Day 5 of 10 on the Herbal Cleanse

I have to say I am feeling great!  I am on day 5 of 10 on the Herbal Cleanse.  I am not having the overwhelming chocolate cravings that I was having a week ago!  Thank goodness!  I am also adding Catalyst, Spark, Slim, Meal Replacement Shakes, and OmegaPlex to my routine.  Right now I am unable to workout due to my back, so I am trying to watch what I eat more carefully. 

The cleanse is very gentle and uneventful.  It is like changing the oil or cleaning out the lint trap.  We need to clean out our lint trap every 90 days for optimal health.  When was the last time to did a cleanse?  If you have questions I am here to help!

Looking for Gluten Free ideas?

You need to check out my friends site!  She has so many amazing recipes and links to other sites!
http://maidinalaska.squarespace.com/

Gluten Free Banana Blueberry Muffins

Such a YUMMY treat!  I have to admit this is the first recipe I have tried to convert to Gluten-free and it turned out pretty good! 

2 ripe bananas, peeled

1/2 cup egg whites

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter or margaine, melted

1 cup blueberries

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/4 cups gluten free all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

In medium bowl, combine bananas, eggs, sugar and butter until well blended.  Stir in blueberries and vanilla.  In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture until evenly moistened.  Spoon batter into well greased muffin pan.  Bake 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted comes out clean.  Serve warm.  Makes 18 muffins.

Gluten Free Honey Oat Bread Recipe

Gluten Free Honey Oat Bread Recipe This looks so yummy! I think I am going to have to try this instead of paying $7.00 per loaf at the bakery!

Back Injury

The past month has been very difficult for me.  Somehow I hurt my back, yet again.  But this time it is much worse.  I was unable to get out of bed by myself, dress myself, I had to stand to eat, and could barely sit on the toilet!  I went to our family doctor only to get rude treatment.  He wanted to just give me strong pain killers, but I am not a fan of taking medications!  He finally did get me scheduled for an MRI, which found that I have a herniated disk that is pressing on the nerve root....OUCH!  The medications he gave me only made me sleepy and did not touch the pain.  I asked for a referral to see a Neurosurgeon and he was no happy about that, but did send it in.

I went to a different doctor, Dr. Wilkenson, and he sat and talked to my husband and I about what the MRI showed and he recommended I see a Neurosurgeon.  He changed my medications to Neurotin, which helps so much with the pain!  I still have episodes of pain and numbness, but so much better!  I am actually able to do some things around the house without crying!

I saw the Neurosurgeon, Dr. Singel, on Monday.  He doesn't want to rush into surgery because he says the herniated disk is causing the pain on my legs, but he is not convinced that is what is causing the back pain.  He ordered an X-ray of my back in flexion and extension to see if I have lumbar instability.  He said that about 10% of people have this condition and he wants to see if that is want is causing the pain.  I had my x-ray yesterday and I go see him again tomorrow.  I am hoping that we will get some more concrete answers.  I have had back pain since I was in high school and it really started getting bad about 4 1/2 years ago. 

For now my training is put on hold! I know...I am bummed, but I really need to make sure my body is in great same before I do all my training!  I have been trying to stick to a more strick diet, but have not always been faithful.