The Standard Process

The Tipping Point

2010-02-03T16:29:00.002-06:00

I have a confession. After eating vegetables, fruit, fresh fish, brown rice and lentils for three weeks, it was not a little daunting to reintroduce my body to a meal of my own choosing. I'm not going to lie, I have bigger sugar tooth than Buddy Elf. The program says to slowly introduce one food at a time back into your diet in order to see how each food makes you feel. Suffice to say this was difficult when all I'd been thinking about is baked goods. At lunchtime I decided on a homemade veggie sandwich (hello bread! hello cheese!) with tomato, cucumber, lettuce, avocado and onion. I ate an orange for dessert when I wanted a cookie. By 4 o'clock, all I could think about was that damn cookie. I thought to go to a bakery, so at least the cookie would be fresh and preservative-free. Hm, maybe I would get a cupcake. The bakery was closed. Alarm and panic set in as I warped into my six year old self and became consumed with thoughts of the unattainable dessert. But wait, I am not six, I am twenty six and fully capable of driving to purchase my sugar fix. I dashed into Kaldi's with the eyes of a crazed woman and ordered the first thing I saw: a heavenly slice of blueberry pie. As if that wasn't enough, I drove home to warm the pie up and topped it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Orgasmic. You can take Angela away from the pie, but you can never take the pie away from Angela. Now, back to my delicious veggies. Here's to indulging every now and then...

Angela

21 Days Under My Already Loosened Belt

2010-02-02T08:03:00.009-06:00

Hey world! I just completed the Standard Process 21 Day Purification Program! I freaking DID IT! And let me tell you, it was not easy. At times, my husband had to slowly direct me away from the open refrigerator. At times, he had to remove me from the computer, where I browsed pictures of cupcakes. At times, it just plain sucked. But I made it, successfully, through this maze of vegetables and supplements. And to be honest, I feel like my most amazing self. I went to bed last night thinking of lattes and muffins for breakfast, but now that I am awake, I find myself continuing on with my routine. I drink a lot of water and take Gastro-Fiber pills on an empty stomach, then wait at least an hour before I blend an easy, delicious, and filling smoothie. I think I may just have to leave the lattes and muffins at the coffee shop. Shocking! I finally understand why it was a 21 day cleanse; because it re-teaches you how to eat correctly. It takes every minute of those 21 days to get there, too.

Well, the results are in; I lost 5 full pounds, 1.5 inches on my waist, and 1 inch on my hips. That's considerable for 21 days. That is not water weight and that is not muscle. As far as eating habits, this helped me reach a new goal: vegetarianism. After thinking about it for several months, but not taking action to cut meat (chicken, pork, beef) out of my diet, this program did all the hard work for me. I am so happy to have finally taken that step!

I would like to continue with this stream of thought for awhile, so I will continue to post healthy recipes and fitness tips, in case anyone is out there reading! If you are currently on the program, I wish you the best of experiences. If there's one thing I was reminded of on this journey, it's that I am the ruler of our own destiny. We can make or shape any challenge that comes our way and come out of it feeling positive, and able to share that with others. Life really is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react. With good health, good humor and good intentions, you really can change your world.

"Everyone will face a challenging experience, whether we want to acknowledge its inevitability or not-- the doctor calls to say he needs to discuss the test results in person, or a police officer has news at the front door, or you find a lump in your breast, or you lose your job, or your child is diagnosed with something, or your spouse walks out the door. When my next moment comes, I want to be strong and centered enough to handle it with some measure of grace. But perhaps even more importantly, I want to be fast enough to be first on the scene when a loved one needs me, and I want to be fit enough to help carry their load for as long as it takes to reach the other side." -Kristin Armstrong

In Health,
Angela

Reflections

2010-01-30T22:10:00.010-06:00

Being as it's my third Saturday night in a row staying in, I find it appropriate to lay back and think about all the personal changes I have made these past twenty days...

First of all, I am getting more sleep at night. Last night I was in bed by 10pm only to be up at 6am this morning, ready to go for a run. Indeed, it is no shock to think of all the toxins I cut out to fully prepare for this cleansing journey. I have been without caffeine, medicine, alcohol, bread, nuts, dairy and basically any food that is not found in the produce section for twenty long days! No, I was eager and mentally prepared for all of that. My body was tired of consuming too much, too often.

The surprise comes when I think about the many healthy habits that moved in place of those unhealthy things. I find myself actually eating my veggies, rather than avoiding them. I find myself reaching for an orange when I want something sweet. I find myself taking a daily multivitamin and finally committing to fish oil and flax seed oil supplements. I find myself drinking a smoothie and feeling full, satisfied and energized. I find myself out walking the dog everyday, attending yoga class regularly and training for my next half marathon!

So, yeah, it's a Saturday night and I'm in bed at 9:30pm. Sure I am craving baked goods and a glass of red wine (possibly together). But I know that tomorrow I will be rested, empowered and ready to tackle the task at hand (Sunday yoga and house painting, anyone?). I want to take this moment to be thankful for this time in life, for all of the challenges and all of the sweetness. It's making me stronger and it's making me smile a lot. I am grateful for this space, for this place and for all of the beauty I encounter on this crazy planet. Thank you world, thank you for this peace. And as my yoga guru says, "The same peace that lies in me, lies within you."

Namaste,
Angela

Tazo Tea Time

2010-01-28T08:32:00.004-06:00

I thought it would be a lot harder to adjust to life without coffee, but it really hasn't been too difficult. Before this program I wasn't drinking more than a cup a day, but at stressful points in life I have used caffeine as a crutch to get me through the exhaustion. What overworked American hasn't? Along with coffee, I am big on green tea, especially one made by The Republic of Tea that has blueberry bits in the tea bag. But I had to shop around to find a decaffeinated tea that I would actually drink everyday. In steps Tazo Calm. The ingredient list makes my mouth water: whole chamomile, blackberry leaves, lemongrass, rose petals, spearmint, lemon balm, hibiscus, safflowers, lavender flowers, marigold petals. Doesn't that sound like heaven in a cup? I went to the flavor profile to see how it was described (who needs to discuss complex sips of wine when you can profile tea instead!). It uses the adjectives creamy, floral, minty, toasty, sweet & honey-like to wax on about this hot beverage. I drink it most mornings and every night and have discovered that it really lives up to it's name. Sip on!

Namaste,
Angela

Cherry "Milkshake"

2010-01-26T22:17:00.002-06:00

Is it possible to replicate a delicious dessert in a nutritional smoothie? I think so...

Whole Foods was all out of frozen strawberries (I suppose I bought them all) so I grabbed a bag of cherries instead. For whatever reason, I always think of almonds when I cook (or in this case, blend) with cherries. Blame it on the copious amounts of Jergens Cherry Almond body lotion that I have gone through over the years.

Along with the "standard" two scoops of SP Complete, one scoop of whey protein powder & one tablespoon flax seed oil, I added 1/2 banana, 1 cup of cherries, & 1/8 teaspoon almond extract. What a decadent dessert.

Yummy,
Angela

Health is Wealth

2010-01-25T14:15:00.011-06:00

I have really enjoyed my protein-rich weekend! Last weekend I struggled a lot, both with lack of energy and the temptations brought from having my meat-eating husband around. Weekends, for us, are for family breakfasts, fancy brunches and Saturday nights out with friends! It's not for staying home and eating vegetables! Well, that attitude has changed, and changed for the better since I have hit my two week point on the Standard Process. The introduction of FISH into my diet makes for a very happy Angela. Friday I promptly went out for a favorite- sushi at Wasabi. It was easy to stay within the Standard Process guidelines and enjoy myself; my husband and I ordered three different kinds of tuna (Toro, Bluefin, Albacore) for a "tuna tasting" and enjoyed detecting the differences between them. I also ordered miso soup with extra wakame (green sea vegetable), hot green tea and a salmon/avocado roll with brown rice. Delicious, nutritious and within cleanse guidelines!

This detoxification has helped me focus on cooking everyday, which is healthier and less expensive than eating out. I have learned how to cook a ton of different, healthy things- like boiling and pickling red beets this morning. Having thought about this for awhile, I have decided to use this cleanse to transition back to a primarily vegetarian-based diet. I will also eat fish, eggs and dairy, but will avoid beef, pork and chicken. As it is Day 14, I already have two weeks under my belt. I feel really happy about cutting meat out of my diet permanently. I'm big on fish and seafood and love cooking with meat alternatives. I believe this is the most positive lifestyle change that could come from this (and as you know, there have been a lot). Go heart health!!

So with all that comes my first bump in the road: I don't eat chicken stock. When I need stock for a recipe, and since I cannot stand store-bought vegetable stock, I have gotten into the habit of making my own at home. It's the easiest thing I've ever done. I keep my dutch oven on the stove top and constantly throw in the vegetable peels and any other vegetable waste I accrue throughout my meal preparations. Sometimes I add things on purpose if they haven't found their way in yet. I especially love to throw in hot peppers like Jalapeños or Serranos and fresh herbs that I have around. Simply boil and simmer it and add more water if necessary. Leave it to sit out overnight if it's too hot at the end of the day and store it the next day. Just use a colander to filter out all the vegetables. I pour mine into a pitcher and use it to transform rice, lentils or any dish that requires water.

On another note, I made stuffed Cremini mushrooms today, having made the stuffing over the weekend. When I was washing the mushrooms and removing the stems, I realized that I could use them to add to a stir-fry and threw them into a plastic baggie. It might seems silly to some, but we waste so much food in America and every household's effort to reduce food waste means reduced landfill waste (http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/Supply-Chain/Half-of-US-food-goes-to-waste). Fruits, vegetables and fresh foods are pricey (it's expensive to be healthy) and by going the extra distance to utilize my produce to the max, I feel better about my grocery bill, my health, and my carbon footprint.

Pass the Bharta

2010-01-21T15:34:00.001-06:00

I am still on my Indian kick- and I have a new delicious and flavorful recipe for you. This one is based on eggplant, so dish up cleansers!

Bharta
1 pound eggplants
1 T oil
1 large onion, finely chopped (food processor works great here)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 fresh green chile, seeded and chopped
1 T ground coriander seeds
1 T finely chopped cilantro leaves, plus extra to garnish
1 T lemon juice
Salt for seasoning

1. Cook eggplant in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 mins, or until they are softened.
2. Cool slightly, slit open, scoop out all the eggplant flesh and mash it with a fork.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add the onion, garlic and chile and fry until the onion is soft but not colored.
4. Add the ground coriander, fresh cilantro and salt to taste. Add the mashed eggplant, stir well and cook, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Cover and simmer very gently for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice and garnish with cilantro leaves.

ENJOY!

One Week Down!

2010-01-18T23:42:00.006-06:00

I have to admit, this purification process had been a rocky road. I am either optimistic and high on life, or hungry, hazy and disenchanted. Luckily, the good far outweighs the bad. The hard times seem to hit if it's been three to four hours since my last "feeding." This is simply bad planning on my part, but when it happens I have a hard time with key tasks like talking or recalling where I placed the keys. The good thing is that I am now very in tune with my blood sugar levels (hello hypoglycemia!). And here, one week into Standard Process, I have hit a milestone: I have just finished my bottle of SP Cleanse. Woo hoo! Now it is time to celebrate, open up the SP Green Food, and see what magic comes my way. I've made it one week, let's see what the next two hold for me. Next milestone is Friday; when I can again incorporate fish and tofu into my diet.

Here's what I've learned thus far:

10. The best shake combo: 1/2 banana, 1 cup frozen strawberries, 1/2 cup fresh pineapple, 2 scoops SP Complete, 2 scoops whey protein, 1 T flax seed oil, 3/4 cup water. Blend and drink with a straw.

9. Doing other purification techniques (massage, sauna, etc.) can have extremely wonderful effects (i.e. endorphine kick).

8. Drinking a lot of water is extremely important and directly correlated to how you are feeling.

7. Key kitchen appliances/tools for the cleanser: blender, food processor, juicer, garlic press.

6. Greens taste better with dressing! My favorite: mash two garlic cloves, add 1/8 teaspoon sea salt, squeeze juice from 1/2 lemon, shake with 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil. 1 teaspoon of this transforms 2-3 cups of leafy greens. Delicious!

5. It is not proactive to hang out with non-cleansers during mealtime. I may as well morph into a golden retriever and begin begging for table scraps.

4. The key to not cheating: plan, Plan, PLAN!

3. Kale chips are more satisfying than the potato variety. Lacinto Kale is my favorite. Simply 1. Preheat the oven to 350 2. Wash, dry and break the kale up into bite size pieces. 3. Sprinkle with a small amount of olive oil, sea salt and garlic powder. 4. Bake for 8-10 mins.

2. When in doubt (or in the dumps), take a walk. Try new places. People watch. Pick a color and look for it everywhere you go. Try to stay in the present moment.

1. The best thing to focus on is an attitude of gratitude. Allow yourself to feel grateful for this day, for this period in life, for this moment. Embrace that feeling and allow it to guide you through your cleanse!

Yes, I went to yoga today- I am grateful for my yoga practice and the peace I find in it. What are you grateful for today? Think about it!

Namaste,
Angela

Dal-icious

2010-01-18T19:08:00.003-06:00

Indian food! Who would have thought that there would be so many delicious, nutrient-rich, vegan Indian dishes out there? This one is tweaked just a bit (subtracting butter/coconut milk), but none of the flavor is sacrificed. I recommend that you cook this immediately! You will love it!

DAL
Spices
1/2 teaspoon ground corinader
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamon
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper flakes

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
4 cups water or vegetable broth
1 1/4 cups red lentils (no substitute)
1 lb. plum tomatoes, cored, seeded, chopped
1/2 cup minced cilantro
Salt & pepper to taste

Step #1
Combine all spices in a bowl. Heat oil in a large saucepan over med-high heat. Add spices, 10 seconds. Add onion, 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, 30 seconds.

Step #2
Stir in water/broth and red lentils, bring to boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, 20-30 minutes (until a course puree).

*Can stop here and refrigerate up to two days. Reheat over med-low heat before continuing...

Step #3
Stir in tomatoes and cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Enjoy every bite!!

On a side note, I have never used my garlic press as much as I have on this cleanse. I have garlic coming out of my pores!!

Oh, I get it

2010-01-16T15:13:00.000-06:00

Newsflash: Do not take the Gastro-Fiber pills with the other supplements. These should be taken on an empty stomach (1 hour before/2 hours after meal). Just read the fine print! Thought I would share, since I've been doing it WRONG for 4 days. Tally-O!

Day 5: Detoxifying Massage

2010-01-16T12:18:00.003-06:00

Dana DeMartini, L.M.T.

Yesterday I was in need of some additional detoxifying, so I scheduled an appointment with my massage therapist, Dana DeMartini, at Wellness Alternatives (266 Lamp & Lantern Village
Town & Country, Missouri 63017, p 636.227.4949). For any of you Saint Louisians, I highly recommend Dana. I love massage and had several different therapists before being introduced to her- now I have regular appointments because I truly believe in her healing techniques. She helped me cross that finish line at the San Francisco Marathon in October and treatments with her help keep my body in line and my stress levels low. Her passion is deep tissue massage but she also combines trigger point and stretching to her sessions. Her massages help to realign deeper layers and break up adhesions of the muscle, thus taking away chronic and acute pain and helping the body to heal faster. I swear by her knowledge and skills!

I have focused on walking my dog at least 2 miles each day while cleansing, which aids circulation. I usually run, but I have opted to walk in order to help maintain my energy levels. One is not left with much energy from merely fruits, vegetables and supplements. I find I either have a ton of energy or none at all. This may indicate that I need to get better about scheduling meals (I have been doing 2 or 3 shakes a day to fill me up). Today's goal: Eat more vegetables!

Raw Food

2010-01-14T15:12:00.003-06:00

I have been trying to eat salads for lunch, since an objective of this cleanse is to keep at least 1/2 of your vegetable intake raw. I was pretty down in the dumps when I thought about a measly salad midday, without cheese, nuts, bacon or dressing to spruce it up. However, after lunch today, I was convinced that the way you prep your ingredients is just as important to flavor as all else. Here is what I did:

1. Start with a lettuce base and add 1/4 sliced avocado. Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice, salt and course black pepper. Add some sliced boiled baby beets or tomatoes.

2. In a separate bowl, use a vegetable peeler (*key) to shave 2 carrots and 1 rib of celery into curls. Run a knife over the vegetable curls to shorten them for easier eating. Add 1 chopped green onion, 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix this very well with a spoon.

3. Place the carrot/celery salad on top of the lettue. Violá! Two salads in one. Double the flavor, double the enjoyment.

It's the little things that get me, really. If you have a great salad idea, please take a moment to share it! I promise to make it immediately...

In Full Veggie-Mode,
Angela

Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms

2010-01-13T21:29:00.003-06:00

My sister, Paula, inspired me to try making stuffed vegetables- mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes- in order to get a variety of veggies in and keep things interesting at dinner time. Mushrooms are a great vegetable to try during this cleanse, as they are high in vitamin D and have a meaty texture that is filling and satisfying. I created these stuffed mushrooms on a whim tonight and paired them with boiled artichokes (served with 1T olive oil, 1T lemon juice, salt & pepper). My husband and I each ate three of these and left the table feeling filled up, but not full.

Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms

20 large button mushrooms, stems removed and diced
1/2 large sweet yellow onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 c cooked long grain wild rice
3T fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
2T extra virgin olive oil
salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat the olive oil to medium heat and add the onion, celery and carrot, cook until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic, cook one minute. Add the mushroom stems, cook 3-5 minutes. Add the rice and heat through. Season the mixture with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes as preferred. Turn off heat. Add flat leaf parsley. Bake mushrooms for 30 minutes. Note: Bake only what will be eaten. Refrigerate the extra mushrooms, as they will keep for several days.

Brussels Sprouts

2010-01-12T17:56:00.001-06:00

Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Apples

Note: Fuji apples are a sweet-tart contrast with the bitter Brussels sprouts. Leave the red skin on for a pretty contrast, or peel the apple, if you prefer.

1/2 cup diced apple

8 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered

2 Tablespoons apple cider

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Combine apple and Brussels sprouts in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Add apple cider, olive oil, minced fresh thyme, salt, and freshly ground black pepper; toss well. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until sprouts are tender. Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup).

Day 1: I'm hungry

2010-01-12T14:52:00.007-06:00

Okay, okay. It's sad to admit. But I was so busy yesterday that I forgot to plan my meals today. I am in a place in my life that I like to call "Sure, I'd love to help you," because that's exactly what I say each time someone asks me for a favor. It feels good to have the time and ability to step up to the plate and help out friends and family when they need something. Now that I am without a full-time job, I somehow find myself busier than before. Perhaps it may have something to do with the fact that I am remodeling my first home (and have no clue what I'm doing!), trying to close up one home and prepare to move to the next. I find myself driving around town and dealing with a lot of different people to make this a reality for me. In the meantime, while I'm mentally prepared to give everything up (meat, fish, dairy, grains, bacon), I never got around to preparing a meal plan or going to the grocery store. Whoops!

I woke up and ran to my brother and sister-in-law's home to help out with my niece and nephew this morning. I gulped down my ten pills, had a spoonful of fish oil (orange flavored, not bad!) and blended a quick smoothie for the road. On second thought I grabbed an apple, sure I would need more calories. I was right. The shake was awful. Perhaps I should have followed that recipe! Instead I dropped frozen fruit, ice, water and 2 scoops of SP Complete into the blender thinking, "How hard can this be?" Awful. It went down very slowly, but I got it down. The apple was shared with my sweet Ethan. My brain wasn't working right. I was hungry! I felt dizzy, short-fused and soporific. By the time I got myself to the grocery store, it went downhill. Note: You should not go to the grocery store hungry. And NEVER, under any circumstances, should you be allowed come within one mile of the grocery store when you are crazy-like-a-wild-animal hungry. This thought may hold the truth to today's grocery receipt; which shows that I bought approximately $100.00 worth of vegetables. It's okay to laugh at me. If I had the energy, I would.

Here I am, shake #2 in belly. Recipe followed, outcome delicious. Typing it out. I am going to fall asleep and wake up with a fresh perspective and some recipe ideas so that I don't starve myself on the Standard Process. Send me your favorite veggie recipe!

Unprepared,
Angela

T-Minus 1 Day & Counting

2010-01-10T09:47:00.050-06:00

Tomorrow begins Operation Detox. It's almost here! I can hardly wait! Especially since this weekend I found myself at a Birthday/Wild Card Weekend Party, two engagement parties, a three hour Sunday brunch and a house-warming get together. Tonight is my cousin Michael's seventeenth Birthday party, which will be properly celebrated with pizza and presents. Indeed, there is a lot to celebrate in life! In order to pull this off, I need to pick up the Standard Process Purification System today and begin to plan my meals. If you're interested in the exact program, check out the website link to the right or take the test below.

How do I determine my toxic load?

Standard Process is focused on specially designed supplements to go along a special diet of vegetables, fruits, shakes and lentils, wild rice or brown rice, each day. You can also use oils such as extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, flaxseed oil, etc. After ten days of vegan eating I will incorporate organic chicken and fresh fish into my meal plan. This is true 'clean eating,' without engineered or processed foods. Here is the big difference: I will be taking 10 capsules x 3 times per day = 30+ capsules every day. If you have a problem swallowing pills, this is not the program for you! Here are the various pills.

SP Cleanse - 7 capsules, three times per day (*days 1-7)

SP Green Food - 2 capsules, three times per day (*days 8-21)
Gastro-Fiber - 3 capsules, three times per day

SP Complete - 2 scoops per shake, 1 to 5 shakes per day

Additionally I will add whey protein to shakes for added energy and tuna fish oil to my regiment for added heart health.

So, I am excited to try out Asparagus Fries and Kale Chips. There are tons of cooking options out there for this program. I can taste the roasted root vegetables now! Anything I cook, I will blog about. That's the fun part. It's time to get creative people. By this time tomorrow I will be purifying my way to better health. Nervous and oh-so ready...

In Health,
Angela

Purify Me!

2010-01-09T12:23:00.001-06:00

The holidays are over! All of them. And by the way, Valentine's Day and President's Day and Mardi Gras, even Saint Patrick's Day...these don't equate for me. My favorite time of the year is over. From Halloween through Thanksgiving and ending with Christmas and New Year's. I made it! It's 2010! And I am wondering why I feel so 'blah' in 2010. Could it be my waistline? It could! And it is.

About six months ago I learned about a purification system offered by a company known as The Standard Process. At the time I was training for my first marathon and could not consider changing my diet. I completed the marathon in mid-October followed by a week-long vacation in wine country. For the last eleven weeks I have kept myself quite busy. I ate my way through Napa and Sonoma, partied until the wee hours of the morning on Halloween, chowed all day long on Thanksgiving, ate copious amounts of Christmas cookies throughout the month of December, Christmas Eve beef tenderloin, Christmas Day beef tenderloin, New Year's weekend drinking, and I could fill in more blanks. Yes, I didn't have time to dedicate 21 days to purifying my poor body; I was too busy abusing it with overeating and excessive amounts of alcohol. This blog is indeed an honest approach to things. It's time to fess up. It's time to re-examine what I put in my body. And it's time to promote positive CHANGE within myself.

I have goals that coincide with these 21-days of diet and self-examination. First, I want to feel better about my body. I have recorded my height, weight and measurements as a tool that will help me gauge my progress. Once a week I will re-take these measurements to see where I'm going in terms of progress. I will post how it goes! My second goal is to positively influence those around me, starting with my husband. Jonathan has agreed to get on board with cutting certain things out of his lifestyle and diet in an effort to be healthful. I'm a big believer in the buddy system. While he won't be doing the Standard Process, he will have his own diet set into place for him to follow. Lastly, I have a goal to come here and journal through my experience. Perhaps you may find yourself in similar circumstances one day. Let me be the guinea pig to your decision of whether to take your own Standard Process challenge!

Here goes nothing,
Angela