Wednesday, March 30, 2011

CLEAN skin

It's funny how they say that the foods you eat aren't what cause breakouts, and maybe that's arguable. But I can tell you this much, since starting this detox, I haven't experienced not one little bugger on my face. Nothing. Zero. Nada. Zip. (ok, aside from the one that comes around every month - ahem ahem).

I'd also like to add that my pores are much tighter, and my skin tone is a lot less blotchy. In fact, I'd go as far as saying that it's pretty much even now! Feels great to look this good again. And as I mentioned in my earlier post, my skin glows. I'm still getting compliments about that. Especially into the third week.

So, Proactiv, shmoactiv.

If you've ever had minor breakouts, and uneven skin tone then this detox is worth the try. It can definitely help cure all that. Of course, it depends how much garbage your regular diet consists of. If you're already a relatively healthy eater (no processed foods, salty snacks, chocolates, fried foods, etc) then doing this detox will clear up your skin, HUGE!

If you're not a healthy eater and eat out often or make ready made food, then perhaps your skin might have the opposite reaction to the detox. They say the more waste you have to eliminate, the more your skin might break out during the course of the detox. Keep in mind, this doesn't mean it will.

I must say, it feels good to see the results after the effort and preparation this detox requires. Make no mistake, it does require preparation. Every day you're making a fresh meal. Every morning, you're blending a new smoothie. Every night, you're cleaning up the mess. It takes time, but you get used to the time, and you manage yourself accordingly -depending on how badly you want it, of course.

Although I have had many weak moments, including being tempted to consume foods I wasn't suppose to, I am glad that I stuck through it. Weekends are your biggest challenge, mainly because that's when your routine breaks. You run your errands, you hang with your friends, you go for dinners. All these situations can easily tempt you to go off track, cheat, give up. Take my brother, for example. He may have not given up, but we all know what he did here, here, and here!! And you know what, it's alright. Just bounce back the next day, if something like that happens.

My point is, stick with it. You can still do most of the things you want, but you just have to be smart about the choices you make. And it's just three weeks of your life, for the love of God, suck it up!! If you can turn your body into a strong, healthy foundation, why wouldn't you? You can be in total control of the way your body reacts to the foods you consume. You can be in total control of the way your body looks and feels. So why not try? Aren't you worth it? 

I know I sound like I'm on a high, and maybe I am...maybe that's what this detox has done for me. Maybe it's made me realize that I can look and feel like I've always wanted to. And I want to be healthy and fit. I know that by reading my posts, some of you have already begun asking yourselves questions, and that's good. I didn't know any of the things I blogged about until this cleanse either. I'm learning as I go, and changing in the process.

Hope you continue to learn on this blog and I hope that you choose to try something new, to better yourselves!

Cheers,
xx



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Meet the grand-parents!

"YoooHoooo!" -my grandfather's famous expression
My grandparents came by my brother's today because I'm feeling kind of sick. They think I'm sick because I starve myself. If I can't have pizza, tomato based foods or potatoes then according to them this detox is severe.

Anyway, they have now taken over the kitchen. My grand pops brought some fruits for us in one bag, and in the other he had some beans. He said he wanted to make them later once they went back home, but then asked me if I wanted some. At first, I said no, but if you know my grand father, saying no is like telling him you don't love him; he puts on the saddest face making it impossible to resist. If you do then you're just a cold, cold person! (kidding, not really)

So, he started cleaning some beans (fasolakia in greek) because "einai cute" they are cute. "Eez a nice to eat vetze-ta-bless, eez a health" I love when grandparents, or parents, raised in another country try to speak English.  What's even funnier is when I start speaking the way they do just so they can understand me.

So vetze-ta-bless it is!

Once he finished cleaning them and putting them in the pot to boil, he opened up the fridge and started emptying everything that seemed 'expired'.

The zucchini's my brother bought the other day were already going rotten -tsk tsk, Spiro. "Ti einai afta? Koita, na, sapoia einai. Pes tou Spirou na pigeni edw ston Delta na ta perni, oxi eki pou pigeni"  

what are these, look, there, they're rotten. Tell Spiro to buy them from Delta, not the grocery store he goes too.

Now he's showing me how he's organizing all of my greens. "Eides, exw valei ola ta laxanika mazi. Koita afto tou evala ligo neraki k zontanepse. Eithele katharisma. Tora einai bee-u-tifoo" Yes, grand pop, it's bee-u-tifoo now!!"  

You see, I've put all the veggies together here for you. And look, I just watered this one a bit and brought it back to life. It just needed to be cleaned out. Now it's beautiful.

Who else is loving his hat as he's cooking? They're really too cute.

Hey brah, they're on to cleaning the entire fridge now... I think they're emptying ALL the contents and scrubbing the shelves... maybe I should go help? LOL.

Oh, wait, he wants to show me something... "you have a 1 minutes?" he asks... I'll be back.

Yup, he cleaned the fridge and he's proud of it too. Everything is airtight in zip lock backs in the veggie department, and the fruits are overflowing and plentiful in the top drawer. Wow, what are grand-parents for, yah? Gotta love 'em!

Spiro, he just cleaned your garbage can too!!! "You see? Kathreftis!" Mirror!

You know what's funny about all this, they're totally blaming my brother for all the food that's been poorly handled -hahaha- and I'm letting them. I on the other hand, I'm an angel, I can do no harm. I am perfect!

Oh good God, as we speak they are opening his back door where the garbage is and they just discovered the pot he threw out... "Oouuu, Ooooh tin katsarolitsa mou!!! Ooohh!!!!!"  

Ohhh, my little pot that I gave him. I'm laughing so hard right now because she's talking to the pot... (Spiro, you know what I'm talking about... ) and she's laughing because I'm laughing...

"Akou eki, tin katsarola tis giagia's. Koita pos tin ekane h giagia" she says as she's cleaning it in the sink 

I can't believe it, his grandmother's pot. Look what he did to it

"Kai tin ferame aptin ellada afti tin katsarola" says my grandfather...
And we brought it from Greece this pot.

"Tou dosame to krevati, tha to petaksi k afto sta skoupidia. Den tou dinoumai tipota" 
We give him a bed, he'll throw it in the garbage that too. We're not giving him anything anymore.

"Einai bikouti" it's spotless now (the pot).

Take that for cheating, Mister Dou. Karma, Ha-YAH! 
Now they think you don't know how to shop or store your food. 
You're so gonna get a call tonight, for sure!!! 

Ooof, he's looking at Spiro's plants now! You're in trouble, kiddo.


Here's a video of my grand-papa and the plant (sorry, it's in Greek-he no speaky engleesh)
 

 


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My Metamorphosis

Perhaps I should have elaborated on the work out video I wanted to plug into my regime because it's really not getting any votes.

You see, it's not a lame work out video at all!! It's actually made by Tracy Anderson, one of the biggest, top celebrity trainers who also happened to train Gwyneth (I swear I didn't pick her on purpose).

She created a special routine that activates smaller muscle groups and works them out so that your body can be as tiny as possible without bulking anywhere.

According to her, your body is supposed to go through a serious metamorphosis. It also got insane reviews on Amazon, and I'm curious to see how it can work for me. Also, I seem to be in extreme competition with Gwyneth lately, only she isn't aware of it. I just figure, if she can do it then why can't I, dammit!? Grrrr.

Anyway, going back to this video- there are several workout video's. The first one is the Tracy Anderson Method -Mat Workout (which is what you see above), the second one is the Dance Cardio workout. I'm supposed to combine both DVD's five days/week. It sounds insane, and at that rate, I guess your thinking any workout could render me the same results.

Well, to that I say, you gotta start somewhere.

So there you have it.
xxx


an envelope absolutely, positively has to be there overnight 


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