HBHL- 6 Jan 2012

Healthy Body Healthy Lifers,

**If you are new to the Healthy Body Healthy Life blog- start with the 1 Jan 2012 post for the introductory information. You can find it on the side bar.

By now anyone who's cleansing should have read Dr Junger's book CLEAN and hopefully has done the elimination diet to prep your body for the big event!  We start Saturday- and I'm getting super excited.  My body is in NEED of a good cleanse- I've had a rough cough for the last week.  I haven't been sick in about a year- so I know that the unhealthy eating I did over the holidays (and having not cleansed in over 6 months) is catching up with me!  One note- please consult your doctor to discuss your cleansing goals, especially if you have any special circumstances or medical conditions.

Here's a couple of items I wanted to discuss in this blog (these pertain to this month's Cleanse) but are also great health information for everyone else.  I urge you to research and just think about these two topics, because they can apply to everyday life and health, as well.

HUNGER:  Dr Junger talks about this in his book.  When you are feeling hungry (whether on the Cleanse or not) you really need to think to yourself, "Am I really hungry?"  If you cut out sugar cold turkey, that hunger pain may just be your mind "wanting" a sugary treat, because maybe that's what you used to eat for a snack.  Your body might be fueled, but your mind is craving the sugar high, and giving you the hunger sensation.  So, you're not really "hungry" in the sense that your body needs food or it might starve.  Many times your hunger may subside if you just distract yourself for a bit.  Take a walk, make a phone call, play with your child, or meditate for 15-20 minutes and then reconsider if you really are still hungry.  Sometimes we eat, especially at night, out of habit.  By habit, we may feel the need to keep ourselves busy (even if we are just watching TV or a movie) and so we reach for a snack.  I know I'm a multi-tasker while I watch TV.  I'm either reading a magazine, a book, surfing on my iPad or catching up on email.  Before you know it it's close to wind down time and I didn't find myself reaching for a snack.  Now- some of you may not be the same type of multi-tasker, but just think to yourself anytime you reach for a snack late at night. Are you really hungry? Try grabbing a magazine or just a large glass of water.  Before you know it 20, 30, 45 minutes will pass and you will realize that you've forgotten about your hunger.  Just start thinking about hunger in a different way... and you may just surprise yourself.

GARLIC:  Did you know that when a garlic clove is cut, 200 healing compounds are released into the air.  During the Cleanse Dr Junger recommends eating one clove of garlic a day- raw.  I've done this, and it tastes WAY better between two slices of an apple!  But, if you are using it in your cooking technically you wouldn't have to take it whole.  You can also roast it for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven, if that's appealing to you! Garlic's got tons of benefits:  it keeps fungus and yeast infections in check, helps to eliminate bacteria, and increases immunity to colds.  It also can help to regulate blood sugar, and it's antioxidant properties thwart cancer and diabetes.  Enjoy the garlic!!

That's it for today!  More posts to follow so stay tuned.  If you are not a subscriber yet- sign up with your email to ensure that you get the latest and greatest blog information, become a blog follower, and "Like" HBHL on Facebook (link in side bar!)

Have a great night!

Be Educated.  Be Balanced.  Be Fit.  Be Healthy.  

Namaste,

Jannell 

Jannell MacAulay, BS Biology, MS Kinesiology

Certified yoga, powerbodyz, piyo and fitness instructor

HBHL ~ Learn. Change. Grow.

healthybodylife@me.com

www.healthybodyhealthylife.org