Quantum Wellness Cleanse: Week Three

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Quantum Wellness Cleanse: Week Three

My 21-day Quantum Wellness Cleanse ended on Friday. For three weeks, I abstained from sugar, caffeine, alcohol, meat, dairy and gluten. I developed a surprisingly delicious diet of vegetables, rice, beans, tofu, tea, water and assorted gluten-free products.

On Saturday morning, I weighed 6 lbs lighter than I did 21 days ago and lost 1.5 inches from around my stomach. The most dramatic effects were in the first week, although finally being able to get back to the gym this third week nudged along further weight loss.

You can read more about the journey in these blog entries:

This past, final week, I actually had to give up my watered-down decaf coffee. I could even feel the effects of that minimal amount of caffeine on my heart. I switched to decaf tea and the jittery feeling went away.

I also came to terms with the fact that when I’m upset, I want to eat junk food. A lot of it. I didn’t crave anything so much as I craved the idea of lots of it. I abstained and rediscovered that going to the gym, working up a sweat and spending some time in the sauna provided not only the exertion my stress needed, but also an excellent and spacious transition from work to home.

I feel relieved that a lot of my unhealthy food habits seem broken. I enjoy making and eating breakfast at home now, instead of grabbing something on the go. I’ve stopped snacking at work, even when I’m working on an exciting project, which is an odd habit I discovered in Week 1. I haven’t craved Diet. Mt. Dew or too much coffee or sugar in the 21 days. The fact that this is an all-or-nothing type of cleanse really worked for me.

I ended the Quantum Wellness Cleanse yesterday, by having lunch with a friend at August First in Burlington. I ordered a Tofu Salad sandwich and nibbled on the bread.  Surprisingly, the bread held little charm for me after this cleanse, although I could taste that it was good bread. The tofu was much more to my liking.  Later that evening, I had a beer from The Alchemist (a Heady Topper) and about 6 oz. of Nutty Steph’s chocolate at home.

And while The Alchemist never ceases to amaze me, it was all rather anti-climatic. My taste buds have come to appreciate much more subtle flavors, textures and, especially, spices as opposed to the overwhelming nature of caffeine, sugar, alcohol, animal products and gluten. I wouldn’t have been able to learn that had I just cut back on sugar or breads. A whole-system reset was in order for my body to actually taste and feel the negative affects of, say, caffeine (heart-stopping!).

So it looks like much of this Cleanse has become a lifestyle! For my own health, I’m excited, but it’s also exciting because of the environmental and other positive effects a mostly vegan, gluten-free lifestyle can have. Here are some fun resources I’ve found on my journey:

My next indulgence will be a (decaf) Maple Latte and some toffee from Espresso Bueno, but I’m not in a rush. I actually need to make breakfast now: a tofu scramble with lots of veggies and spices!

Quantum Wellness Cleanse: Week Two

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Quantum Wellness Cleanse: Week Two

Sixteen days down on the Quantum Wellness Cleanse! I’ve lost a total of 4 lbs and about 1 inch around the waist, 1.5 inches around my thighs and 1 inch around my upper arms.

Week 2 was more difficult than Week 1. Returning to work after vacation, I found that we have new chefs – actually, new bakers – at the College cafeteria! I’ve resisted the cinnamon rolls and homemade bread, but it was an epic battle.

Keep reading →

After A Vacation: Fight the Back-to-Work Blues

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After A Vacation: Fight the Back-to-Work Blues

Many of us are returning to work today or tomorrow after some vacation time.  We’re probably also facing a horrendous number of e-mails, voicemails and a stack of work to start right away, despite still having “vacation brain.”

Simultaneously, you may ask if the vacation was really worth it. But not me. The vacation is always worth it. Let me tell you why and it might help your Monday go a bit smoother.

Keep reading →

Quantum Wellness Cleanse: Week One

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Quantum Wellness Cleanse: Week One

Week One of this Quantum Wellness Cleanse is behind me. I spent about the same amount of money on groceries that I would have for junk food or restaurant dinners, so the fact that I’m 3 pounds lighter and feeling pretty darn good is rewarding.

To recap:

I’m working off of Kathy Freston’s 21-Day Quantum Wellness Cleanse.

I’ve eliminated the Big Five from my diet: sugar, caffeine, alcohol, animal products (meat & dairy) and gluten.

On Days 1-3, I had a growing headache and was very, very tired from the caffeine and sugar withdrawal.

Keep reading →

New Year’s Reflections

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New Year’s Reflections

I don’t like New Year’s resolutions, but I do like reflecting at the end of the year. And while I’ve tried some of the standard reflection questions (what worked well? what didn’t work so well?), I get pretty bored with them. So this year I came up with my own list.  It’s a bit quirky, but it works for me.

New Year’s Reflection Questions:

  • When did I last laugh so hard that I cried, (almost) peed my pants or hurt the muscles in my stomach?  What were the circumstances and can I replicate them at least twice as often in the new year?

Keep reading →

21-Day Quantum Wellness Cleanse

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21-Day Quantum Wellness Cleanse

I’m doing a 21-day cleanse based on Kathy Freston’s The Quantum Wellness Cleanse.  This is a BIG cleanse, eliminating the BIG Five:

  • Caffeine
  • Alcohol
  • Gluten
  • Animal Products
  • Sugar

Essentially, my entire diet! These five components clog up any system, though: decreasing blood flow, diminishing memory, muscles and natural energy, increasing my risk of diabetes, heart disease and cancer and getting me out of touch with the natural needs of my body.

Tonight, I sorted out the fridge and determined what needs to be finished, given away or thrown in the trash. (Yes, I recognize the irony of: “Hi, friend. Have some of this food that I’ve deemed unhealthy.”) I also planned my menu for the week and the grocery shopping I’ll do tomorrow.

I decided to do this cleanse because I’ve been feeling stiff, sore and tired in the past six months. I haven’t had the energy I’d like and my weight has plateaued, despite changes in my diet. Let me outline what I’m actually saying Yes to:

  • More energy
  • Increased strength and flexibility
  • A leaner look and, possibly, better skin and hair
  • Sharper memory and better creative juices
  • A longer and fuller life

The cleanse is 21 days. Just 3 weeks and, for the first 11 days, I’ll be on vacation with a little more control of my time. The cleanse has me getting off of the Big Five all at once, right from the get-go, so this may be difficult. On the other hand, I think I may respond well to the big-changes-all-at-once approach. Regardless, I know I need to take a quantum leap in regards to my diet. I do not eat well and yet I know I’d like to live past, oh, say, 65.

Tomorrow I’m meeting someone for coffee and will likely have the largest latte I can buy, pre-cleanse. I’m also finishing the last can of Diet. Mt. Dew in my fridge tonight. Then, around noon tomorrow, the Quantum Wellness Cleanse plunge!

 

13 Tips for Better Fundraising Appeals

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13 Tips for Better Fundraising Appeals

I receive a lot of fundraising letters, so this time of year my inbox and mailbox are stuffed. As I sort through the appeals, a few things bewilder me as a marketer, a few make me laugh and a few frustrate me.

I would like to offer some suggestions to anyone trying to improve their fundraising efforts. This advice is not scientific (actually, some of it is), but it is based on someone keenly aware of what persuades and dissuades me from donating. Use it for what it’s worth.

13 Tips for Better Fundraising Appeals

  1. If it’s been so long since you reached out to me that I don’t remember what your organization does, sending an appeal letter probably won’t induce me to donate.
  2. Edit your letter. Please.
  3. Keep it to one page. Better yet, keep it to a half page.
  4. Always use my name on the e-mail, salutation, envelope, etc. You’ll get a higher engagement rate.
  5. Sending multiple sheets of paper, a return envelope, sticker, card, photo and more paraphernalia just irks me as it all falls out of the envelope.
  6. Segment your mailing. If I’ve given exclusively online in the past, give me a donation link, not a return envelope.
  7. If you have a video, don’t spell out the URL in an e-appeal. YouTube links are not pretty. My friend Will Boyd works at Emma, a web-based communications service that takes a unique approach to email marketing. He suggests taking a screenshot of the video and linking to it. He doesn’t recommend embedding the video, since servers might think you’re spam. (Maybe prettier, but still spam.)
  8. Here’s the usual script: Paragraph #1 is often a preface about what this letter is. Paragraph #2 is often a recap of the year or an awkward history (“when we were founded 26 years ago…”). Then paragraph #3 delivers the real punch about the work. In a few letters, I even found the true leading sentence buried as the second or third sentence in the third paragraph. Find that sentence and delete everything before it.
  9. Twitter distills the message down to the true nouns and verbs. Try writing your appeal in 140 characters or less. Just try it. Then see how that affects your appeal letter.
  10. Write shorter sentences.
  11. Utilize the end of the appeal and write something as a postscript, but don’t write a paragraph.
  12. Consider sending an appeal attached to another holiday besides Christmas. I’ll notice it more. For example, consider Valentine’s Day, Halloween, New Year’s, Thanksgiving or even the start of summer.
  13. And, finally, find other ways to engage me during the year: engage with my comments on your Facebook page, thank me for re-tweeting your message or invite me to an event in my area. Personal connections lead to higher levels of engagement.

I understand the importance of money to every non-profit, as well as the astounding fact that the majority of annual budgets are raised in just the last three months of the calendar year, so I wish you well in your end of year fundraising appeals.

 

Photo credit: Phil Roeder