I’ve been using my mat fairly regularly before bed, and I swear I sleep better when I do. There is just something about lying back on the spikes that makes me feel immediately relaxed. After a few minutes, the points create a feeling of warmth, which is due to the increased blood flow in the area.

The mat does take a little getting used to, but it isn’t painful. Yantra Mat USA recommends starting with ten minutes and gradually increasing to 20.  After using it a few times, I figured out a method that works pretty well. I place the mat on my mattress, with the upper edge against my pillow. Then I sit at the bottom edge and slowly lean back. Once you’re down, you can’t easily adjust your position, so you want to back sure you lie back with your spine elongated. Then I reach back and adjust my pillow, and I can lie in bed reading like this for 20 to 40 minutes. By bending my knees and placing my feet on the mattress, I can increase the contact between the mat and my lower back, and I can shift my weight to create more pressure in a certain area if needed.

I am definitely taking it with us next month when we go camping. I know it’ll help me sleep and help relax my muscles after a long day of rock climbing or hiking. (The mat comes with its own carrying bag; rolled up, it is about the same circumference as a yoga mat but shorter. You can even remove the inner foam pad and just use the spiked cover when traveling.)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Living with Clariity is a site dedicated to supporting and equipping moms to be better parents and family CFOs as they navigate the many monumental changes in life: getting married, having kids, buying a new home, changing jobs, putting the kids through college, etc.  I am really excited to be a part of this new project!

Read my first 2 posts on the Clariity blog:

Relationships and Money: Combining Finances After Marriage

Planning an Outdoor Wedding

If you have any requests for topics you would like to see covered that are of particular interest to newlyweds or engaged couples, leave me a comment!

The one fruit I regularly bought was fresh blueberries, which I ate every morning in my yogurt. I ate this breakfast at my desk at work, invariably prompting my coworkers to comment on how “healthy” I was. But my meals deteriorated as the day went on. Lunch was usually a ham and cheese sandwich with some chips. Dinner was fast food, a frozen dinner, or mac & cheese. I always had dessert: cookies or ice cream or those individually sized microwavable chocolate cakes.

Then this guy I was dating showed me a web site about green smoothies. The reasoning behind them made sense to me: raw foods are living foods, full of nutrients and enzymes. The frozen foods and chips and other stuff I was eating was dead and doing nothing for me.  Several years prior, I had regularly made fruit smoothies for breakfast, so it wasn’t hard to get back into the habit. This time, I just started adding spinach. Experimenting with the smoothies motivated me to start eating produce at other meals as well, and soon I was eating more salads and fresh foods for lunch and dinner also.

Today, my diet is about 75% raw plant foods, and that guy is my husband. We have practically eliminated processed foods, grains and baked goods from our diet and our home. I haven’t had a frozen dinner, or mac & cheese, in months. There is still salsa in my fridge, but the pudding has been replaced by avocado chocolate mousse. I eat very little dairy. And I still don’t really have the time or inclination to cook, which is fine because I don’t have to very often.

It’s important to make these changes gradually. Trying to go straight from the standard American diet to a plant-based diet will just cause feelings of deprivation. I missed cooked foods at first. I had to recommit to my primarily raw diet many times. Now, I can go several days eating just salads and smoothies without feeling deprived. But it takes time.

And here’s the secret: once you start getting used to eating healthier foods, your tastes change. I may have missed pizza and pasta and Taco Bell in the beginning, but not anymore. Now, I crave salads. Every once in a while I will allow myself to indulge in a “forbidden” food. Sometimes they are heavenly — like when I had freshly baked bread and lasagna at Bravo for lunch with a friend last Saturday. More often, they aren’t as good as I remember. Pizza has almost completely lost its appeal.

This is what my diet typically consists of now:

Breakfast: Green smoothie. I use one banana, almond milk, frozen blueberries, one carrot, a splash of coconut oil, and some peanut butter for protein. Then I add a few handfuls of spinach and whatever other greens I have on hand.

Lunch: Usually a salad. I use different greens, either romaine or mixed baby greens, plus onion, bell pepper, tomato, avocado, and slivered almonds. I always tear up a few pieces of deli turkey, because I know I’ll get shaky without the protein. I use the cleanest dressing I can find — look for a short list of natural ingredients (no scary-sounding chemicals) and a low sugar content. I love ranch, so here’s where a little bit of dairy may sneak into my diet. I’ll try to make my salads in the evening so that they’re ready to take to work the next day.

Afternoon snack: Either an apple or some baby carrots with peanut butter.

Dinner: May be a small portion of meat and a larger portion of vegetables. We keep pre-seasoned frozen fish and frozen natural turkey burgers on hand for easy meals during the week, since everyone is busy with activities: Ryan has jiu jitsu, B has tae kwon do, and I am often at yoga. If Ryan isn’t around to cook up some meat (I don’t like to mess with the stuff), I’ll stick some fish in the oven and throw some vegetables in the steamer. (Zucchini is my current obsession.) Or heat up some frozen pre-cooked shrimp with some asparagus — super easy. On the weekends, we may get more creative and make a giant stir-fry with chicken and lots of veggies, or cook some seafood and veggie cabobs on the grill. Sometimes I like to make a taco salad with free-range organic ground beef and a small amount of cheese, so I can put that salsa to use.

Dessert: I still won’t go without my dessert, but now it’s fresh berries and a small chunk of the darkest chocolate we can find. And I don’t even miss my ice cream or microwavable cakes.

You’ll notice none of this includes starches or baked goods of any kind, including bread. The only time we really eat these foods is when we have dinner at Ryan’s parents’ house. (Click here to read why Mark Sisson believes grains aren’t the healthy food we all think they are.) Bread was harder for Ryan to give up, but after reading Sisson’s book, Primal Blueprint, he really wanted to give it a try. It takes greater quantities of fresh foods for him to feel full, so he’ll usually end up eating lots of fruit and nuts. He also usually makes eggs for breakfast and drinks his smoothies in the evening after working out.

Oh, and one last point: thought it wasn’t my goal, making these changes in my diet has caused me to drop two pants sizes. Those of you who know me in real life are probably cursing me right now; no, I’ve never had a problem with my weight, but I’ve gone from a size 6 to a size 2 without even trying or without “dieting.” And my primary form of exercise is yoga, two to three times a week. It’s hardly a punishing exercise routine.

If I can do it, anyone can do it. Probably 85 percent of my shopping occurs in the produce aisle now. The only reason I even hit the aisles in the middle of the store is for a few select items like peanut butter and salad dressing. And the only time I use my microwave is to heat water for tea. A plant-based diet may take some time to get used to, but it’s well worth it to know you’re not filling your body with chemicals, preservatives, and unhealthy additives. Give it a try … you just may be surprised.

I guess by that definition, I would qualify as an orthorexic.  Apparently, now if you refuse to fill your body with unhealthy foods and dangerous chemicals, you are mentally ill.

I don’t doubt that there are people predisposed to obsessive behavior who take their dietary standards to an extreme. But the article fails to draw a distinction between those who are obsessive and those who make the same dietary choices in a healthy manner. It is irresponsible and inaccurate to imply that everyone who chooses to eliminate these foods from their diet is mentally ill, or that the standard American diet is healthy and should be the norm.

Foods such as grains, gluten, soy, corn, and milk have been linked to chronic health problems and conditions such as allergies, autism, attention deficit disorder, thyroid problems, anxiety, digestive disorders, depression, arthritis, neurological conditions, and even cancer. The standard American diet is full of chemicals, preservatives, and additive that can wreak havoc on the internal organs. Consumers are given enough nutritional misinformation without being told that their quest to adopt a healthier diet may indicate a mental disorder.

Please, do not be fooled by the media into thinking that being concerned about your health and diet is unnecessary or that it makes you mentally ill. Educate yourself. Sources like Mercola, Mark’s Daily Apple, and Natural News are full of nutritional information that the mainstream media denies or tries to keep under wraps.

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.

Arthur Schopenhauer
German philosopher (1788 – 1860)

When I first started doing freelance writing, I wasn’t sure if I would end up specializing in anything, or what that specialty would be. Green living? Yoga? These were some of the topics that got me started, and I still do some work in these areas. I’m even still working for AltGlobe, my very first client. But gradually, I realized that what really excited me were assignments related to health and wellness. I started moving more and more towards work in this area, and feel very fortunate to have secured my work with My Big Life and Healthy Theory.

Eventually, I started giving up the clients that weren’t related to health and wellness. It’s amazing to think that a year ago, I was taking any and every freelance job I could get that paid a decent wage. I wrote a lot of difficult articles on subjects of little or no interest to me. I had to hone my skills, learning how to write faster; how to construct a solid outline before writing; how to write first, then edit. I believe that my writing and time-management skills have improved tremendously over the past year. And having a part-time job has allowed me to do it all without the stress of supporting myself solely on my freelance earnings.

But now that I’ve secured more work in the health and wellness industry – and landed my highest-paying gig yet – I’m feeling a familiar itch. My thoughts are completely preoccupied with ideas about articles. Being at the office is torturous because it is taking time away from my writing. I feel like I’m ready to take that step and move into freelancing full time.

I know when I tried it before, it was difficult. I had trouble staying on task, and didn’t always enjoy being at home alone all day. I craved structure and social interaction. But now, my situation is different. Instead of a cramped apartment, I have a house with dedicated office space. I’ve been more disciplined with my schedule (evidenced by the fact that I’ve been getting up to regularly attend a 6 a.m. yoga class). I have work that I really, really enjoy. And I have a new goal: to become a certified holistic nutritionist so that I can continue expanding my knowledge and services in the health and wellness industry and add more credibility to my writing.

So I’ve decided to give the new gig two weeks to make sure I enjoy it as much as I think I will, and though I haven’t given my notice yet, I have a target date for resigning from my part-time job. Here’s to the year ahead … may it be as full of growth and opportunity as the past twelve months.

Now that I’m in the process of giving up things like dairy and gluten (I say “in the process” because I’ve cheated a few times, like last weekend when I indulged in stuffed pizza in Chicago), I knew my days of big bowls of cheesey, gooey pasta were behind me. So I was intrigued when chef Dave Lieberman offered up this dairy-free version of fettuccine alfredo on The Dr. Oz Show. Dave’s version, which contains only six ingredients, uses a cauliflower-based sauce and contains half the calories of regular fettuccine alfredo. Though it is dairy free, it uses chicken stock, but could easily be made into a vegan dish.

I tried it out tonight with a combination of gluten-free pasta I found in our pantry: rice linguini and quinoa spirals. With only six ingredients, the dish was easy to make. The cauliflower needed a little prodding to get it going in the blender, and the sauce turned out a bit thick. But it looked and smelled a lot like mashed potatoes. I took a few licks from my spoon, and was pretty excited that it tasted a lot like mashed potatoes. I don’t know that the sauce could have really passed for cheese, but it was thick and creamy and pretty darn tasty. “This [expletive] is actually pretty dang good,” I told Ryan, who was less than thrilled that I had made carbs for dinner, but ate a big bowl of it anyway.

I don’t know that I’d put it into regular rotation (like I did with the excellent avocado chocolate mousse), but I’ll definitely keep it in my repertoire for an easy, guilt-free pasta dish. Next time, I might add a little more chicken stock to make the sauce a little easier to blend. The cauliflower mixture alone would also make an excellent stand-in for mashed potatoes.

So on my recent foray into the world of detoxification, I was glad I had recently gotten my hands on some topical magnesium products from Ancient Minerals: some magnesium bath flakes, a concentrated magnesium gel, and a magnesium oil spray.

Of course, magnesium can be taken orally, but many health experts believe that topical application is preferable because it allows the magnesium to enter directly into the bloodstream and bypass the digestive tract. Oral magnesium supplements can also cause diarrhea, which interferes with the mineral’s absorption.

According to Dr. Carolyn Dean, author of The Magnesium Miracle, up to 80 percent of the population suffers from magnesium deficiency. Low levels of magnesium have been linked to health conditions such as insomnia, anxiety, depression, migraines, fatigue, heart disease, muscle aches and twitches, stress, and many others. I can definitely relate to some of these symptoms, like the fatigue and muscle aches, so I was eager to try the products. (For more information on the importance of Magnesium, read my article “Magnesium: The Miracle Mineral” on Healthy Theory.)

The recommended daily allowance for magnesium is between 350 and 400 mg per day, which Dr. Dean states is actually just enough to ward off deficiency. To restore cellular magnesium levels, Dr. Dean recommends up to twice that amount. (Ancient Minerals recommends 3-4 mg per pound of body weight, which would put my daily dosage a bit lower.) Many magnesium supplements contain only 60 mgs, another reason why supplements aren’t necessarily adequate. Even if you have a supplement that appears to contain higher amounts of magnesium, only a small percentage of that magnesium may actually be absorbed by the body. Supplements in the form of chelated minerals (two or more elements bonded together,) such as magnesium taurate or magnesium glycinate, actually contain less magnesium than they may appear to: The actual amount of magnesium in 500 mg of magnesium glycinate is only 50 mg.

Topical products, however, contain much higher levels of magnesium. The product use guide for Ancient Minerals reports that 8 sprays of the magnesium oil deliver approximately 100mg of elemental magnesium, and 1 tsp of the magnesium gel delivers 490mg of elemental magnesium. I tried the spray first, figuring that if it took 15 sprays to cover my entire body, I’d be looking at a more-than sufficient 1500 mgs daily.

However, I soon discovered that topical magnesium application is not exactly a spray-and-go operation. It takes about 20 minutes for magnesium to be completely absorbed into the skin. After 20 minutes, the magnesium may need to be rinsed or wiped off to alleviate the skin irritation that can occur. This irritation can present as a minor tingling or as crazy insane itching. On my legs, it was tolerable. On my upper back, however, it was usually more than I could bear. (The instructions also state that you can make a solution with half magnesium oil and half water to reduce skin irritation.)

I eventually switched to using the spray just on my legs, and using a little bit of the gel on my back only after a workout to keep any muscle soreness at bay. When the 20 minutes is up, I wipe it off with a damp washcloth and follow with my Skin Grapefruit Pom body lotion, which usually takes care of the itching.

The bath flakes pack even more punch, with a whopping 15 grams (15000 mg) in one cup.  I’m not much of a bath person, but for the health benefits involved, maybe I could become one. The bath flakes (which can also be used as a foot soak)  also don’t cause any skin irritation.

Despite the somewhat high-maintenance application process, I do think the products’ benefits are worth the effort. You just have to plan ahead and make time for them in your daily routine, and find the appropriate product or combination of products that works for you. The most immediate benefit I have noticed is the reduction in muscle aches. Even with a regular yoga practice, I used to frequently suffer from stiff and sore muscle, but I haven’t had any backaches in weeks. And my energy levels are better, which is probably due to a combination of the detox and the magnesium.

As a side note, Dr. Dean’s web site also states that the muscle-relaxing properties of magnesium can also lead to sexual benefits for women, which is maybe reason enough to add these products into your daily routine.

For more about topical magnesium products, visit Ancient Minerals.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I also received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I’m still making every effort to keep gluten, dairy, and processed sugar out of my diet when I eat at home, which has been getting easier. I haven’t had any more cravings for macaroni and cheese since day 5. I haven’t been craving sweets, either, although I did whip up a batch of sugar-free vegan avocado chocolate mousse over the weekend.

My sinus improvements seem to have plateaued, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s because there are other allergens lurking in our 80-year-old house. One unexpected result of the detox has been a big change in my skin. I have had oily skin my entire adult life (hence my never-ending mission to find skincare products that keep it under control). A few days after I started the detox, I noticed my skin felt softer and smoother — not greasy and slightly gritty like it usually does when I wash it at night. Several days later, my skin still feels great.  Even after a sweat-soaked Bikram yoga session, my face didn’t fee like a greasepit the way it would have before.

I knew diet could affect the skin, but I always thought that had more to do with things like acne and other visible skin conditions. I guess I thought oily skin was something I was just born with — like wavy hair and hazel eyes. If I had known that eliminating wheat and dairy from my diet would have left my skin feeling so great, I would have made the change a long time ago. Not only does my skin feel fresh and clean, but this may open up a whole new world of skincare products for me to try!

I also started reading Dr. Junger’s Clean: The Revolutionary Program to Restore the Body’s Natural Ability to Heal Itself. The Clean program involves eating one solid meal a day (recommended for lunch) and liquid meals (smoothies and soups) for breakfast and dinner. The book contains a lot of recipes, as well as a thorough list of foods that can be included or excluded. The excluded foods are in line with what I’m already doing: no dairy, wheat, processed sugar, etc. I’m going to finish reading the book and then prepare for one week of the Clean program. He recommends doing the program at least once a year, starting with one week and working up to three weeks. I figure since this is my first time I can start small, but the changes I have already made should give me a good head start.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Product diversity: Skin offers a full line of face and body products, including lip balms, hand creams, eye makeup remover, a cleansing scrub, hydrating face serum, body wash, body lotion, foot rub, salt scrub, detoxifying clay, and a healing calendula salve.

Quality of ingredients: All products are free of harmful chemicals, parabens, synthetic dyes and fragrances, chemical preservatives, phthalates, animal products, mineral oil, and sodium lauryl sulfate. Of 20 different products listed on the Skin Deep Database, they all rate a phenomenal 0-1, lower than any other skincare line I have tried so far. The ingredients lists for all products are fairly short, which is always a good sign, as is the fact that all individual ingredients are easily recognizable: jojoba oil, olive oil, aloe vera, rosemary extract, tea tree oil, macadamia nut oil, and mango butter, to name a few. Most are certified organic.

Product experience: The products are lightweight, feel fresh and clean, and smell terrific. Really, what more could you want?

Pluses:  I love Skin’s philosophy and its commitment to providing nourishing products free of any harmful chemicals. The super-low scores on the Skin Deep Database give me confidence that I’m not putting anything harmful on my skin. Products look and feel great. And I love that I’m supporting a local company.

Minuses: Not many. There is only one serum, the Hydrating Face Serum, which seems to work double duty as a hydrating and anti-aging treatment. I’m not really in need of additional hydration, but I might give it a try. In terms of oil control, the Rosey Plum Day Moisturizer doesn’t perform quite as well as the Boscia, but Skin’s lower toxicity scores (and reasonable prices) make up for it.

Bottom line: In terms of product ingredients, this is the best I’ve seen so far. I’m really looking forward to trying more products. The product line is so diverse, there’s plenty of stuff to try without getting bored with it.

Skin is also available at Green Acres Market, a health food store in northern Kansas City, and online at CarenOnline.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Yesterday was difficult. I can see why raw foodists, vegans, and others on strict diets go through the time-consuming and often elaborate process of creating stand-ins for some of their favorite but unhealthy foods. Eating the same things all the time gets pretty boring. Last night, all I really wanted was a big bowl of macaroni and cheese. I had to settle for a vegetable omelet. Not the same.

Today was much better, though, thanks in large part to a catered lunch at work that was actually really good and included foods I could eat: roasted chicken, green beans, and a mixed greens salad. Afterwards, I had a little bit of dried fruit back at my desk and felt totally satisfied. Perhaps I’ve passed my first major hurdle.

Though I am detoxing, I am not fasting or doing any kind of crazy fad diet, like eating nothing but grapefruits. My goal is not to simply do a well-meaning but short-term cleanse and then return to my former eating habits. My goal is to determine if eliminating certain foods (i.e. wheat and dairy) make a difference in my overall health, and find out ways to sustain those dietary changes.

I am eating what is probably closest to a Paleo diet: lots of vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins — foods that our Paleolithic ancestors would have eaten. Loren Cordain, author of The Paleo Diet, asserts that the healthiest diet is one based on foods that our bodies were designed to eat — foods that people ate before the dawn of the agricultural age, before humans became more dependent on high-carbohydrate diets.

Cordain advises eliminating grains, dairy, refined sugars, and processed foods, which is what I am currently doing with my detox. However, without a supply of recipes, I’m getting pretty tired of the foods I’ve been eating – lots of vegetables, fish, nuts, seeds, some fruits and some quinoa (not sure if quinoa qualifies as a grain, since it’s actually a seed). In order to really sustain this type of healthier lifestyle, I’m going to have to start experimenting with some new recipes.

The Paleo Diet web site lists several sample recipes; I’m going to print out a few to try this weekend. In addition to seafood, meat, and vegetable dishes, there are recipes for salad dressings, marinades, and fruit-based desserts. So, my challenge for the next few days is to step things up a notch and get a little more creative in the kitchen so that I can find healthy ways to satisfy my cravings. I’m usually a little more lax with my diet on the weekends, so it could be challenging. But my vegan friend will be back in town from Chicago, which could out to be good timing — not only will she be up for trying some healthy new recipes, but it’ll get me out of my regular routine, which should help keep the unhealthy habits under control.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”