My First Aloe Vera Harvest

Yesterday, I harvested my very first aloe vera leaf and used the gel to make a delicious detoxifying juice that according to the Rawganic Vegan Lady and her 7 day Juice Detox program, is also great for clearing up skin. I'm not currently experiencing any skin issues that can't be resolved by avoiding dairy, meat and gluten...but I do have an aloe vera plant I purchased at Findlay Market and it is growing by leaps and bounds.

I confess a deep hesitancy at the possibility of approaching my beautiful plant with a pair of scissors and no clue what to do with the leaf once I cut it. But I found through a quick Google search that it's as simple as

• cutting the leaf
• using a sharp knife to remove the top layer of green skin
• use a knife to remove the yellowish film over the top of the gel
• then using a spoon to scoop out the gel

The website I found didn't say you needed to rinse the aloe vera gel, but I did just in case any of the yellow membrane was left on the backside of it.

I had already juice a green apple, some bok choy and two oranges. I threw that juice into a blender with the aloe vera gel and Voila!...a delicious, detoxifying juice was born.

Simply Google "how to make aloe vera juice" and you'll not only find multiple helpful sites, there are many YouTube tutorials too.

Don't know anything about aloe vera? Here's a great site with the top 12 benefits.

Here I Go Again!

Cucumber Express juice for breakfast

May 2013, I participated in an extended juice fast for the purpose of losing weight, rebooting my body and retraining my taste buds so I could eat healthier when it was over. I accomplished each goal and actually juiced longer than I've ever managed to in the past. It went so well that I told myself that if it was at all possible, I would do some form of a juice fast each May.

Well, here it is May 2014 and to be honest, for the last month I have not been looking forward to juice fasting at all. Many bad eating habits have slipped back in and frankly...I love the taste of pizza...and cheesy Mexican food (happy Cinco de Mayo, by the way!)...and sugar. Ahhh...sugar!

But I also have a daughter that has shown me since last fall, it is possible to live a disciplined vegan lifestyle, eat out at restaurants and other homes, exercise faithfully, avoid processed, refined foods and thus...have more energy, vitality and stay healthy when the rest of the family has the flu or the now ever-present allergies.

Does it cost more? Yes...but we're also not paying out for any co-pays or prescriptions for chronic illnesses either. I'm thinking that over a lifetime, it all balances out. If not, at least she'll feel better in her old age than her peers who spent their youth eating fast food and, let's face it, convenience food garbage.

Additionally, I'm involved in a book group with my friend, Kari, where we're digging in monthly to the book 7, by Jen Hatmaker. Ridding your life of excess and the hold that stuff, food and media have on us is the primary thrust of the book. And for the last two weeks, my friend, Becky, has been leading a book/Bible study of Mark Patterson's All In. I'll review both of these when I've completed them, but for now it's enough to say that I am being deeply challenged to rid my life of anything that has a hold on me. If I need to eat simple meals, give up most (or dare I say all) my possessions and free up time from my entertainment and "fun" so that others can know there is a God who loves them...then shouldn't I be willing to do it?

I've been stuck since Christmas. I've shared this before. God is so good, so loving and so gracious that I've been overwhelmed at all He is doing. I have been keeping Him at arms length though because I can't even begin to process it all. But where He is guiding me right now is the reminder that I don't have to have it all figured out and understand how it will come to fruition. I simply should wake up every day and ask how do I live today like Your vision for my life is complete? Live for today, not next year or even next week.

So this time, it's a little more than a juice fast. Yes, I want to lose more weight (I'm starting out 16 pounds less than last year); I want to retrain my taste buds to rid my desire for meat, dairy, sugar and gluten; and I want to reboot my body to be ready to make the life changes I'm hoping will occur this time. Because in addition to these goals, this year I'm adding in exercise (starting with yoga to increase my flexibility) and placing boundaries on my media time. Today, I'm running late because I usually do on Mondays, but next Monday...I'm going media free again. I'm also limiting my Facebook and game usage to before 9 a.m. and one half hour to quickly check messages around bedtime. This is a work in progress and doesn't mean that I want to compensate for the loss with something else online. I do hope this frees up time for blogging, more book reviews and other pursuits. If not, it will be restricted further. 

Join my journey if you want. The media restrictions start tomorrow because today I have to focus on juicing and there some loose ends I need to tidy up before I downsize my media usage. Essentially I feel the Spirit leading me to join others I know who are risking everything and going All In.

I'm ready...or at least He's getting me ready! And I can't wait to see what He's up to!!

**I will be updating and sharing the juice fast through Twitter which posts directly to my Facebook account. If you'd like to follow the juice fast and aren't my Facebook "friend", you can click the link above and to the left to follow me on Facebook.**

Self-Diagnosing

I have never been one to run to a doctor for every little sniffle or twinge of pain. I'm also not a person that has elevated medical professionals to god status. I recognize that all are human and therefore fallible. I also have always had multiple allergies to medications. Every prescription drug I have ever taken has at some point caused a reaction ranging from hives to water retention to high blood pressure. (Most over the counter ones have too.)

So for me, popping pills is not only uncalled for, but potentially dangerous. I resolved within myself many years ago that should I ever develop a chronic disease (I.e. high blood pressure, cancer, arthritis, etc) it would have to be treated and healed holistically.

Before I ever heard that Hippocrates had said, "Let food be thy medicine," I once read someone state that they believed when Adam and Eve were cast out of Eden, God had already supplied through food, plants, herbs, water and more, all we would ever need for natural healing. This just made sense to me. Isn't it exactly like God to provide a way before we ever knew we needed it?

Sure, I read this about 16 years ago, and I am still in the process of trying to live it out. I also choose to be thankful for the gift of the Internet (although at times it is also the bane of my existence!) because at my fingertips is a plethora of tried, true and yes, sometimes crazy information. For instance, when I came across The Gerson Therapy, I believe through the Holy Spirit's discernment I was able to recognize it for the healing miracle it is. There have been many more epiphanies since then and usually, they just make sense. God not only gave us healing herbs, plants and foods...He also gave us brains and His Spirit for discernment.

With my recent juice fast, I promised that You'll Know It All and today's post regards my mistake of listening to the fears of others. For a few years, whenever I get into a discussion with someone about veganism, vegetarianism or just reducing their meat intake, inevitably it comes out that they heard "somewhere" that you can't get enough B-12 without eating meat. The truth is, everyone loses the ability to absorb vitamin B-12 as they age. This is why it is often the elderly that get B-12 injections.

Because I didn't want my metabolism to slow down or lose any of the wonderful energy I was experiencing, I bought into the "need" for supplementation. I researched the best, ordered it and started taking them. But within two days, this woman that had been fine on only 4-6 hours of sleep, walked for 8 hours a day on vacation and still had energy to spare, was barely able to drag herself out of bed, felt lethargic throughout the day, had zero energy for exercise and was ready to collapse into bed by 8 p.m. My weight loss had also stalled even though I was eating well. This was unacceptable to me. I experimented with dosage and when to take it. I was still eating good, whole foods, about 75% raw, juicing 1-2 times per day and I couldn't understand why my symptoms were beginning to include muscle and joint pain, intolerance to cold and by yesterday, even kidney pain.

My research since this began about a week and a half ago has brought me to the possibility of adrenal fatigue. Since most Americans have some degree of it, this is highly likely. And the information leads me to believe that I was probably healing from adrenal fatigue since beginning my dietary changes in mid-May, but the start of the B-12 vitamins that I did not need threw the delicate balance of adrenal function over the edge.

So I've immediately suspended the use of any supplements, am going to attempt a juicing detox for at least three days and see if I notice improvement. I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, if you'd like more information about adrenal fatigue, here are two websites that helped:

7 mistakes of adrenal fatigue
women to women

The "Down" Side of Healthy Eating

Okay, so the title is a little misleading, because there's really no down side to healthy eating and healthy living. I've discovered some side effects though that if you're not prepared can catch you off guard. Since I have experienced all of these within the last 24 hours, I thought I'd share them with you.

• You'll need a lot less sleep. Right now, if I get six uninterrupted hours of sleep, I wake up without an alarm clock and have no grogginess to overcome. I don't need coffee, tea, pop, energy drinks or other stimulants to get going.
• You know when you've had something you shouldn't or even too much of a good thing. As your body detoxifies, when you reintroduce something that isn't healthy...you'll know it...soon. For me, the trigger foods are anything fried, soy, meat, dairy,  processed/refined sugar or flours, and too much salt (even sea salt). Headaches, blemishes, brain fog, gas, bloating, swelling, body odor, dry mouth, or dry eyes can quickly ensue. And yeah...that last bite of salad looks good and you really hate to waste it, but it's not going to taste as good as the first bite did...and if your body is telling you it's full...stop.
• Your taste buds are clean and not coated with processed, refined junk so the old foods don't taste good anymore. A chemical manufactured in a lab is just not going to taste as good as sun-ripened berries or sweet, juicy watermelon. Those chemicals only taste good when we have a steady diet of them. That's why companies add addictive substances, like aspartame and MSG...it keeps you coming back for more.
• You may not experience specific cravings. I learned a long time ago that as you tune into your body and actually take the time to listen to it, it will most always tell you what you need. This is why people need the mid-afternoon coffee and sugar pick me up. The lunch they ate didn't satisfy their body's needs, so they are experiencing a blood sugar slump. The fastest way to fix it is with the bad options. But as your body is healing, and you're getting all of the nutrients you need, you may not have that "feeling" that you need protein or chocolate or dairy or whatever that thing is for you. Sometimes I have difficulty deciding what to eat because food is now fuel...not comfort. I do still crave a salad or a juicy fruit when I'm dehydrated though.
• Your muscles may behave differently when exercised. I say may because this is a new one for me. When I have eaten a mostly vegan diet in the past, it was not highly raw. When I have previously juiced, I was mostly focused on detoxifying, not concerned with exercise and didn't juice long enough to feel this good. So what I've been noticing is that when I go for a walk, which isn't even strenuous, my muscles feel tight, or maybe firm is the better word, and even if I have some knee or foot pain while I'm exercising...it is quickly gone. I'm finding that I also am having less stiffness of joints and muscles a few hours later like I have had in the past after a workout.

None of these "down" sides to eating and living healthy are reasons for me, or you, to give up. In fact, all of them are indications that I am on the right track and need to keep going. Weight loss isn't the only benefit, or even the best.

That Yucky Feeling Is Just Not Worth It

I've already noticed that It Doesn't Take Long for Change, and in the past I have had similar experiences after detoxifying my body. If or when you add food back into your diet to which you are either sensitive or have an allergy, your body will tell you...quickly.

So far, my list of foods to exclude or at least decrease to almost non-existent includes refined sugar, refined wheat, beef, pork and dairy. Today, I'm pretty certain I have to go even further and unfortunately, this one could have huge ramifications for one of my favorite activities...baking.

I am still juicing two or three times a day, but have been attempting to add in some healthy options too. I confess, they haven't all been healthy, but a majority have been. This morning I fixed my breakfast juice and was looking for my sourdough bread recipe...when I came across my pumpkin scone recipe instead. I even had some canned pumpkin already open in the refrigerator that needed used up too. It was too good to be true...literally.

I don't know what my body is rejecting, but ever since an hour after eating it, I have had a horrible, pounding headache. I have even felt lightheaded and fuzzy. I used whole ingredients, including a blend of gluten free and organic spelt flours, aluminium free baking powder, organic spices, pumpkin puree, farm fresh eggs, coconut oil and organic sucanot. There isn't much sugar in scones to begin with and I thought using sucanot, which hasn't been processed and refined would be even better. I was wrong.

This feeling is just not worth the brief taste experience of a fresh scone. My family will have to adjust to Mom baking less, but they've already done great with the changes I've made. This was the first time I've baked anything for breakfast since my juicing began on May 14th and they haven't complained once.

I truly am okay with giving up breakfast carbs if it means being healthy...but I'm left with one lingering question: Next week, on our vacation, without my ever-present juicer and smoothie blender by my side...how will I consistently eat healthy so I can avoid missteps like this one?

It Doesn't Take Long for Change

The body is a remarkable thing...as it is designed by its Creator to be. I have been juicing two weeks and one day. I have not strictly juiced, but when I have eaten food...about 90% of my choices have been healthy. Why I find the body to be so amazing is that I could probably recount for you just exactly what has not been good for my body by how the food has affected me.

I've experienced this in the past also:

• Eliminate all dairy for two weeks, then have some cheese and you get runny nose and congestion the next day
• Detoxify your body completely then attempt to switch to organic soy milk (this was about nine years ago) and feel it burn all the way down to your stomach...clarifying that you are indeed sensitive to soy
• During that same detoxification, continue to use your old Mary Kay eye makeup and watch as your eye turns red, itchy and swollen because your body is saying, "There is no way I am letting you put that c--- back on me!"
• After having eliminated meat from your diet, have a small amount and you'll have heart burn like never before for the rest of the night

Such was the case with my beautiful meal pictured above last night. It was my oldest daughter's last home economics meal for the semester and I let her choose anything she wanted. She selected Olympian burgers which were very yummy. I had the smallest burger available and ate it along with all of the colorful, beautiful fruits and veggies you see in the photo. 

But I should have known based on my past experience with attempting to eat Vegan a couple of years ago...when you eliminate items from your body...that are just not good for your body...your body will let you know it...and quickly! So while I was thrilled to not make dinner and it was delicious...I have to remember in the future to continue to abstain from red meat. It is just too challenging for my stomach enzymes to digest and I do not enjoy heartburn.

The good news is, I'm also becoming adept at distinguishing how much wheat is too much wheat and the same goes for sugar. Discerning, listening to and obeying our God-given body cues are the best way to stay on track with our health. But I adamantly recommend a thorough detoxification first. Your body really does come alive and your senses awaken when you get all of that clutter out. No joke...the water in my shower even feels hotter when I'm cleansed and eating well!

The best thing about listening to your body is that when you do have something that irritates, you can also ask yourself what you need to eat or drink to get yourself back on track. Last night...for me...it was a mango, kiwi, orange juice, coconut water smoothie. Halfway through it, the heartburn was gone and it never returned.

Energy!

I found this poster of plant energy, also known as photosynthesis (even though it's spelled wrong at the top), and thought it is precisely what I needed to use to convey the message of energy found in plant foods.

Think about it...following the diagram above...plants use the sun, and water to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and life that we need. All the goodness of the sun and rainwater, plus, the plant's own amazing concoction of chlorophyll and chemicals is all trapped inside it's little plant cell walls. So why wouldn't that be exactly what your body needs for health, energy and life?

And here's what is happening to my body as I fill it with all of this life-giving energy...I become more energetic too. Granted, I can't run a marathon...yet...but I haven't trained for one either. What I am capable of is with 5 to 6 hours of sleep, not getting groggy and needing a mid-afternoon Starbucks to get me through the day. No joke, I've had only 5 to 6 hours of sleep each night for the past week and the only time I've not felt rested was the two or three when I had processed, refined food (even in small amounts) the day before. Cheese or any dairy, white flour, white sugar and meat are your enemy if you want more energy.

In documentaries like Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead or other juicing testimonials I've watched on YouTube, the common symptom of juicing that blows people away is the overabundance of energy they have and have never experienced before. Don't believe me? Give it a try!

Now, while I'm slowly building up my workout routine (because my body has been abused for far too long), I'm not signing up for any 5Ks, 10Ks, etc. Those are hopefully down the not-too-distant road. But what I am doing is keeping up with my friend's 10 month old baby everyday, household chores, walks to the grocery store and purging my house of unneeded items...all without feeling like I'm going to collapse at dinner time.

For now...I'll take it!

Fresh vs. Bagged

          


I'm not promoting any one brand of baby spinach over another. My observations are purely for the sake of getting the most benefit and bang for my buck when it comes to juicing greens. I've pictured spinach above, but have had the same experiences with kale, romaine lettuce and leaf lettuce.

When I juiced in the past, I would always use bagged spinach. Why wouldn't I? It was the easiest, fastest way to get my juicing done and required no washing. But once I tried the fresh bunches of spinach in the organic section, I will never go back. Sure there's a little gritty sand to wash off, but I can use the same amount of spinach for my juice recipe and get double or more the amount of juice.

That makes sense when you think about it though, doesn't it? All bagged greens have been pre-washed and spun (just like a salad spinner) to remove the water so the greens will remain fresh during packaging and shipment to your store. Lots of water in an enclosed bag = nasty greens when you take them home.

But doesn't it stand to reason that when all of that high-powered spinning to get the greens dry is going on...some of the juice would be lost also?

Yes, I absolutely do recommend organic greens. The cost is usually not that much higher and if you're buying fresh, instead of the bag or box...they are always less per pound than conventional greens in a bag. One bag of Dole salad mix can cost $2.50 or more and will feed me about two salads. One bunch of red or green leaf lettuce is between $1.19-$1.49 per pound and one bunch will last for 3-5 salads. When I'm wanting convenience, I buy the box of organic greens, but we have to use it more quickly than the fresh bunches.

Switching back to my juicing gears. Here are some of the amazing health benefits of juicing your greens:

• Spinach is high in Vitamins A, B2, B6, C, E and K, magnesium, manganese, folate, iron, calcium, potassium, protein (important for a juice fast!), phosphorus, zinc, niacin, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids (if you don't want to eat fish!)
• Kale is high in Vitamins C and K, beta carotene, calcium, lutein and zeaxanthin. Plus Kale and broccoli are both high in sulforaphane, a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties.
• Leaf lettuce (with the exception of iceberg) is high in Vitamins A, C and K, potassium, iron, calcium and supplies fiber, carbohydrates, protein and a small amount of fat. Just remember, the darker the green of your lettuce, the healthier it will be!

Of course, eating your greens are a great way to get all of these benefits, but when you juice, you're giving your body all of those micronutrients in a high dose form, straight into your bloodstream because your body doesn't have to work to break them down.

An Easy Way to Start

I knew going public about my juice fast could generate some questions, but I've actually been a little surprised at the response. I've been asked about how it's affecting/changing me, how long I plan to juice and even to share some recipes. I have been sharing articles and other information about health that I come across through Twitter which also pastes onto Facebook. Follow me on Twitter if you'd like to read those. I may begin to post them through here if I have the time.

As I've pondered some of these questions, I keep coming back to this thought: "How do people who've never juiced for health get started?" The photo above represents my best effort at an easy answer...citrus juicing.

Just go to Amazon.com and you'll find more options for juicers than you could ever possibly want. There are those that use centrifugal force or shred into pulp and then juice the pulp or even those specifically for juicing wheat, alfalfa and barley grasses. I, personally, have a GE juicer that uses centrifugal force and it has done well for over two years now. Admittedly, the blades are getting dull and I'd like to have less pulp in my juice, but I've yet to find a replacement blade basket for it. But varieties of juicers abound, and so do the prices. You can spend from $40 to $2400 depending on the maker, model and what you would like to accomplish. My GE juicer is around the $40-50 option. But if I were knowingly fighting cancer with my juices, you better believe I would invest in the top of the line Norwalk Juicers as recommended by the Gerson Institute. It is at the very top of the price range too.

But for the casual juicer or for the one that doesn't know where to start or even the person that wants to juice but has a very limited budget, there is good news. A standard citrus juicer, like the one in my photo, can be found for as little as $12-$24. I purchased mine at Ollies, but they are widely available. Actually, for citrus, they are the recommended juicer. Centrifugal force juicers will tell you they can juice citrus, but you have to peel them and damaging the flesh of the citrus while juicing is not recommended. According to the Gerson Therapy, any juice press in which an orange is inserted with its skin, when it is pressed, will emit harmful fatty acids and aromatic substances contained on the surface.

The great news though is that not only is this a cheaper juicer to own...citrus, pound for pound, will give you more juice than apples, carrots, beets, greens and many other fruits and vegetables. True, you need more than just citrus juice...but again, this is a post to encourage you to simply get started somewhere. And honestly, once you've had fresh squeezed orange juice, you will never want to go back to juice from concentrate and you may not even be able to bring yourself to purchase it in the carton either. When my kids have about 4 ounces of fresh-squeezed juice in the morning, they are often not hungry until lunchtime. No matter what western nutritionists try to tell you, waiting until later in the day to eat is healthy for your digestive system. That's why we call it break-fast.

I haven't even gotten to the health benefits yet. For one thing, you don't have to buy organic. Some seasons, the organic is the same price as conventional, so I do purchase it. But when organic costs more, and I'm not using the peel, I feel okay with buying conventional citrus.

Make your own lemonade or limeade with fresh squeezed juice, raw honey to taste and water and you have a great summer drink that's healthy for you too. Juiced grapefruit is far and away better tasting than anything that comes in a glass containter or metal can. Plus, when your juice hasn't been processed in a factory, that means it hasn't been heated and all of the micronutrients that you're body needs are still in the juice. When my kids have colds, the first plan of attack is fresh-squeezed orange juice, then supplement Vitamin C, zinc and echinacea as needed. 

Some benefits of citrus juicing:

• Rich in Vitamin C, most B vitamins, folic acid, beta carotene, potassium, calcium and even iron and zinc...and more! (depending upon the fruit)
• About two oranges can yield a full serving of 2-4 ounces of juice
• No peeling required, just slice in half and juice
• Citrus juicer clean up is much easier than a standard juicer.
• Many citrus juicers allow you to select and set the amount of pulp you would like in your juice.

For more information, check out All About Juicing

***One note of caution, if you are juice fasting, do not overdo your amount of citrus. Too much, without solid foods in your stomach, can irritate it. Listen to your body. There are juicing recipes for citrus mixed with greens available too.

The Last Two Days

I had great intentions...but putting it into practice has been a different story. Yesterday and today, I have eaten food...some of it not healthy...although the improvement is that it has been in very small amounts. So here's what has happened. Remember this is an effort at transparency to keep me on track, that is why I share.

I did well yesterday until late afternoon, when I was out running errands. I thought I could fight off the urge to stop at the new Panda Express in Florence...but I was wrong. The good news is...I won't be stopping again anytime soon. Leah and I shared a two entree meal. She had orange chicken and I had two bites of it. I chose the "slim wok" (or whatever it is called). This is non-breaded chicken, stir fried in teriyaki with string beans and onions. We chose steamed brown rice as our side. We split this and still threw away half of the rice. American portions are ostentatiously outrageous!

Yet, even though I was neither stuffed, nor even full...less than 30 minutes later I was bloated, swollen and had a headache. Apparently, the MSG...either added or natural from soy sauce...was causing my body to rebel. Okay! I swear! Lesson learned!!

But, oh that popcorn...

Yes, I had some again. It was still homemade and healthier than any store bought. And even though I ate about two cups (less than the last time) I woke up this morning with more dry mouth, dry eyes and feeling loopy. Last night I could tell the salt was dehydrating me so I chugged almost a half gallon of water before bed. I do think it helped, but even with all of that water, I didn't need to get up in the night to use the bathroom. What does that say about the effects of sodium on the body? Even sea salt?

And today is my son's birthday. He wanted donuts for breakfast. Sadly, I obliged. I knew I would have a busy morning, so I picked up a juice at the store while I was out. Okay...here's the worst part about this...I never did get around to juicing today. So I didn't start off too well and although what I've eaten has been mostly good (a salad with grilled chicken, spinach, fresh greens and green onion from our patio, cucumber, nutritional yeast, and about 1 tablespoon of dressing), I did indulge in about 10 french fries from McDonalds too. Let me just add...yuck!

Here's the good in today though. The grocery store accidentally sent an extra donut home with us. I love donuts, but only allowed myself a two inch by half inch sliver. I cannot describe the nasty film that coated the roof of my mouth nor how bad it tasted. Yes...that is a good thing!

So tonight is Noah's birthday dinner out at the place of his choosing. I will do my best to choose wisely, but even with the choices I've made today, which are monumental miles better than in the past...I'm sitting here feeling awful.

Praise God...tomorrow is a new day and I have plenty of oranges, apples, sweet potatoes, grapefruit, kale, spinach, and carrots to juice. I don't like feeling this way...so it's got to stop...there's no turning back!

******************************************************************

Brief summary of the week though. In one weeks time, I have lost 10.5 pounds!

I'm Still Learning

You will never hear me say I am perfect. That's partly why I wanted to go public with this juice fast. I know I am most weak in the area of food and the online accountability is helping.

If you know anyone that knows more about what is good for your body and what is not than I do...then I would love to meet them. I am not boasting though, because my implementation of it is a whole different story!

My greatest desire is to obey God in every part of my life and food is the one that always trips me up. That is not a great revelation, but it is truth that needs to be said. I also believe that He gave us pure, wonderful, flavorful food from His good Earth for our enjoyment...and we have completely messed it up.

I also know that while there is nothing sinful about cake, donuts, pie, cookies or any processed food that we can get our hands on...a steady diet of it leaves me feeling tired, run down and even makes my body too sick to function optimally. Processed sugar is not a sin...but it is not necessary for life.

I also believe that in order to "run the race" (see Hebrews 12:1) that we as Christians are all called to...I can not keep up with the pace my Abba has set before me if I'm loaded down with nasty foods that can even cause chronic, debilitating diseases...like arthritis, cancer, fibromyalgia, or osteoporosis. And even as a woman entering a later phase of life, if I am having horrible mood swings, hot flashes, cramping, and heavy, erratic cycles...I feel strongly that these can all be reversed with proper nutrition. I have experienced it first hand. We were not created just to suffer.

So I know all of this and believe it wholeheartedly...but it's still a struggle to implement it daily. Yesterday, was a good example. I did well juicing, but took the kids for a small, fast food, late lunch...and that was the first mistake. I shouldn't feed this junk to my kids either! I attempted to choose healthy, but even a grilled chicken caesar salad is not healthy at Burger King.

I proudly poured my dressing into the lid so I could use the old dieter's trick of dipping my fork in it instead of loading up the salad. I laughed because they gave me two packets of dressing and I used less than a quarter of one. Yet sadly, I know there are people that would use both. I say I was proud...until I finished and actually looked at the dressing ingredients: soybean oil (bad for hormones and is a genetically modified food), buttermilk (dairy is just not good for you, but do your own research) and a few more down the list was mono sodium glutamate. Yep, MSG...right there in my "natural" salad dressing. Here's a website with information about MSG side effects. One thing I do know though, is that it is put in food to make us addicted to it and it is used to fatten up rats for laboratory testing. There is no such thing as a fat mouse or rat. So when testing on obesity is done, in order to "fatten up" the rodent...yes, they feed it MSG. And this stuff is everywhere and under too many aliases to list here. Do your homework though. You can find more information with groups that promote truth in labelling.

Overall though, I felt okay, but probably too full after eating the salad. By dinnertime, I juiced again and was feeling pretty good. Then...I did the bad thing that just threw me over the edge...popcorn.

We make our own...on the stove top...with olive oil and sea salt...so it is much healthier than any microwave version or those made with copious amounts of soybean oil at a theater. But here's what I didn't realize and have never experienced before: issues from salt.

I have never added salt to my food at the table and use very little in cooking. Any recipes that call for it, I never measure it out...I just give a shake over the bowl or pot. Apparently, all this juicing though has pulled the unnecessary sodium from my cells and eating some popcorn last night was not the great experience I was hoping for.

I awakened this morning to a tongue that felt like cotton and my contact lenses sticking to my eyeballs...both indications that I was severely dehydrated. I was also up three pounds from the day before. I know you can have weight fluctuations from day to day...but three pounds was a pretty good indication that I was retaining water.

I say "I'm Still Learning"...but hopefully, this lesson is not one I'll have to repeat to "get it".

A friend asked me today how long I intended to continue the juicing. I realized I don't really have an answer for that. I don't plan on being militant about this, I just want to listen to my body and take cues from the natural ones that God has placed within each of us. My son's birthday is Tuesday, so I know we'll go out that night and I hope to make very wise choices. But my response to my friend was something like, "I think I need to do this until I've eliminated the caffeine, sugar, salt and other cravings I have." My ultimate goal is to continue this healthy, mostly vegan eating forever. I know that will be a difficult challenge. I have attempted it before. But with every day that I juice, I get one day closer to being free from the power of processed, refined foods that are literally killing us.

On the brighter side, I juiced for breakfast and finished it around 10 a.m. and didn't get to start my lunch juice until about 2:30 p.m. Sure, I was hungry...but it wasn't so uncontrollable that I was shoving everything I could find into my mouth. So there is progress. And for that, I am thankful!

Yesterday Was Tough!

By 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon, I had already had four juice meals. I attempt to limit myself to four not because I have to, but because that's a recommendation from the Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead documentary. I have discovered for myself also that my metabolism is so wrecked from years of yoyo dieting that my weight loss slows drastically or can even stop if I drink much more than that.

I knew there was no way I would make it to bedtime without eating something. Sure, I could have just juiced some more, but again, that almost overwhelming desire to chew was not dissipating. So I tried to make the healthiest choices that would satisfy the cravings I had.

About 1 1/2 cups of watermelon (which is mostly juice anyway), another small piece of homemade whole spelt sourdough toast fixed the same way as the night before and I finally buckled under the pressure of popcorn. But I ate it slowly so as not to consume too much. It was probably between 1/4-1/3 cup. Plus, it was homemade, by our 12 year old, with olive oil and sea salt.

I went to bed feeling satisfied and slept through the night and was well rested this morning.  I was pleasantly surprised to get on the scales and see that I'd lost three more pounds. That's a total of 10 in four days.

I don't recommend straying from the juicing during a juice fast, but if you absolutely have to, ask yourself "what is my body craving" and attempt to find the healthiest way to satisfy it. I am certain that last night I needed something sweet (watermelon), protein (whole spelt toast with raw cashew butter) and something to crunch (stove top popcorn made in olive oil).

I am aware that so much detail isn't necessary, but this is truly helping me stay on track. If all of this is too monotonous for you, then feel free to skip these posts about my juice fast. I guess I feel that if even one person is inspired to make better food choices and I get healthier in the process, it will have been worth the risk of vulnerability to the blogging world!

Keep juicing!

Last Night My Resolve Broke

Transparency during this juice fast is important to me, so I already tweeted last night that I briefly gave in to the desire to chew. Upon further examination, I think I really wasn't even that hungry.

I had been to see Star Trek and successfully withstood the temptation of my favorite...movie theatre popcorn. By the time I arrived home though, I had an almost overwhelming urge to simply chew. I am a tooth grinder, on occasion, and I often eat crunchy or crispy foods to aid in de-stressing...like, popcorn. I am certain I could have avoided giving in, but I think too much store-bought juice (with less nutrients, see All Juice is Not Alike)  combined with fatigue made it easier to give in.

My "big cheat" was a small piece of homemade whole spelt sourdough bread (about the size of a half slice of regular bread) with 1 tablespoon homemade raw cashew butter and 1 teaspoon raw honey on it. I definitely chose healthy because of this public accountability.

I've been aware of my need to crunch for quite awhile. My hope and prayer is that now that I am learning to recognize it as it's happening, I can develop strategies to combat it.

All Juice is Not Alike

Juice is juice, right?

Well, maybe not. I'm certain a multitude of expert opinions abound on the internet, but here's the gist of what I know.

Today, I went to Kroger to get a bottle or two of juice. I was meeting two ladies for breakfast and didn't want to assume the restaurant would have what I needed. Also since it was my morning for Bible study, I wanted to be prepared to ward off hunger pains.

The first bottle I picked up was my go to Bolthouse Farms Green Goodness. Our family has been drinking this for years. It's my "go to" because when I'm juicing and need to go out for errands, meet in a place where there will be food or just can't juice before I leave home, this is what I grab. It's chock full of good things like green tea, spirulina, barley grass, wheat grass, chlorella, echinacea, blue green algae, nova scotia dulse and it tastes great too. Believe it or not...it does. It also is loaded with pineapple juice concentrate, apple juice concentrate, mango puree, banana puree and kiwi puree.

But here's what I know about juice concentrate...it has been cooked, processed and basically depleted of all the good enzymes and micronutrients that our bodies need for health, healing and protection against the havoc wreaked by our environment and refined foods. Sure my Green Goodness will stave off hunger, but it's not nourishing me the way my body needs.

Enter the Sambazon Energy juice. It's organic! It's made from juice, not concentrate and they've added good things like Fair Trade acai juice, yerba mate, guarana. I felt pretty good about finding this new option, but then I got to my car and actually put on my reading glasses. [I don't like getting old!] Hidden in the midst of the ingredients was this: organic cane sugar. Sure it's organic...but it's still refined sugar...something I'm attempting to detox from while I juice.

On the drive home from Bible study, I even started to feel a little loopy and tired. Not a good result for the energy drink, ya think? So the first thing I did after putting my things away was fix my own...fresh from the fruit and veggie juice. If I had each of these options poured into a glass, I think even with a photo you could spot the difference.

The color, the texture, the taste, everything about it screams This is how God intended us to enjoy the food He created...alive and straight from the earth to our bodies. Granted, I don't have any citrus trees in my backyard, so I already have the delay of fresh picked, travelling hundreds of miles, to my local store and then home. But all of this is encouraging me to seek out local sources for fresher options this years. I also can't wait for our patio garden to start producing. But I digress...

Bottom line, know what you're putting in your body and make it good stuff while you're at it!

Recap of Day One

I promise I won't do this every day, but to start out...I thought I'd share a little about how I did. Mornings are usually the easiest and it was this time also. But I was long overdue for making my somewhat weekly sourdough bread. I thought I'd had the brilliant idea to make two batches and thus freeze two loaves. True...I could...but it also meant torturing myself with that fresh-baked bread smell for over an hour.

Somehow I made it. Texting my juicing buddy helped. Although, I began to fear that I could get sneaky with nibbling and not feel the need to make it known to her. I think that's why I had the idea to go public with this.

Sure, I hope to inspire someone else to take control of their health...but honestly my first goal is to get through these first three days. They are always the toughest. And I think this "going public" thing is working...at least it did last night.

I made crispy oven potatoes for the family for dinner. The crunchy bits in the pan were calling my name! Three times I caught myself reaching for a tiny taste and I heard "that Voice" ask me if I would be honest and share that I'd had those on Twitter too.

I, sadly, rarely stop and think before eating. This is one of my major hurdles. So at least for last night, the addition of updating through Twitter was a huge benefit.

Here's to another day of juicing! Remember...My goal is three days for now. Although I hope to go much longer, this is where I have to start.

I will definitely continue to update through Twitter. You can find me and follow along by clicking on the link to the left above.

****I feel that I need to add a brief disclaimer/apology to some of my international readers. When over half the world is malnourished, I am somewhat ashamed that I need to juice fast to break this addiction that I have had to food for most of my life. But it is the biggest stronghold I face. My prayer is that this is it...the last time I have to get it right. My Enemy is telling me this is just one more chance to fail. If me or my journey come to mind, please pray that I will succeed in letting the Spirit have complete control of everything...including food!

You'll Know It All!

This morning I started a juice fast/reboot. I have someone that I have buddied up with, but I won't reveal whom so as not to put them on the spot. But I feel compelled to share this experience with a broader audience. I have a few reasons...one, that a little more accountability can't hurt. I know this isn't true accountability because it's one sided.

I confess that I have done several juice fasts before, the longest lasting almost a week. But I have always felt like I have failed because I go right back to my old (bad) ways of eating. So this time, I thought that maybe if I took a few of you along for the ride, I would be inspired to make permanent changes. Here's hoping!

I plan to Tweet this experience. You can follow me by clicking on the Twitter link on the upper left. I'll be nothing, if not honest and just maybe you'll get some inspiration for change too.

The photo above was my breakfast this morning. It was grapefruit, orange, apple, carrot, sweet potato and it was delicious. As I type this, I'm drinking my lunch of kale, apple, cucumber, carrot juice. It's pretty good too.

Juicing is not just for weight loss either. Thousands of people have found health and healing for chronic and debilitating illnesses through juicing. If you'd like more information about juicing, the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead is a great place to start. They also have a Facebook page and website with lots of recipes and advice, plus supervised reboots. You'll find it at www.rebootwithjoe.com Other internet websites with juicing recipes and info abound.

Stay tuned...I plan to update often.