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