Updates on HCG diet, cortisone shots, and Far Infrared Sauna

Update on my HCG diet...

I have 5 1/2 days left of the diet. So far I am down 14 lbs in the 15 1/2 days of doing the diet. I can totally tell the difference when I look in the mirror, so I am happy. I have lost almost 4 inches off my waist. My goal was to lose 25 lbs on this diet, and 5 inches off my waist. I probably won't make the 25 lbs weight loss, but I think I will lose the 5 inches off my waist. I have not been hungry... as the days go by it is easier and easier. Thankfully junk food really never appealed to me (excluding chocolate and fudge -- that is ALWAYS appealing to me!). I am craving brown rice, raw milk, and sure, some chocolate... :) I had some pot roast for lunch today, and a large bowl of tomato and pepper soup from Trader Joe's. Oh my, it is so good! 200 calories from the soup, and the roast probably was about 150 calories total. I didn't eat any carrots, potatoes or gravy.

On another note, my right shoulder is feeling SO much better. The 2 cortisone shots I got (one on each shoulder) seemed to work. I would have to say my right shoulder feels 90% better. My left shoulder, is the most painful, and it probably feels 65-70% better. I am guesstimating the percentages. I am worried that the cortisone will wear off soon, and my pain will come back. Some people are telling me the shots last maybe 1 week, others say 6 months. All I know is that I really needed a way to attack that inflammation. Nothing was working! It would be fantastic if as the cortisone wears off, the inflammation doesn't come back, and the physical therapy that I do continues to prevent the inflammation from ever coming back. I plan on doing exercises every day for the rest of my life, if that what it takes to not have that pain anymore. I think I made the right choice in getting those shots. My quality of life was deteriorating. It was very bad.

I am taking a lot of good saunas lately. It is important to detox your body, and my detox foot pads are one way. But as I have mentioned before, Far Infrared Saunas are another good way. Here is a quote I found online regarding the difference between regular sauna and a far infrared sauna:

The key to a good detox from a sauna is to understand the effects of a deep healthy sweat. Research has been conducted to find out exactly what toxins are leaving the body when we sweat. The sweat of people using a conventional sauna was found to be 95 to 97% water while the sweat of those using an Far-infrared thermal system was 80 to 85% water with the non-water portion principally cholesterol, fat-soluble toxins, toxic heavy metals (such as mercury and aluminum), sulfuric acid, sodium, ammonia and uric acid. (Far-Infrared, Technologies that Harness the Sun, Valerie Free, 2001.)

I also have been consistent in doing acupuncture at Winer Acupuncture. If you are in the Twin Cities and need a good recommendation for a licensed acupuncturist in the Minneapolis area, try her out!