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Can Can Cleanse Review and Giveaway!!!

by Hasti Kashfia on February 4, 2013 in Contests, Giving Back, Green, Health & Beauty, Local

Last month I got to try out the Can Can Cleanse and I’m excited to share the experience with you! You’ve probably heard a lot about cleanses and you’re wondering what is the Can Can Cleanse…

So here we go.

What is it?

via cancancleanse.com: CAN CAN Cleanse’s nutritional 3-day program helps you find out what it feels like to feel good. Make a smooth departure from poor eating patterns, boost energy and self-esteem, lose a few pounds and feel good! Discover the benefits of cleansing with CAN CAN’s 24 easy-to-digest vegetable and fruit juices, warming teas, nut milks and seasonal soups – 8 beverages per day. CAN CAN asks that you commit yourself, mind and body to the program, ease into it by following the pre-cleanse warm-up, deep cleanse for 3 days, and then follow the post-cleanse cool-down to help change your old eating patterns into new health-supporting habits. Wholesome, organic beverages packed in canning jars and delivered right to you – it’s body maintenance made easy! Your body will thank you and your mind will be inspired!

What do you get?

This depends on what Cleanse you choose to go with. I did the 3 day cleanse. I was totally worried about getting hungry, feeling sick from the lack of sodium etc. But I found it hard to finish all my drinks! The soup was the most delicious thing ever (I’d eat that everyday if I could) and the nut milk was SO good. The teas were a great treat, and I was worried about the green juice being gross…but it was actually really good.

You can see all the cleanse options here.

My Experience:

I found the experience to be not just physical but also mental. I learned that I could do without the unhealthy things I would snack on randomly through out the day. It was a great experience. I definitely felt cleansed and lighter. I also felt like all the Holiday eating finally cleaned out my system.

I did talk to my doctor and filled in my trainers before starting the cleanse and I took a few days off from the gym too. I felt my energy go up with the Cleanse and really miss having the green drink, and the early morning lemon drink. The nut drink was also SO yummy. Did I already mention I want the soup–everyday. So basically it’s all amazing and yummy.

You’re probably wondering if it was hard. Surprisingly not at all! I think the fact that I had 9 drinks, hot and cold options, and a soup made it super easy! And would I do it again? FOR SURE! I’m looking forward to doing the cleanse seasonally.

Another thing that REALLY stood out to me was the convenience. I live a crazy busy life and this could not have been easier! The kit came to me all blended, packed and ready to go. All I had to do was stash them in the fridge and pack them in the travel bag it came with head out the door in the morning. They came labeled with a number so I knew what drink I was on and they were sealed and set to go! I even threw a couple of them in my purse when I was on the go A lot of thought has obviously gone into every little part of the Can Can Cleanse!

Giveaway and Promo Code:

And here is the awesome part…if you’re a Bay Area resident you have a chance to win a 3 day cleanse and if you’re already ready to jump onboard use MODE13 (must be all CAPS) for $10-off you first 3-Day cleanse! You can pick up your cleanse in San Francisco or you can arrange for delivery (in an area that they deliver to) and the delivery fee isn’t part of the giveaway

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From the Fat Girl. To the Sick Girl. To this Girl. My open letter to you all.

by Hasti Kashfia on December 5, 2012 in Health & Beauty, Local, Opinion

To my wonderful trainers and my those of you who are following my journey to get healthy—this is my open letter to you all.

I was always the fat girl. Always. As a kid I had about 2 years that I wasn’t chubby, round, or “cute”. By 6th grade I was named MVP on the girls D list Volley Ball team–not for my athletic abilities but because I kissed my coaches ass like no other. Cleaned up after everyone, showed up early, grabbed water yada yada yada. I never believed I had ANY athletic abilities. Fast forward to Jr. High and I was the one with the 23 minute mile. Always one of the last 3 people to come in. I walked every mile we had. I wish I could take that back now.

Before:

When I started college I lost some weight. Never thought about strength or being strong. Just cute in clothes. That’s all that mattered—that’s all that’s mattered most of my life. By the time I was 19 I started dating someone that was athletic–and I was a size 12. By the time the honeymoon stage of the relationship ran its course our inability to see eye to eye on weight, health, etc. really started to cause friction and I made a choice to be skinny. Not healthy. Actually I became very destructive now that I look at it. I started smoking to kill my appetite, gave up food, and when I ate I depended on my handy toothbrush to help my body get rid of it all right into the toilet. This went on for about a year. My hair, skin, self-esteem, were flushed away too during that time. I was a 21 year old kid–who was a size 4 and still not happy with how I looked.

Fast forward another year. I stopped smoking, stopped barfing, but continued to pretty much starve myself. At this point I married the most amazing man ever–and soon after became very ill. I spent one year in and out of hospitals until I was finally diagnosed. My worst Christmas was the one I celebrated with the hospital Santa. I almost died once from internal bleeding- make that twice. After I lost my colon to my illness I couldn’t recover from my surgery. Not until they pushed a tube in my arm and into my heart to feed me after not eating for 10 days following my surgery. Did I mention that I had put on a 100 lbs. Between the meds, the hospital stays, and a dead colon I gained weight. A lot of weight.

Before:

Fast forward 4 years. I lost some of the weight. I got pregnant–and put on 80 lbs. Good stuff. Postpartum + 100 extra lbs made life wonderful. Lots of things happened during these years within my family. I became pregnant again and during this pregnancy I developed hyperemesis gravidarum. Basically I threw up over 40 times a day, got an IV for 6 hours a day for 4 months, and lost 20 lbs. Remembering what it felt like to gain 80 lbs with my first pregnancy I did things very differently. I started being active. Eating healthy. And I only gained 17 lbs. with that pregnancy. All of which I lost in the hospital.

Now between pregnancy #1 and #2 I got sick again. I ran a 100 tests. Had one positive lupus test–and told no one. Then a negative lupus test. I ran more tests and was finally diagnosed with Fibromyalga. My pain had a name. The numbness, the fatigue, the exhaustion all had a reason. At least I knew I wasn’t crazy. This is where I welcomed anti-infametory injections and Costco sized bottles of Advil into my life. There was also a great conversation with my doctor who told me to get on narcotics, think about getting on disability and come to terms with my life changing.

Before and a few weeks ago:

Since I hate meds I never got on anything strong. But I did loose a part of myself that day. After my second son was born I decided to continue getting healthy. I started eating right (found out I had a gluten intolerance), and started doing some cardio. Over the course of 1.5 years I lost 80 lbs. YAY me! Right?!? Wrong.

I was still as weak as ever. Sleepless nights filled with agonizing pain became a norm. But no one saw it. All they saw was the person who lost 80 lbs. If you looked closely you could see from my horrible posture my hunched back (from having no strength in my back muscles), the falling (from the numbness in my legs) and a 100 other symptoms I hid very well. I had accepted that this was who I was. I became my illness.

Then I met John (Owner of Fast Action Training) about a year ago. I told him I loved what he was doing–but it was too hard for me. Great for everyone else. But not me. At that point I was about 10 lbs smaller than I am now and in my mind I didn’t need a trainer–and that with my illness I would never survive. I was small enough to be happy. I didn’t care that I had no stamina, no strength, no energy. My clothes looked ok—and to me that was all that mattered.

Until…

I developed another auto-immune disease. Enter Hashimotos. FML right? I instantly gained weight–and kept going up 2 lbs a week. I got weaker. I Lost more muscle function, and at this point got scared. If at 32 I was starting to breakdown like this what would 40 looks like? I’d be a crippled old lady by 50 if I didn’t stop it.

My only choice was to get strong. I didn’t believe I could do it. Remember—I’d always been the fat girl. The weak girl. The sick girl. So I called John and I started my 6 week bootcamp. Confident that I would fail. But I wanted to try. I owed myself, my kids, my husband at least that.

You might be wondering if it hurt. You bet your ass it did. My Fibro flared up like no tomorrow. But I had a support system. Keith sat with me and taught me how to work out the knots in my back after boot camps, Nadia checked in on my food habits, and how I was doing emotionally when things got too hard, and John believed in me before I believed in myself. They all believed in me before I believed in myself. No one listened to my “I cant’s”. No one let me quit. And 2 months into it I walked/ran/crawled my first mud run. I didn’t quit. I didn’t back out–and that was all that mattered to me.

So here I am almost 4 months later. You’re probably wondering what changes I’ve seen in my body? I’ve lost over 5 inches in my waist, almost 4 inches in my chest, over 3 inches in each arm, a few inches in each thigh etc. But what I care about is that I can walk straight because my back doesn’t cave. I feel strong. I eat right. I can jump, run, do a push up (actually I can do a few ).

I’ve also gained a lot. Like these tiny little bumps on my arm I like to call muscles (when I flex really hard). I’ve also gained a family at Fast Action Training. Seeing Nadia, Keith, John, Kevin, Kayla, Megan and Sue is a part of my life now. And when Fibro flareups happen (like they have been this week) I don’t stop going. Because I know when I think I can’t pick up the weight they believe enough for me.

So how do you thank people who gave your life back to you? How do you put into words how excited you are about your future, and how a doctors visit doesn’t scare you anymore? I’ve learned you can’t. But you don’t give up–you prove them right and when it hurts too much you remember what they taught you…”You can always do one more.”

So with all of this do I have any regrets? Just one. I wish I started after that first meeting with John. I wish I didn’t put it off. So I encourage you to start your journey to your goals now—today. Don’t put it off. I did for a lifetime, and I had this in me all along. You have one life to live—as cliche as it sounds. Make it your best!

And thank you to those of you who are following my journey. I won’t let you down. It’s no longer about my weight. It’s about my health. My future. I will one day be stronger than my illness.

This is me today…

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Surprising Makeup Tricks for Captivating Eyes

by Carrie Dagenhard on November 30, 2012 in Beauty, Health & Beauty

The Mercedes-Benz Fall Fashion Week is one of the most highly anticipated seven days of the season. The glitz, the glamour, the instant must-haves and the totally un-wearable garments that we still somehow desire to hang in our own humble closets. This year, however, I’ve found myself often more enraptured by the models stunning eye makeup than by even some of the flashiest frocks. While more dramatic looks may not be suitable for everyday street wear, a few of these toned down styles can give you the captivating stare you’ve been yearning to achieve. Without further ado, here are three runway inspired eye makeup tricks you can do at home:

Dewey Eyes – If you happened to catch any photos from the DKNY show last week, you probably noticed the models were sporting a gorgeous and simple natural glossy eye. It created this sort of effortless, delicate, just-rolled-out-of-bed look – or, you know, what we imagine supermodels look like when they roll out of bed. After a little research, I discovered that, rather than Vaseline (my first guess), or clear lip gloss, makeup artist Charlotte Willer used Maybelline’s Baby Lips Lip Balm ($4 at drugstores).

Smoky Eyes – Every year, there is at least one or two smoky eye looks that really seem to take the show. Generally, they’re coupled with the disheveled “hangover chic” facade that designers really seem to love. You know – the messy bun, the oversized sheer tops. In order to create a more smudged smoky eye without looking like a Tim Burton character, use black shadow or powdered liner instead of liquid or gel. Create a line as close to your lash line as possible, add a couple dots at the lower outer corners and smudge lightly with the tip of a clean makeup sponge.

Bright Eyes – As you can imagine, runway models become pretty exhausted during Fashion Week. They’re up early, out late and have little time between events to relax. Often, makeup artists create a more lively, wide-awake look by using beige liner (instead of black or white). This natural well-rested look takes less than two minutes to achieve – which makes it perfect for those rushed mornings when the alarm magically forgot to sound. While you may just be heading to another day at the office rather than a glamorous fashion event, at least you can look the part.

4 Foods for Healthy Digestion

by Carrie Dagenhard on October 10, 2012 in Health & Beauty

The human digestive tract is filled with more bacteria than you can probably imagine. In fact, the average person carries around four pounds worth of bacteria in their intestines. Before you get grossed out, keep in mind that these teeny tiny little “bugs” are helping you digest food, absorb nutrients and get rid of all of the nasty waste your body cannot use. In other words, we need these bacteria to survive. However, if the balance of even one type of digestive bacteria is uneven, it can cause some pretty uncomfortable situations. If you’ve been experiencing frequent indigestion and tummy pains, consider adding these four foods to your diet:

Yogurt – Chalk full of healthy probiotics, yogurt is an excellent digestion aid – especially Greek yogurt. The active cultures in yogurt are also helpful for digesting lactose. However, be sure to select yogurt that is low in sugar. Refined sugar can actually promote GI complications.

Lentils – Probiotics are the “good bacteria” that help make digestion a more comfortable experience, but, to thrive, they need food too. Prebiotics are bacteria food, and lentils are brimming with them. Lentils also contain high levels of protein and iron – which make them a great red meat substitute. By eating prebiotic-rich foods, like lentils and other legumes, the probiotics in your GI tract will flourish and fight the disease-causing “bad bacteria” that affect digestion.

Avocados – Somewhere along the line, someone started a sneaky little rumor that avocadoes are bad for you because they’re full of fat. However, the fat in avocados is quite different from the fat in your average bacon cheeseburger. You see, avocados contain raw fat, which is imperative to pancreas, liver and gall bladder health. Avocados are also one of the most fiber rich fruits on the planet. All of these attributes add up to one thing: a real stomach superfood.

Pickles – You probably think I’m joking with this one, but it’s actually very true. Fermented foods, like pickles, sauerkraut, soy sauce, kefir and sourdough bread, are all extremely easy to digest. Why? Because they’re basically predigested. Fermentation helps to break down food, aids in the absorption of nutrients and boosts the immune system. Best of all, it reduces digestion discomfort. So, next time you’re feeling a little queasy, chomp down a Claussen.