Start the New Year off with a Detox

Since overeating during the holidays has become commonplace and even "tradition", most people naturally look to the new year as a fresh start and thus make resolutions to lose weight, quit bad habits like smoking, and start going to the gym.

Goal-setting/planning is the first step towards making positive changes for your health and we recommend that you consider a detox program to kick off the new year. A detox program can aid your body’s natural cleaning process by releasing excess toxins and wastes, improving circulation, and replenishing your supply of alkaline minerals.

There are many different detox methods that you can implement as well as time periods you can choose to do them for. We recommend that you consider the following suggestions and select the methods and time periods you feel are most realistic for you. Obviously the more methods you implement and the longer you do them for, the better your results may be, however taking on too much at once could be counterproductive if you fail to stick with them. We have heard of cleanses lasting anywhere from three days to three months, and people changing their diets for a lifetime or doing one-day-a-week fasts indefinitely.

A detox program can benefit virtually everyone, however if you have a health condition or are pregnant or nursing, you should discuss with your physician before starting any new eating or lifestyle program.

Here are some methods to naturally cleanse and detox your system:

Juice fasts

Fresh juice fasts (especially those high in greens) are a popular way to cleanse and alkalize the body. You can try starting every day with a glass of fresh juice, replace one meal a day with juice, or go all out and drink nothing but juice for weeks or months as Joe Cross did and inspired many others to do in the film "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead." We recommend cucumber-pear and kale-green apple as easy and cleansing duos, but keep in mind that the act of juicing even the most alkaline of fruits and vegetables creates a mildly acidic juice, therefore we recommed that you offset the acidity by diluting with 9.5 Chanson alkaline ionized water. You can juice your own if you own a juicer, or there are companies on the internet that you can order from which will deliver fresh juice to your door daily for the duration of your cleanse.

Hydrate with alkaline ionized water

Drinking Chanson alkaline ionized water is essential throughout any detox program because it helps to flush out the many toxins that will be stirred up and eliminated from fat stores and organs in your body like your lymphatic system and your kidneys. Ionized water is microclustered which means it penetrates cells deeper than traditional water and can thus flush them out more effectively. A Chanson water ionizer is a wonderful investment for overall day-to-day health, not just during a detox. You can also try one day a week "water fasts" where you drink nothing but Chanson ionized water to cleanse your system.

Liquid feast

One of the reasons juice and water fasts are so effective is because they give your body a break from having to work so hard to break down your food for digestion. Therefore you can also try a liquid diet of blending or pureeing your food if you wish to consume more than just juice or water. Soups and smoothies are examples of liquid feast "dishes" you can try and are recommended by Dr. Robert O. Young in his book "The pH Miracle for Weight Loss."

Cut the crap

When we consume unnatural foods, they can leave behind a dense residue in our cells, which can turn into excess weight, body odor, wrinkles, cellulite and premature aging. Therefore, sugar, artificial sweeteners, animal products, processed foods, and fried foods should be eliminated from your diet during a detox and reduced in general for overall health. For example, just because coffee, alcohol, milk and sodas are liquids does not mean that they are acceptable for a liquid feast. Likewise, ordering "fresh juice" off of a Jamba Juice menu is not going to have the desired effect due to the excess sugar their smoothies contain. Dairy products clog your system and are acidifying, so avoid yogurt also.

Eat raw

If you choose to incorporate some solid foods into your diet, then you should rely heavily on raw alkaline fruits and vegetables as snacks, starters and even meals. Raw foods are more nutrient-dense than cooked foods and their negative ionic charge is the opposite of the positive ionic charge of toxins in our cells. The fiber found in fruits and vegetables will also help with elimination as well. Consider munching on carrot, celery and bell pepper sticks dipped in hummus, salads with oil-based dressings, and fruits dipped in almond butter.

Colonics

According to Dr. Norman Walker, author of "Colon Health: The Key to a Vibrant Life": "The elimination of undigested food and other waste products is equally important as the proper digestion and assimilation of food...the very best diets can be no better than the very worst if the sewage system of the colon is clogged with a collection of waste and corruption." A colonic is a safe and effective method for cleansing the bowels and can be performed by a professional or done in the comfort of your own home with the use of a colema board as often as once a month. Without them, buildup in the bowels can lead to prevention of the absorption of water and nutrients, constipation, growth of harmful bacteria and yeast and autointoxication (when toxins are absorbed into the bloodstream through the colon wall).

Go green

While you're working hard to watch what goes into and comes out of your body, don't forget to keep an eye on the toxins you may be exposing yourself to externally. Virtually all chemical-based household cleaners and many personal beauty products like shampoos, deodorants and toothpastes are acidifying to the body and contain known carcinogens. Chanson ionized acidic water--the byproduct of a water ionizer--is an all-natural alternative to everything from mouthwash and facial toner to Windex and Lysol.

Exercise--the alkaline way

"Instead of hard exercise (which creates lactic acid), one should practice traditional Asian soft-style exercises such as yoga, Tai Chi, and Chi Gung on a daily basis throughout the duration of any detox program" according to Daniel Reid, author of "The Tao of Detox." Don't have the time and/or desire to learn traditional Asian exercises? Rebounding on a mini-trampoline can dramatically improve lymph flow while exercising every cell in the body, and walking, stretching and aerobic exercise also works well.

Pledge to be stress-free

When stress hormones are released into the system in large amounts, toxins are created and can slow down the detoxification enzymes in the liver. Negative emotions are also very damaging and should be minimized. Dr. Young has seen negative emotions have a more damaging effect on one's alkalinity than the worst of foods, and world-renowned photographer Dr. Masaru Emoto has documented the effects of negative words on water crystals with pictures (this is important considering that we are about 70% water!)

Practice hydrotherapy

To increase circulation and help flush out toxins, try alternating a very hot shower for five minutes, with cold water for 30 seconds, for a series of three times in a row before wrapping in a towel and getting into bed for 30 minutes. But don't try this before installing a Chanson Spa Shower Filter, which filters harmful chlorines and chloramines from the water which would otherwise be absorbed by your skin and lungs.

Sweat it out

One way toxins are released from the body is through perspiration, which is why most spas offer saunas and steam rooms. Infrared saunas are preferred as they can cause you to perspire more than twice as much, and if you are going to be using a steam room or wet sauna make sure it is using filtered water so that you are not inhaling the contaminants found in tap water.

Breathe deeply

"Deep breathing greatly enhances oxygenation of the blood and tissues, which helps neutralize acidosis and maintains a healthy alkaline environment inside the body" according to Reid. One of the main ways to move the lymph system is through breathing deeply, so try focusing on your breathing several times throughout the day.

Dry skin brushing

To increase lymph flow, you can use a natural bristle brush on dry skin by brushing in circular motions towards the heart. This will help your lymph system rid itself of the toxins that collect in the lymph glands and keep the pores of the skin open.

We hope that you will find these detox suggestions helpful and will try to implement one or more of them this new year for better health.

DISCLAIMER: The author of this article is not a trained physician. This advice is not meant to replace that of a qualified physician. If you have a health condition or are pregnant or nursing, you should discuss with your physician before starting any new eating or lifestyle program.

9 Easy Alkaline Substitutions for Better Health

The idea of completely changing one's eating habits to a whole foods, plant-based diet is overwhelming for most people despite the many proven health benefits that may result. Adding to the challenge may be unsupportive household family members who scoff at the idea of eggplant as a main dish for dinner or refuse to even try tofu. In an effort to help, we've created a list of nine small, easy, alkaline substitutes anyone can make to improve their alkalinity (some of which you can swap without the family even noticing!). Even if you never make it to the ideal 80% alkaline/20% acidic ratio, these slight changes will be beneficial to your health and won't feel like much of a sacrifice (if at all).

1. Instead of Vegetable Oil try Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Corn oil, canola oil, safflower oil, and vegetable oil are refined oils that are not healthy and should be avoided and replaced with cold-pressed oils like extra virgin olive oil, grapeseed oil, flaxseed oil, coconut oil and hemp oils. Healthy fats are an important part of an alkaline diet and can be obtained through substituting healthy oils for the more mainstream unhealthy oils. All oils can create free radicals when heated, so we recommend using a small amount of water to steam fry your vegetables and then drizzling oil on top, making your own oil-based salad dressings and drizzling healthy oils on top of vegetable wraps.

2. Instead of Sugar or Artificial Sweeteners try Stevia

Sugar has been linked to cancer and artificial sweeteners are not only acidifying but carcinogenic. Swapping your sugar cubes with stevia, an all-natural sweetener derived from herbs, is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your family. According to Ray Kurzwell, author Fantastic Voyage: Live Long Enough to Live Forever: stevia is highly nutritious, lowers blood sugar in diabetics while regulating blood sugar in non-diabetics, lowers elevated blood pressure, kills bacteria that cause tooth decay, increases energy levels and mental activity, and reduces cravings for alcohol and tobacco. Other natural sugar alternatives: Chicory root, agave nectar.

3. Instead of Table Salt try Sea Salt

Our bodies contain about a pound of salt, and sodium is an alkaline mineral necessary for survival. But the refined iodized salt that sits on most dinner tables in America is completely unhealthy and the type of salt doctors are referring to when they advise patients to cut down on their salt intake. Refill your salt shaker with unrefined sea salt and sprinkle on top of wraps, soups and vegetables. Other alternatives: Celtic salt, Himalayan salt, Real salt.

4. Instead of Peanut Butter try Almond Butter

Peanuts are acidifying to the body and the moldiest, most undesirable peanuts are what is used to make peanut butter. Swap out your P.B. for it's healthier cousin almond butter, and spread on sandwiches and use as a dip for pretzels, crackers, fruit, and to make smoothies creamier.

5. Instead of Cows Milk try Unsweetened Almond Milk

Cows milk and other dairy products are not only acidifying but contrary to popular belief they actually rob the body of calcium and create a putrid sludge that wreaks havoc on your digestive system. Dump your carton of cows milk and try unsweetened almond milk instead. It is a healthy, delicious, alkaline substitute for drinking, cooking, baking, creamer and making cereal. Other alternatives (buy unsweetened): Coconut milk, soy milk, goat milk, rice milk.

6. Instead of White Rice try Brown Rice

The complete milling and polishing that converts brown rice into white rice destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60% of the iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids. Fully milled and polished white rice is required to be artificially "enriched" with vitamins B1, B3 and iron. Clearly, brown rice is the nutritional winner over white rice. Other alternatives: Basmati rice, quinoa, jasmine rice, wild rice.

7. Instead of Soy Sauce try Bragg Liquid Aminos

Soy sauce is fermented and acidic. A great substitute is Bragg Liquid Aminos, which is a liquid protein concentrate derived from healthy soybeans, which contains 18 essential and non-essential amino acids in naturally occurring amounts, is not fermented or heated and is gluten-free.

8. Instead of Spaghetti try Soba Noodles

Most pastas are made with refined starches that lack nutritional value. Try swapping your spaghetti for soba noodles, tofu noodles, gluten-free pasta, whole wheat pasta or spaghetti squash. You can also try making your own pasta sauce from scratch instead of using pre-packaged sauces which tend to contain sugar and preservatives.

9. Instead of Bottled Water try Alkaline Ionized Water

Not all waters are created equal. Most bottled waters, along with distilled and reverse osmosis waters are actually acidic. Tap water is regulated by the government to be at least a 7 pH which is neutral on the alkaline scale, but is littered with contaminants. Therefore your best option is alkaline ionized water from a Chanson water ionizer which you can hook up to your tap. The water is pre-filtered and microclustered, resulting in better tasting water with a smoother feel that doesn't cause bloating. It is also rich in antioxidants and able to hydrate and detoxify better than standard water due to its smaller water molecule size. Being properly hydrated is the key to overall wellness and you will not regret the switch from bottled water to ionized alkaline water. Visit http://www.healingwatermachines.com/ or http://www.chansonwater.com/ for more information.

The Battle of the Bottled Water Wars Rages On - With No Clear Winner in Sight

Bottled Water Versus Tap Water: Who WINS?

Well the answer to that question isn't clear. Today I'm going to ask you to watch two videos. Don't worry, they're very entertaining - they're not Ronnie Ruiz of Healing Water Machine's Alkaline Ionized Water (he's pretty entertaining - you should check him out) - but entertaining nonetheless. The first video, The Story of Bottled Water, compelling as it is - leaves out some very important facts about plain tap water from your tap. Without further adieu ...



Great video, eh? Even I agree that it is.

This next video is a rebuttal to the first; not quite as entertaining - and not quite The Real Story of Bottled Water, either - but here goes - check it out



So...who wins? Well, as you've probably already figured out. The answer to that isn't cut and dry.

We at healingwatermachines love our tap water. We swear by our high alkaline tap water. We live and drink by our ionized tap water. We believe in the benefits of our straight from the TAP alkaline water.

According to some recent research done on tap water in major metro areas the biggest problem with regular tap water straight from your municiple source is that it very well may contain some scary ingredients like: Rocket fuel, pesticides, arsenic or lead! not to mention germs. Good old fashioned germs seem pretty tame in comparison.

So what IS the answer? should we all be green and stop using so many bottles? Of course we should. We should all try our darndest to care for the world we use to live, and it wouldn't kill a single human being to reuse the same plastic bottle a few times in a row. Is the Story of Bottled Water wrong? not entirely.

Save Money and Be Green - Make Your Own Alkaline Bottled Water - Fresh from YOUR tap

Here's something you can do to both cut down on the plastic water bottle problem AND get healthier at the same time. Buy an Alkaline Ionized water machine and put your beautiful water in reusable bottle - glass or plastic works. Let's do the math on this first just to be sure that buying an ionized water machine is worth the money.

Reusable just don't have the same safety issues that regular drinking water bottles have. First of all they don't leak carcinogens - and unlike regular bottled water bottles, they can safely be soaked in hot water. They come in all sorts of really cool, functional styles. At first you'll be paying a little more for the bottle. They range from a few bucks to about 25 bucks each.

Even so called bottled Alkaline waters are not stable and lose their alkalinity. And no bottled water has the benefit of ionization. Ionized water must be consumed within 8-24 hours of production to have the benefit of the antioxidants. That means that uber expensive (from 2 bucks to 5 bucks per 1/1.5l) bottled alkaline water you're buying off the shelves isn't even giving you the benefits you're seeking from a good structured alkaline ionized water!

Investing in a good alkaline water machine can save you money almost immediately and the benefits of fresh from YOUR tap alkaline ionized water cannot be beat. Fresh from YOUR tap water has a unique taste, too. It tastes like water is supposed to taste.

As always we invite you to try our water. Questions are always welcome and we never charge a dime to give you the time you need to address your concerns about health and ionized alkaline water.

See Immediate Health Benefits: Alkaline Ionized Water + Deep Breathing

Reduced Your Stress Immediately. Two Tips Work Hand in hand: alkaline ionized water + Deep breathing

If anyone finds them selves tired or run down or overly frustrated during the day try this energy/ stress releasing tip: alkaline ionized water + deep breathing! Yep, That Simple!





1. Drink 16 ounce of alkaline ionized water straight down. (all of it)
2. Take a slow DEEP breath, pull the breath in hard enough to stretch your rib cage, really try to expand your lungs. As you're breathing in push down on the lower end of your rib cage at the sternum, keep your chin tucked in.
3. Exhale slowly and forcefully to squeeze out the last ounce of air from your lungs.
4. repeat this 4-5 times.
You will feel an imediate improvement in your energy and reduction in stress. Your brain is going to send the signal to your body immediately.

Not all alkanized water is created equal. For example: bottled alkaline water

When you eat the wrong foods and end up with acidic stomach or heartburn, what's the first thing you reach for? Antacids. The active ingredient in Antacids are sodium bicarbonate. Sodium bicarbonate is great for a quick fix; it helps reduce symptoms of heartburn and acid in the tummy - but should you be consuming sodium bicarbonate every time you drink bottled alkaline water? Good grief NO!

We did a little sleuthing and found out that at least 1 major brand of bottled alkaline water lists sodium bicarbonate as its second ingredient! That means, if you're drinking the right amount of alkaline antioxidant water every day, you're consuming far too much sodium bicarbonate!

Healingwatermachines produces fresh alkaline antioxidant water without the additive; alkaline water is a miracle...that is, without the additives. You don't need sodium bicarbonate in every ounce of drinking water which is exactly what you're getting when you buy bottled alkaline water.

For the best drinking water on the planet, customer service that will blow your socks off, and expert, always FREE water advice, give healingwatermachines.com a click or call today.

And don't forget, breathe deep and drink ionized water until you're heart and body is content!

Free Radicals - Alkaline Ionized Water Can Help. A Healing Journey, Part 1

"I Feel the difference when I drink ionized water. I feel more hydrated...like a watered plant. I can't get over how good I feel. Seriously. I'm stoked!"

This is my story - about a year ago I started feeling very toxic. I wasn't drinking enough water, let alone ionized alkaline water (about which I thought: "structured water" was yet another ding batty concept in the world of health fanatics and freaks. honestly, I thought it was snake oil, just pure snake oil on tap!) But I digress. When I say "toxic" I mean I could literally feel some sort of poison in my system coursing through my blood, particularly when I woke up. I would wake up feeling so sick. Of course, I was eating like crap, drinking about 3 cups of water a day with instant coffee in it. My breakfast, when I bothered to actually eat anything, consisted of whatever starchy concoction I threw together, ate and then saved from the night before; usually potatoes, cheese and tons of hot sauce poured over, and of course coffee with tons of sugary cream, - and a few pieces of nicotene gum thrown in to help the wake up process.

My daily routine was an equal-to-my-diet-recipe-for-disease-and-disaster, and it looked like this: Most days I would get out of bed, feeling gross and poisoned by my habits, wander to my computer (I work from home on the internet), check out the terrain online, and then glue myself to the desk chair until around 2PM. By 2PM I was flat out exhausted and felt even sicker than I did when I woke up. But that didn't stop me. I was superwoman, an ex cyclist with a resting heart rate of 38 beats per minute 15 years ago. No way was I on my way to bad health or disease. Not me. I couldn't see any reason why my superior conditioning 15 years ago couldn't carry me through until I'm 100. I was in denial and while living in denial my body was rebelling against the abuse; my stomach burned 24/7, I woke up in hot or cold sweats - sometimes both! Sleep was painful because everything ached all the time; my joints, my head, my chest. And getting this unhealthy had also taken its toll on my heart and mind. I was depressed. Not the everyday blues depression either. This was hell.

Thankfully, finally, I could take no more. A friend "Just happened" to call me and tell me about a nutritionist she knows. I couldn't get to the nutritionist fast enough. In tears, I begged her for an appointment. It was 3PM that day and my appt was at 5. I sat in bed and cried, counting the minutes until my appt. And I knew that what I was about to learn was going to change my life. It was like a warning signal went off around the parameter of all my bad habits, signaling them to be aware that they would need to change radically.

And that's what I finally had to do; I addressed my life and my world in a radical way. This is my story and my journey down the road of slow change. No, things didn't just suddenly get magically better overnight. Gosh it was overwhelming. There were so many changes to make, so many bad habits to overcome, and a lot of healing needed to take place to counteract the damage I had done to myself.

The nutritionist pricked my finger several times and then took five blood samples and then scrutinzed them under a microscope. Then she blew me away and said "You started smoking around 26 or 27 years of age, I can see that."

Oh boy. I just said "...yes" and then cried. Although I had quit smoking 2 years ago I was now living with the physical and emotional damage I had brought to my body. That was enough emotional trauma for a day, I thought to myself.

But then she said "That's a free radical. Look at it" -

And I looked at it. Here's the picture taken from my iPhone:

It looks like death! Notice my two red blood cells off to the left. The free radical is impressively much larger than the red blood cells.

The nutritionist explained what free radicals are, what they do and how damaging they are - and how they can be addressed. She addressed a few other issues which I'll share in the rest of this series.

I left her office that day equal parts encouraged and horrified! But I now had a plan and I could finally relax because I knew that by addressing some of these issues slowly and over time that I would get the benefits equal to what I put into it, and most of all start feeling good again.

With so many changes on the horizon, big and small, I addressed the biggest 2: diet, and water. I was given supplements and told that I won't need to take all of them for the rest of my life. This was also a big change because it would mean I would need to start forming some new, healthy habits...and this would require will, some self love, and discipline.

I will wrap this up until my next post in the series. For me, change was hard. For most people change is hard. The biggest change, and quite frankly the easiest for me was to start drinking some ionized alkaline water. The first thing I noticed about the water was the taste. I was blown away by the taste - and still am. This was the best drinking water I had ever tasted. The taste of this particular alkaline water made my conversion to alkaline ionized living water a lot easier. I started feeling hydrated. I had heard that term of course, and thought that I got it...but until I started drinking this ionized alkaline water, I really didn't get it. I'm totally stoked by this feeling of wellness and hydration produced by this ionized alkaline water.

For more information about alkaline ionized water visit HealingWaterMachines.com - you'll be hydrated you did! (and please don't forget, we will give you 14 days of free water so you can actually taste and feel the difference of the Chanson Miracle)

Water Poisoning - Whats in the Water?

You know drinking water is good for you, and your body is 80% water. But, is your water poisoning you?

Water poisoning may be happening in your home without you knowing. Regular tap water is treated in water plants but remains full of chlorine, VOC’s (volatile organic compounds), fluoride, MTBE (gasoline additive) and many many other particles and chemicals. This can not only be hazardous to drink but also to breath while showering. The steam from your shower produces a poisonous gas from the chemicals and you actually absorb more toxins than you would drinking a day’s worth of tap water. Chlorine and other chemicals found in water can suppress your immune system, dry out your skin, and scar your arteries among other things. Because of this, it’s best to avoid hot tubs, steam rooms (a.k.a. gas chambers), and swimming pools that use tap water in conjunction with added chlorine.


Don’t be fooled by bottled water either, testing of this water is less regulated than tap water and some is found to contain even more bacteria. You’d think for the outrageous mark-up you’d be getting a decent product, but that’s just not the case. 25% of bottled water tested was the same as what you’d get out of your faucet. In addition, the plastic containers can leach chemicals into the water, poisoning it further. Look for glass bottled water if your going to take this route.


What’s the best way to get PURE water?


A water ionizer! Alkaline ionized water. It electrically charges the tap water to make it a powerful antioxidant. This water is upto 6 times more hydrating than bottled or tap water, which means there is rapid nutrient absorption by our cells. Above all, the water has an alkaline pH, this washes away excess acidity in the body and the risk factors associated with it.


For more information, visit http://www.chansonwater.com/

Water, fuel for humans

Water...It's not a choice. You have to drink water. It's vital for your health & well-being to stay well hydrated.

However, bottled water is not the answer. Did you know that most of the bottled water that you may be drinking, if you're drinking bottled water, is as acidic as soda! Hard to believe, isn't it? But it's true. Besides that, the chemicals in the plastic bottles themselves leach into the water held within and those chemicals are hormone disruptors for men, women, and children. And, 2.5 million bottles go into landfills every hour in this country alone.

So, what's the answer? You can make your own alkaline, anti-oxidant, micro-clustered water for super hydration. If you work out, this is so important. And, you make it at home, right from your own tap water source. It's purified, filtered water that is so much more. Learn more about it at www.ChansonAlkalineWater.com

Amazing! Cholesterol Drug Not Effective in Study

The New York Times reports today that after a two-year study, FDA approved drug Zetia, and a pill that contains it, Vytorin, have proven to not be effective! The drug companies that pushed through the original FDA approval and have been milking you and your insurance dollars should be in big trouble. Personally I’m not a big fan of drugs, drug companies or the FDA. I always try to use natural remedies and have found them to be very effective. We do have scientific proof that alkaline Ionized water lowers cholesterol and helps with a host of other health problems because of the way that the molecules are electrolyzed and provide a charge that is the polar opposite of the toxins in your cells which draws them out. I’m transcribing that information from a foreign video and will have the study available soon.
Full New York Times story here:
http://news.aol.com/health/story/_a/cholesterol-drug-not-effective-in-study/20080115091109990001

The Tortoise and the Hare

Well, I've stated eating healthier and making better food choices. Already my energy has increased. So Like the Hair in the fable, I'm out of the starting gate. The holidays have been hard for Ronnie, he seems to have been hit hard by depression over the loss of his Mother. He's putting off his New Year's resolution diet for a few days and comforting him self with food. I saw him eat an entire pint of ice cream last night which is not unusual.

So having lost my guinea pig for the blog, I will have to step in and post my own fat pic.

To summarize some of my last posts for those of you who haven't been following along, Ronnie lost 40 pounds last year drinking alkaline ionized water and eating a more alkaline diet. He gained it back eating comfort foods after he quit chewing tobacco and lost his Mother in the same month. He's vowed to lose it and more this year, but hasn't started trying yet.

My effort will include mild exercise, a more alkaline diet, and lots of alkaline ionized water. I am going to explore Vegan, Alkavarian, and Raw foods, but have not committed to eating them exclusively as I'm still an omnivore who loves Bar-b-que. Like any wise dieter, I will try to avoid the dreaded white foods, Rice, Potatoes, Sugar, Milk and Bread. But again, I not going to say never. As you will see from my food posts which will follow, I had Cream of Ham and Potato soup for dinner the first night of my diet and may have some more since the pot isn't finished.

What I am doing is a very public TEST diet. Raw fooders eat lots of high fat items like nuts and avocados but burn the fat and lose weight. I'm going to see if a fairly inactive over 45'er can get weight loss results.

So here are the current stats:
On January 1, 2008 I weighed 165.5 up about 3 pounds from before the holidays. I swear the new weight feels like it's all in my butt. It feels like I have a caboose waddling after me for the first time in my life. My weight is also up almost 30 pounds from my after baby weight from the second child who is now 23. I kept that weight for almost 20 years.

My weight can fluctuate even if I weighed 3 times a day, so I'll only weigh in once a week or so.

My measurements, (don't tell anybody)
Are a ghastly 41 - 35 1/2 - 38 1/2

What I ate:
Jan. 1, 2008
Breakfast- Blueberry Smoothie
Lunch- Fresh broccoli florets dipped in store bought humus. (Broccoli is high in protein.)
Snack Trader Joes Spicy Ranchero Egg White Salad -Low fat, high protein, low carb, cholesterol free and only 50 calories. Tastes like cottage cheese with taco seasoning. Defiantly not raw, not vegn, not alkaverian. I bet that if you soaked almonds in water and chopped them in a food processor with the other ingredient you could make a vegan/raw version.
Another Snack- Store bought salad
Dinner 2 cups Cream of ham and potato soup.

Jan. 2, 2008
Exercised 20 minutes on a rebounder. (I've worked my way up from only five minutes.)
Breakfast- Blueberry Smoothie I buy my blueberries frozen and organic at Trader Joes for under $4 a pound which will make me about 6 smoothies.
Lunch- Tuna wrap because my last avocado was rotten so I couldn't have the avocado wrap that I had planed.
Snack- Apple
Dinner- Pomegranate Salad- Don't freak out, it's not complicated, the pomegranate seeds were just a garnish on a purchased salad from Trader Joes. It had some goat cheese too so it wasn't vegan.
Snack- Celery with tuna and humus