Finishing Strong - Day 92

I've made it to Day 92! I've said it before but I must say it once again, living on just juice for the past three months has been a life changing experience for me. When I look back at my state of physical, mental, and emotional health at the start of this journey and compare notes with where I am today....I stand in awe. I can honestly say that juice feasting as a discipline and practice is the most beneficial tool for cleansing and healing that I've ever experienced. I won't tell you that it's always been easy or that I was forever enthusiastic about going back into the kitchen to make more juice, but I will tell you that the results I've experienced have made any of the difficult moments so worth it all. Nothing that's truly life altering comes easy, there is always a sacrifice or a price to pay, but any sacrifice I've made has brought such reward in the end.

I have been meaning to share a photo that both touches my heart and is a little scary at the same time. We entertained quite a bit over the Memorial Day weekend, and had my father as one of our honored guests. As some of you know, my sweet daddy is going through a divorce right now, so he has been busying himself with sorting through and cleaning up his pantry and freezer. Dad thought that since I was getting ready to end my juice fast soon, he'd share some of his overflow of food with me. I am posting this because I know that many of you probably have families that have dynamics similar to mine. My dad is so dear, kind and generous and he raised me to end up being the good juice feaster I am today because of .........
Ah, yes.....I'm a bona fide product of the good old Standard American Diet. I had to take a picture of this jackpot. I was especially entertained with his gift of 2 pork tenderloins and the coveted 2 lb. block of Velveeta. Quite a contrast sitting there in front of my trusty Omega juicer and basket full of super food supplement as I'm shooting the photo in my Loving Raw t-shirt.

In yesterday's blog I mentioned my friend, Paula. She and I had an opportunity to get together this morning to chat and discuss ideas about how to bring more people together to enjoy the vibrancy and beauty of raw food by building more of a community here in Tulsa. I visited Paula in her lovely South Tulsa home and was totally impressed with her blossoming raw kitchen! Paula is offering the use of her home to host raw food meet-ups, which will be perfect in the early stages as things start to build. I'll keep everyone posted as we firm up the date and time of our first event.

Saturday's Daily Juice:
1 qt. grapefruit & spirulina
1 qt. celery, kale, peach, lemon, coconut water & a shot of agave nectar.
I haven't had my dinner drink yet, but I promise you that it'll be green, spicy and I'm going to savor every last drop, for tomorrow morning it's a green smoothie and a few soaked prunes (just for the sake of tradition!) Juice Feast Breaking here I come!!

Sliding Into Home Base - Day 91

This picture sums up how I'm feeling today.....just like I'm sliding into home plate. (Although I feel so much cleaner than that!) Tomorrow will be my final day of official juice feasting. It's really hard to believe it's almost over. This last month has been my most challenging time, just as I knew it would be, yet the past 3 months have just flown by.

Today has been a really good day. I started off at yoga this morning and it was one of the best classes I've had in months. I also was able to soak up some sun and work in my garden a bit, which is so balancing and like therapy to me. I have also made plans to meet up with my friend, Paula, tomorrow morning. Paula & I met only since I've been juice feasting, so she's fairly new to raw foods, but she's completely taking hold and running with it! Please take a moment and stop by Paula's brand new blog and send some of your amazing encouragement her direction. We're going to be brainstorming about some exciting ideas of how we can can get the raw community in our area up and really humming.

Tomorrow's blog should be worth tuning in for. In it I'll post all of my final stats; measurements, weight and an overall summary of my experience with juice feasting. I forgot to buy prunes at Whole Foods today, but as it turns out, it's no coincidence. I just logged onto the Rainoshek's blog to find out that they are advocating green smoothies instead of eating prunes to break the juice feast now!! Blessed be the Lamb! I've never been a big fan of prunes, so the though of having a delicious green smoothie sounds so much better for me. This makes me even more excited for Sunday!

Friday's Daily Juice:
1 qt. grapefruit, orange, spirulina
1qt. pineapple, parsley, cilantro, red bell pepper, thai pepper.
1.5 qt. "Creamy Tomato Soup" - 1 qt. tomatoes, 2 scallions, 1/2 bunch basil, 3 stalks celery, handful fresh oregano, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp. olive oil, juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 tbsp. local raw honey to taste. This was so delicious, but it caused my lips to puff up like I'd had a collagen injection. Wonder what's up with that?

Listening to the Sages - Day 90

Right now I am savoring an unexpectedly good tasting green juice. For days, perhaps even weeks, I haven't really been feeling the love connection with my savory green juices as I once did. However, I think its pretty normal to be feeling that way at this stage of the feast. I've really tried to follow the majority of the hardcore juice feaster's blogs, and from what I can surmise, what I am experiencing is pretty standard. More than anything, for me, it's just being flat weary of the intensity of the whole juicing process. After three months, anything that receives this much of ones attention can get a bit rigorous.

I had the pleasure of speaking with my very good friend, Philip McCluskey today. I have mentioned Philip, of Loving Raw, a number of times here on the blog. Philip successfully finished his 100 day juice feast earlier in May. We talked about many things, but 2 points main points stood out to me from our conversation.....Philip and I both approached our juice feast in a similar manner, as if it was our job. We took it very seriously and had a plan and were commitment to seeing it through to completion. Making the commitment to juice that much for an extended period truly does require a vision, dedication and focus. So, it's not to be entered into lightly. Philip also shared that it is equally as important to maintain that same level of commitment as one breaks their juice feast. As you can imagine, it's not cool to drink all of this amazing, mineralizing and alkalizing, organic juice for 90+ days and then go right back into complex, hard to digest foods or even high fat foods anytime soon. Think of a baby who has just been weaned from it's mother....what is the best source of nutrition for that baby? Foods that are blended, easy to assimilate, digestable and simple. If we have been juicing exclusively for any length of time, so it should be with our transition back into the world of solid foods. I trust the idea behind this approach and I'm creating my own plan now to transition very slowly and methodically back to whole foods in a similar fashion. So I will basically be moving into a modified version of a juice feast for them next month and a half.

This is the commonality of the message that I'm hearing from those who have traveled this road before me. My dear friend and amazing raw chef, Peter Cervoni, has done a number of 40+ day juice fasts and he has repeatedly expressed to me the need to re-enter very deliberately and carefully. Matt Monarch of Raw Success has taught on this subject for a quite some time as well. The mentor of both Matt and Peter, Dr. Fred Bisci, is a wise sage on this subject matter and his teachings are well respected and quoted on JuiceFeasting.com. I am simply sharing all of this with you to help you understand the importance of taking the last phase of your juice feasting process as seriously as you took it from the very beginning, if not more so.

Thursday's Daily Juice:
2 qt. Master Cleanse
.5 qt. orange/grapefruit/spirulina
1.5 qt. celery, cucumber, cilantro, scallion, red bell pepper, garlic, jalapeño, lime juice, sea salt, apple cider vinegar, macadamia nut oil.

Winding Down - Day 89

I have been a bit irregular with my blog posts this week but I am planing to be a really good blogger from here on out. I mean, surely I can get this together since I only have 3 MORE DAYS TO GO! I'm feeling a mixture of emotion at this point on my journey. One the one hand, I'm delighted and excited that solid food will be part of my future once again, but on the other, I'm a little blue when I think of closing this wonderful, juicy chapter of my life. What keeps me from becoming too sad is that juicing isn't going anywhere and it's a practice with which I've become very intimately acquainted during the past 3 months. I have learned more than I thought possible about the fine art of juicing and how to make things taste appealing. Having this sabbatical away from dining has taught me that I used to eat in the past for many other reasons other than true hunger. I've now developed a life skill and practice that I can use at anytime to easily bring my body into balance and restore the intestinal harmony within.

My experience with juice feasting has been incredible on every level. The discipline that I've gained and the newness of understanding regarding my own personal relationship with food has been life changing. I'll most likely share more about this on my final day. One of the things that I am most excited about is that I am currently working on an ebook which will be filled with LOTS of great recipes, and hopefully, it will contain the personal stories of some of my other juice feasting companions that I have come to know over the past months. This project has been on my heart to do for some time now, so be sure to look for my debut book in the near future!

I am also working on my plan of how I can bring those who are interested in raw foods together within Tulsa and the surrounding areas. During this juice feast, I have received so many letters with requests for ideas, recipes, help, information, counsel, and support. It seems that everyone feels the same way....as though they are lone rangers out there white knuckling or hanging onto raw food by a string. I believe the missing element is a community of like minded people who can come together in an educational and entertaining atmosphere and gain support and ideas. If you are in my area and this is something that interests you, won't you please take a moment to comment me or shoot an email my direction to realfood.tulsa@yahoo.com I'd genuinely love to hear your thoughts and any of your ideas, wants, needs, etc.
The Daily Juice:
I have been drinking a lot of citrus, watermelon and simple green mixtures like celery/apple/ spinach. There have been lots of stresses that are non-juice feasting related within my family, so my creative energies have simply been elsewhere lately. Hopefully I'll get a final wave of creative gusto within the next three days. If you would, say a little prayer for my daughter and my dad, please.

Helping a fellow raw foodie.....

We're sorry, but this discussion has just been closed to further replies.

From Give It To Me Raw & Angela Stokes's Blog
--------------------------------------------------

Are you familiar with the world of 'RawBabyAlex' and mum Melissa Gilbert? If not, Melissa has been documenting her raw food baby's progress online for quite some time and it makes fascinating reading – especially for anyone interested in raising kids raw. Melissa has actually compiled two wonderful e-books of all the different recipes that Alex has loved as he's been growing up, from baby foods to toddler treats. (He is such a healthy big boy now that his blog has actually been moved along to 'Raw ToddlerAlex' ;) Melissa also keeps her own lovely blog at RawMom.blogspot.com, as well as writing regularly for the info-packed raw magazine Pear.

Unfortunately, this amazing little raw family are having some pretty challenging times at present...in February they were burgled and all their possessions were taken. They moved house and even state, only to discover that they cannot find work in their new location and that very soon they will likely be homeless. They are in a time of crisis. On her most recent blog, Melissa writes that she visited the local food bank to try to get something to eat. They had no raw foods, except 5 bunches of celery, which they gave her. When she got home however, she realised they were almost totally rotten and unusable. Melissa is an incredible mother and gives tirelessly and with so much love to the raw community through her writings. I would feel so sad to see this amazing young family living out in the scorching Arizona desert in a tent with seemingly nowhere left to turn. They really could use some support right now - this is an opportunity to help out an incredible raw family. Instead of just asking people to donate money to help them with their situation however, I'd love to recommend that you invest in Melissa's 2 fabulous ebooks – 'Sunsational Raw Baby Food' and 'Sun-Sational Smoothies'. They are just $10 each, available from her site HERE. Imagine the difference $20 could make to a family that is in dire straits right now...and YOU get smthg wonderful too – two recipe books packed with tried-and-tested recipes ;) (When you go to Pay Pal, click on the link for "Send Money" on their site. Then you input her email address for recipient and input the amount for whichever books you want. Then in the comment section tell her which book you want. You do need a Pay Pal account set up in order to do this. Hope this helps.) I sincerely hope the raw food community will reach out and support this loving family unit in their time of need...please feel free to re-post this message and pass it along to others in the raw food community too...and enjoy the recipes ;)

(P.S. If you DO feel moved to simply send a donation to the family, their Paypal email address is loverawlife@gmail.com)

Memorial Day - Day 87

Happy Memorial Day! This post will be short, because we've had a houseful of people from morning until night at our house for the past two days and I'm on overload. Today was probably the toughest day I've had with juice feasting thus far, only because I was so busy and distracted by trying to entertain and show hospitality. I wasn't able to make ample time to juice in adequate amounts, so I feel pretty out of balance. I survived the day, but I feel like it's been a battle zone within my emotions. I don't think I had any greens or celery today. I can feel the effects, so tomorrow that will be my first drink of the day....a green machine!

I just want to thank all of you who have been leaving comments and writing personal emails of encouragement. It means more to me than you know...you truly keep me going. I only have 5 more feasting days left now. It's hard to believe this very special time is so quickly drawing to a close. As eager as I am to have my "food freedom" back, there is also a big part of me that will miss this unbelievably healthy discipline of daily juicing. I have a sense that I'll be able to strike a balance that is right for me, so I am trying to not worry, but trust that I will make good choices as I go back into the world of food.

Monday's Daily Juice:
2 qt. orange juice
1 qt. lemon water
1 qt. watermelon juice

Decision Made - Day 85

After much deliberating, I have made my final decision to go back to my original plan of juice feasting for 92 days. There is no doubt that 100 days would be cool, yet there is this nagging feeling within me that says my days of living on just juice are numbered. I've said all along that I don't want to feel as though this is a competition or as though I'm out to prove anything. I honestly feel that the majority of work I set out to accomplish health wise is completed. There is still the issue of my weight not being quite where I wish it were, but I have been wondering if my body could be in starvation mode since my weight loss basically plateaued weeks ago. I am also starting to dream about food every night. Nothing decadent, just simple pleasures like salads, raw soups, cashew hummus and my favorite, faithful love - the smooth & delicious avocado. So, it looks like I have 7 more days of just juice and then it's bring on the prunes, baby!!

Lots of fun things planned this weekend.....today I joined up with my posse on the patio for lunch at Lava. It ended up being a meeting of the secret society of redheads! Here is my sweet friend, Geoff, the chef and I.Below is a pic of the exotic and fair beauty, Miss Lynda:And a picture of my BFF, Western, and his lovely, angelic girlfriend, Michelle:I promise he doesn't normally wear his collar flipped up like a douche...Michelle was just messing with him. See...here's a picture of he and I.....When I'm in a food related social setting like I was today, I find myself looking forward to coming out of my juicy isolation. Everyone keeps asking me what my diet is going to look like when I am not feasting and I have given that question a lot of thought. The plan is to do a high liquid diet, consisting of green smoothies, green juices, blended salads and soups. I am totally eager to eat solid foods again, but I don't intend for that to be the mainstay of my diet. With my history of IBS, liquids and blended foods are really agreeable to my system because they are so easily digestible.

I'm also working on some new juice recipes and hopefully I will be able to share them with you over the next couple of days. Hope you're having a fun filled Memorial Day weekend!!

Jalapeno Corn Chips - Day 83

I know it sounds like an odd entry title for someone who is juice feasting, but I've had people coming out of the woodwork and literally knocking on my door for my corn chip recipe since Bunny Berry told the world about that crunchy raw goodness! Well, the truth is that I have a number of raw chip recipes that I use...all are fantastic, but the one I'll post is from Sarma Melngailis', Raw Food Real World. I used to sell these chips by the basket loads at our local farmer's market here in Tulsa. Since I don't do the market anymore, I just make these treats for my family and friends. Besides my raw granola, this recipes is by far everyone's favorite.

jalapeño corn tortilla chips
3 cups fresh corn, from about 3 ears (or use frozen, thawed sweet corn)
1 1/2 cup red or orange bell pepper
1/2 cup onion
3/4 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup hemp seeds, optional
1 tbs fresh lime juice
1 – 2 jalapenos, seeds removed
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp sea salt

1. In a food processor, chop the corn, bell pepper, and onion until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and process until just combined.
2. Using an offset spatula, spread the dough thinly onto three 14 inch Teflex lined dehydrator trays. Dehydrate at 115 degrees for 6 – 8 hours, or overnight. Flip the sheets over onto the tray and carefully peel away the liners. Break or cut w/ a pizza cutter into chip shapes. Place back in the dehydrator for 4 – 6 hours, or until crisp. Store in an airtight container for a week or two.

Thursday's Daily Juice:
1 qt. orange juice w/ spirulina
1 quart green lemonade
1 qt. pineapple, cilantro, parsley, red bell pepper, cucumber, lemongrass, thai pepper, coconut water, flax oil, lime juice.
1 qt. master cleanse.

Raw Goes Mainstream - Day 82

I know that many of you have had an opportunity to see a copy of the June issue of Food & Wine Magazine. But - in case you might have missed it, below is the article that features Ani Phyo as she takes raw food into the mainstream! I especially love it that Ani is positioned right in the middle of the Grilling Issue!

Simply Delicious Raw-Food Recipes -

Ani Phyo isn’t evangelical about raw food; she just wants to create healthy, inspiring meals with ultrafresh ingredients, like zucchini “pasta” with tangy no-cook marinara.

Like leather jackets and bangs, the raw-food diet has reinvented itself every decade since the 1960s. Ani Phyo, who was raised on a mostly “living” diet by her health-conscious parents, is one of the leaders of raw food’s latest cycle, thanks to the clever, uncomplicated recipes she develops for restaurants, athletes and corporations like Adidas. The 39-year-old’s dishes appeal both to raw foodists (who believe heating ingredients above 104°F kills essential enzymes) and omnivores who want to eat more healthfully. “It’s easy to become obsessive about eating raw,” says the author of the recently published Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen. “I don’t want that. I just try to make raw food more accessible to everyone.” Her spaghetti-like zucchini ribbons, dressed with tangy heirloom-tomato marinara, is a vibrant, summery spin on the traditional pasta and red sauce, and her garlicky corn soup thickened with pureed cashews is as flavorful as its cooked counterpart—and much faster to prepare. Phyo’s desserts, like soft cardamom-date bars topped with a crunchy almond crumble, are also universally appealing. “A person doesn’t have to be 100 percent raw to benefit,” she says."

Ani wrote to me today and here is a blurp from her note.... "thanks so much for your support, penni. perhaps you'd consider writing a letter to the editor at food & wine asking them to include more raw articles. would your friends be willing to be the same? that would really be awesome. thanks for sharing the message!
: )
ani"

Won't you please consider logging into Food & Wine to register, then you can give some feedback or write to the editor and encourage more of this type of article in forthcoming issues. I thank you in advance for taking a minute to do so. We should support this incredible raw sister who is shining her light, right in the smack dab middle of the June Grilling Issue!! Big props to Ani Phyo!!

Wednesday's Daily Juice:
All fresh orange juice, all day, w/ spirulina & VitaMineral Green
(I would have rather had a nice shot of vodka, to tell the truth)

Amazing Grace - Day 81

I think something epic happens to the juice feaster at this point along the journey. It seems like there is a battle for the soul of those who make it this far into the process. At least that is the battle that is raging within me. David Rainoshek speaks quite prolifically about juice feasting being a hero's journey. And at Day 81, I concur that long term juice feasting isn't for the faint of heart...nor is raising a teenager who has just been suspended from the last week of 9th grade....nor is supporting your 78 year old father as he faces another serious life change that likely involves divorce. That pretty much sums up my day. Pretty hardcore, yet I find that I am supernaturally anchored and filled with love, compassion and understanding. The human condition is no easy place but I am somehow blissfully aware of God's abundant grace to see it all through.

Tuesday's Daily Juice:
1.5 qt. Green Lemonade.....1/2 head celery, 1/2 bunch kale, 1 cucumber, 3 apples, 1 lemon, tiny chunk of ginger.
1.5 qt citrus blend......grapefruit, orange, tangelo, blood orange w/ Spirulina
water fasted the remainder of the day.

Emotions - Day 80

Today I've been living on juice for 80 days. Whew.....that's a long darn time, people. And in my humanness, I've grown rather bored with juice, if you must know the truth. But it's no secret that I've been feeling this way for sometime now, yet I am not SO terribly bored that I've decided to call it quits. I've come much too far with all of this to throw in the towel. Now don't get me wrong, if I had legitimate symptoms that indicated I should stop this juice train, I would, but I don't feel starved, too thin (in my dreams) or anything else that worries me. It's just that my old human flesh is thinking.....FOOD, give me the good stuff, baby!! I realize that everybody else goes through these thoughts and feelings at this stage, so I am just hanging tight. I am enjoying my raw food books more than ever and I'm lusting for the meals that I will make when my juice feast has fully commenced. But I wouldn't mind if you'd remember me in your bedtimes prayers either :- )

I have thought a lot about how seductive food is over the past 80 days. There's no doubt that we eat so often for reasons other than genuine hunger. So little of what, how, when and why we eat is actually about real hunger. I am so eager to read the latest ebook by Angela Stokes, Raw Emotions. Angela covers this very topic expertly in her book and I've been told it isn't a light read but more of a therapeutic study guide. It is interesting that I read her first ebook, A Juice Feaster's Handbook, when I first started this feast and now I'll be reading her second work as my juice feast comes to a close. Angela....thanks for being there as a trail blazer and for intimately sharing your own personal journey with us.

Today I met a good friend whom I've known for many years at Te Kei's for lunch/juice. Karen Wicker is a dear friend and an amazing lady who I admire so much. Believe it or not, Karen once weighed well over 200 pounds. When we had lunch today, we discussed her story and how she has kept her weight off for the last 20 years. Although Karen doesn't consider herself to be a raw foodist, she does eat a high percentage of raw foods and she is also very mindful of everything she eats in general. She also runs and works out regularly, which she says is key for maintaining long term weight goals. Spending time with Karen today was really motivational and very helpful as I am currently working on my post juice feasting plans/progam. Going back into the world of solids isn't something I will take lightly and I want to be fully prepared for the "re-entry." A big shot out to Karen for sharing her wisdom and super good energy with me today!

Cilantro Obsessed - Day 79

I'm not sure what the deal is, but I have been obsessed with adding cilantro to my juices for weeks. Some call it cilantro; others call it coriander, or even Chinese parsley. (It is marketed as coriander when it's dried.) This herb is native of southern Europe and the Middle East and has a pungent flavor, with a faint undertone of anise. The leaves can easily be mistaken for flat-leaf parsley, so be sure to read the tag before buying. Cilantro is widely thought of as one of the most versatile herbs, adding distinctive flavor to salsa, guacamole, raw soups, curries, herb salads, vegetables, and of course green smoothies and juices.

I am growing an ample supply of cilantro in my backyard this year. I've noticed that I generally spend about $1.99+ for a smallish bunch at Whole Foods, so growing my own will translate into a nice saving, given my recent obsession. Many natural health educators discuss the healing properties of cilantro and often refer to the herb's ability to pull heavy metals from the human system within two weeks of regular consumption. There are also a number of related studies that show patients experienced fewer colds and flus after removing the heavy metals from their systems because it seems that viruses and bacteria like to congregate in organs contaminated by heavy metals. Patients also had fewer Herpes outbreaks after removing these heavy metals. BTW....if you live on planet Earth, you have had some heavy metal exposure and even higher levels if you've had lots of metal involved in your dental work.

So, do your body good and add cilantro to your daily diet!

Sunday's Daily Juice:
1 qt. pineapple juice w/ cilantro & VitaMineral Green
1 qt. fruit blend w/ Spirulina
1 qt. green vegetable juice
1 qt. "Cilantro Salsa" - 1 bunch fresh cilantro, 1/2 head green leaf lettuce, 2 pints cherry tomatoes, 1 bunch green onions, 1/2 head celery, 4 stalks asparagus, 2 radishes, 3 cloves garlic, 1 jalapeño pepper, 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar, juice of one lime, sea salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste.

Living Green - Day 78

It was a perfectly gorgeous Saturday in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Today I spent the majority of my time working in my yard and in the kitchen.....two of my favorite pastimes. Even though it's still fairly early in the gardening season, my potted garden is already showing signs of thriving! Here is a slide show of how everything is coming along......

I've also been making a plethora of dehydrated goodies over the past couple of days. So far I've made jalapeño corn chips, cranberry goji granola, glazed walnuts, zataar crackers, banana-cacao crispies and maple cinnamon crispies (breakfast cereal). I get like this at least once every quarter......on a full blown dehydrating rampage. I haven't decided if it's a hormonal thing or not, but I always have a blast when I go into the "zone." Lately I've been meeting with more and more people who are integrating raw into their diets, so having these snacks on hand will really help to show people how transitioning to a raw lifestyle doesn't have to be painful at all. I am also sending a care package out on Monday to everybody's favorite new raw foodist, Beth Berry aka Bunny Berry! If you haven't logged on to Bunny's 100 Day Raw Challenge, do yourself a BIG favor and check out her informative, hilarious and totally entertaining site!

It still sounds unbelievable that I've been juicing non-stop for 78 days. I still feel so healthy and alive. I'm over my funk with not wanting juice and thankfully, I'm feeling more balanced. I'm remembering my dreams a lot lately. Last night I had a very real, detailed dream about my first boss, with whom I had a very close relationship. No doubt I'm still transiting backwards in time because the correlation of where I am in "juice feasting regression" days, puts me right at the time when I worked at Aberson's. I find this all so interesting and therapeutic.

Saturday's Daily Juice:
1 qt. fresh orange juice w/ spirulina & ice
1 qt. cucumber, celery, mint, lime, raw honey & sea salt.
2 qt. "Green of the Tropics"
juice of one pineapple
1 bunch cilantro
4 stalks of kale
3 green onions
4 thai peppers (a jalapeño works fine)
1 clove garlic
1 red bell pepper
juice of 1 lime
all of the water from 1 thai coconut
1 tbsp. avocado oil

Juice everything but the coconut water and oil. Put the juiced concoction into your Vita Mix or other high powered blender, & add the coconut water and oil, mixing for 10-20 seconds until blended. Serve at room temp, or over ice, if it's a hot summery day.

Love is in the Air - Day 76

I haven't been to the Asian market since much earlier in my juice feast, so today I meandered across town to the stinkiest store in Tulsa, Nam Hai. I was pleasantly surprised when I entered because this time my eyes didn't start watering right away. Normally the fish stench is enough to cause an instant gag reflex, but all I noticed was Babel incense, which is a marvelous change. Anyway....I scored big today! I got lemongrass, limes, mint, thai basil, oranges, thai bird peppers, jalapenos, young thai coconuts, cilantro, onions and a variety of unidentifiable leafy greens for $ 24.76. That's a freakin' miracle! I would have spent $84.49 at Whole Foods for this same load. Oh, but I'm probably going to get slowly Napalm poisoned by this stuff....does anybody know if it's safe? I doubt it's organic. Duh.

I've got a little secret. I won't divulge all the dirt, but there is a possibility that I might have a little match maker magic flowing through my veins. I'll just say this.....I know two unbelievably awesome people that are preparing for a spiritually serendipitous meeting on Monday in NYC. One lives in Manhattan and the other in the south of Florida. If you believe in the power of love, could you mutter a little prayer or send a little of your own "bibbidi-bobbidi-boo" that direction this coming Monday? I'm pretty sure that their babies are throwing a tantrum to be born!

Thursday's Daily Juice:
Drank a couple of quarts of Master Cleanse until 3 pm, but I felt great and even got a number of errands done.
1.5 qt. "Indian Green Curry Surprise"....2 stalks of lemongrass, 4 stalks of celery, 3 carrots, 2 jalapeños, 1 small read bell pepper, 3 green onions, 1 small knob of ginger, 1/2 cup fresh basil, 1 large handful of cilantro, juice of 2 limes. Push everything through your juicer then put the juice into your Vita Mix and add the water of one young coconut, 1 tbsp. olive oil (or avocado oil, if you have it!) 1/2 tsp. Indian curry, and raw honey to taste. Blend this for about 20 seconds and enjoy!

Home Stretch - Day 75

I feel like I'm speeding into the home stretch now! 75 days of living on juice....whew! Earlier today I was looking over my list of symptoms that I had compiled at the beginning of this feast and I can't believe I was feeling that compromised just over 2 months ago. No longer do I have signs of eczema, bronchitis, brain fog, allergies, hives, PMS, irritability and regular intestinal issues that included gas, bloating, constipation or diarrhea. I've also dropped just under 30 pounds along the way so far. I no longer give any regard to what the skeptics may have to say about juice feasting....I am a total believer in it's amazing healing and rejuvenating power.

Tonight my step daughter, Jessica, and her super cute boyfriend, Morgan, came to dinner. Jessica is my husband's youngest child (she's 26). Jess has the greatest personality and I love her so much. This newish boyfriend seems like a real keeper as they are so wonderfully compatible and comfortable around one another. Gordon grilled chicken and I roasted potatoes and made a huge salad for everyone. I guess I am over being bothered when I'm asked to cook on occasion. Even though I enjoyed the smells, it felt really freeing to be around all of that savory food yet still be fully content while sipping one of my favorite juices for dinner. My comfort with not eating even when surrounded by seducing cooked foods is real progress for this former gourmet foodie.

Terry Moses, our friend who I've spoken about, is on day 3 of his juice feast today. He also came by this evening to borrow some juicing recipes books and to discussed his progress. His biggest challenge is that he is juicing for both he and his wife (she's a school teacher and too busy to help in the juicing process). The amount of time he's spending on juicing for the two of them is more than he had anticipated, yet they are both starting to feel really great after just 3 days! Here is a link to my friend Melissa's juice feasting blog where she shares her time saving techniques for juicing. Terry also shared that he is saving money by buying some conventional produce in bulk. Of course, organic produce is always optimal, but it is not necessary for a successful juicing experience. Although it's not the most flattering photo, here is shot of Terry & I in my back yard....you can see a tiny bit of my potted garden in this picture.
Wednesday's Daily Juice:
1.5 qt. pineapple. cilantro, spinach, jalapeño w/ VitaMineral Green
2 oz. wheat grass shot
1 qt. mystery green juice (something they whipped up at the Whole Foods Juice Bar)
1.5 qt. Salsa Verde Redux - 7 tomatillos, 1 cucumber, 1 small bunch cilantro, 1 orange bell pepper, handfull spinach, serrano chile, lime juice, coconut water, 1 tbsp. raw honey, 1 tbsp. macadamia nut oil.
Today I also had my MSM supplement, B12/folic acid supplement

Southern Hospitality - Day 74

Alright. So I'm a week or two late in posting the perfect mint julep recipe. Many Southerners get really geared up to start drinking this classic around the time of the Kentucky Derby. However, many of my friends feel that the Mint Julep is the universal signature drink of Southern hospitality. Being the modern, health conscious, juice feaster that I am.....I'm taking it upon myself to create a juice feast friendly version of this timeless favorite, minus the bourbon, dang it.
MINT JULEP

1 cup fresh mint leaves, plus whole leaves for garnish
2 cups fresh pineapple juice
juice of 2 lemons
1 tsp. lemon zest
a good splash of original kombucha, club soda or sparkling water
1 Tbsp.+ raw honey or agave (if you are feeling edgy)
Ice cubes, to serve

Juice mint, pineapple and lemons in your juicer. Add honey or agave and lemon zest and let sit in your refrigerator for 30 minutes or more. Before serving add kombucha, sparkling water, or club soda and serve over ice and garnish with mint leaves.

Tuesday's Daily Juice:
2 qt. orange juice w/ VitaMineral Green & ice in the blender
4 oz. wheat grass
water fasted in the afternoon & evening.

Something funky is going on with me. Not sure what, but I haven't really been into juice lately. (Word....that's a bummer when you're on a 100 day juice feast.) I'll keep you homies posted.

Granola Girls - Day 73

Today was a fun afternoon at the Cherry Street Coffee House with "the granola girls." I am not sure who came up with this affectionate title, but since we are all health conscious girly girls, it's a pretty cute label for us. When I think of granola girls I think hiking and hairy arm pits, not glamorous, hip and progressive. But believe me, this bunch has got it going on! Jolanthe is the model-esque beauty from Holland that is a personal shopping consultant for J. Crew (bottom left), Angela is a sophisticated, fashionable raw mommy from Bartlesville (brunette in the black shirt), Michelle is the slender blond knockout that produces a local television show for the Trinity Broadcasting Network, and Sarah is the exotic beauty in purple that is in media and publishing, and then there is me, the local queen of juice.

I love getting together with these girls because no subject is taboo. We run the gamut in our discussions from religion to food to relationships and then on to more personal matters, like what constitutes a healthy BM. I can only imagine what the poor folks sitting at tables around us must think when we cheered about one of the girl's floating poop report. (You know your poo should float....did you know that?) It's true and I taught them the song....."Does it float, does it float in the toilet like a boat? If it sinks and it stinks, then you're sicker than you think." I bet I just lost subscribers with that one. Anyway....you can see that we have a great time chatting it up with our meaningful nonsense!
I love it that a community is slowly but surely coming together here in Tulsa. My dream is that one day soon we'll be having meet ups for like minded people where we can come and connect and share beautiful healthy food, stories, recipes, education and friendship. I don't think that time is too far off as I once did. I felt so isolated when I first started making lifestyle changes that related to my diet. All of that is changing, and for that, I am so grateful.

I also have to report that my husband's good friend, Terry Moses, who I have spoken of before on this blog, just started his own personal juice feast this morning! Terry and his wife, Anita, are hoping to do a 30 to 60 day juice feast. These two have been doing some cleansing work and building up to this for weeks as they have been replacing their evening meal with green smoothies. Between juicing some and the smoothies, Terry has commented on how amazed he is that he has no real hunger anymore. It is true that when the body is getting adequate nutrition, specifically in the way of leafy greens, the cravings just disappear. So, best of luck on your juice feasting adventure, Terry and Anita!! Can't wait to hear more about how you did on Day 1!

Monday's Daily Juice:
1.5 qt. grapefruit, orange, spirulina & coconut oil,
1 qt. celery, mizuna, spinach, cucumber, radish, jalapeño, onion, orange bell pepper, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, celtic sea salt.
2 oz. wheat grass shot (I do this nearly everyday, but always forget to put it in)
1.5 qt. "Spicy Green V8"......1 pint grape tomatoes, 4 carrots, 6 stalks celery, handful of spinach, 1/3 bunch cilantro, handful of arugula, 2 cloves garlic, 1 jalapeño, juice of two lemons, 1 tbsp. olive oil, cracked pepper, Celtic sea salt, 1 tbsp raw honey.
I juiced everything then put it all in a blender and added the oil, honey and seasoning and blended well until a bit emulsified....20 seconds. It was really good!

Momma Mia - Day 72

Happy Mother's Day!! Even if you're not a mother, you had to have a mother, right? Today is the day to celebrate the girl that gave you life. So, even though my mother has been gone for nearly twenty years, I send her all my love anyway.....Thanks to you, dear Mom, for giving me the gift of life!

My sweet family surprised me this morning with one of my favorite fragrant flowering plants.....the gardenia. The buds are just coming up and there are about ten that I can see. The fragrance will be intoxicating when it is in full bloom and I will savor the scent each time I pass by. My mom used to make me wear a mother's day corsage every year to church, and no offense to anyone, but I am so happy that those are out of fashion today. I love my potted gardenia bush......love to you, Gordon, Gabby and Taylor!!

Today was a beautiful, calm and relaxing day. I had the opportunity to play in the garden a bit, which I love and I also got to visit a bit with two of my sister-in-laws. Debbye and Jim came through town to visit and then my brother's first wife, Sylvia, and I got a chance to catch up by phone. Sylvia and my niece, Chelsea, live in Omaha and I always get a little misty eyed when I hang up. I love those two so much.....miss them a ton.

I have so many other things I can't wait to share....but they will just have to wait until tomorrow!!

Sunday's Daily Juice:
1.5 qt Grapefruit, spirulina, coconut oil
1.5 qt celery, spinach, tomatillos, cilantro, green onion, spring garlic, carrot, young coconut water, jalapeno, lime juice, raw honey, macadamia nut oil.
1 qt. Bruschetta Juice

Baby's Birthday - Day 71

Fifteen years ago today a precious new life was brought into this world. My darling daughter is celebrating her 15th birthday today along with her best friend Audrey. These two girls have a great heritage to share. Audrey's mother, Peggy, and I were just acquaintances back then, as she worked for another salon in town, but we happened to be pregnant at the same time. On the morning of May 10th, 2003, Peggy and I were taken to our respective hospitals, both in labor....she, two weeks before her due date and I, two weeks late. Although we were at different hospitals in Tulsa, we shared the same group of OB/GYN's. As one doctor was attending to Peggy & incoming baby Audrey at St. John's, another partner was right there along side me at Hilcrest with her catcher's mitt on delivering my little Gabrielle. Gabby is exactly 30 minutes older than Audrey (although Audrey is a head taller now) and they have literally been best friends ever since. Over time, Peggy ended up coming to work for me at my salon and we have been watching these girls grow into gorgeous young ladies ever since. So, today, I wish a very happy birthday to these two little soul sisters! I love you!

We woke up this morning and went to birthday breakfast at Brookside By Day, a campy little dive diner just blocks from our house. This place is Gabby's favorite breakfast joint. She ordered French Toast with a side of toast. (This really cracks me up.) Everyone else had omelets, cinnamon rolls, or eggs and bacon. I had 2 large orange juices. I have gotten over feeling like a stranger in a strange land when everyone around me is eating and I just drink. I was actually more than a little grossed out by the greasy looking fare in front of my family and my daughter's friends. But we had fun and the girls were happy. From there we went to Chez Target and then to Hollywood Nails. The girls got flashy new french tips and I had a heavenly pedicure. It was a great 15th birthday. Now we are on the count down to Sweet 16 (prayers for mom are welcome!)

Saturday's Daily Juice:
1 qt. fresh orange Juice
1 qt. grapefruit & Vita Mineral Green
1 qt. "Lemon Dreamsicle" - young coconut water w/ the juice of 3 lemons and 1 tsp.+ lemon zest, 1 tbsp. raw honey, 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 tbsp. Spirulina all blended in the Vita Mix w/ ice.
1qt. celery, mizuna, arugula, red onion, yellow bell pepper, jalapeño, lime, olive oil, raw honey & fresh cracked pepper.

Yesterday I started taking Internal Parasite Formula. It is recommended to start this on day 60 of a juice feast but I'm just now getting to it. I also still take MSM daily, as well as my B12 & folic supplement.

New Stats! - Day 70

I don't know who these people are, but this picture works for me. Today has been a wild and crazy day. Lots of emotion and intensity coming at me from every angle. Circumstances have gone full tilt, yet I am still standing solid and strong. Earlier this week I felt anxious, tense and frazzled for no real obvious reason, and now today I have every reason to have a major emotional freak out but I am as steady as still waters, calm as a cucumber, easy like Sunday morning. All I can say is Hallelujah.

There is no need to share any drama of the day, especially since it's late and I feel my feather bed gently calling my name. BUT I am going to share some exciting factoids with you on my 70th day of juicing:

Measurements...Beginning..On Day 70....TOTALS
upper arms - was 14" now 12" lost -2"
bust - was 431/4" now 38" lost -5 1/4"
waist - was 38" now 32" lost -6"
hips - was 451/4" now 38" lost -7 1/4"
thighs - was 26" now 22 1/2" lost -3 1/2"
calves - was 15" now 14" lost -1"
ankles - was 8" now 8" lost nada
TOTAL INCHES LOST -25 inches!

BEGINNING WEIGHT - was 171 lbs. now 144 lbs.
TOTAL POUNDS LOST 27 pounds!

Today's Daily Juice:
Water fasted until late afternoon again.....
1.5 qt. Spring Green Goodness - 1 cucumber, cilantro, butter lettuce, green onions, red bell pepper, fresh spring garlic, lime juice, 1 tbsp raw honey

Locally Raw - Day 69

Today is good old Day 69. I thought I should try to come up with some kind of swanky, sexy drink for such an occasion. I remembered that Green Chef's has this amazing raw recipe section and surely they'd have a hip, refreshing, raw and edgy drink for me to share with you. Surprisingly, they didn't offer much in the juice genre, but I thought this one sounded really refreshing. I went out to pick up some more grapefruits tonight so that I can enjoy this first thing tomorrow morning as I celebrate 70 days on juice. You can find the recipe here.

My day started off with a meeting with Alisa Miller. Alisa found me via this blog, lives here in Tulsa and has been eating a very high raw food diet for about 2 years or so. I actually went to Alisa's congregation when Paul Nison was in town over a year ago. Paul was instrumental in delivering the message that initially grabbed Alisa's attention, causing her to go raw basically overnight. Since becoming raw, Alisa has lost an impressive 65 pounds. Most recently she has been teaching raw nutrition classes at her place of worship and is going this next week to become a certified Health Minister through Hallelujah Acres. We ended up spending the best part of the day together and it looks like she will be starting her own juice feast sometime this summer. It was great to get connected to yet another wonderful person in this amazing community and so encouraging to know there are more and more like minded people right here in my own back yard! So a big shout out tonight to Alisa...you go girl!!

Thursday's Daily Juice:
water fasted up until about 3:30 today
1 qt. "Thai Green Juice".....celery, sugar snap peas, water of one young coconut, alfalfa sprouts, green onions, 1 red bell pepper, 2 serrano chiles, 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, 1 bunch cilantro, lime juice, Celtic sea salt.
1 qt. "Chilled Cucumber Salad".....6 small pickling cucumbers, a large handfull of fresh dill, sugar snap peas, garlic, onion sprouts, green onions, lemon juice, 1 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar and 1 tbsp. raw honey.

Tomorrow is Day 70....it's really hard to believe I only have another 30 days left. I will be sharing my current weight and measurements, so be sure to tune in tomorrow evening for the latest stats!!

Help for Callie

I want you to meet Callie and Isaiah

Callie E. is a 25 year old single mom with a 17 month old child, living in Bartlesville, OK, just a short drive north of Tulsa where I live. Callie's mom died when she was a young child (approx 5 yrs old) and Callie ran away from an abusive father at 13.

Callie is a self taught, hard working young woman who has no support system. She found herself making poor choices in the past but has been "clean" for three years (Yay Callie!!). Callie has beaten the odds and is determined to be a good mom to 17 month old Isaiah. The two of them have been healthy and happy as Callie worked hard to care for them the best she knew how. Paternal father has not provided for Isaiah or been a part of his young life.

About a month ago Callie visited the Green Country Free Clinic for what she thought was a minor issue, something easily fixed. Unfortunately it isnt...BUT the provider who met Callie on her visit had a long history in cancer care, and after several visits it was determined that Callie has Cancer of the tongue which has entered her young lymph system.

Callie is a brave young woman facing overwhelming health issues and no health insurance. Her biggest fear is not for herself, but that her child be taken because she is unable to care for him.

Her first weekend after diagnosis has been filled with picture taking and tape recording herself reading books for her dear son. More than likely Callie will not be able to speak to Isaiah after her surgery.

Yesterday Callie was scheduled for surgery, but when the local surgeon went in he found more than what he bargained for and he promptly sewed her shut. There is work being done to get a specialist from Oklahoma City to take over.

A checking account has been opened to help cover rent, food, daycare, utilities etc in this difficult time. The Arvest Bank Account , Bartlesville, Oklahoma, is under the names of Deborah Hendricks and Cindra Pribil. The account number is 38819182 and is handled by Emily Waggoner at Arvest Bank.

Thanks to my precious friend, Angela, who lives in Bartlesville, for facilitating help for Callie.

Real Food - Day 68

Power To The Pie Hole!! Since the original name of my blog and URL is REAL FOOD TULSA, I simply have to make this my post of the day. So, remember, "If it isn't real, spit out your meal!!".....

Big props to my home boys at We Like It Raw for giving me the hook up.

I had just over 4 quarts of juice today, but alas, nothing new and exciting to report in the world of juicy juice. BUT....I did suck it up and prepare dinner for my family tonight! I'll share these super easy and delicious raw food recipes for all my non juice feasting friends, since it turned out to be a big hit:

Portobello Steaks with "Sauteed" Spinach

Steaks:
3 Portobello mushrooms, sliced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup Nama Shoyu
1/3 cup raw apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, minced
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black peppercorns

Spinach:
4 cups packed baby spinach
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. Celtic sea salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Instructions:
To make steaks, coat mushrooms w/ marinade, placing them into a bowl in the bottom of your dehydrator at 115 degrees for about an hour or two. If you don't have a dehydrator, put the mixture in a warm place (on your stove or in direct sunlight).
To make spinach, place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and massage.

Your Mom - Day 67

This isn't an actual picture of my mom, but it easily could be. My mother was a lot like Augusten Burroughs' mother in Running With Scissors. Well, that's the best comparison I can think of. Mother was an amazing woman, a member of MENSA, an artist, a master gardener, a business owner (along side my father), hysterically funny (when she was "well") and commitably crazy. I grew up riding the waves of mother's magical mania, depression, psychotic episodes of schizophrenia, and multiple lengthy hospitalizations. These tumultuous times set the pace for my emotional foundation and the likely root cause of my life long battle with irritable bowel syndrome, compulsive overeating and other control related idiosyncrasies.

It's not really like me to dig up the past. But I feel like I need to lay a bit of ground work so you, my dear reader, will have a better understanding about from where I came. The good news is that I have spent the last couple of decades sorting through the first 20 odd years of my life. Mom died of a malignant melanoma when it metastasized into her lungs and brain when I was just 22. As difficult as her death was, it was also the beginning of a new life for me, one of freedom of thought and actions. It took me about ten years to get an idea about who I really was and how to start to live a normal healthy life. Fortunately, all the time spent on self help and with clergy, counselor and shrink, has been an investment that has paid good long term dividends.

So, as I've been taught by my juice feasting mentors, David & Katrina Rainoshek, (and as I have mentioned here before), one goes back in time about 120 days for each day of juice feasting. When I did the math just now, I find that this equation puts me right at the time of my mother's death. I can already feel that things are starting to get jiggy, if you know what I mean. The first two months of my juice feast have been a beautiful time of cleansing, losing unwanted pounds and of feeling high on life, as I haven't suffered from any real emotional detox like I hear so many others discussing. It's really been smooth sailing.....until the last couple of days.

For the past two nights I've had disturbing dreams and feelings of mild panic. I am not an anxious person at this point in my life, but I have suddenly felt residual anxiety smoldering around my heart and in my mind. It helps to just allow these feelings and to dissect them a bit when they come...asking myself questions like, "What are you tense about right now?" "What is the source of your anxiety?" "Where is this this fear coming from?" These kinds of questions allow me get focused on the current moment and help me to realize that these uncomfortable emotions just have to flow through me and then back out again....for what I believe to be the final time. I awoke at 4:30 am this morning, unable to sleep. I used that as an opportunity to pray and meditate. I felt a lot more balanced afterwards.

The next 33 days of this juice feast will be an interesting ride and I am looking forward to releasing and letting go of any old emotion that no longer serves my higher good.

Tuesday's Daily Juice:
1 qt. Tomatillo Salsa Verde (left over from Cinco De Mayo)
1 qt. "Cool As A Cucumber," 3 large cucumbers, juice of 3 limes, 1 cup fresh mint, 1 tbsp raw honey.
1 qt. strawberry, apple, orange and spirulina
1 qt. cucumber, celery, spinach, basil, jalapeno, onion, lime, tomatoes, Celtic sea salt