Food + Recipes

Having a baby is one thing, having a baby after thirty seems to be an entirely different obstacle. This year I gave birth to my handsome bundle of joy who has turned my life and my hormones completely upside down. From acne, to hair loss, overeating, poor sleep schedule, any sign that I needed a detox, I definitely showed.

As I approached my 34th birthday I reached out to Ellen with Eat Me Skinny to find out more about her detox programs and how they worked. I am so happy I did! Having completed my breastfeeding journey, I knew that it would be okay to participate in the 3-day program without affecting the baby. So I went for it! A lot of research went into the program before getting started because I wanted to make sure I knew what to expect during the process.

So What is a detox you may ask? Detoxification or detox is the removal of toxic substances from a living organism, including the human body, which is mainly carried out by the liver. The term “toxin” in the context of a detox is defined as pollutants, synthetic chemicals, heavy metals, and processed foods — which all negatively affect health.

Sometimes life needs a detox!

Your intestines are your second brain (if you didn’t know) that also need a break!  By letting your body  rest (however much) from constant digestion you allow it to focus its attention on other areas that may be in need of some TLC (and who doesn’t need a little of that?). Detoxes re-energize you without you having to double fist espresso!

Oh….and you won’t need that afternoon sugar fix either!

Cleansing is less about losing weight and more about getting rid of cravings and becoming more aware of your eating habits.

Benefits of Juicing:

• Jump start healthy weight loss (notice I said healthy)
• Strengthen your immune system (less colds and disease. Yes please!)
• Give you healthier more glowing skin
• Help you to think clearer (bye bye brain fog)
• Bring up your energy level (above sloth)

My experience:

My experience on the detox I documented mainly because this was my first time doing it and I wanted to really journal the experience. The detox package included everything I would need for the 3-day period including teas to take me through the day eliminating gas, apple cider vinegar for the early mornings and chia seeds to add texture to the juices.

Day 1: For me day one was the most difficult. While the juices were tasty and, in my opinion, very filling, I missed eating. By 3pm I felt a level of starvation that was new to me and I felt like all of my energy escaped. I drank some tea and took a nap which got me back on track, slightly. By 8pm that night I was so hungry I couldn’t stay up much longer, so I went to bed early.

Day 2: I woke up with energy, not the energy I typically have in the mornings but it was something. The Apple cider vinegar on the second day tasted so much more potent than before, that part was difficult. After drinking the tea to get started, my stomach settled and the day went smoothly for the most part. Around lunch time I enjoyed the carrot juice which is the tastiest of all the juices. I drank that down quickly and that renewed my commitment to the detox, until I tasted the celery juice. The strategic mixture of juices was perfect because while some were painful to consume others were a breeze. What I love most about this program was the support, we were placed in a WhatsApp group the night before starting and had access to our nutritionist throughout the process. I personally messaged Ellen more than my husband those three days (no judgement).

Day 3: Honestly my favorite day! I started planning what I would eat once the detox was done. Not sure if that is a good or bad thing but that motivated me to complete strong. I also had so much to do on this day as I was preparing to travel, that I didn’t think about food much that day. I completed strong and was provided with a post detox plan for smoothly getting back to eating.

A week later I am still enjoying the benefits of the detox. I have so much more energy, I am more focused and my options for eating are healthier. I have been having consistent bowel movements and the skin breakouts that I experienced on day 2-3 are just about cleared. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone looking to reset. While it’s no easy feat, it is truly a gamer changer in jump starting a healthier and fulfilling life.

Lucky for you there is another session before the year is done! December 7-9th Eat Me Skinny will host their final 3-day detox for the year. Why not end 2020 with a bang?

If you are a mom and you find yourself working from home since the beginning of the pandemic, I know you share the same sentiments as me when it comes to snacks and providing kids with lunch every day, OVER IT. I really don’t know how these teachers do it, but I have to say kudos to them for being able to deal with these kids daily, teach them, create out of them leaders and keep their sanity, our teachers are the real mvps!!

One way I have been able to manage the amount of food my daughter keeps and still keep her satisfied is by packing her lunch for the day as should would have it if she were to be in physical school. Every morning I get up, pack lunch and leave the lunch bag on the kitchen counter. At break time she can have a snack, take out her water and juice as needed, eat her lunch during the lunch hour and eat the remaining snacks as the day progress.

Not only am I able to give her a sense of normalcy when it comes to hone schooling, but we get to manage the amount of snacking done.

We love the durable and functional lunch boxes from Noel Mark Company. They are trendy and cool for kids of all ages! What I love most about the lunch boxes is that they are easy to clean, the perfect size for on the go and are eco-friendly. While we may be virtual schooling now, when she heads back to physical school we have a solution that is stylish and functional!

Be sure to check out these awesome lunch box options on Amazon or on social media at NoelMark.co

Being a new mom again has been a challenge to say the least. Five weeks after having my little one, I was down to 145lbs which is 7 pounds less than my pre-baby weight. Today (14 weeks postpartum) I am 153.8lbs. I am not happy!

While I am not a person who typically stresses over weight, I do want to look better in the clothes that I wear. During the pandemic, I did a lot of stress shopping which means that there are lots of clothing options available that I am not able to fit in, this is the main reason why I need to get myself together! That coupled with my favorite season quickly approaching. My favorite gal pal and I decided that we would commit to a healthy lifestyle journey which includes exercising at least three times weekly, clean eating and fasting. This commences Monday, September 14th 2020.

To ensure that I am prepared, committed and have no excuse for failing during this journey, I went to the grocery store early this morning to stock up on healthy items. While unpacking I decided to make this super quick and easy green smoothie to get the day started.

Delicious, green and clean, this smoothie has everything you need to kickstart the day while fueling up to be productive. Try it and tag me in your post! If you are ready to journey with us, write in the comments and we can become your accountability partners.

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe Banana
• 1 green apple
• 1/2 cup kale
• 1 cup spinach
• 1/4 cup Coconut Water
• 1/4 cup Pineapple Juice

Chop all ingredients up and add to blender with a few cubes of ice. Blend until smooth. Garnish with pineapple slices. Enjoy!!!