Raw Food: Clear Your Head

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I wanted to put some quick thoughts down and maybe give a boost of confidence to people who are falling off the raw food wagon. Something I consistently tell those who care, is that this lifestyle takes discipline. For me, I struggle against convenience. I recently re-joined a corporate work environment which requires exposure to restaurant food, free food provided at meetings, vending machines and a cafeteria in the office. It is so easy to buy back into the modern process because it fits the mold for the modern life we lead.

Approximately two weeks into my new environment things changed. I began to include green juice twice a day, which was a very positive addition. Clean energy in the morning and a nice afternoon pick me up. However, in between I was adding in energy drinks like my beloved RedBull and new favorite Rockstar Recovery. In addition to the caffeine and chemically fake energy drinks, I have been picking up a breakfast sandwich here and there which has Egg/Bacon/Ham on it and in a time crunch getting small bits of fast food for convenience. Soon after, I began to notice the powerful benefits of the green juice being overshadowed by the heavy, uncomfortable feeling of all the meats, chemicals and preservatives. Most noticeable and bothersome side effect of the crap food were my perceptions and overall attitude taking a considerable negative dive. I don't think I would have noticed this in the past, but having experienced the light, high energy feeling that going 100% raw gives me, it is obvious.

Quite literally, as I began to introduce the chemical elements that cause discomfort they began reproducing into my cell structure and it wasn't long before I noticed the physical effects. Little ailments like light headaches, aches, slow mornings and overall lack luster attitude are proving to me once again where the trade off is. Now, knowing it takes a couple weeks to feel the effects, I am choosing to do a quick hardcore reboot and clear my head. 

At least I say that, word to the wise.. this is much easier when you have support! Attempting to stick to my guns completely alone without supporting friends or family here is very trying, but that's exactly what I'll never give up. Trying! 

Weight: 182

Green Kale Juice (that won't make you puke!)

So, each time I venture into a Whole Foods I see these ANDI scores. Essentially they rate popular produce by its nutritional density. Kale hangs out up top, with a score of 1000. Read more about it for the grading scale and scientific theory. What we know for certain is this, drinking green juice elevates your mood and gives you clean energy that you absolutely miss if you skip a day or two.

Alot of people I have seen try green juice throw it out and dismiss it because it can be so nasty. I'm talking gag reflex bad. However, I stumbled into a great green juice recipe and the bonus kick is that it just so happens to include a lot of kale which is packed with energy equivalent to 2 or 3 glasses of many other juices!

Here it is:


4-5 leaves of kale
3-4 green granny smith apples
3-5 stalks of celery
1/2 - 1 cucumber

That's it! Tweak by an item or two to your taste.. no matter how you change it up, its all good no matter how you slice it.

I'm just beginning to test a rigorous green juice integration and will let you know how it goes. I'm also starting new exercise as I've finally lost all the weight I care about, now I really feel like focusing on physical activity. I haven't decided exactly what the routine will be, but I'm going to use green juice in good quantity.

Asta la Vista WWW!

Weight 173-ish.

Inspiration Strikes Again: Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead

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Truth be told, nearly dead is about how I feel. Not in the sense that I am overweight physically, but overweight mentally. It's been 3 months since I looked at this blog and nearly a month since I have touched my own juicer. I have been attempting to stay in the game by purchasing juice from juice bars, but it just isn't matching the quality and quantity of juicing at home.

I recently went through a very traumatic separation from someone I dearly loved. For awhile, I stuck with the diet. So vigorously in fact, that I was limiting my calorie intake to way below what a normal active person would need, yet sticking to perfect food. Organic, raw, local fruits, vegetables and herbs. I just wasn't taking in enough. I felt a looming depression and I just wasn't hungry. Staying the course with raw food made a tremendous difference in how I handled much of the stress and my emotions, however I have quickly been losing ground and slipped off the path. I would like to share why and how, briefly, so that anyone out there listening knows they are not alone.

Due to the separation, I made a relocation to Colorado. It was an attempt to start fresh and be near something I loved and was inspired by... open, rugged country. The mountains do something for me that is almost spiritual, in the same way I was drawn to the ocean and tropics of South Florida. However, a price tag has come with all the change and I am struggling to survive financially, emotionally and recently have been feeling poor physically. Some of the old irritations are re-surfacing and it is an instant reminder that I have let the current circumstance derail me from my progress towards healing and vitality.

In the last week, I have re-visited pizza, ice cream, alcohol and 30 minutes ago pounded a chocolate fudge cookie. Each time, I feel heavy, tired or have some type of headache, inflammation afterwards. The effect is mild compared to the pain I used to have, however, it is a small reminder that if I keep it up the pain will return. I forget that only 5 months ago I reached a point where I was willing to try anything on the planet in order to feel better. It absolutely amazes me how quickly my pain dissolved and now feels like a lifetime ago even though it was just 5 months.

Sometimes direction in life is subtle and missed, but tonight I watched a movie call "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead" that made me remember exactly how I felt when I began my first juice fast. I was willing to go the distance and nothing would stop me from my mission of healing. That intense focus and commitment is what brought me an overall total weight loss of nearly 50lbs and completely changed my life. Since then, I have been learning more everyday about how our body heals, stores food, fights disease and what it really takes to live a vital life. I feel I am far from where I want to be and all the personal distractions and emotions in my life have thrown me back into old mind patterns and attitudes that I recognize and want to stamp out immediately.

I recommend this film to anyone who wants a light-hearted, inspirational pick me up or for anyone who is new to juice fasting. It is truly a fantastic way to boost mood, energy and overall spirit. It puts you back in touch with nature, your body, sights, smells and heightens all your senses.

Tonight, I am ordering a new piece for my Champion Juicer (the blade is too dull!) and when I receive it, I'm going in for a full on juice fast. Although, in contrast to my recent experiments with water fasting and disease breakdown... with this, my true intention is to be completely full, flood my body with micro-nutrients and get that bursting clean energy back. I feel I truly need this in my life and hopefully this article appeals to someone out there who needs a quick, kick in the ass to get back in gear and change your life for the better.

In the spirit of the flick I just watched, good luck mate!

Current Weight: 180

Organic Junk Food?

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A mistake made by many people is to assume which foods are OK to buy and eat based on the labeling. "Oh! It's OK for me! It's organic!" is a phrase I hear quite often. I want to shed light on what "organic" really means and what the other labeling terms mean as well. You must believe that food companies are businesses and in a booming market such as Organics, the label is worth its weight in gold. This doesn't always mean that everything organic is best for you! Understanding the difference between the labels is the key to keeping integrity in your diet and ensuring the best health benefits as we currently understand them.

In order for USDA to uphold its responsibility to the people there are labels and regulations on the food at the market. This helps the consumer identify how it was grown, from where, etc. Below are common terms you will see at the store and a brief explanation of what it means. .

• Conventional: Grown with use of pesticides, herbicides and insecticides as well as oil-based synthetic fertilizers.
• All-Natural: Derived from a natural source, not synthetic but still processed, grown conventionally, preserved and sometimes chemically broken down (extracts, chemical isolates) 
• Organic: Grown from sustainable methods without the use of pesticides, herbicides and insecticides or synthetic fertilizers. An organic food can still be cooked, processed and preserved and contain chemical isolates and extracts as long as the source was organically grown and derived..
• Raw: Uncooked, freshly removed from the living source. Unprocessed. No alterations from its living state.Example: A fresh Apple.
• Fresh: Recently harvested, picked and unprocessed.
• Fresh Frozen: Frozen shortly after harvest.Vitamins and minerals are mostly intact, digestive enzymes are lost.
• Frozen: Could be cooked or raw and just frozen to preserve. Nutrient quality will vary.
• Boxed (Processed): Things like Mac N Cheese, Hamburger Helper. Mostly empty calories (no worthy nutrients)
• Canned: Preservatives are guaranteed, most vitamins and minerals lost, not worth much more than empty calories.

I have located the offical USDA Organic Foods Production Act which provides in depth definitions between page 1-3 on many commonly misunderstood terms. 

In order to reach a clean diet, I choose to look for purely raw organic foods first and always. Second best is raw conventional (wash the produce well!)

You can see how a label or "organic" might not necessarily mean it is premium nutrition for your body, can be digested easily or if you will even get any benefit from it at all. Even worse, there is potential to receive negative impact from the cooking and preservation process.

Check out this article for an athletes perspective on the reality of junk organics from BodyBuilding.com. If found it helpful.

Organic Junk Food

Cheating on the Raw Food Lifestyle

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As I return to food I have been presented with various opportunities to cheat in the name of convenience and pleasure each bringing a degree of satisfaction and awareness.

Take pizza. There are many raw pizza recipesout there to give you an alternative to Papa Johns. They require heavy time and preparation and have a wonderful gourmet feel. With the extraordinary amount of work it takes to make this kind of pizza, an old habit tells you cheating is supposed to be faster, easier, impulse.... and taste better.

To a degree, you need rewards to keep balance. One night of pizza hut is not going to undo all your valiant efforts and hard work and it will taste great. But it will set your progress back and remind you of why you changed to begin with. Gas, heaviness and bloating will pay a visit.

The one time indulgence of Dominos isn't really so bad in itself, it is the decision following that matters. All habits begin with the first "repeat". Nip it in the bud! I made a pact with myself that if I choose to cheat for whatever reason (no guilt, I just enjoy it) I follow it right up with a one day juice fast and week or two of rawness.

Cheating is like Russian Roulette or dipping your toe in shark waters. Risky bidness. Huge upside to all the hard work to stay 100% raw ... the intense nutrients give an awareness to you that makes staying clean relatively easy. Very freeing when your 100% raw in full swing and, at the same time, sometimes I still play with fire just to do it :)

Anti-Inflammatory Juice with ZIP!

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I discovered a killer drink tonight and just so happened to realize that it is a great anti-inflammatory concoction! For anyone suffering from inflammation this is a fabulous alternative to ibuprofen or NSAID anti-inflammatory drugs, without any unwanted side effects! Try it ASAP.

1 half dollar size chunk of ginger 

3 apples 

1 lemon (juice the rind and all if organic!)

1 pear

Turns out a beautiful bright green and yellow drink that has zip and great taste fresh. I wouldn't let it sit in a jar or fridge too long as it just doesn't have the same kick, not to mention the oxidation and loss of enzymes that come with storing fresh juice. 

Peace!

Weight: 195!

Raw Food Lifestyle Change

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There is a reason most information floating around refers to the raw food interest as a lifestyle change rather than a diet. I'm guessing the first time people try juicing, preparing their meals fresh, taking trips to the grocery store every 2-3 days their first impression is, "This is a LOT of work!".


It is. 


In order to eat a "raw" only diet, you have to do a lot of homework about where your food came from, the freshness and quality, organics, storage and shelf life, sprouting beans, soaking nuts, etc.. etc.. I can tell you, this process of education will be an extremely eye opening adventure. It will bring you very close to your relationship with food. 


I believe the new bond between ourselves and nourishment is created when we are actually forced to think about what your eating, therefore entering an awareness about food. When grabbing something preserved or processed off the grocery shelf isn't an option it forces you to think a food differently. Fresh, living food has a half life and once it is either killed or removed from its life giving source, it enters a state of gradual decay. By attempting to find out how old your food is (determining freshness), searching for and preparing foods that are as close to "living" as possible, your old paradigm of "what food is" will shift and bring the food relationship much closer! 

“Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes.” - Buddha (Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.) - thinkexist.com

After completing the juice fast, I better understand what the Buddha meant. Watching my body change day by day during the fast, all for the better, has given me a renewed sense of will power to press on and observe the change. This is in spite of the fact that in present day, this lifestyle is not widely accepted and a difficult transition to stick with considering the convenience factor of modern food. However,  each time I cheat, break the "rules" or eat something cooked the reward seems to be less than I imagined and thus far has resulted in long digestion periods, all which makes it easier to fall back into this lifestyle. 


Everyone who is trying this for themselves, keep on!! I just hope my experiences inspire you to adventure out and discover for yourself :) 


Peace Up, A-Town Down


Weight: 199 
Goal 185

Juice Fast Day 21 - Transition to Raw Food!!!

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OK team...(it seems like we are a team at this point ha!) TODAY IS THE DAY! Well, it was unplanned however I've decided to end the juice fast today and migrate into a combination of juicing and raw food for the next few weeks. I chose to do this for a couple of reasons, detailed below. 

First, I felt that 3 weeks was an amazing kick start for a first timer. 21 days sounds great and it fulfilled my original interest in the book "21 lbs 21 days" except, I lost 23! But, it doesn't stop here people. Writing this blog, being involved in the strict regimen of the juice fast and seeing flat out awesome results has inspired me to continue and to chronicle my progress. 

The transition to raw food is especially exciting as I am READY to get in the gym and last more than 30 minutes. I plan to continue juicing permanently but in more of a supplemental fashion. Most importantly green juices and any vegetable that I don't want to eat raw. 

While eating raw food, I am going to make a concerted effort to stick to the juicing principles. Clean, fresh, organic, unprocessed and devoid of extras that may be unnecessary (additional salt, processed seasoning of flavoring).

Very excited about the next few weeks and can't wait for the 60 day before and after pictures. Until then, check these out. 21 days? Not bad. 

Juice Fast - Day 20 Superbowl & Juice Overload

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Today is the Super Bowl!!! Hands down my favorite day of the year! To help curb my temptations for junk food, wings, lil smokies, chips & salsa, cheese dip.....UGGHHH! Anyway, to help curb these nostalgic desires we decided to get high on juice today instead! I figure I've had some very lacking days lately.. so, we are juicing in turns all day long today. Many people call drinking heavy amounts of juice "juice feasting" vs "juice fasting". As my boss would say, "Man you CORNY!". Juice feasting just sounds goofy, so I have named today JUICE OVERLOAD!


I'll be sure to follow up on any fun effects I encounter. So far, I have had two combinations:


Beet + Green Beet Tops
Bok Choy
Lemon


2nd Drink


Squash
Bok Choy
Zucchini
Parsley
Apple


I'm torn on who to root for but one thing is for sure, after today I am going to be so proud of the self control I have had to give up partying during my absolute favorite time of the year. Won't get it back for another 365 days, but it's OK. The small tests seem to have big rewards, so I'm gonna sit back and enjoy the game, less the nachos.


Go Steelers! (with an underlying itch for the Packers to win)


Addendum 2/7/2011 - We got too full on juice and didn't really want any after 2 glasses. So much for the "feast".

Juice Fast - Day 19 Superbowl & Scripture

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Not much to mention today, played around with this video footage that was mostly uninteresting and chopped it up in Windows Movie Maker for some total amateur enjoyment! It is really terrible and doesn't make much sense. In fact, I would just read this post instead.

I opted to fast through the Superbowl. Yes, blasphemous. The main reason for continuing through is to allow myself the chance to establish really good eating habits going forward. After all this work there's just no way I can sacrifice it all for one day of cheating. It would establish a craving and desire for those same bad foods I'm trying to get away from.

The longer I fast, I see the quick and powerful benefits of several different juices. (I.E. Anti-inflammatory are most easily noticeable) I can also appreciate that to continue to feel good, I will have to continue to eat like this. It is very elegant and simple and almost seems too easy. I think the real challenge is with the rest of the commercial world and a test of self to move past it. Honestly, it brought memory of a bible reference I heard a lot as a kid. "For the grace of God has appeared (CLARITY), bringing salvation to all men (HEALING), instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires (PROCESSED JUNK FOOD!) and to live sensibly (LIVING SUSTAINABLE FOOD)". Now, I really.. REALLY hate to quote scripture like a preaching evangelist. I was raised visiting Christian churches throughout my early years, however in my adult life I explore many religions and ancient mythologies and appreciate all of them in their own respect. This connection to biblical wisdom stuck with me and I had to bring it up. There just might be some hidden wisdom in there after all!

Juice Fast - Day 17 Rest & Relaxation

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After the last two days of physical exertion, I am ready to have a day to myself! Today is all about rest and relaxation which brings up an perfect opportunity to discuss that role in a juice fast. 

In my opinion, R&R is vital for two reasons. 

To summarize simplistically; Rest will allow the body to recuperate and rebuild. While juicing, you are going through an overhaul of your entire cellular structure. Diseased cells are being consumed and eliminated. Fat and adipose tissue are being broken down to be used as an energy fuel source. Elimination organs such as the liver, kidneys, lymphatic system and sweat glands are working overtime to rid years upon years of poor diet and environmental toxicity. It is only logical that some extra rest will be necessary.  I have had many periods of energetic ups and downs and it is often hard to tell when they are coming. 

Secondly, during this period of fasting I have encountered mental struggles & emotions in a way I did not expect. Rest has provided me personal time to reflect, notice the changes in my body and be thankful that healing like this is possible. I am lucky in the sense that I have ample time to rest, reflect and get in touch with myself spiritually right now, whereas others may not have so much time available, limiting the therapeutic benefits of R&R.

These things considered, the next juice fast I complete will place a priority on energy conservation, strictly light exercise and timing of the juice fast planned carefully so that I am able to relax. 

The couch calls me...

Juice Fast - Day 16 Exercise, Working Out & Fasting

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Exercise that is OK while you are on this juice fast: 

Light Cardio Elliptical Machine 30-45 min

Walking (treadmill or outside) 30-45 min

Light swimming

Stretching or stretch machine

Exercise that is NOT OK while juice fasting: 

Weight Training (all lifting should be avoided)

Working outdoors especially in long periods of heat


You can however sustain longer more intense workouts or periods of work by being prepared and juicing in advance, keeping extra in the mason jars. Steady supply of the juice will help counteract the intense detoxification that follows demanding physical labor.

As for the outdoor/heat advice.. juice up and hydrate much more than you think you need to. It seems to catch you all of the sudden and once the detox has set in you cannot stop it, only ride it out. Once the toxic elements being eliminated are rushed into the bloodstream (due to increased activity) the blood must be cleaned with the bodies natural organ function and elimination. To keep these uncomfortable episodes from happening, increase your juice intake and water intake so that you are eliminating a good portion of the toxic elements in your urine. You will also benefit from the extra vitamins, minerals or enzymes you ingest. When juice is absorbed into the blood stream all the nutrients "unclog" your circulatory system allowing red blood cells to move freely throughout the circulatory system and simultaneously deliver fresh energy and healing to your cells while moving lymph and discarding of that toxic waste that makes you feel like crap. 

In truth, use common sense. If the activity feels like it is going to be too much, or drain you quickly.. avoid it! When you feel the onset of detox symptoms make a big fresh glass of green juice. The  I have had more than sufficient energy otherwise. 

In the video I show you the Ninja Master Food Processor. It's an excellent broth making helper and looks great on the kitchen counter! 

¡hasta mañana!


Weight: 204!

Juice Fast - Day 14 Clarity, Freedom & Strawberries

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Today was a really great day! I immediately noticed how happy I felt and it more or less remained throughout the day. It was a great surprise. Also, I didn't put two and two together until just now.. but perhaps completing the enema last night had influence on that? Either way, pleased with day 13!

Also, today is a marked celebration! 20lbs down! I entered this juice fast for completely different reasons (health and healing) and I am witnessing crazy fast weight loss. This is such a great bonus! People keep asking me "20lbs that fast? That CANT be good for you." or "oh my god, that can't be good.. do you feel ok?". I just have to laugh, because what I can't seem to convince people about is that I feel awesome. Plain and simple! To be rid of the junk of life is totally freeing and awesome. I just can't explain it any other way. Freedom.

Made great strawberry juice today, as follows (100% organic):

2 Oranges
Big handful of strawberries
Handful of blueberries
1 lime

Dilute 50% with purified water a tad bit of crushed ice and enjoy!

Weight: 205!!!!

Juice Fast - Day 13 Enema Procedure & Benefit

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Yeah, I went there. I have read enough studies that I couldn't deny the coffee enema any longer. I was feeling a bit sluggish today and decided to give it a shot.

I went with a general syringe from the CVS drugstore and organic coffee.

I have seen some pretty silly demonstrations on how to perform an enema. Special positions, special hoses, buckets... None of which is necessary. A cheap syringe and cheap organic coffee is all you need!

Procedure:

1. Cook coffee and strain granules out
2. Lay on the bathroom floor with your drawers dropped!
3. Suction coffee into the syringe
4. Lube up, or don't. Total preference here.
5. Squeeze coffee into your....(google enema)
6. Hold as long as you can without causing overwhelming discomfort and fire away!
7. Repeat if you couldn't hold it longer than a minute or two. Aim for 10 minutes

Let me warn you, you may have an accident! It doesn't feel natural to have liquid coming in the opposite direction and you will probably feel the need to blowout ASAP.

All the disgusting-ness, embarrassment and confusion on why this is necessary put aside; the coffee enema made me feel pretty damn good! Of course the process was gross and odd, but consider the circumstance. I haven't had a bowel movement worth anything in at least 5 days. It felt really nice to flush out and oddly enough I couldn't believe it pulled out some additional junk along the way.

I didn't want to say it, but I think I will be doing this again. It seemed to take the edge off this evening.

Weight: 207

Spread em!

Juice Fast - Day 11 Detox Symptoms & Ginger Ale

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Shooo-weeee. It's getting tough. At this point, I am entangled in really strange and new feelings.

On the positive, I feel a healing process taking place. I can witness instant benefits to drinking certain juices and continue to have energy to make it through the day. (I.E., ginger clears my sinus and relieves any discomfort on my skin I may have almost instantly). I've even been completing 30-45 min of cardio with a regimen of 2 days on, one day off, all without exhaustion! I also feel so very appreciative of food itself. I was seriously upset when we threw out all the cooked vegetables from the broth or even the juicer remains.

On a side note, the colors seem to be sticking in my psyche. This morning I juiced 2 beets and greens and placed in one jar. It was radiating a deep glowing purple. Separately, I juiced celery, parsley and lemon. It was a light crisp green. Lastly, I mixed the remains of the beet juice with the green juice and topped it off with some lemon-limeade (juice diluted 50/50 with spring water and a bright light yellow/green). After it was shaken an earthy brown took over. It wasn't that pretty but it did make me take notice to the purple and green again and how vibrant they were. A friend at work made a comment about a jar of carrot juice, "dude, that looks like paint" and I had to appreciate how it really did. Thick color and rich oranges.

On the negative, I've had some really conflicting mood swings. Yesterday, I felt a little off and was late for work, missed getting any juice at all. Once at work, I mixed up one of my organic acai powder drink and that was all I had for the day. I wasn't hungry, however I noticed that all the customer interactions I had that day were really cranky people, angry people and to top it off a very degenerate customer got right in my face and threatened me physically - a coworker thankfully hit the panic button and although he was gone by the time the police showed, I don't think he will show his face again. Back to juicing...

Anyway, I had some really negative thoughts toward this guy afterwards and just had an all around feeling of UGH. Was absolutely the worst day mentally since this fast began. In all truth, up until yesterday, I have never been so utterly happy to the bone, feeling honest love for life as I have during peaks of this fast. So it came as a surprise to have such a downer day. My understanding is that missing the juice hastened the my healing crisis, hence resulting in an exorcism of emotions and past feelings. I tend to believe that these angry thoughts and feelings showed up in person disguised as my angry customers. Like stubbing my toe on the way out of bed, after being late to work and missing the juice everything against me amplified that day and my body went on full speed healing mode, spitting out all the garbage it could find.

Big PLUS. I discovered how to make ginger ale with a juicer. Recipe is as follows:

1 lemon
1 lime
1 2in chunk ginger
2-3 apples OR 3 cups grapes OR honey to taste

I will let you know how it goes on the next post, way too tired to do it tonight! Until next time...

Assalam Alaikum

Weight: 207 lbs 18 down!

Juice Fast - Day 9 Vegetable Broth

Dear god. I want to eat solid food! I think I hit a wall yesterday, well maybe not a full on wall but certainly THOUGHTS about a wall that I was about to hit. Each time I think of day 30, it seems like a million years away.

Well, in the interest of not being bored, I have added a very mean broth to the regimen. So far, I have been placing about a gallon of spring water in a stainless steel pot and bringing to boil. After retuning the heat to medium, I drop in various vegetables and greens with a base of:

1 onion,
1 head of garlic,
1 pack of green onions chopped.
2 carrots chopped
2-3 tablespoons of various herbs

I have added in celery, collard greens, parsley, bone marrow bones for soup base or whatever leftovers from juicing there are to the broth. As for spices, I'm just experimenting. Lots of savory herbs, oregano, parsley, thyme, rosemary, poultry seasonings, black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, etc. I have been cooking about 45 minutes to an hour until everything looks washed out... Then the finishing touch! Run the cooked vegetables through the juicer and/or blend them up and strain them to get every last ounce of flavor and nutrition out of it. Mix all broths together and you have an very thorough and delicious treat.

Also, take note - by delicious I mean devoid of salt and bland so spice it up! Use all natural, organic spices to make it robust! I have been cutting up fresh herbs by the masses and tossing in. Whole Foods carries little packs of fresh herb spice mixes that are perfect.

Finished product should be smooth, robust, fiber-less broth that should keep for 2 days, 3 maximum.

Keep brothin my people

-^-^-
OO
>
-__-

Juice Fast - Day 7 Alcohol Avoidance & Will Power

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Day 7 is here! So much to share about the last few days. Let me begin with with my triumph over the weekends temptations.....

My friend Carla was having a birthday party this weekend and I was a little worried I wouldn't stick to my guns in the face of a good time and someones birthday. Fortunately, it was much easier than I thought! Days 1-4 had been such a challenge that a feeling of resolve came about me and I just couldn't bear throwing the last 4 days progress away for a night of boozin. Thus, I improvised and picked up various juices throughout the night and still had a great time without the food/booze. I was surprisingly energetic and in a great mood.

I did have a couple of minor setbacks. One, all the juice I was able to locate was pasteurized, nothing was fresh.. but that was to be expected, even here in Florida. Secondly, I was so overjoyed at the ease at which I was making it through the night and my ability to turn down the booze without regret that I broke the rules; I celebrated a dual moment of personal growth as well as Carla's birthday with a Djarum Black clove mini cigar. I know, I know. Bad Jono. It does contradict the purpose of the fast, however it seemed like a very small sin at the time!

All in all it was a great experience. Speaking as someone who has never volunteered for the designated driver honors, I gotta say.. it was alright. I had a pretty good time and really appreciated the missing hangover! In retrospect, it was a great feat of self control and felt pretty good.

As for the juicing, well other than the fact that I'm a bit tired of all the preparation it is going pretty good. I'm discovering what is the best bang for your buck and getting the routine down. Hunger has almost totally dissipated and I only feel it when I'm low on juice.

Best thing that happened this week? My fiancee joined me after she saw what great results I was having with weight loss and energy levels. I am looking forward to pressing on and seeing what lies around day 14.


PS - I have quit taking all prescription meds!

Don't stop the rock,







Jono

Juice Fast - Day 5 Apple Cinnamon Heaven

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 CONSCIOUS.WIKI

I believe I have discovered the secret to happiness.


I was craving something warm and fuzzy so I tried this: Apple + Lemon + Ginger + Cinnamon. It is really just about perfect. I had to run it through the juicer twice to get it to a nice smooth consistency due to difficult absorption by the cinnamon. Nevertheless, it is a great one to try.


Recipe


4 Apples (juice cores also)
1/2 Lemon (peeled)
Tablespoon Cinnamon
Dime to Quarter sized chunk Ginger


Juice it once, then rinse the juicer parts and run it through once more for a smooth mix.


All is on track with the fast, lookin forward to posting a video tomorrow for an update.


Keep it real.


Weight: 214

Juice Fast - Day 3 Hunger Pangs & Cost Analysis

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Wow! Let me just begin by saying that the last two days have been rough! I fought through about 48 hours of pretty intense hunger pangs. I mean, really messed with my mind.. When you are starving it seems like there is nothing that supersedes that feeling.

I took down about 4 large mason jars full of juice and probably 6-8 cups of these various herbal teas:

Yogi - Kava (bedtime)
Yogi - Healthy Fasting
Triple Leaf Tea - Ultra Slim (caution only drink 1 cup of this! Gets things moving if you catch my drift)
Royal King - Lian Zi Cha Cleansing Herbal Tea
Royal King - Reishi Mushroom Whole Slices

I ran into some financial issues right off the bat as I went to Whole Foods to purchase organic veggies. They have a great selection and most everything you need however I didn't plan well and I burned through $45 of vegetables in less than two days. Ouch! This could be due to a couple things.. either I was so hungry that I drank more juice than necessary... OR .. I chose too many really intense/expensive greens. After doing a little more homework I realized that you really only need a few of the highly packed dark green veggies and much more high juice volume items like apples, celery, carrots, melons, etc. Today's trip also sucked $45 bucks out of me however it appears like I'm set for at least 3 days if not more. I also picked up that fruit juices need to be diluted with water because of the sugar concentration so in effect I can double my volume (at least mentally) by making one mason jar of fruit juice only and diluting 50% with water.

On that note, I'm feeling a little hungry just talking about it. Gonna go slam jar :)

Ciao

Weight: 200


Recommended Reading: 21 Pounds in 21 Days

Juice Fast - Day 1 Before & After

Thank you to the thousands of people who have happened upon this collection of writing and spent their time listening to my story. I am forever grateful :)

VISIT MY NEW & UPDATED SITE!  CONSCIOUS.WIKI

Today begins my adventure into juice fasting. I wanted to keep record of how this went for me for two reasons. Primarily to help me discover and heal my own body, watch how I react, etc.. and secondly for anyone out there who may be interested in doing this and has similar circumstances or reasons.

I have been living and coping with chronic pains and discomforts since my early 20's and am just now reaching the breaking point where I understand something must change in my life for me to make progress and/or be happy. I am going to leave out the specifics at this particular point, because after 10 years of failed doctor visits, diagnoses, etc.. it is sometimes a difficult subject for me. My only passion now is to live the healthiest life possible and trust that life is good!

My intention with this juice fast is to heal myself and be free from prescription drugs, period. I have lived with the uncomfortable symptoms for far too long and am willing to try just about anything to avoid being on pills permanently. I have done extensive research on diet, juicing, herbal remedies, acupuncture, massage therapy, etc.. however have never found the strength to stick with anything long enough to see results. Most of these alternative treatments can be expensive and require adequate finances to sustain. I am looking forward to completing the fast which will be very inexpensive and needs only my participation and commitment!

Another reason to do this is simply a test of personal will power and self control. Certain activities such as drinking, inadequate sleep, lack of exercise absolutely have contributed to my discomfort over the years and I am looking to go a period of time practicing what I know is the right thing to do without caving to peer pressure. (Yes, it can still happen to adults!)

I am creating this blog as additional support for myself and others and will hopefully see me through my first juice fast successfully! By the time we are done I hope to share great results and kick the drugs.

Here's to Day 1!

Weight: 225