Day 9: Fat burning broth & detox juice

Basic Fat Burning Broth recipe

• 6 large green onions or large red onion
• 1-2 cans of tomatoes
• 1 large head of cabbage
• 2 green peppers
• 1 bunch celery
• rosemary & tarragon for flavoring
• shitake mushrooms for flavoring
• 1 hot pepper, as per taste
• 2 or 3 cloves of chopped garlic
• 1 4 inch piece of kombu seaweed
• vegetable broth, prefer low sodium

Cut vegetables in small to medium pieces cover with broth or combination of broth and water. Boil fast for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to simmer and continue cooking until vegetables are tender. Spices blend or individual spices such as rosemary, sage, thyme, tarragon or oregano, may be added as desired toward the end of cooking. Season with pepper, parsley, or hot sauce, if desired. Because of the bouillon, it will probably require little or no salt. Adding lemon or lime juice enhances the fat burning properties and the taste. Do not add salt.

This soup can be eaten any time you are hungry. Eat as much as you want, whenever you want. This soup will not add calories. The more you eat, the more you will lose. Fill a thermos in the morning if you will be away during the day. However, if eaten alone for indefinite periods, you would suffer from malnutrition. You may strain out the vegetables or blend the vegetables to add variety.

Slim down detox juice

This will enliven your whole body, aid digestion, boost the immune and eliminate toxins. Also good to help your body handle stress.

2 oranges, peeled
½ lemon, peeled
1 beetroot (no greens)
1 small handful of spinach
5 celery stalks
5 long carrots
1 inch cube of ginger root, turmeric or dash of spice blend

Peel the orange and lemon, then juice with the rest of the ingredients. If the fruit is organic and you can handle the taste of the peel, include some peel. You may change up the variety by mixing up the ginger or turmeric root, you may always add some cayenne or spice blend to this mix if you are wanting a savory treat. Also adding cucumber instead of celery will change things up too, I also like to include romaine lettuce or kale instead of spinach, you should rotate your greens if this is a drink you have consistently.

Bonus tip! Dieter’s Dream Water – Sometimes it’s alright to keep things simple, especially when you’re detoxing. This recipe is basically water that has different cleansing fruits and vegetables soaking in it. The nutritional aspects of these ingredients will be absorbed by the water, and it’s recommended to let this sit overnight for best results. The nice thing is that you can keep refilling the pitcher so you get the most value for your money and use up as much of the ingredients as possible. If you have organic veggies and fruits, don't be afraid to use the peels! Also good to add stevia or spice blend, or freeze this for a frozen treat when you're craving sweets.

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Day 8: Easiest Ever Meditation

I think we all know that meditation is good for you.

Honestly I don't want to hear about meditation's benefits anymore!

Here's the easiest ever way to meditate.

It is cheating a bit, and you can use this procedure to reverse engineer

a way that isn't so like cheating (outlined below).

Directions: Sit down somewhere quiet, turn off your phone, take 100 breaths while counting them

try to think about nothing else. This is cheating a bit, but for you hyper types it gives your mind something to think about.

If you want to get to "real" meditating, then before you count to 100 note the time, after you are done, note how long

it took you. Next time, just set a timer and see if you can clear your mind for 100 breaths.

This practice is especially beneficial to do before eating, as it connects your mind and your body.

This is also a fantastic practice if you are having trouble falling asleep

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DAY 7 Castor Oil Detox Pack

(Or if you want simple TV yoga, the link is at the bottom of this article)

Castor oil packs are healing and detoxifying in general. They can help:

• heal digestion and increase elimination
• stimulate the liver and help detox
• relieve pain, especially menstrual and uterine pain
• reduce inflammation
• increase lymphatic flow (your lymph system is like the trash pick up system of your body, it flushes out the trash and toxins but can be sluggish and slow due to diet and overall health)

By using castor oil packs, the flow of lymph is increased throughout the body. This helps to speed the removal of toxins surrounding the cells and to reduce the size of swollen lymph nodes. The end result is a pronounced, systemic improvement in organ function with a lessening of fatigue and depression. Generally lymph fluid is accumulated when there is an overabundance of toxins in the body, so when they are removed the excess fluid will come out. Kneading areas of cellulite during this process can help to get the excess water to exit.  

They are great to use if you have cysts, the flu, a virus or cold, ulcers, infertility or menstrual issues, and in general want to do a detox. They are very detoxifying so you cannot do them if you are pregnant or nursing. You especially cannot do one if you have cancerous tumors as they increase your lymph circulation. If you have any medical condition or are on medication you need to check with your doctor before you perform any detoxifying procedures on yourself.

I want to emphasize that though castor oil packs are easy and extremely relaxing, they are MESSY! And castor oil can stain anything it touches, I personally do not endorse using plastic wrap as others do to cover the oil, because often it contains BPA and we definitely do not want to heat that up and put it on our skin!! So I use old towels, t-shirts and blankets as a wrap, you can also lay on a waterproof sheet on the floor. But remember that anything you put on the oil will be stained.

This pack is also extremely relaxing, I would advise doing it as close to bedtime as possible, it induces a wonderfully relaxing deep sleep.

Instructions for Castor Oil Pack

Supplies Needed:

• Castor oil
• sheet of plastic, wool or cotton flannel (cut large enough to cover entire treatment area when folded into thirds)
• Hot water bottle or heating pad
• Old bath towel
• Old t-shirt

Directions:

1. Fold flannel (ideal) or cotton three layers thick so it is still large enough to fit over your entire upper abdomen and liver.
2. Soak flannel with the room temperature oil so that it is completely saturated. You can also rub some castor oil into the specific area you want to put the flannel on.
3. Recline on your back, with your feet elevated (use of a pillow under your knees and feet works well), placing flannel pack directly onto your abdomen, cover with fabric of choice and place a hot water bottle or heating pad on top.
4. Cover everything with an old towel to insulate the heat. Take caution not to get the oil on whatever you are laying on, as it can stain. If necessary, cover that surface with something to protect it. Also monitor the heating pad closely, skin can get burned so start with a low setting.
5. Leave pack on for 45 to 60 minutes. This is an excellent time to practice visualization, meditation or relaxation breathing.  Alternatively you may just go to sleep. Some people will wear the pack all night using an ace bandage to hold it in place, you would not use a heating pad in this case.
6. After finishing, to remove the oil from your skin wash with a solution of 2 tablespoons of baking soda to 1 quart water, or just soap and water. If used in the middle of the night, you can just wipe with an old towel. Be sure to use the same towel, and wash that towel by itself, as the castor oil can make other clothes smell if washed together.
7. Store the flannel pack in a large zip-lock bag, or plastic container, leaving it by your bed. Reuse the pack several times, adding more oil as needed to keep the pack saturated. Replace the pack after it begins to change color.
8. For maximum effectiveness, it is necessary to apply the pack as often as possible. For general detox 1-3 times per week is good, or as you feel you need it.
9. Drink extra water before, during and after, if you feel up to it you can take a detox bath after but be very careful to stay well hydrated. Also if you are just beginning to detox I would not do these two practices on the same night, you may wind up with a headache or nausea if too many toxins dump themselves into your bloodstream.  

Or if you want something even simpler to do while you binge watch TV check out

http://www.divinecaroline.com/self/wellness/do-yoga-stretches-while-you-watch-tv?page=7

For 10 easy stretches to do while you're watching TV!

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Day 6: Drop Some Gratitude Bombs

Dropping Gratitude Bombs on people around you actually not only helps them, it helps you and it makes you incredibly magnetic to the good in the Universe coming back to you from other people, things and other good energy! Besides that, it takes your mind off anything bad you've been dwelling on, especially if your weight and health have become something you see as a negative. Best of all, you can drop gratitude bombs almost anywhere on anyone,  social media is an especially easy place to surprise people with words of kindness and pictures of happiness. You can send someone a letter, flowers or a voicemail all from your phone, too (even while you're laying down). You can do something nice for someone at work, at school or even while you're out shopping. A gratitude bomb is basically doing or saying anything nice for anyone for no reason what so ever!

Yes, it feels awkward at first, because we're taught in subliminal language to keep score, "an eye for an eye" and "everything that comes around, goes around." Our culture has many of these sayings embedded in it, even the notion of karma, which seems to have become a code word for revenge when someone has wronged us, assures us that if someone does something to hurt us, they won't get away with it.

I want to challenge this notion about worrying about the score, I want to inspire you to become a gratitude bomber for your own sake, because you love to create good in the world and because it is GOOD FOR YOU! Focus on creating happiness in others, and you will surely become more happy yourself, you will become a force of good in this world that will be richly rewarded. If that's not enough, below are some physiological benefits to dropping gratitude bombs, which include assisting weight loss.

Gratitude can help improve health, strengthen the immune system, balance emotions and even help individuals lose weight. These benefits are proven and those persons who adopt an attitude of gratitude are more likely than those that do not, to experience the aforementioned benefits.

Gratitude Helps To:

Improve Health: People who approach life with an attitude of appreciation tend to be healthier.  These individuals, as a general rule, take better care of themselves. They make good decisions in regards to what they eat, whether or not they exercise and even visit the doctor on a more regular basis. This type of lifestyle naturally lends itself to, if not weight loss, certainly weight maintenance. It is much easier to maintain ones ideal weight when making healthy food choices on a regular basis.

Appreciating the good things in one’s life and even developing an appreciation for the things learned from going through difficult times, is one of the easier ways to improve health and physique. Learning to be appreciative is a simple thing to do, though admittedly, not always easy. For many of us, it’s more natural to lean toward being negative and pessimistic. Because of this, it is oftentimes necessary to make a concerted effort to be more positive and thankful.

Though Thanksgiving takes place only once a year, it would be quite beneficial, both physically and emotionally, to capture the spirit of the holiday and use it to fuel our daily lives.  If you are interested in a simple, sure-fire way to improve your health, try practicing gratitude on a consistent basis.

Strengthen The Immune System: Research has proven that stress and consistently, negative feelings weaken the immune system. The things that we think about and ruminate on are incredibly powerful. They can either build up our bodies or tear them down. It is wise to choose behaviors that will strengthen our bodies and give up those that are detrimental.

Our immune systems protect us against illness and disease. When it is weak, it is much easier to become sick. There are a myriad of things that can be done to build up our immune systems. Exercising on a regular basis, eating in a healthy manner and reducing the amount of stress that we experience are all good ways to improve our body’s natural defense system.

These behaviors are also conducive to weight loss. When we eat healthy foods, exercise and keep our stress levels in check, it is much easier to lose weight. More often than not, good mental health has a positive effect on our physical health.  Those things that we do to improve our emotional state help to keep our body strong and prevent illness as well.

In summary, being grateful is one way to improve ones immune system. When people make an effort to be appreciative and look on the positive sides of things, that optimism naturally strengthens the body’s built-in defense system. Even the number of blood cells whose job is to guard the immune system are more numerous in individuals who are more optimistic, according to Lisa Aspinwall, PhD, a University of Utah professor of psychology.

Balance Emotions: Gratitude is a very simple way to balance one’s emotions. When a person is pessimistic, they tend to feel sad more often and are emotionally imbalanced. This imbalance in emotion will affect every part of an individual’s life. A person who is sad all or most of the time is less productive in all facets of their existence. They are unable to perform as well as they could at work, at home and in their personal life.

Aid In Weight Loss: Being grateful can also help individuals lose weight. When people feel sorry for them self and begin to focus on the things that aren’t right in their life, they tend to engage in behaviors that are detrimental. They may overeat and consume foods that are bad for them. They may also find it difficult to conjure both the mental and physical strength necessary to exercise. When this behavior is ongoing, a person may begin to gain weight or find it difficult to lose it. Developing an attitude of gratitude can help replace negative habits with positive ones.

A good attitude is a natural energy booster. When a person feels more energetic, exercise becomes much easier. A positive disposition also lends itself to making better food choices. Many people are emotional eaters. When they feel bad, they eat to lift their mood. If a person is already happy, they are less susceptible to the temptation of overeating.

If your life has seemingly become overrun with negativity, it is time to do something about it. The simple act of changing your outlook can transform your life. Being grateful is a terrific place to begin. Start to count your blessings. List the things you are most proud of. Do this on a continuous basis and you will start to think differently. Your focus will change. Instead of being fixated on the negative things in your life, you’ll find that positive thoughts start to pop up and take center stage. Once this begins to occur, you are likely to notice that you feel more energized and you want to make decisions that lead to positive change. You may find yourself wanting to exercise more, eat better and better manage your stress. If weight loss is a result, you will likely be inspired to continue to behave in ways that are conducive to weight loss.  Because you feel better about yourself, your desire to act in ways to that have a positive impact on your life will increase.

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Custom Detox Bathing

Before You Bathe:

• Drink plenty of water! Your body is supposed to sweat out all the toxins, so you will need to keep your body as hydrated as possible.
• Make sure someone else is home. Some people feel dizzy/light headed afterwards. Just in case you don’t feel well, it’s good to have someone there to help.
• Allow your body to digest your food before taking a bath (i.e. don’t eat immediately beforehand).

The Bath:

• Make sure the water temperature is hot, but comfortable.
• Start mixing in the ingredients when the tub is about halfway full. Every now and then, swirl the water around to make sure everything is mixing/dissolving.
• Stay in the tub for 20-40 minutes.
• You can take these baths anywhere from once a day to once in a while, depending on how your body reacts to them.

After You Bathe:

• Get out of the bath slowly and carefully. If you feel dizzy/lightheaded, this feeling should go away after a few minutes. 
• Drink plenty of water! Your body sweated a lot, so you need to re-hydrate.
• It is suggested to moisturize your skin with olive oil or coconut oil.
• If you take a shower to rinse off, make sure the water is cool.

Types of Detox Baths

I’ve seen a variety of different detox baths, all with different ingredients and different proportions of each ingredient. Really, you can be your own “chemist,”  do some trial and error, and find what works best for you. A range of suggested ingredient amounts are provided in parentheses (again, pick what is best for YOU). For Epsom salt, start small and work your body’s tolerance up.

Main Detox Bath Ingredients:

• Epsom salt (1-2 cups)
• 100% magnesium sulfate – replenishes body’s magnesium levels
• Increases body’s ability to detoxify, strenghtens immune system, helps soothe aching muscles, reduces swelling, helps heal bruises
• You can read more about Epsom salts here
• Baking soda (1-2 cups)
• Neutralizes any chemicals in tap water (chlorine and flouride especially), smoothes skin, helps alkalize body & aids detoxifcation

Optional Ingredients:

• Green tea bags (2-5 bags)
  • Antioxidant, relaxes body, soothes sore muscles and rashes
• Apple Cider Vinegar (1/2-2 cups)
  • Anti-inflammatory, softens skin
• Essential Oils (5-20 drops)
  • Great aromas and unique therapeutic benefits of each
• Ground Ginger (1 tbsp – a handful)
  • Increases circulation, promotes sweating, helps open pores, helps in pain relief
• Lemon halves/lemon juice (1 tbsp – 1/3 cup)
  • Antioxidant, brightens skin
• Olive Oil (1 tbsp – 1/3 cup)
• Moisturizes skin

This is a wonderful way to relax and get healthier, these can be done regularly but make sure to keep them under 30 minutes as you will begin to reabsorb the toxins. Make sure you don't get too hot and add cooler water if you start to sweat profusely. You can also use your leftover loose leaf tea in your bath, just contain it in a small bag or infuser so it does not clog your drain.

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