I’m also feeling good about food and not really craving anything. Okay, I ate five dark chocolate chips after lunch, but that’s my only cheat for the day. Tomorrow will be my first day of hard-core no cheating.

This afternoon I threw together a mix of raisins, almonds, and walnuts to help keep the munchies at bay. It worked great when I wasn’t feeling quite full after lunch (a broccoli and tomato salad with onion, garlic, and olive oil).

My daily routine also includes a probiotic (especially now that I’m not eating yogurt, which used to be my breakfast staple), a spoonful of coconut oil (antifungal) and a spoonful of fish oil (for omega-3s). I picked up some Barlean’s Organic Oils Lemon Zest Fish Oil, which is actually quite awesome; even my extremely picky nine-year-old stepson likes it, which is great, because we can never get him to eat fish.

I also found out that one of my tweeps is also going through a dairy-free and gluten-free trial period. She introduced me, via Twitter, to Dr. Alejandro Junger, author of Clean: The Revolutionary Program to Restore the Body’s Natural Ability to Heal Itself, which I immediately placed on my library request list. Dr. Junger believes that common ailments such as colds and viruses, allergies, restless sleep, indigestion or other digestive problems, skin conditions, depression, and fatigue are the direct result of toxic buildup in our systems. As the amount of toxins in the standard American diet and our outer environment increases, our systems are unable to handle this buildup. Clean offers a solution for combating these toxins, which apparently includes juicing, cutting back on bread and dairy, and eating organic foods, so I feel like I am on the right track! I’m really looking forward to reading it.

The product contains a variety of anti-fungal and immune system-boosting herbs, including pau d’arco, a South American herb with strong anti-fungal properties. I also had several cups of pau d’arco tea yesterday.  As candida cells are killed off, it can result in a “die-off” effect, or Herxheimer reaction, a temporary worsening of systems as the dying bacteria create a buildup of toxins in the system.

To try to keep the headaches under control, I think I’m going to cut my Candida Detox intake down to one pill twice daily instead of the recommended two pills twice daily.

The other challenge has been finding wheat-free, sugar-free snacks. Normally, I’d probably be sitting here on the couch munching on chips and salsa. Unfortunately, raw veggies just aren’t always that satisfying on their own. Yesterday, I bought some organic Corn Thins — similar to rice cakes. I wasn’t sure if corn was “allowed” on a detox, but they were low in carbs and sugar and 100% GMO free, so I figured they couldn’t be that bad. I’ve been topping them with tomato and avocado, which makes for a pretty decent snack. My Natural Health magazine also suggests fruit with nut butter and carrots with hummus. I’ll have to keep getting creative as I continue to get more strict with my diet during the next couple of weeks.

The article states that detoxing can be beneficial for anyone who suffers from constipation, bloating, gas, fatigue, breakouts, muscle pain, bad breath, or PMS. Other than the fatigue, I’m doing pretty well in this category of symptoms, but it’s the next paragraph that describes me to a T: “You wake up tired, always feel hungry, crave sweets, or have difficulty concentrating.” Yep, yep, yep, and yep.  Writer Susan Hayes says just one week into a detox can start to clear up these symptoms. I’m all for it.

A successful detox should last at least one week and as long as three weeks, according to Mary Saunders, founder and director of Boulder Community Acupuncture in Colorado. The periods before and after are crucial in achieving the desired benefits. Says Saunders, “just going back to your same old habits after you detox is more violent on your body than not detoxing at all.”

Some of the approved foods on a detox are organic fruits and vegetables, brown rice, quinoa, lean meats and cold-water fish, and herbal teas. Fortunately, most of these things already play a large part in my diet.  I do, however, tend to fall victim to the “big five” vices that the article cautions against: caffeine, alcohol, sugar, wheat, and dairy. I know it’ll be difficult cutting out these foods; I’ll certainly be craving coffee, cookies, and an occasional beer, but I’m excited to see what kind of effect the detox has on my sinus congestion, energy level, and concentration. I’m headed to the health food store tomorrow to stock up on some basics: brown rice, quinoa, Omega-3 supplements, and herbal teas. Hayes reports that it’s best to slowly wean yourself off prohibited foods to increase your chances of maintaining a successful detox and reducing the likelihood of unpleasant symptoms. Check back soon for clean detox recipes, tips, and real-life reactions to the cleansing process.

Boscia was created by Fancl Corporation, which is based in Japan. The products contain organically grown jojoba leaf, a powerful antioxidant, and willowherb, an anti-inflammatory. All products are free of preservatives, synthetic colorants and fragrances, mineral oil, animal products, and phthalates.

I told my mother-in-law I was interested in trying more, and she let me borrow her Makeup Breakup Cool Cleansing Oil, a lightweight cleanser that smelled faintly of eucalyptus and mint and left my skin feeling soft and clean. She also gave me a sample of the Vital Daily Moisture SPF 15, which is a decent lightweight moisturizer. But I really wanted to see how the products fared at controlling oil, so I picked up the Travel Kit for normal-to-oily complexions. (Boscia also offers a normal-to-dry Travel Kit and a Clear Complexion Kit for battling breakouts.)  The normal-to-oily kit retails for $45 and features travel-size bottles of the Purifying Cleansing Gel, Balancing Facial Tonic (a spray!), Oil-free Daily Hydration SPF 15, Recharging Night Moisture, and a pack of Green Tea Blotting Linens.

A word on blotting papers: My oily skin needs midday blotting and powder application, or else I start to feel like a grease pit, which isn’t good for my complexion … or my concentration. For years, I have used the non-waxy brown type of paper napkins for blotting — they absorb oil magnificently, and I  always pick up some extras whenever I go to Chipotle, Panera, or Starbucks. I tear them into thirds to get more use out of them, but it’s still not the most eco-friendly practice.

Boscia’s Blotting Linens are made of 100% natural acacia leaf fiber and green tea, which sounds pretty darn natural to me. They come in a slim little packet that fits anywhere, which is definitely better than cramming a wad of napkins in the bottom of your purse. And they’re available infused with a variety of plant extracts, including vanilla and lavender, which are my two favorite scents. It’s just a question of whether you want to shell out the $10 for a pack of 100, or stick to free napkins from the coffee shop.

The first day I used my new Bosica products, I noticed an immediate difference in my skin. Even after applying moisturizer, my skin felt clean and fresh.  It actually felt like I wasn’t wearing any products at all, which was a first for me. In fact, my skin actually felt a little … dry. But in a good way. Not in a tight, itchy way, but in a wow, my skin doesn’t feel like a grease pit way. By midday, I still get a bit of a sheen, which the blotting papers and a little powder take care of nicely.

Pluses: The products are lightweight and smell fresh and clean.  I love that Boscia is readily available at my local Sephora, inside the JC Penney’s just ten minutes from my house. Product diversity is outstanding: Boscia offers cleansers, toners, exfoliators, and moisturizers targeted toward different skin types. The wide array of treatment products includes formulations for anti-aging, breakouts, pore minimizing, age spots, sun care, plus lip and eye products, masks, and even supplements. And Boscia gets extra points for the spray toners.

Boscia is also now offering a rewards program where you can earn one point for every dollar spent. When you accumulate 300 points, you automatically receive a $30 rewards certificate towards your next purchase. Unfortunately, it appears that points are awarded only for online purchases and not for in-store purchases. Hopefully that will change in the future.

Minuses: Not many. The two daytime moisturizers both contain SPF, and I would prefer an option with fewer chemicals.  Also, the products are a little pricey. ($27 for one ounce of moisturizer; treatments and eye creams run $25-48.) But a little bit goes a long way.

Bottom line: I love this skincare line. I’ve never used anything else that feels so lightweight and fresh on my oily skin. And I can’t think of anything I could possibly need that the extensive product line doesn’t offer.  I’m still working my way through a few other products, but when it comes time to replenish, I’m definitely buying more Boscia.

Ingredients:

• 4 ripe avocados
• 1 cup agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Cup open avocados and scoop out the insides. Combine with other ingredients and blend until smooth.

I tried blending everything in a blender first, but it kept getting stuck, so I transferred everything to a mixing bowl and used an electric mixer, which took care of all the small avocado chunks. I would recommend cutting the avocado into small pieces to make it more manageable. Would probably work well in a food processor also.

Though using avocados as a dessert base may sound odd, they provide a creamy texture with just a hint of exotic flavor. I often find vegan desserts to be dry and bland, but this mousse was excellent, especially when served with fresh berries. And with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, which help lower cholesterol, it’s 100% guilt-free. I’m not even vegan, but I will definitely be putting this delicious, healthy dessert into regular rotation!

After that’s finished, I’m planning on building an affiliate storefront, which will contain books, yoga gear, and other products related to mind-body fitness, wellness, and eco-sensitive living. I’m really excited about creating the new site — I bought a fantastic domain name, and the store will be closely integrated with Have a Namaste. In the meantime, I have some books showcased on my Recommended Books page. I’ll be keeping this page updated with books that I’m reading as well as others that I find to be of value in the health and wellness arena.

Work is also going very well. After negotiating a rate increase with one of my clients, I have shifted my daily work plan around, and have been very happy about the income I’ve been earning this month. As far as writing goes, I’ve found that the subjects I’ve been exploring for Healthy Theory have all been fairly research intensive, so I haven’t been posting there as often as I’d expected. But I do have four articles up on the site now (see below). Though they are a bit time-consuming, writing for Healthy Theory allows me to learn more about topics I’m interested in anyway, so I don’t mind putting in the extra time. I would still like to post to Healthy Theory more frequently when (or if!) my other creative projects wrap up. But knowing how plans can change, I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m immersed in some new projects before long. (I do still have that wedding album to put together ….)

Healthy Theory articles:

Corn-Fed vs. Grass-Fed Beef

The Health Benefits of Quinoa

The Dangers of High-Fructose Corn Syrup

Not All Sugars Are Created Equal

Believing is a little harder. Sure, I believe in this stuff, or else I wouldn’t be reading this book. But it’s one thing to say, sure, I believe in the law of attraction, and another to say “I’d like a new laptop, thanks!” and really have faith that it’s going to appear. Along with believing comes allowing yourself to really feel like you already have the thing you desire. This means allowing yourself to feel the emotions that you would feel if it were already yours. This is where I get tripped up. I start trying to feel like I already have something — the relief that the money is already in the bank, the peace of meeting all my work goals for the day — and I feel silly. But more than that, I start to feel the exact opposite of what I’m trying to imagine: I start to feel anxious. I start thinking defeating thoughts like, This is silly. I can’t think something into existence. This will never work.

Which is exactly why Byrne suggests starting small. For example, try manifesting a cup of coffee. There is a wonderful example in the book about a young man who simply envisioned a feather — a very distinctive feather with unusual markings. He pictured this feather clearly in his mind and focused on it for several days. And then one day as he was entering a building, he happened to look down, and on the ground in front of him was the exact feather he had envisioned. He knew then that the law of attraction worked, which gave him the conviction to move on to attracting bigger things into his life. As you experience the success of manifesting small things in your life, you will gain faith in the law of attraction, and with that faith comes the ability to manifest bigger and bigger things.

Finally, step three is to receive. Just as surely as you know your catalog order is going to arrive in the mail in a few days, you know that the Universe will deliver the things for which you have asked. All you have to do is continue believing, and wait for them to arrive.

I seem to get hung up between the first and second step. When I think of something I want, I keep asking for it again. I forget that I’ve already placed my order. I need to work on the belief part, work on allowing myself to feel the fulfillment of my requests, and work on pushing out the doubts and the anxiety that always seem to overpower my ability to believe. It is harder than it sounds, and it requires daily reminders. I need to remember to start small. Maybe the laptop is too ambitious right now. Maybe tomorrow, I should just focus on that cup of coffee. (Note to the Universe: I like Starbucks.)

In The Secret, Rhonda Byrne tells us that in order to attract something into your life, you have to allow yourself to feel as if you already have it. Whatever you think about, you attract. If you allow yourself to think and really feel that you already have something, then you will attract it into your life. Conversely, if you continue to think and feel that your life is lacking in some area, you will continue to attract more of that lacking. So, whenever you think that you don’t have enough money, or time, or whatever it is you need, that will continue to be your reality.

I never really realized before how much I focus on the things I am lacking. I consider myself a pretty positive person, even though Ryan says I worry too much. But I know I’m often stressed about work and feel that I don’t have enough hours in the day to get everything done. And right now, I’m waiting on a $500 check from a client and worrying that it won’t get here this week. It’s hard to shift my mindset and really allow myself to feel like the money is in the bank, like I have all the time I need to get my work done and still get a decent night’s sleep.

So I’ve been trying to start small. The other day I went to the used book store, and on the way there, I visualized the two books I wanted. Looking for a particular title at the used book store can be a gamble, so I really focused on the two books I was looking for: You, The Owner’s Manual by Drs. Michael Rozien and Mehmet Oz, and Eating Well for Optimum Health by Dr. Andrew Weil.  I wasn’t really sure where to look for them; I found a Nutrition and Healthy Living section near the cookbooks, but neither title was there. The absence of any books by these two authors seemed suspicious, since they are pretty well known and have written many books between them. They had to be there somewhere.

I circled the store a couple of times. The sale racks yielded nothing; nor did the audio book section. Was there a general health and medical section I was missing? Then, tucked in a back corner of the store, I finally spotted a sign reading “Alternative Health.” Bingo!  I spotted the You book instantly; two shelves down was a wide selection of books by Dr. Weil. I picked out hardback copies of each title and headed back up towards the cash register. On the way, I passed a cart of new acquisitions sitting near the buying counter. On the top of one of the stacks sat a paperback version of Eating Well for Optimum Health. Even though I’d already found my books, I stopped in my tracks. This was one of the books I’d been visualizing on my way to the store, and here it was right in front of me. I picked up the paperback and started flipping through it. The employee who was about to wheel the cart of to another part of the store gave me a dirty look, but I didn’t care. What if I had seen this book on the cart before I found the Alternative Health section in the back of the store? It would have been an undeniable — and somewhat freaky — manifestation of my visualization.

Yesterday, I went to the grocery store in search of pre-cooked frozen shrimp, which hasn’t been in stock since before Thanksgiving, when the frozen seafood was rearranged to make room for turkeys. I visualized seeing the bag of shrimp in the freezer and putting it into my basket. And though it was around the corner from the place I had visualized, the shrimp was there.

Today, I’ve tried visualizing a few different things — my $500 check in the mailbox, a free phone (mine fell into the toilet over the weekend and I didn’t want to have to spend money on a new one) — but for some reason, my usual feelings of stress are creeping back in and keeping me from fully experiencing the faith that the law of attraction requires. In fact, I think I demonstrated a definite lack of faith when I when ahead and bought a new phone off ebay.  Maybe I should try visualizing a $100 bill to pay for it.

To that end, I’ve come up with a new work plan that will allow me to stay on track and make the best use of my time so that I can meet my income goals for the year. It breaks down into:

• 5  hours a day at the part-time job
• 2 hours freelance web content management for mybiglife
• 3 articles (for any of 5 different clients, which include Demand Studios, New Hope Bariatrics, and Healthy Theory, a new client for whom I will be writing health and wellness articles)

With my new work plan, I can make $155 a day ($755 per week, or just over $40k a year), and I should be able to get it all done in 8-9 hours a day. And that’s not including any time I put in on weekends, or my occasional bookkeeping gig, which brings in about another $100 a month.

I’m pretty excited about having a plan in place, because my ultimate goal (once I have a little more debt paid off), is to become a certified holistic nutritionist. I’m looking into a program with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and the curriculum looks awesome. The 8-month program covers nutrition concepts, modern health issues, anatomy and physiology, health counseling, healthy eating and living, and professional practice. My dream is to do part-time nutritional counseling while continuing to write about health and wellness issues (and with a certification, I can command a higher rate and even write for magazines and other publications).  Though that’s all probably a couple of years away, I’m very excited about my new goals and really looking forward to learning more about health and nutrition. Until I can afford to enroll in the program, I’m devouring all the books I can by holistic nutrition and wellness experts like Dr. Andrew Weil and Dr. Mehmet Oz.  I’m also continuing to move my writing career more in this direction by finding new clients like Healthy  Theory, and focusing my Demand Studios efforts on health-related topics.

Last night mom & I went with some friends to the “Spiritual Comedy” presentation by Andy Dooley, who spoke about visualization and the law of attraction, so I’m pretty excited right now to putting some of these practices into place to make my goals a reality. It’s all stuff I’ve been reading and learning about for a few years now, but it always helps to have a refresher course!

1. An addition built around an addition. I’ve been calling these rooms the mudroom and the back porch, though neither moniker is quite accurate. The small first addition is (natch) carpeted; the larger, second addition spans the entire back of the house and has three separate entrances. (As my niece pointed out, we won’t have to worry about finding a way out in case of a fire.) It’s fully enclosed yet not heated, so it’s neither porch nor usable living space.
2. Sad views. Because the porch-room spans the entire back of the house, the kitchen and rear bedroom windows look out into this sad, dark space. And because the porch is three steps down from the main house, those windows look directly into the dropped ceiling in this space. Which means the view from my bedroom is of dust and darkness and probably some critter’s nest.
3. The back porch-room (proom? rorch?) was also built around an old gas grill. Apparently O.F. didn’t want to bother removing it, so he just rendered it inoperable by placing a windowsill directly above the lid, preventing it from ever opening again.
4. Back porch was also built with apparent disregard for the location of the dryer vent. Yes, the dryer vents onto the porch, making it a veritable sauna. (Hey, maybe I’ve discovered its true purpose!)
5. Doors, doors everywhere. Inside the front door, there is another door that leads into the living room. There is a door going from the dining room to the hall. There is a door at the foot of the stairs and a door at the top of the stairs. There was even an accordion door at the back of the kitchen (removed promptly by Ryan), which led into a small hall containing three more doors: mudroom, pantry, basement. There are 18 doors on the first floor alone (but since most of them are beautiful solid wood doors with really cool old glass doorknobs, it’s all good, and they do seem to be useful in containing the heat).
6. Wall-mounted aerosol air freshener holders on every doorframe. Apparently O.F.’s widow liked to drift from room to room in a perpetual cloud of Air Wick Vanilla Indulgences.
7. An old gun cabinet, which was converted into a pantry, which is actually kind of cool, except for the fact that O.F. had replaced the doors with unattractive exterior shutters.
8. Another pseudo-room in the basement, sectioned off with a chicken-wire partition and a storm door, which housed O.F.’s workbench. Maybe his wife was trying to contain his creative genius? (In a fortuitous moment, when Ryan ripped down the chicken-wire wall and the attached shelves, he discovered the shelves were actually the original doors to the gun-cabinet/pantry, which will be restored to their proper place.)
9. The basement bathroom, which I have been referring to simply as the WC. Though billed as a half bath, it is actually just a toilet enclosed in a very small space. O.F. clearly went to great lengths to create a little sanctuary in an otherwise drab space. Though the rest of the basement has concrete floors and bare walls, the WC is (of course) carpeted and wallpapered, has a medicine chest, a jaunty little straw hat on the wall, and its own wall-mounted air freshener holder. (But if you’re taller than 5’10”, don’t expect the door to close while you’re seated.)
10. Lots of stuff. Mrs. O.F. went to live with family and apparently didn’t feel like packing up many of her books (1975 Missouri State Manual, anyone?), her two dozen brooms and dusters, an assortment of wine glasses, an artificial Christmas tree, a few tables, or her late husband’s tools (huge bonus for Ryan). She also left us about 500 ant traps and several boxes of D-Con. She apparently had a thing about pests. And odors.

The other night as we were scraping wallpaper in the kitchen, there was a loud unidentified thump from the back hall. “It’s the old man,” Ryan said. “His ghost is still here.”

“He’s watching and he’s pissed that we’re destroying all his handiwork,” I offered.

“Or he approves.”

Maybe Ryan is right. I like to think he would approve. Rest in peace, Old Fart. Your strange but beautiful house is in good hands.