Days 6, 7 and 8: A sports bra re-emerges.

The sports bra has been taking a hiatus on a hook in the basement. Don't get me wrong, I love to exercise--I love Zumba-- but I just got into this rut after I started getting exercise-induced migraines last year. Back-to-back barbell and Zumba classes did me in. My laserbeam focus on getting fit was lost and the migraines went away for a while. Until I ate things with MSG in them. Or maybe I was drinking too much wine or eating too much chocolate. In any event, my body was telling me there's something off-balance. After the migraines returned it became clearer I needed to focus on a way of eating that would work in harmony with exercise. Diet and exercise are not mutually exclusive of one another. I feel my best when I have eaten nourishing foods and have worked my body.

On Wednesday Mom and I met, with the kids at SkyHigh, our local trampoline playground. Like a modern-day roller-rink the place teems with kids of all ages. We stuck to the "kids under 8" section, which allows parents, and we all jumped. I feel pretty darned proud of us that we weren't the parents chatting on the sidelines, we were there in the thick of it jumping with my 3 and 6 year old girls.

Which brings to mind this whole burstacizing thing. Burstacizing is the recommended course of exercise for Cambiati-ers. While Mom and I were watching my daughter, Cate; she'd go for bursts of crazy fun, leaping from trampoline to pad, across the room. Playing tag with the other kids. A couple of times it made her so tired she just laid down on the padded part of the floor like it was all just too much. We thought it was hilarious. Ti Caudron, the Cambiati Wellness program founder and "Chief Inspiration Officer" explained burstacizing as an endeavor that takes 1 minute of extreme effort followed by 4 minutes of rest in 4 "bursts" or intervals at least 3 times per week. 12 minutes of exercise a week? For me, a busy photographer and mother of 2, it sounds too good to be true. I'm still skeptical but willing to try. Doing this and succeeding would invalidate the efforts I've made in the past; countless hours (and $$ spent) in the gym. But hey--12 minutes a week is more than I have been doing. Due to the fact that I have enjoyed exercise so much in the past I'm still going to hit the gym. Soon. Look for a post about that. And if you don't see one ask me for it.

In other news, I've lost 3 pounds in less than a week and my mom, 4. I had an unwelcome (actually, on second thought, VERY welcome) visitor this week so I anticipate next week's results to be even better.

And even BETTER than that, Claire sat down to a meal of brown rice and stir-fried chicken and green beans and had THREE helpings. I've been coming down on the kids in terms of snacking; only a banana or apple before dinner and for dessert they can have fruit. It's working, they are actually eating at meal time--and eating what's placed in front of them. Mama's not messing around any more.

Days 4 and 5. Getting used to a new (green) paradigm

Just some of the bounty I brought home from the Temple Isaiah/CCJDS CSA.

Yes, those are yellow carrots!

My ever-enigmatic and non-Goomba-esque coach Allie (impressively, without breaking any limbs) convinced me that the key to feeling satisfied is to load up with lots of greens and other vegetables. I had a big ol' salad today for lunch with a homemade avocado dressing, onions, sugar plum tomatoes, corn and pumpkin seeds. My veggie experimentation is revving up and I'm starting to get back into the groove of cooking. Sick of steamed broccoli, I'm ready to embrace some new foods. Allie recommended (OK--she pretty much strong-armed me into joining) a CSA that a mutual friend is helping to run through the Temple Isaiah/Contra Costa Jewish Day School in Lafayette. The fruits and veggies are supplied through Ledesma Family Farms and Frog Hollow. The produce is organized Farmer's Market style and you get your choice of a few items in a category ( e.g. Cauliflower or broccoli? Arugula or spring mix?) so that you're not stuck with any one thing as per most CSAs. By the time I got to Temple Isaiah late this afternoon I was pretty well famished. Janna (our friend) led me through the CSA set-up and as she described the vegetables I could visualize the "sweet, rich golden" carrot interior and the roasted sunchokes that are like fingerling potatoes but better. The pea greens that represent the taste of the sugar snap pea in ONE WHOLE SALAD were irresistible. Even fresh pinto beans---yes, I'm going to try them (I am a bean-hater) because Janna assured me of their fresh goodness.

So, all vegetables aside (Mom will like that) some of the key observations I've made in the past two days are:

• I don't have to eat my six-year-old's (flax seed--ha ha--she doesn't know!) tortilla chips just because she wants them. I can give her a portion without tasting them.
• I don't have to taste my food all along the whole cooking process.
• I don't need to test pasta for doneness--in my mouth.
• When I want to snack, most of the time a beverage will quell the hunger.
• I can live with hunger. And sometimes I can even ignore it.
• There's a whole culinary world out there that I haven't fully explored yet. How exciting!
• The kids are fascinated by this whole process and eager to join in, help and learn about nutrition. They may even be my biggest cheerleaders and the ones who benefit the most from this in the long run--which makes me smile and tear up just a little. And yes, dammit, they have to have green stuff on their plate.

If you're interested in the CSA here's the link on the Temple Isaiah site: Temple Isaiah/CCJDS CSA

Breathing Easier on Cambiati. Literally.

This morning I woke up expecting to feel hungover All. Day. Long. The bad news is I woke up with that persistent headache and the desire to eat. Immediately. The good news is that once I ate (or rather, drank my shake) and gradually started my day I started feeling good. Really good. My nose is super clear. I mean freakishly clear. I don't think my nose has EVER been this clear. I mean, was it SUPPOSED to have been this clear all along? I think I must be getting, like, 20% more oxygen in my body. No one ever told me that getting more oxygen was a wonderful side-benefit of a cleanse.

In other news, my mom has adapted even better to this whole thing than I could have ever hoped for (READ, better than I have, for sure). She didn't have the crazy withdrawals that I've been experiencing because she's cut out much of the foods that have been eliminated during this cleanse throughout the last month. She's drinking those greens and getting creative in the kitchen with things like wild rice medleys. She's trying to make her shakes more palatable. Which reminds me--there were some pretty cool all-natural flavor extracts at Harvest House. And chocolate tea. I sure as heck bought that tea. With Stevia it harkens me back to a nice cup of cocoa on a cold rainy night.

So I'm thinking there are more cool super-powers yet to be experienced for both WhoozyerGrandma and I. Pretty soon we will develop X-ray vision. And become a super-duo. Awesome!

Day 2: Tomorrow will be better

The first thing I want to do is put all of my grousing in context. For a pizza-loving, wine-drinking, Starbucks slurping (OMG---have you tried their new little cake pops? ) extremely busy mom of two going cold turkey on all of those things can be pretty uncomfortable. Before I took this on, I thought "No Problem." but the reality of the situation is my body is going through withdrawals and I am feeling a little hungover as a result.

I would like to be a font of inspiration but on Day 2 I am just taking it minute by minute. The thing that keeps me going today-- besides having my beautiful mother (who is DRINKING HER GREENS for the very first time in her life) as my partner in crime is--- I gave birth TWICE. The second time, without any drugs. The pain was temporary and I made it through, both times to hold the most precious gifts in my life. Pain is sometimes the only conduit to a better, more meaningful life.

I am doing this also to change my family's life. My husband may join me next month in this endeavor. Ti Cauldron, the founder of Cambiati says that this kind of diet is ideal for people with autoimmune diseases. Last year, I took my youngest daughter to see a naturopathic doctor as conventional medicine doesn't offer a cure or even an effective treatment to address alopecia aerata in kids. Her first recommendation was for us to go on an elimination diet. I got through 1 day of that.

Cambiati is a system that allows you to "blueprint" the way that food interacts with your body. If we have the support and guidance to get through this we can then administer such a diet to Cate and see if it helps with her hair growth. Already she is joining me in the morning, having a smoothie, drinking tea and helping me shake up my drinks in my little shaker. She's a natural.

Cambiati---Day One. Why did I sign up for this MADNESS?

Guess what? I can have all of the tea I want. Yay Tea!

As I made my vegetable upon vegetable upon vegetable- comprised dinner this evening I was visualizing my next step after chopping---you guessed it--vegetables. Normally that step would have included a liberal dousing of oil to almost smoking point and a light browning of said vegetables. But no, according to Cambiati guidelines I am to sort of steam everything in the pan using broth. For me, no olive oil during food preparation is kind of like dry-humping, all of the motions and only some of the satisfaction.

Today was HARD. I literally wanted to gnaw off my toes. And curl up in a ball in the corner. With Ben and Jerry's. When my 3-year-old yelled argghahahahahahahah!" at the top of her lungs when she didn't get a grape lollipop I matched her in tone and tenacity. Which made her cry. "You scared me Mommy". Well, I scare a lot of people, kid. Get used to it.

With a light head I accidentally dialed Martinez Patch.com editor, Jim Caroompas looking for my coach. I knew I was losing it. But it gets worse. "Nicole, how ARE you???" asked Jim in a warm excited to hear me voice. "Great. Who IS this? I replied.

When I connected with her, Allie my coach basically said take it minute by minute. "Will you starve, literally starve, Nicole, if you don't eat that thing that you want the most in the world?" No, I answered her. But dammit, My kid's 20-minute old leftover Mac N' Cheese sure looks like the spread you get on the last night on death row to me. So tasty. And cheesy.

No Cheese. No dairy, wheat, sugar, alcohol, coffee or snacking. No snacking. OMG.

So. Yes, today I started this 28-day cleanse thingy---with my mom. It is super-vegetable focused and my mom will tell anyone who will listen, that she WILL. NOT. EAT. VEGETABLES. EVER! Or she will throw up. She ( I am so proud of her, by the way because this is a HUGE step) drank her greens today.

Now. I'm doing this thing because I have known for a while what I want to do (with my relationship with food) and I am not quite sure how to get there. All of these glowy happy people have emerged from the woodwork singing Cambiati's praises. Like a cult. But one that allows you to live with the "other" people who have not ascribed to the edicts you've embraced.

Also. I am a photographer who wants to focus primarily on weddings and I want to be gorgeous like Jasmine Star and woo my clients so that one day I can make $10,000 a wedding too. Part of becoming a signature photographer is working on the whole package. Part of all-day on-your-feet work is having a high endurance level and the ability to THROW yourself on the ground like you're a private in boot camp.

The name of my business is Sweetness and Light Photography

And I want to be lighter.