I’ve been hoarding links and things to share all month – I better get down to it before the month is over!

Why You Should Drink Warm Water and Lemon

After I read that article (the comments in particular!) I decided to try it.  Hot water with just lemon?  And no tea or anything else?  It was very simple, and I felt like it was worth a shot.  (a shot of lemon.)

It was… nice.  And then I made coffee (with coconut oil) because coffee is nice too.

How Warm Lemon Water Links to a Juice Fast

Fast forward a few weeks, Zak’s company starts a friendly “Biggest Loser” style weight loss competition among employees.  Zak decides to join them (if you ask him, he’ll say he doesn’t have a goal weight in mind, but in my wifely estimation I think he’ll wind up in the low to mid 170’s, which will mean a 20 – 25 lb weight loss.)  (Yes, I have his permission to blog about this and yes, we took a “before” picture… but he was in his underwear so I have some photo editing to do.  You’re welcome.)

With the weight loss competition as his impetus, he’s decided to do a juice fast.  He watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead when it was first released a couple years ago and like countless others, he was seriously awed and inspired by the film.  Since then he’s talked about doing a juice fast “someday” and always wanted to try it.  The detox part is his primary motivation, but the weight loss certainly plays a role in his interest in it too.  He says he’s ready for a break from sugar and caffeine (and has been reading Deep Nutrition!) and so with all that, the time for his juice fast is here.

Long story short?  Zak’s 8 days into a 40 day juice fast.  Our fridge looks like a farmer’s market.  And he’s down 11 lbs already.  (Seriously.)

And so because of his juice fast, I took a closer look at Joe Cross’s website to check out his variety of juice fasting plans and recipes.  Wouldn’t you know that each of his sample plans has you starting your day with hot water with lemon?  I’m not doing the juice fast, but I am starting each day fresh juice right now simply because the juicer is always running!  I’ve added hot water with with lemon into my morning routine and I’m digging it.

Zak’s juice fast includes getting off coffee though, and I’ve done that for now too – in part for myself, and in part for him so I don’t torture him with the smell of fresh brew each morning.  (I drank green tea for the first few mornings and managed to escape with no caffeine withdrawal headache.)  I am NOT giving up coffee forever, but now that it’s not so cold in the mornings I don’t feel like I need it, and I don’t mind taking a break from coffee every once in a while either.

The warm water with lemon is proving to be a refreshing, different start to each day.  If you’re at all intrigued, I highly suggest you give it a try!  (Even if you make yourself a cup of coffee immediately afterwards.)

You Can Watch Fat Sick and Nearly Dead For Free On YouTube for a limited time!

By pure coincidence (seriously!) I got an email from the folks at Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead at the end of last week asking if I’d help spread the word about their celebration of the 2 year anniversary of the release of the film.  I was really excited to learn that you can watch the documentary for free on YouTube right now and couldn’t wait to pass the word on.  If you haven’t already seen this movie, it’s a must-see.  (And did I mention it’s free?!)

Speaking of Weight Loss

I’ve mentioned Intermittent Fasting here a number of times before – it’s what I used in 2011 to lose a pesky 10 (*ahem*15) lbs that crept on during an emotionally taxing time, and I still practice IF in various forms today.

Even though Intermittent Fasting has been around for a long time, it’s really starting to catch on and get some attention by the mainstream media, thanks in large part to a best seller book that was published in February called The Fast Diet by Dr. Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer.

A couple months ago a writer for Harper’s Bazaar contacted me to ask me about my experience with Intermittent Fasting for an article he was writing – and the article is in the May issue!

Lose Weight Fast? by Bill Gifford. My experience is mentioned (just briefly) in his article.

I like the way IF was presented in the article, you can read it online or check it out the next time you’re waiting in line in the grocery store.  (Although I’m sure Harper’s Bazaar would prefer that I recommend you actually buy a copy of the magazine instead of just reading it at the store… squealing in the magazine aisle like I did is optional.)

More Pure Coincidence

Your Fat Has a Brain.  Seriously.  And it’s Trying to Kill You.

This article showed up in my facebook feed a few weeks ago and only by chance did I happen to notice the author’s name: Bill Gifford.  Bill Gifford… where had I heard that name before?  Oh yeah!  The Harper’s Bazaar guy!  Apparently he writes for Outsider magazine too.  (Outsider is probably more my speed than Harper’s, but whatever.)

Anyway, the Brainy Fat article is a longer read than the IF article, but it’s entertaining and I enjoyed it, I think you might too.

The Easiest Way to Teach a Kid How to Ride a Bike

This is a link to an old post of mine, but with the arrival of the warm weather I’ve been reminded of the stress free way Ava and Maxine learned to ride a bike – without pedals!  The trick is learning how to balance first, THEN add pedaling later – instead of the other way around – a la training wheels.

If you’ve got a little one who will be learning to ride a bike this year (Maxine was 4!) a pedal-less bike is seriously the easiest way to do it.

Alright, that’s what I’ve got for you today.  Got any links you’re lovin’ on lately?  Thoughts or experiences with warm lemon water, juicing, fasting or bike riding?  Do tell!

(And I’ll definitely be sharing more about Zak’s juice fast in the weeks to come!)