Ready, Set, Go…
The Grow a New Body three-week preparation is over and tomorrow we begin the seven days of the Grow a New Body Program. I made it through three weeks, abstaining from wheat, sugar and certain foods – with a few exceptions. I wasn’t supposed to have any soy and I did. A couple of times I had a cold brew out in the world with oat milk - so I’m sure there was a bit of sugar in that. I ate corn tortillas - not supposed to eat corn. I wasn’t perfect but I still feel pretty successful considering how intense my latest relationship was with sugar and carbs - post launch of my memoir. I lost a few pounds and started riding my road bike regularly - not just getting from one place to another - but going out on longer rides. It feels good to get in better physical shape.
Tomorrow, July 9, begins the 7 days of the program, which is different than the three weeks of preparation. The supplements change and the meal plan is not just about avoiding sugar and wheat but offers specific and limited intake of foods and protein over the next seven days - bringing us to July 15. The plan includes limited protein, limited carbohydrates and high in healthy fats. Fruits are limited to a small amount of berries. The morning starts with a green juice, mid morning a vegetable smoothie, lots of vegetables and limited protein including recipes like walnut tapenade, hummus, avocado soup, vegetable soup, nuts and seeds. I appreciate the specificity of the meal plan, taking any guess work out of the next seven days. My diet is not that dis-similar - I’ll have a break from my morning oatmeal. My usual heaping amount of hummus is now two tablespoons for a serving. The program has small breakfast, mid morning smoothie, lunch and dinner - my typical diet has a larger breakfast and lunch and no food after 2:00 in the afternoon, especially because I go to bed early for my pre-dawn sadhana - so this week will feel different but I’ll go with the protocol. I don’t see notes around coffee so I will not have any for the next seven days.
One fail is that I was supposed to ferment my own fruit, following Dr. Villoldo’s recipe with the use of S. Boulardii. S. Boulardi is a yeast strain that competes and “drives out” the candida from the GI tract. It doesn’t work if there is a lot of sugar in the gut. S. Boulardii’s success in fighting candida is only effective when there is a dramatic drop in sugar intake. If there is a lot of sugar in the system, the S. Boulardii’s interaction with the sugar leads to bloating and gas, according to Dr. Villoldo. The recipe did not work because I couldn’t create the perfect temperature in my oven. Allison, my friend from the Energy Medicine training, shared that an instapot on the yogurt setting is perfect for the fermentation recipe. I have tried to find a used one but without success so I have been taking the S. Boulardii in pill form - which is not the preference - but it’s how it rolled out for me. There is a lot of detail on this and other analyses of the diet and supplements which you can read all about in Dr. Villoldo’s book.
The week is meant to include sweating in a steam room or sauna - which I do not have access to - however - I do love to bike and work in my garden and can definitely make sweating happen in this July heat we are currently experiencing. Hot baths with salts and lavender are also recommended.
I’m headed off to the grocery to get set for the next seven days - vegetables including ginger, cucumbers, spinach, kale, broccoli, brussel sprouts and squash. I already have homemade hummus and I’ll make the walnut tapenade from the book recipe. There are zero grains of any type in the seven days and a nice sounding cold avocado soup.
The program is about releasing toxins, increasing gut health, brain health, organ health - but it’s not just about foods and avoidance. Emotions play a role. Dr. Villoldo writes about the toxicity of fear - the toxicity of fight or flight and chronic stress on the system. This is where yoga, writing, being in nature, therapy and exercise come in - and energy medicine. Allison, my friend from the Four Winds energy medicine training, and I are doing this program together. We are exchanging energy sessions tomorrow and will be there for each other over the next seven days. Dense energies like worry and fear can be identified in specific chakras, or energy centers and cleared - for increased energy flow. Rigorous exercise and a daily yoga practice release heavy energies and use the breath - life force energy. There is no one strategy - it’s a menu of strategies for living our best lives.
I’ll report back in a few days. Love, Janet
