Dreams - Day 61

Since I've been juice feasting, I've noticed that my dream recall is more heightened. Perhaps I've always dreamed in color and so vividly, but most of the time now, when I awake, I'm aware of a grand saga of dreaming that has taken place during my slumber. Lately I have been dreaming about my first true love. My dreams are not at all sexual in nature, but they are very tender, sweet and innocent. It's also interesting that they seem to be set in the current time. In these dreams, he and I are close friends, exchanging dialog and enjoying one another's company. My husband is generally there in the background and his children are there, running and playing in the distance. This remembrance has felt quite healing and there remains a certain peace when I recall these dreams in the light of day.

In the material on the juice feasting website, they discuss the theory that one goes back approximately 120 days for each day of juice feasting. If that is true, it would put me back around the time of my 22nd year.....the very time that I was in this particular love affair. Only tonight, did I put this together and now I find it rather curious and heart warming at the same time. With the issues my daughter has been dealing with, (see yesterday's post), it seems even more meaningful suddenly. I don't have any regrets at this point. I find that I'm feeling a real sense of gratitude for the experiences and people who have helped mold me into who I have become today. It has been good to revisit and to pay my respects to my past over the last 20+ years. But perhaps I should warn you now, as I go back even further, it can only get more interesting from here!

Wednesday's Daily Juice:
1.5 qt. strawberry, blood orange juice, coconut water, spirulina, maca juice
1.5 qt. celery, kale, beet, carrot, onion, garlic, lemon, sea salt
I wasn't able to drink anything until mid afternoon because my emotions were still exaggerated from yesterday's drama. I drank plenty of water and I felt really well into this evening. Things are settling down, so tomorrow I should be back on track with the juice intake.

Releasing - Day 60

I am feeling pretty excited to have made it to Day 60. I have to admit that I am generally pretty upbeat in my blogs, but tonight it is a struggle to even submit an entry. It is a fact that we all have days when we get tried or pulled to the breaking point and today was one of those days for me. Without going into too much detail, my challenge happened this evening with my daughter, Gabby, almost 15 years old. She has had a lot of the normal drama that happens when one is in the 9th grade and it is really hard for her, as she is a kind, dear, introverted soul. All of this has to do with a boy, heartbreak and lots of tears....shed by us both. I remember how tough these years were, and now I am wondering if it's just as hard for me to watch her going through it all, not being able to do much more than just love her unconditionally. I do believe the saying that there is no love like a mother's love. It just hurts so much to see your baby grow up and watch as they begin to experience the realities and injustices of this life. If I could I'd trade places with her, but I know she has to walk this path herself.

So, for Day 60 I get a lesson in letting go. Releasing my control and releasing my daughter to live her life, holding on to the faith that I have in God to lead, guide and direct her along her way. Also a lesson in letting go of my own emotions and just trusting. Believing that I have taught her as best I can and allowing her to make her own choices now, learning as she goes the lessons we all have to learn. She is not my possession, she is just my beloved gift, in my care for just a short while now. Today I pray for peace in her heart and for angels to surround her with protection and guidance.

Tuesday's Daily Juice:
1.5 qt. strawberry, coconut water, blood orange juice & spirulina
2 qts. celery, kale, dandelion greens, red bell pepper, asparagus, onion sprouts, garlic, carrots, lime, sea salt.

Insights - Day 59

I thought I'd take the time tonight to answer a question that I received today from a friend on Give It To Me Raw, Sheryl. She has asked if I have any insight, challenges, inspirations to share at this point in my juice feasting experience. I thought tonight would be a great time to reflect on this since tomorrow is day 60 and the beginning of the third and final month of my feast.

The first insight struck me this evening while I was at Whole Foods. I ran into a friend who I haven't seen since I began the feast and she asked if was still juicing (obviously she saw the article in the Tulsa World). When I told her yes and that tomorrow would be day 60, she was flabbergasted. She really couldn't believe or fathom that a person could drink juice for 60 days (and still be alive, I guess). We exchanged a few more pleasantries and then we went on our way. My realization was this: although it sounds impressive, 60 days on juice, it suddenly doesn't feel that overwhelming or like such a big deal to me anymore. Just as one eats food several times a day and thinks little of it, I drink juice....that's just what I do. I have grown so used to my routine and my lifestyle that it doesn't feel odd or really like anything about which to boast. I think in the beginning it felt novel and perhaps, if I'm honest, I felt a little superior on occasion. Looking back, I understand where I was, but I totally don't feel any of that now. (Thank God.)

Taking this time away from food has been like a breath of fresh air to me. Of course I'll be ready to enjoy solids again, but I feel like food holds no emotional power over me as it once so strongly did. I have also learned how efficient and light my body can feel. I used to suffer daily from indigestion, gas, flatulence and chronic drainage and chest congestion/asthma, now I am totally clear of all of that. The fatigue I felt at the beginning of this feast has lifted and I have a renewed sense of wonder and enthusiasm towards things that once I took for granted. It feels good to want to go out in public, meet people and make social plans, when before I felt like I wanted to hide and not let anyone see how big I had gotten. Losing 25 pounds has brought me back to life.

One of my challenges has been what I spend on organic produce and supplements. I have learned to get resourceful with my finances and juggle my food budget. I am on first name basis with everyone at Whole Foods. I think they should give me a 10% courtesy discount because I have to be one of their best customers and I mention their store everyday on Twitter or on this blog. But we don't eat out at all anymore, so that seems to have balanced out our overall expenses, which leads me to my next challenge. My friends get together and go out to lunch, dinner or for cocktails and I feel like I just don't really fit into their groove right now. I have gone a few times but it feels awkward to just sit there while everyone is diving into platters of steaming fajitas and knocking back margaritas. Right now, during this feast, I feel more comfortable with my big ole' Mason jar, full of juice, at home. We don't have any health friendly restaurants to speak of that serve freshly pressed juice here in Tulsa. So, if I can do a juice feast in Oklahoma, anyone, anywhere, can too. I also am very fortunate that I work from home, so I am able to extract my juices fresh, right before I drink them. I think working full time outside of the home would make it much more challenging for me personally.

Now for my inspirations.....besides my overall sense of well being and simply being in love with the healing that I feel is taking place within my body.....my inspirations are all of you. Each person who has ever read my blog, offered comments or wishes me well on this journey, are inspirational to me. Those who have blazed this trail so successfully before me, The Rainoshek's, Angela Stokes, Philip McCluskey, Michelle, Terilynn, Lisa, Hanlie and Ben. There are many others who are my current juicing companions....Dea, LouLou, Linda and all my other friends at Global Juice Feasting. Matt Gleason of the Tulsa World has been an inspiration for publishing an article that has my whole city keeping tabs on my juicy progress (inspiration and real accountability). And then the people who have touched my life by finding me along this raw food/juice journey....Angela, Jolanthe, Michelle, Sarah, Paula, and Joey Mechelle, to name just a few. You all have created such beautiful inspiration to me. Thank you and I hope you'll all stick around with me as I move into month three on juice....I may need you more now than ever.

Monday's Daily Juice:
1 qt. grapefruit & spirulina
1.5 qt. spinach, apple, strawberry, celery, VitaMineral Green
2 qt. celery, dandelion, spinach, cucumber, red bell pepper, tomatoes, radish, asparagus, jalapeño, onion sprouts, lime, sea salt.
I also had 2 oz. wheat grass mid afternoon, a tbsp. hemp oil, and my B12. I still take MSM & a probiotic religiously every morning, but I always forget to mention that.

Goodbye Pile - Day 58

In yesterday's post I told about our trip to Norman, OK to visit my husband's brother and sister-in-law. I wanted to also post this great photo of my hubby, Gordon, on the left and his brother, Jim. Gordon is the oldest of four boys and Jim is the next brother, just two years younger. I think Gordon looks really amazing for his age. He is 58. Yes, I married a man that's 16+ years older, but if I had to do it all over again, believe me, I would! He is totally a keeper and I feel so blessed to have him as my lover and best friend.

Today was my day to clear out clutter. I first cleaned out the dresser in my bedroom. I have a bag for the Goodwill and another load to take into a consignment shop. Whew, getting that done felt good. Then I tackled "The Pile." I keep a pile of clippings, recipes, information, articles, magazines, etc. by my red chair (the red chair is my spot in our home and it's also where my computer is), and today was the day to weed through this pile. I made tremendous progress in sorting and throwing out. I compiled all of my recipes, as I'm creating a book to categorize and keep everything in order. By tomorrow afternoon, I should be basically clutter free! Although I pride myself on keeping a relatively clean home, juice feasting has really been helping my ADD because this detailed organization is big progress for me!

It has alsos been on my mind that I haven't posted my current weight in a while. I forgot to weigh the last time I was at the gym, but according to my screwed up home scales, I haven't lost more than a pound in the last three weeks. I am not concerned at all, but I would love to see those scales budge a little. I'll be going in for a workout in the morning, so perhaps I'll have a weight report for you tomorrow evening.

Sunday's Daily Juice:
1.5 qts. strawberry, orange, coconut water, goji berry, & spirulina
1 qt. water w/ lemon and mint
1.5 qts. celery, dandelion, romaine, green onion, carrots, tomatoes, cilantro, parsley, basil, garlic, lemon, sea salt.

I didn't really want anymore juice than this today, so I just went with it. In this evening's juice I picked fresh parsley, cilantro and basil from my garden and WOW! The flavor was so much more intense and alive! I love having homegrown goodness in my juice!!

Whoopee Girls - Day 57

No entry yesterday because I took a little road trip over to Norman, Oklahoma (home of the OU Sooners) to visit my brother and Sister-in-law. Jim & Debbye have recently renovated the old 1917 Shelton family bungalow. Their elegantly appointed cottage sits just paces away from the heart of campus corner. Gordon and I love to make the 2 hour drive over for a little getaway whenever we can. This is the first opportunity we've had to visit since I've been juice feasting, so I packed up my citrus juicer and a big bad of oranges, grapefruits, tangerines, blood oranges, thai coconuts and spirulina. We were only there for 24 hours, so staying juicy on citrus seemed like the easiest way to go while away from home. It was great to see our family and as always, we had a marvelous time. My husband has three brothers and the boys have labeled their wives "The Whoopee Girls." I guess when we all get together, we have a pretty good time. In my old days, when I was still quite fond of the vino, we'd really whoop it up. All of the girls have different color hair, so I'm known as Red Whoopee. One great thing I've learned is that I can still have just as good of time even when I'm not whooping it up on booze! In today's picture, you get to see Blond Whoopee as well!

Once back home today, I had a relaxing afternoon. I took the girls to Utica Square for shopping and my almost 15 year old wanted to go straight to Saks Fifth Avenue to buy a pair of True Religion jeans. Gabby has gotten a part-time job recently at Brookside Cleaners and she has been saving up for this major purchase. I can honestly say that I don't even own a pair of jeans that cost $175.00. They look great on her, but I am glad it was her money and not mine! I remember how I was at her age though....totally obsessed with fashion, makeup and all things hip and trendy. I am glad she was able to get them for herself. It gave her quite a feeling of accomplishment I could tell. I am really proud of her.

After dinner we all snuggled in and watched The Water Horse - Legend of the Deep. What a grand movie it was. Totally a family flick, and I even got choked up a couple of times. It's an enchanting tale of friendship and the legend of the Loch Ness Monster. Do see it if you get the chance!

Saturday's Daily Juice:
1 qt. grapefruit, tangerine w/ spirulina
1 qt. blood orange, tangerine, coconut water, maca, Vita Mineral Green
1 qt. celery, parsley, cucumber, spinach, carrot, garlic
1 qt. celery, cucumber, kale, green onion, red bell pepper, tomatoes, garlic, lime, sea salt.

Thirsty Thursday - Day 55

My sweet hubby is out of town, so my friends talked me into having a big night out. This photo is of me and Michelle, my best friend's angelic girlfriend. I'm still not sure how he landed this precious peach, but she's so lovely, just like a wee angel. Tonight we went to El Guapo, a hip Mexican restaurant downtown in the warehouse district. Really good atmosphere, really poor service. BUT....I got lucky because tonight they had freshly squeezed blood orange juice in the bar! We ended up on a rooftop patio overlooking Tulsa's breathtaking downtown skyline. Between the fresh juice, the company and the ambiance, it was a great night.

Earlier today I met up with my friend Stephanie from Edmond, OK. We were able to get caught up and have a juice break at Whole Foods. Stephanie and I first made contact on Twitter, but then we inadvertently met a short time later in the check out line at WF's! In February, Stephanie and I attended a raw food class near her home in Edmond by Chef Mandy Canistelle. Today, Stephanie shared with me about her recent experience of 10 days on the Master Cleanse. Mixed reviews, but over all she lost about 10 lbs. We tried to get a good picture, but my camera lost power and my phone took a really sorry shot. Believe me, Stephanie is a true beauty, both inside and out. I'll be sure to have my camera ready with fresh batteries next time she and I get together.

Thursday's Daily Juice:
2 qts. watermelon & spirulina
double shot of wheat grass
16 oz. green juice from Whole Foods Juice Bar (it's a mystery but I know there was parsley, celery, spinach and cuke w/ a dab of carrot)
16 oz. straight blood orange juice
I came home late tonight and drank a concoction of 32 oz. pure water mixed with ice and VitaMineral Green in the Vita Mix....just felt like I needed the extra shot of green goodness.
Took my B12 again today and I'm now certain that's what's making me feel super charged!

Being Healthy - Day 54

The Early Show on CBS did a feature story this morning on "Detox Diets - Do They Work?" Although the segment had a predictably negative slant, I felt like they brought out some good points, suggestions and perhaps even spurred interest in considering a more cleansing diet. You can read the piece in its entirety here. Keri Glassman, the registered dietitian who CBS interviewed, states that she isn't completely against detox diets. She often puts her own clients on detox for two or three days -- not so much to rid their bodies of toxins as to give them a mental jump start to eating better and losing weight. One upside of cleansing diets, she says, is that they make you think differently about the food you put into your body, and so they have the potential to permanently improve your eating habits. Although Ms. Glassman and I disagree on a number of points, I can't argue with the theory of cleansing to help you think differently about food and that brings me to my featured personality of the day......

My first exposure to health educator, Emily Shaules, was at the online community of Give It To Me Raw. I recently heard about Emily's story and her warm presence from a friend who attended a raw food retreat in the Poconos last month. It was at that point when her ability to share so openly about her personal journey created a space for others to embrace her message and since that time she has been gaining exposure and quite a following. Emily's most recent essay was featured as a lead story on WLIR, and that is where I found her journey to be so touching and inspirational. I know you too will want read about her past struggle with Fibromyalgia, among other health challenges, and how she overcame it and what she learned about the mind's relationship to dis-ease. I hope you'll take a moment to read about her life changing and triumphant journey here.

I also had the opportunity to talk with both Kevin Gianni and Joel Odhner today. What fantastic guys....I'm a big fan of both. It looks like Kevin will be interviewing Joel, Dr. Oz's personal chef, in the very near future. I'll be sure to keep you posted on that. Joel called me tonight while he was at Home Depot and I was at the grocery store (such glamorous lives we super heroes lead), to tell me that he and a couple of his buddies are getting ready to start juice feasting. How cool! I am going to forward a few of my favorite juice recipes to help him get a kick start. I am not sure how long he's intending on feasting, nor is he, but most likely 30 days or more. It is so encouraging that more and more people are catching the excitement and the benefits of juicing as a way to bring their body into perfect balance. Tonight, I lift my juice glass to you, Joel - you super hero you.....CHEERS!

Wednesday's Daily Juice:
1 qt. grapefruit, tangerine, coconut water & spirulina
2 qt. watermelon juice & crystal manna flakes
1.5 qt. celery, romaine, carrot, onion sprouts, orange bell pepper, garlic, radish, cilantro, jalapeño, lime & sea salt.
I have been taking my B12 sublingual supplement for 2 days and I already feel more balanced and more energy. I have had a head ache off and on today, but I don't think it's detox. We've had intermittent thunderstorms all day and about 15 -30 minutes before it starts to rain, I get a pain in my head and then when the rain stops for awhile my head ache is gone. I think it's a barometric pressure deal. Has anyone else ever experienced or heard of such a thing?