Third to Home!

Hey detoxers!  It’s the final few days of our 2021 Delco Detox, how exciting!  We can basically start celebrating – without alcohol, sweets or treats of any kind though so don’t get too crazy.  Two more days and we’ve hit home plate!

Now is the time to start planning the post 30.  Where are you going to go from here?  “There’s choices,” you may ask?  And the answer is “yes.”  Do you go back to the way it was before and possibly gain your weight and health issues back, or do you look at your 30 days in retrospect and talk about which habits, which compliant foods, you’re willing to continue forward with.

For my son and I, we have already decided that we are going to stay on track to continue our success for the long-haul, but we will allow ourselves one eat-out day (sustainable good choice meal choices), and one homemade meal with non-compliant foods…one each per week.  The rest of the time we’re staying on course.

Another choice:  When you go back to eating out, what will you choose for the meal?  Time to incorporate fresh choices, all restaurants have them now.  And as far as fast foods, change your mind about what you’ll allow yourself to have.  A sustainable choice like The Habit for a hamburger and sweet potato fries vs. McDonalds, for example; California Fish Grille vs. California Pizza Kitchen;  El Pollo Loco Chicken meal rather than a Canes Chicken meal.

How will you decide to to move forward is so important, but of course it’s always your free will and intention that defines each moment.

I’m so proud of each of you as well as my son and I, we all did it!

Hang in there for the last 2 of 30, friends, and I’ll see you on the flip side.

In the meantime, enjoy your lunch,

Shannon

 

#whole30, #detox, #goodhealth, #sustainablefoods, #healthylifestyle,

Healthy Addictions

Hello Detox Team,

You’ve hung in there now for 21 days, and I’m sure you feel amazing!  The third week is crucial to keep on track, you’re on the straight and around the corner is success!!  You can do this, friends.

I have discovered so many great compliant foods for this years detox.  I am totally addicted to the Plantain Crisps and Sweet Plantain Chips from Trader Joes!  I enjoy them with fresh avocado as a side to my breakfast taco (1 egg, green chili salsa in a almond tortilla) or lunch.

Whole Foods has introduced me to the brand Siete which makes delicious Almond tortillas and hard shell tacos.  And Costco has given me the gift of Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers.  I found smaller boxes at Whole Foods and they have all the flavors…now so do I.  🙂

I also enjoyed the Costco Shrimp Ceviche as my lunch every day for a week as well as a banana-berry cup each morning.   Their blackberries, blueberries and raspberries are to die for!

Dates are an addiction for me on every Whole30 I’ve done.  I usually have 2 for desert at night, but get this:  Over the weekend, I put a couple in a pan with a pork roast which I brushed with the Trader Joes Chili Onion Crunch Oil and you would not believe how absolutely delish they are – HOT! and amazingly addictive in such a savory way.

My son made the “Chocolate Chili” from the “Well Fed” Cookbook and it’s now a family favorite and comfort food.

Which healthy addictions have you discovered in your weeks of wholesome goodness, team?

So press on, detox buddies, we are in this for the long-hall and we’re doing EXCELLENT!

Enjoy your lunch,

Shannon

Nerve Succeeds – Week Two

Hey detox Team, welcome to Week 2!

It’s easy to say Yes to joining the adventure of the Whole30, but not as easy to stick with it.  It takes courage to make a commitment like this, detoxing, redefining your body’s needs vs wants.  It takes nerve to give up grains, dairy, and some of the things we’ve been programmed to believe are good for us!  And only the bravest of the brave offer to give up sugar and alcohol in this crazy world we’re living in right now!  But YOU did it!  And I commend you for being strong enough to navigate your first week by preparing whole, all-natural foods.

It’s been fun seeing the pictures of meals enjoyed in the first week.  I know from experience that as we continue down the path on this adventure, we will all discover even more new foods and wonderful healthy ways to prepare, cook, and preserve them.  It’s all part of keeping ourselves on track, thinking ahead.

I have stocked my kitchen with many protein choices, fresh fruits and veggies, but also this year I’m trying some of the compliant flours, crackers, chips, bars and sticks.  I’ve found some fun new treats at Costco, WholeFoods and Trader Joes.  Remember it’s as easy as reading the ingredients to make the decision of compliancy!  And my tip for the sugar craving has always been…and still is, dates.  Oh my gosh, they really are like ‘natures candy!’  I prefer mine with the pits IN.  The pitted ones dry out too fast for my liking.

Take some time if you’d like to share what your favorites are so far, I’d loooove to hear from you!

So as we approach another week of making our minds, bodies, souls a high priority in this life, please KNOW that you have already succeeded just by saying ‘Yes’ in the first place!  Being willing to make changes is everything in this program.

I tip my hat to you all and I want you to know that I am impressed by your dedication and I am honored to lead this years team through the jungles of fresh, live food.

Keep up the good work and…

Enjoy your lunch,

Shannon

#TheWhole30, #Detox, #goodhealth,

Post 2020 Thirty!

The body listens to rhythms the mind can’t even hear, so it’s important to feed it high frequency foods that make it feel fully alive, wholesome, active and naturally driven by its primal life force energy, which starts with food.

Detoxing Your Body by Madisyn Taylor ~ Daily OM

Namaste Detox Team,  I really enjoyed reading this article received from the Daily OM in my email today.  Timing is perfect.  Surprised?  I didn’t think so.  The Universe supports us in our endeavors for good health inside and out.

Detoxing Your Body

by Madisyn Taylor

“No matter how healthy our habits, our bodies move with the cycles of life, so our cells need to fall like leaves from the trees before they can be renewed.”

When you want to start with a clean slate in life, one way is to cleanse your body. Detoxifying can be done in many ways and for many reasons, depending on your specific goals. You may feel a physical need for cleansing, or a spiritual one where you would cleanse the areas of the body that correspond to your current life challenges. If you feel, for instance, that your inner self is not shining through as you would like, you may want to do a bathing detox to clean the skin of impurities so that you can radiate your inner health like a newly washed stained-glass window that lets the light shine through more brilliantly.

No matter how healthy and conscious our habits are, our bodies move with the cycles of life, which means that our cells sometimes need to fall like leaves from the trees before they can regenerate and be renewed. Just as we need to wash our bodies to remove the buildup of natural processes and contact with the world around us, we need to clean our bodies from the inside as well. So you may want to detoxify your blood or digestive system, or target specific buildup such as plaque or metals. Our bodies are the vessels that allow us to move through life, but we can treat them like wild gardens that need our attention to reach their full potential of beauty and balance in their ecosystem.

The first days of a detoxification process may bring to mind an image of the dust that gets stirred up during spring cleaning. You may feel a little worse before you feel better, but that may indeed be the universe’s way of showing us the benefits by contrast. We live in a world of dualities, so we may need to experience both sides of a situation in order to find our perfect balance. Once the impurities have been cleansed, you could experience a sense of lightness or clarity of vision and purpose. You will know it worked when you feel enhanced ease as you move through the world toward your goals.

Enjoy this article and your lunch,

Shannon

Happy Father’s Day ~ The GIFT of Detox!

 

 

 

Being that today is Day 15, and we’re halfway through, it would only be appropriate that we get to experience a challenge on Father’s Day Weekend to prove how strong we are!  No coincidence there, right?!  *-)

We’ve all been doing so well, we can’t blow it now, so here’s some suggestions to stay the course during a big weekend:

Put Father’s Day Brunch on your calendar!   I have one word for you:  OMELETTE BAR!!!  Oh yeah, okay that was two words, but you get the point and I know your mouth is watering.  Go to your favorite restaurant or get creative and make it a family event with a DIY Omelette Bar!  Load that sucker up with meat & veggies (hold the cheese of course ), throw some fresh fruit, & salad (with a fruit vinaigrette) on your plate, and you know what to do….gobble gobble gobble.  

Prefer a dinner buffet?  Obvious easy choices here:  big salads with compliant dressing, roasted meat cuts, steamed veggies…yes, even potatoes my friends.  yuuum!   Have some delicious fresh sweet fruit for your dessert.

I’m not going to lie though, buffets can be a tough challenge because of all the UNHEALTHY, sugar/salt/preservative-loaded, toxicated, DEAD FOODS that are either hiding from you or staring you straight in the eye fibbing to you about their nutrition.  You’ve believed it all in the past, but times have changed, and you KNOW you can do this!  Just choooooose wisely young Jedi.

Okay so here’s the bottom line, detoxifiers, YOU GOT THIS !   Keep your eyes are wide open and your palms up, ommmm & breathe through it, have FUN and keep up the winning feeling of being alive and well!

Support your vision of a fresh, healthy, active life-style by focusing on your goal and honoring your commitment to the Whole30.

Enjoy your lunch my friends & co-workers,

Shannon

Halfway There!!

Hello Fellow Detoxers!

We are slowly but surely approaching the halfway point on the Whole30, the infamous Day 15!  With that day comes our preparation for “The Halfway Buffet!”  This year we’re each assigned a day to bring in our favorite dish to share.   I’m leading and will kick this gig off with something that will blow some socks off!  We can have fun with this via the intention of sharing some of the awesome food we have learned to create, cook and enjoy.  🙂

Here are some of the lunches and snacks I’ve enjoyed on the first half:

 

 

 

 

Plantain Chips with Fresh Avocado

Sauted Power Greens, Fried Egg & Chicken

Boiled Egg with Mustard, Chicken, Cucumber & Avocado

Chicken, Mango, Cucumber & Grape Tomato Wrap

What are some of the breakfasts, lunches, snacks, dinners & desserts YOU’RE making on the Whole30?!

Okay tribe, start planning what you’re going to bring to help celebrate our halfway point!!!  It can be ANYTHING as long as it’s Whole30 compliant and share-able!

We’ve made it this far Detox Team, there’s no reason to turn back now.  Success is just a couple of weeks away!  🙂

Enjoy your lunch,

Shannon

Day One – And We’re Off!!!

Welcome to DAY 1 of the Whole30!!  I hope everyone got a great start via healthy breakfast choices this morning!

I’m thrilled to report that we’ve got eight participants this year for the Delco Detox!   We are really diving into the deep end of the pool on the first day and I’m super excited about it!

I’ve been talking to these brave participants about having meal and snack choices prepared ahead of time so we take the thinking out of it which will save us from spontaneous, emotional and/or bad decisions when it comes to food.  The various menus are sounding well thought out, and de-lish!

So here’s the SCOOP!  In past detoxes it seems that yogurt, dairy, ice cream are big challenges to give up.  I want to share with you that you can make a wonderful homemade yogurt type of concoction with banana’s, almond milk and your favorite fruits that taste fantastic whether using it as a yogurt supplement or even for an ice-cream fix!   Below I am posting the recipe, along with a foundational component for this mock yogurt or ice cream…Homemade Almond Milk!!  Embrace the challenge of making this creamy, lightly sweet, and so-satisfying luxury.  Use it to feed your sweet side ~ oh come on, you know you have one!  *-)

This will also help with the need for dairy replacement and can be a fundamental component to many recipes and sauces that will help get us through the 30.  You don’t want to buy the store brand as it has sugar added and as you all know, sugar is a big NO NO on the approved list.  Illegal!  Go to jail.  Go directly to jail.  Do not pass go and do not collect your atta-boys & girls!!

So back on topic… I just want to say let’s go Delco Detox Team!!!  These two compliant homemade treats are going to make life a whole lot easier, try them and report back with your own homemade tips & tricks!

Homemade Banana Ice Cream

Homemade Almond Milk

 

Enjoy your lunch!

Shannon

Countdown to a New Beginning

“Can you change your life just by changing the food you put on your plate? The Whole30 program will prove you can, with results you never expected.”

The Whole30 program has led thousands of people to better health!  The improvements reported include better sleep quality, higher more positive energy, good mood, and skyrocketing self-esteem!  Considering we’re in sales, each of these are a WIN WIN for the Delco Team!   But on a personal and most significant level, many have discovered they have also decreased and/or eliminated their symptoms of medical conditions just by following the program!  Like what, you ask?  Lower blood pressure and blood sugar.  No more allergies and asthma.   Say goodbye to heartburn, headaches, bloating & belching!   Now that’s something worth paying attention to, right?

How can the Whole30 accomplish all of this?   By targeting people’s habits and emotional relationships with food.  The program is designed to help break unhealthy patterns of behavior and reasons for eating; stop stress-related comfort eating; detour bad food choices, and reduce true or false food cravings (particularly for sugar and carbohydrates). Many participants have described achieving “food freedom” within their 30 detoxifying days ~ insert “Free-Bird” holla & horns here.  🙂

Those of us who are scheduled for a life-change … starting tomorrow … are encouraged to start the preparations for game day!  If you haven’t already, now is the time to go through your kitchens at home as well as your desk-drawer foods and lunchbox munchies ~ purge purge purge!  Throw that crap away!   If you feel bad about wasting, give FREE FOOD to your friends & neighbors, they’ll love you for it, and then in 30 days they’ll ask you, “what the heck you did to look so fabulous, while I’ve gained 5 lbs??!!”

Consider it the most important thing to do this week = OUT with the OLD food and IN with the NEW!

We will talk soon, Team.  Until then…

 

…Enjoy your lunch!

30th Day = Bittersweet.

It’s Day 30 of the Whole30, we’ve made it!   It’s a bittersweet moment.  Exciting and organic feelings of success race through our clean detoxed veins; and then at the same time we’re thinking…. Oh crap, what the hell do we do now?   Proud.   Excited.   And yes…Concerned.

It may feel like we now have an issue if we’re already planning our first “real” meal at a favorite pizza joint from our previous life…or worse, an insta-toxic drive-thru grabbing and gobbling consumable chemicals.  While the pride & excitement are easy to take, the third component gives us something to talk about for sure.

So then….let’s talk about perception:  “The point from which we understand or
interpret things.”   After all, that’s where it all begins – right? – (good or bad, I’ll
remind you!)  So why don’t we look at the idea of finishing the 30 days not as an “end,” but as an opportunity to continue what has only just begun for each of us…of course with some slight variations.

To keep up the positive results we’ve accomplished, we must first set an intention to choooooose this path!  Seriously, it’s a thing:  You must make the second biggest commitment to The Whole30…decide that the changes you’ve made aren’t something you will easily give up!  It’s going to be a little rough out there when you’re released into the general population because there are no more “rules” you have to abide by.  Ultimately it could be a non-stop party from here on out and you could UNDO every good thing you’ve DONE.  I know.  It’s happened to me.  Therefore, I highly recommend reading “Life After Your Whole30.”

My personal plan is to stick to the foundation of the whole, all-natural, non-preserved, no gmo, no gluten, no refined sugar rules 5 days a week, M-F.  This plan is easy to do at work and generally it’s a pleasure to shop healthy and cook at home.  I love those parts!  I accept the idea that I will allow myself to make other choices on weekends, but my hope is that this will become second nature and anything else would be a choice made by me to experience a date night with my honey or some other special celebration.  I think this is attainable.

In the meantime, I’m already planning our 3^rd Annual Delco Detox to take place in April, 2017.   Maybe just that idea alone will help us to stay on track.  When the time comes, we want to make sure we’ve secured our new programming deep inside the center core of ourselves, and that we’re able to pass on every rich dessert, thick heavy creamy sauce, and dead-end food that crosses our path before then.

Brave-hearts, there’s one thing I want you to remember:  You can do anything you put your mind to!   You rock!  You’ve just proven it.

Until next time my detoxed peeps, enjoy your lunch,

Shannon