Cleansing- FYI

I totally pirated this from someone else on my Free2be page, but I will give them credit! I already wrote about toxicity and cleansing here.  But most people have tons and tons of questions about cleansing and if it is good for you, or NOT good for you! Here is what I found this morning.

Now the first part is talking mostly about how long your cleanse should be. Which, if you aren't doing a nutritional cleanse with Isagenix, it won't matter to you. I will highlight the most interesting articles below. Please click on the links! Fascinating!

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I'm often asked about this. Here's a brief summary why: Day 1 = 20% deep cleanse 
Day 2 = (back-to-back) 80% deep cleanse. Which would you rather have?

Right, the 80% Here's why. Your brain needs approximately 4g of sugar every 3 hours... So on a cleanse day when your body sees it's not going to get fed the typical solid foods, your body starts taking the sugar from your liver, then it moves to your colon. By the time cleansing reaches your colon your 1st cleanse day is done BUT the rest of your innards are not clean. So, on day two, your body is seeking sugar for energy and targets your FAT...your toxic fat! Even athletic, lean people benefit from a back to back deep cleanse. It removes the toxins and impurities from the fat around your organs.

The day after your 2-day deep cleanse you feel ENERGIZED, SLEEP BETTER, LESS FAT, LESS TOXIC and much more. So let's lift our Ionix shot glasses and say CHEERS to back to back cleanse days. Your health and body will thank you profusely for it! I hope this helps …

The best way I can explain the difference in the 3 types of cleansing is by comparing the process to peeling an onion. The layers of onion represent the impurities in your body.

If you do DAILY CLEANSING, it is like removing the peel and maybe 1 layers of the onion.

If you do a ONE DAY CLEANSE, it is like removing 4 or 5 layers of the onion.

If you do a TWO DAY DEEP CLEANSE, it would be like removing 8 or 9 layers of the onion. The longer the cleanse, the deeper the penetration .

Remember to never cleanse for more than 48 Hours. After 48 hours the body becomes catabolic. Your body goes into a catabolic state because it needs protein, That is why it is always best to have an IsaLean Shake for your first meal after a cleanse.

A catabolic state can result in numerous undesirable side effects in the body, such as extreme fatigue, joint and muscle pain, and sleeplessness.
DAILY CLEANSING - GOOD
ONE DAY CLEANSE - BETTER
TWO DAY DEEP CLEANSE - BEST

Here are your files for you best cleanse day results:
Cleanse Days:
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch…
Cleanse Day Tips: https://drive.google.com/…/0ByTVu8crtCv8RlNYSG10MU9VR…/edit…
Hourly Cleanse Schedule: https://drive.google.com/…/0ByTVu8crtCv8RmowZzdoVEVMV…/edit…
Cleanse your way to Flat Abs, Firm Arms & a Fit Body:http://www.isagenixhealth.net/cleanse-your-way-to-flat-abs…/
Curb Cravings on Cleanse Days: http://www.isagenixhealth.net/curb-cravings-on-cleanse-days/
Best Go To Meal after Cleanse Days: http://www.isagenixhealth.net/the-best-go-to-meal-after-cl…/
To Exercise or NOT on Cleanse Days: http://www.isagenixhealth.net/to-exercise-or-not-to-exerci…/
Symptoms to Expect When you Improve your Diet: (PDF docment)https://drive.google.com/…/0ByTVu8crtCv8aG8wbHNGaVVJN…/edit…
The MAGIC of Cleanse for Life: http://isagenixpodcast.com/the-magic-of-cleanse-for-life/

Here is my favorite piece on cleansing : CLEANSE FOR LIFE BROCHURE

CRAVINGS- And what to do about them.

Just in case you were wondering if I am now a certified health GURU, I am NOT! HA! I have just been thinking about these issues for a LONG time, and I am finally finding ANSWERS. And that just tickles me pink. I can't help but share what I am learning, and hope to help someone else who is searching for answers about why their body is NOT cooperating in the healthy, lose weight, have energy, get rid of cravings game. If you haven't read my experience of how I conquered that yet, you can read it here and here.

I have thought or understood for quite some time that our bodies have cravings for a very GOOD reason. We are deficient in something! And guess what, we are NOT deficient  in sugar. However, our bodies send  signal to our brain saying we NEEEEEEEED something and instead of figuring out what we REALLY need, we rely on good old fashioned SUGAR to quell that thought and give us a little pep. Unfortunately, sugar just causes a big of cycle of crashes and highs that we keep feeding with sugar. And to make matters worse, our bodies can't distinguish between real sugar and artificial sugar and although our bodies NEED sugar to operate it doesn't need as much as we tend to feed. Thus starts a nasty cycle of eating sugar, getting high, crashing, craving sugar, getting high, eating sugar and crashing. Most of us, me included start this cycle EVERY.SINGLE. DAY. Oh well, I mean, I was on that team! So I can't say much in the way of condemnation to people who do it! I did it for 42 years!!!

I am NOT going to say I will never eat sugar again. Life without some sugar just isn't as much fun. But I have tried to steer clear of the beast since I started this journey of healing my body from the inside out.

I love this little chart:

Our bodies INDEED need something when our cravings start! THIS is what it needs! It's a simple chart with what your body needs to get over the craving you are having. Pretty simple. The problem is, most of us are so deficient and lacking nutrients that it is super hard to rectify that problem. You can read about why it is so hard to correct that problem here. One of the ways to cure these problems is through nutritional cleansing. I have talked about that here, but I am going to do another post on it today on info I found that I just stinkin' LOVE. I will link back when it is written.

Anyway ONE LAST ARTICLE that is a must read, is right here, and no, I didn't write it. So READ IT!

WHY WE HAVE CRAVINGS. 

It mentions yin and yang foods. Basically foods that are high and low in acidic nature which I have already written about here!!!

Don't you LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it when all the research you do all coordinates with each other and starts to make sense! YES! I love that!  I feel like I am finally figuring out how to completely nourish and take care of my body. Some of you are probably saying, yeah, but you DON'T need a product to do that. And actually I kind of disagree! It's extremely difficult to do with our own food chain. It's nearly impossible to get all of your nutritional intake from eating. We would have to sit around and eat veggies all day. I'm serious. Having a "supplement" is a great way to help that issue! We are busy, and it is hard to incorporate clean eating into our lives. Food prep takes a LOT of time, so, having perfect nutrition in the form of a shake is and excellent way to go. Stay tuned for how we can cure the craving cycle.

WHAT IS ISAGENIX

I have shared this post with many many many people. I have "tagged" you in the post from the Free2be page. However, I kind of wonder if anyone ever reads it! LOL!

That is okay, I decided to add it here. It explains how the system can and will have an effect on your health. I love it. <3

WHAT IS THE ISAGENIX CLEANSING & FAT BURNING SYSTEM?

ISAGENIX is a safe and easy to use health system that utilizes advanced nutritional technology to cleanse the body of impurities and replenish the body with optimal nutrients. It was developed by John Anderson, the formulator behind many GNC, Natures Way and Meta-Rex products with 26 years of experience in the industry and more than 2,500 products to his credit. Isagenix is the culmination of his lifes work and the line he saved for his own business. This series of products contain the highest quality natural botanicals, herbs, antioxidants, digestive enzymes, minerals and protein in the correct proportions to first cleanse the body internally on the cellular level, then deliver the nutrition our bodies need for optimal health.

Hundreds of thousands of people around the world have benefited from this product since its debut in 2002, some with life altering results. What makes Isagenix such a unique and powerful weight reduction, weight control and health optimizing product? Isagenix addresses two factors which lead to excess weight and disease in a way that no other health and supplement company has. These two factors are ENVIRONMENT TOXICITY AND NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCY.

1. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICITY
We live in a world that is inundated with chemicals that were not on the planet in this quantity throughout human history. These chemicals are affecting our health.

TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT OUR FOOD CHAIN:
* Commercially grown fruits and vegetables sprayed with an average of 72 insecticides,
pesticides and herbicides.
* Factory farmed livestock injected with hormones, steroids and antibiotics.
* Fish with elevated levels of mercury.
* Water and air are laden with chemicals, metals, bacteria and parasites. We may drink
purified water, but bath in unpurified water. Our skin still absorbs the chemicals.

WHERE DO THE TOXINS AND CHEMICALS GO ONCE THEY ARE INGESTED, INHALED OR ABSORBED?

Research shows that they are deposited into our cells, organs and blood.

HOW DO TOXINS CONTRIBUTE TO EXCESS WEIGHT?
Medical and scientific research is showing that chemicals and toxins lead to excess weight and obesity. Our body's protective response to toxins is to produce additional fat and water to coat and dilute them. We actually produce fat cells above and beyond those we are born with to protect ourselves against toxins. The more toxins in our system, the more fat and water we generate as a defensive response. We actually carry extra pounds of fat and water to harbor and dilute our body's toxic waste.

WHY IS CLEANSING NECESSARY? If you are not addressing the issue of internal cleansing, your organs may be slowly clogging and deteriorating. We change the filters in heat and air conditioning systems and the oil in our cars to prevent clogging and malfunctioning. We clean our pools and spas to eliminate fungus and bacteria. We brush our teeth and bathe our bodies because if we didn't they would become diseased. It is equally important to cleanse our internal organs. There are many colon, liver and kidney cleanses on the market. ISAGENIX is unique because it is a total body cleanse on the cellular level.

2. NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCY
In addition to some genetic predisposition, as a society we are overweight because we eat the wrong foods, we eat too much food, we don't exercise enough and we lead stressful lives. In addition, parasites and residual buildup of chemicals and impurities lead to excess weight gain. We are an overfed, undernourished society.
The healthy fresh foods we may eat are grown in depleted, over farmed, Agra business soils. Fresh fruits and vegetables have only 40% of the nutritional value they had 50 years ago. Many foods are fortified with vitamins and minerals or this reason.
We often choose prepackaged convenience foods, fast foods, commercially canned or frozen foods. These are often filled with preservatives or irradiated to prolong shelf life.

WHAT ARE ISAGNIX PRODUCTS AND HOW DO THEY ADDRESS TOXICITY AND NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCY?
The Isagenix Cleansing and Fat Burning System helps you remove impurities and can help you release weight through nutritional cleansing and meal replacement shakes with high quality nutrients and regular exercise. Along with a reduced calorie, nutrient rich diet and exercise, cleansing is the missing link that helps you release weight and inches. There are four main products in the 9 day and 30 day Cleansing and Fat Burning Systems: Cleanse for Life, IsaLean Shake, Natural Accelerator, & IsAgenix Snacks. These products work synergistically to release impurities and unwanted pounds and inches. We will discuss the first two in detail.
Cleanse for Life: This aloe based mineral drink contains cleansing herbs and tea extracts as well as all the essential nutrients the body needs while cleansing. It helps in three specific ways.

1. Feeds the body essential nutrients it needs while the cleansing herbs are working on detoxifying the major filter organs. (liver, colon and kidneys) It contains Isalite, Isagenix proprietary blend of 70 trace minerals that are essential cofactors needed to help the body absorb other essential nutrients. It also contains specific preparations for cleansing the blood and lymphatic systems.

2. The Isalite trace minerals cleanse at the cellular level. They latch on to the harmful substances in our cells, such as, chlorine and carbon monoxide and pull them out so the water we ingest can flush them out of the body. Now the cells are rejuvenated because they are not encumbered by waste.

3. Contains enzymes, our body's nutrient transport system, which breaks nutrients down into usable units. The enzymes deliver the nutrients from the digestive system to the cells, organs and blood.
IsaLean Shake: This is a whole food with high nutritional density and low calories. It has an excellent nutritional profile for these reasons.

1. Pure whey protein, processed at a low temperature to preserve the nutritional value (un- denatured), from Australian and New Zealand cows, that have not been injected with hormones and steroids and are fed on grass that has not been treated with chemical fertilizers.

2. It contains all 18 amino acids which the body can't produce on its own and are the building blocks for every cell in our body. These amino acids protect the lean body tissue and mass, which is what all our organs are made of.

3. It contains Isalite trace minerals which are cofactors that help the body absorb and use other nutrients.

4. A comprehensive array of vitamins which the body needs on a daily basis.

5. A live enzyme delivery system which is activated when mixed with water to deliver the proteins, amino acids, minerals and vitamins to our cells, organs and blood.

*The Doctors and Nutritionists on the Isagenix Scientific Advisory Board all assert that you get more nutrition from the few sips of the Isa-lean shake then you would from all the food normally consumed in one day, even if you are eating a well balanced organic diet.

You aren't going to like this post.

First of all, I just want all of you to know, the REASON I am passionate about this program is because of the way it makes me FEEL. If I went to an awesome restaurant, nail lady, babysitter, whatever, you'd excpect me to share, right? It kind of makes me giggle when people act scared of my nutritional program. YES, it's an MLM. (I prefer to call it network marketing,.  It's how isagenix has decided to market their product, person to person.)  NO you don't have to sell it, NO I don't care if you just want to buy it and never sell it, YES I love it and it has changed my life, why wouldn't I want to share that with you?!?! Please don't assume it's because I want to make money. Money is nice, but having my energy back and feeling awesome is BETTER! And THAT is what I want to share with you! Take it or leave it. But I can't NOT share it. I love it too much.

ANYWAY,  I can't EVEN believe I'm about to write this post!! I never thought I'd be saying this in a kajillion years. But here it is: Take a look at that beautiful graph.

Think for a minute about what you eat. 😁😁😁😁 I'm going to tell you right here and now, if you EVER want your energy back, you need to give up soda of any kind right now. Diet or not. You need to be DONE. According to this article:  

http://www.drdavidwilliams.com/proper-ph-balance/. Having an alkaline system will indeed help your body prevent disease. So, every time you take a sip of soda, your putting a nail in your system.  🙈 I'M sorry! I know!! It's upsetting! But one of the problems we have with our energy is that we are perpetually sabotogaging ourselves by drinking soda/eating sugar because we think it will get our "energy up" and it does! For a minute! But then we are back where we started, or even worse because we just fed ourselves more poison. 😲 I know, I can't believe I said it either. And I'm not saying I'll never eat sugar again, I WILL! But I AM saying I'll never drink a soda again. 😳 I am just so grateful I've been able to reset my body to have more energy and not have sugar cravings! 

This my friends is why you feel so great doing the whole 30. No sugar, no soda no ACIDIC FOODS!!  You ph level is high, and you feel amazing!!  Good news is, you don't have to do the whole 30 to feel great. The nutrition program I'm doing can totally produce the same results in an easier fashion, and nutritional cleansing will completely clear out your system from the perpetual garbage you have been putting in! You can read up on it here, and here http://www.isagenix.com/~/media/product/cleanse-for-life/cfl-pis/us-en-cfl-pis.pdf

http://www.isagenix.com/~/media/product/cleanse-for-life/cfl-brochure/us-en-cfl-brochure.pdf

Crazy enough, even the meats we eat can be acidic. I'm not saying you can never eat a hot dog or lunch meats again, but we definitely need to make sure we are offsetting our acidic intake with alkaline foods. 

Just in case you are too lazy to read that article above about acidic food in our diet, here's a quote. 

"Maintaining this slightly alkaline state is a constant challenge, primarily because of the acid-forming functions that take place within the body, and the overabundance of acid-producing foods we consume.

The idea that various foods influence the pH of the body isn't new. In fact, as far back as the early 1900s, numerous doctors began studying the pH-altering effects of different foods. They found that while a few foods were "neutral" in their effects, most foods were either "alkaline-producing" or "acid-producing." They also found that simply changing the diet could change the pH of the body. Not surprisingly, bringing the body's pH closer to the normal range helped patients get rid of many of their health complaints.

Overacidity has even been linked to the formation of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis." 

You read it right, leading cause for any one of those major diseases. I for one am just grateful I have a nutrition system that can help me reset in a hurry even when I've had some not so great food choices!  

I've always wondered why after my favorite sushi meal I swell up like a balloon, or why my hip started killing me after 5 days on a cruise, (where I was primarily drinking soda because it flowed from every fountain) it's clear my body was full of acid and my body reacted my filling up with inflammation and kicking my joint pain into high gear. It's a simple explaination. No sure why it never made sense to me in the past!

I have a long way to go with adjusting my families diet, but at least now I have the tools and the energy to do it! 👊🏼

80/20

They say getting fit is 80% nutrition and 20% excersize. Do you believe that?  It's sooooo much more easy for me to go work out than be a disciplined eater all day, what kills me with "eating clean" is FOOD PREP! Geez Louise. Who's got that kind of time. Hardly any of us do! I've been sticking to a few favorite quick and easy snacks to keep me on track. 

So many people get hung up on having shakes, but you're really just "incorporating" shakes into your routine. I already was having a shake for breakfast.  I have been for about a year. So, that wasn't a big change for me. Now I try to get two shakes in, but I don't all the time. Here's my current routine. 

Pre-work out about 8 AM. I have an ISA pro shake. It's just a protein shake. (Not an isalean shake) I mix in greens or sometimes put them in my water with some replenish. 

Post work out about 11 pm: I have an isapro shake on weight days and an isalean shake on regular days. 

Snack 1 pm: I love apples and almond butter. I eat them once a day with Himalayan sea salt. Yummmmmmy.

Snack 3 pm: I have another snack. Sometimes it's an isalean bar, sometimes it's a cheese stick, sometimes it's a bowl of corn and bean salad, sometimes it's watermelon, sometimes it's snap peas and hummus.

5 PM: Dinner! 

Doesn't that sound horrible? Lol 

It's not. I really just mix in my shakes with whatever I am doing! If I want to go to lunch, I have my isalean pro pre work out, and sometimes I don't get my second shake in. It's okaaaaaay.. No worries. What I love about it is that I am getting COMPLETE nutrition every day and I don't have to worry about how many veggies I ate that day (hello 21 day fix, I love you, but you're time consuming and too hard to track) .  AND, because it's completely balanced in not having the sugar highs and lows all day, which has been a huge game changer for me! 

Yes, I eat a pretty healthy dinner. I always try to have a veggie, protein and carb. I go easy on the carbs. My dinner life hasn't changed much on this program. 

I love it! I actually thought about (briefly) becoming a trainer when I started getting fit, because I have a passion for helping people like me. It's HARD! And I know it! I wish I had found this program before I lost 40 lbs! It could have been so much easier! 😕 oh well. I got this text this AM, and it just brings me so much happiness! 

THAT Is awesome. I love that I can help other people on their journeys to getting fit! And feeling better!  More energy, no cravings, and weightloss! Who doesn't want that?!?

Why we are toxic and what to do about it.

Did you know you are TOXIC? I know, crazy town. I mean, I could have guessed. I have major sugar cravings and I like to feed them. Did you know it's not really normal for your body to crave sugar? It is kind of like a beast in your body. Once you get toxic (it's not hard really) your body wants to feed the beast, it wants MORE sugar. Your body can't distinguish between real sugar, and fake sugar, so even when you drink a diet soda, you are feeding the beast. I quit diet soda before I started my Isagenix journey, but I hadn't DETOXIFIED my system yet. That happened the first time I did a cleanse, and maybe not fully until I did my second cleanse. Your body has a hard time releasing toxins. They get stored in your cells, mostly your fat cells, OHHHHHHH GREAAAAAAAT. I know. Which makes losing that fat that much harder! It's ridiculous! Who knew!! Why does it have to be so hard to lose weight? IT DOESN'T!

Our bodies just need to push the "reset" button. Meaning, we just need a big old power wash on the inside in the form of a cleanse. THIS IS NOT A POOP CLEANSE! It's not a colon cleanse, or even a liver cleanse, it is a CELLULAR CLEASE. More information is here and here about it. This is what it does for you. CUTS OUT SUGAR CRAVINGS! Crazy right? I am hear to tell you it does. Coming from someone who has had a flat out sugar craving for the past 42 years of my life. (Okay, maybe they didn't start until 8? But I remember LOADING brown sugar onto my toast as a kid, so I'm pretty sure that was the case. 

I was challenged by Tanya Kirkpatrick (the owner of the Free2be Page) to do a video because it was one of her videos that totally changed my mind about cleansing. Here are my thoughts on it. DOWN WITH SUGAR CRAVINGS! It is FREEING to not think about SUGAR every.single.day. 

In Comes Isagenix

 Isagenix tried to enter my life back in 2010 or somewhere around there! I was living in Arizona where Isagenix is headquartered and I was working in Pampered Chef! I did a Pampered Chef show for someone who was the VP of Isagenix at the time. He was convinced I would love the product and gave me a 30 day kit for FREE. Then, he walked away! He never told me what to do with it, or how to use it. I read the brochure, and did not use it all exactly as I was supposed to. I just used the shakes, and some snacks I think. I never even tried a cleanse. I was terrified of those. Isn't everyone? I lost 10 lbs. It was fine. I wasn't IN LOVE with the product. I mean 10 lbs was great for a a month! But I was tired of drinking just shakes and felt like I couldn't eat anything else! I got bored, and it definitely wasn't inspiring enough for me to "sign up" with them. NO WAY.

Flash forward to a few months ago. My friend Rachel Thomas, who, oddly enough was my Pampered Chef upline, called me and said I needed to try Isagenix. Honestly, I felt like she had missed the boat! I already lost my 40 lbs! And had decided that I probably was never going to lose another lb because my body is old, and wouldn't let me lose anymore. She called, called again, sent pictures of her success. I was genuinely happy for her! I wanted to support her in some way! So, I signed up. I was already using a protein shake (Shakeology) for the last year or so as part of my fitness routine. And I was using the greens (From It Works) as part of my nutrition program. I was satisfied with the things I had found. But, since I wanted to support her, I decided to just sign up with her and get my greens and shakes from Isagenix. I told her I used it once and that it hadn't really done much for me, but I was going to try it.

She put me on a facebook page called free2be (I've added many of you) It was a bunch of crazy Isagenix users. Pretty much a support page for users. They had a team leader named Tanya who would post videos all the time. I watched the page. It was a really positive place! I kept it. I figured I might as well since I had the product in case I had questions or something else. EVERYONE talked about cleansing. I mean EVERYONE! I was TERRIFIED of cleansing. It is such a scary scary scary word! What does it mean? What does it do? I decided I DEFINITELY could NOT do that, because I have 5 kids, and it would be a terrible tragedy if someone died because I got so angry and hungry. And plus, I work out 6 days a week, and how does ANYONE work out when they are cleansing! NO!

One day Tanya posted a video about how she worked out on a cleanse day.  I couldn't believe it. But everyone seemed to act like these "cleanses" we're no big deal. So, I finally decided to try one. I picked two days where I would be busy but not necessarily have to make meals for my family. I got myself geared up, and did it!! Was it hard? I mean, it wasn't Christmas!! But not as hard as I thought. Did you do both days? Yes. Do you eat? No, you don't eat, but you ARE feeding your body nutrition. It's just in the form of a liquid. Did you go to the bathroom a lot? I had to pee a lot, but not poop.(you know you wanted to know!) as a matter of fact, this is NOT A POOP CLEANSE!

You have to remove your mind from what you think cleansing to be, this is not it. It's not a colon cleanse, a liver cleanse, or anything else! It is cleansing on a cellular leve. It's basically a reset. Resetting your body from toxins. I'll talk more about that later. 

What DID happen? I lost 6 lbs. I did work out both days. Body pump and spin the first day, and yoga the second day. I was hungry, but not STARVING. I was not grumpy. Maybe a tiny bit, but not what I thought I would be. I had clarity, energy as a matter of fact, felt pretty dang awesome!! I'll explain some of the science behind that later. I so wish I would have had this amazing product when I started to lose weight a year ago. I could have been free of pain and sugar cravings this entire time!!

I did a cleanse each week two weeks before my cruise. Lost 4lbs on the next one. Lost 10 lbs before my cruise! 🎉 

I knew I'd gain some back on my cruise. Who wouldn't with two all you can eat buffets and a four course meal every night?  As a matter of fact, I gained 7. More than I wanted, but I'm not going to restrict myself on a cruise. I'm going to have a great time, and I did. 

About 6 days into my cruise I was trying to walk up a set of stairs and I was in sheer pain. I hadn't really noticed, but my hip pain that I had had for 8 years had not actually been bothering me for the past couple weeks, but was suddenly is a massive flair up. I knew for sure I was going to have to call a doctor upon my return. The day I got home I started another two day cleanse. I wanted to get back to where I was before I left, and although I wasn't thrilled about my weight gain, for the first time in years, maybe ever, I knew it wouldn't take me one month or even two months to get 7 lbs. off. It took me three days. My body had bounced right back to where it was. My body was healing, and my metabolism was working and I was finally rid of my hip pain of eight years! EIGHT YEARS!! Immediately following my first cleanse day, after the cruise, my crippling hip pain was gone. 

I have had hip pain for 8 years. I always assumed it was the weight I was carrying that was causing my pain, but I realize now, that I was actually inflammation that was my pain. Toxins in my body causing inflammation and causing joint pain. I can tell you right now, this is an awesome reason why I love ISAGENIX, but it's not the only reason. Other "side effects" of my cleanse were more energy, no more 3 pm crash, no more sugar cravings, and clearer skin. As a matter of fact, I get compliments on my skin all the time now!  And of course NO MORE HIP PAIN! I'm not sure which is the best result, but it's a tight race between no more hip pain and no more sugar cravings. I was a prisoner of both for many many many years. 

And of course the "side effect" of losing weight. Because of my nutritional cleanses, I have seen a number on the scale I haven't seen since after I had Abby. 217! I haven't been that weight in 14 years. And I couldn't be happier. Because of that, I have finally set my weight loss goal at my marriage weight. I can't wait to accomplish that! I finally feel like it is attainable. 

Honestly, my results were as baffling to me as anyone else, how was I getting these results? Why is nutritional cleansing so awesome? Will I gain the weight all right back? Will I have to be on Isagenix forever? I'll answer these questions, in my next post.

FAQ

Are the shakes good?

 I'll be honest, I wasn't a huge fan, but they are part of the system. Many people LOVE them. I have to say, the more my body comes into PH balance, the better they taste. There are also a myriad of recipes that you can use to doll up your shakes. If you try it, and you think they are nasty, chances are, your have high toxicity. 

Do you eat food??

YES! Not on cleanse days though. This was one of the things I didn't understand when I did Isagenix for the first time. I didn't eat any real food AT ALL, and I was bored out of my mind. I was so sick of shakes by day 30. I look at it more like this: I eat 5-6 small meals a day. TWO of those meals are shakes. If I don't feel like having a shake for lunch, I don't!! I have it for a snack!! Or I have it after dinner! Two shakes a day. That's it. Just make sure if you add up all of your small meals and shakes you are staying in your calorie goal. 

Do I have to eat the shakes? Or can I just cleanse?

The shakes are part of the nutritional program. I have no idea how the cleanse would effect you if you didn't have proper nutrition in your body before you start, and I don't wanna find out! I recommend both, for sure. They are nutritional meal replacement shakes. I didn't see results with the shakes alone because my body and metabolism were already "broken". They work best in conjunction with each other. 

How often do you cleanse? 

I cleanse two days a week, because I am in weight loss mode. If you don't have weight to lose, I would suggest once a month, or however often you feel like you need to rid yourselves of toxins. You can see more about that here: What is Isagenix?  Here's more info on cleansing from yours truly. 

Are you going to take Isagenix for the rest of your life? 

PROBABLY! Honesty, it's the best nutrition program I have found. And I've tried A LOT! And it's easier than most nutrition plans! It's not that restrictive! I mean, I could never do whole 30 or anything like that because it's too restrictive,  and then what happens when you're done with whole 30 and start eating regular food?? YOU GAIN IT BACK! Or you stop feeling as good! Honestly, they are kind of similar programs except the cleansing effect that the whole 30 has on your body happens two you in a two day time period instead of a 30 day period. I'll do two days, thanks! 

What does maintenance mode look like? Probably one shake a day and cleansing as necessary..I will continue to cleanse to keep my hip pain at bay. 

Is it expensive? 

I don't really think so. Do you buy nutritional supplements ? Medications? Do you already buy shakes of some sort? Do you buy food? Do you have to visit the doctor regularly because of medical problems? Do you take vitamins? Isagenix will replace all of those things, and will provide you with better nutrition. You will sleep better, feel better, have less sugar cravings, or NO sugar cravings! You'll save money from not eating out! And not eating crap. You won't spend any MORE than you're already spending.

How do I sign up and will you show me what to do? Call me, and YES!! I have found so much joy and satisfaction in helping people get healthy. I've started several friends already, and I love love love helping people feel great. You won't be alone, and you'll have the free2be page to help to. 

What are your favorite products? 

Sooooo many, but here are the pdf's of a few of the ones I use daily. They have totally changed my life. Have I told you I don't crave sugar anymore?!? Life changing! 

http://www.isagenix.com/~/media/product/natural-accelerator/natural-accelerator-pis/us-en-natural-accelerator-pis.pdf 

http://www.isagenix.com/~/media/product/isalean-pro/isalean-pro-pis/us-en-isalean-pro-pis.pdf

http://www.isagenix.com/~/media/product/ionix-supreme/ionix-brochure/us-en-ionix-brochure.pdf

http://www.isagenix.com/~/media/product/ionix-supreme/ionix-pis/anz-en-ionix-pis

http://www.isagenix.com/~/media/system-and-pak/isafruits-and-greens/us-en-isafruits-greens-brochure

http://www.isagenix.com/~/media/product/isagenix-greens/greens-pis/us-en-greens-pis

http://www.isagenix.com/~/media/product/cleanse-for-life/cfl-brochure/us-en-cfl-brochure.pdf

http://www.isagenix.com/~/media/product/cleanse-for-life/cfl-pis/us-en-cfl-pis.pdf

http://productb-info.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Product-B.pdf

http://www.isagenix.com/~/media/product/product-b-isagenesis/product-b-pis/us-en-product-b-pis

HAVE MORE QUESTIONS? Please post in the comments below!

My Story

I LOVE that I started this blog 4 years ago! It lasted a whopping 5 posts. HA! That's okay. It just goes to show you that I have been thinking about food and what I put into my body for a loooooooooooong time.  You can see my post THE BEGINNING  below. But I am even going to give you a more detailed outline of my trip, in hopes that it will enlighten you about my struggle and how I have actually been able to conquer it!

When I got married I weighed 195. Probably seems like a lot to many of you, but I thought it was a good weight. In high school I weighed 175. I was skinny, but always had what I would call a poochy belly. Of course I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to have that teeny tiny belly NOW! (We lovingly call it the Jensen Gut in our family) I did not feel overweight or fat when I got married. I wasn't. I wasn't in awesome shape, but I was okay, I worked out kinda. I was active. I didn't think too much about it. 

I got married at 27. After I got married I probably gained about 15 lbs. We moved to a town in Oregon. I had no friends and no job. I felt alone, and was depressed. I fed my depression with food. 

I felt like 15 lbs was pretty harmless. I could still fit into most of my clothes. 

I had my first baby. I gained probably 60 lbs when I had Abby. I was super concerned, as most new moms are about getting that baby weight off. I worked REALLY hard at getting it off. I got "most" of it off. Probably back to about 210. I didn't really consider getting back to 195. I considered 210 to be my "marriage weight". Not sure why I wasn't more motivated to lose the rest. I worked out and exercised. I indulged in what I call 1/2 of a 1/2 batch of cookie dough. Cookie dough is my love language. 

I had another baby. I don't know how much I gained, but it was about the same. I dieted and exercised. I got down to about 225 I would say. That really became my new weight. I never really tried to get past that. That was my new post baby weight. Diet and exercise seemed to do the trick. But for some reason, getting past that 225 number was way too hard and took way too much sacrifice. I think I cut out sugar once. I felt pretty good doing that, I think it was a month long "sugar fast".  It worked fine. I got back to that same weight after my 3rd child. Didn't feel terrible about it. 

The first time I gained weight for a different reason than besides having a baby was when we moved to Arizona. You can read all about that on my other blog. It was a stressful time in my life and my marriage. I emotionally ate. Because it felt good. I was working out occasionally, but it wasn't part of my life or something I loved. I had gained about 10 more lbs. 235. I had my 4th baby, and gained about 60 lbs with all my pregnancies. I liked looking at pregnancy as an excuse to eat what I wanted. I figured I would work it off later. I got back to 235 with my 4th child. It seems like every child I had, I gave myself 10 lbs. to hold on to. 

I stayed at 235 until we moved to California. I started working for our company and had a very very busy and overwhelming schedule when we first got here. I emotionally ate and choose poor choices. Mostly in the form of drive through burgers. I didn't feel terrible about it. For some reason, I totally justified my weight to myself and told myself it was okay. I had a major sugar addiction, and always looked to that next little fix. I don't typically buy junk food. I don't enjoy processed cookies except for maybe an Oreo now and again. I would rather bake and eat my calories that way. 

Did I love the way I looked in pictures? No. Did I want to do anything about it? Not really, I feel into the category of yeah, I need to lose some weight. I will when I have time. When you're tall, extra weight is kinda easy to hide. It shows up in your limbs and face and of course my belly, but it's all kind of spread around. And I know I looked over weight, but it was easy to hide and convince myself it wasn't that bad. Meanwhile, at this point, I am 45 lbs heavier than I was when I got married. 60 lbs heavier that I was in high school. 

I had a 5th CHILD! After that 5th child at the age of 40 my body was SCREAMING for relief. I couldn't walk up the stairs without panting and feeling over exerted. I was about 265 after I had him, and I knew something had to give. I need and finally wanted my body back. I knew how to do it. I had done it before. I set my goal at 40 lbs, because you know, that is my "new weight" that I had given myself. and I didn't figure I would get much past that. I would be "happy" at 225. And I hoped I could get back there again. I put my mind to it and I started working out.

I gave myself many obstacles to working out. I am too tired! I have a baby! He was up at night all night! I have no energy! I don't have time! I went to the Dr. and said, I have no energy, I must have thyroid problems. She did a full blood panel. No thyroid issues to speak of. My knees hurt! I went to the dr and I said, can I get laproscopy so my knees don't hurt so bad? He said the only thing he could do for me was a full knee replacement. at 41 ?!?!?!? No way! I wasn't read to go down that path. After I had exhausted my doctors asking them what was wrong with me, I remember going to Lake Powell with my two sisters who are both very fit, and being envious of their healthy bodies and the things they were doing with their healthy bodies! It was May 2014. And I since I had already been to all the doctors for solutions, I decided the only solution was to get my body moving, and eat less. Just like everyone else. It was just mind over matter. 

I found my work out love language in the form of Body Pump, Spin, and Yoga. I cannot stress enough that finding a work out you LOVE is PIVOTAL! If you don't want to go do your workout, then you never will. You have to love it. I am sure there are other works out I would love. But those are the ones that make me WANT to go to the gym. I counted calories and used my fitness pal. and worked really really hard. I lost 40 lbs, I didn't do any crazy eating/diet plan. no whole 30, no Paleo, no gimmicks. Just calories in and calories out. SURE I tried to eat well, but I had the occasion treat. I will tell you one thing, sugar is probably NEVER going to be completely out of my life. I ate pretty clean, but didn't totally deprive myself. I can't do that. I like food too much. 

Here's the thing. I got to the point where I was pretty proud of my body. NO, REALLY PROUD. I worked really really really hard. I looked okay in my work out clothes, but when I went home and got undressed for the shower, I was disappointed in what I saw. I still saw fat. LOTS of it. It didn't match how I felt on the inside. Don't get me wrong. I am not the type of person who is hoping to jump into a bikini, but I felt so strong and I wanted what I felt on the INSIDE to reflect on the OUTSIDE. 

I wanted to lose more. Why had I always stopped at 225? Why had I always set that as my goal? I was ready, finally to move past it. I wanted  the outside to reflect what I felt on the inside. I kicked a soda habit that I was SURE was part of the problem. Everyone knows how terrible soda is for you. Everyone. I used a product called It Works greens, It was great! It totally helped me kick my soda habit. I used some of their wraps, and they work temporarily. They help keep you motivated to lose more. But its not lasting results. I liked the greens but it didn't help me lose weight, just helped me kick my soda habit.

I had been on a plateau since April. I had a little bender with my birthday month (as everyone should) and gained back a few lbs. I actually got all the way down to 221, but my birthday bender bumped me back up to 228 or so. I could not lose a stinking pound. Not a SINGLE ONE. My body was revolting. I worked out MORE! I worked out LESS! I ate MORE! I ate LESS! I did my macros! I did the 21 day fix! (Lost a few lbs on that but gained them back too) I was completely stuck, and worse, I still had my sugar cravings, low energy dips in the afternoon and from 5-9 every night, I thought about making cookie dough until I either went to bed, or finally made cookie dough. 

I had pretty much determined that this was going to be my "new weight' forever. I had already kind of decided it was so.... and in walked Isagenix.