Pageant Ready: 5 Things I Cut from my Diet and 5 Things I Added

CUTS:
1. Alcohol (Cocktail hour always leaves me extra hungry to the point where I will eat an entire hamburger or pizza by myself. No thank you! I've also noticed a difference in my energy levels!) 
2. Acne Medication
3. Latte's (I stick to black coffee with a splash of almond milk or soy creamer)
4. Salts, Sauces and almost anything processed (I've substituted Bragg's Liquid Aminos for soy sauce in my stir fry and instead of salad dressing)
5. Grains (I still eat the occasional rice cake or handful of guilt free popcorn for fiber) 

ADDS:
Vitamins and Supplements (In addition to my Arbonne skin clearing vitamins as well as Fiber supplements I take a shot of cold pressed Noni juice)
More Protein (this can come from anything like adding a small handful of almonds into my green smoothie, a protein shake at snack time or choosing more dishes with chicken breast).
Water (I drink about 4-6 bottles a day) 
Water bearing fruits and vegetables (melons, pears, etc.) 

Interview with Courtney Bentley of Star Systemz

I met Courtney in 2012. She had just moved back to Los Angeles after living in Cabo San Lucas. I chose to interview her because Star Systemz is living proof that hard work, making goals and having self control can make you into the person you want to be. Courtney lives by what she teaches, and it works! Her blog and personal journey is also very inspirational, and she has helped me to realize some of my dreams.

My goal, as a little girl, was to be a prima ballerina, this of course changed when I entered into high school and boys, homecoming and cheerleading took over. I have always been active and interested in a healthy life although it took me until the age of 19 years old to actually research and transition from McDonalds to Whole Foods. I am certified through NASM as a CPT, Youth Exercise Specialist and Women's Health Certification. I also have dipped in to TRX, Cross-fit, Pilates and Ballet Barre. In college I knew I wanted to learn more about health and nutrition so I changed my degree from Computer Science to Nutrition and graduated with an Associates of Science degree in Health and Nutrition. I have been featured as a Fitness expert on ehow.com, run the health section on the Jackie Fame Network, have been published in a few books and have worked with the famed, fabulous and even a super model. My passion is not only in fitness and health but is in helping women gain confidence in themselves and to teach them how to live a healthier lifestyle.

Q. What is Star Systemz? How is Bangkok and your transition there? 

Star Systemz was created as a program dedicated to teaching women how to shine like a star. In other words, my goal is to inspire women to get fit, eat healthy and empower ladies to be confident everyday! I created an official Star Systemz Fitness method in college and just recently launched my Star Diet Plan which is a ten day jumpstart to eating clean. My fitness method and diet plan go hand and hand and are a result of my personal journey of trying everything from working out for two hours to taking diet pills which of course do not work. My fitness method is combination of my background which is Ballet, Pilates, Weight Lifting and HIIT Cardio. I most recently moved to Bangkok where I started the group The Bangkok Babes. I host bootcamps every Sunday at the park as a way to create a fit community of women who support and inspire each other. The beauty of living in Bangkok is the abundance of fresh foods and being able to walk everywhere.

Q. Do you have a favorite workout? Favorite meal? When I am not practicing my Star Systemz Method I enjoy taking a dance cardio class like Cardio Barre. Cardio Barre is a fun way for me to switch things around, work on my flexibility and have a great time! My all time favorite meal is egg whites with spinach, kale with a few sprinkles of Himalayan Sea Salt cooked in Coconut Oil next to a Pomelo or grapefruit paired with a green tea latte <--almond milk of course

Q. What motivates you to go to the gym even after a long day? I keep motivational quotes and photos in my phone gallery. I always say if you really want to make a change in your life you need to be passionate about it and make the decision to just do it. Plus, a killer playlist never hurts either.

Q. Tell me what a typical day looks like? (I was actually very curious to know this, Courtney has recently moved from LA to Bangkok, which is quite a change!)

Every morning I wake up, do my AM routine of hot lemon water, dry brushing, oil pulling and apple cider vinegar and walk my dogs. During this time I am also organizing my day and writing down what needs to get done by the end of the day and what I can do if I have down time that will keep me productive. I make breakfast and design my workout for that day while eating with my husband. Since we workout together we try and stay on the same body part since we both split train. We head to the gym, sweat up a storm and get ready for the day. I prepare lunch or we head to the British Club in Bangkok to eat lunch and work online. We both work online so we like to set up shop outside of the home on the occasion to get out of the house. We both work for a few hours, I set up blog posts, answer emails, write articles and workouts for clients. We head home have a snack and continue working. During this time I either go and train clients via skype or try to create YouTube content. Dinner time comes and after dinner the states are awake so we try and make important phone calls and keep in touch with everyone before heading to bed.

Q. Who inspires you? Any favorite quotes? I have two inspirations Monica Parodi of P90x and Chalene Johnson. Both women are fitness gurus and extraordinary business women. My favorite quote for this year is, if you don't ask you won't know. I am not sure who said it but I always say it to myself when fear of hearing no creeps up.

Website: http://www.starsystemz.com My Diet Plan: http://www.stardietplan.com YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/starsystemzchannel Twitter: @StarSystemz Facebook: StarSystemz

Cleanses, Diets and Flushes

In preparation for many important events I always turn to watching what goes into my body and making the best choices. There are many types of cleanses and diets I have tried, and I will only list a few. My favorite one is Kimberly Snyder’s green smoothie, which you can read about last.

1. SALT WATER FLUSH

The concept of a salt-water flush is to basically cleanse and flush your entire body of any toxic waste you may have stored. The ultimate effects are a cleaner colon. 

I never actually completed this because I threw up immediately after drinking ¼ of the salt-water solution you make with warm water.

I have heard that many runway models do salt water flushes at the same time as doing the master cleanse. I have also heard that this can be a very dangerous method of cleansing that is left as a last resort for people who get food poisoning. 

You can read about it more on this blog: 

http://www.yogitrition.com/salt-water-flush-for-colon-cleansing/

My alternative to salt-water would be drinking raw unfiltered Braggs apple cider spiked water once daily, or warm water with lemon.

2. Emergen-C

Increasing your consumption of the powdered vitamin solution has been known to improve weight loss and increase energy. I have heard that some of the Biggest Looser candidates were disqualified for overloading on Emergen-c. Personally I would not take this solely as a diet plan as the product still does contain sugar.

3. Juice Cleansing

I have tried juice cleansing on two different occasions. On both occasions I could only last for one whole day of cleansing before I felt extremely fatigued and could barely drive home from work. One cleanse I tried was the Suja cleanse system. I love the flavors of their bottled drinks, especially the cherry cayenne pepper flavor. The second occasion, was a cleanse made of fresh cold-pressed vegetables and fruits from Whole Foods. On both of these occasions I spent over $60 for one days worth of juice. I personally would suggest that if you do in fact choose to do the cleanse, prepare to take some time off of work and school in order to rest.

My alternative to juice cleansing would be to replace and solid snacks that you have throughout the day with a cold-pressed juice.

4. Starbucks Diet

I am guilty of this, and I know I am not the only city-dweller who eats, drinks and sometimes sleeps at Starbucks. I found this article about a woman who lost 85 pounds from strictly eating at Starbucks.

http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/starbucks-diet-one-woman-dropped-80-pounds-coffee-211600454.html

I have no complaints about this “diet”, it makes me really happy! My favorite items include: Venti Soy lattes, fruit cup, protein box and chicken and hummus. 

5. Kimberly Snyder’s Glowing Green Smoothie

I first read her book as recommended by a friend. Her goal is to eat to look and feel younger, have smoother skin and more energy. I personally have tried her suggested methods and have found that when I am consistent with the meals and planning I can drop 5-7 pounds. I have also found that my stomach looks the flattest following her method. Not only that but you can still eat, and the smoothies taste delicious. The only problem I have is that I am sometimes too busy to go grocery shopping, her method recommends using the freshest ingredients as possible, therefore you are constantly planning and preparing your meals.  

http://kimberlysnyder.net

***Please note I am not a nutritionist or doctor. These are all various things I have tried personally and I am only sharing my own experience.