Day 5 Juices

I took a few pictures because I notice when I do it holds me accountable in terms of mixing them up and not just having the same old thing again. So here's what I made tonight:

Below is a picture of the hydrating beverage I had, since I snuck a latte in.
disclaimer: I'm not one to do things 100% pure because I like to think of these things as 'adding in to crowd out' not 'deprivation'. My idea of success is to get a return on whatever we do so and now I suppose my secret it out!

Summer in Winter Watermelon-Cucumber Juice:

Watermelons: an excellent source of vitamin A, which helps maintain eye health and is an antioxidant; vitamin C, which helps strengthen immunity, heal wounds, prevent cell damage, promote healthy teeth and gums; and vitamin B6, which helps brain function and helps convert protein to energy. Watermelon is great source of potassium, which helps muscle and nerve function, helps maintain the body's proper electrolyte and acid-base balance, and helps lower the risk of high blood pressure. Last, it has the highest concentrations of lycopene (cancer fighting agents) of any fresh fruit or vegetable.

Cucumbers: stimulate hair growth, prevent kidney and bladder stones, defend against aging; its Vitamin K has been found to have potential role in bone strength by promoting osteotrophic (bone mass building) activity; aid in hydration, prevent weight gain, act as a diuretic, reduce blood sugar and heart rates, and act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals.

Dinner:  veeeola:

Beet, Beet Greens, Kale, apples, carrots, lemon, ginger, lettuce heart soon-to-be in juice form!

And wallah, the juice:

And last, here is me trying to incorporate Natasha St. Michael's advice to get out into the sunshine, get some fresh air and run around to get the lymphatic system going, which turned out to be more like Lafayette running around me..

 

A dog butler for Erin

Erin,

Maybe soon you will have something like this that actually serves a function? As in juice prepping? Every juicer needs one, fact. http://sky1.sky.com/modern-family-dog-butler

Day Five and Hauled out the Juicer

Hola Miss Margareta,

I am typing this on my ancient laptop and it is LITERALLY driving me bananas (see http://belovedbefree.blogspot.com/2012/03/why-chris-traeger-is-literally-my.html).  I am braving the laptop because I want to quickly jot down the triumphs of getting to DAY 5 of ze juice feast before I head to work. My nephewkins is using our good computer.  I seriously need to invest in a new laptop...I've said this a billion times.  I'm annoyed because the cleaning lady stayed for five hours yesterday (to clean a two bedroom apartment!!?) and I could have used that money for a computer yo.  Grrrr...okay, must let it go..deep breath...deep breath.  I suppose juices don't cure all frustrations. 

So, on a positive note, I'm super proud of myself because I decided to run to the grocery store this morning and get supplies to make my own juice rather than wait for my Booster Juices to defrost.  I don't know why I've been sooo resistant to hauling out my juicer, but I think part of it is that I had been making liters of green juice that I didn't really LOVE before I started this fast.  I would make a huge mess of my kitchen and make a huge amount so that I could freeze a bunch for later.  It's way easier just to make a liter or so and way more fun when you can use fabulously delicious  amounts of fruit. 

I have decided that a major reason that my juice fasts have unfoiled in the past is because I was trying to stick to just greens and only lemon as the fruit.  I think perhaps the idea that fruit will bloat a yeasted system is a touch overexaggerated.  I have been having fruit juices for the past 5 days and I am actually feeling much LESS bloated and have way more energy. 

So here's the juice I made today:

1 pineapple
1 blood orange
1 mango
3 zuccini
small bunch of parsley


I had about 2 mason jars leftover that I put in the freezer after sipping a huge wineglass of this scrumptious juice.  I actually blended a little up with some banana cuz I really was craving that creaminess.  I know it's technically against the rules, but I say I deserve it:p.


Okay, so any tips on how to release anger and irritation?  Sometimes juice cleanses can leave us feeling a little raw because we can no longer use food to soothe and stuff the feelings that come up.  I hate feeling resentful, it eats away at me, even when I know my annoyance is over the top. 

I hope you have a beauuutiful Saturday.  It's melting outside, crazy warm for Manitoba which is usually freezing. 

xo
Erin

Day Five

So this will be a quick one today. I slept in til noon today because well, I can, and now I'm enjoying 4 cups of celery, lemon, apple and spinach juice and will soon be enjoying some strawberry, coconut, pineapple juice. By today I just can't express enough just how glad I am that I opted to do this. Now I understand why everyone says the first 3 days are the hardest-- you're craving things left and right all day long having experienced none of the benefits of such a cleanse. But now that I've made it half way, I feel like I could go on juice feasting for about 100 days like the Juice Feasting guys suggest for some of their clients. I likely won't because I like food too much, but at this point it's pretty darn easy and I could easily keep going well beyond the 10 days. I think my body is so happy I am giving it so much nutrition in an era where we come from either compromised lineages as a result of industrialization and/or our food supply is depleted.

Here are the benchmarks (for me) of getting to day 5:

• Moderate weightloss ( I say moderate because I wasn't aiming for that as much as I was nourishing my body and with all the fruit drinks I've been trying out, this sounds about right.) That said, my bod is looking better than ever. If you ever have cellulite and you want it gone? Doing this kind of cleanse is the antedote to that and it's something no one really tells you but somehow "lipo" made it into mainstream society. Want to add as the day goes on that I am finally feeling attractive in my skinny jeans--score, a direct hit.
• Raw food glow--now that is one thing I was going for and shazam, I am finally glowing. I'd rather have some fat on my bones than look old so this makes me happy.
• My skin cells are now teenie tiny and the skin on my face tight tight tight--chipmunk cheeks be gone!
• I'm feeling happy and optimistic
• I have a lot more energy
• My body feels nourished and just clean like never before. You know that feeling you get after a long swim or when you've been in the ocean for hours and then you're on this awesome high when you get out and bask in the warm sun? It's a lot like that. 
• Heightened senses
• Increased focus which is big for me because I am convinced I have ADD. 

Now that I'm on "day 5" I kind of don't want to go back. Once you experience the benefits outweighing the drawbacks and the drawbacks no longer being obstacles (like cravings) you almost just want to stick to this lifestyle forever. Oh yeah-one more thing. I am having to force myself beyond my 2 year juicing plateau by creating new concoctions and it's neat-o to have new juice recipes up my sleeve. I feel like as I keep truckin' the more this could actually turn into a raw foods life style for me. I'm not sure if that'll be the case because this still takes discipline, but that said, the more I do this it begins to feel like habit and I get hooked to the way I feel, it's harder to go back. 

I wish I had something cool to post. Maybe tomorrow when I make new juice concoctions. Today I am going to work on the creative pursuit I am remaining coy on so for any readers out there, wish me luck! 

Salud,

Margarita

On my Way: Day Four

Day Number Four and I can so relate to Margareta's "I Feel Free" post:p.  I do feel free, just not quite as free as I am hoping to feel in the future.

Here's what I'm experiencing on day four:
-more energy
-clearer skin
-less bloating
-less fogginess
-bit happier

I even  had the creative urge to create something..even if I'm a little old for arts and crafts.  I took the suggestion out of  "The Seven Day Total Cleanse," to make an "Intention Coaster," a lovingly created coaster in which I can place my juices on to make juice time that much more special.

Taking some simple playtime to partake in innocent, childlike art activities like this project is remarkably effective.  This is not something most of us normally do...You are a shifting to a place that is different from where you normally are.

In the same way that sipping from a wine or cocktail glass can make this juice feast more decadent, having a pretty, girly coaster to rest my juice on makes this all that much more satifying.  I even pulled out the sparkly pink nail polish to embellish my cute little coaster.  I'm kinda feeling proud of myself, like I should be getting an A+ in art class :p.  Oh the simple child-like joys.  We could learn so much from children and their unassuming love of life.

Again, must focus on abundance rather than lack. Rather than sobbing about what I CAN'T eat or drink, I vow to thank God for all the amazingly gorgeous and flavourful juices I am fortunate enough to sip.

I'm a bit ashamed to admit this, but here's something that sort of cheered me up today:

http://www.complex.com/art-design/2011/12/gallery-supermodels-without-makeup-or-photoshop#15




It's liberating to know that these supposedly flawless supermodels are really not so perfect when the makeup and photoshop magic is removed.  It also motivates me to keep cleansing because I want to GLOW without gobs of makeup and perfect lighting.  I want that radiant youthfulness that I have seen from sparkling healthy-celled individuals.

Beyond that, I just want to feel good.  I want to feel free.  I think I'm on my way.

xo
Erin

Day Four

Last night I was craving everything you can think of it, even things I had long put out of my memory--things like 'gobstoppers' and 'Casa de Pico' style Mexican food (which is a restaurant I used to frequent almost monthly back 5 years ago in San Diego); steak (I haven't had a steak since I was 5); and McDonalds Chicken McNuggets but not the blue-meated ones they make now but the kind from the 80's where there were fewer health regulations and they were likely dipped in lard.  I hear all this is pretty common as you get deeper into the whole cleansing thing, just somehow it's always weirder when it happens to you.

Since today is Friday, I thought why not get a little fancy? Truth be told, I was totally inspired by Erin's post yesterday on how our glasses *matter*. I suppose it's sort of like dressing for the job you want. You have to juice for the glam life you know you have [or will have]. But I do agree, it affects us on a psychological level and it wasn't 'til Erin pointed out the wine glass that I noticed that I refuse to ever use our Ikea silver at our house over the wedding stuff because unconsciously I was already  aware that food just doesn't taste as good otherwise. And now I must seem like the biggest snob and I'm really more of a muppet.

So here is my morning juice (in addition to the green juice I always have as a staple). It was just simply diviiiine. Now I'm back in my undivine cubicle and I have to get chopping work-wise. The best part about "day 4" if you feel a surge of energy, I've started receiving compliments letting me know something is working because it cannot be the up do that is... and I feel raw and radiant.  More to come, stay tuned...

Pineapple + Mango + Raspberries + Coconut Meat

As promised, here was my first savory meal (I was getting tired of just having vegetable broth, carrot juice and ginger root tea for 3 days straight) so here is what I whipped up tonight:

Vegetable Tomato Basil Soup

Savory Vegetable Tomato Basil Broth: 

8 tomatoes

10 basal leaves

6 garlic cloves (as you can see I really love garlic!)

1 onion

5 cups (32 oz.) vegetable broth

Heat Pacifica Vegetable Broth on stove. Juice the rest of the ingredients and add the new "juice" to the broth. Sprinkle with fresh pepper and basal to taste.  I would give this 4 stars out of 5 when it comes to 'cleanse worthy food'. I'd definitely have it again.

Benefits of the aforementioned ingredients:

Basil:  Basil herb contains exceptionally high levels of beta-carotene, vitamin A, cryptoxanthin, lutein andzea-xanthin. These compounds help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease process. Basil also has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties and are very rich source of many essential nutrients, minerals, and vitamins that are essential for optimum health.

Tomatos: It contains numerous antioxidants which combat various types of cancer. Also tomato is rich in minerals and vitamins and also protects the heart from cardiovascular diseases. It improves the texture and color of the skin, is good blood purifier, helps in the cases of congestion of liver and also dissolve gallstones and prevents macular degeneration and other eye diseases. 

Onions: prevent cancer by reducing the DNA damage in cells caused by free radicals, destroys tumor cells, lower blood pressure, detoxifies the body, lowers triglycerides, boosts beneficial HDL cholesterol, prevents blood clots, protects the heart, lowers blood sugar, treat asthma, the list is endless. 

Garlic: serves as a natural antibiotic, gets rid of acne, is an antioxidant, prevents blood clots, antibacterial, and slows the aging process!

And since this is a juice FEAST, I figured why not have veggie chocolate milk in a wine glass tonight and celebrate. Oddly, this time I didn't feel the need to add the chocolate flavored stevia or cinnamon which I believe is because my taste buds have adjusted. Now carrots actually taste to die for and this is only after a mere 4 days of only drinking juices. It feels as if 1 day of cleansing somehow amounts to erasing the ravages of an entire year. I've heard many say this but now that I am experiencing it, it feels more like science at this point.

Veggie "Chocolate Milk" fancy style!

Day 4. This is how I feel: