Detoxifying my life....

Thanks for all the comments on my last post. You cannot imagine how much healthier I feel at this point in my life, even if I am not at a perfect weight. I know that I will never fit into mass media's idea of "skinny" and I don't think that I even would want to do that. I truly just want to keep getting healthier and healthier.

So, while I continue to improve my lifestyle in the kitchen and the gym, I am also working detoxifying my life in other ways. I have conquered the biggest detoxifying things already in that I have eliminated processed foods and white carbs from my lifestyle. While we can debate what the right proportion of carbs, fat, and protein is right, there is no denying how much better I feel without junk food in my life.

What other things have I been doing to detoxify my life? First, I working very hard on ridding myself of negative thoughts. It's not always easy for me. For instance, this week I PR'ed on both my deadlift and bench press. Tuesday my trainer pushed my deadlift weight up ten pounds. It wasn't so bad so he added another 10 pounds. This is where I hit my limit. I did lift it once with good form but failed at all other attempts, only managing to get it off the ground but not beyond that sticking point right below the knees. So, rather than being happy 20 pounds more than I ever did before, I was stuck on the fact that I failed at all the other attempts. That morning I also stepped on the scale to see a four pound gain since the prior week. This was enough to set me up for a very bad day. The negative self talk started to flow and be toxic as I continue to just struggle with everything that day.

Fortunately, my husband and a few friends helped me see how ridiculous this was. I heard later that my reaction also confused my trainer (I mean, I PR'ed and got mad about it). My husband gave me this card (and flowers because he is just a wonderful guy) to help me understand that a bad day was just a matter of perspective.

It helped. On Friday, I PR'ed on my bench press. The increase was only five pounds, but it was still better than I had done in the past. I also decreased the counter weight on my assisted pullups. I also got out of my comfort zone by doing bear crawls and lateral jumps at the gym. Things I never would do in the past as I thought I would look foolish doing them. All of these things I can be truly proud of and I fought those negative thoughts from Tuesday to understand that fact. The more I get out of my comfort zone, the more I detoxify my life. It is a good thing.

Then there are the every day chemicals that I am eliminating more and more from my life. Here are just a few things I am doing:

1. Making my own toothpaste -- The more I read about commercial toothpaste and the ingredients in it, the more I want to stay away.

2. Making my own deodorant (I use the second recipe) -- Another product that I just have issues with the ingredients and it is easy to make my own and it works!  

3. The "No Poo" method -- As in no shampoo. I have only washed my hair with shampoo once since December 31, 2013. It hasn't quite been a month but I think my hair is looking fine (although I need a hair cut). I do rinse it every day and wash along the neck line after workouts but that's about it. Again, this is all about the nasty chemicals used in these products.

4. Scent free "natural" laundry detergent -- I avoid scents and as many chemicals as I can in my laundry soap. I do add some baking soda to help eliminate odors. Some day I may try making my own but I am happy with what I am using right now.

5. Finding the best sources of foods possible -- This means that we are very picky at the grocery store. There are several things that I buy only organic. My sources of protein are of the highest quality possible (grass fed, wild caught, etc.). We buy local whenever possible.

6. Sauna -- Being of Finnish heritage, we would go to my grandma's house to take a sauna almost every Saturday. Her sauna sat in the front yard and was heated with a wood burning fire. It was just part of what we did and, as far as I knew, most people did. Growing up, I realized that it was not a part of everyone's life. Moving away from home and being confronted with saunas that were electrically heated just did not seem the same. I stopped taking saunas, except when I was occasionally back in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. In the past few months though, I have learned a lot about the detoxifying principles of a sweaty sauna so I am back in the heat a few times a week. I immediately shower afterwards to remove the toxins from my skin. I am starting to reappreciate the time in the sauna.

7. Detox bath -- There is very few things I like more in this world than a good long soak in the bath tub. I wish I could find the link to the detox bath that I am following but I cannot. If I can, I will update this post. Basically, I use a combination of baking soda, Epsom salt, and lavender/tea tree essential oil. I also like that I shut myself off from things for an hour or so as I soak.

8. Being particular about what I read online and the blogs I follow -- honestly, there are some really negative blogs out there. I prefer to read things that enrich my life so I have pared down a lot of the things I read. 

9. Other miscellaneous things like incorporating apple cider vinegar into my diet, eliminating caffeine, drinking herbal teas, laughing more, smiling more, and being mindful of getting enough sleep. There are more things that I will be changing/doing in the next few weeks to detoxify even more. 

Here are some ideas if you are interested in detoxing things in your life 10 Easy Tips to Detox Daily for a Healthy Life from a blogger that I follow.

Update on 50 things in the year I turn 50

Did you think I forgot about my list? I haven't. I am working on many of the things. I have been taking lots of photos. I am working on the pullups, doing assisted pullups several times a week. The lateral jumps my trainer had me doing are all about working towards the box jump. My deadlift PR is currently 175 pounds, getting closer to that 200 pound mark. 

I have started fund raising for the Susan G. Komen and am over halfway to the goal. I am so motivated and inspired by those that have shown their generosity to the cause. I am walking often.

I started running again. In fact, my trainer wants to me to concentrate on just running for cardio over the next two weeks. I have been trying to "mix" it up and he wants me to cut back on variety for now. I am enjoying the running right now.

I am almost done with Moby Dick, about 100 pages to go. I am going to make sauerkraut this weekend and potentially gluten free pasta. UPDATE -- sauerkraut is fermenting....and it was SO easy to make. Let's see how it turns out.

I have been researching the volunteer opportunities. Some of the trips are in the planning stages. I did realize, after speaking with a friend, that I have already driven through Alabama. So, I already need to adjust the list a bit but that's okay. It is an evolving thing but the idea of stepping out of my comfort zone remains.