A New Start!

So, I actually finished my detox early, last Friday, Jan. 21, because I was losing too much weight.  All my jeans became loose, and I'm already size 00, and I'm not sure if there is any other size smaller than that.  Anyway, I actually failed and ate McDonald's two days after and man I felt so groggy and bloated....I don't think I will ever be eating McD's again...well at least probably only every so often.  Drinking soda hurt my stomach and made me feel so bloated. So, it is true that your body does become sensitive to these high-fat, high-sugar foods.  I think I'm gonna stick to home made foods and will only eat fast food once in a while.

So, my results after detox:
Pros:
1. Clearer skin
2. More energy
3. Better sleep
4. Better overall feeling
5. Thinking clearly
6. Eventually a habit of eating healthy =D
7. Helps show the basics of living a healthy lifestyle =D

Cons (for me at least):
1. Lose weight

Now, I am eating a lot more, and when I do eat too much, my body seems not to be able to handle it very well.  So, I have to take it slowly until I am able to eat at least 5 times a day.  I am gonna work on eating more this week, and then start my exercise program next week.  I am thinking about doing P90X.  We'll see how that goes! =D

Great Results!!!

Alright, so I've been using the virgin coconut oil for about 2 weeks now, and I have to say that I'm very pleased with the results!! I just have to say that I love this coconut oil and will continue using it.  My skin has become so much softer and smoother, and my face actually looks like I put some kind of makeup on it.  I've never seen my skin look so GOOD! =D  At first however, multiple small little pimples started coming out on my face and I thought of stopping the use of the coconut oil, but I continued anyway because it moisturized it so well.  Within 3 days, the pimples are gone and it's now completely clear!

Also, I received my body brush last week and have used it twice.  I got the Yerba Prima Tampico body brush and it did feel rough on my skin.  But upon doing my usual research, the brush is supposed to be a little rough in order for it to remove the dead skin cells, as well as exfoliate, the skin.  So, after dry brushing the first time, my skin immediately felt extremely smooth.  I'm not sure yet about how it helps circulation and all the other claimed benefits, but I sure like what it does for my skin! =D  Also, the eczema on my hands is almost completely gone.  My hands have become very soft and smooth, and you have no idea just how happy I am to have found something that helps with my eczema! I just cannot express how happy I am to have stumbled upon this virgin coconut oil! ^___^  The ringworm around my mouth is pretty much gone.  It's only my upper lip that is still visible.  So, not only does this oil make the skin softer and smoother, it also heals fungal infections and obviously helps with other skin diseases, such as eczema.  I now believe the claims people have made about this oil.  I am truly happy that I continued using it. =D

Virgin Coconut Oil!!

So, I received the coconut oil I ordered from Tropical Traditions the previous Wednesday and have been using it for 3 days now.  And the results are wonderful! =D  The dark patches around my mouth is a lot lighter now and does not irritate as much anymore.  And the patch on my neck is almost gone.  Also, the eczema on my hands are getting better as well.  It's not as dark as it was and the oil definitely keeps my hands moisturized for many hours.  I've also tried it as a facial moisturizer at night.  It is oily (of course!) when you first put it on and may take a while for the skin to absorb, but when I wake up I love how my skin looks! It looks like I'm glowing! =D The only downside is that you always have to melt it (I do it by putting the bottle in hot or warm water or put it under running hot water) when the temperature goes under 76 degrees. To make things easier, I melted a majority of the coconut oil in the bottle by putting the bottle in warm water overnight and then scooping enough melted oil into a 4 oz. travel bottle.  This way, I won't constantly have to deal with the large bottle and wait a longer period of time for the oil to melt.  If I get extra money, I just might buy their ready made lotions and moisturizers.  But right now, I am satisfied with just the oil.  I haven't tried it on my whole body yet nor as a hair treatment, but I'm planning to try them out.  So, I definitely recommend the golden label virgin coconut oil from Tropical Traditions.  I will definitely be ordering from them again! I'm only within the first week and can't wait to see the results from continued use!  =D

Getting Better!

I actually stopped using the tea tree oil 3 days ago since it was severely burning my skin! My skin was left red all day and was extremely irritated.  On a whim, I decided to try olive oil with the tea tree to see if it would help dilute the tea tree.  It did help a bit, but it was still burning my skin.  However, I liked how the olive oil would moisturize my skin and not leave it so white and dry like the tea tree did.  Since I couldn't take the burning anymore, I decided to stop using the tea tree and just stayed with the olive oil.  After 3 days, my ringworm has actually looked a whole lot better while being kept moisturized! Seeing what the olive oil can do, I can't wait to receive the virgin coconut oil and see its effects on the ringworm!  *Fingers crossed*

By the way, I am currently using the Great Value Pure Olive Oil.

Newfound Energy! =D

So, I've been on the detox for 6 days now...and WOW! I can already feel the energy flowing in me.  It is true that the first few days you are supposed to feel groggy and weak, and once you're past that, man it feels GOOD! In the past, I used to pretty much feel tired by early afternoon (which I think is pretty early to be feeling tired -___-) I used to constantly yawn throughout the day.  Yesterday and today, I only yawned in the evening.  It may not sound like much, but I really feel a difference.  Another positive change I am experiencing is NO cramps so far while I'm on my menstruation period.  I used to feel so much abdominal pain and just tired all day while I was on my period.  This time, I have energy and I don't feel any cramps!! It's only been the first week, and I am already liking this detox! I can't wait to see what other changes will occur.  I really hope to see healthier skin by the time I'm done! =D

A Contest for Free Lip Moisturizers from Tropical Traditions!

While ordering the virgin coconut oil from the Tropical Traditions site, I visited their weekly deals and stumbled upon a contest for their lip moisturizers.  It's really easy to get entries for it, and it would be really nice to try out their lip moisturizers since I have not found ONE lip moisturizer that I wasn't allergic to.  Go ahead and check it out.  You can find the contest at the blog "Confessions of an Overworked Mom" right here on Blogger.  Go to her "Giveaways" tab and scroll down a bit and you should be able to see the rules for the contest.  Here is the link:  http://confessionsofanover-workedmom.blogspot.com/search/label/giveaway

Good luck!

Ringworm Pics

So, this is how my ringworm looks like right now, before detox:

Yup...very ugly and NASTY!  I also have it on my neck -___-

In this pic, I put tea tree oil earlier in the morning.  It was burning so bad, and it left my skin so dry and white, so I put some olive oil to help relieve the burning and dryness.  The olive oil actually helped greatly.  This is the first time I'm doing this.  Currently, I am using tea tree oil with Lotrimin.  I have been suffering from ringworm for about a year now.   It did go away for about a month in the middle of the year after using tea tree oil and lotrimin for about 5 months.. -___-.  Yup, it took that long.  But then it came back!  I've been using the same treatment, but now I notice that it's not working as well.  It will relieve the itching, but that is all.  The ringworm looks the same from day to day.  So, I decided to research more.  I have found out that the tea tree oil does help with ringworm symptoms and may work for some people, but it is not strong enough to actually kill the fungus.  Also, using creams such as lotrimin for a long period of time can actually damage the liver, which can actually make the ringworm worse.  *Sigh*  I also actually went to the doctor last month.  They took a sample of the skin to make sure if it's ringworm.  They called me a week later and couldn't even tell me what it was and was about to say that there wasn't enough sample but changed her mind and just said that they can refer me to a dermatologist instead.  And then they billed me $175 for that work! Ugh! Just goes to show how reliable they are...Anyway, so I decided to do things on my own since also on my long research about ringworm treatments, many people who went to the doctor ended up having to take things on their own hands since doctors simply prescribe medicated creams that didn't help much or did heal the ringworm for a while but came back.  I stumbled upon a site talking about coconut oil as one of the best cures for ringworm and other fungi infections.  So, upon researching twenty more sites about coconut oil as a treatment for ringworm, all of them said that coconut oil has worked for the people who have used it.  Also, after researching which is the best coconut oil to purchase, I decided to buy virgin coconut oil straight from the Philippines on the site TropicalTraditions.com. 

 I just ordered the gold label virgin coconut oil and two of their soaps.  I'm very excited about these products as I have also found that coconut oil helps with eczema as well.  It helps keep your skin very smooth and healthier, and may also decrease wrinkles as a moisturizer.  It can also be used as a hair treatment, making hair shinier and easing frizziness.  Taken orally, it helps with candida overgrowth and also helps with body clean-up.  With all these benefits, I just had to try it!! 

And here is my eczema (pretty mild): 

You can't really see it, but pretty much the eczema has made my skin so dry that it bleeds with a light scratch. Many times, I get cuts on my hand without knowing how it happened.

So, I hope the detox and the coconut oil and soaps will help to clear up the ringworm and help with the symptoms of my eczema..

New Year's Resolution

It's 2011!!  Another fresh year for a new resolution...or to even retry or redo one.  My new year's resolution this year?

TO LIVE A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE...then gaining weight to have a curvier body!

Now, to live a healthier lifestyle I am going to do the following:

1. Detox for a month
2. Try to eat red meat only once a week or less frequently
3. Exercise at least 5 times a week
4. Drink at least 1 liter of water a day
5. Have an intake of at least 2 cups vegetables and fruits each day
6. Use skin care, makeup, and cleaning products free of harmful chemicals
7. Relaxation exercises
8. Weekly "At-Home Spa"
9. Sleep 8 hours a day

To get a curvier body:

1. After detox, slowly increase healthy caloric intake, working to eat 2,500 calories
2. Eat at least 5 times a day
3. Have a high protein intake without eating too much meat
4. Exercise with weights, increasing weight as I get stronger
• Concentrate on lower body, especially on the glutes

So far, this is all I have on my list of things to do.  I will be adding more throughout the year.  I am very excited about my new resolution, and hopefully I will carry it through for pretty much the rest of my life.  

On a detox, you are pretty much on a raw food diet, meaning free of processed ingredients.  It is also free of animal meat and pretty much consists of fruits, whole grains, and fish.  There are many types of detox out there (e.g. lemon diet, juice diet, coconut diet, etc).  Since I am already small and skinny as it is (4'10"  85 lbs.), I am not trying to go on a detox in which I will lose a great amount of weight.  I am not doing a detox in order to lose weight but to rid my body of its toxins.  Also, I currently have ringworm, which I have been suffering from for about a year now, and eczema.  After a good amount of research, I have found that a detox should be able to help in decreasing the symptoms of many skin infections and diseases, such as ringworm and eczema.  This makes sense because fungi feed on excess saturated fats and high sugar contents that people consume daily.  A detox should be able to help because people modify their diets and get rid of foods high in saturated and trans fats and foods containing high amounts of sugar, such as high fructose corn syrup.   Additional incredible benefits of a detox are as listed:

• Increased energy
• Better sleep
• Healthier-looking skin, hair, and nails
• Clearer mind
• Better, healthier overall being

Therefore, I thought that a detox is a great way to start the new year! 

I have already started on the detox and have been on it for 5 days now.  Let me tell you, it was very difficult for me the first two days.  I am the type of person who has a big sweet tooth.  I don't drink, smoke, or do any drugs, but I sure am addicted to caffeine and sweets.  On the second day, I have to admit that I easily cheated and binged on cookies and candies. >.< Yeah...it was pretty bad.  Luckily, I have a wonderful support team...my husband! Hehe.  First of all, he pretty much told me how disappointed he was with me.  Then, he reminded me of the reasons why I wanted to do the detox in the first place and encouraged me.  After that, I actually had a better sense of and outlook about the detox.  I haven't really seen any improvement on my ringworm and eczema, and they actually seem to be getting worse.  I then just did some more research this morning and found out that I might be going through inflammation and increased symptoms on any skin problems because the skin is the the largest organ where toxins exit the body.  If the organs inside the body are not able to get rid of or are being overworked in getting rid of toxins, the excess toxins are released through the skin.  Therefore, any skin problems may become more irritated in the beginning of the detox and should become better after the first to second week.  Since I cheated on the second day, I pretty much have been on the detox for only 3 days.  So, I'm hoping to see an improvement by the end of the weekend.  I haven't seen any improvements on my skin problems, but I actually feel an increase in energy today, which is a plus! =]  I am definitely determined to see this detox through and will probably continue to do it maybe on a weekend every month.  

And by the way, the detox I am following is based on the book Detox: The Process of Cleansing and Restoration by Sara Rose (2006 edition). 

I really like this book because it covers the process of detox very well and gives detailed descriptions of what should be done.  It has a meal plan for the whole month laid out for you, including the recipes.  This detox also does not simply concentrate on food intake, but also on external ways of taking care of your body and on ways of reducing stress, which are two important components of the detox as well.    

Anyway, if you are also deciding to go through a detox, keep in mind that you WILL feel a lot better at the end of it.  However, you also need to do your own research and figure out if it will be a good fit for you.  Check with your doctor.  Also, there are many varieties of detox out there, such as those concentrated on losing weight.  Good luck and keep your goals in mind.  You CAN get there!  =]