All posts by Jason Townsend

About Jason Townsend

Jason is a young Aussie who just loves to push the boundaries of, well, everything. An avid entrepreneur and adventurer, and an aspiring writer and teacher of his craft, he is exploring ways to express his creativity and assist others with their personal growth.

10 things I learnt from regret, and why it’s no disappointment to let it go

Personal Development, , , , , ,

Regrets. I have them, and I’m sure you do too.

The feeling of regret is such a strong driver in my life, and in many ways it continues to be destructive.

Why?

Amongst many other things, It’s an incubator of negativity.

I’d like to use this blog post to raise awareness of regret – what it is, how it has impacted my life, and what it has taught me. No matter what walk of life you originate from, I hope you’ll be able to take my experience and try the practice of ‘letting go’ of any regret for yourself.

The freedom is liberating.

What is regret?

I am sure that what regret means to me may be different to you.

My experience leads me to recognise regret as a product of a number of things, which mainly include:

  • the act of being hung up on something
  • to dwell or focus on the past
  • being stuck in a negative thought pattern about a past event
  • unable to let go of a time gone by.

A more official definition of regret is:

“a negative conscious and emotional reaction to personal past acts and behaviors, often expressed by the term “sorry.” Regret is often a feeling of sadness,shame, embarrassment, depression, annoyance, or guilt, after one acts in a manner and later wishes not to have done so.”

– Curtesey of Wikipedia

As I was writing this, I noticed a recurring theme. Did you?

Regret is all about the past.

In many ways, regret is an act of focusing on the negative that has been, and not giving yourself the freedom of letting go.

 

How regret has affected me

As I continue to learn about myself and about the way I impact the world around me (I see it as an increase in self awareness), and visa versa, I now see the importance that regret has played in shaping who I am.

Regret has driven me to make impatient decisions, force relationships, feel helpless, feel lonely, fuel desperation, and take impromptu action that has not always worked in my favour.

Like flying a jumbo through a tropical thunderstorm, It’s created an extremely turbulent journey so far.

A real life example

What prompted me to write this post is my current struggle with a previous decision to invest in property.

Without going into details, I began my journey into the Australian property market at age 25, because I felt it was the logical next step in my life.

I had a good job, lived in a nice town, and after a period of spontaneous job changes and crazy adventures overseas, I wanted to prove I was responsible and making progress with my life.

At the time, it’s what I thought was the right thing for me. It’s exactly what I wanted for myself.

Fast forward 3 years, and hindsight is a wondrous (and occasionally annoying) thing.

I now find myself in a changed circumstance, and the decisions I made at that time don’t agree with the new direction I want for myself. A direction that aligns closer with my newly realised values.

I have learnt a lot in the past 3 years, the most important which relates to this example being that I value freedom, and the ability to be spontaneous and mobile.

With my circumstance, I feel I can’t have that.

In comes regret.

As my unsuccessful attempts to sell this property amount, and seemingly take from me the ability to follow this strong calling of freedom, I regularly struggle with emotions of helplessness, anger, frustration, and regret.

It seems that nothing can go my way. The world is against me.

I’m at the mercy of my past decisions, and the regret of making them.

However, what I failed to see for a long time, is where there’s a negative, there’s always a positive.

Indeed, regret has taught me lots.

10 things I have learnt from regret

When I think more about it, regret has taught me a lot about myself and the way I continue to make decisions.

Below are 10 experiences I have encountered on my journey so far.

Maybe you can relate?

  1. The past is just that, the past. What has happened does not mean the future is dependent on it. You can change anything if you want. It may just take time.
  2. Decisions and actions, no matter the outcome, make you stronger.
  3. For all the bad times, there has been many more good times. Celebrate these, and remember them when times get tough.
  4. Things change, and that’s OK. Embrace change and learn from the new challenges you face as a result.
  5. The only person you cheat is yourself. If you believe something needs to be changed, then see to making it happen. 
  6. There is nobody more important than you. If you don’t take care of your best interests, then you’re unable to assist others with theirs.
  7. It’s OK to be wrong. In fact, its perfectly normal (and expected).
  8. There’s no harm in asking. Chances are the hurdle you face has been jumped before. Seek assistance. It makes life easier. You’ll find people love being given the chance to assist you. 
  9. Change takes time. Remind yourself that change is happening during the long stretches. It’s easy to have your vision clouded by negativity.
  10. Nurture your sense of hope, and have faith in your decisions. During your time of change, it’s what will keep you going.

There you have it. One of my many experiences with regret and how it continues to shape me as a person.

I hope you get benefit from the words I have written, and the reflection of one of my current challenges in life.

A key note to take away is that you are in control. 

Physically, this is not always the case (try arguing your case to the bank manager!), and it doesn’t always need to be.

Emotionally, you are in full control.

You can choose how emotions of regret can lead you. I’ve realised that it is far better to choose a positive route over a negative.

How about you?

Yours in inspiration,

Jason

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I got shredded with tea! Another detox experiment

Shredtea Package

Got a stubborn waistline that even 1,000 crunches hasn’t moved?

Sick of looking down at your stomach, rather than your feet?

Want to burn fat fast? 

I didn’t. In fact, I’m not convinced I lost anything, but I believe there’s nothing stopping you from achieving a body transformation.

I wasn’t chasing fat loss, so that’s not why I’m writing this. 🙂

I came across Shredtea through a friend of mine who tried it and claimed to achieve results.

How I wondered?

I have never tried a product like this before, and since it was Australian, I decided to put it to the test to see what effect it would have on my body.

To be clear, I didn’t aim to achieve weight loss using this product. I didn’t need or want to lose weight. It was simply another interesting journey I experienced.

To give you a ‘try before you buy’ perspective, this post will give you an insight into the Shredtea experience – how their detox plan works, and how you might benefit.

You’ll have all you need to get started “shredding”.

What is Shredtea?

Shredtea is an all natural herbal tea designed to have you shed excess water weight, and fat when combined with an eating plan and moderate exercise daily.

It is advertised as a 14 day (2 week) offering, where the “shredder” a.k.a you, undergoes a #14dayshred body transformation should you follow the guidelines provided with the tea.

There is some great material that you are provided to ensure you get maximum benefit from the detox. The meal guide provides excellent nutritional knowledge to help you loose fat, links to external inspiration and educational sources, and also some great lifestyle tips too.

There;s apparently a workout guide to follow in the near future as well. Stay tuned for that development.

Sounds good.

How much does it cost?

It’s $50 USD for a starter pack, which gives you 2 packets of tea (a morning and an evening blend) and guidelines to follow – everything you need for 14 days of detox.

You can buy supplement packets of the tea individually from $25 USD.

Why is an Australian company selling in USD? Good question. I’m guessing the primary target market is the USA.

All prices include delivery, which is a nice surprise.

Why did I choose to ‘shred’?

I wasn’t trying to lose weight by trialling Shredtea.

I looked at it from a health and well-being perspective, seeing what the detox effect was like in comparison to my recent juice detox.

I wanted to experience how drinking a ‘prescribed’ selection of tea would leave me feeling, and if my body would ‘shred’ – lose water weight and fat (even though I didn’t follow the eating plan and exercise guidelines).

What did I think of Shredtea?

I can summarise shredtea by saying it was a pleasant tasting, bowel-moving, body cleansing herbal infusion.

During the 14 day detox program (#14dayshred), I was left feeling clean, clear minded, energised, and definitely lighter in the bowel soon after waking.

Based on this experience, I think had I have followed a more stringent eating plan and more regular exercise, I would have certainly “shredded” some kilos.

Yep, I believe it works. 

Beside that, I noted the following observations while consuming my daily tea.

Taste

The taste of the tea can only be described as being literally like a fruity glass of grass and leaves.

Trust me, it’s not as bad as it sounds.

There are two tea types:

  • #14dayshred – This tea, taken before bed, is bitter initially but pleasant as you drink. It’s sweetened with a delicious liquorice after taste, sort of like an after dinner mint, served with a side of grass. It’s an interesting mix, and more pleasant as consumption increased.
  • #dailyshred – This tea provided an excellent start to the day. It had a crisp, fresh taste with the blend of ginger, cinnamon, and lemon myrtle, responsible for this. A seriously great, cleansing, mind-clearing start to the day.

Feeling

How did I feel?

Clean, clear minded, energised, and lighter in the bowel after some extreme movement first thing after waking!

Specifically:

  • Lighter and cleaner on the inside
  • Less bloated, and no gas
  • More energy, without the sluggish feeling when you have a bowel full of ‘crap’ (excuse the pun).

Laxative effect

This is where the tea is able to prove its claims most strongly.

No joke, it makes you poo.

Like clockwork, I would rise from bed and experience extreme rumbling. That’s when I knew.

Time to find a bathroom!

Yep, it was certainly a cleansing experience, having the following effect on my body:

  • Regular bowel movements – I found myself rushing to the bathroom shortly after waking, every day. Sometimes twice a day!
  • No pains or cramps – despite the effective laxative effect, I didn’t experience anything noticeably bad

TIP: Make sure you are sleeping somewhere with good access to a bathroom for the duration of the #14dayshred detox. You’ll need it in the morning.

What did Shredtea do for me?

Undertaking a Shredtea #14dayshred detox made me feel great.

Mentally easier to complete than a juice fast detox, taking the tea each day was a simple implementation to my daily routine.

Really, it gave me a good feeling while I was taking it. Here’s why:

  • I had at least 1 to 2 solid bowel movements, one first thing upon rising, and another occasionally in the late afternoon.
  • I experienced a ‘clean’ feeling of a detox
  • I had improved mental alertness
  • Improved quality sleep, feeling more restful upon waking.

Did I notice any physical change?

Hard to say, so I’ll let you make up your mind with the following before and after pics.

 

Body shot before Shredtea
Photo BEFORE the #14dayshred
Body shot after Shredtea
Photo AFTER 14 days on Shredtea

Again, I was happy with my physique before undertaking the trial of Shredtea, so I am not focusing on this as a personal indicator of this products effectiveness.

It made me feel great, and I’m happy with that.

Well, there you have it, my #Shredtea experience.

I enjoyed it, and found myself feeling clean, clear minded, energised at the end of the experience.

If you’re reading this and are having troubles loosing  a few extra kg’s or just want to cleanse yourself, I encourage you to give it a try.

I got something out of it, and I am sure you can too.

I hope this helps you with your body transformation aspirations.

Thanks for reading my work.

Like it? Please share with your friends on social media. The more people I can inspire, the happier I’ll be.

Until next time…..

Yours in inspiration,

Jason

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What a cauliflower pizza reminded me about sharing (and a yummy recipe to try)

Health & Wellbeing, Personal Development, , , , , , ,

Yep, you read right. Cauliflower pizza!

Well, actually it was a cauliflower pizza base 🙂

I absolutely love this substitute for a simple, healthy, wholesome pizza base. It uses no flour either, which is great for those who are aiming to reduce or avoid gluten in their diets. I consciously make an effort to reduce my gluten intake as much as possible for 6 out of my 7 day weeks, as I follow a cyclic carbohydrate eating plan.

This post isn’t all about pizza though.

The greater act of joining another to create this masterpiece in the kitchen, highlighted something even more important in my life that I was oblivious to.

The act of sharing.

Along with a super yummy pizza base recipe, in this post I would like to share (!) the importance of sharing with others, and ways I add this simple act to my life. Not only will you have a take-home dinner idea to impress, you’ll also become aware of sharing and how it can enhance the quality of relationships in your life.

 

Sharing – How can I indulge?

Sharing, giving, contribution, quality time…..

However you refer to it, sharing is a fundamental experience that we as humans were designed to have. In fact, it isn’t just humans that were designed to share.

It is a fundamental principal of nature.

Take any organism for example. Oxygen is used to create energy which is shared with the cells that require it.

Sharing is everywhere. You just have to look.

What forms of sharing am I talking about, and how can you create a sharing experience for yourself?

Consider the following, my favourite forms of sharing:

  • Knowledge – collaborating books, information, experiences.
  • Resources – exchanging tools, equipment, physical resources required to achieve a common goal
  • Time – devoting attention, a pair of listening ears, a pair of helping hands, a shoulder to cry on.
  • Space – the physical sense of being in the presence of another, whether it be an animal or human.

You can see that in its many forms, sharing helps us grow – emotionally, spiritually, and physically.

There are many ways you can enhance your life experience through sharing. My example is through the teaching of a yummy new recipe.

 

Cooking, food, and the ultimate sharing experience

Now I can provide a link between cauliflower pizza and the act of sharing.

I like to use cooking, preparing, and enjoying fine food as a way for me to indulge in sharing.

After all, food is such an important gift that every living animal on the earth shares as a common need.

To me, it is a way I can satisfy all of my forms of sharing – knowledge, resources, time and space, at once. Not only is it efficient, it is extremely rewarding.

Let me explain.

I invited my girlfriend over for a cooking date, as I wanted to spend quality time with her (away from TV and other distractions) in person alone (space). I decided to teach her a yummy recipe which she had not tried before (transfer of knowledge), using my own hands and ingredients I had supplied for us (my resources).

Needless to say, I got a lot out of the experience, and so did she.

Cooking. I love it, and it’s a great way to share.

 

My yummy cauliflower pizza base recipe

Now for the recipe!

How did I create the chemistry of sharing through food? I added this awesome and fun recipe for healthy pizza 🙂

 

Servings: Makes 1 large family size pizza

Preparation time: 30 min (including pre-cooking)

Ingredients

  • Half a head of a large cauliflower
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup of shredded melting cheese (Colby, Mozzarella etc.)

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Wash cauliflower in cool water and separate florets from the head. Leave to drip dry.
  2. Use a food processor to grind cauliflower to a fine consistency, similar to oats or breadcrumbs.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, add the cauliflower, eggs, and cheese. Combine well.
  4. Spread the mixture evenly over a large oven tray, making it as thick (or thin) as you like. Use baking paper to avoid the base sticking to the tray.
  5. Place in heated oven and cook for 20 min or until browned and slightly crisp to touch.

Once cooked, simply prepare your pizza as normal, adding your favourite toppings as desired.

Simple!

 

Now you can see how I applied cooking as a way to experience my primary forms of sharing, which were through knowledge, resources, time, and space. 

I hope in reading this, it has given you a new awareness to the forms and ways that sharing can potentially enhance your life experience, and your relationships.

Go on. Get out there and share something with a person close to you. I want to hear your experiences!

Thanks for reading my work.

Like it? Please share with your friends on social media. The more people I can inspire, the happier I’ll be.

Until next time…..

Yours in inspiration,

Jason

 

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What I learnt from my 5 day Juice Detox, and what I plan to do different next time

Health & Wellbeing, , , , , , ,

I hope you enjoyed the last posts on why I chose to juice detox, and how I did it. It isn’t scientific (you can find heaps of that all over the web), as much as it is a recount of the personal, physiological, and emotional effects I encountered.

Wow. What an experience.

As I write this, 2 weeks after the completion of the detox experiment, I still find myself influenced by the experience.

I’m more appreciative, thankful, thoughtful, and concious of the wonderful foods I eat.

In this post, I will give you more of an insight into what I gained from it, and what I will do differently next time. This will hopefully give you (and I) closure, and wrap the experience up with some excellent take-home messages.

 

My summary of the 5 days on juice

Day 1 was an adjustment to the absence of food

Energy levels were good, but breakfast was, well, a bore. Lunch was coming. Yay! Oh, wait, I’m not allowed to eat. Hunger pains, so maybe I should just reach for a tasty snack….. of yet another juice. So, so much fluid!

Day 2 was all about struggle

Struggle with the impulsive need to chew on something, and with the reduction in energy levels as my body adjusted to this new energy source. I became less and less “hungry” as I turned to replenishments of juice every 30 minutes or so, which left me surprisingly satisfied. 

Despite this, I was noticeably clearer in thought and more relaxed. The juicing was having good effect.

Day 3 was revelation and hell, all in one

I awoke with good energy levels, feeling energetic and with no desire to eat anything. At this point, I had reached peace with the absence of solids in my diet. I felt great for the most part of the day, having great mental focus and energy. I was realising my desire to eat was less about satisfying a hunger, the juice was taking care of that. It was more to satisfy the habit of eating. 

Then, it started.

By mid afternoon, I would find myself feeling mildly dizzy, or even “drunk”. Happy drunk though. I would stand up and have to pause, taking deep breaths to wait for the room to stop spinning. It would take longer for me to conclude my thoughts, despite having a clear mind. Life was in the slow lane.

Time for another juice, which helped restore energy momentarily.

At this point, I really questioned my reason for undertaking such a cause. My integrity and desire to complete pushed me through.

Day 4 – welcome to cloud land

After a stressful day prior, and a dramatic loss of body fluid overnight, my body was out of sorts, and the symptoms of slow thought and dizziness mildly intensified. 

I was living in a cloud.

At this point, I made the executive decision to include protein supplement more frequently in an attempt to provide an energy boost. My energy returned, and I was no longer interested in the idea of food.

My commitment was strong and my desire to prove to myself that I could make the 5 day duration was empowering.

Day 5 and the joy of an immanent end

Gratitude, elation, and excitement at the prospect of food! With energy levels and my spirit high, the final day was all about reflection and focus on the delicacies to come.

A short day to end a long week without food!

 

What I learnt from the 5 days of juice detox

If you read the first post in this series, you’ll know that I did this juice detox not to lose weight, but to cleanse my body and reconnect with my food.

The juice detoxing experience provided me exposure to a new way of being, which didn’t include the nutritious munchies that I surrounded myself with daily.

More than anything, It highlighted just how much my life revolves around food.

If you think long and hard, I’m sure you’ll agree.

With all that goes on in life, it took isolation from food to regain an appreciation for it’s place as part of my being.

A new appreciation for:

  • The meditative effect of food preparation  – Preparing your meal is exciting, calming, soothing, and satisfying. To share the experience with another is to add a whole other (most enjoyable) dimension. I realised that food preparation offered a meaningful distraction from my worries, fears, and insecurities, and provided a social setting to connect with those I care for most. 
  • The consumption of food is a joyous experience to cherish – I had become numb to the experience of food consumption. It had become a necessity – to fuel the activity that I surrounded myself with daily. Once removed, the wonders of texture, sight, smell, and taste, became ever so apparent to me. Prior to the detox, repetitive meals, lacking in variety, were not doing the potential experience justice. 
  • It takes time – In order to experience any joy from food, there must be ample time available! Meal time had become a rushed chore that stood in the way of bigger and better things. I realised there is nothing more important than food, so I should devote more time to being grateful, appreciative, and respectful of the gift I am given each and every day.

Without food, there is no life.

I now can see that to enjoy the experience of food first of all with myself, then with others, is the most important thing I have.

In future, I plan to appreciate these, and more.

 

What I will do different next time

Committing to 5 day of juice detox was an enlightening experience, and an achievement I am proud to have completed.

If you have made it this far, and have read the first and second posts, you will appreciate the open minded way that I conducted the detox experiment. As this was my first time, there are, of course, improvements that I would like to make to have the experience even more effective.

In fact, there are 3.

1. Duration of the detox

As I have hinted throughout, I loved the juice detox experience, and I will be doing it again.

In fact, to continually remind myself of the joy of food and provide my body with a cleanse, I am committing to a 3 day juice detox at the beginning of every month.

Why 3 days?

I found that I achieved the most value from my juice detox experience by the end of the third day. The subsequent days were draining; spent floating around waiting for permission to chew into a juicy lentil burger.

2. Higher dosage of juice

My single heaped teaspoon of Vital Greens wasn’t enough. To combat this, I was consuming many more glasses (and hence more water) to achieve the nutrition level my body required.

I believe the excess water had a dilution effect, and I wasn’t getting the full benefit of the nutrient I was consuming.

Next time, I am going to do one of the following to increase the nutrient content:

  • a minimum 2 teaspoon dose of Vital Greens; or
  • mix Vital Greens with another green drink such as barley grass or wheatgrass.

3. Include a plant based protein source first thing in the morning

As I found in my results, I required something in addition to fuel my body through the detox process.

I chose pea protein.

The main reasons for choosing this was because it is plant based, and dissolves in water (so requires low amounts of energy for digestion).

In future, I will be experimenting with the inclusion of either half an avocado or 30-60g of pea protein first thing in the morning to supplement the detox.

I believe this will provide the energy I felt I lacked, and the ability to complete the detox without caving to the temptation of a quick fix.

 

There you have it! The end of my 5 days on a juice detox.

I totally loved the experience, and I think there are many more people out there, including you, that would love it too.

If you ever needed any more inspiration to give it a go, check out the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. It really highlights that all types of people can get something out of the experience.

Please, if you liked this story, share it with someone who you think might benefit. I hope I can be an inspiration to the well being of others, and show just how easy you can make something which seems so radical.

Thanks for reading my work.

Like it? Please share with your friends on social media. The more people I can inspire, the happier I’ll be.

Until next time…..

Yours in inspiration,

Jason

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My 5 day Juice Detox – How I did it, and the results

Welcome to the second of a three part post covering my juice detox experiment.

In the last post, you will have learned why I decided to undertake this journey, and some of the benefits that convinced me to try it.

Everyone chooses their own path to take, and for me, the path for this journey was clear.

I wanted to test my mental connection to food, and gain an understanding of my cravings and what they were caused by. To regain awareness and appreciation of food.

By the end of this second post, you will have a first-hand recount of my 5 day juice detox and what I experienced each day. You will learn exactly how I did it, so you can start your own cleansing detox today! I even took a video diary and kept a journal to share with you.

A thought for you to consider leading into this post:

Every detox experience is unique to the individual.

You can’t compare your results to someone else, or to preconceived expectations you have of the experience. It is totally unique to you.

You can get a glimpse of what I experienced below 🙂

 

How I did a juice detox, and how you can do it too

I didn’t put a lot of preparation and planning into this experiment. I knew why I was doing it, and I had the resources to get started, so I went for it!

I know that sounds simple, but I hear you asking “what steps were involved in doing it?”

Looking back on how it all turned out, I can see that I broke the 5 day juice detox process into the 5 simple steps as follows.

1. Pick a duration and set a date

Decide on a duration for a juice detox, and commit to it!

There are many durations you can pick, some as wild as 60 days! Some other (more realistic) milestones to choose from are 3, 5 & 7 day periods on a juice detox.

I picked 5 days of juice.

Why?

For me, 3 was too easy, and 7 days took me into a weekend. With the daily work routine and less social activity during the week, it made sense for me to conduct a 5 day juice detox during my working week.

The next step, committing it to my diary and preparing for my week off food!

2. Remove the temptation of food

Got your detox plan sorted? Great!

Now, go to your pantry in the kitchen, open the fridge, and take a good, long look.

All that yummy food needs to go!

I scheduled my juice detox into my calendar so I could be prepared. I spent the week beforehand making sure I used all available ingredients at hand, and not buying anything more to store in the house.

This activity was quite fun. It forced me to be more resourceful in meal preparation, and taught me improvisation and a form of delayed gratification.

I could normally have whatever I want. I just go to the shop and buy it! Not this time.

With my commitment, I had an understanding that I could have all that I wanted, but only after finishing the juice detox.

Donate to friends, hide in the freezer, feed to your cat. Do whatever is necessary to remove the temptation of food from your life so you can devote yourself to the detox.

NOTE: I found it very valuable to leave some simple, healthy items of food accessible, as it turns out my nutrition intake wasn’t enough. Nuts, seeds, and my favourite plant-based pea protein powder was my ’emergency’ stock.

3. Get equipped

I made my juice detox as simple as possible.

All you will need are the following 3 simple “ingredients” for 5 days of nutrition.

  • Fresh, filtered water – To remove the nasty chemicals that kill the good bacteria in your stomach (and lessen the cleansing effect of the detox), I filtered all my water. You can use any water filter of choice. I used an Ecobud Gentoo water filter jug, as it is Australian, and more importantly, removes fluoride from the water. You can read why removal of fluoride is important here. 
  • A vegetable based protein source – I used pea protein during my detox. Initially I planned to drink only juice, but I found my energy levels dropped to a point where I was feeling faint at times. I decided to use my favourite pea protein at these times (see my journal notes below). It is vegetable based, alkaline, and very easy on the stomach.
  • A wholesome, nutrient dense green vegetable juice – The most important part of the detox, the juice! I used Vital Greens for the detox. I’ll explain more in the next section 🙂

That’s it! Very simple, and that’s the idea – in making it simple, there are less reasons not to do it.

4. Choosing the juice

Choosing what is going to fuel your body through the 5 days of transformation is the most important step!

There are many ‘juice’ types you could choose to use. Options such as:

  1. Using a juicer, buying fresh fruit and vegetables, and creating yummy juices yourself
  2. Using a pre-packaged juice that is high in nutritional content, highly alkaline, and low in sugars
  3. Use a ‘green drink’ supplement.

In his ‘Get the Edge’ audio program, Anthony Robbins talks of using a ‘green drink’ supplement such as wheatgrass or barley grass to perform a juice detox.

Looking into this option, I liked it.

Why?

It’s minimalistic, requires very little time to prepare juices, and requires no special equipment.

It removed many of the pains I could experience when attempting the juice detox – time, money, and difficulty. I didn’t have a juicer either, nor did I want to make that investment just for this experiment.

I’d been consuming Vital Greens, a superfood supplement, for over 18 months, and was really happy with it’s taste and how I felt drinking it. Rather than choose to buy more ingredients (such as wheat grass), I decided to use what I had available, and try the Vital Greens approach.

How much did I use?

The recommended serving size for Vital Greens is 2 teaspoons per 200ml of filtered water.

In general, I used a single heaped teaspoon per glass (the teaspoon was heaped with as much that it could carry).

That’s what I did, and you can do it any way you like. There are plenty of awesome juice detox recipes and ideas out there to try.

Don’t spend too much time on it though, as you will find what feels right when you actually do it!

After all, there can always be improvement..

5. Moderating activity and affirming the objective

Morning runs, afternoon hill sprints, and weekend bike rides. Ahh the active lifestyle.

Does this sound like you? Great!

Although I made the choice to moderate the intensity of my exercise for the week, the good news is I didn’t stop, nor did I feel the need to.

You will see from my diary entries (below) that I still maintained steady exercise, which included:

  • Regular walks
  • Resistance exercise sessions (TRX and bodyweight)
  • Moderate intensity cardio
  • Yoga

Which wasn’t too different from my normal routine.

No matter what, I recommend taking it easy, as this is a very big deal for your body. Depending on your body type, your response to the detox may be more stressful than the next person.

So you’re and athlete and you worry about losing muscle mass and starving your body?

I’m not here to convince you otherwise. There is plenty of research to suggest the opposite, so long as the juice you are drinking contains enough nutrient. If it is still a concern, ask yourself:

Why am I doing this juice detox, and what is the transformation I want to achieve?

Remind yourself of the true reason for this challenge.

I was determined to test my mind-body connection with food, and experience the cleansing effect of high nutrient intake, so any loss of muscle was not a concern for me (and although I did not measure in any way, I do not feel I had any signs of muscle loss during my detox).

 

There you have it. Those are my 5 easy steps to make a successful juice detox experience for yourself. Here they are again: 

  1. Set a goal
  2. Remove the temptation of food
  3. Equip yourself
  4. Get the juice; and
  5. Re-affirm your objective.

Once I committed myself, the detox was simple to do. Sure, there were struggles with willpower (as to be expected when removing food from my life!), but I overcame these and learned so much from the experience.

I’ve got your interest now haven’t I! Are you wondering how I handled the experience?

Let’s look at my results 🙂

 

The results of 5 days on juice!

Now to the results!

If I could summarise the experience, I would say:

it left me feeling clean, clear minded, and with a thorough appreciation for the taste, texture, smell, and the social impact of food in my life.

It was an amazing experience, and I will be doing it again. More on that in the next post.

For now, enjoy my recount of the juice detox experience below.

My real life journal entries

Want to know what really happened over the 5 days of juice? Check out my raw diary entries below to see what I was doing and feeling through the detox process.

DAY 1 – 28/04/2014

Cups: 11111111
With protein: 11 (10 total )
Weight: 73.9kg

  • Energy already low from weekend holidays recovery
  • Starting to get stomach aches at 11am – I feel like solid food
  • Feeling fine otherwise
  • Going to toilet every 1 hour
  • Feeling light headed, but not hungry
  • Feeling hungry at 3pm. Had pea protein with drink. Much more fulfilling.
  • Feeling depressed and craved food. Had peanut butter and nuts before bed.
  • Recovering from lack of sleep. Depressed thought patterns and lack of drive (normal for me with lack of sleep)
  • Bed early at 8.30pm
  • EXERCISE – 12min intense TRX abdominal workout

DAY 2 – 29/04/2014

Cups: 1111111111
With protein: 11 (12 total )
Weight: 72.9kg

  • Feeling good. Green drink with protein to start
  • Went to toilet. Stool dense and green tinge. Felt very empty once finished.
  • Feeling a little hungry and light headed at 10.30am. Had another juice to get rid of this feeling.
  • Juice might be too potent. Urine is tone of yellow like too much vitamins. limiting to 1 heaped teaspoon per cup.
  • Feeling very calm and clear minded
  • Feeling faint while walking at 12.15. Had another juice.
  • Faint feeling continuing at 2.30pm. Thought about including protein powder, but held off. Another juice.
  • Mental clarity OK. Feeling some fatigue
  • Faintness intensifying. Notice sitting at desk. Caved and had 30g protein with green drink.
  • EXERCISE – castle hill. Felt drained at first, then energy stabilised once 10min in. Completed heavy cardio workout almost as normal.
  • Cheated and had a handful of nuts once home. Was really filling. Felt a little guilty.
  • Good energy. Bed at 10.30pm

DAY 3 – 30/04/2014

Cups: 111111111111
With protein: 1  ( 13 total )
Weight: 71.6kg

  • Excellent sleep. Woke up once to go to the bathroom
  • EXERCISE: 1hr Yoga before work. Feeling ultra relaxed.
  • Not feeling desire for solid food as much. Feeling content with what I have in juice.
  • No hunger. Feeling a little faint @ 2pm
  • Tough afternoon, really testing my commitment to the detox. The desire to have food, driven by boredom and dissatisfaction at work, is high, Reached a climax once arriving from work to an empty house. Caved and had a handfull of nuts. Tasted so good, but guilty feeling at surrendering to a very minimal urge.
  • Really highlighting what is in this for me – its a mental challenge. Pushing the boundaries of what I know about myself.
  • I turn to food when bored / depressed. It will be a good exercise to determine what things I can do to alleviate these feelings.
  • Weighed myself at 5.45pm. 75kg! I put on 3.5kg since 6am! What are the causes?Considering almost no solids ingested, this is very strange.Feeling tired and a little hungry before bed. Another juice! Very fatigued. Bed at 9.30pm
    • Stress
    • Emotional
    • Water retention due to the stress

DAY 4 – 1/05/2014

Cups: 111111111
With protein: 1111111  (16 total )
Weight: 71.3kg

  • Lost nearly 4kg overnight! Went to toilet twice during the night. Seem to have lost all water stored while I was sleeping.
  • Feeling very groggy. Possibly due to interrupted sleep.
  • Went for a short walk before work, practising deep breathing and gratitude.
  • Felt quite hungry and faint. Had a juice with protein. Feeling better. I think the extra calories in the protein helps. Maybe my juices are not potent enough?
  • Really quite faint @ 8am. I think my calorie intake is insufficient. Going to try increasing the strength of juice.
  • Feeling like on a cloud. Energy is average. Strange feeling where I have energy but am too tired to use it.
  • Lunch time. Green drink and protein. Starting to have more energy now.
  • Energy levels restoring. Feeling much better. Clearly need more calories, coming from protein powder
  • Feeling tons better after protein hits. Energy is elevated, although less than normal
  • EXERCISE – ride, mowing and some upper body strength
  • Weight – 72.5 @ 6.30pm

DAY 5 – 2/05/2014

Cups: 11111111
With protein: 1111  (12 total )
Weight: 70.9

  • Feeling intense gratitude for the experience. Feeling so “clean”. Hard to explain until you try!
  • Energy is much better with protein inclusion. Energy levels are good.
  • Did a set of chin ups and hanging abdominal raises and did not notice difference.
  • Energy levels during the day at work are OK, but still sub-normal, with light headed spells when walking after sitting
  • At 1pm I called an end to the detox.

There you have it. My 5 day juice detox experience wrapped up.

I touched on a few benefits in the video journal and in my notes, and there is a few more I will discuss in the next post. Stay tuned!

As with all things health and wellbeing, results are totally unique to YOU. I hope you enjoyed mine.

I would love to hear your feedback, especially those of you that are going to (or plan to) attempt a juice detox.

Until then, stay healthy, and don’t be afraid to try something different.

Magic happens outside the comfort zone….

Thanks for reading my work.

Like it? Please share with your friends on social media. The more people I can inspire, the happier I’ll be.

Until next time…..

Yours in inspiration,

Jason

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It’s not Old Spice, but this natural antiperspirant deodorant actually works!

Health & Wellbeing, , , , , , , ,

I’m standing beside the desk of a colleague the other day, and as I lean over I inhale the ‘interesting’ scent of my own B.O.

Oh no.

My mind starts racing.

Is it actually me? Is it really that bad? Can the other person smell it too? Surely they must……..

If you’re like me and have had this problem before, you may have come to the same conclusion, which for me is that my deodorant just wasn’t up to scratch.

On my journey to experiment with natural alternatives to common products and ways of doing things, I have been using a store-bought variety of deodorant with no aluminium, to reduce my absorption of metals and chemicals in this highly sensitive area of the body.

Unfortunately, it costs a lot, and wasn’t that great. Then I got thinking, what if I could make it myself?

That’s what I want to teach you today. How to make an effective, natural alternative to a deodorant! By the end of this post, you will learn how to make your own, and I’ll share with you the results of my testing so you know what to expect.

But my deodorant works. Why would I change?

There is much debate of the health affects antiperspirant deodorants have on our bodies, so for me, as with all things concerning my health, my opinion remains the same.

Less is best.

The fewer ingredients, and the more natural they are, the better it is likely to be for you. When you go to the next level and start making your own products, as I will show you in this post, then your health is in even better hands!

Natural products are normally expensive, right?

Wrong. Well, mostly.

When you buy store bought natural products, the prices tend to be high.

You’re paying for the marketing of a health product.

Making these products yourself from (even simpler) recipes with fewer ingredients, slashes the cost by over 80%! Yes, once made, my version of an antiperspirant deodorant costs approximately $1.32 for 150ml, compared to $9.95 for a 70ml store bought natural equivalent!

Natural Antiperspirant Deodorant Ingredients
The ingredients I used to make my deodorant. A total cost of $13.17!

Using my recipe, not only do you get double the amount, but it’s at a purchase price which is 86.7% cheaper!

What’s even better, is that all the ingredients can be used in your everyday cooking and baking. This means no waste. Perfect!

Do I have to go to a special shop to find the ingredients?

Not at all!

I purchased all the ingredients required from my local grocery store. The options I chose are not all organic, and I don’t personally see this as being necessary.

All ingredients are common and are not difficult for you to buy. Pick them up when you next do your grocery shopping.

It’s so, so easy!

My recipe for an natural, effective, antiperspirant deodorant

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 
1/8 cup cornflour
  • 1/8 cup arrowroot (Tapioca) powder
  • Essential oil of choice (optional)

Directions

Combine coconut oil, cornstarch, and arrowroot in a suitable storage container (either a sanitised jar or a small plastic snack container will do).

Place lid on and shake well to combine. Add in a drop or two of your favourite essential oil as desired.

The result, and a real-life review

 

The coconut oil mixed with arrowroot and cornflour solidifies, making this a no-mess product
The coconut oil mixed with arrowroot and cornflour solidifies, making this a no-mess product

I have been using this product for a week now, and I can confirm…It works!

I have almost no body odour, drastically reduced sweating, and it feels so much better than anything else I have used.

As a preference, I chose to use this deodorant without the essential oil for a more neutral, slightly coconut smell, and it works amazingly well!

A word of warning though. I decided to use an old garlic jar for my first batch. Even though I soaked and washed it thoroughly, guess what happened?

It smelled like garlic! Not ideal for a first date.

Round two was much more successful 🙂 I plan to keep using this and adding scents if I feel like something different. Natural vanilla would be a nice touch I think.

 

There you have it. A totally natural deodorant that is easy to make, uses only 3 easily accessible ingredients, and works! Next time you go to buy a new antiperspirant deodorant, pause to look at the price, the ingredients, then remember this post. It’s dead easy, and I challenge you to try it yourself!

In fact, I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment below to share your recipe and results. I want to hear just how your experience was, and if it was as easy to achieve as mine!

Until the next post, thanks for being part of my journey. Keep fostering those healthy habits!

Jason

 

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