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!  =]