Granola Bars

Thank you for your comments on my previous post. I truly loved receiving your responses, and was very encouraged by all the opinions, perspectives and personal experiences out there.

This past weekend I got in touch with my inner hippie, and spontaneously decided to make granola bars at eleven o'clock one night (thankfully, Steve was gone on a white water rafting trip, and did not witness this moment of insanity from his wife). I'm still not quite sure what possessed me to do that. As we have become more health-conscious in recent months, our refrigerator and pantry have begun to resemble those of a hippie commune. Soy milk, brown rice, tofu, dried fruit, whole wheat pita bread...it's all there. So I suppose homemade granola bars seemed like the next logical step.

After reading a bunch of granola bar recipes, I came up with the one below. Since it was late at night, beyond grocery store hours, I had to work with ingredients that we already had (which explains the weird blend of fruit). While I'd like to refine the recipe at some point, these actually turned out great. They were chewy and delicious. Plus homemade granola bars are healthier and way less expensive than the store-bought ones! This recipe has so many options, and can be made to fit your taste. Next time I think I'll add flax seed, almonds and dried cherries.

Granola Bars
2 cups oats
1/4 cup sesame seed
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups dried fruit, chopped (I used apricots, cranberries and lychee)

Butter a 9x9-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread oats onto a sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sesame seeds and toast for another 2 minutes. In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, peanut butter, vanilla and salt in a saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until combined. Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and immediately add it into the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish. Cool completely and cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

My Healthy Habits

Since many of you asked about how I managed to lose 20 pounds, I decided to post a list of the personal lifestyle changes I have made in the last year. If you read my guest post on Diethack, some of this will seem suspiciously similar, which it is. But here is a more updated version just for you!

In my personal experience, the diet and exercise habits listed below have been the key to my weight loss. However, these habits fit my personality and lifestyle. While I think they are simple, and potentially manageable by anyone, I firmly believe every individual needs to find habits that work for them.

Hopefully my experience will inspire and encourage other people in their journey towards healthier living!

• Eat a good breakfast. Ignoring conventional wisdom, I never used to eat breakfast (mainly out of sheer laziness). Now I make it a priority to eat a healthy and balanced morning meal, and I've experienced major benefits - more energy, less hunger, less desire to overeat later on. My standard breakfast is oatmeal, fruit and a glass of soy milk. Eating a balanced meal helps propel me into making good food choices for the rest of the day.

• Eat smaller portions. This habit took me a while to get used to, since I spent so many years overeating. In our house, there are two sizes of plates: mini and humongous (like wok-size humongous). I decided to only use the mini plates and smaller bowls, utilizing dish-space psychology to my full advantage. I also found these ways to determine healthy food portions to be extremely helpful. Now my body and brain have adapted to healthier portions - I eat one serving on a smaller dish, eat slowly, and allow my body time to feel full.
  

• Choose the healthier foods. I try to stick with whole wheat pasta, soy milk, brown rice, low fat yogurt, multi-grain bread, etc. instead of their counterparts. That way I consume foods with their maximum nutrients. Whenever I go grocery shopping, I try to look for healthier equivalents to our household staples.
  

• Drink lots of water. My reusable plastic water bottle has become the best friend that I bring everywhere. Drinking water has so many health benefits, including curbing the desire to snack between meals.
  

• Enjoy healthy snacks. In between meals, I try to snack on fruit, vegetables or healthy protein. My current favorites are almonds and dried apricots. Apples and oranges are also great to have around, and easy to carry in my purse. It was pretty straightforward - I had to stop eating junk, and reach for something healthy.

• Skip dessert. My real weakness was dessert - I had a habit of eating dessert on most nights. I decided to wean myself off the dessert by committing to eat dessert only one night a week. This habit allows me to indulge a little, and gives me something to look forward to.

• Exercise three times a week. I began this discipline over a year ago, and have been able to sustain it. My weekly schedule includes one hour at the gym on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Some weeks I'm not as disciplined, but I'll simply get back on track the following week. Each session includes both cardio and strength training.
  

• Get physically active in small ways. I love discovering opportunities to be active beyond going to the gym. I try to take the stairs rather than the elevator. I park farther away from my destination so I have to walk. Sometimes I will lift weights or do stomach crunches while watching television. Finding creative ways to get exercise throughout the day can actually be fun!
  

• Join an online support community. I joined PEERtrainer with a few friends - the site is free, and allows me to have accountability with others. There's nothing like the encouragement of other people who have similar goals. It's also a great place to keep a log of meals and workouts, and track my overall progress.
  

• Find inspiration. I subscribe to a Health magazine, and read blogs and websites related to health, weight loss and nutritious recipes. This simple act has done wonders for me. Now I get regular reminders of my health goals, encouragement, new ideas to try, and testimonies of real people who are intentionally living healthy lifestyles - it's inspiring and motivating!
  

Weighty Issues

As of last week, I have reached my weight goal: I have lost over 20 pounds.

About a year ago, I decided to make some lifestyle changes (which you can read more about here in a guest post I wrote for the health site Diethack).

I wanted to be healthier, and to make better choices regarding exercise and food. And yes, I wanted to lose weight.

To be honest, it took me a while to admit that desire to myself (and others). Somehow, wanting to lose weight sounded shallow and misguided. "I don't care about losing weight...what I really want is to just be healthy," I told myself. This was a half truth. While I really did desire to be healthy, I also wanted to simply shed some of the pounds.

When I finally admitted this to myself, it was liberating. I realized that a lot of my self-perception was consumed by thoughts of my weight, that I had never truly liked my body since high school, and that I was tired of it. I was tired of sucking in my stomach every second of the day. I was tired of feeling self-conscious in the majority of my clothes. I was tired of looking at photos of myself, and only being able to see the fat.

And now, over the last year, much of that has changed.

I realize that many other people have lost unbelievable amounts of weight, and might scoff at a moderately overweight person rejoicing over losing a mere 20 pounds. I also believe that there is a danger in becoming preoccupied with one's body image.

But personally, I feel that the new me is something worth celebrating.

The bottom line is that I feel tremendously more healthy than I ever have before. For the first time in my life, I am taking responsibility for my body's condition. I am satisfied with the amount of physical activity I am doing, and with the self-control I now have with food. I am comfortable in my body. And yes, I am glad to see those 20 pounds go.

I'm on Diethack

Check me out on Diethack today!

I was asked by Diethack to write a post about personal habits I have formed that have led to a healthier lifestyle. Go read it right now (and note the editor's personal recommendation of my recipes near the bottom of the post)! Diethack is a great site on health that I've been reading for a few months, and I was delighted to have the opportunity to share my experiences with Diethack readers.

Tequila: Effective Flu Remedy?

Everyone has their "I'm sick, and blogging in delirium" post. Well here's mine.

This is my third (third!) time being sick in the last two months, and this one just hit me like a ton of bricks. I've got a slight fever, majorly sore throat, achy body, congested nose, and have spent the entire day curled up in a fetal position in bed. Ugh. I hate hate hate being sick - not so much because of the physical discomfort, but because it reminds me that I am a human being with limitations.

My remedies of choice? Lots of water, chicken tortilla soup, sleep, Friends DVDs, Facebook poker, and this video (which my dad sent me...thanks, cool Daddy-O). Laughter is supposedly good for the body, right? Maybe the fact that I've watched this three times already will bode well for my health.

What are your best cold and flu treatments?

Tips for a Healthy Holiday Season

It's that time again - the season of holiday festivities! As the season ushers in copious amounts of parties, traveling, late nights and feasts, one's healthy habits can get chucked right out with the fruit cake. I have personally discovered that without a good plan of attack for the holidays, I am prone to overindulge, skip the exercise, and guiltily saunter into January afraid of stepping on Mr. Scale. Not fun.

Here are some tips to help us enjoy the holiday season, and happily step into the new year as healthy as ever. Any other ideas for celebrating the holidays healthy-style?

• Use the buddy system: find a friend (spouse, family member, online support group, etc.) who has similar hopes of staying healthy, and help each other follow through with your health goals during the holidays. Peer accountability is extremely powerful.

• Don't go to a party hungry: we often eat faster and more when we are hungry - therefore eat a wholesome breakfast and lunch to avoid overeating at the party.

• Bring a healthy dish to share: people will appreciate your veggie platter amidst the sea of pies and cookies.

• Watch your portions: use a small plate, and go for small portions. Think of it as sampling all the different foods. Moderation is key.

• Keep your meals balanced: make some room on your plate for fruit and vegetables, in addition to the other foods. This way, you will get to indulge as well as receive valuable nutrients and vitamins.

• Indulge a little: be sure to enjoy some of the specialty foods you really love. A few bites of cheesecake will do you some good.

• Nurse your plate (and drink): pace yourself by taking little rests between bites. Wait 20 minutes before getting another plate of food from the buffet. You’ll often find that you’re no longer hungry.

• Hang out with people, not the food: socialize away from the buffet table, bar or kitchen. You will be less likely to mindlessly eat the entire cheese platter.

• Drink plenty of water: alcohol and coffee can dehydrate your body, and can add to your caloric intake. Stick to water as much as possible.
  

• Get some exercise: it’s important to maintain your physical activity during the holidays. Talk a walk with a friend, hit the gym, play some football, whatever it takes to be active.
  

Baked Chicken Chiles Rellenos

¡Hola! I am a yummy chicken chile relleno.

When I first discovered the joy that is Mexican food, I was blown away by a little dish called chiles rellenos. While this recipe is pretty different from the real thing, it gives a slightly Mexican spin to your typical chicken dish. These baked chicken rolls are flavorful and creative, each with cheese and chile peppers nestled inside. They are also low fat (holla at the health conscious!).

I used a saucepan to pound the chicken since we don't own a meat mallet, which created a lot of ruckus in the kitchen. Steve was so amused at this part of the cooking process, he decided to take a picture. Here I am, taking out my stress on the chicken. Hey, it's cheaper than therapy.


Baked Chicken Chiles Rellenos
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1 4-ounce can whole green chile peppers, rinsed, seeded and cut in half length-wise (6 pieces total)
2 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 6 2x1/2-inch sticks
2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 8-ounce jar red salsa

Place a chicken breast half between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound meat lightly into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. Remove plastic wrap and repeat with remaining chicken breast halves. In a shallow dish combine flour, cornmeal and red pepper. Place egg and water in another shallow dish, and beat lightly to combine. For each roll, place a chile pepper half near the edge of a chicken piece. Place a stick of cheese on the chile pepper. Sprinkle with some cilantro and black pepper. Fold in on sides, and roll up, starting from the edge with the chile pepper and cheese. Secure with wooden toothpicks. Dip chicken rolls in egg mixture, and coat with cornmeal mixture. Place rolls seam side down in a shallow baking pan. Drizzle with butter. Bake uncovered in a 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove toothpicks, and serve warmed salsa over chicken.

Operation: Healthy Habits

Thanks for all of your advice in our transition to brown rice. It feels less traumatic when you have friends to encourage you. And thanks to my friend Jamie the Fitness Queen at Tri Harder for her great advice on setting fitness goals.

Our Healthy Habits Plan has been going well. It certainly helps when you have a partner who can keep you motivated and accountable.

Some of you might remember our Master Cleanse experiment. It was certainly an experience, but probably not one that I'd repeat. Sort of like that time we did New Years in Times Square, and stood for seven hours without food or bathroom options - glad we did it, but glad it's over. Anyway, this new plan is more sustainable, and is meant to give us some better discipline in our daily lives.

Here's the general plan:

• Exercise at the gym three times a week. This has worked for me for almost a year, particularly because I bought a membership to the gym, and am not one to waste $70. Also, the gym is one block away from our house, so no excuses.

• Whole wheat pasta and brown rice. I mentioned in my previous post that this will be hard because I'm Chinese, and was raised on white rice as a central part of every meal. But you all had some great ideas for how to make this more doable.
  

• Smaller meal portions. For our wedding, we received sets of dishes with two sizes of plates: mini and humongous (like wok-size humongous). We've decided to only use the mini plates, utilizing dish-space psychology to our full advantage.
  

• Snack on fruits and vegetables. This one is pretty straightforward - stop eating crap all day, and grab an apple instead.

• One dessert per week. That's right - no more ice cream, cookies, or other goodies throughout the week except for one allotted day. This week we enjoyed a chocolate chip cookie at a friend's house.
  

There you have it. Simple plan, right? I'm open to other ideas, so bring 'em on.

What I'm really frightened of is the upcoming holiday season, when my wonderful mother-in-law has the tradition of spending days upon days baking up a storm, and setting out an entire spread of cookies and pies for all to enjoy during the week of Christmas. I'll probably need to steer clear of the dining room.

Rosemary Focaccia

In my first attempt at baking bread, I decided to try some focaccia. It was moderately successful. The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of yeast, and I accidentally used the entire packet. Oops. Also, I don't think I kneaded the dough enough, and it ended up being a little on the dense side. Despite the setbacks, I was pretty proud of the outcome. We enjoyed the bread all week with olive oil and basalmic vinegar. Don't get overwhelmed by all the instructions...it is totally worth it!

In other news, the husband and I decided on a new and improved "healthy habits plan" - minor and major changes in our diet and exercise, catalyzed by the fact that we have both put on some weight this year. One of the changes is eating brown rice instead of white. Sigh...just saying that makes me sad. We had brown rice for dinner tonight, and man, it is just NOT the same. My Asian instincts are going berserk. I'll keep you posted on how long that one lasts.

Rosemary Focaccia
4-4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
coarse salt

In a bowl combine 1/2 cup of flour, 1/2 cup warm water, and yeast. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let stand over night at room temperature to ferment. After fermentation, gradually stir in 1 cup warm water, 2 teaspoons salt, and enough flour to make a dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough flour to make a stiff dough (8-10 minutes). Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once. Cover, and let rise in a warm place until double (about 1 hour). Turn dough out onto a well-floured baking sheet. Place an extra large bowl upside down over the dough to cover it, and let rest 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 475 degrees. Shape dough on the baking sheet into a circle about 11 inches in diameter by pulling and pressing with your fingertips. Make 1/2-inch-deep indentations every 2 inches in dough. Brush dough with olive oil, and sprinkle lightly with coarse salt. Carefully slide focaccia onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden, checking after 8 minutes and popping any large air bubbles with a sharp knife. Remove focaccia from pan, and cool on a wire rack about 15 minutes.

Walkable Neighborhoods

Along with many other people, I am growing in my social and environmental responsibility these days, and have been trying to personally make some appropriate lifestyle changes. We've all heard the call - avoid bottled water, use public transportation, buy fair trade products, bring your own reusable bag to use at the grocery store, etc. I also believe in the under-appreciated thrift store, but more thoughts on that later.

Here's a new discovery of mine: Walk Score. This site calculates the walkability of an address by locating nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc. My house scored a respectable 83, which the site ranks as "Very Walkable: it is possible to get by without owning a car." Within a 1-mile radius, I can walk to Ralph's, Starbucks, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, the movie theater, Rite Aid, various parks, tons of eateries, and lots of other places.

Obviously the real question is do I actually walk to these places? That might mean making conscious changes, such as forgoing Trader Joe's (which I adore), and shopping at the nearby Superior instead. But if the benefits include better physical health, reduction in pollution, more interaction with my neighborhood, and stronger local businesses, then let's walk!

What's your Walk Score?

When Did I Start Reading Health Magazines?!

It's official. I have quite suddenly gone from bonafide couch potato to one of those "healthy people" that I used to detest. You know the sort - they subscribe to fitness magazines, complain that they haven't visited the gym in two whole days and feel like a cow, and buy strange items like flax seed and arugula at Whole Foods. I used to hate all things related to exercise. I was convinced that people who professed to feel those good endorphins were straight up liars, and laughed at any friend who had the nerve to invite me to go jogging with them. And health food...don't even get me started. Screw the Atkins diet. I needed me some pasta and white rice and bad sugars, and didn't see anything wrong with that.

Then some things changed. Firstly, I married a marathon-runner, and began feeling guilty every Saturday when he was doing his 13-mile training while I was on the couch watching reruns of the World Series of Poker on ESPN and munching on Fritos. Secondly, I glanced at myself in the mirror around Christmas, and had the horrific realization that some time between college and the present day, my stomach had come to resemble one of those bags of lard that you can buy at the Carnicería near my house. Thirdly, I began to have a creeping suspicion that if I didn't get at least a little more health conscious at this point in my life, it was not going to bode well for me or my future family in the long run.

So in January I joined the Lyons Center, the gym on the USC campus where I work. Surprising to everyone, most of all myself, I have consistently gone 3 times a week for the last few months, and am constantly high on the endorphins that I had previously scoffed at. Then my husband and I did the Master Cleanse, which resulted in me losing over 10 lbs. and having a healthier overall diet. Overall, I have been feeling amazing on all levels - physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. And as an added bonus, I can now fit into pants that I used to wear in college.

So here I am, not quite a health nut (and NEVER a vegan, no thankyouverymuch), but closer than before. I'm a changed woman.

Final Thoughts on the Master Cleanse

Originally, I chose to do the Cleanse primarily because I am actively growing in making better choices about my body, it's health, and the food I put into it. I felt like the Cleanse sounded like a good step towards general health consciousness. Since this is a more long-term result, it remains to be seen. I have to say, though, I am suddenly very motivated to find healthier recipes to try out in the kitchen. I went to allrecipes.com, where there's a fantastic section on "Healthy Living," with all sorts of tips and recipes.

I also feel motivated to continue going to the gym regularly. I lost about 12 lbs. during the Cleanse (some water loss, some true weight loss), along with a few inches off my waist and thighs. And even though weight loss wasn't the main motivation of doing the Cleanse, I would like to continue getting into better shape.

Another more minor hope was that my chronic headaches (which began quite drastically during my junior year of college) would end, since there are many testimonies of this occurring after the Cleanse. This also remains to be seen.

Plus, the idea of having a cleaner, more efficient colon was intriguing.

All in all, the Master Cleanse was a good experience. It was rough (really rough) at times, and I doubt I'll become one of those people who Master Cleanse 3-4 times a year, but I am proud that we finished it.

The Master Cleanse - Day 10

WE FINISHED!!!

The final day of the Cleanse has been generally pleasant. Even with a slight headache and sore throat (why haven't those disappeared yet?), I felt pretty energized. That might be due to the fact that normal, post-Cleanse life is near, but whatever. I felt so good I went to the gym. The next few days will be a slow on-ramp into regular eating - with orange juice, vegetable soup, and raw fruits and veggies as our primary meals. We also have the option of drinking more of the lemonade, to which I have to reply, "No thank you very much."

Thanks for all your support and encouraging words, friends! Tomorrow I'll post the end results, along with my final thoughts on the Cleanse experience.

The Master Cleanse - Day 9

One more day to go!

This is what marathoners must feel like at mile 25. I wouldn't know because nothing could EVER convince me to have any desire whatsoever to run a marathon. Merely running across the street to the grocery store is taxing.

In fact, last night I began thinking of all sorts of ways to justify ending the Cleanse early. Alas, I have a husband who finishes what he begins, and a measure of pride. So here I am on the second to last day, determined to finish this through.

Today was actually quite nice. I felt pretty good throughout the day, and didn't feel especially hungry or tired. I went out with a friend during lunchtime, and she ordered pizza (wretched pizza - you've been the bane of my Master Cleanse existence), and it honestly wasn't that bad.

With the end in sight, Steve and I are already dreaming up a fancy celebratory meal to whip up when we finish the Cleanse.

The Master Cleanse - Day 8

I am pretty ready to be done with the Cleanse. I only drank about 1/2 of my usual 8 cups of lemonade. After eight straight days of that stuff, it's beginning to look completely unappetizing. But we're nearing the home stretch, thank goodness.

In other news, I was busy all afternoon turning this skirt...



...into this.



It took about 3 1/2 hours (and lots of work with my seam ripper) to complete. Yay for reconstructing old clothes!

The Master Cleanse - Day 7

Only three days left! It's actually gone by pretty quickly.

Day 7 was supposed to be one of the most difficult, according to the book. But it wasn't all that different from the last few.

The main issue of the day was navigating the bathroom situation this morning. We had nine college students crash at our place for the night. Picture it - nine college students plus two Master Cleansers (with their daily salt water flush routine) trying to use two toilets - INSANE.

I have to say that I miss the days of being woken up by the annoying alarm of my cell phone, rather than my stomach in utter turmoil. This morning I had to get up and empty myself at 5:30am. Ugh.

The rest of the day was pleasantly uneventful. I spent the day out in Compton, doing a service project with some of my college students. In terms of the Cleanse, I drank less lemonade than usual, and didn't feel that hungry even while sitting with a bunch of people as they ate their lunch. When I got home around 5pm, I suddenly got extremely tired. I'm not sure if that was from the Cleanse, or from organizing the service project. In any case, I'm ready to curl up in my comfy bed.

The Master Cleanse - Day 6

Through the Cleanse (or what my brother referred to as "that weird new-agey thing") I'm realizing just how much I'm used to having the comfort of food around me. It's not really hunger, but more of an underlying irritation of not being able to eat what I want when I want.

Plus, I really miss cooking. Since getting married, cooking has become a cherished hobby of mine. It's my time to be in the kitchen, get away from other people and activities of the day, and put my creative energy into a productive hour or two. I love the activity of cooking...maybe even more than the food itself. Well...probably not that much.

Anyway, today was actually a pleasant one. My body has gotten used to its daily routine of salt water, lemonade, and herbal tea. I had noticably more energy than usual during the afternoon. And I realized that my sense of smell was way stronger, which apparently is a common occurrence for Master Cleansers. I was walking around outside, and noticed some very specific scents around me (including one dude's body odor AND his freshly washed, detergent-scented t-shirt. Go figure.).

I'm going to go vegetate in front of the TV now, and pray that a Papa John's commercial doesn't come on.

The Master Cleanse - Day 5

We're halfway there! Well, sorta. There are the 10 official days of the Cleanse, and then three days of orange juice and vegetable soup to help our stomachs to get back to normal. The real reward for me will be not having to drink a quart of salt water for breakfast anymore.

Today I went to the gym - 1/2 hour on the elliptical, and some weight training - and it felt great.

Also, since the afternoon I've been feeling SUPER cold. Our Master Cleanse book says that's normal, since the body isn't using as much energy to metabolize any solid food.

Okay...bedtime.

The Master Cleanse - Day 4

Today brought something new - I swear my skin began to smell like peanuts. I made Steve smell my arm, and he agreed saying, "Don't come near me...you're making me hungry." Other than that, not much has changed since yesterday. And yes, my head STILL hurts. Maybe hoping the chronic headaches would get pooped out with the toxins was just wishful thinking.

By the way, people who say they don't feel hungry during the Cleanse are straight up liars. I've been hungry at many points today. It got so bad that I saw a Carl's Jr. commercial for their buffalo chicken sandwich, and thought it looked like the most delicious thing I have ever seen. Yikes.

The Master Cleanse - Day 3

Today was pretty much a repeat of yesterday - same experience with the salt water flush, same headache and sore throat, same low energy level. In the morning I woke up (from a lovely dream about eating pizza) promptly at 7:30am with an urgent need to go to the bathroom. Besides that, the day was rather normal. It's amazing how much more time I have, now that I'm not cooking or eating - I got tons of work done. Steve and I are both wondering where all the crazy symptoms are (not that I'm complaining or anything).

Whenever we explain the Cleanse to someone, we get the same reaction - a look of disbelief, and "Why???" Apparently personal health isn't a good enough reason for folks. One friend was interested in doing it, but then took that back when she heard she'd have to drink a quart of salt water every morning.

Tomorrow (Day 4) is supposed to be a higher energy, feel good sort of day. However, I'll be sitting in an eight hour meeting...NOT looking forward to getting up during the meeting every 10 minutes to pee.