I want to try to answer questions along the way, so if you have them, shoot them my way. I am by no means an expert, but I love doing the research and sharing it.
There was a question about MSM. Here are some highlights I found on the net:
MSM is biological sulfur, which may...
Remove inflammation; permit muscles and joints to heal more rapidly
Increase energy, alertness, mental calmness, and ability to concentrate
Reduce muscle cramps and spasms
Plays a role in collagen synthesis: skin becomes softer, more resilient, hair and nails grow faster and stronger (the beauty mineral)
Help to normalize stomach function
Help relieve heartburn and GERD
Help relieve allergies to foods and pollens
Help create an internal environment unfriendly to many types of parasites
Helps with diabetic neuropathy of the extremities and gastrointestinal tract
Speed wound healing, reduces scar tissue
Stimulate immune function
Next to oxygen, water, and salt, MSM is the fourth most needed
element in human and animal nutrition. Sulfur is involved in nearly
every metabolic process in the body, and is essential in the
regeneration and nourishment of healthy cells.
Penni said that all the MSM on her juice feast made her nails go from peeling and thin to strong as the other kind of nails. To absorb the MSM optimally, it is best to take it with a citrus juice. That is why everyone seems to take it with lemon water or citrus punch (a mix of orange, grapefruit, and lemon or lime juice.)
What Day I'm On: 15 out of 40 (37% of the way)
How's It Going? Yesterday was tough. I had a migraine all day, and I chose not to take any drugs. I should tell you, I used to have a virtual pharmacy in my bathroom. I did not believe in suffering. I had an over-the-counter remedy for any condition you can name. As I have been getting more healthy, I have stopped all the OTC's, and been able to get off of my prescription drugs too. The only thing I was still taking, prior to the juice feast, was one blood pressure med which had a side effect of stopping my migraines. I had cut it down to a half-dose, but I was still taking it. (I monitor my blood pressure VERY regularly! Please do NOT go off your BP meds without your health practitioner's approval! I got approval from mine!) I also took a lot of ibuprofen, because being this heavy causes enormous amounts of pain in your body: sore feet, back aches, knee pain, etc. I had really cut back on the ibuprofen, but not cut it out until the juice feast.
So here came my monthly cycle, and like it has since I was 12, a migraine came with it. I thought I was "over" them because the blood pressure medication was preventing them. Now, I was hoping that my substantial weight release (110 lbs or more) had balanced my hormones enough that I might not get one. I have to say, it was not as severe as I have had in the past.
Anyway, I am proud of myself for not giving in and taking pain medication. I am really trying to do a full detox, and to make drugs a part of my past. I still have some remnants of the headache today, but not as bad. I am going to the gym so maybe I will sit in the hot tub and see if that helps.
What I'm Drinking: I tried adding some jalapeno to my juice because Penni talks about a Pico De Gallo juice in Real Juice Daily that sounded really good. Plus, I am getting in a rut with my kale, romaine, cucumber, tomato, and red bell pepper. I decided I do not love jalapeno! But it did taste like salsa, which was bomb. I am going to try half as much today. I am a wimp when it comes to hot! lol
Detox: Migraine, probably due to hormones rather than detox, but who's to say there isn't some detox going on?
Emotional Detox: Feeling kinda down, again, I blame Aunt Flo, my least favorite relative
Advice from Dave:
The extremely awesome Momdebbie commented yesterday with some great advice from her talk with Dave, and I wanted to make sure no one missed it because I know I don't always read all the comments on other people's posts. A huge shout out to Momdebbie for being on day 6 of her own juice feast! She is building her discipline muscles and curing her diabetes and I could not be more proud of her!! This is what she wrote:
1. Never - EVER be without your juice! Dave said this is especially imperative to those like he and I who have had diabetic issues or other health concerns. He prepares 3 gallons of juice at a time to take with
him on the road and drinks a gallon per day. He also takes juicers on
the road with him along with a super long extension cord so he is ready
to juice whenever and wherever he is. Again, he can't stress this
enough. Keep your juice next to you in the car, on your desk at work, in
the fridge, next to your computer while surfing the web or enjoying our
own Raw Food Rehab. Wherever you are -- your juice is there too!
2. Don't ever feel badly or like you have failed if you have to end your juice feast earlier than you had planned. Listen to YOUR body. Dave
said that because he had been overeating the SAD diet for soooo long and
to the point of weighing 430 pounds and had never eaten organically -
he suffered through some major detox when he went on his first juice
feasts. He had to slow things down a bit and would intersperse his
feasts with phase 1 of Gabriel Cousen's plan as outlined in "There is a
Cure for Diabetes". He may had to slow things down at first but as most
of you know, Dave went on to be a champion of and for juice feasting and
lost over 200 now pounds in the process!
Oh and Dave wants to give a huge shout out and send his love to Penni and RFR! He is really jazzed to hear about how many of us are juice
feasting now and even more thrilled to hear about how we are supporting
one another! Penni, Dave says it's time to come to Gods' country and pay
him a visit!
Friday, August 20, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
The Juicy Life--Day 14 of My 40 Day Juice Feast
How Far Along I Am: Day 14 out of 40, 35% of the way
How's It Going? I felt really, really tired yesterday. Driving to my mom's after work to do her wound care, I almost felt like I should pull over and nap. Last night, I didn't sleep too well so I don't feel too much better this morning. I'm not sure what this is all about, and whether it is related to my juice feast or not. Hmm....any of you experienced juice feasters ever have this happen?
What I'm Drinking: I'm kind of in a rut: romaine, kale, cucumber, tomato, sweet red bell pepper. Lemon water and MSM upon rising. Things taste a little better to me, so I must be getting used to it,
Detox? I'll just say, I still don't need any enema! Keeping close to restrooms is a good thing. :)
Emotional Detox? Nope. Just cranky from being tired.
Emotional De-Cluttering: I am saying these affirmations: I love and approve of myself. I deserve love. What I seek is seeking me. There IS someone out there for me, and when the time is right, I will meet him!
In the mean time, I will keep working on myself, so that when I do meet him, I will be the kind of girl he can fall in love with. :) Penni gives me hope. She ended up with a great guy. :)
Physical De-Cluttering: I need to get back to this. I've not been great about it, for the same old reason, time. If I even get rid of one thing a day, I will be making progress, right? Annette came over yesterday to bring me veggies and the kids had camped out in the living room the night before, just for fun, and they had the house a wreck. Sorry about that, Annette! We do not generally live like a pack of wolverines! Plus I had boxes all over full of things that I am giving away but have not taken to Salvation Army yet. Sometimes, when you're decluttering, your house looks worse at first. Looks like that's today's mission.
Advice From Dave: Missed my call with Dave yesterday; I have a feeling he's super busy organizing the International Day of Juice Feasting with Matt and Angela and all the other speakers. So I'll share some stuff I've researched elsewhere. Dry skin brushing is a technique that you can do all the time, not just during a juice feast, to get your lymphatic system moving and circulating, and to assist detox. The lymphatic system is a series of glands located around your body, and a super high way that is like a river running all through out your body. The lymph's job is to get rid of toxins, transport fatty acids, and move immune cells from your bones all through out your body where they are needed. It is a one-way high way going toward the heart. Lymph can get congested under our skin, and then it doesn't circulate properly, we can swell up and get edema, like what happens when your feet swell in the heat. If your lymph is congested, your immune system is compromised, and you can't metabolize stored fat properly. Dry skin brushing really helps move lymph! All you do is get a dry, natural bristle body brush, and brush in little circles all over your whole body, starting at your feet and and hands and going in toward your heart. Obviously, you don't brush your face! But you can do a gentle facial massage, circling downward, always toward your heart. The brush can feel a little scratchy and leave you a little pink, but to me it has started to feel really good. It is supposed to be really good for your skin, too, and some people report that it helps you to not have saggy extra skin after taking off a large amount of weight. You know it's part of my plan! lol
Brush away your health concerns!
How's It Going? I felt really, really tired yesterday. Driving to my mom's after work to do her wound care, I almost felt like I should pull over and nap. Last night, I didn't sleep too well so I don't feel too much better this morning. I'm not sure what this is all about, and whether it is related to my juice feast or not. Hmm....any of you experienced juice feasters ever have this happen?
What I'm Drinking: I'm kind of in a rut: romaine, kale, cucumber, tomato, sweet red bell pepper. Lemon water and MSM upon rising. Things taste a little better to me, so I must be getting used to it,
Detox? I'll just say, I still don't need any enema! Keeping close to restrooms is a good thing. :)
Emotional Detox? Nope. Just cranky from being tired.
Emotional De-Cluttering: I am saying these affirmations: I love and approve of myself. I deserve love. What I seek is seeking me. There IS someone out there for me, and when the time is right, I will meet him!
In the mean time, I will keep working on myself, so that when I do meet him, I will be the kind of girl he can fall in love with. :) Penni gives me hope. She ended up with a great guy. :)
Physical De-Cluttering: I need to get back to this. I've not been great about it, for the same old reason, time. If I even get rid of one thing a day, I will be making progress, right? Annette came over yesterday to bring me veggies and the kids had camped out in the living room the night before, just for fun, and they had the house a wreck. Sorry about that, Annette! We do not generally live like a pack of wolverines! Plus I had boxes all over full of things that I am giving away but have not taken to Salvation Army yet. Sometimes, when you're decluttering, your house looks worse at first. Looks like that's today's mission.
Advice From Dave: Missed my call with Dave yesterday; I have a feeling he's super busy organizing the International Day of Juice Feasting with Matt and Angela and all the other speakers. So I'll share some stuff I've researched elsewhere. Dry skin brushing is a technique that you can do all the time, not just during a juice feast, to get your lymphatic system moving and circulating, and to assist detox. The lymphatic system is a series of glands located around your body, and a super high way that is like a river running all through out your body. The lymph's job is to get rid of toxins, transport fatty acids, and move immune cells from your bones all through out your body where they are needed. It is a one-way high way going toward the heart. Lymph can get congested under our skin, and then it doesn't circulate properly, we can swell up and get edema, like what happens when your feet swell in the heat. If your lymph is congested, your immune system is compromised, and you can't metabolize stored fat properly. Dry skin brushing really helps move lymph! All you do is get a dry, natural bristle body brush, and brush in little circles all over your whole body, starting at your feet and and hands and going in toward your heart. Obviously, you don't brush your face! But you can do a gentle facial massage, circling downward, always toward your heart. The brush can feel a little scratchy and leave you a little pink, but to me it has started to feel really good. It is supposed to be really good for your skin, too, and some people report that it helps you to not have saggy extra skin after taking off a large amount of weight. You know it's part of my plan! lol
Brush away your health concerns!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
The Juicy Life--Day 13 of My 40 Day Juice Feast
What Day I'm On: 13 out of 40, about 32% of the way
How's It Going? It's going pretty well, over all, I have to say. I did find it encouraging that I am about 1/3 of the way there. There are two main challenges to juice feasting for me:
1. Time- I don't always get all my juice made before I end up having to go to work. As long as I have two quarts, I know I'll be ok. Juicing is not difficult, at all, but it is time consuming. You're washing and chopping and juicing, and then cleaning up and packing the juice into jars, and reassembling the juicer. I tend to underestimate how long all of that takes. I also have way more to say in my posts than I ever get in, but I run out of time.
2. Cost- Juicing is not cheap. Of course you want organic veggies--why in the world would you add toxins back in while you are working so hard to get them OUT? And you need a LOT of veggies. To get my 4 quarts of juice I use: 1 head of romaine, 1 head of kale, 6-8 cucumbers, 1 head of celery, 10-12 roma tomatoes, 1-2 sweet red bell peppers, and a couple of lemons. That's a PER DAY amount. I didn't know it would be so much produce before starting my juice feast, and if I had, I might not have done it.
I have to say, it is so worth it so far for the benefits I'm getting: 18 lbs of weight release, my skin is softer than it's ever been, I have a lot of energy, my belly is getting much flatter, not only from the weight release but also because the candida are dying off and not making me all bloaty looking "9 months along."
I also find it so incredible how I keep getting "lucky" on this challenge, like meeting Dave to encourage me, Penni writing her great book Real Juice Daily to inspire me, an incredible friend buying me a new juicer, and meeting Annette who was willing to go the distance with me and has just become an incredible friend. Then she tells me she can get me my organic veggies for wholesale cost, and I almost cried for gratitude. I am making so many friends along the way, and so many people have said I was able to inspire them, I feel a huge tidal wave of love and support just washing over me!
I believe that God is blessing my challenge and is clearing my path before me, taking obstacles away. He always wants my highest good. Because the main focus of my challenge is to build a closer relationship with Him, He is smiling down on me and making it easier. I am so incredibly grateful! Thank you, God!
Detox? "When you're sliding into first, and you feel a soggy burst, diarrhea!" Not too bad, lol. To be honest, I hate enemas, so if I'm going on my own, woo-hoo! Just as long as I make it to the bathroom in time!
Emotional Detox? Getting better. I still have the "poor me's" sometimes. I am also having a visit from Aunt Flo, so who can say what is detox and what is my normal hormone fluctuation roller coaster ride?
Emotional Decluttering: Wow, I am making some break-throughs around recognizing my limiting beliefs. This stuff is deep down personal, but I will still share it in the hope that it can help someone else. I have been "unlucky" in love all my life. I had only 2 relationships before I met my ex-husband, when I was only 17. He is a great guy, but he developed a mental illness in his 20s (when it often hits) and his behavior at that time became abusive and I had to leave for the children, and for me. I have stuck by him and supported him all these years, however, and now he takes medication that helps him have a mostly normal life, and he is a good dad. He still has challenges, like anyone. When I made my vows, in sickness and in health, I meant them, and I was prepared to stick by him (but not live physically with him). He ended up asking for the divorce about 8 yrs into our marriage; he fell in love with someone else. I was pretty relieved because adultery is the only out the Bible gives you for divorce. Even before I met him, I had this limiting belief, "There is someone for everyone and nobody for me." I felt so unlovable, due to my weight, that I thought no one would ever truly love me. Then I found men who incapable, because of their own problems, to really be able to love me and be a full partner in the relationship. Later, after my ex, I met a guy online and we fell in love, but he promptly moved to California, and even though we tried to make it work, it didn't. So it kept reinforcing my limiting belief. Now, I am seeing that I must really, truly, honest to Bob love myself before I will ever be able to draw to me someone who can be a life partner. You need to BE who/what you want to attract. Want a fit, healthy, successful partner? Be fit, healthy, and successful. Want someone who's positive and emotionally stable? Get positive and emotionally stable yourself. Like attracts like.
I am willing to open up to the possibility that there is love out there for me. I'll be honest, I don't believe it yet, but I am working to detox that limiting belief.
Advice From Dave: We didn't talk last night, so I will give advice I got from another health practitioner, who is a friend: CHEWING. The not chewing while juice feasting is a problem. The act of chewing actually helps you produce serotonin, the mood elevator. Chewing also helps you get saliva going in your mouth to help you digest your food. You should always "chew" your juice, to get the full benefit from it. I find I need supplemental chewing while doing my juice feast. I will chew on a piece of celery and spit out the pulp. This is kind of gross, so when I get the chance, I chew on my jawcerciser, something Victoria Boutenko invented to do jaw exercises as a substitute for gum, which is full of chemicals. Of course, the jawcerciser looks really weird, so I can only do it in private. It is really satisfying while I am juice feasting and really seems to elevate my mood. Try chewing if you are feeling down.
Have a juicy day!
How's It Going? It's going pretty well, over all, I have to say. I did find it encouraging that I am about 1/3 of the way there. There are two main challenges to juice feasting for me:
1. Time- I don't always get all my juice made before I end up having to go to work. As long as I have two quarts, I know I'll be ok. Juicing is not difficult, at all, but it is time consuming. You're washing and chopping and juicing, and then cleaning up and packing the juice into jars, and reassembling the juicer. I tend to underestimate how long all of that takes. I also have way more to say in my posts than I ever get in, but I run out of time.
2. Cost- Juicing is not cheap. Of course you want organic veggies--why in the world would you add toxins back in while you are working so hard to get them OUT? And you need a LOT of veggies. To get my 4 quarts of juice I use: 1 head of romaine, 1 head of kale, 6-8 cucumbers, 1 head of celery, 10-12 roma tomatoes, 1-2 sweet red bell peppers, and a couple of lemons. That's a PER DAY amount. I didn't know it would be so much produce before starting my juice feast, and if I had, I might not have done it.
I have to say, it is so worth it so far for the benefits I'm getting: 18 lbs of weight release, my skin is softer than it's ever been, I have a lot of energy, my belly is getting much flatter, not only from the weight release but also because the candida are dying off and not making me all bloaty looking "9 months along."
I also find it so incredible how I keep getting "lucky" on this challenge, like meeting Dave to encourage me, Penni writing her great book Real Juice Daily to inspire me, an incredible friend buying me a new juicer, and meeting Annette who was willing to go the distance with me and has just become an incredible friend. Then she tells me she can get me my organic veggies for wholesale cost, and I almost cried for gratitude. I am making so many friends along the way, and so many people have said I was able to inspire them, I feel a huge tidal wave of love and support just washing over me!
I believe that God is blessing my challenge and is clearing my path before me, taking obstacles away. He always wants my highest good. Because the main focus of my challenge is to build a closer relationship with Him, He is smiling down on me and making it easier. I am so incredibly grateful! Thank you, God!
Detox? "When you're sliding into first, and you feel a soggy burst, diarrhea!" Not too bad, lol. To be honest, I hate enemas, so if I'm going on my own, woo-hoo! Just as long as I make it to the bathroom in time!
Emotional Detox? Getting better. I still have the "poor me's" sometimes. I am also having a visit from Aunt Flo, so who can say what is detox and what is my normal hormone fluctuation roller coaster ride?
Emotional Decluttering: Wow, I am making some break-throughs around recognizing my limiting beliefs. This stuff is deep down personal, but I will still share it in the hope that it can help someone else. I have been "unlucky" in love all my life. I had only 2 relationships before I met my ex-husband, when I was only 17. He is a great guy, but he developed a mental illness in his 20s (when it often hits) and his behavior at that time became abusive and I had to leave for the children, and for me. I have stuck by him and supported him all these years, however, and now he takes medication that helps him have a mostly normal life, and he is a good dad. He still has challenges, like anyone. When I made my vows, in sickness and in health, I meant them, and I was prepared to stick by him (but not live physically with him). He ended up asking for the divorce about 8 yrs into our marriage; he fell in love with someone else. I was pretty relieved because adultery is the only out the Bible gives you for divorce. Even before I met him, I had this limiting belief, "There is someone for everyone and nobody for me." I felt so unlovable, due to my weight, that I thought no one would ever truly love me. Then I found men who incapable, because of their own problems, to really be able to love me and be a full partner in the relationship. Later, after my ex, I met a guy online and we fell in love, but he promptly moved to California, and even though we tried to make it work, it didn't. So it kept reinforcing my limiting belief. Now, I am seeing that I must really, truly, honest to Bob love myself before I will ever be able to draw to me someone who can be a life partner. You need to BE who/what you want to attract. Want a fit, healthy, successful partner? Be fit, healthy, and successful. Want someone who's positive and emotionally stable? Get positive and emotionally stable yourself. Like attracts like.
I am willing to open up to the possibility that there is love out there for me. I'll be honest, I don't believe it yet, but I am working to detox that limiting belief.
Advice From Dave: We didn't talk last night, so I will give advice I got from another health practitioner, who is a friend: CHEWING. The not chewing while juice feasting is a problem. The act of chewing actually helps you produce serotonin, the mood elevator. Chewing also helps you get saliva going in your mouth to help you digest your food. You should always "chew" your juice, to get the full benefit from it. I find I need supplemental chewing while doing my juice feast. I will chew on a piece of celery and spit out the pulp. This is kind of gross, so when I get the chance, I chew on my jawcerciser, something Victoria Boutenko invented to do jaw exercises as a substitute for gum, which is full of chemicals. Of course, the jawcerciser looks really weird, so I can only do it in private. It is really satisfying while I am juice feasting and really seems to elevate my mood. Try chewing if you are feeling down.
Have a juicy day!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
The Juicy Life--Day 12 of My 40 Day Juice Feast
What I'm Excited About: I "came out" to my family over the weekend about my juice feasting. My ex-Mother-in-law has us over for dinner once a week, and God bless her, she tries. She can barely manage to cook vegetarian, and doesn't fully understand the whole vegan thing at all, so we get some interesting meals that make me smile. On 4th of July we had "hot dogs" that were Morning Star soy breakfast sausage links in white bread buns. lol Needless to say, I stuck with the fruit salad and corn on the cob. But she had already told me she thinks the raw food diet is "dangerous" and she "had a tennant who got very sick on it." I could have told her all the amazing stories of people I know who have gotten very well on it, like oh, you know, ME, but I know I would be talking to a very well-meaning brick wall. So I mostly just hush my mouth and do what I need to do. So I was worried that she would flip out about the juice feast. And yet, I had to tell her, because she would wonder why I wasn't eating her food. So I presented it to her this way, "I am on a spiritual fast. I appreciate all you do for us so much, I just wanted you to know so that you would not think I don't enjoy your food, because I really do. I will enjoy just having your company and your love." Luckily, she is a very religious woman, and she approved of it completely! She especially liked that I am doing it for 40 days. "That's doing it just right, like Moses and Noah and Jesus." I was all, "I know, right?!" People can really surprise you.
Contrast that with me telling my own mom and her reaction: "Oh I figured you were doing something weird. You always are. You know I love you. You look great, you tell me you feel great, just do what you need to do." Good old Mom!
What Day I'm On: 12 out of 40
How's It Going: It's going good again. I am getting used to the strong-tasting juice. I am also adding more flavoring like basil and ginger (not together!) and carrot juice, just a little, for sweetening. This has helped the flavor a lot.
I'm not getting hungry any more, which makes things much easier. (haha as I wrote that, my tummy growled. Ok, I am not getting SUPER hungry any more, which helps.)
One huge side benefit: All this low glycemic juice seems to really be starving my candida overgrowth. I have struggled with candida for a long time, easily getting painful, stinky skin outbreaks (sexy!) For years and years I would just manage, taking probiotics, keeping the areas really clean and dry, using zinc cream, etc. Now, I can tell it is just going away, period. My skin has never felt softer or looked better.
What I'm Drinking: Lemon water and MSM upon rising. 4 quarts green veggie juice: romaine/cucumber/celery, kale/cucumber/lemon, tomato/red bell pepper/basil.
Detox? Not so's you'd notice.
Emotional Detox? Better today. Dave had some good perspective on this.
Emotional De-cluttering? Talking to Dave and just processing all these feelings.
Advice From Dave: Dave and I talked about emotional detox. He said that he thinks that it is worse, the heavier you are. This can be for several reasons. For one thing, if you are really, very heavy, as Dave and I were, you are most likely a compulsive eater. So you may have been stuffing emotions with food. Having no food to stuff means you are just having to deal with the emotions with no numbing compounds to soften them. This can make it feel very strange and more intense. Try to just roll with it, don't get rocked by every wind.
Another theory that he and I share is a little more "woo-woo" but I will present it here for your consideration. When we ate the food to stuff down the emotions, the emotional energy got stored in the fat cells, along with toxins and everything else. When we are releasing the fat and the toxins through juice feasting, the emotional energy is released also. This can be really helpful to understand, especially when the emotions you're having now don't seem to have anything to do with what is happening now. I had a couple of days where I was mad as a wet cat, for no reason at all. This could explain it.
The last theory, which I think has a lot of merit, is that toxins stored in fat cells are very psycho-active. They mess with your brain, in other words, including your emotions. While it's better to have that stuff out of you for sure, while you're processing the junk out of your system you can suffer the ill effects again.
Dave said that especially men are sensitive to the emotional detox symptoms, and get more freaked out by them in his experience. Women, because our hormones mess with us on a regular basis, seem to do better with it. Dave says remember it is nothing to be ashamed of or worried about, and most important, the cleaner you get, the more it will GO AWAY. Amen to that!
Make it a juicy day!
Contrast that with me telling my own mom and her reaction: "Oh I figured you were doing something weird. You always are. You know I love you. You look great, you tell me you feel great, just do what you need to do." Good old Mom!
What Day I'm On: 12 out of 40
How's It Going: It's going good again. I am getting used to the strong-tasting juice. I am also adding more flavoring like basil and ginger (not together!) and carrot juice, just a little, for sweetening. This has helped the flavor a lot.
I'm not getting hungry any more, which makes things much easier. (haha as I wrote that, my tummy growled. Ok, I am not getting SUPER hungry any more, which helps.)
One huge side benefit: All this low glycemic juice seems to really be starving my candida overgrowth. I have struggled with candida for a long time, easily getting painful, stinky skin outbreaks (sexy!) For years and years I would just manage, taking probiotics, keeping the areas really clean and dry, using zinc cream, etc. Now, I can tell it is just going away, period. My skin has never felt softer or looked better.
What I'm Drinking: Lemon water and MSM upon rising. 4 quarts green veggie juice: romaine/cucumber/celery, kale/cucumber/lemon, tomato/red bell pepper/basil.
Detox? Not so's you'd notice.
Emotional Detox? Better today. Dave had some good perspective on this.
Emotional De-cluttering? Talking to Dave and just processing all these feelings.
Advice From Dave: Dave and I talked about emotional detox. He said that he thinks that it is worse, the heavier you are. This can be for several reasons. For one thing, if you are really, very heavy, as Dave and I were, you are most likely a compulsive eater. So you may have been stuffing emotions with food. Having no food to stuff means you are just having to deal with the emotions with no numbing compounds to soften them. This can make it feel very strange and more intense. Try to just roll with it, don't get rocked by every wind.
Another theory that he and I share is a little more "woo-woo" but I will present it here for your consideration. When we ate the food to stuff down the emotions, the emotional energy got stored in the fat cells, along with toxins and everything else. When we are releasing the fat and the toxins through juice feasting, the emotional energy is released also. This can be really helpful to understand, especially when the emotions you're having now don't seem to have anything to do with what is happening now. I had a couple of days where I was mad as a wet cat, for no reason at all. This could explain it.
The last theory, which I think has a lot of merit, is that toxins stored in fat cells are very psycho-active. They mess with your brain, in other words, including your emotions. While it's better to have that stuff out of you for sure, while you're processing the junk out of your system you can suffer the ill effects again.
Dave said that especially men are sensitive to the emotional detox symptoms, and get more freaked out by them in his experience. Women, because our hormones mess with us on a regular basis, seem to do better with it. Dave says remember it is nothing to be ashamed of or worried about, and most important, the cleaner you get, the more it will GO AWAY. Amen to that!
Make it a juicy day!
Monday, August 16, 2010
The Juicy Life--Day 11 of My 40 Day Juice Feast
What I'm Excited About: I weighed in over the weekend, and I have to say, juice feasting is really good for helping you release weight. I released another 8 lbs last week, for a total of 18 since juice feasting. Overall, I have released 110 lbs from my highest weight of 402 lbs.
I am really starting to see the change in my body, too. When you are really, really large, it takes a while and a lot of pounds to make a substantial difference in how you look. Now, I don't look 9 months pregnant! This is a great thing. I only have two chins now, too! lol
"Ever forward, if slowly."--Longfellow
What's more remarkable, is that I have taken off 90 of the 110 lbs this year. As in, the year I really committed to raw food. I know that every body is different, but mine obviously says, "Give it to me raw!"
I'm giving it to it raw and juicy for 29 more days!
What Day I'm On: 11 out of 40
How's It Going: It's going ok. I got a new juicer that does a much better job, especially of juicing greens. That's excellent, and just want I wanted, but now my juices taste and look like bile. lol
I know I will get used to the taste. And I am focusing on how great all those mega nutrients are for my body and all that I am getting out of it.
What I'm Drinking: Lemon water and MSM upon rising. 4 quarts green veggie juice: romaine/cucumber/celery, kale/cucumber/lemon, tomato/red bell pepper/basil. One mistake: I juiced purple cabbage, and it was so pretty! But the taste literally made me gag. I like cabbage, and I know it is a potent cancer fighter, but there will be no more purple cabbage juice Chez Mal!
Detox? Nothing much to report here.
Emotional Detox? Yep. I am cycling between angry, sad, just fine, resentful, happy, and tired. How do I exit this ride?! I would really like to be able to say, "We now return you to your happy, positive Mallory, already in progress!"
Emotional De-cluttering? I think I am too much in the eye of the hurricane to be able to decipher what it means too much. I am just going to ride it out, and observe what feelings are coming up so I can work through them.
Advice From Dave: Dave says that when you have a craving, really try to identify where in your physical body that craving is emanating. You may be surprised that it is not in your belly! It also may move around. By taking an analytical approach to your cravings, you may be able to defuse their power over you. It may also help you identify what you're really craving. Craving sweets? Do you need more sweetness in your life? Craving spicy hot food: do you need some more excitement? Creamy things=comfort. You may really want a hug. Learning to truly meet our own needs is one of the gifts of juice feasting.
Make it a juicy day!
I am really starting to see the change in my body, too. When you are really, really large, it takes a while and a lot of pounds to make a substantial difference in how you look. Now, I don't look 9 months pregnant! This is a great thing. I only have two chins now, too! lol
"Ever forward, if slowly."--Longfellow
What's more remarkable, is that I have taken off 90 of the 110 lbs this year. As in, the year I really committed to raw food. I know that every body is different, but mine obviously says, "Give it to me raw!"
I'm giving it to it raw and juicy for 29 more days!
What Day I'm On: 11 out of 40
How's It Going: It's going ok. I got a new juicer that does a much better job, especially of juicing greens. That's excellent, and just want I wanted, but now my juices taste and look like bile. lol
I know I will get used to the taste. And I am focusing on how great all those mega nutrients are for my body and all that I am getting out of it.
What I'm Drinking: Lemon water and MSM upon rising. 4 quarts green veggie juice: romaine/cucumber/celery, kale/cucumber/lemon, tomato/red bell pepper/basil. One mistake: I juiced purple cabbage, and it was so pretty! But the taste literally made me gag. I like cabbage, and I know it is a potent cancer fighter, but there will be no more purple cabbage juice Chez Mal!
Detox? Nothing much to report here.
Emotional Detox? Yep. I am cycling between angry, sad, just fine, resentful, happy, and tired. How do I exit this ride?! I would really like to be able to say, "We now return you to your happy, positive Mallory, already in progress!"
Emotional De-cluttering? I think I am too much in the eye of the hurricane to be able to decipher what it means too much. I am just going to ride it out, and observe what feelings are coming up so I can work through them.
Advice From Dave: Dave says that when you have a craving, really try to identify where in your physical body that craving is emanating. You may be surprised that it is not in your belly! It also may move around. By taking an analytical approach to your cravings, you may be able to defuse their power over you. It may also help you identify what you're really craving. Craving sweets? Do you need more sweetness in your life? Craving spicy hot food: do you need some more excitement? Creamy things=comfort. You may really want a hug. Learning to truly meet our own needs is one of the gifts of juice feasting.
Make it a juicy day!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
The Juicy Life--Day 10 of My 40 Day Juice Feast
Today I am one quarter of the way through my juice feast. I am super excited because my friend in real life, Thubten (pronounced Tube-Ten) has joined Raw Food Rehab! Thubten has been doing this with me, Annette, and Dave The Raw Food Truck Driver, ever since we had dinner with Dave and met him. Thubten is a social media expert and a really fun guy. I really admire that he lives without a car on purpose, for the environment, and his blog is really fun because he makes great recipes. Like me, he has already released a lot of weight, but he still has a long way to go. We are not "befores" or "afters" we are "durings." lol I know he's going to love it here.
Annette is busy training for a 127 mile relay race, the Hood to Coast. She is totally amazing to me. She has climbed to the top of Mt. Hood and is planning to climb Mt. Kilamanjaro next October. She is a raw food caterer, and just fully amazing. I am so happy she has been doing this with me!
What Day I'm On: 10 out of 40, exactly 25% of the way
How's It Going? I don't know if I've just got some lousy produce (I doubt it) but every juice is tasting very bleck to me, except the tomato/sweet pepper/basil. All the really green ones (and yes, they are so green they are like neon teal in color) taste awful and I have just been choking them down. My house stinks like cucumbers too. I always though cucumber was a nice smell. Now it is kind of obnoxious. I think this is just the normal "been doing it a while" fatigue. Not fun though.
What I'm Excited About: My friends on this journey with me. I continue to love your comments and feedback and I'm so excited by all the other people doing this too. We are doing it!
I'm also still really enjoying Real Juice Daily. I definitely recommend it to anyone trying a juice feast, or who just wants a really good read!
Also, I used my pretty new juicer to make all my juice yesterday and it works great! I am getting so much drier pulp than I did with Jack, and so much more juice out of my produce. I think this accounts for the taste change in my juice: I am actually getting a lot more out of the greens and so it changes the taste. I feel so lucky and grateful to have a great juicer!
What I'm Drinking: Tried switching it up: I had one romaine/celery/cucumber, one kale/cucumber/lemon, one tomato/celery/red bell pepper/basil, and one Heinz 57 with all my odds and ends: beet greens, rainbow chard, celery, cucumber, kale, romaine, and red bell pepper.
Still holding my nose and thinking of England.
Detox? Still sneezing, running nose. Nothing much else to report
Emotional Detox? I'm feeling a little angry for no reason at times. Trying not to let it affect the ones I love. This could just be hormones, as I definitely have experienced PMS in the past (hoping not to in the future!)
This was a really busy Sunday so I'm cutting this one short. Everyone have a great week and stay juicy!
Annette is busy training for a 127 mile relay race, the Hood to Coast. She is totally amazing to me. She has climbed to the top of Mt. Hood and is planning to climb Mt. Kilamanjaro next October. She is a raw food caterer, and just fully amazing. I am so happy she has been doing this with me!
What Day I'm On: 10 out of 40, exactly 25% of the way
How's It Going? I don't know if I've just got some lousy produce (I doubt it) but every juice is tasting very bleck to me, except the tomato/sweet pepper/basil. All the really green ones (and yes, they are so green they are like neon teal in color) taste awful and I have just been choking them down. My house stinks like cucumbers too. I always though cucumber was a nice smell. Now it is kind of obnoxious. I think this is just the normal "been doing it a while" fatigue. Not fun though.
What I'm Excited About: My friends on this journey with me. I continue to love your comments and feedback and I'm so excited by all the other people doing this too. We are doing it!
I'm also still really enjoying Real Juice Daily. I definitely recommend it to anyone trying a juice feast, or who just wants a really good read!
Also, I used my pretty new juicer to make all my juice yesterday and it works great! I am getting so much drier pulp than I did with Jack, and so much more juice out of my produce. I think this accounts for the taste change in my juice: I am actually getting a lot more out of the greens and so it changes the taste. I feel so lucky and grateful to have a great juicer!
What I'm Drinking: Tried switching it up: I had one romaine/celery/cucumber, one kale/cucumber/lemon, one tomato/celery/red bell pepper/basil, and one Heinz 57 with all my odds and ends: beet greens, rainbow chard, celery, cucumber, kale, romaine, and red bell pepper.
Still holding my nose and thinking of England.
Detox? Still sneezing, running nose. Nothing much else to report
Emotional Detox? I'm feeling a little angry for no reason at times. Trying not to let it affect the ones I love. This could just be hormones, as I definitely have experienced PMS in the past (hoping not to in the future!)
This was a really busy Sunday so I'm cutting this one short. Everyone have a great week and stay juicy!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
The Juicy Life--Day 9 of My 40 Day Juice Feast
What Day I'm On: 9 out of 40 (approx 22% of the way)
I know a lot of folks, as well as Penni, are starting their juicy lives today. I just want to let you know that I am cheering you on. You can do it! The rewards are huge if you do. Don't be afraid, be bold and dare to just try.
You might ask yourself, as I did, when I started my adventure, what else you want to get out of this time. You are going to be detoxing your body; is there any other part of your life you need to detox? For instance, I am abstaining from watching the news. I am trying to abstain from negativity. Do you need to avoid negative people? Do you need to detox your house and get rid of those harmful chemicals once and for all? Do you need to detox your bedroom, and clean it and make it welcoming so you can actually get some rest in there? Do you have items that no longer serve you that you want to release to bless someone else? Even deeper, do you have patterns in your life that no longer work for you that you are willing to examine and let go? I know I do.
Reading over yesterday's post, I think I was quite the little martyr, there. Sometimes, I admit there is a part of me that wants people to think, "My she's really something! I don't know how she does it all!" I think that part crept out yesterday. My intention was to be encouraging and I ending up with, "wa-ah! My life is so ha-ard!" when honestly, I don't feel that way about it. Yes, I get up really early, but I am an early bird, so that's fine with me. I could juice the night before, or work out at night, or something, but that's not what I prefer. And yes, I am busy, but it is a good busy because I am doing what I love. I am lucky enough to love my job. I adore my kids, and I'm proud of all their activities and accomplishments. I love the volunteer work that I do because it gives my life meaning.
Even more importantly, I am living this particular life because: THIS IS THE LIFE THAT I CREATED FOR MYSELF. If any part of it is not working for me, I alone can change it. I am learning that I am 100% responsible for how I react to the events of my life. I can choose to stay in grace: in joy, in acceptance, in love, in the present moment.
The great thing about life: you can have a "do-over" at any time that you choose. Now even. Or now. Or now...
What Day I'm On: 9 out of 40, 22% of the way
How's It Going: Today was great! I had a ton of energy, which was great because I spent the day at a car wash fund raiser for my daughter's dance team. As a parent, they only expected me to watch the money, take attendance, and supervise the girls, but I just really felt like I wanted to get in there and help them. I washed cars all day long. It was awesome! When I came home, I was exhausted. It is 95 degrees here, so I drank a huge glass of water, climbed into my recliner right under the window air conditioner, and promptly went out like a light. My kids just woke me up after an hour, and I feel awesome again, refreshed, ready to go!
I was also not hungry at all today, a blessing. It could be the heat. I had to remind myself to drink my juice.
What I'm Excited About: Penni's book Real Juice Daily came out and I've just started it, but I CAN'T PUT IT DOWN. It is so good. Not surprising, since Penni is such a good writer, but I can't believe how much I can relate to her experience. I knew nothing about her juice feast prior to starting mine, but the insights and discoveries are vastly parallel to my own. This is so much more than a juicing journal. I don't care if you care nothing about juicing, you will love this book. A juice feast is so much more than just drinking juice for a set amount of time. It is JUST DRINKING JUICE for a set amount of time! It is a test of character, of will, and a supreme act of self-love and self-healing. Penni captures the experience brilliantly.
I am also super excited because my pretty new juicer came today! I want to kiss it and name it and take it to bed to sleep with me like a stuffed animal I love it so much. It is white, and shiny, and new and PRETTY. I already said pretty? Well, it's that pretty. Anyway, it unfortunately was delivered after I already had made my juice for the day, so I won't get to play with Ollie (his name is Ollie the Omega) until tomorrow.
So I had my farewell fling with Jack today. Jack, aka my Jack LaLanne juicer. I have been dating Jack for a while now, but now that Ollie has come into my life, I'm afraid the affair is over. Don't worry--I've already found Jack a new girlfriend. My dear friend has a huge organic garden and a lot of health problems. She would love to try juicing but is too broke to get a juicer right now. I'm so happy that I can bless her with Jack. I hope they are wonderfully happy together!
What I'm Drinking: Lemon water and MSM upon rising. (May I just say, bleh! Not tasty! But I'ma keep on doing it. Hold you nose and think of England, or something.) 4 quarts green juice: 2 heads of kale, 5 cucumbers, 10 tomatoes, 1 head of celery, 1 knob of ginger, and a partridge in a pear tree. (Ok, not that last one. Got a bit carried away.)
Detox? My nose is running like the Columbia river and I am sneezing like crazy. I've never had allergies before, so I think it's just our dear friend, detox, cleaning house, if you will. I again eliminated without any enema, and I am pleased to say the volume was impressive, lol It makes me so happy to think I am getting that junk packing out of my system!
Emotional Detox? I had my martyr moment yesterday. Today I am flying high. It is weird too, because usually, I hate the heat. It makes me grumpy, irritable and tired. Not today! I am staying really hydrated and cooling off by getting my shirt wet, ringing it out really well, and wearing it. A little weird, but boy howdy it works and feels great. I figured it out at the car wash. It was a Mallory wash too, lol.
Emotional De-cluttering? As I am getting rid of things I no longer need or want, I am hearing lots of internal objections. I put a bunch of non-natural chemical cleaning products up on freecycle.org and a voice said, "You spent a lot of money on that stuff. You should have just used it up!" and another voice said, "That stuff is not good for anyone! It belongs in the garbage!" But someone else is probably just going to go out and buy it, good for them or not, right? And at least someone is getting some use out of it. I keep having these ambivalent feelings. As I am giving away fancy cookware: you paid a lot for that! You should sell it on Craigslist or ebay! As I get rid of unneeded gadgets: You might need that! And then you won't have it! and so on. As these voices come up, I just thank them for their opinions, thank them for caring about me, but yes, it is ok and safe to freely give what I no longer need, that it may bless someone, or bless the Salvation Army with a few bucks, or something.
Physical De-cluttering? As you can see from the above, we are still in the kitchen. I am having trouble deciding about the canned goods. I have a bunch of cans of beans and tomatoes that I used to use to make vegan dishes for the kids. It's all organic. Do I give it all to the food bank? After all it is cooked, and fresh is so much better, even if I do end up cooking the fresh stuff for the kids, it will be a thousand percent better than canned. Or, do I keep it in the garage for an emergency supply? What would you do? I should say that the same pesky voice in my head says, "What if you need it? What if you lose your job? What if there's an earthquake? What if...." Does she have a point?
I for sure am giving Jack to his new girlfriend and an old blender to my sister who wants to try green smoothies. It's a good blender--it made me many a great smoothie. May it do the same for her!
Advice From Dave: Dave talked to me about different juicers. He said he uses a centrifugal juicer on the road (like Jack) because it is so much quicker. He puts a whole tray of ice cubes into a big bowl before he starts juicing. When the juice hits the ice, it is cooled instantly. He thinks this helps keep it very fresh and vital for the road. He always adds lemon juice to his juices to make them last longer, since he has to make a large quantity and keep it cooled in a cooler in the cab of his truck. When he has the time, he uses a Green Star masticating juicer. He says any juicer is good, and not to get too hung up on having the right one. The best juicer is the one you use today, so start juicing! Here's to your health!
I know a lot of folks, as well as Penni, are starting their juicy lives today. I just want to let you know that I am cheering you on. You can do it! The rewards are huge if you do. Don't be afraid, be bold and dare to just try.
You might ask yourself, as I did, when I started my adventure, what else you want to get out of this time. You are going to be detoxing your body; is there any other part of your life you need to detox? For instance, I am abstaining from watching the news. I am trying to abstain from negativity. Do you need to avoid negative people? Do you need to detox your house and get rid of those harmful chemicals once and for all? Do you need to detox your bedroom, and clean it and make it welcoming so you can actually get some rest in there? Do you have items that no longer serve you that you want to release to bless someone else? Even deeper, do you have patterns in your life that no longer work for you that you are willing to examine and let go? I know I do.
Reading over yesterday's post, I think I was quite the little martyr, there. Sometimes, I admit there is a part of me that wants people to think, "My she's really something! I don't know how she does it all!" I think that part crept out yesterday. My intention was to be encouraging and I ending up with, "wa-ah! My life is so ha-ard!" when honestly, I don't feel that way about it. Yes, I get up really early, but I am an early bird, so that's fine with me. I could juice the night before, or work out at night, or something, but that's not what I prefer. And yes, I am busy, but it is a good busy because I am doing what I love. I am lucky enough to love my job. I adore my kids, and I'm proud of all their activities and accomplishments. I love the volunteer work that I do because it gives my life meaning.
Even more importantly, I am living this particular life because: THIS IS THE LIFE THAT I CREATED FOR MYSELF. If any part of it is not working for me, I alone can change it. I am learning that I am 100% responsible for how I react to the events of my life. I can choose to stay in grace: in joy, in acceptance, in love, in the present moment.
The great thing about life: you can have a "do-over" at any time that you choose. Now even. Or now. Or now...
What Day I'm On: 9 out of 40, 22% of the way
How's It Going: Today was great! I had a ton of energy, which was great because I spent the day at a car wash fund raiser for my daughter's dance team. As a parent, they only expected me to watch the money, take attendance, and supervise the girls, but I just really felt like I wanted to get in there and help them. I washed cars all day long. It was awesome! When I came home, I was exhausted. It is 95 degrees here, so I drank a huge glass of water, climbed into my recliner right under the window air conditioner, and promptly went out like a light. My kids just woke me up after an hour, and I feel awesome again, refreshed, ready to go!
I was also not hungry at all today, a blessing. It could be the heat. I had to remind myself to drink my juice.
What I'm Excited About: Penni's book Real Juice Daily came out and I've just started it, but I CAN'T PUT IT DOWN. It is so good. Not surprising, since Penni is such a good writer, but I can't believe how much I can relate to her experience. I knew nothing about her juice feast prior to starting mine, but the insights and discoveries are vastly parallel to my own. This is so much more than a juicing journal. I don't care if you care nothing about juicing, you will love this book. A juice feast is so much more than just drinking juice for a set amount of time. It is JUST DRINKING JUICE for a set amount of time! It is a test of character, of will, and a supreme act of self-love and self-healing. Penni captures the experience brilliantly.
I am also super excited because my pretty new juicer came today! I want to kiss it and name it and take it to bed to sleep with me like a stuffed animal I love it so much. It is white, and shiny, and new and PRETTY. I already said pretty? Well, it's that pretty. Anyway, it unfortunately was delivered after I already had made my juice for the day, so I won't get to play with Ollie (his name is Ollie the Omega) until tomorrow.
So I had my farewell fling with Jack today. Jack, aka my Jack LaLanne juicer. I have been dating Jack for a while now, but now that Ollie has come into my life, I'm afraid the affair is over. Don't worry--I've already found Jack a new girlfriend. My dear friend has a huge organic garden and a lot of health problems. She would love to try juicing but is too broke to get a juicer right now. I'm so happy that I can bless her with Jack. I hope they are wonderfully happy together!
What I'm Drinking: Lemon water and MSM upon rising. (May I just say, bleh! Not tasty! But I'ma keep on doing it. Hold you nose and think of England, or something.) 4 quarts green juice: 2 heads of kale, 5 cucumbers, 10 tomatoes, 1 head of celery, 1 knob of ginger, and a partridge in a pear tree. (Ok, not that last one. Got a bit carried away.)
Detox? My nose is running like the Columbia river and I am sneezing like crazy. I've never had allergies before, so I think it's just our dear friend, detox, cleaning house, if you will. I again eliminated without any enema, and I am pleased to say the volume was impressive, lol It makes me so happy to think I am getting that junk packing out of my system!
Emotional Detox? I had my martyr moment yesterday. Today I am flying high. It is weird too, because usually, I hate the heat. It makes me grumpy, irritable and tired. Not today! I am staying really hydrated and cooling off by getting my shirt wet, ringing it out really well, and wearing it. A little weird, but boy howdy it works and feels great. I figured it out at the car wash. It was a Mallory wash too, lol.
Emotional De-cluttering? As I am getting rid of things I no longer need or want, I am hearing lots of internal objections. I put a bunch of non-natural chemical cleaning products up on freecycle.org and a voice said, "You spent a lot of money on that stuff. You should have just used it up!" and another voice said, "That stuff is not good for anyone! It belongs in the garbage!" But someone else is probably just going to go out and buy it, good for them or not, right? And at least someone is getting some use out of it. I keep having these ambivalent feelings. As I am giving away fancy cookware: you paid a lot for that! You should sell it on Craigslist or ebay! As I get rid of unneeded gadgets: You might need that! And then you won't have it! and so on. As these voices come up, I just thank them for their opinions, thank them for caring about me, but yes, it is ok and safe to freely give what I no longer need, that it may bless someone, or bless the Salvation Army with a few bucks, or something.
Physical De-cluttering? As you can see from the above, we are still in the kitchen. I am having trouble deciding about the canned goods. I have a bunch of cans of beans and tomatoes that I used to use to make vegan dishes for the kids. It's all organic. Do I give it all to the food bank? After all it is cooked, and fresh is so much better, even if I do end up cooking the fresh stuff for the kids, it will be a thousand percent better than canned. Or, do I keep it in the garage for an emergency supply? What would you do? I should say that the same pesky voice in my head says, "What if you need it? What if you lose your job? What if there's an earthquake? What if...." Does she have a point?
I for sure am giving Jack to his new girlfriend and an old blender to my sister who wants to try green smoothies. It's a good blender--it made me many a great smoothie. May it do the same for her!
Advice From Dave: Dave talked to me about different juicers. He said he uses a centrifugal juicer on the road (like Jack) because it is so much quicker. He puts a whole tray of ice cubes into a big bowl before he starts juicing. When the juice hits the ice, it is cooled instantly. He thinks this helps keep it very fresh and vital for the road. He always adds lemon juice to his juices to make them last longer, since he has to make a large quantity and keep it cooled in a cooler in the cab of his truck. When he has the time, he uses a Green Star masticating juicer. He says any juicer is good, and not to get too hung up on having the right one. The best juicer is the one you use today, so start juicing! Here's to your health!
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