Today is the beginning of Day Three of my journey to a ‘healthier me,’ and it feels great. I did make a few minor changes to the raw food diet and added some steamed vegetables and brown rice to add a little heat. But to tell you the truth, it’s been an easy two days so far.

I went on the scale today and lost a total of three pounds, which is mostly water weight, but that’s OK because my scale is on a downward momentum, and my energy is rising upward. So what have I done over the last two days to help me progress? As I mentioned in the previous post, Day one was a cleanse, therefore I only ate cucumbers, drank 100 oz lemon-water and 2 cups of plain green tea. I was honestly not hungry because I kept myself engaged. Upon waking, I did a 10-minute meditation, which helps set the day in a positive motion. Then I went to work my typical 8 hours, cooked dinner for the family, threw in a load of laundry, and began my workout routine.

• Walked 30 minute on treadmill at 3.5
• 15 Minute beginner Yoga routine
• 30 squats, 50 crunches and 30 lunges (15 on each side)

I finally sat down, watched the Bachelor and followed that with a 10 minute evening meditation. And wow, did I have a great night’s sleep. I hit that pillow at 10:30 pm, and did not wake up until 5:00 am. Now that is progress! Day One was a success.

Now for Day Two – I usually wake up with semi-stiff joints, but today no stiffness at all – yay! I drank 16 oz. of lemon water upon rising, followed by my 10-minute meditation. Around 8 am I ate an apple for breakfast with a 1/2 cup of coffee and creamer. I’ve tried to drink black coffee so many times before, but cannot overcome the sour taste, so I added a touch of creamer. I ate a banana for lunch with ten almonds and 20 oz. of water, which satisfied my sweet tooth. Throughout the day, I felt rejuvenated – more focused and a calmer demeanor. As many of you know, I am going through pre-menopause, which has my hormones on a daily, erratic shift, but today I felt an inner calm. Maybe it was the food, maybe the meditation, or possibly the exercise – but whatever helped me achieve this calm is working.

Today was my mother in law’s birthday, so we celebrated with the family and ordered Chinese food because that is what Toot’s (as we like to call her) wanted. So rather than being the party pooper, I ordered steamed vegetables and brown rice, which wasn’t raw but it is clean. This adjustment leads me to believe that what I am shooting for is a clean, plant-based diet for the next 19 days, rather than 100% raw. Unfortunately, I did not get my exercise routine in today because it was a hectic day, but life must go on. For my fluid intake, I drank a total of 60 oz. of water, and one cup of green tea, and two cups of coffee. I ended the evening with a 10-minute sleep meditation and my nightly prayer. This leads me to today – feeling supercharged again! I went to bed at 10:30 pm last night and woke up at 5:00 am, like clockwork. Last night was another restful night’s sleep and today is beginning quite positive.

PROGRESS REPORT: 3 pounds lost in 2 days, more energy, more focus and getting closer to fifty years old.

NOTES: Daily vitamins – Vitamin D3, Vitamin B12, Magnesium, Vitamin C, Zinc, Turmeric, Flax Seed. Goal – (1) Drink at least 60 oz per water per day, (2) exercise 30 minutes, (3) daily meditation and prayer, (4) drink green tea (5) probiotics

MEDITATIONS – Morning https://youtu.be/Yjh_sDNL1Ac Evening https://youtu.be/syx3a1_LeFo