So... When am I going to get to the Simply Building A Better Life part?

Well, I didn't name the blog "Simply Building A Better Life" for nothing. 

Looking at my 40th birthday in just two short years is like staring down the barrel of a gun.  Well, maybe that is a little dramatic.  But, I've been thinking alot lately.  I better start taking care of myself.

I'm starting with Health.  I've been tackling the topic of Detoxing.  It's best described as hitting the reset button on your body.  I'm well into the book Clean by Alejandro Junger.  I'm hoping to start the program this week.  Hopefully, for the full three week program.

I'm close to half way through the book.  So far, it's been very good at spelling out why to detox.  It's also touched on how our body works internally.  But, I'm just now digging into how the program works.  I'll cover that as I go.

So, little steps for the long haul.

As I make my way deeper into the Revive book, It's becoming increasingly clear that right out of the gates a lifestyle change is recommended.  While, I have made up my mind to change my life.  It's not as well received by my spouse or offspring.  Although, I'm sure it would improve their quality of life as well.  So, I'll have to fight this battle on my own for now.  I hope that I'll inspire them to improve their nutrition in some way through my example.

The program seems to be a little more complicated than I had hoped.  His first recommendation is to clean out the cupboard to get rid of all the chemical laden foods.  I am embarrased to say that I think thats all that might be in there.  I'll, reluctantly, leave those to the family to eat.  I made it to point in the book where we start the program.  It's called Week One - Nourish.  This week, the focus will be on removing sugars and processed foods and will be adding smoothies.  (If I can figure out where to purchase all these powders for the Smoothies.)

There is no doubt in my mind that this will be a hybrid program for me.  I will not be able to follow this to a tee.  Therefore, I will take the best principles from it and simplify them to my liking.  Today, I had 1 pack of original instant oatmeal for breakfast with 15 grams of Sugar.  For lunch, I hit up China King Restaraunt for 1/2 cup of steamed vegetables with 1/4 cup of steamed white rice.  Yeah, I know I didn't totally cut out the sugar.  But, my sugar intake today is no where near where it's been.  So, little steps for the long haul. 

I like to strip things down to their simplest form.  While mixing powders together to make the Breakfast Workday Smoothie sounds easy enough to do, I'm going to keep instant oatmeal in there as a backup.  For lunch, I plan on fresh raw vegetables from the grocer or steam vegetable from a local chinese restaraunt.  Just changing one meal a day to all vegetables will be an improvement.  I haven't hit dinner yet.  I have enough of the vegetables left to make another meal.  This will most likely be how it plays out.

Then, the real battle begins -- The after dinner but before bedtime snackfest.  This is where discipline comes in.  Did I mention that my wife posted a picture of me and my daughter in the pool on Facebook?  It was not real flattering.  Did I mention that I have an upcoming class reunion?  I don't want to look like a slob there.  Anyway, thats my motivation.

I won't be in today, I'm just spent.

I have begun to research why I  might be so tired lately.  I am 99% sure it has more to do with my sedentary lifestyle than my overall health.  I began my research with a book called Clean by Dr. Alejandro Jungar MD.  But, half way through the book it recommends starting with the book Spent by Dr. Frank Lipman MD.  So, I took a break from the Clean book to review the Spent book.  If you are looking for it, the author has changed the name from Spent to Revive.  He hoped to focus more on the results than the symptom.  I'll review the book and program as I go along.

On occassion, I tease a coworker for the way he once called off work.  His reason for calling off, "I won't be in today... I'm just spent".  This was in no way as original as that of another coworker.  His reason was that his cat unplugged his alarm clock.  What crazy excuses have your coworkers used to call off?