Imbalanced

Do any of these sound like you?

• A scale that doesn't budge, no matter much you exercise or how fervently you diet?
• You have low energy?
• Your skin is starting to wrinkle, and you're not old enough to have wrinkles?
• Your skin is breaking out?
• You suffer from mood swings?
• Your monthly cycle is irregular? (girls...)
• You feel tired no matter how much sleep you get?
• You keep losing and gaining the same weight?

Well, I gotta say, I was able to say yes to quite a few of these. And that is what gave me that "ah ha" moment that Jillian Michaels just might know what she's talking about in her new book, Master Your Metabolism!!!

These things used to describe Jillian too. Until she realized that her hormones were out of balance. And once she did something about it, things began to fall into place. She used to restrict her diet to 1200 calories per day and work out like a dog 6 days a week to struggle to maintain 120 lbs (she's 5'2'' - just like me!), and would instantly put on 15 lbs just from increasing her diet to 1500 calories per day (which is reasonable and appropriate). Once she was able to balance her hormones, she now maintains a sleek 115 lbs and eats 1800 to 2000 calories per day and only has to exercise 3-4 days a week (although, she really brings it when she does!).


So what is the secret you ask???? Well, you really ought to read the book to be able to appreciate the full spectrum of the problem and the solutions. Its an excellent book, and I burned through it in a matter of days. But in case you don't have time at the moment, I'll share the synopsis.

Basically, the chemicals, hormones, pesticides, additives, preservatives, etc. that are coating the food we consume, are throwing our hormones out of whack! Seriously, you gotta read the book to really understand it. But common sense will tell you that this crap can't possible be good for you, right??

Ok, so the synopsis I promised....

Rule 1 - Eat clean. Buy organic as much as resonably possible an avoid as much as you can any foods which have any additives or chemcials. Unprocessed, whole foods are best. What ever you do, avoid like the plague any foods that contain:

• hydrogentated fats (even partially hydrogenated)
• Refined grains (make sure the ingredient list says 100% whole grain!)
• high fructose corn syrup (this one is a toughie - its in SO much!)
• Artificial sweetners (sorry, the Diet Coke, even though 0 calories, is working against you!)
• Artificial coloring or preservatives
• Glutamates

Reduce starchy veggies (corn, potatoes), tropical, dried, or canned fruits, process soy, excess alcohol, canned foods, and sadly, caffeine.

Rule 2 - Fill up on lots of these foods!!!

• legumes (beans)
• alliums (onions, garlic, etc.)
• berries (organic, otherwise, they are sprayed heavily in pesitcides!)
• meat and eggs (she said eggs are nearly the perfect food, don't worry about the cholesterol)
• Colorful fruits and veggies
• Cruciferous veggies unless you are hypothyroid (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc.)
• Dark green leafy veggies
• Nuts and seeds
• Dairy (ALWAYS organic!)
  
• Whole grains (again, make sure its 100%. It only has to be 51% whole to be able to say its whole grain!)

Rule 3 - Focus on getting a balance of 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% healthy fats. Additonally, make sure you eat breakfast, always. Eat every four hours, no exception. Don't eat after 9 p.m.; do not eat carbs at night! Only eat until you are full, but not stuffed.

Additionally, Jillian recommends you sleep at least 7, but no more than 9 hours a night. Use organic personal products inasmuch as you possibly can (your skin is afterall your largest organ, and we coat it with chemicals daily with non-organic shampoos, washes, etc.). Use glass food storage containers, and make sure you do not eat out of any plastics that contain BPA. Also, replace your chemical-based cleaners, with simple (and inexpensive) natural cleaners.

Ok, so I'm cheap. I can't just throw stuff out like Jillian urges me to. But, I do plan on buying organic and all-natural products from here on out. I have a known and previously diagnosed hormonal imbalances that made it difficult for me to become or stay pregnant. If these changes can help, well then, I'm all for that!!!!!

(Don't) Picture This

It was a beautiful weekend. The sun was shining, there was a gentle breeze, but it wasn't nearly as hot or muggy as it has been here on the East Coast of late. My sweet darling one year old decided both Saturday and Sunday that it would be lovely to rise early to enjoy the brillance of the morning. (Translation: Bennett woke me up at the butt crack of dawn). I spend Saturday diligently cleaning and organizing and laundering. We take a brief break in the afternoon to go buy a fun kiddie pool for the boys and get some dinner. We put the kids to bed and I return to my endless piles of laundry to fold. I read my book (which is turning out to be very good, by the way -->) for a while, watch a movie with Ace (Marley and Me), and crawl into bed at 1:30 a.m. Smart, Elle.

Sunday, again up with the rooster (aka Bennitto), I return to the usual tasks of cleaning house and corralling children. We have to leave for church at 11:30, so at 10:30, I wake Ace up (must be nice, huh?) and ask him to watch the kids, make the bed and make sure Carter gets dressed while I shower and dress. I come out of the shower to the sound of children crying in my bedroom. Carter and Bennett were there alone, and Bennett just got a head bump and was wailing. I scoop Bennett up to console him and yell for Ace.

Ace informs me that he just cannot take it (the screaming) anymore and he's going to take a shower. Bennett decides he wants to nurse (I am, afterall, topless) and just latches on to me without warning. Nice. My hair is sopping wet, I have a kid hanging off my chest, and Carter is bouncing off the walls. Meanwhile, Ace proceeds to shower and dress, and I'm STILL NAKED. Because a girl can't get 20 minutes of peace I 'spose. I snap. Hell hath no fury like an overly-stressed woman. I'm SCREAMING at Ace - "You never help me around the house," "You have no regard for our routines," yada, yada, yada, only slightly exaggerating or over-generalizing. All the while...still naked (please, don't picture it, it ain't pretty).

I look back at how comical it was at the time, but an important realization was reached by both of us yesterday morning ... The stress of work (which, by the way, I got an email from my boss this morning saying to prepare myself, we're about to get even busier...), the stress of my futile attempts to keep my house clean and orderly, and the severe lack of free time to enjoy my children or (gasp!) some time to myself - well, lets just say I've had enough. Now, don't beat up Ace (because he reads this) - he does contribute, its just not enough and his standards aren't quite as high as mine. But if want to save our sanity (and our marriage, apparently, lol), something has GOT to give.

So...we decided to hire back our cleaning service. They come twice a month and do all the deep cleaning. We'll still have the basic every day stuff (which is more than enough, believe you me) to do, but this will at least ensure that twice a month, my house is clean, and I don't have to do it! Maybe now I can get to some of the other projects (like writing thank you notes for Bennett's birthday...) that get strewn to the wayside. Screw being frugal - I'd rather be sane!!

So, don't picture me naked and screaming with a kid hanging off my chest...but do picture my house clean and tidy and me calm and relaxed :) That's the hope at least!!!!

Ahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let me hear that collective sigh! Its Friday night people!! No better way to enjoy the end of a well-worked week than with a nice glass of wine! It smooths the edges and softens you up!

Tonight, I'm getting a head start on laundry and housecleaning so that (hopefully) I can spend the rest of the weekend kicking back and relaxing with my boys! (A girl can dream, right???)

Today, I attended my Firm's annual Summer Outing at a crab shack just outside of Annapolis, Maryland. I had a great time kicking back with my co-workers and relaxing and just being ME - not lawyer-Elle, just Elle! I guess it sort of made me realize that I spend way too much of my time in the office on edge and afraid to be myself. And I've worked here over 4 years people! Once you peel back the layers of these hardened and ruthless litigators, there are just normal people underneath, lol! Needless to say, it felt really good :) I guess I'm just too afraid sometimes of coming across as "soft" or a pushover. I'm going to have to make it a point not to be so jittery at work from now on! Anyone else like this?