Pico De Gallo - Day Eleven

First of all, I had a really busy schedule today. I decided that this morning would be a good time to mix up a couple of quarts of the master cleanser since I wouldn't be near home, juicer or a refrigerator for a large part of the day. By 2:30 pm, when I finally made it back home I was shaky, cranky and jonesin' for juice. It was the first time since probably Day 2 that I actually started to think I wanted food...I'm talking food in my mouth, chewing and tasting something like ruffles potato chips and french onion dip. OH Boy...Help Me Jesus! So I quickly squeezed a couple of grapefruits, diluted it with pure water and added some crystal manna. Within 5 minutes I was completely satisfied and I haven't had a weird moment since. So this just proves that I can't count on the Master Cleanse to carry me through a pinch.

But what I ended up juicing a little later was really awesome. I am telling you it tasted very much like pico de gallo and for a girl who has a fondness for Mexican food, this juice is a very good alternative. I'll post the ingredients below. I had my husband take a sip and he was really impressed. Even my non-juice drinking neighbor, cute Candace, took a sip and said she really liked it. I will have to keep this on my top 5 list of satisfying savory juice combos. I've kind of gotten into being a mixologist lately. I want to find ways to get creative so that I don't get burnt out or tire of the same juice everyday. I'm trying to get a good variety of greens into my juices because they each have their own unique nutritional properties and I've read that if you rotate your greens, you won't get bored or tired of juicing. So far so good!

One of the main differences I continue to notice on this feast is the state of peace and tranquility I feel. I am very steady and my disposition is really patient and compassionate. I am usually very loving, but there seems to be an intensification of that. David Rainoshek says that if we get enough greens (around 2 pounds/day), we greatly increase the alkalinity of our bodies. One of the many positive side effects of having a Ph balance that is more alkaline is a sense of peace and well being. So, that must mean I'm getting less and less acidic because all anxiety or agitation appears to have been removed from my psyche. Don't you know the husband and kids are high fiving themselves! I can't begin to tell you how thankful I am to have made the decision to commit to this extreme sport of juice feasting. Although it sounds radical to many, now that I am in the groove, it feels so good and perfectly natural. Juicing, it's what I do.

Tuesday's Daily Juice:
water-MSM-lemon
2 qts. Master Cleanser
1 qt. grapefruits, tangerine, water & Crystal Manna flakes
2 qts. Pico De Gallo! 1 head celery, carton of grape tomatoes, 1 yellow onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1/2 bunch cilantro, 1 red bell pepper, 1 lime, few big handfulls of spinach, 1 english cucumber, 6 stalks of asparagus, 1 jalepeno, celtic sea salt

Keeping It Juicy - Day Ten

I was so excited to find a nice big watermelon during my recent trip to Sam's Wholesale. I have never been a big Sam's shopper, but since I've started this feast, I've found that I can get some of my bulk produce there for a considerable savings. I would rather support local growers, which I look forward to doing as the season progresses. And my next choice is Whole Foods, which as getting a nice chunk of change from me every few days. But as I have mentioned in an earlier post, Sam's is good for bulk spinach and some greens, as well as thick skinned fruits.

The watermelon from Sam's did not disappoint. I did as Katrina Rainoshek suggested, and juiced the melon along with citrus (tangerine and lime) for a watermelon-aide that was deliciously satisfying. The color of the juice was simply glorious. I was able to extract 2 quarts from only half of the melon. The kids feasted on the remains and were quite happy to have melon so early in the season. It made for happy times in the kitchen this afternoon.

Day 10 has been pretty uneventful, but I am still receiving calls from yesterday's article in the Tulsa World. I have felt a support and interest from others that I didn't anticipate. The nice side benefit of the article is that it has eliminated the need for me to explain to others why I am unable to go do lunch or why we are turning down dinner party invitations for the spring. A couple of friends want to meet up at the juice bar to just get caught up and hang out, which is so thoughtful. Who would have thought this former "let's meet for happy hour girl" would be where I am today? Juice.....it does a body good!

Monday's Daily Juice:
water-MSM-lemon
olive leaf tea
1 qt. spinach, parsley, lime, carrot
2 qt. watermelon, tangerine, lime
a 2 oz. shot of wheat grass
1 qt. celery, romaine, scallion, radish, red bell pepper, cherry tomato, asparagus, carrot, cilantro, garlic, jalepeno, lime, Himalayan sea salt. (This was really good and tasted a lot like Pico De Gallo!)

PS....I lost another pound! I haven't been doing much exercise and I am starting to feel ready to get this body moving. The weather is going to be spring like so I plan to hit the river trail tomorrow.

Deep Thoughts - Day Nine

As many of you already know, my local paper, The Tulsa World, featured an article in the Scene section of this morning's paper about yours truly and juice feasting. I have had many calls, texts and emails, most of which have been genuinely supportive and encouraging. When I was contacted about being interviewed, I had a bit of hesitation, yet I also felt that it might raise awareness and help people consider ways of taking charge of their health that they perhaps hadn't considered. I also hoped that my story could be of encouragement to some who were once proactive in caring for their bodies and maybe have forgotten or lost momentum. I've already heard from a few that they are knocking the dust off their juicer and planning to get back to drinking more fresh juice. YEAH! If you didn't get a paper or if you are outside of Tulsa, you can read the article here.

Now for the heart of today's entry. As I said yesterday, I wanted to share my thoughts regarding the spiritual aspect of fasting. I know, what I'm doing is considered a feast, but I personally look at it as a fast due to the absence of the ritual of dining and enjoying meals as a daily activity. Therefore I am technically in a fasted state of being. As a Christian, the concept of fasting is not new or foreign to me at all. Regardless of your spiritual background, most religious communities consider fasting and prayer/meditation to be a sacred part of their faith practice.

I believe that when we fast for spiritual reasons, we are to be solidly committed by arranging special time each day to be alone with God. This precious time is absolutely crucial in attaining intimate communion with our Creator. During a fast, just as the physical body releases toxins, so it's true of our spirit and emotions because there will be times in which you can feel weak, small, confused, uncertain or irritable. During these times, it is so helpful to just be open and vunerable with God. Allow those doubts, outdated or dysfunctional thought processes and old emotional wounds to surface and receive healing. Meditating on the Divine Presence, reading sacred scriptures or spiritually edifying books, listening to music that is filled with words of grace, gratitude and thanksgiving, these are all ways we can focus on the transformative power of God's Holy Spirit within us.

Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, has a very informative website that is all about the spiritual discipline of fasting. Bill Bright states that his major reason for fasting (and he has done a number of long term, 40+ day fasts) is for personal restoration, and for that of our nation and world. He believes that by prayers of humility, as you fast, you will help bring God's perfect will into this earth and into your own personal situations. He adds that a renewed closeness with God and a greater sensitivity to spiritual things are usually the results of a fast. Although one is not to be disappointed if there is no "mountaintop experience," as some have. Many people who have successfully completed extended fasts tell of feeling a nearness to God that they have never before known, but others who have honestly sought His presence report no particular outward results at all. But in either case, people typically report that God honored their commitment, often times in ways they wouldn't have expected.

So, for me, this time of juice feasting is multi-faceted. It is not just to have a physical cleansing and renewal. It is not just to attain an emotional makeover or simply a means of attaining personal happiness. It goes much deeper.

Sunday's daily juice:
water-MSM-lemon
Passionfruit tea
1 qt. carrot, tangerine, celery & 1 Tbsp. hemp oil
1qt. celery, spinach, purple cabbage, cucumber, garlic, onion, oregano, red bell pepper, basil, radish, lime, cayenne pepper, Himalayan sea salt.
1qt. grapefruit, water, Crystal Manna flakes
1qt. pineapple, cilantro, lime

My Journal - Day Eight

I really enjoy keeping a journal. Although I do record a lot here on my blog, I also keep a little book that is just for me. My latest subject matter has been about the real reason I chose to accept the call to this juice feast. Being clear about the why of it all is important to me. If, in future days, I start to waver or become discouraged for some unforeseen reason, I want to have a resource to go for encouragement and strength. In other words, I don't want to forget why I am doing this.

I've been a believer in the power of fresh juice for many years. I was around 20 years old when I purchased my first Champion juicer. I've gone through multiple periods of juicing and then I lose my thunder and forget about it for long stretches of time. Since I started a raw food diet a couple of years ago, I have been back in a love affair with juicing. After all, freshly extracted fruit and vegetable juice is the richest available food source of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. I believe juicing is especially helpful in today's world, when a person desperately needs extra nutrients to help the body detoxify the large amount of environmental and dietary toxins to which we've all been exposed. Unfortunately, most people are unable to eat enough raw fruits and vegetables in a day to nourish the body properly. That's why juicing offers a concentration of nutritional power packaged in the best proportions so that you can get benefit from the synergistic effect of all the nutrients working together to deeply nourish your body and enhance your health.

So, back to my original point....I am on this juice feast as a personal journey of healing, regenerating, nourishing, and educating. In just eight days I've seen that participating in the global juice feast is helping to create a better me. And no, I don't see it as restrictive, but rather as an indulgence, in that I am flooding my body with revitalizing and rich nutrients. In just this short time, I'm seeing the benefits when I wake up and look in the mirror every morning and when I step onto the scale. I am also taking this time to pamper myself in a deeply internal way. And these are just the physical reasons. Emotionally, I am aware of a shift and my family can even see a difference in my overall demeanor, which is helpful as it causes them to be even more supportive of my efforts. Spiritually, there are a number of important factors why this feast is meaningful to me, but I shall save that topic for tomorrow, since that will be my Sunday post, it just seems fitting. So before I sign off on day 8...

Saturday's daily juice:
water-MSM-lemon
olive leaf tea & passionfruit tea
1.5 qt. romaine & cantaloupe (this was a real treat!)
1.5 qt. celery, carrot, purple cabbage, cucumber, beet, garlic, radish, onion, spinach, oregano, basil, lemon & a pinch of Celtic sea salt.
2 oz. shot of wheat grass
.5 qt. apple, pear, cucumber, lemon, spinach
1 qt. grapefruit, tangerine, Crystal Manna Flakes

Weekly Weigh In:
Day 1 - 165
Day 8 - 159 (6 lbs. lost)

Week One - Day Seven

This photo was taken by my cell phone today after I came home from grocery shopping. The counter top in my kitchen is overflowing with vibrant, organic goodness and I am trying to keep it all displayed in such a way that would invite a photo shoot at any time. I'm anal like that. Anyway...as much as I generally dislike and become anxious over the Sam's Wholesale Club shopping experience, I decided to go anyway today to see what I could find in the way of organics and I was happy to find a big bag of spinach and a big container of mixed greens, which I happily snatched up at a very good price. I also bought some conventional items like thick skinned fruits....tangerines, grapefruits, cantaloupe and watermelon. Then I looped back around to Whole Foods, which has become my equivalent of Cheers - the place where everyone knows my name, and grabbed more celery, cucumbers and apples.

Today marked a week of juice feasting. I am really marveling at how much easier it is for me than I had anticipated. I am so thankful and I'm just taking each day as it comes and I am choosing to not get too freaked out about anything. So far so good. Within myself, I have become aware of new sense of calm that has settled in. I feel really clear and tranquil. I'm feeling more compassionate and I find that I am slowing down and taking time to be in the present moment much more than ever before. There's no doubt that the inflow of teachings that I have been studying are part of this shift, but I think that the juicing has opening my heart and awareness up so everything feels heightened. If I didn't lose a pound, this clarity and joy would be reason enough to stay the course and complete the full 92 days.

Here's the Daily Juice.....
water-MSM-lemon
Roobios tea
dry brush-shower
colonic
1 qt. cucumber, lemon, sunchoke, apple, beet, beet greens, dandelion greens, swiss chard
4 oz. wheat grass
1.5 qt. celery, radish, green onion, carrot, tomatoes, cucumber, yellow bell pepper, parsley, romaine, mixed greens, garlic, lemon, basil w/ 1 T hemp oil
2 cups Tulsi Passionfruit tea w/ raw wild honey
1.5 qt. grapefruit, tangerine, water, Crystal Manna flakes
1 tsp. coconut butter w/ 1 T bee pollen

Full Disclosure - Day Six

This is how I started out 2008. I haven't posted this picture before because I felt so embarrassed by how I looked in tight fitting clothing (and believe me, this is one of the most flattering shots). On January 1st, when this photo was taken, I weighed in at 176 pounds. I am 5'7 and have a small frame, so this put me at approximately 50 pounds overweight. Hard to believe that a person who was actively embracing a raw food lifestyle could be carrying that load around, but I know I am not alone in this category. 2007 was a difficult year. We lost both of my husbands parents along with 2 other close relatives and there was lots of travel and regular bouts of eating cooked food which included meat, dairy and bread. Food of all kinds have always been a passion for me and in this picture, it shows.

So as the year began, I made the commitment to change several aspects of my life. Having left my profession of 15 years in late December, I was ready and positioned to embark on a journey that would take me in the direction of truly following my heart. There are many areas in which I have charted plans for change and growth, but needless to say, weight loss was a very real goal for me as I started 2008. With my newly empowered mindset, I tweaked my diet nicely and I went to the gym 4 - 5 days/week throughout January and February. Through those two factors alone, I was able to shed 11 pounds by March 1st.

Throughout this time, I started hearing about the global juice feast online, but I hardly gave it any attention. Something that radical wouldn't be anything that would work for me, not with my life and family, I thought. But then some of my closer online acquaintances started talking about it and the next thing I know I am starting to follow a few people's daily juice feasting blogs with fascination. Heidi at Raw Food Real World and Philip of Loving Raw were two of my biggest inspirations. Their juice feasts got me thinking...why not me? If they can embark on this journey and be successful why can't I? Then I downloaded Angela Stokes ebook, A Juice Feaster's Guide, and as I began reading of her experience with a successfully completed 92 day juice feast, something resonated inside me. I think I could really do this.

So, I made my decision on February 20th that I, too, would join in on the global juice feast. I began reading everything I could find. I researched and I educated myself about the pros and cons and I looked at every reason why I should not do it and I found the only thing that could possibly hold me back would be any limitations that I might try to put on myself. And at this season in my life, there are no REAL limitations that would keep me from moving forward with gusto and in full force! Now, here I am, six days in and I have this overwhelming sense of gratitude because I believe that this is the very thing that I need to be doing at this exact time in my life. It's a feeling of deep peace and contentment, like all is right with the world. What more could one ask for?

Before I finish up, here is what my day entailed:
water-MSM-lemon
Rooibos Tea
enema-dry skin brush-manicure-shower
1.5 qt. - cucumber, celery, dandelion greens, kale, red bell pepper, apple, pear, lemon, ginger
1 qt. - carrot, orange (diluted a bit w/ water)
1.5 qt. Liquid Salad (this was a really delicious savory juice & the name says it all)
- green leafy lettuce, purple romaine, radish, celery, carrot, green onion, cucumber,
cherry tomatoes, garlic, lemon, 1/2 tsp. Himalayan sea salt.

Until tomorrow.....

Grateful for Grapefruit - Day Five

This hump day was unusually pleasant and relaxed. After my usual morning water and tea, I did my dry skin brushing and took a shower. I also took the time to do an exfoliation treatment for my face, neck and hands. That felt great and all day I have been marveling at the look and feel of my complexion. Usually, by this time in the winter, things are starting to get a bit alligator-ish. I can tell the juicing and daily hemp and/or coconut oil is beginning to make a subtle difference in just 5 days.

Once the kids were off to school, I finally found the time to settle in with the video podcast from Oprah's Monday night study with Eckhart Tolle. It truly was a momentous occasion. There is just something about Eckhart and Oprah together that really works. It's almost like she is an interpreter of sorts for him. Oprah can take some of his ethereal and difficult to understand concepts and bring them into an understanding for the common man. I found her insights and expansions really helpful in breaking it down. I also thought the Skype for viewers brought a really cool element to the workshop. It really was just what I hoped it would be and I won't miss a week.

Here's what I had today:
1 qt. water w/ MSM & lemon
1 cup nettle leaf tea
1 qt. swiss chard, carrot, cucumber, radish, burdock root, beet, sunchoke, lemon
1 qt. celery, oranges, fennel, basil over ice w/ hemp oil
1 qt. GRAPEFRUITS & oranges w/ Crystal Manna (1 Tbsp.)
1 qt. celery, mint, cucumber, broccoli sprouts, apple, lime

I'm not sure what's up with the grapefruit craving but it seems like nothing satisfies me more completely than grapefruit juice in the early evening. My body is just crying out for it and it has since day 1 of this feast. Perhaps I will research the properties of grapefruit a bit more and see what it is that I might be trying to fulfill with my daily squeeze of this luscious citrus superstar. The thing I wanted to point out is that I am not taking much in the way of supplements. I am going for the tried and true blue green algae buzz with Crystal Manna, but I do intend to order VitaMineral Green as my flakes begin to dwindle. I also have bee pollen in my frig but have forgotten about that important player for the past two days. I'll try to remember to crack that out tomorrow.

I find that I am having a struggle pouring 4 quarts of juice into this body everyday. By the time I've had 3 quarts, it seems like my body is so well nourished and I feel really full. I am honestly not hungry at all. I even flipped through a Bon Appetite today and those perfectly stylized photographs didn't phase my taste buds a bit. I am so happy and relieved that I am not constantly jonesin' for solid food all the time......like I usually am when I am not juice feasting. I am pretty sure this 30 extra pounds I've been carrying is due to the snack and taste factor. It has been so good to have just made up my mind that I am simply not doing that right now. Food is just not an issue and I love it. No distractions and no nagging cravings to satisfy. Viva La Juice!

Again, I want to thank those of you who take the time to read my juicy journal and leave your encouraging comments. It really helps me to stay inspired and gives additional motivation towards my goal. You, dear reader, are appreciated!