Applying The 5 Second Rule

The 5 Second Rule 

Transform your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage

by Mel Robbins

I woke up motivated this morning thanks to a simple concept that I heard from Mel Robbins on Lewis Howes' School of Greatness podcast. I like going to sleep to podcasts because I inevitably wake up to the things I need to hear.

What I heard this morning was Mel Robbins talking about how a countdown of 5-4-3-2-1 has changed her life and thousands of other lives including 11 people who were suicidal. It reminded me of the power of simple concepts!

The number 5 has been my favorite number for as long as I can remember. I have always been fascinated by the number 5 for reasons that I don't completely understand. It is like it is meant to be a part of my life for some strange reason. Maybe this moment is piece of the puzzle.

I got excited when I heard the podcast interview between Lewis Howes and Mel Robbins. I could relate to when she was talking about being broke and depressed and just wanted to stay in bed. Although I don't wallow in those negative moments, they sure present themselves more often than I care to admit. I pride myself on being an optimist, but sometimes reality knocks the wind out of my sails. Which is why I constantly feed my mind life-changing nuggets that come from empowering places like The School of Greatness.

I love the idea of using the logical side of my brain to overcome resistance and what better method than doing a 5 second countdown. It's one of those aha moments that can change your life. In fact, it already has. Instead of pushing snooze a dozen times like I normally do, I got up and wrote this post to share with you. Now, I'm off to meditate, exercise and nourish my body with some warm lemon water and green juice.

It feels good to rocket launch my day and discover the possibilities that await in the momentum!

Do You Ever Wonder How You Never Knew

Soak Your Nuts by Karyn Calabrese

I love it when I discover plant based experts. What amazes me is how they were never on my radar before given how much I study this field. I spend at least an hour a day, sometimes much longer listening to plant-based podcasts, watching videos, reading books, etc. I would say I'm definitely passionate about it. My biggest regret is that I didn't pay attention to the vegetarian world when I was younger. I do believe it's never too late to turn your life around with plant based food and a positive attitude. 

Today I discovered Karyn Calabrese as I was checking out an Autumn Calabrese video! I am constantly amazed at how young people look who adopt a plant based lifestyle long term. It's like it reverses aging! Karyn is 65 and looks half that age. She's big into detox which is not something I have yet mastered. I think the longest I have lasted doing a detox was three days and I felt like I was dying. I'm a big baby when it comes to feeling sick. I know it passes, but I think I have so much toxicity built up in my fat cells from a half century of eating junk food that I have to release it slowly or be medically supervised. I would love to go to True North and do a water fast. Someday, when I can afford it. In the meantime, I will keep fueling my body with fruits and veggies and learning from people who have been there, done that. I'm so grateful for people like Karyn who consistently walk their talk and share their gifts. 

Kathy G

facebook.com/vegformation

Mental Detox

My conclusion at the end of this three day detox is that perhaps what I needed wasn't a food detox but a mental detox. This particular detox had a holistic component which I enjoyed, things like writing and relaxation exercises - things to get you to slow down and examine your life. That was very helpful and insightful. The food part wasn't for me. The menu called for things I didn't care to eat, so I just skipped the meal which I know isn't the healthiest thing to do. The interesting thing about the detox was that I craved foods such as oranges, potatoes and carrots with hummus, not junk food, which is a big step forward to me. So, maybe the detox accomplished what it was meant to.

Overall, I'm grateful for the experience because I now know detox programs are not my cup of tea, but the mental cleanse and clarity is something I want to continue doing!

Kathy G
facebook.com/vegformation

As I was thinking about the lessons of this three day detox and discovered that what I needed was a mental detox, I looked up supporting resources as I often do and ran across this book Mental Detox by Cheyenne Bryant who has helped celebrities get past self-sabotaging and limiting beliefs. I'm looking forward to reading it.

Detox Day 2 of 3

Day 2 of my detox involves pampering myself but I forgot to get the epsom salt and a few other spa items from the store. I'm not one to sit in the bath. I usually take a shower and go, go, go which makes it all the more important to pamper myself once in a while. So, I plan to pick up the stuff for a home spa treatment tomorrow and take some time to detox my pores and relax. 

Day 2 food wise was a little tougher because I feel nauseous. I don't know which is worse - to eat the food and vomit or not eat at all. I'm somewhere in between right now. I eat a little bit but having a hard time choking it down. It's not bad food, I eat steamed broccoli and cauliflower all the time. I've never blended it into a soup before. It's amazing how much that changes the taste. I'm just glad I only have one more day. No way could I do a detox more than three days. I'm surprised I've lasted this long. It's more determination than anything. I just want to push the reset button and do what it takes to stay on track with my plant strong program and the detox felt like a great way to start. Now I'm having second thoughts about that, but I'm staying committed to the process! 

Kathy G

facebook.com/vegformation 

Detox Day 1 of 3

I am working with two top-notch plant-based nutrition coaches: Katherine Nilbrink and Chef AJ. I'll talk more about what I'm doing with Chef AJ's program in a future post. I am working with Katherine one-on-one. I first connected with her when she was the instructor for the T. Colin Campbell Plant-Based Nutrition Certification course  I was taking through eCornell University. That was about three years ago. Katherine has seen how I have struggled to transition to a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle and lose weight. She offered to help me at the beginning of this year. She is working on rolling out a couple new programs that I will share with you when they are ready. You could say I'm her BETA tester. I am more than willing to be the guinea pig for this program because I believe in the whole-food plant-based lifestyle. I want to get healthy and help others along the way.

First up on Katherine's program is a 3-day detox that I have been putting off because I didn't think I would stick with it. I wanted to tie it in with something which turned out to be my birthday. I will turn 52 on Monday, so the days leading up to my birthday is when I decided to do the detox. I want to be able to start a new chapter in my life that is opposite direction of food addiction and leave behind all the baggage that comes with it.

Today is Day 1 of 3 for the Detox. I took the day off work today and stayed in bed as long as I could. I think I was still trying to delay starting the detox program! I just didn't want to have to think about food. I'm tired of it being an issue, which is why I ultimately decided to get up and get on with it.

Surprisingly, I'm not hungry today. No cravings. I drank 32 oz of water with lemon when I got up which is something I do every day anyway. No change there. I waited until I got hungry to have "breakfast" which was late afternoon. I feel pretty good so far. No detox symptoms.

If I complete this detox, which I fully expect to do, it will be the first time in my life that I have completed one. I've tried to do juice fasts a couple times, but barely made it through the first day. I think I made it to the second day once, but it was a struggle.

This detox doesn't feel depriving at all. It also involves other holistic aspects of life beyond food like pampering yourself - that's my kind of detox!

I'm looking forward to this detox because I believe it will pave the way to a life of abundant health and energy that is waiting for me!

Kathy G
facebook.com/vegformation

Here's a delicious looking detox water recipe!