Epic Fail

Well, it has been longer than I had anticipated getting out this blog.  So to anyone looking for this, I apologize for leaving you hanging.  I have more bad news.  I did not complete the 24 day challenge (cue the boos).  I was able to make it through 17 days and I got busy with other things and I forgot about it.  Not a very good excuse, I know, so please forgive me.  I will be completing my last 7 days next week and I will give some thoughts on my experience on days 11-17.

During the Max phase 4 products are utilized:  MNS MAX E, Meal Replacement Shakes, Spark, and Omega plex.  The Max E comes in daily disbursements of pills broken down into 4 packs (2 white, 2 red). The breakdown for usage is as follows:

Day 11-24

Morning 30 min before meal Red pack, Spark

Morning Meal:  Meal Replacement Shake, White Pack

30 Minutes before lunch:  Red Pack

Lunch:  White Pack

30 minutes before supper:  Omega plex

What did I think of the products?  Well the meal replacement shake is pretty tasty.  I was not expecting that. I used a plain shaker bottle and mixed it with water and it was pretty good.  I had the Chocolate Mocha flavor and it tasted similar to a Dairy Queen Mocha Moo-late.  I did notice an unusual amount of gurgling in my stomach about 30 minutes after consuming the shake.  I am not sure why exactly that is.  The shake does contain milk protein extract and after previous cleanses I have done I notice a certain propensity to be a little intolerance to products containing milk protein (how intolerant of me).  As far as the pills go, they seemed to be pretty easy to swallow.  I did notice that roughly 30 minutes after I took a Red Pack I needed to eat almost immediately because I got some intense hunger pains.  Overall I felt pretty good about the experience but it can be a lot to keep track of all the pill packs and shake mixes.  My forgetfullness got the best of me and it put a dent in my program.  Also I have been very bad about making exercise a  priority since we moved and open the practice.  I am joining Fit 4 Life asap and getting that problem remedied.  When everything was said and done after 17 days I lost about 8 lbs and I felt as though my face looked a little thinner and my skin was more clear.  If I was better about exercising, better results could have been gained.  I will probably try this challenge again later in the summer and focus on finishing it.

For those of you wanting to make some changes without purchasing a system or multiple products, my recommendations for the best at home way to keep your body "cleansed" so to speak would be:

• Up your fiber by eating extra dark leafy green vegetables and possibly a supplement like metamucil or fiber gummies.  Fiber is important for proper digestive function.  Much of your immune function is tied to your digestive function, so healthy bowel equal healthy bodies.
• Add probiotics to your diet through yogurt or a supplement.  With extra fiber intake, you can lose some of the healthy bacteria in your intestines.  This bacteria is important for breaking down waste and synthesizing vitamins among other things.  Yogurt is a good way to restore and maintain that natural flora.  A probiotic supplement is also an effective way to keep your internal bacteria thriving. 
• Drink more water especially 30 minutes before meals, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that drinking a little bit more than two cups of cold water on an empty stomach boosted metabolism by 30 %

Here are a few updates on events we have been involved in recently:

On March 18th we held a ribbon cutting and open house that was hosted by the Council Bluffs Chamber of Commerce.  The event was a success and we had a great turnout of family, friends, and local business representatives.  We are grateful for all the help and support everyone has given us, helping us get to where we are today.  Council Bluffs has been very welcoming and we look forward to what the future has in store.

On March 29th we attended a Health Fair at Iowa Western.  It was a great event and made for a very "Good Friday"  (see what I did there?).  We were able to speak with many members of Iowa Western's excellent staff as well as some students and community members.  We also were able to give away a lot of great items to spread the word about our office.  We look forward to attending the event next year.

Some upcoming events to look for us at in CB:

• The Gambler Half Marathon/5k April 20th and 21st at the MAC Sat from 8 am-4 pm Sun before and after the race
• Dr. Drew providing free kinesio taping and Krisit will be providing chair massage
• (pending) Live Well Pottawattamie April 27th from 9 am-12 pm at Thomas Jefferson High School
• We will be presenting information on proper posture and activities to build core strength
• Color Me Rad 5k May 11th at the MAC opening at 7:45 and closing 1 hr following the race conclusion
• Dr. Drew providing free kinesio taping and Kristi will be providing chair massage
• (pending) Chip-In for Children Golf Tournament at Council Bluffs Country Club
• Dr. Drew will be a hole sponsor and further services are TBD

If you know of any events that are going on from health fairs to races to events in which somebody is needed to present, please contact Brittany at 712-314-0136 or email us at contact@backandbodycb.com

If you have any health questions for Dr. Drew or would like to request future blog topics please call the office at the number listed above or email at drdrew@backandbodycb.com

Until next time, thanks for reading and have a blessed Easter weekend.

Dr. Drew

24 Day Challenge, Day 1-9 Synopsis

Advocare 24 Day Challenge

So, I have put off writing this blog for--OH--about nine days and I don't really have a great excuse.  But I am making up for it by writing a second blog in the next couple days about a pretty sweet topic: Suction Cupping Massage.  I got one from Kristi Moore, our resident massage therapist a week ago and I feel I need to share my experience for those who are interested.

But getting back to the topic at hand: Advocare 24 Day Challenge. As I mentioned at the end of my Cleanse update blog, this challenge is broken up into 2 phases.  These phases are known as the Cleanse phase (10 days) and the Max phase (14 day).  This is because your first 10 days are completed using the herbal cleanse product and you use an appetite suppressant called Max during the next 14 days.  Add them together and it is 24 days (my brother is a math major, no big deal).  The herbal cleanse product contains 2 types of pills: cleanse pills (3 per serving) and probiotic restore pills (2 per serving).  Neither pills seem to taste bad and they are pretty manageable to swallow. The other product included in the herbal cleanse is a fiber powder that is mixed with water to make a drink.  In previous cleanses I have done with this product, the fiber drink was a little better tasting and a little less fiber-ee (see right).  It is not horrible to drink by any means.  It basically tastes like a very pulpy

Advocare Fiber Drink

orange juice. And what makes this challenge different than a normal 10 day cleanse is the addition of the Spark and OmegaPlex products.  Spark is a natural energy powder that is mixed with water and OmegaPlex is essentially a fish oil gel cap. The Cleanse phase breaks down like this:

Day 1-3
Spark, Fiber Drink AM, (Catalyst)
Omega Afternoon, (Thermoplus)
Cleanse Pills PM

Day 4-7
Spark, Probiotic pills AM, (Catalyst)
Omega Afternoon, (Thermoplus)
Cleanse PillsPM

Day 7-10
Spark, Fiber Drink and Probiotic Pills AM, (Catalyst)
Omega Afternoon (Thermoplus)

**The Catalyst and Thermoplus are support products to the Challenge and are purchase separately.  I decided to try them just to have an idea of how they work.  Catalyst is an amino acid product designed to maintain and build muscle.  Thermoplus is a metabolism booster.

On to my experience with the product.  Unlike the previous Isagenix Cleanse I did (missed it? click here check out the blog), this cleanse with "get things moving" in the intestinal area if ya know what I mean.  If you don't know what I mean, I mean it will make you use the restroom more frequently than normal.  Especially on the Fiber Drink days.  Now this isn't to say that I was uncomfortable or that I spent all day in the restroom.  Just picture a normal day of bowel movement frequency and add 2-3 (you don't really have to picture it, but you get the jist).  The pills were no problem for me, but I have taken a multitude of multi-vitamin, fish oil, red yest rice, etc... supplement pills in my day, so I don't really have problems with pills.  The cleanse pills might be big enough that a gag-prone person might want to take each pill one at a time but I had no problem taking all three at once.  I enjoy the energy that the spark provides in the morning.  The guide that comes with the challenge suggests an optional second does of spark for the afternoon but I have not needed it yet.  I feel that when I follow the recommendations for breakfast, my appetite has been pretty controlled throughout the day.  I have been moderately good at following the dietary recommendations save for a HuHot trip here and there.  As far as weight loss goes, I have lost about 4 lbs over the last 9 days.  Unfortunately, my exercise has been scarce.  I do some push-ups during commercials of TV shows as well as some lunges and squats, but have not managed to get in much cardio, unless you count a weekend co-ed volleyball tournament (we won, impressed?) and bowling two games on Monday.  I haven't joined a gym yet since moving to Council Bluffs and my high hopes of starting P90X have not come to fruition as of yet.  Maybe tomorrow.

Almost P90X right?

Anyway, this cleanse is not as intense in the difficulty to complete category as the Isagenix cleanse but it does involve the bathroom a little more and doesn't have as significant effect on weight loss thus far.  With more intense exercise I believe weight loss would be greater (there is plenty there to lose) which has been my experience in the past.  The thing about this cleanse is that a person could go to wal mart, buy some fish oil, probiotics, metamucil and a cleanse pill of some kind and mimic the whole thing for a cheaper price.  The thing that attracted me most to Advocare is that they have independent research companies do their testing on the supplements and systems.  So you know the products will be high quality and consistent. Also they seem to care about the taste of their products which is not always the case.  I'd be lying if I said I haven't considered trying the mish-mash, wal mart cleanse approach.  I just  haven't taken the time to do it.  But each individual can make the choice on what is most important to them when selecting nutritional supplements be it taste, price, brand or what have you.  Whether using something we carry or something else, ultimately the goal is to better your health individually and if you are doing that then I commend you. If it was easy, everybody would do it (at least I'd like to think they would).  I will be updating my progress again within the next week hopefully, but we are preparing for our grand opening ribbon cutting on March 18th, so it may be a little after that.  As usual, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns about anything that I write about or any suggestions on topics you would like me to blog about, please contact me at drdrew@backandbodycb.com or call the office at 712-314-0136.  Have a nice weekend and thanks for reading.

Dr. Drew

(As you can see, I discovered how to add pictures and links.  If this is distracting or unnecessary in your opinion, too bad.  I like them.  Also check out our website if you haven't yet www.backandbodycb.com. Good day.)