NARA ROSSER Into The Ordinary

21 Day Challenge- The Guidelines

the background

After struggling with abdominal inflammation, skin issues and periodic immune breakdown over the last year, I've decided to make use of my training, the support of Naturopath Susan Godwin, ND (Woodland Wellness Center) and challenge myself to 21 days of yoga and clean eating.  The last bout of staph left me out of work and in bed for nearly 2 weeks, an aggressive antibiotic treatment and the motivation to try something different.  CAT scans, blood work and a host of other food allergy, parasite and bacteria tests over the last year have yet to diagnose an underlying condition.

nara's orders

YOGA 5 DAYS A WEEK

For a long time I've wanted to start a 21 Day Challenge at the studio so students could benefit of practicing yoga 5 days a week for 4 consecutive weeks.  Then I realized I'm not doing it for myself.  I know the benefit but I'm not benefiting.  Every time I experience a breakdown in my immune system I can feel it coming.  I take on too much, get run down and then don't make the change I need to before my body gives out completely.  It's stress induced each time without fail.  Stress is a token phrase these days but it's real and I know from this experience that when it reaches thresh hold it can have very real and chronic physical effects.  This 21 Day Challenge is a challenge to myself to buy out of the modern-day way of living that has us choose cramming more into a day than is humanly possible at the diminishment of our quality of life in every way.  So I'm taking an hour a day for my body and my sanity.  

doctors orders

ONLY FRUITS, VEGGIES, SOME NUTS & SEEDS AND HERBAL TEAS

FRESH GREEN JUICE IN THE MORNING 

Susan suggested only fruits and veggies, some nuts and seeds, herbal teas and lots of water, and some supplements.  Yep, no dairy, meat, grains, beans, coffee, sugar etc. And fresh green juice every morning. (i.e. chard, kale etc. w/ cucumber, beets, carrots etc. & a little apple or honeydew).   I was schooled in using food as medicine in my herbal medicine/natural health background and particularly this style but it's been a looooooooooooooooong time since I've put it into practice.  (See my post Introducing the 21 Day Challenge below to read more about that.)

SUPPLEMENTS

Vitamin D- 4000 i.u. in the morning to support the immune system and counter sun deprivation

Olive Leaf Extract- 4x's a day with food as an antibacterial

Wandering Traveler Herbal Tincture- dropper full morning and night to support the adrenals 

Powdered Magnesium- a spoonful before bed to regulate digestion and calm the nervous system

Nov 18 - Day 13 of 21 Day Challenge

eats

Back on the juice track.  Bought collard greens by accident instead of kale.  I was thinking they were going to be potent.  But if you take three big leaves, half a lime, an apple, a cucumber and a beet it's really good.  The lime was a good change of pace from lemon.  Lime works just as good, if not better it turns out, in balancing it out and making it taste delicious.  Banana for breakfast.  Mixed nuts for snack.  For lunch I was without food and luckily the cafe here at the studio had vegan vegetable soup. No dairy, meat or wheat.  It did have white potatoes which is really the only vegetable I've been steering clear of.  That was my first time relying on a restaurant, besides Thai and I was glad there was something for me or I would have been stuck with more  mixed nuts.  I had prepared a salad for book club but there was a chef preparing a meal that looked beyond amazing and I went for it.  The most perfect looking fried chicken I have ever seen, mashed potatoes and gravy, sauteed asparagus and yellow squash and homemade apple pie and vanilla ice cream for dinner.  The next part of my blog was going to be about the importance of balancing cleansing diets, yoga and nutrient based food choices with pleasure.  So I guess it comes a bit sooner: 

the pleasure of eating

It started with deciding, oh i'll have the asparagus and yellow squash and then realizing they had been sauteed in butter and garlic, and then I thought, let's go for it.  This was my experience:  the chicken skin was perfection and delicious, as was the chicken breast connected to it.  I didn't eat the rest cuz without the skin it's really just neutral and doesn't have much taste.  Plus I felt like I had had enough. The mashed potatoes of course are good with some gravy.  But I noticed the same thing as I did with the chicken without the sauce there's not much there.  So I left the rest of that.  Surprisingly after what one could consider deprivation of these things and a major surplus of veggies, that was my favorite part.  Mind you garlic and butter was involved.  But there actual taste was the best on the plate.  I first opted for apple pie without the vanilla ice cream, and then reconsidered and went a la mode.  I didn't finish it either. The chef did an excellent job but I was full.  And that's what I noticed in general- I didn't eat until I was stuffed and feel compelled to eat everything on the plate which I typically do because I don't like waste.  I didn't eat out of habit, like oh I've been deprived of chicken and gravy, better stuff my face.  I just took my time and ate what tasted good to me right now and left the rest.  I also didn't have the feeling, oh I fell off the wagon, it's all over now.  And I really enjoyed it.  It was a festive occasion, we were all having fun and laughing.  It was well prepared.  I think so many times we're rushing and end up stuffing a stale bagel we don't even like in our mouth just cuz.  To me that's the balance to find.  Having to eat only fruits and veggies, has reacquainted my taste buds with how good it is, how good it feels and got me more creative about my choices.  It also helped me enjoy my chicken dinner tremendously.  My palette felt kind of cleansed, like I could really enjoy it.  And allowed me to eat for taste and pleasure rather than just being on auto pilot. I think my perfect way to eat right now is preparing meals for nutrition that make me feel good and when I eat for pleasure and social enjoyment to choose the best of the best, stuff that is really going to please me.  And knowing there is always more.  If I'm full or it's some part of it isn't hitting the spot I can have more again whenever I want.  It's all about feeling good and for me that requires food that is power for the cells and food that brings pleasure sensation and social connection that also makes me feel good.  

This reminds me on Saturday night I was at a pot luck.  Another festive occasion honoring a friend who had passed away.  There were 2 homemade desserts, one cranberry and the other apricot. Fearing I would somehow be letting myself down if I had a piece, since I hadn't yet strayed from the parameters of my program I opted to have a bite of each. Looking back I wish I would have just had a piece and let myself enjoy it in the company of such an occasion.  Might as well just go for it or not. The apricot desert was one of the most heavenly creations I have ever tasted.  One bite didn't do the chef or the occasion honor.

yoga

This is my first weekday with no yoga, aside from my flu day.  I intended to come to morning yoga and then got called in to sub both the morning and afternoon classes.  After a day in the office and book club I was wiped and headed for bed.  I felt it at the end of the day.  I've been craving yoga the last few days like I started craving my morning juice.  Will have to make it up this weekend.  

Nov 17- Day 12 of 21 Day Challenge

eats

No juice today.  I opted for thirty more minutes of sleep.  Aside from my flu morning it's my only day missed and in the end it wasn't worth it.  I felt like I hit the ground running and felt rushed all day.  I did manage to pack some food with me for the rest of the day.  I had the other half of my left over squash with pesto (no parm: basil, olive oil, sea salt and pine nuts blended up real quick) and marinara on it.  The health food section at Fred's has some really simple jared versions with organic ingredients and basically no more than tomatoes and some seasoning.  So far besides miso it's the only prepared product I used but better to find satisfaction than be fundamental and when cooking for one I'm not going to whip up a pot of sauce.  I had strawberries and mac nuts for snack.  Watched a movie with mom and sis and they were understanding about ordering Thai takeout instead of pizza.  Sauteed mixed veggies.  Jessica's curry looked good but since it had coconut milk I assumed it had sugar since most are sweetened and passed.  Had some mac nuts for snack a little later.  

yoga

Since I had evening plans I knew it best to catch yoga in the morning with Susanne at 9:30.  She did another great supported version of Bridge Pose using blocks.  I helped relieve some of the neck pain I got from my neck adjustment earlier in the week.  I also got some great shoulder openings in the rest of her postures.  Anusara focuses a lot on opening the heart, literally and physically and works with loops in the body to align different areas.  I've had an ongoing awareness about my head and shoulders being pitched forward after finally getting the ankles and hips aligned over the last few years.  The chest and shoulder openings with awareness of positioning the head has caused my upper body to find it's alignment with the lower half over the last week or so.  It's been about 5 years in the making and is a great feeling.  It reminds me that we can start with the body and let the mind follow or start with the mind and let the body follow, but ultimately you can't leave them out for very long, before one or both starts causing mischief.

Nov 16 - Day 11 of 21 Day Challenge

eats

Friday night I made a spaghetti squash and put some simple marinara sauce on it, as well as some of the pesto I had whipped up earlier in the week.  It really looks like spaghetti.  I wanted something warm and hearty and it did the trick.  Tasted good too.  Monday I made a juice using apple, half lemon, 1 cucumber and three big collard green leaves.  It had the same potency as kale but it didn't taste like grass.  The apple and lemon balanced it out.  It was good and definitely green.  I had a banana and nuts for snack.  I tried acorn squash with spinach and roasted pumpkin seeds for lunch.  That wasn't the same hit at alI so  I had some blackberries and Coconut Bliss for snack.  You can find Coconut Bliss in the natural food  freezer at Fred's.  It's simple and as delicious as real ice cream, unlike substitutes made with soy or rice milk which I find revolting and to be a big let down.  It has coconut milk, vanilla and agave.  If you are unfamiliar with agave it's a great natural refined sugar substitute.  Unlike honey or maple syrup it doesn't have a distinct flavor so it's more neutral like sugar.  It comes from a cactus plant used to make one of my other favorite products, yep, tequila. And unlike honey or maple syrup it doesn't spike the blood sugar as much so it's released more evenly.  Plus you get coconut which is a great protein and fat for the body.  Yes desert is good for you and still tastes really good.  I ended up being at the studio late and having a kiwi and getting home to have a dinner of roasted almonds and sugar snap peas.  I was too tired to bother with dinner.

yoga

I've been doing yoga at home on Mondays.  I teach two yoga classes in the eve and usually catch up personal paperwork and errands during the day.  Monday's are slow go for me.  There is a 9:30am class at the studio that I always have the best intentions of attending but so far it hasn't happened.  After Thursday and Saturday evening bouts with the flu my body was worn out anyhow.  So I did a low key restorative practice and focused a lot on deep breathing.  I got a major neck adjustment in passive seated forward bend, so my head sits more square over my shoulders and my shoulders are back and chest is more  open without effort.   But there was certainly some pain over the last day or so as that  lifetime pattern loosens us.  I think taking Susanne's Anusara class is partially responsible, as there is a lot of focus on opening the chest through integrity of the neck and shoulders.  I caught the last $5 Friday class which I was happy about since I missed yoga on Thursday when I was wrestling the flu and also go a home practice in on Saturday.  So I still got my five days of yoga in after all.

Nov 12 & 13 - Day 9 & 10 of 21 Day Challenge

eats

Thursday morning I felt sick to the stomach.  I made a serious green drink; kale, grapefruit and 2 cucumber.  The kale was so strong it reminded me of wheat grass shots which I have a strong aversion to after a retreat I attended to years ago that required using ample amounts wheat grass for a couple weeks.  It was not good tasting but it seemed to hit the stomach OK. I ate an apple for snack and went to an appointment.  I returned home for lunch and tot feeling well, ended up taking a nap and trying to calm my stomach down with a strong ginger ale (soda water, ginger, honey, pineapple juice) diluted with water.  I roused myself for a run to Sam's Club.  At the counter I had to get myself to the floor to keep from passing out and make a bee run for the b-room.  So not the place for the full glory of flu to happen.  Made a little miso soup with carrots and spinach for dinner which my system seemed to agree fine with.  The flu continued on through the night and into the morning.  Today I had a banana and kiwi throughout the morning while the flu continued to evacuate everything from my system.  Then like a storm clearing it seemed to end out of nowhere.  I was left ravenous and ordered up some Thai mixed vegetables with cashews.  No juice for me this morn.  Didn't think the system would agree.  Took it easy on the herbs the last couple days too.  I asked for a cleanse and I guess I got more than I bargained for.

yoga

There was no way yoga was happening on Thursday- any compromising position was out of the question, as to not encourage the inevitable.  Today the same fear has persisted.  Fearing the need to use a public restroom unexpectedly I chose to lay low and stay close to home for the most part and be in recovery mode.  So far no yoga today.

Nov 11 - Day 8 of 21 Day Challenge

eats

Rainbow chard, lemon, apple, beet for breakfast makes a tasty and beautiful drink.  It's a vibrant magenta color.  A zucchini chopped into sticks and some baby carrots dipped in pesto.  I used it as a dip rather than tossing the veggies in it.  Had a banana and kiwi for snacks during the day.  Went to a friends house for "dinner" and to watch my favorite show Top Chef.  I salted and chopped my kale before teaching class and then chopped and added the avocado on the spot.  Kate was making a delicious Indian dinner that smelled so good as I walked in.  It was hard to pass up.  I didn't pass up the glass of organic white wine.  I figured it's organic and it's a fruit!  I thought watching all the gourmet eats on Top Chef would be torture but it wasn't so bad but maybe that's because I had wine in hand.  I have to say though that the reuben inspired eggs benedict I might have to recreate.

yoga

Well after a major surge in energy last week and over the weekend, this week was a different story.  My cycle started which always brings my energy level down and as it turns out I was also coming down with the flu that revealed itself in full glory on Thursday.  I've been enjoying Kundalini class on Wednesday's but knowing it's high energy I opted for a restorative practice at home with poses good during the menstrual cycle.  And a lot of deep breathing.