Day 5 - Feeling calm and sleeping great!

This is going to be short because, as I write, I have nine kids at my home. Fortunately, they are all playing together beautifully, which affords me this quick break.

If I had to think of one word to describe my mood today, I'd have to say "calm." Feel like I'm hitting the groove with the JOOS Cleanse. I find after five days, you get locked in and then you start to sail.

I haven't had time to be imaginative with my food during this cleanse, but I'm highly satisfied with the foods I'm consuming. Keeping to dips, like hummus, lentil, etc. Drinking a ton of ginger tea, which I find very filling. Settling down to my hot healthy and highly satiating hot chocolate at night. Sleeping fabulously well. Exercising, but not over doing it. Kids are laughing. Life is good!

I had a great meetings today with our new Lifestyle counselor in Bedford, Lexington and Winchester, Alicia Brickman. She JOOSed throughout her pregnancy and is still JOOSing through breast feeding. I wish I had a picture of her. Her skin is glowing and the weight is peeling off of her. She looks gorgeous.

One thing she said that really interested me is that she is baffled how many women who are pregnant or breastfeeding disregard what they eat. They simply believe that there's no tie between the poor foods they eat and the damage they could be doing to their children. Alicia says that when she drinks the Green Power JOOS, her baby's poop turns green. How's that for a direct indication that what we eat goes straight into our babies?

Day 4 - Vibrant and Energetic are just two of the adjectives that come to mind

The hardest part about having these two Korean 11-year-old boys living with us was the decision to have them live with us. I am thrilled that I made that decision because our household is filled with even more joy. I wish all of you could be guests at our dinner table and hear the laughter.

My children wanted mashed potatoes as part of their meal. One of the Korean boys, whom I named Michael, gagged at the smell, the same reaction that we have when we Americans smell kimchee, which, by the way, I made tonight and almost gagged at the smell.

I also love listening to the boys and my children teaching each other their languages and customs. I'm actually starting to hear my children speak in Korean sentences. Pretty cool.

The reason I bring this up is because the hardest part about doing the healthy body reboot - JOOS Cleanse - is the decision to do it. After that, most people find it very easy to follow and enjoyable. In fact, most people feel more energy and healthy when they do it.

Victor Kiam, American entrepreneur and former owner of the NE Patriots, said, "Procrastination is opportunity's assassin."

You have a brillian opportunity to reboot your health. This is my fourth day of the JOOS Cleanse and, the longer I'm on it, the more mindful I become and the less hungry I feel.

We have special lifestyle counselors that will support you through this process.

Sign up for the gift of a lifetime: your health!!

Healthy Body Reboot - JOOS Cleanse - Day 3 - Cravings down, energy up, and all good.

I have two ll-year old boys from South Korea living with us for the month of January. After dinner tonight, my son asked one of them if he'd like some ice cream. The boy replied, "No thank you. It's too cold outside, only in the summer."

This innocent comment was yet another indication to me how out of touch we, as Americans, are with our eating habits. Why are we eating ice cream during the winter? We should be eating warm foods that warm us; not cold foods that make us want to eat more.

Many people tell me that they eat a salad for lunch and then have cravings at night. Of course they do. The body needs energy and simple carbs are the quickest source of energy.

Why are we afraid to eat large lunches? Our lunches should be so large that by dinner, we aren't hungry.

When I was growing up, we had supper; not dinner. It was a light meal. Why are we eating these heavy meals before we go to bed? Doesn't make sense!

So, today, for some reason, I wasn't really hungry. Must be because the JOOS is kicking in. I've been hearing the same from quite a few people.

Admittedly, it was a stressful morning. The trunk of one of our delivery people wouldn't open, which had all the JOOS for delivery to Southborough, Concord and Lexington. There were a lot of people who are on cleanses and were justifiably upset. I would have been one of them. The driver went to 3 different garages to help him open his trunk, but to no avail. At the time of this writing, his car is still in the garage.

Of course this is beyond our control, but it still causes stress because I want everyone to have a pleasant and fulfilling experience of the cleanse.

Today was my clementine day. For some reason, I craved clementines so I went with it. I also had my chips that I've been eating for the past two days, but I'm getting sick of them, finally. The Trader Joe Roasted Seaweed snacks are my staple and sipped ginger day throughout the day.

For dinner, I made the children lasagna, garlic bread on a whole wheat baguette and broccoli. I didn't have a temptation to eat any of it. Love, love, love how JOOS squelches the appetite!

Getting back on track with JOOS' Healthy Body Reboot - The JOOS Cleanse

I don't know if it's psychological, but over the past two days, I've felt more joy than I have in months. I believe it's due to getting back on track and feeling more control with my life, which is exactly what the JOOS Cleanse is meant to achieve.

This may surprise many of you, but it is even difficult for me to get on a JOOS Cleanse, but once I'm on it, I never want to stop and I often wonder why I did. It is incredibly easy to follow and it makes me feel just fabulous.

Today I did one of the most awesome yoga classes I've ever done with Natasha Rizopoulos. Awesome because I felt a big shift after the class from a bit stressed from a busy morning to complete relaxation.

I carried around with me my huge sports bottle of ginger tea, which I sipped throughout the day. I know that I have to drink at least 1 1/2 of these each day so that I'm hydrated properly and it's working. I had a facial a couple weeks ago and was told that my skin is hydrated.

I wasn't very original with my lunch. I really love those Trader Joe's Rice and Bean chips with Masala Lentil Dip. Couldn't be easier to prepare. I followed that with a few Sunspire grain sweetened chocolate chips. Mid-afternoon I had Trader Joe's Roasted Seaweed Snacks, essential to have on hand.

In the evening, I had some of the tomato soup I made last night and, I admit, a few more chips. Really hit the spot.

I'm about to have the healthy hot chocolate cocoa before I go to bed early. I stayed up way too late working and was up very early so I didn't get a lot of sleep. Are you aware that the optimal sleeping hours are between 10pm and 2am and that we shouldn't sleep beyond 6am. That will be left for another blog.

Picture above is Sasha with our new puppy, Windsor.

Feeling heigtened sweet tooth cravings? Read on why...

If you’re eating cold foods at this time of year, this could be contributing to an increased sweet tooth.

The reason is because our bodies crave simple sugars, the quickest form of energy.

As a suggestion, add ginger tea to your diet, which will warm you up and stimulate your metabolism. Some studies are suggesting that it may help to stop the spread of cancer by preventing or slowing the tumour growth.

It can also help in treating:

• motion sickness
• nausea and vomiting. A study published in the April 2005 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology, ginger was more effective than prescribed anti-vomiting drugs (which can be harmful) when treating severe cases of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.
• burning and itching associated with athlete's foot (let your foot soak in it)
• relieves sore throat
• headaches
• minimizes symptoms of allergies, the common cold, and other respiratory disorders
• flatulence
• reduces excessive perspiration
• decreases blood sugar
• relieves menstrual pain
• freshens bad breath
• increases libido.

Trader Joe's sells Yogi Ginger Tea, which I purchase in boxes at this time of year.

Day 1 to Healthy Body Reboot - JOOS Cleanse - well almost...at least I got one JOOS

I was so very much looking to starting my JOOS Cleanse today, but many other people had the same idea and one of them forgot to place their order last night so I ended up giving her my JOOS. At least there was one extra for me. After a long, fun, crazy vacation week, the first thing I wanted to get back on my busy schedule was my JOOS.

Despite being short one JOOS, it felt great to get back on the JOOS Cleanse schedule. For lunch, my meal with Trader Joe's Rice and Bean chips with Masala Lentil Dip.

I met a friend at Cafe L'aroma at 15 Spencer Street, West Newton, for tea, my favorite: green cardamon tea mixed with cinnamon and hot apple cider. Just thinking about it, I wish I could have another. Will have to wait until tomorrow.

For dinner, now that I have six kids for the month of January, I made them a delicious tomato soup, sneaking in herbs that are so good for them like ashwagandha, turmeric, cardamon and ginger, mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts with a mustard butter sauce (although instead of butter, I used ghee) and Boca chicken patties. I had the brussel sprouts. Please let me know if you want recipes to these super easy to make meals.

I have to say that dinner time was hysterical tonight. Anyone would have loved to be a fly on the wall. There are two South Korean boys who came very late last night. They were so jet lagged today that they were literally walking into walls. They had never used a knife and fork so at dinner time, my kids had to display perfect table manners to show these boys how to eat properly. That was a joke in itself. The boys barely speak English. William, my 8-year-old, couldn't figure out how someone couldn't speak such an easy language. So glad he's getting this exposure.

The boys are attending a Catholic school here and, of course, the first words my kids teach them is "oy vey."

Tonight I am relaxing as I write with a healthy hot cocoa by JOOS, completely acceptable on the cleanse. It is made with special healing herbs and that stimulate the metabolism, relax you and give you more clarity of mind. I heat up almond milk, add the hot cocoa mix and some honey. When I'm not cleansing, I add ghee (clarified butter). Absolutely delicious and satiating. We're starting to give it out as samples for anyone who wants to try it.

Looking forward to Day 2!

Looking for a preventative and cure for colds, flu? Look no further...

Many of you have asked what my recipe is for the honey, turmeric, ginger mixture that we (the children and I) take all winter to help prevent colds and flu. Here it is:

Fill an approximate 8 oz glass jar with local honey. It is very important that the honey is local, since this will help prevent allergies in the spring.

Mix in an approximate tablespoon of turmeric power and an approximate tsp of ginger powder. As my children become more accustomed to it, I gradually add more of these spices.

It is important to add the ginger with the turmeric because studies have found that turmeric assimilates in the human body when it is mixed with ginger or black pepper.