Hi, y’all!

Did you enjoy my fruity breakfast post? Have you entered my amazing giveaway yet? No? Why not? This is an awesome opportunity! There will be FOUR winners. Hurry, get your entries in now: Enter HERE!

I’m going to be posting what my husband made for our anniversary dinner soon but here’s a sneak peek of the salad he made. I just posted it over at Mainline Gardening. Check it out: Overnight Salad – Made By My Husband!

And now on to Greek yogurt – I adore it. It’s thick, creamy, delicious, filling, and just plain GOOD! It’s also good for us.

It can be a quick snack on your way out the door or a small meal if you’re in a hurry.

Add it to smoothies, on top of fruit, top it with nuts – or nut butter. Possibilities are endless. You can add it to recipes, too!

The most recent Greek yogurt I picked up at the store is YoCrunch Greek Parfait.

Check out the YoCrunch Nutrition Page for more information.

I’m loving it!

Do you like Greek yogurt? Have you ever tried it? After trying it, I can’t go back to regular yogurt – it seems to runny for me. And Greek yogurt is so creamy, decadent, and filling…. I can’t look back!

How do you use your yogurt? In smoothies? Recipes? Or just plain out of the tub? What did you have for breakfast?

Gosh, I can’t believe I haven’t posted since Monday – the Meatless Monday post. Wow.

What have y’all been up to all week? Me? I’ve been doing outside chores, gardening, and have been super-duper busy. Phew! What a week, I tell ya!

So I thought I’d share some photos of my (organic) gardening efforts. A lot of things are coming along really well (like the featured plants in this post) but other stuff – not so much. The yellow squash, cucumbers, green beans, and some other veggie plants either got washed away from the ridiculous amount of rain we had, the seeds didn’t germinate because it was too cold, or they molded from all the rain.

That really is aggravating because the seeds were heirloom, organic quality and plus, there was that tidbit of actually planting them. But what’s a gardener to do in this crazy weather?!

Yes, a greenhouse would be fantabulous, and we’re actually planning to convert one of the outer buildings in to one – but that time is not here yet.

Needless to say, I’m ready for Mother Earth to stop crying buckets and put on her sunny smile already and keep it on! LOL

Is it sunny and beautiful in your neck of the woods? I’ve finally been getting some sunshine recently and I’m tickled pink… All that rain was really, really getting old.

On the bright side, the stuff that is growing is growing pretty well ‘cause of all that rain I’m complaining about!  

Asian Lilies

Lilac Bush

Peonies

Petunia

Purple Clematis

Roses

Snapdragons

And it’s been super-duper difficult to maintain the garden with all the chilly, rainy weather we’ve had. Ack!

Radishes

And after the earth dried up a little…

May or may not do a little – or a LOT – of nibbling as I garden!

And they taste JUST like the ones from my grandma’s garden when I was a little girl!!!! Woo hoo!!!

Potato Bloom & Plant

And remember when I first showed you those grapes on the fence?

Here’s a mid-way progress update…

And they’re even fuller now!!

With growing grapes!

Strawberries

Blackberries

Blueberries (my all-time favorite)!!!!

And zucchini…

…for that spiralized pasta!!!

Of course, there’s more: sweet taters, different tomato varieties, bushes, trees, flowers, etc.,  but this post is already long enough – have to save some for another day!

Burning questions I have for you – talk to me people! hehe

1. What’s your favorite fruit or veggie? My favorite fruit is blueberries – especially frozen! – and my favorite veggie? It’s hard to decide! I’d say I’m torn between spinach, chard, kale, brussel sprouts – well, greens! LOL

2. Do you have a garden? Do you grow naturally/organically – or do you not mind killing weeds and grass with chemicals?

3. Do you spend a lot of time outside during pretty weather? Are you an indoor or outdoor person?

4. What’s your favorite outdoor activity? I guess mine is actually riding my bike – which I never do anymore!

5. Have you entered my Aurorae Yoga-sponsored giveaway? Why not? Winner receives a high-quality yoga mat (your choice of color!), a Yoga Sport Sweat Towel, and a Slip-Free Rosin Bag! Go, get yourselves entered!

Now, on to the fun stuff:

Drinking today’s lunch smoothie with a Glass Dharma straw!

But first… I know you love to see when the packages arrive!

Here’s what the Glass Dharma straws came in. 

Each packaged separately…

Simple Elegance

Decorative Dots Straw

And I chose to use the 9” Beautiful Bend straw first.

Getting started on my lunch smoothie:

Which I’ve decided to name…

Blueberry-Blackstrap Bomb

Manitoba Hemp Pro 70 Powder 

 ice cubes

tablespoon of freshly ground flax seeds

2 tablespoons of hemp

a banana 

Then I added about half a cup or so of blackstrap molasses water I keep in the fridge (more on this in a future post). But it would be 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses in a cup of water for you.

After I blended that up, I decided to add a handful of frozen blueberries.

And a couple handfuls of baby spinach leaves…

Yum!

Look at the delicious, beautiful layers!!!

All blended together! 

Got too excited, I guess – Oops!

Blueberry Blackstrap Bomb Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients:

• ice cubes
• 1 tablespoon of freshly ground flax seeds
• 2 tablespoons of hemp powder
• a banana
• handful frozen blueberries
• 2 handfuls baby spinach leaves
• about half a cup or so of blackstrap molasses water I keep in the fridge (more on this in a future post). But it would be 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses in a cup of water for you.

Directions:

Toss everything in to the blender, blend until smoothly combined, pour, and enjoy this blast of energizing deliciousness!

 

Played with the camera… 

Okay, okay. So, I’m not a photographer – but it was fun!

And I realize the ingredients may sound odd to you, but this was one seriously delicious smoothie – and I’ve drank a LOT of smoothies!!! 

About Glass Dharma Straws

“These straws are made from borosilicate tubing and is the strongest glass commercially available,” says the company.

You’ll also find that these straws are made using a specific process that makes them the highest quality glass straw available.

Dharma Glass straws are versatile and can be enjoyed with either hot or cold drinks – and if you’re lucky enough to own a dishwasher, you can pop ‘em right in there for easy cleaning!

Here’s what Glass Dharma’s site has to say:

Plain and simple, here’s how and why they work:

• Glass straws don’t leach toxins into your food as you drink.
• Each time you use your glass straw equals one less plastic straw ending up in your landfill.
• One glass straw replaces thousands of plastic straws. (How many times will you use a straw the rest of your life?)
• Using your glass drinking straw adds a feeling of beauty to your day.

Now, that’s pretty awesome, don’t ya think?!

Glass Dharma straws are only $6-$8 each – and cost even less if you order a few at once. These would make fantabulous gifts or party favors, people!!!

About the Company

You always know it’s a fantabulous company if there’s an awesome person who owns it.

I love that David Leonhardt, the man behind Glass Dharma, is genuinely passionate about spreading the message of glass straws, NOT for the sole purpose of making money, but because he has a true heart for making a positive impact on the environment and it literally hurts his heart that so many plastic straws are destroying our beautiful earth.

Here’s what Mr. Leonhardt says about why he started the company: 

I’ve been a lampworker (glassblower) for over 10 years. My wife, Gail & I recently moved from the Sacramento, CA area, to our dream of living on the Mendocino Coast. 

I started doing some work for a local glass shop in town and noticed that the owner had glass drinking straws for sale. I had never heard of these before and I am always intrigued by something made out of glass that I hadn’t thought of.  I was struck by the unique elegance in such a simple item. 

I immediately recognized that here was a partial solution to our “plastics problem”.  Now, granted, there are a lot more plastics in our world than just drinking straws, but bear with me a minute and let me put things in perspective … As of March 2008, McDonald’s serves an average of 52 million meals PER DAY!  (Per their website) How many of those served do you think were given a plastic straw?  I hope it is becoming obvious just how big of a problem these pesky little plastic straws can be.  Remember, this is just from McDonalds!!  Get the picture??

So …

I created the GlassDharma line of glass drinking straws and this website to contribute one solution to the misuse of plastics in our society.

Everyone that has seen these straws are filled with delight.  Not just because they promote health and are environmentally friendly, but that they do these things with elegance and style.

Yes, I do get the picture! That is total craziness!! 

Great job, Mr. Leonhardt!!

Pros

As you read above Glass Dharma straws don’t leach toxins into your drinks or smoothies. And another HUGE pro for me is that Glass Dharma straws help prevent more plastic straws being tossed into landfills, alleys, rivers, creeks, lakes, oceans, etc. Now, I realize that there are absolutely gazillions of plastic straws being tossed in the garbage daily and little ol’ me sipping from a glass straw won’t knock a dent in that – BUT if a whole bunch of us use glass straws, we WILL knock a dent in the plastic straw situation.

They even sell bamboo hard cases …

and hemp soft sleeves to store and/or transport your straws!

They also sell cleaning brushes if you want to be sure your straw is super duper clean inside.

Cons

Hmmm… Cons… Gosh, this one is difficult! I guess if you wanted to consider it a con that you have to wash your straw after you use it, then that’d be a con to you. I don’t personally see that as a con. It’s not that big of a deal for me.

I normally list price as a con if it’s more expensive than I feel the “average” person would be able to afford, but I feel these straws are within most anyone’s budget.

And there’s a lifetime guarantee, so you don’t even have to worry about it breaking!

Sorry, folks, can’t really think of a con on this one!

Verdict/Grade

Glass Dharma straws are not only eco-friendly, they’re beautiful, too. And I’m really enjoying my experience. Using them is fun, washing them is easy peasy, and I liked feeling “fancy schmancy” while I conveniently sipped slurped my smoothie today.

AND it feels good  to know that I’m not promoting plastic straw waste that harms the environment. Oh, and these straws won’t break your bank – all that adds up to an A+ in my opinion!

Still not sure you want to invest in Glass Dharma straws? Well, they have a “Lifetime Guarantee Against Breakage” policy you might want to check out! (Read all about it here.)

But you can decide for yourself.

What about you? Have you tried Glass Dharma straws? Do you love them? Have you given ‘em as gifts? Would you like to win a gift certificate to Glass Dharma? Oh, yeah! Stay tuned… contest post coming next!

Updated to add:

Contest is posted! Click here to win a $30 Gift Certificate from Glass Dharma!!!

First, I’d like to remind you about the current contest I have running: The Bolder Mat Company Yoga Mat + Stacy McCarthy’s Yoga DVD.

I get so many emails thanking me for sharing snippets of my personal life, I thought I’d share with you that in between writing reviews and hosting a contest, a birthday snuck up on me. The big 34 slapped me on Wednesday (the 12th). It seems pretty weird how time whizzes by until one day you’re in your 30s and you wonder where “Sweet 16″ went.

No, it isn’t raw…

Don’t get me wrong, I’m actually thrilled to be 34. Back in my 20s, some of my doctors weren’t even sure I’d live to see 30–my health was really, really bad. It’s surreal, actually, that I’ve come so far.

If this post seems a little heavy–and long–I apologize. I just thought I’d share my heart with you….

In February of this year, I lost a cousin. He would have been 33 this month. He was a handsome young man, a great husband and dad. I grew up with him, went to school with him, and thought we’d make fun of each other’s wrinkles when we were old. He was one of those cousins who was more than “just another cousin”.

Not long after that, I lost another cousin. I didn’t know him well. He lived in another state. He was only 36.

In early May, I lost yet another cousin. She would have been 29. She died just about 3 weeks shy of her birthday. She was always more like a little sister to me, than a cousin.

All 3 of ‘em left children and spouses.

And, as I celebrated turning 34 over 100 pounds lighter than I was at one time, I had an epiphany: I could die tomorrow. Although I’ve worked hard to be slimmer and healthier for the past few years, it isn’t always health-related issues that bring on death. Sometimes it’s a car accident. Sometimes it’s a freak act of nature.

I can’t tell you how many times I had walked by those glass doors and peered in at that turtle ice cream cake (pictured above). Oh, I have the willpower to resist. There’s no way I could count the times over the past few years that I sat on the sidelines and watched everyone else enjoy cake and ice cream or cupcakes at birthday parties and other celebrations–because I was on a mission to lose weight and attain my ultimate health. I didn’t lose over 100 pounds by gobbling up cake and ice cream. I lost it because I have a strong will, I’m dedicated, and I can persevere through almost anything.

So, I decided this: None of those 3 cousins I mentioned above got the chance to have another birthday. So, I celebrated. I splurged. I enjoyed my special day. And, yes, I ate cake and ice cream. I ate it for my cousins (yes, I’m an emotional eater!), and I ate it for myself.

I realize Raw Food Purists would frown on my decision. But I just couldn’t stand the thought of dying without knowing what that turtle ice cream cake tasted like! Some things are better left NOT a mystery. I don’t have to ever eat it again–although I enjoyed every single bite of the one piece I had (the rest went to family). I also enjoyed that little bit of Rocky Road and Peanut Butter Panic ice cream you’ll see pictured below.

I had a wonderful birthday. I’m so blessed!

My piece

Gooey Caramel Center

I actually had the piece of cake and ice cream with my family the night before my birthday. My mom thought it was funny to get me the two ice creams below (they’re those teeny tiny little containers) because she knows how much I used to love coffee ice cream and caramel… well, there’s not enough room here to write about my love affair with caramel over the years. Anyway, I saved those little containers for the next day, my birthday. And they were delicious!!!

Coffee Ice Cream + Dulce De Leche

On the morning of my birthday, my mom made me my all-time favorite (non-raw) breakfast EVER: a spinach omelet made with farm fresh, organic eggs (from our farm), spinach, bell peppers, sea salt and herbs, and a tiny amount of cheese. Also, a cup of herbal tea (in my favorite, big pink and white polka-dotted OVERSIZED cup).

Birthday Breakfast

Couldn’t finish it!

I decided to eat whatever I wanted on my birthday. Maybe next year I’ll have a raw cake and some raw ice cream. This year, I wasn’t equipped with a dehydrator, and a professionally made raw cake just wasn’t in the budget (or even available in my area).

I don’t think I splurged too bad,do you?

Birthday Lunch

bunch of spinach leaves

frozen blueberries

yummy macadamia nuts

DELISH!

I remembered my leftover omelet, so I threw it on top of my salad–YUM!

Zero Candy Bar

Turtle

I nibbled on that Zero and Turtle all. day. long. I was too full to eat dinner.

Birthday Cards

Here’s a few of my favorite cards I got this year…

(From my brother)

(From my parents)

(From my aunt)

I also did over an HOUR of yoga–it was FABULOUS!

What is your favorite part of your birthday? Do you splurge on cake and ice cream (raw, or not)? Or, do you chow down on raw veggies and treat it as just any other day?

And, if you’ve read this long post all the way through, you’re a fantabulous reader!

So… be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.

Oikos (Organic) Greek Yogurt

After my yummy-to-the-tummy Oikos Greek yogurt, I had my daily shot of E3 Live.

Snack/Lunch

Since I had a late breakfast (around 11 a.m., or so) I didn’t eat lunch at noon. Instead, I ended up having a snack around maybe 1 p.m.? I was a little hungry but not much, so I had a big banana with a spoon of raw honey. Yum! (No pic, sorry!)

Mid-Afternoon Snack

By this afternoon, I still wasn’t really craving anything–except chocolate! I realized I’d been craving chocolate all day, so I had me some! LOL Double the chocolate, double the fun, eh? I started with the totally delicious Amazing Grass Chocolate SuperFood bar. Yum-O! It has a thin layer of chocolate coating on the outside and nutty, green, chewy goodness on the inside. It’s healthy, tasty, and chocolate. What’s not to like? Seriously, I could eat one of these every single day! And they’re very dense and filling–AMAZING!

Amazing Grass Chocolate Bar

I decided to double up on my chocolate fix and had my other sample packet of Amazing Grass chocolate superfood powder, mixed with almond milk. Yum!

Amazing Chocolate Shake

(Just click on the photo below to read all about this yummy chocolate superfood powder! )

Dinner

It was most definitely time for some raw veggies, so I fixed myself a salad. And here’s the sad news: all of my camera batteries are dead and I’m having to charge them–so no salad pics tonight! Sorry! Use your imagination, though, and picture this:

a base of baby spinach leaves

with chopped Napa cabbage

chopped heirloom organic banana peppers (from my garden)

diced heirloom organic bell peppers (from my garden)

sliced heirloom organic beets (from my garden)

Manitoba Harvest hemp seeds

scattered fresh blueberries

Yummy to the tummy!

Contest!!

Want to win a giant 2 pound container of healthy deliciousness? Special K wants to know what nourishes me. So, here it is: raw juices, smoothies, raw foods, and healthy thoughts nourish me. What nourishes you? Head on over there and tell her so you can be entered to win!

Coming next: various foods I’ve eaten when breaking other juice fasts I’ve been on, and also why I don’t incorporate vegetable broth into my juice fasting regimen like some juice fasters do. <—– I am working on this post!!

You’ll definitely want to stay tuned!

So… be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.

Speaking of back, I did a new video today: Yoga for low back by Polly at Yoga is Yummy. It was totally awesome. My back really did feel better afterward!

YogaDownload.com

Both Cindy and Jocelyn have mentioned yogadownload.com, so I checked it out and downloaded a beginner’s class: Gentle Hatha Yoga #1. I haven’t tried that class yet, but I will!

After my morning yoga, I remembered to make my favorite morning drink.

Warm Lemon Water

After I drank that, I got busy with laundry, dishes, etc., and forgot to eat!

Snack

Around noon, I wasn’t really hungry so I thought I’d just have a banana and sample some of the raw products Premier Organics sent me to review. (More about this fantabulous company and their organic, raw products in an upcoming post–and contest!!!)

Premier Organics Samples

1 banana, sliced and served with

raw pecan nut butter

raw macadamia nut butter

raw cacao bliss

Yum!

Macadamia nuts are my favorite nut ever, so of course I had a conniption over the macadamia nut butter. Pecans are my next favorite nut, so I chose it to sample on my banana as well. And, how can you go wrong with cacao bliss (aka raw chocolate)??!! Oh my gosh, y’all, these nut butters and the cacao bliss RAWKS! Soooooooooooooo tasty–and good for you!!!

Mid-Afternoon Snack

A little while later, I still wasn’t really hungry so I thought I’d drink my other juice from yesterday in my E3 Live shaker cup, with a scoop of Amazing Grass (I prefer my E3 Live liquid straight up ).

Dinner

I was craving a yummy salad for dinner, so I threw this together…

A little of each of the following:

Napa cabbage

heirloom lettuce

sliced celery

sliced carrots

diced bell pepper

baby tomatoes

fresh blueberries

Check It Out!

And I leave you with this: When I went to read Choosing Raw today, I discovered Gena had written a guest post for Fitness NYC. I knew it’d be great, but I didn’t realize it’d really be so relevant to this last few days of my own journey with yoga. I knew the post was about yoga. She mentioned it in her short post. I didn’t know it would be so touching, so beautiful, so true! You have to read this post. It’s fantabulous!

Gena on Becoming a Yogi

Coming next: various foods I’ve eaten when breaking other juice fasts I’ve been on, and also why I don’t incorporate vegetable broth into my juice fasting regimen like some juice fasters do. <—– I am working on this post!!

You’ll definitely want to stay tuned!

So… be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.

This morning, I did the video called Yoga for Yummy Abs by Polly from Yoga is Yummy.

I did the cobra pose, too! Fantabulous, people!

I was hesitant to try a different video. I’m trying to be very careful with my (bad) back. But, while I could really feel the yoga poses and stretches burning and using my muscles, it was a good, warm burning and relaxing experience. I’m just madly in love with yoga!

After my date with yoga, I had breakfast:

Blueberry-Kiwi Salad

1 whole kiwi, peeled + sliced

handful frozen blueberries

Yum-O!

I also had some herbal tea and, of course, added a tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar to one of my glasses of water.

About mid-morning, I had my daily shot….

E3 Live Brain On

I think the Brain On formula tastes just a little stronger (or a little different) than the original E3 Live I’ve tried but it’s definitely do-able for me. You could always disguise the taste (if it’s too strong–aka green–for you) in a smoothie or juice. I just take a tablespoon straight up. What? I love my greens–and I’m lovin’ how it makes me feel: clear-minded and mentally alert!

Juicy Ingredients!

4 small heirloom organic beets, with leaves (from my garden)

3 organic carrots

2 heirloom organic cucumbers (from my garden)

small apple

2 handfuls spinach

handful Alfalfa sprouts

1-inch piece of ginger

medium heirloom organic bell pepper (from my garden)

1 whole kiwi, peeled

Raw Beauty!

Juice Pulp

(Looks Like Confetti!)

Yummy Juices

Raw Lunch

1 celery stalk, cut up

1 carrot, cut up

shaker cup full of today’s juicy concoction

+ a scoop of berry flavored Amazing Grass SuperFood powder

(To learn more about this berry-licious superfood powder, click on the photo below! )

Snack

I had another carrot and another celery stalk (I was craving carrots and celery today! LOL)

And…. some of the juiciest, most delicious…

Organic Cherries

Dinner

I thought about having my other juice in the place of my dinner but then I had an overwhelming craving for the following spinach-based salad. I absolutely adore baby spinach leaves–they’re my favorite veggie! I love them raw, in juices, in smoothies, in salads… you get my point.

Oh-So-Good Salad

generous handful of baby spinach leaves

heirloom organic cucumber slices (from my garden)

generous handful of fresh blueberries

Manitoba Harvest hemp seeds (Yum!)

2 stalks heirloom organic okra, sliced

Have you ever eaten okra raw? It’s delicious! I’m serious! The above combo is absolutely YUM! What’s your favorite salad combo? Do share!

Coming next: various foods I’ve eaten when breaking other juice fasts I’ve been on, and also why I don’t incorporate vegetable broth into my juice fasting regimen like some juice fasters do.

You’ll definitely want to stay tuned!

So… be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.

I really didn’t have an appetite at all this morning, so I went with my feelings and skipped breakfast. I wasn’t craving a juice either. I did have a glass of cold herbal tea with lemon.

I do want to share with you what worked for my swollen arm (from all those nasty red wasp stings)….

Here’s what I tried:

• wrapping it in vinegar
• baking soda wrap
• leaving chewing tobacco on for hours

Know what finally worked? Raw onion! Yep, I knew about the onion’s healing properties. Sheesh, I’ve even written about it (Onion for an Oops!).

I sliced raw onion and placed it on the parts of my arm where the wasps stung me (my arm got the worst of the stings) and then wrapped plastic wrap around my arm so the onions would stay in place overnight. The next morning? Almost ALL of the swelling was GONE and the pain and most of the itching was, too! Yippee! So, while the tobacco (wet) does help when held on a fresh sting, you can also give the old raw onion a try if you should get stung by a nasty flying creature.

Lunch, Anyone?

I decided to have a small salad. It was sooooooooooooooooooo delicious, and very easy on my system.

Spinach-Blueberry-Hemp (Seed) Salad

handful baby spinach leaves

handful blueberries

sprinkles of Manitoba Harvest hemp seed

Dinner

I was going to have a juice for dinner (and really I should have) but I’m still getting my strength back up so I copped out and threw another small salad together–it saved me all the labor of dragging out the juicer, preparing the produce, juicing them, and cleaning it all up. I was just too tired after losing so much sleep to do all that. So, another salad it was…

Heirloom Salad

(Note: ALL of the vegetables in the photo above (except the spinach leaves and hempseed) are heirloom + organic from MY garden!!)

baby spinach leaves

snap peas

sliced cucumber

raw okra (yeah, it’s delish!)

hemp seeds

Manitoba Harvest

Hemp Seeds

I’m really LOVING these Manitoba Harvest hemp seeds. They’re nutty, delicious, and so good for you! (More about these babies in an upcoming post! )  I had received these before starting my 30-day juice fast so I tried ‘em a few different ways: On my salad, in smoothies, etc. And I love ‘em!

Reflections

So, what should have actually been day 30 of my juice fast, was day 2 of my back-to-eating program. It didn’t end the way I had hoped, but I did give it my best shot. Not everyone would have sailed through a broken juicer, an out-of-commission back, and being attacked by a swarm of the biggest, nastiest, red wasps like I did–and for that, I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished this time around. Sure, I could have finished the 30 days. I only liked about a day and a half, but this is where I’m different than other folks: I listen to my body. I know what it can and can’t do and it hasn’t failed me yet. Listening to my body has brought me a long way. I’ve lost over 100 pounds and have juice fasted extensively–for up to 52 days at a time. Sure, I’ve fasted for 3 days, 5 days, 7 days, etc. Shorter fasts are awesome, refreshing, and are absolutely a great thing to do. But just like with runners, who challenge themselves to run greater distances in less time, etc., someone like me who has been on a long journey of juice fasting, likes to challenge themselves –and their bodies– to a deeper level of cleansing, healing, and accomplishment.

Don’t forget about the contests! And catch up on the juicy details of my 30-day juice fast.

You’ll definitely want to stay tuned!

So… be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.

Last night was simply atrocious. My arm kept swelling and throbbing and hurting and I didn’t get ANY sleep. None. Zilch. Zero. That makes for a VERY exhausted raw juice girl!

I finally gave in and got up at 5 a.m. That’s early for me, but there was absolutely no way I was going to be sleeping any time soon with all that pain.

I probably should have just laid in bed because not long after I got up, it started….

My tummy was turned inside-out! I started throwing up and couldn’t stop. Now, I’m no medical doctor, but guessing from how my body normally works, I’d say that my system must have been overloaded from all those red wasp stings and it made me sick, overall (I’ve never thrown up on a juice fast before, and I’ve done a 52-day juice fast!).

I can’t count how many times I threw up.

My Mom urged me to eat a couple of crackers to try to calm my tummy.

“But, Mom, this is day 29! Day 29!!! I only have the rest of today and tomorrow to complete my 30-day juice fast!!”

I was horrified by the thought of breaking my fast–and not the way I had planned on breaking it, at that!

Since I was way too sick to handle my daily warm lemon water, I tried sipping on a glass if ice-cold herbal tea. That helped a little. But, still, I kept throwing up.

I was really weak and in a LOT of pain from the swelling/throbbing of my arm where so many wasps stung in one area.

I hated to do it, folks, but I know my body. I know how far I can push myself. And I had reached my limit.

Broken

Breaking a juice fast is a very special event. When I decided to share this juice fast with you all, I had visions of sharing photos and details of my first raw meal after the fast. I planned on telling you why I chose raw fruit (because of all the enzymes that aid digestion) and why I didn’t choose vegetables (because they’re harder to digest when coming off a fast).

The fast wasn’t the only thing that was broken here: My heart and spirit were as well.

Cowboy girl Up

So, as my neighbor says: It was time to cowboy girl up and realize I’d reached my limits and that more importantly than stopping at the end of day 30, I should love my health enough to do what’s best for me at the time–and not worry about what the world would think of me for breaking the fast just a tad early.

So, I sucked up my pride (cowgirled up) and listened to mom: I nibbled on a couple of salty crackers. They were organic, but still….

I also nibbled on a piece of ginger.

“You look like death.” Mom said (thanks for the compliment, Mom! LOL). I took that as a cue to lay back down. My tummy finally settled down enough for me to get in a decent nap.

I knew I needed something but I didn’t really have the strength to drag out the juicer. Since I’d already nibbled on a couple of salty crackers (I’m still upset that I did this!!! ) I decided to make a green monster. Next best thing, right?

Amazing Green Monster

1/3 cup fresh blueberries

1 scoop berry flavored Amazing Grass SuperFood powder

1 big handful spinach

4 ice cubes

1/2 cup herbal tea

(This needed “something” so I added a tiny drizzle of raw honey–then it was perfect!

And it wasn’t as thick as I normally make my smoothies, so it was almost juice-like! )

A Monster Alright!

I had all my ingredients in the blender–and it wouldn’t start. Can you believe it?! Ugh. I was really tired and sick and not in the mood for a dead blender at all! I’m not one to waste, so I dumped the contents of the blender into the food processor and started it up. (Where there’s a will, eh?)

Red Wasp Stings

This photo doesn’t do my arm justice. Several stings were on the other side of my arm (not visible in this photo) and my arm was swollen double its normal size (or more!). Very painful. It felt like burning, heavy concrete that was about to explode and worse.

Since I didn’t get to share a raw meal that broke my fast, I’ll be writing a post with tips for breaking a juice fast, possible foods you could eat, and also share ideas for meals in the coming days after a fast.

What really gets me about this, is that I wasn’t hungry! I wasn’t even craving food and didn’t NEED to break the fast–even on day 30. I could have kept going.

I blame that yoga mat! LOL

Until tomorrow… happy juicing!

Don’t forget to catch up on my 30-day juice fast…

Day 1 of a 30-Day Juice Fast and Juicer Mishaps

Day 2 of a 30-Day Juice Fast–and AMAZING GRASS!!

Day 3–E3 Living!

Day 4 + Wheat Grass Galore + a Juicer!!

Day 5 — Dead or Alive?

Day 6 + Father’s Day Bliss!

Day 7, Cucumber Chia Heaven!

Day 8, Let’s Talk About Weight!

Day 9–and I’m Feelin’ Fine!

Day 10–Learnin’ About Lemon!

Day 11, Grapefruit Juice Heaven!

Day 12 with Sprouts on Top!

Day 13 and Juiceless

Day 14: Salad in a Glass

Day 15 + Living Tree Community Contest Winner!

Day 16 + Books by Dr. Bruce Fife

Day 17 + Green Pineapple Juice

Day 18 (Catching Up)

Day 19 + July 4th Celebrations!!

Day 20 + My Dad’s Birthday!

Day 21 , Winding Down

Day 22 + AMAZING Watermelon

Day 23, Repeat

Day 24 + Heirloom Rainbows

Day 25, Brain On!

Day 26, Full Steam Ahead!

Day 27 + Herbal Tea Heaven

Day 28, This WASN’T My Day!

Upcoming Contests Featuring these Fabulous Companies

• 2 books by Nomi Shannon, The Raw Gourmet (These two books have GORGEOUS photos and the recipes are amazing!
• 2 Food Matters DVDs (Haven’t had a chance to watch this one yet, but do check out their site–they have a RAWsome message to share!!)
• Detox 4 Women by Natalia Rose (I read this book last night and it’s awesome; it really helps you understand water retention, etc!)
• Oh Nuts! (raw macadamia nuts and pecans) <— These are seriously delicious nuts–and they’re JUMBO sized!
• E3Live (Green-tasting (which I don’t mind!), but I REALLY notice that it’s making me feel better. It was definitely put to the test through my recent stressful events!)
• 2 books (Coconut Water for Health and Healing and Oil Pulling Therapy: Detoxifying and Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing by Dr. Bruce Fife
• and MORE!

You’ll definitely want to stay tuned!

So… be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll also receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health–and more personal posts about stuff that’s going on in my life.

]]> http://healingwithjuices.com/2009/07/day-29-can-i-rewind/feed/ 6 http://healingwithjuices.com/2009/01/juice-fasting-pre-fast-menu-ideas/ http://healingwithjuices.com/2009/01/juice-fasting-pre-fast-menu-ideas/#comments Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:37:44 +0000 Raw Juice Girl http://healingwithjuices.com/?p=70 By

Michele L. Tune

Making Up Your Mind to Juice Fast

Okay, so you’ve decided to go on a juice fast. Maybe it’s just because you want to get healthier, or perhaps you’re looking to get a jump-start on weight loss. Let’s hope you’ve decided to sacrifice your favorite foods and survive a few days on raw juices because you want to focus on cleaning your body and helping it get rid of years – maybe even decades – of all the bad stuff that’s caked up inside. Let’s also hope it’s because you’ve truly searched your heart and wholeheartedly decided to lead a lifestyle that promotes life instead of one that promotes sickness, premature death, and obesity.

If you’re only planning on juice fasting to lose weight, you may as well not do it. Yes, most people lose several pounds juice fasting – I have. But weight loss is about so much more than lost pounds. Weight loss is about changing your entire lifestyle – mind, body, and soul. Weight loss is about targeting why you gained weight in the first place and what you’re going to do to prevent yourself from gaining weight again once you’ve lost it. So, although you probably will lose weight during your juice fast, it’s best to think of those lost pounds as just part of the process and not your sole reason for juicing fasting. Trust me; I do know what I’m talking about. I’ve lost over 100 pounds – and kept it off.

Made up your mind yet? Fantabulous! Let’s get started!

A few ideas for that pre-juice fast menu:

Organic Greek yogurt with raw walnuts, and fresh or frozen blueberries

This is a yummy treat you can enjoy any time. I prefer Oikos organic Greek yogurt myself, but you may like another brand. (Nope, I didn’t get paid for saying I love Oikos – it’s delish, filling, and most importantly, healthy!) Besides the protein in the yogurt, you’re getting protein from the heart-healthy walnuts, and loading up on antioxidants in those juicy blueberries.

Chopped avocado, tomato, red onion, juice from a real lemon

This is yum-o!! Simply cut up a fresh tomato and avocado and toss in a bowl. You can add a homemade vinaigrette if you want to. I don’t. I do squeeze the juice of about a half of a lemon over the avocado. (I wouldn’t use the lemon juice that comes in a bottle.)

Salad: raw spinach, Napa cabbage, carrots, blueberries, raw walnuts, salmon

This is one of my favorite salads ever. You can throw in whatever your favorite veggies are. The blueberries are optional but they are divine on salad! If you’re a big meat eater, adding salmon or tuna to your salad is a wonderful way to still feed your body a protein that will satisfy you while staying away from red meat. I normally don’t eat salmon or tuna within a few days of a juice fast, simply because it’s a little bit difficult for our bodies to adjust to an all liquid diet after consuming a lot of protein each day.

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

I’ve mentioned this before but it really is crucial to prepare your body and your mind before setting out on this amazing journey with raw juices.

I’m so used to juice fasting it’s pretty much become second nature for me. I listen to my body – and mind – and I know when both are craving a raw juice fast. You’ll learn to do this too as you become more experienced with juice fasting.

I never, ever recommend that you start a long juice fast right off the bat. Like anything else, you want to ease your body into juice fasting. Think about it. You wouldn’t wake up one day and decide you want to be a runner, hop out of bed, and run the longest marathon there is. No, you’d go buy yourself some running shoes, maybe pick out an area to start running, jump online and study the stretches you need to do to prepare your muscles for a run. You might start jogging and/or doing some other exercises.

The most important message I want to share is that juice fasting is a marvelous way to nourish your body and mind. It’s a beautiful journey between the person who is fasting and the raw food our bodies were made to consume. It’s a great way to slow yourself down and find the calm that lies within you, but is drowned out by all the world’s chaotic noises.

Have you ever juice fasted? Are you just venturing out to try it? What are your thoughts on juice fasting? I’d love to hear them!

Be sure to subscribe to Healing with Juices’ Feed for free updates. You can get  free updates to your email as well (sign up here). You’ll receive inspiration, juice and smoothie recipes, and juice fasting tips and encouragement to help keep you motivated toward your ultimate health.

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