Celebrating 28 Days of the Diet

Pomegranate on stand (my trophy!)

I did it!  I completed 28 days of the Fast Metabolism Diet, and I lost 8.5 pounds.  I enjoyed it so much, that I have decided actually to incorporate the diet into how I eat all the time.  Before the diet, I was not eating enough fruits and vegetables.  So this will actually make me focus on eating better.  Also, I have to rotate what I eat anyway due to food sensitivity.  The diet makes you rotate food (fruit, protein, healthy fat...) every 2-3 days, so it is perfect.    

I gave up dairy for 28 days, and I will add it back to my diet.  Osteoporosis runs in my family, and my Vitamin D level is normally low without prescription supplements.  I found adding kale a good source of calcium, but think my body still needs the easier dairy source.  My goal is to add calcuim and Vitamin D with kefir, which is a healthy almost lactose free option. 

I will continue to keep my wheat and sugar intake limited.  I thought this would be hard but actually found this easy.  I eat more fruit now, so this has replaced my sugar craving.  I actually haven't had chocolate in 28 days!  That is amazing.  In the past, I actually ate chocolate almost every day.  Giving up wheat also hasn't been that hard.  The spelt bread is really good, and I couldn't tell the difference.  I have been eating more things like quinoa and brown rice.  I love rolls and hot water cornbread, but stopped eating them regularly years ago (because of the corn and yeast). 

Other changes included giving up bananas and potatoes.  I miss my bananas!  The book says they are high in sugar.  I will limit my intake of them.  Only using them as a sweetener for fruit sweeten cookies, and I will only add a 1/2 banana each week.  Also, I really miss kettle potato chips.  I had about 4 potato chips this weekend, so I will probably do that each weekend!  I can live without sweets, but potato chips...that is my favorite stress food.  I munched on carrots last week to cope with stress.  The crunch helped, but not the same.  Also, I missed mashed potatoes.  I actually had some this weekend because my schedule was so busy, and I was at an event and starving.

I did not drop any extra weight last week due to stress. Also not totally sticking to the plan, especially the goal of eating every 3-4 hours.  However, I only gained a half a pound.  Normally during a stress week, I would gain about 3 pounds.  So the plan is working. 

Follow what I am eating and journal what you are eating on the Two Grand app (my user name:  fanuppa).  I will update you on my new way of eating at the end of August.  Look for some fun recipes in future blog posts.

Thanks for giving me 5 minutes, 
-Fanuppa

Customers Love Lavender!

I am truly enjoying the opportunity to talk with customers every week at the farmer's market.  It is an opportunity to see what customers like, and what they don't like.  Kids are the most fun to watch as they sniff and smile.  They are also the most honest!  They shake their heads if they don't like it!  The Lavender/Sea Salt soap bar (exfoliates) has been the top seller, and next would be plain Lavender. 

I appreciate the benefits of Lavender essential oil.  It is a relaxing scent that is great for acne, burns, and cuts (has anti-bacteria properties).  At the market, I have found fresh Lavender in cookies and even lemonade. 

The funny thing is that Lavender is not one of my favorite scents!  I prefer something citrusy like lime.  I have to be careful with most floral scents, because they normally trigger headaches.  However, I have never had a reaction to Lavender.  So, I could see doing a combination of Lavender and Lime and really enjoying it! 

My favorite thing about Lavender is the color.  The purple is so pretty. 

I actually had a request to offer the facial toner in a Lavender scent.  I will be adding it soon. I enjoy listening and making the customers happy! 

What are some of your favorite scents?

www.fanuppasoaps.com


 

    

To Glycerin or Not

Should you use glycerin on your natural hair?  That is a great question.  It came to mind as I was outside at the local farmers market. I was trying to sell natural soap after it had poured down raining.  The rain stopped, but the air was really humid as you can imagine.  I had a hat on my head (lol).   I hate trying to sell soap when it is really humid.  My display had to be simplified.  Just one bar per type, and I kept the rest of the soaps covered to protect them.  Let's talk through why I covered the soap.

AN EXAMPLE
One of the great features of natural soap is that it contains glycerin.  Glycerin is a naturally occurring by-product of soap making.  It is the type in most beauty products.  There is also crude glycerin which is a by-product of bio-diesel production.  Glycerin is moisturizing for the body, but it makes my displayed soap bars feel wet and slippery just from being exposed to the humid air without rain ever touching them.  Why?

CLOSER LOOK
As my example indicates the air is a huge factor in deciding to use glycerin on your hair.  Glycerin attracts water from the air.  On a rainy day it will work great.  It also will work better during warmer seasons.  As it gets cooler and the air is dryer, glycerin will still absorb water but from the only source it has - your hair!  So how well your hair shafts allow moisture in, becomes a factor in using it too.  The season is a bigger factor, but the air where you work and live may be cool and drying too, regardless of the season.

ALLERGIES/SENSITIVITIES
Another factor in deciding to use glycerin is allergies and sensitivities.  I decided not to use it because of this factor.  Depending on the type of oil or fat used to make the soap, glycerin can be vegetable or animal based.  Normally it is derived from coconut or palm oil so it is not for my hair (salicylate and tree-nut sensitivity).  However, if you don't have any issues from using these oils then enjoy.

Hope this helps.  Got soap!

Week 3 of the Diet!

Salmon and veggies

Well, it will be 3 weeks on the diet this coming Monday!  I am really starting to see a difference in my clothes.  My face is smaller, and also my feet!  I have done Weight Watchers and the South Beach diets in the past.  They both had their advantages.  Weight Watchers forced me to look at my eating habits, and remember things like grapes are more filling than raisins.  South Beach taught me to make dessert out of ricotta cheese, flavoring, and artificial sweeteners.  However, I have to say that the The Fast Metabolism diet is my favorite.  The science behind this diet is really working.

Weight loss seems to happen when I go from phase 1 (high fruit) to phase 2 (high protein).  An example of Phase 3 is pictured.  The focus of Phase 3 is on healthy fats like those found in salmon.  Oils can be added too during Phase 3, that is the only way that I would eat asparagus and mashed cauliflower!  This phase is during the weekend, so it gives you more freedom when you need it. 

Weekends are hard though.  Usually more events and less time to focus on the diet.  My goal this weekend is not to gain weight (like prior weekends). So I must pack a lunch and snack bag just like it is a work day.

So far, I have lost 9-lbs! Hubby has lost 13-lbs!  I am so proud of our accomplishments.  Also, I am eating fruits and veggies now that work with my food sensitivity.  Planning ahead and staying focused.  Hope you enjoy the weekend.

Week 2 of Diet

Last Friday was July 4th so I took a break from blogging.  Hate I didn't get to share all my food fun with you last week!  I started the Fast Metabolism Diet on June 30th.  I wanted to see if I could actually do this diet with my multiple food sensitivities and actually drop some pounds.  My first week started great, however by the evening of the 5th day I was experiencing food reactions.  My husband and I decided to do the diet together. So to save time and money, I found myself eating strawberries, mushrooms, spinach, coconut oil, and other trigger foods.  I watched the fireworks while being sick, and I spent most of Saturday in the bed with joint pain and migraine. The good news is that I lost 7.5 lbs so far!

MAKING CHANGES
I refused to give up though!  It just meant that for some meals, I would be fixing 3 different meals (something for myself, hubby, and the kids).  Before this diet, I knew that I was not eating enough vegetables or fruit.  There were only a few fruits and vegetables that I could eat without getting sick.  I regularly ate celery, cabbage, potatoes, and bananas.  The new diet meant giving up potatoes and bananas, but I could still eat my cabbage and celery. 

FRUITS 
I had to branch out and think outside of the box.  I started week 2 frustated that I was giving things up in my already limited diet, but it has actually made me find new foods that I can eat!  It does mean spending a little more for fruits.  I was surprised to learn that pomegranates cost $3 each, but I will try to eat 2 per week.  I normally buy the juice, but no juice allowed on the diet. My fruits on the diet are lime, pears, yellow apples, pomegranate, and mango (yep the more expensive fruits!).  Hubby is enjoying lemons, limes, green apples, red apples, strawberries, oranges, and peaches. 

VEGETABLES
Vegetables has also been challenging.  Since I am eating them daily and several times per day, I had to find more variety of vegetables that didn't trigger a food reaction.  It was nice to learn that kale is in the same food family as cabbage, and it also is high in calcium.  Other vegetables that I added to my veggie list this week are bok choy (chinese cabbage - baby and larger variety) and sunflower sprouts.  My veggie list also includes tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, and cucumbers (peeled and seeds removed). 


PROTEINS
Protein snacks are a challenge with the diet too.  I had to give up cheese and yogurt, but I have been enjoying nitrate/nitrite free turkey bacon and egg whites.  I also tried a protein rich salad dressing made with egg whites.  It wasn't blue cheese, but not bad.  Here is the recipe.  I made it with limes and parsley. 

Fast Metabolism Diet

by Haylie Pomroy

(below are some of my notes from her book, website, and my experience)

There are lots of rules - so I recommend reading the book, but they are manageable adjustments.  I have summarized some of them:

·         No diary (can have rice milk, almond milk or other types of milk)

o   Rice Milk drink during Phase 1 and 3 (considered a Grain so can’t have during Phase2)

o   Almond/Coconut Milk  drink during Phase3 (Fatty Protein)

o   Select Kale or Veggies with calcium for Phase 2

·         No sugar, wheat (can eat spelt or rice bread - found in organic freezer section)

·         Eat within first 30 minutes of waking up (challenge, I average first hour)

·         You eat and exercise according to day of the week.  The week is split into 3 phases (the log sheet file is a reminder of what to eat for each day).

·         Exercise is actually not that bad.  You do it according to the phase.

• Mon or Tues -Phase 1 - walk or do something that requires movement 
• Wed or Thur - Phase 2 - do some type of weight lifting to go with the high protein phase of the diet
• Fri, Sat, or Sun – Phase 3 - do something relaxing like massage, yoga, stretching, sauna (first time experience-enjoyed sauna last Friday at YMCA!)

·         Snack in between your meals (different for each phase, but on log sheet that is attached)

·         Drink water, half your body weight in ounces (ex. 150 lbs. drink 75 oz.)

 Poplar diet so lots of recipes ideas online.  Hope this helps.  Let me know if any questions.

Hydrating Your Skin from Within

Well, I started a diet a few days ago!  It actually hasn't been that bad.  I started the diets for weight loss, but one of the benefits has been improvement to my skin.  It feels soft and smooth.  I know all those antioxidants and the hydration from the fruits and vegetables is helping.  Also, I am drinking probably 3 times the amount of water that I normally would drink in a day!  It is refreshing though.  The increased water is helping me to breathe easier, so my body is getting more oxygen.  I actually haven't put a moisturizer on my face in weeks (just facial soap and toner).  I know that is one of the joys of summer, balancing my skin from within, reducing stress, and using products that do not irritate.  So I challenge you to go drink some water!  How much?  Click here for a quick water calculator. 

Enjoy the summer.

Easy Night Routine

Well, I took a few days off from blogging for the July 4th holiday.  I really enjoyed the extended weekend.  Hope you enjoyed some fireworks and grilled food.  I got a chance to test a wash and wear hairstyle this weekend.  It looked okay, but the next day it was so tangled! I will keep trying.  Last week we talked about the two strand twist for twist outs.  Now the next step is to get multiple wears from that set.

MY EASY NIGHT ROUTINE
My easiest night routine is to do mini-pineapples on my hair.  This is what the natural hair community calls the puffs in the pictures.  I just take a small section of hair and tuck the ends with an elastic band.  The bands are easy to find at a pharmacy or hair supply store.  They help to stretch the hair and keep the set from being flatten (especially in the back). 

Hope this helps.  Talk with you next week.  Have a question?  Just email me.  You can find our products online here.

Soap biz - Goals

Well, last week I started my baby step goals that I wanted to accomplish in each of the key areas of the business.  How did I do?  Well, I am still crawling :)  

UPDATE ON CHALLENGES:
The goal is to do baby steps in each of the key business areas because they all work together.

• Customers/Sales:  Mail a sample and coupon to at least 10 customers who have ordered online in the past (include a second set for them to share with a friend).
• UPDATE: I made samples to mail, but I haven't mailed the samples yet.  The challenge is creating a flier and literature to mail with the sample.  I need inspiration!  
• NEXT STEP:  I will go to the mall tomorrow and get some samples for inspiration.  Then I will create the flier/literature, then mail them by July 7th.

• Business:  a. Work on paperwork that is due in a few weeks. b. Hang up a work schedule for the week.
• UPDATE:  Good news, I have a work schedule now that is on paper!  It should help me to plan better.  I organized some paperwork, but hate I haven't started.  
• NEXT STEP:  I have scheduled to work on the paperwork this weekend.

• Product:  Place log sheet in a binder so it is easier to access when creating products.
• UPDATE:  I have the sheets printed.
• NEXT STEP:  I will buy a binder to hold the log sheets.

• Connect:  Make at least 25 sample bags to hand out to potential customers.

• UPDATE:  I have the bags and samples.  
• NEXT STEP:  Working on the flier to include.

Practice makes you better, so I will keep pushing.  I hope my online soap business blog help you to set goals in your life, and I am always open for suggestions.  I will update you next Tuesday.

Note:  The Bellevue Farmers Market is closed this Friday due to the July 4th holiday, but join us next Friday.