolyn Aken’s Body Rejuvenation Detox program as my Phase I of 2011. Read here where I talked about my plans. I’ll be starting on this coming Monday and ending 21 days later.  In all honesty, I was a little freaked after I committed to it. I went thru the Oh-my-God-What-have-I-done-Can I-really-do-this phase. And the short answer was and still is, “Yes.”

So after releasing the fear, I embraced this part of my journey. And now I’m looking forward to it. Actually, I’m kinda excited about it! And as part of this journey, I’ll be posting here every Thursday on my experience during this process. Partly, to help me stay through the process and hopefully to show others that it is doable.


Be sure to check out Carolyn Akens site. Her testimony is proof that you can achieve a healthy you. Plus she’s a sweetie.

What are your plans to finetune your health?....

Post Title → IT'S DETOX TIME FOR C.O.