Product Review: Dove Invigorating Dry Shampoo

I've always wanted to use dry shampoo, but for some reason I never get around to buying it. That's why, this summer, I was thrilled when I finally took the plunge and picked up a bottle of Dove Invigorating Dry Shampoo during my back to school shopping.

After a late night, or a long day, when I don't have time for a shower, dry shampoo is the perfect solution, especially since my hair gets greasy quickly. It can keep my hair looking, and feeing, fresh. When I got to school I tried out the Dove dry shampoo, and I loved it. Finally, my dreams are coming true!

But then, disaster struck. I went to use it again yesterday, and the bottle was completely empty! Baffled, I figured one of my roommates had used it and I was a little P.O.'ed. But there was no way they would have used it without asking, that's just not the relationship we have.

So I did some searching, and it turns out, other users have had the same problem. After just one use of the Dove dry shampoo, the bottle was completely empty! There were no leaks; it's as if the contents of the bottle had vanished in thin air.

This is totally not okay with me and I'm definitely not trying this dry shampoo again. When it comes down to it, I wouldn't recommend buying this dry shampoo, I wouldn't want you to spend your money on one use! Hopefully I won't have the same problem with the next dry shampoo I try.

Product Review: Garnier BB Cream

When BB Creams became all the rage at the beginning of the summer I was definitely intrigued. I'm not a girl that likes to wear a lot of caked-on make up; I like to keep it natural. So of course I headed out to the nearest store and picked myself up a bottle of Garnier's BB Cream. 

So what is  BB Cream? 

Basically, BB cream is a multi-benefit product that is supposed to renew radiance, brighten complexion, even skin tone, hydrate and protect with SPF 15. 

What I think: 

Pros: The price is cheap. I found my bottle of Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream in Light/Medium at Ulta for $12.99. A little also goes a long way, you don't need a lot of this product for full coverage; it's going to last a long time. It definitely evens out my skin tone. While it doesn't replace a concealer I love it for when I am headed outside for the day whether it be shopping or laying on the beach. It's a light even coverage and it also smells like roses, quite pleasant!

Cons: It leaves my face feeling a little greasy when I first put it on which I don't like since I have an oily complexion. So I tend to top it off with some of my Bare Minerals Tinted Mineral Veil powder for a matte finish. Like I said, it definitely can not replace a concealer, the coverage is very light. 

Before (left) & After: It may be hard to tell (I tried to capture the difference!) but my skin is much more even after using the BB cream and it really reduced the red spots.

The pros outweigh the cons in this case, and I definitely am a fan of this product, although I would like to try other brands to compare. I am also interested to see what this does for my skin in the winter when it tends to get dry.

Have you used BB cream? What do you think?

Purification Day 21: It's All Over!

Check out the difference!

Hooray! Today was my very last day of the 21 day Standard Process Purification! I made it through 21 days of only being able to eat fruits, vegetables, rice, chicken and fish. It definitely wasn't an easy process but it was well worth it.

I killed myself today working out in honor of the last day of the cleanse (I'm going to keep working out!). I did four HIIT videos by Blogilates, I did this one two times, this once, and this once. I was dying and my legs are still like Jello! I also did three ab videos (told you I went crazy), you can check them out here, here and here.

Thanks to the purification I now feel great. I have so much energy and I'm never tired, not even when it's time for bed. I only did moderate exercise while on the program and it still made a significant difference.
Here are my final measurements:

Chest: Before: 32.5"
           After: 32.25"

Waist: Before: 26.5"
           After: 25.75"

Hips: Before: 34"
         After: 33"

I didn't even know it was possible for me to loose, but it goes to show that we can all improve ourselves. This purification has taught me how to eat clean and that I don't need processed foods and carbs to be satisfied. Yes, I missed having bread and dairy and chocolate terribly, but now when I eat them I am going to make sure to moderate.

I did have two lapses with the hot dog and fries and the popcorn, but other than that I adjusted to my new routine.

It's possible for anyone to do this cleanse. Of course it requires A LOT of time and energy and will power, BUT if you are willing to eat organically and challenge and improve yourself then it is well worth it. No improvement to yourself is ever easy, but you owe it to yourself to treat your body right!

So don't tell yourself "Laurel's so strong, I can't do that," because you can! I'm a college student who goes out and doesn't eat so well while at school. If I was able to find the strength to make it through the purification then you most definitely can do it.

Here were my meals for the day:

Cheers to my last shake!

Breakfast: Banana-Peach-Mango Shake
- 1 banana
- 1 peach
- a few chunks of mango
- orange-peach-mango juice
- 1 tbsp of whole food fiber
- 2 tbsp of SP Complete
- 1 tbsp of Whey Pro Complete

Lunch: Salad


- For my salad I used: mixed greens, strawberries, tomatoes, mushrooms, red peppers and avocado. For the dressing: pomegranate balsamic and olive oil.

Dinner: Turkey w/ Wild Rice & Sauteed Veggies 
- Pre-cooked turkey heated up with wild rice. Sauteed red peppers and onions and zucchini, then added roasted beats and spinach.

(Yum yum! What a perfect meal for the final day. I am in love with wild rice, I think it's my favorite of them all. And you can't go wrong with sauteed vegetables.)

Purification Day 20: The End is Near!

Wooohooo! Just one day left of this purification! I can't believe how fast it went. After all of my whining and complaining it actually did get better. Sometimes I still get frustrated but a lot of the cravings that I felt at work are completely gone. Sure, I would love to have some cheese fries, but am I dying for them? No.

I have to admit that I cheated today. I feel a little bad about it, but not really. I went to the movies and my boyfriend got a MEDIUM popcorn. I couldn't resist and I just had to help him eat it. I mean, my cheating could have been worse, right?

I also didn't work out today which is another strike against me. I was busy at work and then at the movies, but I guess no excuse is good. Tomorrow I am doing cardio!

Here were my meals for the day:

Breakfast: Peach-Banana Shake
- 1 peach
- 1 banana
- orange-mango juice
- 1 tbsp of whole food fiber
- 2 tbsp of SP Complete
- 1 tbsp of Whey Pro Complete

Lunch: Veggie Stir-Fry


- For this meal I sauteed peppers, mushrooms, onions and spinach in olive oil and tossed with brown rice. I want to have leftover fish tacos, but they were all gone so this was a delicious alternative!

Dinner: Chicken w/ Veggies & Asian Slaw


- The chicken and vegetables were grilled on the grill and for the slaw we used the same recipe as before.

(Delicious dinner! The chicken was juicy and tender and the vegetables were so flavorful.)

Purification Day 19: T-Minus 2 Days Left!

Today I did way better than yesterday. I actually ate all of my meals and I worked out after a full day of work. Thank god this purification is almost over though, I can't wait to eat some chocolate for desserts instead of fruit!

Even though I was tired and hot after work I did this jump rope video and this ab video. It felt good to finally get back into working out. Cardio really does wonders!

Here were my meals for the day:

Breakfast: Mango-Banana-Strawberry
- few chunks of mango
- 1 banana
- handful of strawberries
- orange juice
- 1 tbsp of whole food fiber
- 2 tbsp of SP Complete
- 1 tbsp of Whey Pro Complete





Lunch: Rice Bowl 
- I had the same rice bowl that I had yesterday. It's a great way to fill up mid day and it tastes delicious!

Dinner: Fish Tacos & Sweet Potato Fries 


- For the fish tacos: I don't know what my mom did but they were delicious! She used cod and then made a mango-pineapple salsa along with the slaw from yesterday. Then instead of a taco shell I wrapped them with red leaf lettuce.

- For the sweet potato fries, she used the same recipe as before.

(Holy crap this dinner was so good! I wasn't even mad that I couldn't have a real taco shell because everything was so flavorful. I definitely want to have this again!)

Purification Day 18: It's Day 18?

I can't even believe it's the 18th day of the purification! I swore I wasn't this close to the end but I'm sure glad that I am.

Today was pretty uneventful in the category of food and exercise. I ate the same old same old and I didn't really exercise like I should have. I should have done cardio since it's been a few days, but I have just been enjoying my days off from work a little too much! Today I only did this ab workout, not so good, I know! I need to get back into cardio tomorrow after work.

Here were my meals for the day:

Breakfast: Pineapple-Mango-Strawberry Shake
- few chunks of pineapple
- few chunks of mango
- handful of strawberries
- orange juice
- 1 tbsp of whole food fiber
- 2 tbsp of SP Complete
- 1 tbsp of Whey Pro Complete




Lunch: Rice Bowl
- I had the same rice bowl that I did for lunch a few days ago except this time I used turkey and added some tomatoes as well. So good!

Dinner: ????
- I didn't eat anything for dinner. I was so annoyed that all I could make myself would either be rice or a salad that I just didn't eat at all. I know it's bad but I just got so frustrated!

Purification Day 17: I Just Want To Eat!

Today I was so sick of trying to just eat veggies and fruits as snacks that I cheated just a tiny bit. I had a few blue corn chips. I know it's not a lot but I still feel a little guilty, but they were so worth it. It's getting so hard, but I'm so close to the end!

I finally got back into exercising today but I wasn't feeling the cardio so I just did two ab workouts that you can find here and here and one butt workout. A little something is better than nothing and a little has gone a long way for me! Speaking of, I am noticing that I have definitely lost inches and I feel so good. It goes to show that we all have room for improvement if we're willing to put in the work.

Here were my meals for the day:

Breakfast: Peach-Strawberry Shake
- 1 peach
- a few strawberries
- water
- 1 tbsp of whole food fiber
- 2 tbsp of SP Complete
- 1 Whey Pro Complete





Lunch: Just Snacks
- Okay, so I was really bad today and I didn't really eat a lunch. I'm just so annoyed with shakes! I just had fruits and veggies to snack on and then that chip fiasco. If I would have had a shake I probably wouldn't have had that lapse!

Dinner: Turkey w/ Sweet Potato Fries, Pineapple & Asian Slaw


- For the sweet potato fries we used the same recipe as before.

- For the pineapples: Soak in coconut milk, then mix honey, cumin and dash of chili powder and put on top. Roast in the oven at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes.

- For the Asian slaw we used this recipe but made some modifications, using apple cider vinegar instead of rice vinegar and safflower oil instead of vegetable oil. We also added a little mustard and sesame oil to taste.

Purification Day 16: Is It Over Yet?

I never realized how tempting a boardwalk is until I can't have everything that's on it.

I went to the beach today with my friend and at the end of the day we walked the boardwalk and that was not a good idea. I looked at fudge, ice cream, fried clams, burgers and fries and I couldn't have anything! My friend then got chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream in a cookie cone. I was sooooo tempted to take just one bite! But, I didn't, I told myself that eating ice cream once the cleanse was over would be way more rewarding.

Here were my meals for the day:

Breakfast: Peach-Mango-Raspberry Shake
- 1 peach
- a few slices of mango
- handful of raspberries
- water
- 1 tbsp of whole food fiber
- 1 tbsp of Whey Pro Complete
- 2 tbsp of SP Complete

(Delicious like always. I don't think you can really go wrong with fruit combinations; they're all delicious.)

Lunch: Tuna Salad
- I had the same lunch of tuna salad that I had a few days ago. It's really refreshing. I also had cherries and an apple. Still couldn't bring myself to do a shake though, so tired of two a day.

Dinner: Zucchini Pasta with Sauce & Salad


- To make the zucchini like spaghetti we used a Gefu Spiral Slicer. You just push the vegetable in and it comes out like spaghetti. Pretty cool. We topped it off with homemade sauce and sauteed mushrooms.

- For the salad: mixed greens, tomato, avocado and mushrooms.

(Delicious even though there was no meat in this meal. The spiraled zucchini with spaghetti sauce was practically like eating pasta, it also meant that I ate an entire zucchini in one sitting. Pretty impressive considering I wouldn't eat an entire one any other way. Definitely a healthy alternative worth trying!)

Purification Day 15: Working Hard

I was feeling very unmotivated to work out after a day at work and I was thinking "hmm, maybe one day off," but then I looked in my log book and I had skipped two days ago! So I got my ass in gear and did HIIT (high intensity interval training); if I want to get in shape I need to work hard.

Like I said yesterday I wanted to switch it up from the jump roping I've been doing, so I intermixed two Blogilates HIIT training videos. I'm glad I made the switch, these videos were a lot more challenging, not to say that jump rope intervals are easy because they're not! I did this video twice and this video twice. You can do one video four times but I thought it would be more motivating to switch it up.

Needless to say I'm glad I did the workout today. I really think that I'm seeing improvements from just working out these two weeks, maybe I'm crazy.

Here were my meals for the day:

Breakfast: Peach-Raspberry Shake
- 1 peach
- a dozen raspberries
- water & crushed ice
- 1 tbsp of whole food fiber
- 1 tbsp of Whey Pro Complete
- 2 tbsp of SP complete

(Okay, using my two of my favorite fruits made this super delicious and I have to say, I'm actually getting used to having shakes for breakfast, they don't bother me like they did in the beginning.)

Lunch: Rice Bowl
- I had the same lunch today as I did yesterday; it was just too good to only eat once!

Dinner: Salad with Salmon
- Mixed greens, tomatoes, mushrooms, avocado, sun dried tomatoes, raspberries, cucumber, red peppers, celery and salmon. Drizzled with pomegranate balsamic and olive oil.

(Delicious! The only thing it was missing is cheese, can't wait to add that.)

Purification Day 14: 2 Weeks Down, 1 To Go!

Yippie! It's finally the end of week two; I'm 2/3 of the way finished with this purification and thank goodness because it's getting harder and harder to resist my cravings! I'm dreaming of burgers and beers on the 4th of July, oh and let's not forget ice cream.

Today I did some intense working out and I have got to say I'm realizing that eating well and working out regularly is really giving me more energy! I never feel tired, I don't need naps and I am feeling more motivated. Today I tried a new ab workout (this was really hard!) and an older ab workout from Blogilates and I did the same jump rope video I have been doing. I think tomorrow or Wednesday I'll do a different HIIT video. I like mixing my workouts up, it keeps it more exciting and not so mundane.

Here were my meals for the day:

Breakfast: Peach-Pineapple Shake
- 1 small peach
- a few chunks of pineapple
- water & crushed ice
- 1 tbsp of whole food fiber
- 2 tbsp of SP Complete
- 1 tbsp of Whey Pro Complete

Lunch: Rice Bowl & Banana-Pineapple-Spinach Shake


- For the rice bowl I used wild rice, chunks of chicken and some red pepper. I think tossed it with Tuscan Herb EVOO from the Filling Station and some balsamic vinaigrette. This was so good! I'm definitely going to take this for lunch tomorrow.

- For the shake I used the same recipe that I have been using.

Dinner: Braised Chicken w/ Sweet Potato Fries & Yellow Wax Beans


- For the sweet potato fries I used a different recipe than last time that included a cherry salsa: you can find the recipe here.
- For the chicken: First cut chicken, then brown with safflower oil on a stove top, then add organic chicken stock and then put in oven proof pot with lid and put in oven at 300 degrees for 3-4 hours.

(This dinner was delicious! The chicken are our own and so juicy! And the cherry salsa on the sweet potato fries was such a different taste.)

Purification Day 13: Cravings Cravings Cravings

Today I had such the urge to eat everything that I wasn't allowed to eat! All I wanted to do was make myself a nice sandwich with LOTS of cheese and then finish it off with a truck load of chocolate. Of course I ignored all of those urges and just kept dreaming.

I can't believe tomorrow is two weeks done though! It has gone pretty fast which is awesome and eating healthier has definitely given me more energy.

I didn't work out today, I went out to sushi instead, yum! You can read about it below.

Here were my meals for the day:

Breakfast: Mango-Strawberry-Banana Shake
- a few chunks of mango
- handful of strawberries
- 1/2 a banana
- 1/2 cup of orange juice
- 1 tbsp of whole food fiber
- 2 tbsp of SP Complete
- 1 tbsp of Whey Pro Complete

(Yummy like always!)

Lunch: Tuna Salad


- I repeated my lunch from yesterday since it was so good! I didn't have a shake today though, I wasn't in the mood.

Dinner: Sushi


- For dinner I went out to Sogo, a Chinese, Japanese, Thai fusion restaurant and it was delicious! To start I had their Rainbow platter which was thinly sliced tuna, salmon and white fish in a red wine sauce.

- For my entree I had the Tiger Roll which was spicy, crunchy salmon and asparagus topped with salmon and avocado. It was so good! I used a little soy sauce with it which I know is cheating, but it was just a little and I couldn't resist!

Purification Day 12: Happy Camper

Now that I can have chicken and fish I am feeling a little bit more motivated (and a little bit happier). I made it through work today with less cravings for food than I normally have and I actually ate properly today unlike yesterday.

I also exercised for about an hour and a half today. I did this ab video, this butt video and this jump rope interval video that I have been doing. It feels great to work out! It gives me more energy and I feel really accomplished. I just hope my hard work will show!

Here were my meals for the day:

Breakfast: Pineapple-Mango-Strawberry Shake
- a few chunks of pineapple
- a few chunks of mango
- a handful of strawberries
- 1/2 cup of orange juice
- 1 tbsp of whole food fiber
- 1 tbsp of Whey Pro Complete
- 2 tbsp of SP Complete

(Wow this was delicious! It's even a competitor with my peach shakes. I loved all of the different flavors.)

Lunch: Tuna Salad & Banana-Pineapple-Spinach Shake


- For the tuna salad I used a can of tuna with pickle juice, onions, celery, organic relish, red wine vinegar and herbs. I put a serving of the tuna over mixed greens with tomatoes.
(This was freaking delicious! I felt like I was finally eating a normal lunch even though I kind of wished the tuna fish was on a sandwich. I got too excited to eat though and forgot to take a picture.)

- For the shake: 1 banana, a few chunks of pineapple, 1 cup of spinach, water, 2 tbsp of SP complete & 2 tbsp of Whey Pro Complete.

Dinner: Seared Yellow Fin Tuna & Tropical Veggie Kabobs


- For the vegetable kabobs we used orange and red peppers, zucchini, onions, pineapple and mushrooms. Then marinaded them in safflower oil, honey, coconut oil, salt, pepper, lime juice and lime rind.

- For the tuna: Brush with olive oil and sear.

(This meal was so delicious! I wanted thirds. Tuna is my favorite fish so it was almost (almost being the key word) as exciting as eating a steak dinner. The grilled vegetables were also perfect.)

Purification Day 11: Meat Day!

Today was the day I have been waiting for, the reintroduction of meat! And by meat I mean only chicken and fish but still, that's quite a big step!

So I went out to dinner with my parents at The Metropolitan since they have a good amount of chicken options on their menu. We got there and had to wait half an hour, but that was worth it because chicken was in our sights.

Of course my mom and I ordered a delicious rotisserie chicken and my dad ordered a bbq chicken. The waitress only came back to inform us that they were out of BOTH of the chickens. Are you kidding me?? My first day I can have chicken and you're telling me you're out? That's like waking a bear from hibernation.

Luckily, for the waitress and everyone else in the restaurant, they had all of the other chickens in stock and I still enjoyed my first delicious chicken meal without having a break down. You can read about it below.

Here were my meals for the day:

Breakfast: Peach-Berry Shake
- 1 peach
- handful of strawberries
- handful of blueberries
- water
- 1 tbsp of whole food fiber
- 2 tbsp of Whey Pro Complete
- 2 tbsp of SP Complete





Lunch: Apple & Peach
- So at lunch today I was definitely slacking. I just wasn't in the mood for the banana-pineapple-spinach shake that I made at all. I'm just so sick of shakes. So all I ate was an apple and a peach. It's not good to eat this little of food for the day so don't do what I did!

Dinner: Cranberry Chicken w/ Sweet Potato Fries & Asparagus

- The chicken was delicious! It had a cranberry-walnut chutney which is technically not allowed but I think that small amount won't hurt anything. Eating out just felt so good! The sweet potato fries also might be bad because they were probably fried but hey, I did the best I could for eating out, and it was totally worth it.

Purification Day 10: Almost Halfway!

The heat today was almost too brutal for me to take and all I could think about while I was working was how a nice ham sandwich would make me feel better. I'm not going to lie, I started feeling a little bitter and I was wishing that this stupid purification would be over with.

I refrained from cheating like I promised myself though and trudged through another day. The great news is that tomorrow I can finally have chicken and fish!! I have been waiting for this moment for 10 long days. I want to put chicken in my breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Despite the heat today I also motivated myself to work out since I want to look good. I used this ab workout from Blogilates and this jump rope training video again. I was drench in sweat which is a pretty satisfying feeling!

Here were my meals for the day:

Breakfast: Peach-Pineapple Shake
- 1 peach
- a few chunks of pineapple
- water
- 1 tbsp of whole food fiber
- 2 tbsp of SP Complete
- 2 tbsp of Whey Pro Complete

(Delicious like always!)

Lunch: Banana-Pineapple-Spinach Shake
- 1 small banana
- a few chunks of pineapple
- 1 cup of spinach
- water
- 2 tbsp of SP Complete
- 2 tbsp of Whey Pro Complete

(I think I'm getting somewhere with this shake. I liked the sweetness that the pineapple added to the shake. Definitely better than the standard banana-spinach.)

Dinner: Stuffed Peppers & Salad
- The stuffed peppers were the same recipe that was used earlier in the cleanse. Delicious!

- Salad: Baby spinach, tomatoes, pepper and avocado w/ Citrus Dressing (orange juice, honey, apple cider vinegar and olive oil)

Purification Day 9: Back on Track

After yesterday's cheating binge, I was right back on track today. I even took a beach trip and didn't cheat because I backed plenty of appropriate snacks (aka strawberries, an apple and cucumber).

I also got back on the workout track and did this ab and this butt workout. I wanted to do the jump roping interval training but it's just so dang hot that I'd skipped it for today and see if I'm up for it in in the heat tomorrow.

In just two days I'll be able to eat meat!

Here were my meals for the day:

Breakfast: Peach-Mango-Strawberry Shake
- 1 peach
- slice of mango
- a few strawberries
- water
- 1 tbsp of whole food fiber
- 2 tbsp of SP Complete
- 2 tbsp of Whey Pro Complete

(Delicious! I'm really digging the peach in shakes!)

Lunch: Banana-Mango-Spinach Shake
- 1 banana
- slice of mango
- 1 cup of spinach
- water
- 2 tbsp of SP Complete
- 2 tbsp of Whey Pro Complete

(I put a little twist on my every day banana and spinach by adding mango, but I didn't taste too much of a difference. I'll have to put in more mango, or more of another fruit, tomorrow.)

Dinner: Lentils w/ Green Beans & Sweet Potato & Beats
- For the lentils and green beans we used this recipe.

(Delicious! The green beans and lentils are an Indian recipe so the recipe is a little spicy. Love! The lentils ended up all mashed even though they're still supposed to look like beans. We followed the cook time, perhaps a little less time next time.)

Purification Day 8: I Cheated

I cheated yesterday, and it felt so good. I wouldn't have cheated but I was at a Phillies game and I was surrounded by the aroma of hot dogs, beer, fries and more, so of course I couldn't resist.
I had myself a big old hot god and crab fries from Chickie's and Pete's. Hellooooo delicious.
I was told that it would make me feel sick since I've just been eating vegetables and fruit, but I felt fine, which made it even better.

Even though I had that small lapse (I couldn't go all night without eating!) I have promised myself that I won't cheat again and will finish this purification full force.
Of course I also didn't exercise yesterday, so I'm going back into it today despite this killer heat!


Here were my meals for the day:

Breakfast: Peach-Pineapple-Strawberry Shake
- 1 peach
- a few chunks of pineapple
- a handfull of strawberries
- water & ice
- 1 tbsp of whole food fiber
- 2 tbsp of SP Complete
- 2 tbsp of Whey Pro Complete

(This was delicious and possibly my favorite shake so far! The peach added just the right sweetness, I'm definitely going to make this again.)

Lunch: Banana-Spinach Shake
- I keep eating this for lunch and I'm getting really sick of it. I really need to find a way to switch it up.

Dinner: Vegetable Stir Fry, Hot Dog & Fries


- Okay, so before I left for the game I had a vegetable stir fry with zucchini, peppers, mushrooms, etc. but it just couldn't hold me over the whole night. At least I did have three good meals before the bad one!

Purification Day 7: 1 Week Down!

I made it through the first week! That's quite an accomplishment and I'm proud of myself. I haven't cheated and I've been drinking those dreadful shakes twice a day.

I also feel really good and I've been super motivated. Today I tried this jump rope interval video and it kicked my butt! It got my heart rate going and I was working up a sweat. I also did this ab video and this inner thigh challenge from Blogilates. I want to get fit!

One side-effect, not sure if it's from the purification, is that I just broke out in pimples on my neck. So weird! It could be part of the purification, a way that the toxins are leaving the body. It's very strange, and frustrating, and hopefully they'll go away soon.

Here were my meals for the day:

Breakfast: Apple Cinnamon Surprise
- 1 medium apple (peeled)
- 1 small banana
- 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
- water
- 1 tbs of whole food fiber
- 2 tbs of SP Complete
- 2 tbs of Whey Pro Complete
(I really liked this shake! The only problem was that it was a little too much cinnamon for me, so next time I think I'll reduce it to 1/2 a teaspoon.)

Lunch: Banana-Spinach Shake
- Once again I stuck with the same recipe so I wouldn't be stranded at lunch.

Dinner: Leftovers & Sweet Potato Fries


- We had left over Stuffed Portobellos from last night.

- I also made sweet potato fries as a late night snack and they were delicious! They were soft on the inside which is what I like and they were gone in minutes. I'll definitely have to make them again. You can find the recipe I used here.

Purification Day 6: Feeling Motivated

Well, I made it through another day of work without touching that delicious looking food! But it was still really really hard!

Tomorrow will mark day seven, which means no more taking seven pills, three times a day, it's a switch to five pills, three times a day. That's 9 less pills a day! Another important note about tomorrow is that I will have made it through one week! That's 1/3 of the way done, 14 days left, or if you want to get crazy, 336 hours!

I stuck with doing this ab workout today and this butt workout from Blogilates. I am seriously in love, but I need to add in some moderate cardio to burn fat. I'm thinking either interval jump roping or going for a run. We'll see what I'm feeling tomorrow.

Here were my meals for the day:

Breakfast: Strawberry-Banana-Pineapple Shake
- a handful of strawberries
- 1 banana
- a few chunks of pineapple
- water
- 1 tbs of whole food fiber
- 2 tbs of SP Complete
- 2 tbs of Whey Pro Complete



Lunch: Banana-Spinach Shake
I went with the banana spinach shake that I tried yesterday because it tasted good and I wanted to play it safe since I don't have many resources at work.

I also had strawberries and cherries as a snack.

Dinner: Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms w/ Cauliflower, Asparagus & Tomato-Onion Salad
Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms:
- 6 portobello mushrooms
- brown rice
- chopped chard
- onion
- garlic
- olive oil

- Sautee onions in olive oil until soft, add chard and cook for another minute, then add 2 crushed garlic cloves. Drizzle mushrooms with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Bake in 425 degree oven for 15 minutes, then stuff them with rice, onion, garlic and chard and bake for another 10 minutes.

Cauliflower:
- Chop cauliflower, mix with olive oil, salt and pepper. Put on a baking tray and season with kumin. Put in 425 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Tomato & Onion Salad:
- 2 cups of grape tomatoes
- 1 tbs of olive oil
- 3 tbs red wine vinegar
- 1 tbs of honey
- Cut grape tomatoes in half, dice one onion, seed and dice one cucumber. Mix olive oil, red wine vinegar, tablespoon of honey. Add tomatoes, onions and cucumbers and chill. Serve over arugula.

Asparagus:
Sautee asparagus in olive oil, salt and pepper.

(This was a delicious Father's Day dinner! Everything tasted amazing, and I instantly forgot all of the fried food that I had been longing for hours ago.)

Purification Day 5: Day of Temptation

I had to stare at these puppies all day.

Today was my first day at work since the purification started and let me tell you, it was a struggle. I work at a snack stand at a pool, so we sell burgers, cheese fries, hot dogs, funnel cake, (aka everything I want to eat).
The train was stopping at temptation station and I wanted to get off.
BUT, I made it through the day without eating a single one of those items, even though I was drooling as I handed customers their food and as I watched everyone eat their lunch.

I also had a breakthrough, I actually liked both of the shakes I made for the day and I didn't feel like I was forcing them down my throat. Hooray!

I also got back into the ab routine and did 30 minutes of abdominal workouts from Blogilates. Obsessed, definitely check out those videos.

Hopefully I can stay just as strong all of the other days that I work.

Here were my meals for the day:

Breakfast: Yellow Monster Shake
- 1 banana
- a few slices of mango
- a few chunks of pineapple
- water
- 2 tbs of SP Complete
- 2 tbs of Whey Pro Complete
- 1 tbs of whole food fiber

(Yum! I called it the yellow monster because of the yellow fruit I put in it. Unfortunately, the whole food fiber powder I put in it turned it red, so it looked like all of the other shakes I've made for breakfast.)

Lunch: Banana-Spinach Shake
- 1 banana
- 1 cup of spinach
- water & crushed ice
- 2 tbs of SP Complete
- 2 tbs of Whey Pro Complete

(This sounds gross but it tasted really good! I couldn't really taste the spinach in the shake so it was basically a banana shake which is good because I'm getting more vegetables in without tasting them.)

Dinner: Salad
- spring mix & arugula
- grape tomatoes
- avocado
- roasted beats
- mushrooms
- cucumbers
- Dressing: leftover homemade raspberry vinaigrette from last night

(Dreaming of chicken. Only 6 more days till I can have chicken and fish!)

Purification Day 4: Am I Really Doing This?

Delaware River - pit stop during my ride

I'm am exhausted. Today I thought it would be a good idea to go on a bike ride. I rode in New Jersey on the path along the Delaware River. It turned out to be a 12 mile ride. When I started I felt great and wanted to keep going, but by the end I was ready to fall over. Needless to say that is all the exercise I did, no abs today.

In other news, I still hate shakes. I dread making one when I get up, and I dread having one at lunch. Coming home from my bike ride and having to drink a shake instead of being able to eat a sandwich made me really bitter. It's getting even harder for me to get them down and I'm only on day four. Help!

Here were my meals for the day:




Breakfast: Mango-Banana-Strawberry Shake
- 1/4 of a mango
- 1 small banana
- 7 strawberries
- 1 tbs of whole food fiber
- 2 tbs of SP Complete
- 2 tbs of Whey Pro Complete

(Besides the fact that I'm sick of shakes, this tasted great!)





Lunch: Papaya-Spinach-Avocado Shake
- 1/2 cup of papaya
- 1 cup of spinach
- 1/2 avocado
- 1 bottle of coconut water
- crushed ice
- 2 tbs of SP Complete
- 2 tbs of Whey Pro Complete

(I couldn't even finish this. I can't stand shakes (incase you didn't know) and the taste was just not for me. I really have a hard time drinking "green" shakes. I need some better recipes. And, sorry no picture, it looks like every other green shake I've taken pictures of.)

Dinner: Roasted Beats w/ Rice & Salad
Roasted Beats w/ Rice:
- Roast beats for about 1 hour
- Put beats over rice and drizzle on balsamic vinegar

Salad:
- baby greens
- mushrooms
- red pepper
- cucumber
- avocado
- Homemade Raspberry Vinaigrette: 1/2 cup of raspberries, 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup of olive oil, 2 tsp of honey blended together. Add oil in last and slowly.