So it’s been a week since I decided to start Dr. Ian Smith’s 4 Day Diet. I’ve completed two modules, resisted a whole lot of temptation, and successfully started the plan.

I told myself during these first two phases that I would follow the plan as strictly as I possibly could. Afterall, the beginning is the kick-start, sets the tone, and would get me into the right mindset.

The first four days (detox) consisted mostly of fruits, green veggies, brown rice, beans, legumes, and a little bit of yogurt and eggs. I never realized how great of an option (and how filling) beans were. I made a fabulous bean salad drizzled with some balsamic vinegar and lemon juice that was scrumptious and kept me full all afternoon.

The second set of four days (transition) was similar food-wise to the Detox days, but started to add back some more food. Colored veggies, proteins, even two snacks a day from a huge list in the back of the book (ranging from cottage cheese to a sweet potato to 1/2 cup fro yo etc).

I noticed the first day of detox was the hardest day all week. My body wasn’t used to no sugar (aside from the sugar in fruit) so I felt a bit sluggish, which I anticipated.

But after day one, I was bursting with energy. Read More »

[Exercise, health and fitness are an important part of every woman’s life. But how do you know if you’re doing it right? And what new findings, tips and advice will help you reach your health fitness goals? Kelly, our fitness guru, will keep you updated every Monday with the latest and most beneficial news and advice for your health and body. Like the story with carbs..]

Carbs. Whether you realize it or not, everyone eats some type of carb. You hear about all these crazy diets that call for no carbs, when in reality, it’s the most unrealistic way to diet. Your body needs carbs; they are another fuel that keeps a body up and running at a healthy balance. Carbohydrates, by definition, are sugars that provide the body with energy. However, people often mistake the amounts and, more importantly, types of carbohydrates that are good for them.

I’m here to clear up the confusion. Read More »

Once upon a time, I was skinny. Not to say that I’m not within my healthy weight range now, but back then, I was mind-blowlingly small. I didn’t do anything special, really. I practiced yoga a few times a week in my basement bedroom with the door locked and mood music playing (and because of that, felt I could totally splurge on the double quarter pounder with cheese meal at McDonald’s if the urge struck.) Now, however, keeping my girlish figure takes twice the work – and my days of gorging myself with red meat are long gone.

But, when I waved goodbye to foods high in trans fat and grease and hello to raw, healthy food I discovered quite a few green gems in the world of fruits and veggies. Among them, my personal fave, the avocado.

I know what you’ve heard. Avocados are high in (gasp!) fat. But, they’re high in the good kind of fat – monosaturated fat. They also contain vitamins, dietary fiber and potassium.

But perhaps the best thing about the avocado is how effing delicious it is. It’s not super-sweet, but it is super easy to incorporate into appetizers, meals or store in the fridge as an alternative, nutritious late-night snack .

Here are a few ways you can add the av to your next meal: Read More »

The other day, a friend of mine started digging on one of her biggest pet peeves. “I HATE products that make you smell like food,” she complained. “I mean, who wants to go around smelling like a chocolate bar? It’s something you eat, not something you wear.”

She made it sound like such a clear-cut issue that I kept nodding and agreeing all through her diatribe—but then, as she reached the end, I realized that my bathroom cabinet is stocked with a lot of products that smell like food. I like those products.

The reason I didn’t voice (or even realize) my disagreement until she had gone on about the subject for several minutes was that I don’t even consider a vanilla-scented lotion or a mango shampoo to be food-like products. They’re made of chemicals, after all, so they don’t smell exactly like real vanilla or real mangoes. Even if they did, though, I still don’t think I would have a problem with them. Read More »