Day 3 of 92

I spoke too soon. :(  Just minutes after posting last night, a headache hit me in the left side of my noggin.  Still, I fell asleep quickly and slept well.  But I was stunned when I woke up and it was still there.  I noticed it before I even opened my eyes. 

I quick drank a quart of warm lemon water and then took a shower, using the Hot/Cold shower method - which is designed to aide the detox process.  Here's how it goes:

HOT    shower 5-7 minutes
COOL  1 minute
HOT    1 minute
COOL  1 minute
HOT    1 minute
COOL  1 minute
HOT    1 minute
COOL  1 minute and out

I've never done this before today - but I think it was beneficial!  My headache was gone within about 20 minutes.  (It did return for a little while early this evening, but it only visited - it didn't stay long)

Somehow I managed to rouse at 5:30 this morning.  After dealing with my headache, I got to work on my juice for the day. (My daughter's, too.)  I didn't write down my concoctions, as I was in a hurry and thought I'd remember.  (Mental clarity has not arrived yet, I guess!)  But I can tell you this... it wasn't my favorite day of juicing ever.  I was ok with my morning green juice, which I can tell you included Rainbow Chard & Parsley (lots of it!) as my greens.  There was also cucumber and celery, of course.  And I'm sure an apple...  I sucked it down just fine, but later this morning when my daughter finally dragged her bootie out of bed, she texted this to me: "I am literally drinking the earth right now".  I cracked up!  I guess it wasn't her favorite either.  (PS... she has already decided that this will be a ONE week feast for her, rather than two.)

A also made a recipe I found online which included a pretty sizable chunk of ginger, yellow pepper, carrots, pears...  It was harsh!  I don't think I like that much ginger!  But I was already at work when I discovered this.  My solution was to add some water.  It worked.  Much more palatable.

This evening I made one more juice.  I used papaya and collard greens.  OH MY GOODNESS!  It was horrendous.  WOW.  But juice ain't cheap, so I added a hunk of pineapple, an orange and some coconut water.  Ta Da!  MUCH better!   In all, I drank about 1.5 gallons of liquid today.

My tummy was very rumbly all day. I could feel and hear the gargling endlessly.  It made me a little nervous, to be honest.  Not to mention my tiny bladder trying to manage all that liquid!  I was constantly on the move!

Word is out at my office that I'm doing a 92 day juice fast.  (Could it possibly be because I'm running up and down the halls every five minutes to use the ladies room?!)  Naturally, they all think I'm a little "off"!  But they are supportive, nonetheless!  (Until I bring them all green juice on St. Patty's day!) 

I have tons of recipes to work with so I'm sure tomorrow will be much better. :)

Blessings!  

Day 2 of 92 - Very Chill Day

I'm settling in to the evening of my second day of juice feasting.  Things are going quite well so far.  My 16 year old daughter has joined me (for 2 weeks), which is quite fun for me! (Makes me think maybe my family has been learning something over the past year and 1/2 - despite their resolute stance to continue to eat as they please.)

Today I've enjoyed:

1 QT Basic Green Juice ( 1 lb spinach, 1 lb kale, 1 bunch celery hearts, 1 cucumber, 1 apple, 1/2 c. coconut juice)

2 C herbal decaf tea

2 C Basic Green Juice

1 QT Peach Pie Juice (YUM!) (3 sweet potatoes, 4 peaches, 2 apples, cinnamon)

2 C Mango juice mixed with coconut water, 1 juiced lime and 1 tsp bee pollen

1 QT Master Cleanser (28 oz water, 5 T lemon juice, 5T raw-local honey, tiny dash cayenne pepper)  I warmed it slightly as a soothing night time concoction.

That equals 4 qts, 2 cups of liquid.  (1 gallon, 2 cups)

After church and a quick stop at the Natural Health Center, I came home and have virtually done nothing since.  And I've LOVED it!  A very chill day for me!  The past couple of months have included very busy weekends.  (I love to be busy!)  But it sure was nice to lay in bed like a lazy butt and watch 2 movies back to back, while intermittently reading juicing blogs on my ipad.  Ahhh....
I've known for years (since preparing for my first juice fast) that many people really suffer from the process of detoxification which comes with a juice fast/feast.  I have really never experienced those symptoms.  But I've warned my daughter that it could happen.  Symptoms include flu like symptoms, headaches (sometimes from giving up caffeine), listlessness/lack of energy.  But those who push through the first few days generally see those symptoms pass.  It helps tremendously to cleanse the toxins from the body via enemas at home.  I won't dwell on that topic - for now.  But know that it is easy and extremely beneficial!

I learned something today while vegging in bed with my good friend FX (channel) -- there are a LOT of commercials about food!  I'd say 3 out of 5 easily.  As I watched one of the commercials for an Italian restaurant, I wondered if the desire to eat those things would ever completely go away.  I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that white pasta with creamy, heavy dairy laden sauce is NOT good for my body.  And still, I know how wonderful it tastes!  I've managed to avoid such things (mostly!) since my quest began.  But the question is... will I ever completely lose the desire?  I guess time will tell.

My one complete and total addiction is POPCORN!  Popped in a pan on my own stove in coconut oil with a little sea salt.  OH MY!  When I say addiction, I am not exaggerating.  This is something that I've eaten (with my family) almost daily for many, many years.  Since childhood, really!  And I don't eat a little - I eat a huge bowl!  In addition to LOVING it, it also serves as that mindless crunching that we seem to need in the evening when we're chilling out.  The GREAT NEWS  is that popcorn cooked in coconut oil is a very healthy snack!  But not every day.  That is far too much fat - even healthy fat- for a body.  It will surely be the thing I struggle with the most during this feast.  (Only 90 days to go! lol!)  My hope is that this feast will cure my addiction (this and many others) so that when I return to a plant based whole foods diet this summer, I'll be able to keep the popcorn treat to a couple times each week. :)  **As I was just proof reading this paragraph, my son yelled from the kitchen "Popcorn anyone?"  Lord help me!

I'll sign off now- as tomorrow is my first work day on the fast - which means I need to get up quite early to prepare juice for two of us for the day!

Blessings!

Here She Goes Again! 92 Days of Juice Feasting!

Those who know me know that I am a doer.  When an idea inspires me, I'm off and running.  I don't spend time thinking and pondering and contemplating.... I just go! I also have a tendency to tell people about it.  Knowing that people are "watching" me is a great accountability measure.  I attribute much of the success of my Clean Eating Quest (Oct 19, 2011 - October 19, 2012) to just letting people know that I was doing it.

Now that I've planted that little seed, let's talk about juicing.  I currently juice a couple of times each week, just for variety in  my diet.  Mostly,  my diet consists of green fruit smoothies, huge, satisfying salads and some nuts and seeds. Early on in my healthful pursuit, someone asked me if I was into juicing.  The answer was no.  Up to that point, the research I'd done wagged it's finger at juicing, shouting "too much sugar!!  You need fiber!"  So I stuck to whole foods, smoothies loaded with nutrients and fiber and juice just occasionally.  Since then (17 months ago), I've learned a tad more - and my perspective has changed.  Fruit and whole fruit juice are not the devil.  While they do have a heavy sugar content, it is natural sugar.  Therefore, my body knows exactly how to process it and use it.

I've done juice fasts before.  Several years ago, I did a 30 day fast.  Though, at that time,  it had nothing to do with my physical health.  Rather, my spiritual life.  Just prior to Christmas this year, I did a 10 day juice fast - this time for health!  I wanted to reboot my system and eradicate any and all cravings and addictions that were tempting me - particularly because Christmas (the season of  endless eating!) was coming.

While I make wise food choices that vast majority of the time, I am human!  So there is an occasional taste of this, or indulgence in that.  It's amazing how fast addictions and cravings can return when you open the door - even just a crack.

Unfortunately, my 10 day juice fast before Christmas didn't have the lasting effect I'd hoped it would.  The cravings and temptations still popped up now and again, so I moved on - back to my mostly raw vegan lifestyle and my occasional indulgences.  Three months later, I'm really feeling the need for a total system reboot! A new goal!  A new challenge!  (Because training for my first 1/2 marathon isn't enough...)

Juice Feasting  is done for varied lengths of time; 2 weeks, 1 month, 60 days.... I'm shooting for a 92 day juice feast.  (juicefeasting.com)  Feasting on fresh, juiced fruits and veggies for 92 days has the power to regenerate every cell in my body and release toxins that have been stored up since elementary school.  A feast of this length is not common, but it has been highly researched and achieved by many.  After devouring every bit of information I could from juicefeasting.com and rebootwithjoe.com, I've decided to go for it.  Today, March 9, 2013, is DAY 1 !!

I am not expecting this to be easy.  But like my first quest, I have no doubt that it will be worth it!  I am not the same girl that I was 17 months ago.  I will, do doubt, be different once again in on June 8th, when my feast reaches completion.

Certainly one of the greatest struggles will be the constant presence of food in my environment.  I hoped my family would agree to not eat for the next 3 months, but they declined - as did my friends and co-workers.  Darn.  But I see that as a simple issue of resolve - as it was when I gave up sugar, bread and all processed food.  There are, however, a few specific "obstacles" that are in the forefront of my mind.

1. Cost.  YES!  This will be costly.  But I am willing to give up other things for a while in order to complete this task.  It will be worth it!

2. Social Situations.  This won't be a problem for ME - but it tends to be a problem for others.  They "just feel so bad for me" - not being able to eat with them.  Trust me when I say, I don't consider this to be a sacrifice.   I can go out with friends and enjoy a cup of tea or glass of water while they eat.  It's no big deal.  I've been EATING (and eating and eating and eating) for 41 years.  I'm pretty sure I'm not going to miss any once-in-a-lifetime eating opportunities over the next 92 days. :)

3. Time.  I'm going to have to start getting up earlier.  Ugh!

One thing I'm NOT concerned about: Being hungry.  This is a juice FEAST!  If I'm hungry, I'll simply drink more! :)

Here is how you can help me, if you're so inclined.  Pray for me!  Ask me how it's going once in a while.  Be my cheerleader. :)

I'm hoping to blog regularly over the next 92 days.  I'd love to promise that I'll blog every day, but it's just not realistic.  I'll do my best to stay current.

Thanks, in advance, for your support!

One Year Later... I DID IT!!

One year ago  I turned 40!  The “I’m getting old” thing didn’t strike me as depressing… but being 40 and fat did!  Last year, on October 19^th, I weighed ……..182 pounds!!!  It’s true!  I was wearing solid 16’s and felt like crap.

I decided I needed to do something major;  a one year goal that I would devote myself to until my 41^st birthday.  My CLEAN EATING QUEST.

 *My immediate objectives were:

·         *Eliminate all processed food!

·         *Eliminate sugar in all its forms (except raw or frozen fruit)

·         Read something every day that would teach me how to care for this body of mine

Then, in order to increase my chances of success, I told everyone.  Most people said “good for you!”.  Some said “that’s a pretty big goal.  Maybe you should just try moderation so that it’s actually achievable”.  And I’m sure many (myself included) thought.. “here she goes again.”

I am SO PROUD to report that I STUCK WITH MY QUEST for the full year!  I now weigh 140 (a 42 pound loss!) and I comfortably wear a size 8/10.

I have some pretty hideous “before” pictures of me in my underwear last October.  (My poor daughter, having been forced to take my photo, is still in counseling).  You’d be amazed at those before and after pictures!  But I’m just not bold enough to show them to the world.  Instead, I’ve included a picture of me at Grand Hotel (Mackinac Island) in my birthday crown last year and another picture of me at Grand Hotel last week.    

My Journey….

I immediately conquered my first three objectives.  I cut out sugar and processed foods cold turkey!  It wasn’t nearly as hard as I’d imagined.  I focused on eating foods in their most natural form.  I really focused on getting my mind trained for this QUEST.  I knew I wouldn’t be happy munching on celery and carrots for a year!  I needed to learn what else was out there that was good for me, that I could learn how to prepare.  (As a result, I now regularly consume hemp seed, quinoa, coconut oil, bee pollen.)  I hoped that the more I learned, the less desire I’d have to eat crap.  Friends, THAT was the key to my success!  Not only did I make it through my year long quest – I have gone far beyond where I imagined I would, and can’t imagine every going back!  You truly don’t know what you don’t know!!

As I studied and soaked up information, I’d make decisions to test various philosophies to determine if they were true for me.  For example, I read a lot about wheat and gluten and their negative effects on the body.  I was tested a few years ago for celiac disease.  It came back negative.  But after reading so much about this, I decided to eliminate all wheat, bread, pasta, crackers, etc.. from my diet.  I continued this for 2 months.  After two months, I reintroduced some whole grain pasta into my diet.  The negative results were immediate!  I was in pain!  So clearly my body prefers to abstain from those things.

The other major change that I made was to eliminate animal products from my diet.  The research is overwhelming!  Animal products are killing us  “BUT WHAT ABOUT PROTEIN?!?”  I don’t believe our bodies need NEAR the amount of protein that we hear about.  But even if we did, do you have any idea how much protein is in leafy greens?  MORE THAN ENOUGH!  I also eat nuts and seeds daily – but in moderation.

I’m not perfect!  Every once in a while I’ll indulge in a little cheat.  But my diet is now completely plant based, free of sugar and processed foods, and 80% raw.  I feel great!  This is no longer a “diet” for me – it’s truly a lifestyle!

While the year has come to an end, and my QUEST has been accomplished,  I feel that I’m really just beginning.  I had so much fun on my QUEST, I’ve decided to do it again.  This year, I’ll focus on fitness.  I don’t know exactly what that will look like yet – but I have decided it will include a half marathon in April!  (My son thinks a marathon next October.  We’ll see… J)

To those of you who have been a constant support for me this year, THANK YOU!  I think my children have been my greatest cheerleaders!  They’ve joined me on this journey, along with my husband, and have endured much!  As a family, we now have green smoothies every morning!  They try every new vegan recipe that I make, and generally find positive things to say about them!  I’m so grateful for the support!!

HOORAY!!!

More Before & After Pix...

 

Zucchini "pasta" Bake

I'm amazed at the bounty my garden is producing already!  In the last 3 days, we've harvested 10 or 12 zucchini!  They are beautiful - and I'm so proud that the are growing in my yard!  

At church yesterday, I was talking to a friend who is quite an accomplished backyard gardener and she told me about a way that she utilizes her abundance of zucchini.  Beth makes a type of lasagna using thin slices of zucchini, layered with spaghetti noodles, tomatoes, garlic and lots of motz!  Well, I don't currently do pasta, and will never do mozzarella.  But the basic idea sounded delish!  So I adapted!  Fortunately, my wonderful husband surprised me late last week with the spiralizer I've been wanting.  A spiralizer, by the way, reminds me of the little playdough toy that allows you to make hair.  Basically, you just push your zucchini through this simple gadget and "noodles" come out the other end. SO FAST, SO EASY, SO CREATIVE & very cheap!  (About $40 on Amazon)

*** You do not have to have a spiralizer to make this!  The spiralizer makes the zucchini fun and appetizing, but you can just slice and layer your zucchini.  OR if you do pasta, use pasta!  (No need to cook it first!  The zucchini and tomatoes produce plenty of moisture in this recipe.  The noodles will cook while they bake).  Of course, I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight if I didn't remind you that "white ain't right"!!  Eat whole grain pasta!  

Most importantly, NEVER FORGET - this is your kitchen, so you can do whatever you want!  This is a basic template for you!  Use what you have and what you love!  There is no right or wrong!

Don't you just want to devour this!!

Ingredients:

4-5 zucchini

4-5 tomatoes

red onion - as much as you like!

Fresh basil

Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Mushrooms (I used portabello)

Pasta Sauce

Oregano (fresh or dried)

Process:

Pour a thin layer of pasta sauce in the bottom of the pan.  

Using the spiralizer, process 4-5 zucchini.  Place a layer of zucchini noodles over the pasta sauce.

Thinly slice tomatoes and layer over the noodles.  Slice onions (I like long arcs!), and mushrooms and layer over tomatoes.  Chop fresh garlic (as much as you like!) and sprinkle over top.  Sprinkle with fresh basil and oregano.  Add another layer of pasta sauce and repeat the whole process.  Because I am basically vegan, I would only sprinkle a small amount of Parmesan over the top before baking.  My family, on the other hand, LOVES cheese, so you can see by the photo that I kept them happy by sprinkling cheddar over 1/2 the casserole.

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.  This recipe will produce a great deal of liquid!  I just scooped the food right up out of the liquid and served it.  When it was time to store the leftovers in the fridge, I poured the "juice" into a container.  Afterall, it is loaded with nutrients!  The next day I drank it like V-8 juice.  Yum!!  My family (even my mountain dew and Dorrito eating son) really enjoyed this recipe!

IF YOU EAT A RAW DIET... this is just as awesome raw! As a raw dish, I skip the pasta sauce and instead, create my own fresh pasta sauce using just tomatoes, basil, oregano, garlic and a food processor.  Cooking does remove a substantial portion of the nutrients of these wonderful veggies.  Don't be afraid to try it raw sometime!

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Enjoy life's bounty!

I'm in love.... with Banana Porridge!!

It's been a quite a while since my last post!  I have a great excuse, though!  My first born graduated a couple of weeks ago.  (I'm so proud of him!)  But end of the year... graduation... grad party.... take a lot of time and energy!  Thus... no post for a while.

I am happy to report, however, that I have not strayed from my QUEST!  My self-education continues and I'm feeling so empowered to take control of my health!
To date, I have shed 40 pounds!

As I continue to research a plant based diet, I've encountered Dr. Douglas Graham and his 80/10/10 philosophy.  He teaches that 80% of our diet should be carbs, primarily in the form of fruits and also some leafy greens.  NO MORE than 10% should be fat.  (By the way, on a 2000 calorie diet, 10% fat would be just 14 almonds!) NO MORE than 10% should be protein.  While we're constantly being told to eat more protein, our bodies only need a certain amount.  (About 6-7% of total calories, actually)  Beyond that, our bodies don't know how to process the excess protein or what to do with it.  This is a vegan, low fat, ALL RAW diet!  It's not too far off from what I've been doing the past few months - so I've decided to give it a try for the summer; Memorial Day  through Labor Day.  I'm looking for some very specific changes/improvements to my health.  I'll be sure to report the results and I continue through the summer!

BANANA PORRIDGE is an 80/10/10 recipe that I stumbled upon recently.  It is so delicious and easy - and my family loves it too!

You'll need to make banana milk!
2 frozen bananas
1 cup of water (or so... add more to get a think milk consistency)
4-6 dates (soaked for 20 min first)
cinnamon to taste

Put all of these ingredients in a high speed blender and let it zip along until you have a thick, creamy milk consistency.  The dates are optional - but I always have dates in my house, so I use them for extra sweetness!

Next...

Chop up bananas into small pieces (I used about 6 bananas to feed three people today)
Chop up any other fruit that you have.  Today, I used fresh Michigan strawberries (because I bought 2 flats yesterday!), and some organic apricots that I needed to use up.
Mix all in a bowl and pour "milk" over it.  Eat with a spoon like cereal.  YUMMMMMMMY!!!

And now... I'm off to the beach with my kids!  I'm taking Friday's off this summer and have declared every Friday  BEACH FRIDAY!  As a super exciting side note... my bathing suit from last year is HUGE!  So, my 15 year old daughter gave me her bathing suit top from last year.  She is a tiny, athletic little thing, so I'm feeling awesome that I can comfortably wear her top!  Her bottoms will NEVER fit me! lol  So for the time being, I've pinned mine.