Day 1: letting go of definitions

April 26, 2008

* In Dec, 2014, I went back and manipulated the dates so that my juice feast could be read in order from start to finish. However, I added the original date to the start of each post. 

Here we go!

1 Qt: smoothie (after this I don't use frozen fruit, and this drink is not strained through a nut milk bag, though the rest will be): banana, fzn pineapples, fzn mango, comfrey leaves, arugula sprouts, mint, lemon balm water.

wheatgrass juice in water

1 Qt + 1 cup: celery, apple and water

1 Tbsp chlorophyll in water

1/2 Qt: pineapple spinach juice (blended and strained through nut milk bag)

Raspberry leaf infusion (strong tea)

1+ Qt: carrot, cucumber, chard, apples, water, and 1 tsp spirulina

Today I opened up Eckart Tolle's A New Earth for a random quote, this is what it said:

"Give up defining yourself - to yourself and to others."

So here I was yesterday, in my intro, defining myself.

I am not all those things I said yesterday; I just AM.

That will be a little something to ponder.

Also, I plan on adding more supplements: MSM, digestive enzymes, hemp oil, and bee pollen at least. They recommend these and other supplements on www.juicefeasting.com.

You can read what Paul Pitchford says about bee pollen in Healing with Whole Foods, pp. 111-112.

Pitchford recommends trying just a grain on your tongue to test for allergies, which is a great idea because my husband tried a few grains and had a severe allergy!
Care, presence and gratitude.

Day 2: Rooting out cravings

April 27, 2008

Today's juices:

1/2 Qt Pineapple, Spinach, Water
1/2 Qt Blended watermelon
some granules of bee pollen to try it out
1/2 Qt water
1/2 qt plus 1 cup carrot + juice from yesterday
juice of about 2.5 oranges (I juiced four, but Ella drank some, too)
1Qt: tomato, garlic greens, onion greens, yellow pepper, cucumber, celery, collard, parsley, cilantro, lemon juice, kelp, dulse and water
1/2 tsp coconut oil with a drizzle of honey, followed by water, which made my stomach burn a little. And the pain went up to the front of my right shoulder.
1/2 Qt. water with chlorophyll
1 1/2 Q pineapple, orange, spinach and water
wheatgrass juice in water

My random quote from Eckart Tolle today is:

"What is it in humans that loves to feel bad and calls it good? The pain-body, of course." (p.153 of A New Earth.)

That is a big WOW for me when it comes to food. While making my daughter's mashed potatoes and lentils today I thought, "I want it!" But how could I? It makes me feel so bad when I eat that way. But the food is so good! How can that be? I never thought it was my pain-body creating that craving. Calling that food good just to make me feel bad, because the pain-body, of course is all about pain.

I was used to understanding the pain-body in terms of my irritability, anger, and what-not. I can usually catch myself, knowing it is my pain-body feeding on those emotions. But to think of it this way sheds a whole new light.

What I realize with the juicing (and raw foods in general), is the ABSENCE of fullness, bloating, pain. And really I don't notice the absence, so it feels uncomfortable to me. The pain is not there, and so my pain-body (for more info about the pain body, look at Tolle's A New Earth or The Power of Now) is saying, "Eat this! Mmmmm, doesn't that pizza look good? Oh, yes, that is soooo good" because it wants me to feel bad, because the pain-body is like another being living inside me, and it lives on pain.

I ordered my supplements from iherb today! If you've never seen iherb, check them out: great prices.

In fact, after this last order they gave me a referral code to pass along. If you order from them, use referral code: MEL526 for $5-off.

Enjoy!

Symptoms:

My left foot hurts so much! I broke it two years ago, but it healed so quickly and has never given me pain.
rt ankle also hurt a lot. That is from a bad break when I was in high school.
insomnia last night - barely slept at all

yesterday: day 1 during my nap: dreamed I gave birth - easily, unassisted. The baby came out still in her sac (not sure if it was a girl or boy, actually.)

Day 3

April 28, 2008

I woke early because I was so hungry! I did EFT: tapping on the points saying "even though I am hungry, juice is nourishing me" (or something to that effect.) But I got up at 4:55 am and made juice. Today I had:

3/4 qt: orange, banana, spinach, 1 tsp spirulina, water
1 3/4 qt: beet, beet greens, collard, apple, carrot, water and 1 tsp bee pollen
1 1/4 qt: celery, cuke, collard, apple, lemon, romaine lettuce and water
1 qt: orange, papaya, banana, spinach, mint, lemon balm and water
1/2 qt: mango, water, ice and pinch real salt in blender (no filter)

Went to the zoo today and had good energy, but felt hungry. Brought the juice with me. Making three different quarts of juice and washing all the machines took less than an hour. (I used our Jack Lelane juice and the blender with nutmilk bag.)

I haven't had a bowel movement in three days and according to juicefeasting.com I should have 2-3/day! I decided I needed to try the enema thing. First time ever so was trying to get a feel for the whole thing. Did get some stool out, though.

Day 4: Salsa juice

April 29, 2008

Yesterday at the zoo I was craving the salsa we brought for Ella. It was from Mad Mex (a great local restaurant) and it was their fresh raw salsa. Today I tried to create the salsa as a juice: success! It was delicious and very satisfying.

Today I drank:

1/3 qt: grapefruit, mint, lemon balm, and lg tsp bee pollen
2/3 qt: yesterday's carrot, etc
wheatgrass juice in water
1 qt salsa juice: tomato, cuke, celery, collard, cilantro, lemon, salt, yellow pepper, garlic, onion, water
1 qt: pineapple, orange, spinach, with 1 tsp spirulina and water
1 1/4 qt: carrot, apple, beet
nettle tea

Did another enema tonight. They recommend morning, which does make more sense in terms of Chinese medicine: the bowel time is 5 am - 7 am. But I am more likely not to be disturbed when Ella falls asleep in the evening. From wee hours of the morning until she wakes up, Ella is a light sleeper who nurses quite a bit.

Symptoms today:
stickiness in teeth when molars meet
stiffness
slight headache and heavy head (frontal, above eyes)
right ankle pain
shoulders, upper back and neck achy after end of long day out with Ella

Day 5

April 30, 2008

Juices today:

2/3 qt: grapefruit, orange, mint, lemon balm, 1 tsp bee pollen
1/2 T coconut oil
nettle tea
1 qt: tomato, cuke, celery, collard, cilantro, lemon, kelp, fermented veggies, carrot, yellow pepper, onion, garlic, salt, water
1 2/3 qt: coconut water, lime, pineapple, papaya, mango, banana, mints, lemon balm, spinach, spirulina
1/2 qt: celery, cuke, lime, apple, collards

Sx:

exhausted today.
fuzzy teeth (brushed a lot)
pain in many joints (ankle, foot, wrist) -- anxiously awaiting my MSM!
cracked right thumb and middle finger -- also awaiting my hemp oil! Should probably add olive oil and more coconut oil meanwhile.
woke feeling shaky and weak during the night

I added the fermented veggies to the blender in hopes of getting probiotics. Dave assured me they would go through the sprout bag.

Dave started the master cleanse today! (He is experiencing lots of allergies and asthma this year: wheezing, coughing, itching eyes, etc.)

Here are some of my reasons for doing this juice feast:

1. To get as healthy as possible, and ready to have another baby
2. For best chances of a healthy and easy pregnancy and childbirth
3. If possible, to change Rh factor, or at least make it into a non-issue by being so healthy
4. To live an energetic and long life
5. To achieve ideal weight
6. To adjust physically and emotionally my way of eating/nourishment
7. Connect to the earth
8. To be free of joint pain, stiffness and achiness

Day 6

May 1, 2008

Juices:

• 1 qt: grapefruit, orange, spinach + 1 lg tsp bee pollen (I love the bee pollen!)
• wheatgrass in water
• 1 1/2 qt: tomato, cuke, celery, lime, pepper, arugula, dandelion greens, cilantro, salt, kelp, onion, garlic, water
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• raspberry leaf tea
• 1 qt: banana, young coconut flesh, pineapple, apple, lime, water, spinach
• 1 qt watermelon juice
• 1 qt: comfrey, chives, onion, garlic, arugula, dandelion greens, cilantro, lime, tomato, cuke, celery, pepper, salt, water, avocado, olive oil, spirulina

Today I really wanted to eat, and then I didn't, and then the real feelings came up: I was so sad and missed my daughter Molly so much.

Symptoms:

• slept great! the whole night through and I hardly ever have done that in my life
• hungry
• right thumb and middle finger still cracked
• phlegmy
• teeth not as fuzzy
• irritable this morning
• very tired by 6:30 pm
• fuzzy teeth returned in the evening

Today I asked "what is the answer to everything?" and then opened A New Earth to a random quote. The answer is: (from page 245)

"All you have to do is watch it happening."

Pictures from before and week 1

May 2, 2008




On the top is me just before starting the juice feast. Below is me on day 7. Hmmm. Maybe the slightest difference? Suddenly I have a neck, although I did just return from a yoga class in the second picture.

Before (top) = 182 lbs
Day 7 (below) = 175 lbs

Today's Juice:

• 1 Qt Grapefruit, orange, dandelion greens, spinach, peppermint, spearmint, applemint, lemon balm + 1 tsp bee pollen
• 1/2 Qt tomato etc from yesterday
• 1/2 Qt Butternut squash, apple, ginger and water with cinnamon (yum!)
• 1 Qt and 1 cup tomato, arugula, cuke, celery, lime, onion, garlic, yellow pepper, salt, onion powder (not a great idea, ick), tumeric, 1/4 tsp kelp, 1 tsp spirulina, olive oil
• 1 1/2 qt carrot, apple, beet and water
• coconut oil
• 1 cap cascara sagrada

I did do an enema tonight, which released some stuff, though I still feel bloated.

Felt very sad missing Molly this morning. Went to a great yoga class, though. Very inward focus, just what I needed.

Day 8

May 3, 2008

Last night I dreamed my teeth (and fillings) were falling out. In my dream, I had a nervous habit of pushing on my teeth, and then they'd just come out. I used to have this dream all the time, but I haven't had it in a long time. As usual, upon waking I checked my teeth, and they felt fine...strong, actually. (though still furry/fuzzy.)

Enema this morning...seemed like more went in that came out. Hmmm. I put salt into the water today, and a few drops of lavender oil.

Juices:

• 1/4 tsp MSM and lemon in 1/2 qt water
• 1 qt: 2 oranges, 1 grapefruit, spinach and 1 Tbsp bee pollen
• 1 2/3 qt: tomatoes, cuke, celery, cilantro, arugula, garlic, onion, hemp oil, spirulina, keop, orange pepper
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 qt strawberries, 2 apples, 1 banana, 1 orange -- YUM!
• 1 Tbsp liquid chlorophull in 1/2 qt water
• 1 qt yam, apple, lemon + yesterday's apple, carrot beet (mmm...sweet. The sweet potato is more starchy/powdery than the butternut sqash)
• 1 capsule cascara sagrada

Today, I entered all my foods into fitday.com because I read on Angela Stokes's juice feast blog that you are supposed to get at least 1500 calories. My breakdown was:
1735 calories: 14% fat, 79% carbs, 7% protein.
I'm sure it's slightly different, because I put in the raw foods, instead of juices.

I did a second enema tonight, though I didn't really want to (didn't listen to myself!) Suddenly I got a shooting, stabbing sharp pain across my intestines and into my anus. I couldn't sit or stand...I just had to hobble into bed and sleep. I used to get this years ago (in 1991-ish, when I was in massage school) because I had such awful constipation. But since having my first child 8 years ago (actually being pregnant with her) I haven't had a problem with constipation since...until now. So I'm not too happy with that.

Symptoms today:

• low back pain
• constipation
• rt shoulder tightness/pain
• shooting pain in intestines (while evacuating during enema)
• fuzzy feeling on teeth

Also...I haven't lost any weight since Wednesday. I'm not focused on the NUMBERS, but I think this is indicative of the constipation.

Day 9 -- Blip

May 4, 2008

Baby lambs quarters in my juice!

Well, today was a little blip in the journey.

I totally panicked about the constipation thing, I realize now. I had a headache a few days ago, and I didn't think twice about it. But constipation....wow! Interesting....

So, I did do some things today to get fiber...had a couple smoothies without straining them, and I did (gasp) eat some soaked prunes. But I stuck with juices for the most part and I think I will forge ahead with this now not-so-perfect juice feast.

Today I had:

• water with lemon and MSM
• 1 qt smoothie: orange, banana, water with 1 Tbsp liquid chlorophyll
• 1 qt juice: tomato, microgreens from thinning garden (with itty bitty lamb's quarters!! Yeah!), celery, cucumber, cilantro, lime, fermented veggies, hemp oil, orange pepper, garlic, onion, water mixed with yesterday's leftover green juice
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil drizzled with raw honey
• Raspberry tea
• 6 soaked prunes and drank the soak water, too
• ate a few pea sprouts and arugula microgreen from garden
• 1/2 qt smoothie: juice from a couple oranges, strawberries, apples, soaked prunes and soak water, baby lettuce
• wheatgrass in 1/2 qt water
• juice of 2 oranges with 2 tsp bee pollen

I read more about enemas in a book called "Prescription for Herbal Healing" by Phyllis Balch. I liked her explanation of how, and also she recommended putting lemon juice in the water.

Ok...going to try to not focus on the constipation. Just do what I need to do (enemas, movement/exercise) and move on.

Speaking of exercise, we dusted off our rebounder and I did 10 minutes today, in small segments (2 minutes, 3 min, 2 min, 1.5 minutes, 1.5 minutes). Ella and I took turns on it, and I stretched a bit while she jumped. I took a tiny walk, too.

Day 10: Back on Track

May 5, 2008

I had a much better day today! What I love about this whole juicing experience is the EASE of it all. I either use our juicer, which I then rinse out immediately, or I use the blender, gigantic measuring cup and nutmilk bag. Everything just rinses right out. I also use a colander to wash the greens and produce, a cutting board and knife. I use 2 one-quart jars (one to put my juice in, one to store extra in fridge), and that is basically it. It's just so simple.

Today I also thinned and weeded the garden - and I collected all the microgreens and edible weeds as I went along, and had a HUGE bagful when I was done. (Dave and Ella helped, too.)

My juices today:

• 1 tsp MSM and lemon in 1/2 qt water
  
• 1 qt: pesto juice! : tomato, basil, garlic, spinach, salt, hemp oil, kelp, water
  
• 1 qt: pineapple, orange, strawberries, and tons and tons of microgreens!
  
• 1 1/2 cups blended watermelon
  
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil with a drizzle of raw honey and some spirulina mixed in - like a decadent dessert!!
  
• 1 1/2 qts: tomato, carrot, celery, cuke, orange pepper, onion, garlic, cilantro, arugula and more microgreens, salt, lemon and lime.
  
• 1 cup orange juice (4 squeezed oranges) + 1 cup water
  
• 1/2 qt leftover yam, apple, carrot, beet (from a couple days ago...but it still tasted good. I added a cup or so of water.)

I also did 1/2 hour of yoga, with pandora set onto Enya station - delightful.

And I went overboard on the rebounder...10 minutes, then 2 minutes, then 10 minutes more after yoga, which was a mistake. BUT, I can tell I am craving more exercise, and need to get out walking or even jogging again. I'd love to run in the Greenfield Glide 5K on June 1!

Day 11 - Butterflies

May 6, 2008

I woke at 5 am today shaky and hungry. I knew I should have made a green veggie juice last night, but I went for what was already made: the sugary yam/apple/carrot/beet. I guess it threw my blood sugar off. I had a Tbsp of cholorphyll in 1/2 water, but it didn't help too much, though I was able to fall back to sleep eventually.

Today's juices:

• 3 qt: tomato, cucumber, celery, carrot, pepper, lemon, lime, onion, garlic, thyme, arugula, spinach, cilanto with hemp oil, kelp and spirulina
  
• 1 qt: strawberries, orange, apple, spinach
  
• just under a qt: grapefruit, orange, lime, cilantro and 3 types of mint from garden with honey and 1 Tbsp bee pollen
  
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil with honey and spirulina (after the first Tbsp, was so good I had to make more)

We're out of tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, limes and onions!

I ran a bit today. Maybe not even a mile, but I was out there. I also had the 1/2 hour walk back, and the walk around Phipps Conservatory...the butterflies were incredible there today.

Day 12: Lotsa savory veggie juice

May 7, 2008

I am craving lots of savory, onion-garlic-pepper type of juices with lots of greens! Though the fruit juices still taste yummy to me, it's just not what I want.

Today's juice:

• water with lemon and 1 tsp MSM
  
• 1 qt borscht: beet and beet greens, carrot, celery, cucumber, spinach, fermented veggies, lemon, garlic, with hemp oil, kelp and salt.
  
• 1 1/2 qt: fruit juice: strawberries, oranges, apples, banana, spinach + 1 Tbsp bee pollen
  
• nearly 3 qts tabouli juice: tomatoes, celery, cukes, carrot, parsley, mint, orange bell pepper, garlic, onion, lemon and greens and weeds: arugula, lamb's quarters, comfrey, dandelion greens, plantain leaves.
  
• 1 cup apple juice with water and lemon
  
• bite of an avocado (!!!)
  
• I took a sublingual B12 from Trader Joe's, which was made like a homeopathic remedy in that it was a big sugar (lactose) pill. It didn't seem to give me any extra energy. In fact, I'm quite tired right now (and hungry! After all that juice!)
  
• nearly 1 quart of watermelon juice

I had lots of juice today and I'm still hungry. I have 1/2 qt of the borscht juice left and maybe I'll drink that. Also we bought a big organic watermelon at Whole Foods, so perhaps I'll dive into that. (I ended up going with the watermelon, as you can see from above list.)

My raw friend Wendi of www.purejeevan.com came over and said I was glowing - so that's good news.

Day 13 - MSM

May 8, 2008

I just noticed I didn't have any MSM today. I haven't noticed a difference yet in my joint pain and stiffness...but to hear/read people's experience with it, it sounds amazing! (I added information about it below.)

Tomorrow will be 2 weeks of juice feasting! I'll post pictures.

My juices today:

• 1 qt watermelon juice with a squeeze of lemon
• 2 qts salsa juice: carrot, celery, cuke, tomato, onion, garlic, pepper, lime, homemade sprouts, spinach, cilantro and lime + spirulina, hemp oil, kelp
• 2 slices of avocado with lemon and salt
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil with spirulina and honey
• 1/2 qt: apple with lemon and water
• 1 qt: sprouts, spinach, apples, oranges, strawberries, banana with 1 Tbsp bee pollen
• dried nettle, fresh mint and fresh lemon balm tea
• 2 cups water with lemon and MSM (I'm drinking it now.)

Information about MSM can be found on the www.Juicefeasting.com website.



I also read that to make your own lotion: mix the msm powder into aloe gel or coconut oil.

Day 13 - post 2 - Feeling Sad

May 8, 2008


Baking holiday cookies at Wendi's

Today I wanted to eat again. I tried to convince myself that a raw food diet is just as good. I didn't eat, but later, while doing yoga in a quiet space, I looked up a picture of me on the beach, holding my beloved Molly, and the sadness just flowed: I cried and cried.

I'm grateful to have had 8 years with my loving daughter, but it went too fast. When she died, at first I could not accept the present moment at all. My mind literally tried to figure out how to go back in time (if all time exists now, why can't I go back?) Or, if not that, then how do I jump to a parallel existence (the ones that all the people in quantum physics talk about), - one where she is still alive?

Eventually I let go of that, but then I latched on to the anger I felt at the doctors - and myself for allowing her in their clutches (I can't possibly say "care", that's for sure.)

And finally, I just sometimes feel this incredible sadness and emptiness that she is not with me physically on this earth anymore.

One week on the New Earth webcast with Eckhart Tolle and Oprah, they talked about how when loved ones pass, you can actually feel their spirit with you more, if you can be open to that. I haven't experienced that peace yet, but it's comforting knowing that.

Leela Mata, of Peaceful Valley Ashram, told me that my sadness holds Molly to this past incarnation, and to do my best to let that go so she can move on with her journey. Mostly I feel like I do a good job, but sometime I just miss her so much.

Day 14 -- two weeks!

May 9, 2008


I think I'm going to post pictures monthly, because there doesn't seem to be a lot of change. ... To see Before and week 1 pictures, visit this entry

Today's juices:

• 1/2 qt: yesterday's fruit with spinach juice
  
• 1 qt: watermelon juice (organic! Juiced with skin)
  
• 2 qts: salsa juice + hemp oil and spirulina
  
• 1 qt: beet, carrot, celery, cuke, apple, parsely, arugula, mung bean sprouts, spinach
  
• 3/4 qt: apple juice+ water + 1 Tbsp liquid chlorophyll
  
• Tbsp coconut oil with spirulina and a drizzle of honey (yesterday, Ella said this tasted like frosting, and it totally does! I will frost a raw cookie or cake with it when I'm done with the fast. Though I might put raw cacao in for the spirulina ;-)
  
• (I'll probably have some watered down oj with chlorophyll and bee pollen later)

Yoga class today at Breathe yoga studio was divine, but difficult.

Then we went to visit D's parents...went on a walk in the park, but then back to their house while they ate Chinese food (oh, it smelled good) and I sipped my salsa juice. At least I wasn't alone: Dave finished Day 10 of the Master Cleanse today! He is so ready to eat. He usually can't stand Chinese food and says the smell makes him sick and today he said it was the hardest thing not to eat yet, it smelled so good.

He's hungry!

I'm hungry, too, though. Last night all I dreamed about was eating and eating and more eating and when I wasn't eating I was talking about going to the grocery store to get more food to eat. I woke during the night with such huge hunger pains! I tried having my leftover fruit juice, but it tasted too bitter (though this morning it tasted fine.) I'm hungry right now, too.

Start Weight: 182 lbs
End of week 1: 175
End of week 2: 172

Day 15 - Lucky Clover

May 10, 2008



Here's a four leaf clover my friend Tara found in our garden the other day

Yesterday on our walk I found a four leaf clover. And today, weeding in the garden, I saw a five-leaf clover! I took a picture...if it uploads well I'll post it.

Today, we were at Phipps again, taking in all the beautiful sights, and experiencing floods of butterflies (their butterfly room has NEVER been this good). We were outside in their chocolate exhibit when the stroller that had my quarts of juice on it tipped back -- and one of my jars broke! Oh, my precious juice! It was my savory one, too...all mixed with hemp oil and spirulina. I did have another quart of that juice, but without the oil (the oil really yums it up) or spirulina added.

After Phipps we made our rounds: Coop, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, and this time we tried to get enough for the whole week. It will certainly save us on gas money, the past two weeks we've been running across town for this or that every other day. Filling up our gas tank cost us $80 now, so one trip a week will be much better. Plus, more time in the garden. We spent $160 on my organic produce plus a couple extra things like bread, cheese, tomato sauce for the family. But we aren't eating out much (Ella still gets lunch at Phipps or Lulu's noodles when we're in Oakland), which hopefully balances out the increase in groceries.

I also did my caloric intake on Fitday again (just to be sure, since I've been so hungry) and I had about 1700 calories, which seems like it ought to be enough. 25% fat (with the 1/4 avocado - which I don't have every day, 1 Tbsp hemp oil and 1 Tbsp coconut oil - without the avo it was still 22% fat), 67% carbs, and 8% protein (34 grams, which is surely enough. Plus, I watched a great video of Tonya Kay talking about the protein question...I put it at the end of this entry. It's awesome.)

(Hey - it is my lucky day! Lime in the Coconut is on the radio right now! I'm listening to WERS's weekend kid's show The Playground - I used to live in Boston; WERS is a public radio station from Emerson College.) Now I feel I should put the video of Kermit the Frog singing this song (it's GREAT!)...but two videos in one entry? I'll have to post it tomorrow...something to look forward to.)

My juices:

• grapefruit, orange juice with water and 1 Tbsp liquid chlorophyll
• 1qt: watermelon juice with rind, plus 1 Tbsp liquid chlorophyll
• 1 qt: apple, lemon, water and 1 Tbsp liquid chlorophyll
• 1 qt: veggie juice: carrot, celery, cuke, tomato, spinach, sprouts, lemon, cilantro, onion, garlic, pepper
• 1 qt: corn, tomato, pepper, onion, garlic, cilantro, lime, lemon balm (huge amount from garden) baby lamb's quarters, sprouts, spinach some apple juice from above, hemp oil, spirulina
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil with bee pollen and honey mixed in
• 1/4 avocado with salt and lemon

Day 16 - Happy Mother's Day!

May 11, 2008

Here I am, making my Mother's Day juice: strawberries, apples, and lots of mint and lemon balm from the garden - it was really good!



Happy Mother's Day, everyone! Cheers!



For Mother's Day this year, I got myself ANASTASIA, the Complete 9 Book Set, By Vladimir Megre - yes, the WHOLE set. I've already read the first one, and it was really great.

My juices:

• Leftover apple juice from yesterday
• 1 qt: Mother's Day juice: strawberries, apples, bunch lemon balm and mints with water and chlorophyll
• leftover savory juices from yesterday (about 3/4 quart) with hemp oil
• coconut oil, spirulina and honey
• 1/4 avo with lemon and salt
• shared the water of a young coconut with Ella
• made 2 qts: corn, tomato, cuke, carrot, celery, lemon, lime, cilantro, sprouts, spinach, green apple, onion, yellow pepper, garlic, ginger - drank a quart so far
• also made a quart of watermelon juice

Yesterday I cleaned out my freezer and found old spirulina tablets, so I am finishing those.

Today I am cleaning out our spice and herb cabinet...it is overwhelming. So many little plastic baggies from the coop -- some so old the writing is gone. I put my newly bought dry herbs: raspberry leaves, nettle, and hawthorn berry, into jars. I've organized the seaweed. Washed the cabinets...it looks great in there...but I still have about 50 little baggies that are in limbo (I've thrown out a bunch) - maybe I have enough little jars to store some, I'll have to see.

Day 17: Making the Juice

May 12, 2008

Not much new to report today...the strawberry, apple, lemon balm mint juice may be the best thing on the planet, though. I did write an article about meditation, posted on the Birch Center blog (my sister blog to this one.)

Today my juices were pretty much the same as yesterday. I made them all in one sitting, though, so I thought I'd discuss how I go about making 5.5 quarts of three different kinds of juices and clean up all in less than an hour (or about an hour.)

• First: I make the fruit juices first. That way, I don't have to rinse the equipment before making the veggie juice. A little sweet apple in veggie juice (there's apple in there anyway!) is a lot better than onions and garlic in my fruit juices.
• I like getting something in the nut mylk bag, so I can hang it on a cabinet and get it dripping while I do other things. I saw this tip in David and Katrina's juice feasting blog a while back.
• In the blender I put my apples, strawberries, and mints (today there was an orange that Dave started to eat but didn't like, so that went in, too.) Oh, also some lovely fresh clover sprouts which just finished growing in our amazing FreshLife Sprouter - I love this thing! It is my favorite piece of equipment I've bought since going raw.
• I blend it all with some ice (I have a Kitchen Aid Blender, and if I blend too long the juice will warm up, so I add a little ice to keep the temp down. It works great.) Then I pour it in the nut mylk bag and hang it over an oversize measuring cup on a plate (I don't want to lose any precious juice!)
• Then I move over to the Jack Lelane juicer, and juice my watermelon - skin and all (it's organic - with seeds!! Since I will be trying to have another baby, I like to eat fertile fruit (with seeds), versus seedless.) I juiced 1/4 of the watermelon which makes about quart of juice. Pour into a quart jar, and put the lid on right away, so I don't accidentally spill it. If it makes extra, that is great because I will drink it right there.
• Then still on the Lelane, I juice carrots, celery (an entire bunch), cucumber, tomatoes, apples, bell pepper and a lemon with skin (organic.)
• Back to the blender to mix the greens: today was beet greens, sprouts and cilantro, with corn, onion, garlic and a lime, with a bit of water and ice.
• I squeeze out the rest of the fruit juice from the nut mylk bag, put it in a quart jar (drink any extra).
• I empty the pulp from the bag and pour the green juice in and squeeze that out.
• Then, I gather the pulp from the Lelane, which is still QUITE JUICY, stick that in the bag and squeeze that out, too. Today I got 2 extra cups of juice from the pulp!!! Yikes. Not a plus for the old Lelane Juicer. I may dig out our Champion Juicer before I'm done with the feast.
• I mix the two veggie juices together and that is my green veggie juice (GVJ)for the day (Today was 3 quarts!)
• I just rinse all my equipment, wipe the counter, compost the pulp, sweep the floor and I'm ready for the day!!

Days 18 and 19

May 14, 2008

Life gave me a kick in the pants yesterday, but by this morning I was able to look at the little glitch as a blessing and hopefully will move on gracefully. Just a little business glitch...the family is A-OK, thank goodness.

But the stress of yesterday really took it out of me. I tried to be present yesterday - even listened to some of Eckhart's webcast with Oprah to help me stay focused, but today I found myself out of breath at the littlest things (going upstairs, etc.)

BUT: I did have a marvelous and wonderful massage this morning - just what I needed! I noticed a big difference since being on this juice feast, too. Usually, as good as massages feel (I love massage, being a massage therapist myself), getting up off the table is painful: my lower back has usually seizes up and I'm stiff. But today, I only had a twinge of lower back pain (right side) at the end, and everything felt looser during and after the massage. Yay!

Yesterday I had only about 4 quarts of juice...which is the recommended amount, but I usually have more. I had the usual:

* juice of three oranges with water, chlorophyll and bee pollen

* strawberry, apple, mints, spinach, sprouts with 1 Tbsp chlorophyll - 1 quart

* watermelon with chlorophyll - 1 quart

* Green Veggie Juice (GVJ) with the usual suspects: carrots, cuke, celery, pepper, onion, tomato, garlic, spinach, cilantro, lime, lemon, sprouts, green apple - 2 quarts.

Today I made same as above, except the GVJ had orange beets and arugula as well, and so made 3 quarts.

So far I only drank the oj, apple/strawberry/mint/etc, 2 quarts of GVJ and some watermelon juice.

BUT, I made the most amazing soup (juice eaten with a spoon from a bowl) for dinner! Dave made lentil soup which smelled sooo very good, so I had to create something besides my usual.

Here is the recipe:

Juice:

* About 4 inches of the top of a butternut squash (mine was about 2" diameter)
* 1 tomato with a garlic clove pushed in (to get the garlic to through the juicer better)
* ginger
* 2 celery stalks
* 1/4 yellow pepper

To the bowl of delicious orange soup I added a squeeze of lemon and some hemp oil (optional). It was simply divine.

I wish I had taken a picture of this beautiful creation before gobbling (slurping) it up. Maybe I'll make it again tomorrow.

For eaters: some chopped tomato and basil in the soup would be amazing, I think.

The strawberries, watermelon and sprouts are gone (though I have sunflower sprouts starting in the old FreshLife Sprouter.

But a pineapple awaits, and Penni's mint julep recipe may be just the thing for tomorrow!

Day 20 - Encore of Squash Soup

May 15, 2008



I made it again - the delicious butternut squash soup (above.) By soup, of course I mean juice poured into a bowl and eaten with a spoon.

I posted the recipe yesterday, but it was so easy: juiced butternut squash, tomato, garlic, ginger, yellow bell pepper, celery with some lemon squeezed on top.

The rest of today's juice was loaded with greens...greens from the garden! Some kale, spinach, chard, and arugula, but more than that: lots of lamb's quarters and plantain leaves and other "weeds" that I now harvest for health! (When I weed and thin the garden now, I do it with a big bowl next to me.)

Sad news about the garden: we went to plant our 50 strawberry plants and when we opened the package they were all moldy :-( Luckily, when we called Miller's Nursery they agreed to replace them, because they are supposed to be OK for two weeks after shipping, and they just sent it out two weeks ago (phew.)

So we did our three sisters planting: squash, corn and beans. And we did it Anastasia-style: giving the seed information about us by putting it under our tongue and holding it in our hands up to the sun first. That way, the plants are supposed to learn about us and our health needs, and they will produce the fruits and vegetables in a way which helps us! (All that information is in the first Anastasia book, by Vladimir Megre.)

The rest of the juices for today were:

• 1 quart: pineapple and mints from the garden (spearmint, apple mint, peppermint, lemon balm)
• 1 quart: Green Veggie Juice (leftover from yesterday) with hemp oil
• about a quart of watermelon juice leftover from yesterday
• about 1 quart of the soup (above)
• and I still have 2 quarts of today's GVJ made that I didn't drink yet. It had the usual: celery, carrots, cucumber, yellow pepper, onion, garlic, lemon, lime, green apple, orange beets and greens greens greens! (I'm tasting it now, and I really notice the lack of cilantro. It's much better with cilantro and tomato.)
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil with spirulina and honey

I'll probably drink at least a quart of that green veggie juice, and maybe also have a little orange juice with bee pollen before the day is through.

Day 21 - Three Weeks!

May 16, 2008

Day 21 - Three Weeks - Yeah!

Today I have been juice feasting for three weeks! Unfortunately we did not get a picture today because it was a running around sort of day, but tomorrow should be more low-key so hopefully I'll get a picture and get it up there. I did lose some more weight:

start: 182 lbs
week 3: 168 lbs

Today I went to a blissful and amazing yoga class again at Breathe. I just love the teacher, Maggie. Today we did handstands...lots of great fun. I used to be a gymnast and at one time in my life I felt as at home on my hands as I did on my feet. I have been thinking of handstands lately...especially with my tight painful right shoulder - which isn't so tight and painful anymore! (I literally just noticed that.) I had recently been thinking it would be nice to get back up-side-down and also to be able to do a back bend again (which, even when I was doing flips and twists galore, I would wince at a "simple" walkover, because my back was never that flexible.) So perhaps tomorrow's picture I'll be on my hands (if not tomorrow, then in the near future) and maybe by the end of the feast, I'll be in a back bend! Stranger things have happened, right?

Today's Juice:

• juice of three oranges with water, bee pollen and chlorophyll
  
• 1 1/2 qts yesterday's GVJ (green veggie juice)
  
• 1 qt pineapple, spinach, cilantro, and parsley (wonderful!)
  
• 1/2 qt apples, celery, lime with water and chlorophyll
  
• 1 1/2 qts butternut squash, celery, tomatoes, yellow pepper, onion, garlic, ginger, spinach, cilantro, lime, lemon (this juice was delicious before adding the b'nut squash and celery, which I juiced separately in the Jack Lelane. Once I added the squash it became much sweeter and took on a totally different taste and was still quite good.)
  
• Also had 1/8 avocado with lemon juice and salt

Didn't have my regular oils today (hemp and coconut) because of all the running around. Also missed the spirulina and haven't taken MSM in quite a while. Must start that soon...I'm noticing at night that my elbow is quite stiff.

A final note: I did get my period today...fairly light and a little cramping, but I am so happy that my body is back into a cycle after the miscarriage/hemorrhage on April 9, and all the FEAR-based warnings the nurse-midwives had for me if I didn't get to the hospital right away, (which I didn't go at all) etc etc. So anyway, yeah for my body!