#21DSD ~ Day 1. “I didn’t open the Cheez-Its.”

Prior to starting this program I had been dabbling here and there with some sugar detox recipes that are, to be honest, way better than expected.  You could even call them satisfying and delicious.  The real gauge of a good meal is the husband’s reaction and surprisingly – or not so surprising – he enjoys a diet that consists of stir fry beef, meatballs and any other meaty and fatty protein we can conjure up.  We generally ignore the kids because if it’s not chicken nuggets and ketchup it won’t fly in their book.  We’ll work on them a little later.  After the kids initial reactions of “I don’t like this” and my response of “you haven’t even tasted it” we sit down to enjoy a meal that is completely satisfying in that “I don’t feel like secretly scarfing handfuls of Cheez-Its after this” way.

Here we go!

Day 1

Breakfast

The Green Smoothie

Last night while the kids were – unbeknownst to us – drawing on the wall in the family room, I buckled down to make a green smoothie.  Now you might be wondering “What makes it green?”  Answer:  Spinach and avocado.  Of course, the green apple and coconut milk work hard to add flavor and creaminess.  I love smoothies because I can drink them in the car on the way to work.  I also boiled a half dozen eggs last night for snacking and breakfast options.  Today, I chose to eat the hard-boiled egg for breakfast.  And because it’s Day 1, I treated myself to a Dunkin Donuts coffee.  Black, of course.  I sprinkled a little cinnamon in there because it adds a nice flavor but it also has some great health benefits like lowering cholesterol, regulating blood sugar as well as providing some key nutrients like manganese, fiber, iron and calcium.  It’s a great natural remedy.  Just google it.

Lunch

This was a quick and easy lunch solution since I didn't make dinner last night (I was on a crazy grocery trip buying up all the fruits and veggies and meat I could find).  It's prosciutto, Wholly Guacamole's 100 calorie pack of plain Guac and cucumber slices for dipping.  Like chips, except they aren't chips.  Rounding out the meal is a banana that looked green-tipped yesterday but now appears to be ripe.  (You can only eat green-tipped bananas on this diet as they are less sweet)

Snack

I usually break for a snack about mid-afternoon as I don't usually get dinner on the table until 7 p.m.  Without a snack I would definitely be one "Hangry" mama (Hungy +Angry = Hangry) by the time I greet my family in the evening.  Snack consisted of a handful of unsalted Almonds and a cup of my favorite "green juice."  I love Kale juice made with Granny Smith Apples.  It's just the right combo of sweet and tart with a hint of Kale.  I (when I say I, I mean my husband) likes to make Kale juice about twice a month.  That's about as often as I remember to buy the ingredients and my husband is willing to lug out the big juicer.  The kids even get a taster.  It's our very own juice bar.

Dinner

Meatza!  Basically Pizza without the crust.  The crust is just one big hamburger patty.  And let me tell you!  that was one good hamburger patty.  I spent all night cooking because I decided to make extra patties to freeze, plus leftovers for tomorrow's dinner.  I also spent the evening preparing lunch and breakfast for the next day with extra batches of breakfast to freeze for next week.  I'm hoping the late night tonight will pay off in the end.

Now that I'm deliriously tired and second-thinking this whole detox thing, I probably should sign off and go to bed.  More tomorrow.

#21DSD ~ Day 0

There are some people who will read this and think I’ve gone crazy overboard with all this nutrition babble.  And there are some people who will read this and think this sounds interesting and bookmark it as something to do in the future.  While others may think this is just the right time to begin making changes to their diet.  I’m writing this series of blog posts for this last group.  People who have been thinking and dabbling in learning more about nutrition and are looking for ways to jumpstart their path to better health and fitness.

It was June of last year when I began to feel convicted about nutrition and fitness.  I was hearing a lot about Paleo diets and was becoming very intrigued by the philosophy behind it all.  Throughout the summer I embarked on a fitness and nutrition plan that involved eating whole foods and working out 6 days a week (let’s be real, the 6 days was more like 4 or 5, but it still did the job).  If you’re curious, you can find the guide I was using on Amazon called the 30-day Method by Tracy Anderson.  The program kicked my butt.  In other words, it did the job right.

In the fall, I got started on a book called Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo.  I completed a 30-day program on a Paleo diet and then continued to dabble in it throughout the holidays.  When I look back on all the little menu plans and nutrition philosophies I was experimenting with it seems to be a bit schizophrenic, but I truly feel that all of this is simply helping me to identify the right way to model my nutrition for myself and my family.  I’ve become more skilled at putting together healthy meals and have even grown to enjoy steamed broccoli and mashed parsnips as a side.  I feel completely adept at identifying obscure vegetables and talking about the difference in cooking oils.  My fruit and veggie drawers in my fridge actually contain fruit and veggies rather than a six-pack of beer and extra diet cokes.  My husband continues to roll his eyes at me during my prolonged nutrition rants, but deep down he loves me for it.  Besides, he owes me for all the times I listen to him drone on and on about this car and that car and horsepower and torque and blah, blah, blah. 

So, now to the point of this post.  I’ve been feeling convicted about sugar and its effects on our body.  Sugar can drive the strongest of cravings and send us on an emotional rollercoaster when overdone.  Now before you start thinking this isn’t the plan for you because you don’t crave candy, start reading labels, you’ll discover sugar hiding in most of the foods you eat, from tomato and barbecue sauce to bread and French fries.  And it’s even more amazing how your body craves these foods for the sugar content.  The point of this program is to bring your taste for sugar down to a more healthy level where fruits begin to taste sweeter than before and your satisfied with a smaller portion of these foods.

I’m writing this out for you because it was the blogging of other nutritionists and people on similar journeys that helped me throughout my own journey and I would like to pay it forward.  So, every day for the next 21 days of my detox I will be blogging.  If you are interested in what I’m eating, how I’m feeling and how the program is working, then please follow this blog.  I have found reading blogs to be motivating, inspiring and encouraging for those who are interested in pursuing a similar program.  If you find all of this self-talk to be annoying and you believe that I love to just talk about myself (I do) and I’m too obsessed with nutrition (I am) then feel free to pass on this one.  I completely understand. 

Somehow, I’ve convinced my kind and loving husband to complete this detox with me.  Two is always better than one.  To complete a program like this, you’re going to need the support of others.  The book and recipes I am using are from Diane Sanfilippo.  You can learn more about her program on her website Balanced Bites.

Essentials for a Woman in a House Full of Boys

Yesterday I found myself hosing red clay-like mud off of the boys’ clothes.  And when I refer to the boys, please know that my hubby, while he is in his 30’s, is still one of the boys.  We’ve been going through a sort of transition in the Gunden household.  It’s been coming on for weeks now, but really just hit me yesterday as I stood in amazement at the mud-caked clothes and the thoroughness in which all three of my boys had soiled these articles.  I realized that there are some essential tools needed to be a woman in a house full of boys.

#1  Learn to walk away.  Just walk away.

When you step out the back door to find your boys playing in a pile of mulch and dumping water from the dog bowls on each other while sporting their brand new shoes, just turn right around.  Go back in the house.  There’s no need to do a double-take and check for adult supervision because Daddy is there.  He’s been there the whole time.  He probably even helped them turn on the spicket.  It’s best just to pretend it’s not happening.  Oh…and it’s probably best not to buy nice shoes for your boys.  When faced with the task of washing or tossing.  You’re going to want to toss.  Trust me on this.

#2  When out for a girls night, there’s a two drink minimum.

When you get home from your girls night out you’re going to want be on the tipsy side.  That way, when you happen upon a pile of mud-caked clothes and a Facebook picture of the boys drenched from head to toe in red, clay-like mud you will laugh out loud versus the exhausted yelling and snarkiness of a tired mommy.  This is a much preferred alternative to haranguing your husband for letting things get out of control.  By the way, your husband will not believe things were “out of control” because “this is what boys do.” 

#3  No White Shirts

Does this even need an explanation?  See #2 above.

#4  Whatever you do, don’t smell it.

The other evening my sweet, sweet Taylor turned to me and asked me to smell his hand.   It smelled pretty rank, I have to admit.  So I told him so.  He giggled with excitement as he stuck his hand down the back of his pants (for what I now believe was the second time) so he could bring some “fresh” scents out for the smelling. 

#5  Study up on your super heroes….and wear a helmet if you can.

The boys love to pretend play these days.  “Mommy, you be bad guy and me be good guy and I’m going to get you.  Roar!”  One misstep.  One word not said right and I get “Mommy you not doing it wight.”  And one word of warning, they may be three but they pack a huge punch.  If they get you, make sure you protect the important areas:  head, face and hair.  They still haven’t grasped the fact that Mommy is fragile and doesn’t like recreating WWF scenarios.

#6  Always stop for tractors.

If you drive by a tractor, you most definitely will be asked to “Do it again, Mommy.  Do it again.”  If you don’t, the screaming will commence and is sure to continue until you serendipitously encounter another tractor.  “My want to see tractor again!  Again Mommy!!”  The only cure to this madness is to pull over and let them fully inspect the wonderment of these yellow, mechanical beasts.  They’re going to want to climb on it, drive in it and pee on it.  Complete this circuit and you will have two very happy boys.

#7  Love on them often

While boys may be rough and tumble, they’re still our little sweethearts.  Tell them this daily.  Heck, tell it to them every time the thought crosses your mind.  They are still your little babes and your love still means the world to them.  I know this because every once in a while, out of the blue, my little ones say “I wuv you, Mommy” and it melts my heart.

1 + 1 = 3

Everything comes in twos.  At least that’s how it has been for us.  The other day, I heard a mother say that having a second child does not mean double the work…it’s more like tripling it.  It’s amazing how adding just one more of something often translates into more than it seems it should.  I thought about this last night as I was at the park with my two boys and only one of my dogs.  For those of you who know we have two dogs, you might wonder “where was the other one?”  Well, I knew that bringing just that one more being to our outing at the park would tip the scales just a hair too much.  I couldn’t imagine myself pushing the boys on the swing and chasing after two dogs who would most likely get themselves wrapped around a tree as they fight with each other over who gets to eat the goldfish the boys had inadvertently (and purposefully) dropped on the ground.

As we finished up our sandwiches and the boys began to play, I found myself in the middle of one of those moments that you wish you could bottle up and save forever and ever.  A moment that is so full of love, joy and blessings that it fills your tank for all those other, less joyful, times.  The last three years have been filled with satisfying the needs of my children.  Feeding them, comforting them, holding their hand – and let’s not forget – carrying them everywhere.  And when I wasn’t carrying them, they were hanging on my legs like two little monkeys.  I’m sure you can imagine how difficult it becomes to clear the table and wash dishes with these two little attachments fastened securely to your feet. 

Last night was a completely different story.  I felt like a casual observer in the life of my children.  They played together like the brothers they are and the best friends they are becoming.  Benjamin was focused on his “lello dadu” (translation: yellow tractor) while Taylor was doing the rounds on the slide.  “Watch this, B” Taylor yells from the height of the top of the slide.  Benjamin was so intently focused on his tractor that he didn’t even take notice of Taylor, so I replied “I’m watching you, Taylor”  His response wasn’t the one of my little boy who needs mommy to kiss his “boo boo.”  He responded with “No, want B”  Once Benjamin took notice of Taylor’s escapades, the rounds began.  Taylor would slide down, climb the stairs and yell again “B, watch this!” 

Eventually, Benjamin decided to take part in the action.  They would rotate turns, yelling all the while “Watch this, Taylor!”  and Taylor would respond “okay” as he stood up to concentrate on watching Benjamin’s turn with extreme focus.  His was a very important job.  As the minutes ticked by, they showed each other their moves.  Sliding backwards.  Sliding on their belly.  Sliding head first.  And giggling up a storm each and every time.  Oh how I wish I could be sitting on that park bench right now, watching it all over again. 

In reflection I began to think, if two is more than double the work…could it be that two is also more than double the joy?  If you asked me last night, I would say most definitely.  I pray that on those mornings when Taylor wants to play with his “guy” and Benjamin throws it to the back of the car just to spite him, amid the screaming I would remember the joy that afternoon in the park brought and look forward to future joys with these two boys who continue to be blessings in the most unexpected ways. 

Cast away your idols of silver and gold!

God asks us to give and to give joyfully.  To sacrifice for others and serve.  God calls on us to be good stewards of the blessings and gifts He bestows on us.  As our growing church embarks on a land and building project, its members are called to give and to give sacrificially.  This all sounds good, right?  A chance to show God how much we love Him and His people.  As my husband and I sat down to discuss just what we could sacrifice, we came up with entirely different numbers.  His based on a figure that “just looked good” to him and mine based on what I like to think is “real life.”  There’s no better way of exposing your idols then the practice of taking them away.  I found myself literally struggling with God as He grasped mine.  There was no joy in my heart.  There was aching, pain, longing, envy, desire, jealousy and all those ugly feelings that come from the heart of us sinners.  I struggled relentlessly and fell to bed utterly exhausted.

This morning I woke to the rush of feelings generated by the previous night’s battle.  I picked up my idol and continued the tug of war with God.  What would it take for me to realize this was a battle that would not be won by human hands?  My mother, a recently saved Christian, was the one to open my eyes.  Her response to my misgivings was simple and whole.  Money can buy us a house, furniture to fill it and gas to warm it, but God has bought us a home, with a family to fill it and love to warm it.  Now God calls on us to give of our money so He can buy us some land, build us a church and, ultimately, make us a home in Christ.  I want to be a part of that.  And, yes, that does fill my heart with joy.

Then you will destroy all your silver idols and your precious gold images. You will throw them out like filthy rags, saying to them, "Good riddance!"  Isaiah 30:22

The Humanity in Running...

What are you running for if it isn’t for yourself?  Is it for some deep seeded desire to accomplish something big;  a drive to set out to train for a day that will ruthlessly unveil what you are really made of both physically and emotionally?  Are you ready for that?  Is that all there is to it?

In the weeks prior to race day, I skipped some runs.  I didn’t want the rigorous marathon training program to interfere with vacation.  So I fell off the wagon, so to speak.  This became the tipping point for an emotional roller-coaster that would have me questioning my physical preparedness and then my emotional preparedness for race day.  The depression took hold and my runs seemed exhausting and slow.  Each run left me questioning myself yet again.  I didn’t realize the mental nosedive I had taken until I found myself crying at the drop of a hat in the few days prior to the race.  Troy missed a run and I cried.  I missed a run and I cried.  My son looked at me the wrong way and I cried.  The weather took a major turn for the worse and I cried some more.  I had become an emotional basket case.  Running had always been emotional for me, but not in this way.  I wasn’t prepared for this.

Where is the advice on mental training for race day?  There should be a note following “3 mile easy run” that says something like “Take a deep breath, find your inner happy place and imagine yourself kicking some butt on race day.”  I decided that I needed to get on that.  If I was going to have any chance at finishing this marathon, I needed to begin preparing mentally.  I felt like a college student on exam day.  Every free moment I spent praying for race day and visualizing myself at mile 1, 15, 20 and finishing.  What I seemed to be missing was the true heart of running.  And for me, it’s the pulse of humanity.  And humanity is always in the running.  30,000 heartbeats out there to achieve the same thing.  Their innermost desires for themselves worn on their bibs.  #22016 – marathon finisher! 

The humanity on race weekend is everywhere.  It’s in the line to purchase race gear when you find yourself talking with a 44 year-old runner from Tennessee who made a pact with her girlfriends to finish a marathon before the age of 45.  It’s in the hotel elevator as you wish complete strangers good luck.  It’s in the face of friends, both new and old, as you break bread and chat about families, the weather, the race, and of course, running.  It’s in those little shared experiences that I find my love for running. 

I feel blessed to have been given the opportunity to share this race weekend with this wonderful crew.  The strong, the God-fearing, the elite!  One of them told me “you learn a lot from people when you start training with them.”  I think that’s true.  As we milled about waiting to line up at the start, we chatted, we laughed and we prayed.  Humanity and the spirit are never stronger when you circle up, hold hands and begin praying in the middle of thousands of people.  Our races were yet to be determined, but God knew the outcome, and He would be there through it all.

We casually made our way to the start and decided to line up in the corral for a 4:10 estimated finish.  Our goal was 4:30, but we wanted to make sure we didn’t get stuck in the traffic jam that is sure to happen as over 30,000 runners begin their race.  So we lined up with the slightly faster crew hoping that we would actually begin close to our desired race pace.  Our goal was to set a personal record, but we also wanted to have some fun and enjoy ourselves.  Our first marathon was merely survival; we were determined to make this one different.  We wanted to “stop and smell the roses.”  The gun went off and a man behind us commented “and there they are…off like a pack of turtles.”  That just about sums up the build-up to a marathon start.  You don’t just take off running.  You kind of shuffle forward for a few minutes, then speed up to a fast walk and eventually you begin running.  You spend the next 3-5 miles dodging people and trying to find your pace amongst these thousands and thousands of runners.

At mile 5, I recall the beautiful trees lining the road and the leaves fluttering to the ground all around us.  I took a mental picture and commented to Troy “isn’t this just beautiful?”  We recalled how mile 5 of Big Sur found us starting into the major headwinds that would last a good 17 miles.  We couldn’t even lift our heads much less comment on the sights.  This was a good start.  We were enjoying ourselves.  My sappy self decided to  tap Troy on the shoulder and say “I love you!”  “What for?” Troy replied.  Because running makes me sappy and I really, really love you.

At mile 7, the 4:10 pacer group started to pass us.  There were marines in the group leading a running cadence.  The strength and depth of their voices pushed us forward, lifted our spirits and quickened our pace.  “Oorah!”

At mile 14, I decided it had been a little too long since the last time I said “I love you” to my husband.  As I said just that, a runner next to me aptly replied “Awww, I love you, too!  You guys are the best!”  See what I mean.  Humanity is everywhere.

It was about this time that Troy and I realized we were still feeling pretty good and that 4:30 finishing time was well within reach.  We agreed to hold our current pace until mile 20 and then give it all we’ve got.  As mile 15, 16 and 17 clicked by, we continued to check in with each other.  Yep!  We were still feeling good and we would still pull out the big guns at mile 20. 

At mile 18, the 4:30 pacer passed us.  It was a little early to pick up the pace, but we didn’t want to be passed by this group.  We increased our running cadence and began catching up with the 4:30s.  Our joints were sore and our muscles were nagging, but it wasn’t anything we couldn’t deal with.  We just pushed it to the back and concentrated on the finish.  At mile 20, we picked up the pace even more.  The miles continued to click by.  We passed runner after runner, feeling exhilarated and on top of the world.  This was how I always dreamed my marathon running experience would be.  At mile 23, we began to feel the exhaustion even more.  But with only a 5k distance left, we buckled down and kept on trucking.

By mile 26, we were running as fast as our tired legs could move.  This would end up being our fastest mile yet.  We crossed the finish line hand-in-hand, feeling the elation that comes with being able to walk again after 26.2 miles of running.  We checked our watches and discovered to our amazement that we had actually broken the 4:30 mark.  We finished at 4:29:18!  And enjoyed it! 

Our runs won’t always be perfect!  Some runs will be amazing in that jump up and down kind of way and some runs will be terrible in that feeling utterly torn down kind of way. Regardless, God has a way of revealing ourselves to ourselves through our running.  

The Marathon! Take 2.

In the days leading up to my second marathon, I have become an avid believer in the ability of cold medications.  Where once I thought they were unnecessary, I was now relying on them heavily.  Monday found me in bed, head throbbing, nose congested and barely able to get out of bed for the day.  Several Zicams later, some Dayquil and lots of water and the cold began to recede.  And my confidence began to mount.  Until I checked the weather and heard of the unwelcome visitor we would be running with on Sunday:  Hurricane Sandy.  Well, I guess it ain’t a real marathon if you aren’t running into 30 mph headwinds and beating rain.  I continued to check the weather over the next 24 hours hoping and praying for a mistake.  This was supposed to be easier than Big Sur, when in reality it was shaping up to be just like Big Sur.  When I began to accept that the weather man may actually be right for a change I decided to have a good cry.  Hey…if crying and temper tantrums worked for Steve Jobs they should work for me, right?  After a quick check of the weather this morning, I realized I better suck it up.  I have decided it's time to begin building my mental endurance.  Race day is half mental and this day won’t be any different.  So I better be on my A game.  Let’s go!