GORGEOUS FOR GOOD

One of my favorite TV shows is Home & Family. When I lived at home I always watched the daily talk show with my mom, and now that I live on my own, I DVR it daily. One of my favorite family members on the show is healthy living expert, Sophie Uliano. She shares various tips that evolve around an eco-friendly life style.

Sophie has a new book, Gorgeous for Good, hitting shelves in April. It is a 30 day program to transform lifestyles. Sophie refuses to call it a diet....it is a live it! It is not a quick fix to drop a few pounds before a big event. It is a complete lifestyle change.

Along with Home & Family members Paige Hemmis and Kym Douglas, I took the Gorgeous for Good 30 day challenge...it was a RUDE awakening to the lifestyle I have been living.

Some of the things Sophie challenges:
1.) No gluten. (I already do this 50% of the time and know that I need to do it 100% of the time because of the gluten intolerance I was diagnosed with in September.)

2.) No meat. (Excuse me!?)

3.) No dairy. (I love my cheese, but I hate the way my stomach feels after. I knew this was a good change for me that just needed an extra push.)

4.) No sugar. (This program opened my eyes to the disgusting addiction I have.)

5.) No alcohol. (I love a glass of wine with dinner, but replacing it with water during the meal and hot tea after was simple.)

6.) Exercise 40 minutes/day 6 days/week. (I love going on walks whether outdoors or on the treadmill, and have become a big fan of Blogilates, so this was not too difficult. The key is to schedule it, just as you would a work meeting or a lunch date.)

7.) Meditate 30 minutes/day. (This was vital to the success of this program.)

Was I perfect for 30 days? NO. I was perfect for about 10 days, then cracked. But I have been more cautious of what is going into my body and how it makes me feel. I feel a lot lighter, but I choose not to step on the scale. My skin looks so much better, which is also part of me choosing to wear less makeup.

The hardest part for me was the headaches. I have a sugar addiction. I like my sweets.  I live and breath treats...which I realized were no longer treats, they were just part of my day. I got really bad headaches, but I know this is part of the detox. I wish I had known this more ahead of time.

My main tip for getting through this is to plan ahead! I went out to lunch with my family one day and looked at the menu online ahead of time to figure out what I would be able to order. Be prepared and prevent being in a pickle. Have snacks on hand in your bag, as well as water packed. When you fail to plan, you plan to fail, and being hungry with nothing on hand is the #1 way to give in to cravings.

For more information on Sophie Uliano and her new book, Gorgeous For Good, visit her website or connect with her on Twitter @sophieuliano.