Day 14

Am finally home snug in my yummy house. Cozy next to my heater and kitty, Ashlei. Arctic weather is coming in. Tonight thru Wed will be pretty cold. I so feel for those who's jobs take them out into these elements. Cannot help but be concerned and send out prayers for their safety and well being.

I didn't blog yesterday as I didn't have access to my computer. Had classes all day then spent the night at a retreat where there was plenty of tempting foods. I swear the cookies were calling me by name! A fresh pan of brownies filled the room with a wonderful aroma. But because it was after 7, I knew I wasn't going to eat anything anyways and would see what the morning would bring. After walking into the kitchen this morning, I saw the lovely display of breakfast treats; orange juice, pineapple/orange juice or milk, single servings of cereals - variety of flavors. A bowl full of yogurts on ice. Dozens of pkgs of instant oatmeal. Three types of bagels, two types english muffins, white or wheat bread with a toaster, butter, peanut butter and jelly at the ready. And ALL of last nights leftover SWEETS - cookies, brownies, choc covered pretzels, choc this, choc that.... And the funny thing... as much as I kind of thought I wanted many of those items, I really in my heart didn't. I kept thinking of the sugars or 'glue' from the breads or 'fat' from certain sweets/butter/yogurt - the dairy that isn't good for my system.... And I was actually able to walk over to the fridge and grab my green and fruit juices from the day before. Wow. Pretty proud of myself!

Packed up my things and headed to class while sipping a tall hot tea. Had one green drink. At the seminar I sipped on another green drink and/or water as needed since the building was so dry inside. Wasn't much time to be hungry as we were so busy trying to cram everything in in order to get out before bad weather might hit.  At home had a garden salad with peanuts (found another can in the cupboard - hooray for protein!!!). Just finished a lemon water and about to start on another herbal tea. Not much intake today, I know, but I really wasn't that hungry and then again, the salad was kinda huge.

Am concerned about my intestines. Having been on this program for two full weeks now, I've had too many days of painful cramping; soft, sticky, pasty stools and a general feeling of heaviness as though I'm not fully voiding. Did an internet search and came up with:

Eating certain foods in excess is thought to worsen spleen qi deficiency. Offending foods include fried or greasy foods, dairy, raw fruits and vegetables, and cold drinks, all believed to cause "cold" and "dampness" in the body. Dietary treatment of spleen qi deficiency involves eating warm, cooked foods. Ginger tea and cinnamon tea are also warming.

The liver secretes a bright green fluid called bile into the small intestine or it is concentrated and stored in the gallbladder.

Bile plays a role in the emulsification, absorption, and digestion of fat and fat soluble vitamins. It helps to soften stools and is responsible for giving stools their characteristic brown color. Bile helps to alka-linize the contents of the intestines. It is made up of bile salts, cholesterol, phospholipids, bilirubin, and electrolytes.

As bile makes its way through to the small intestine and then to the large intestine via the bile ducts, it progressively changes color from green to yellow to brown, due to the action of bacteria in the large intestine on the bile salts.

Green stool often indicates that food has passed through the intestines faster than normal (called decreased bowel transit time), before it could be changed from green to brown.

Fiber tends to bulk up your stool and acts like glue to keep the stool stuck together, instead of in pieces. If your stool is on the softer side, short of diarrhea (“soft serve,” as some call it), it could be related to lactose intolerance, artificial sweeteners (sorbitol and Splenda), or a reaction to fructose or gluten.

Are you drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day and if not, you should consider increasing your water intake to at least 8 glasses of water a day...that could help decrease the "pasty" consistency of your stool...also, you may consider including "pitted prunes" (4-5 a day) or a serving of raisins each day and of course there's other food sources which contain "fiber"...and yes, oatmeal is one of them which you're already including in your diet. Some other sources are Dark Red Kidney beans, dried black eyed peas, large dried lima beans...stay away from gassy foods as much as possible and include a good tossed salad each day into your diet. Try Extra Virgin Olive Oil mixture with some Balsamic Vinaigrette for you salad dressing (I like Colavita Balsamic Vinegar) as it's has a slight sweet taste and only 6% acidic. And again, the amount of water intake each day is very important not only for the minerals that our body gets from the water, but water is needed not only to help with elimination but it's needed as well to aid in digestion. And one more thing that helps with bowel elimination is "exercise" you will be surprised what just 30 minutes a day of walking will do to help you! A 30 minute walk can be very relaxing to one's mind, great for the heart, and promotes the lymphatic nodes to eliminate toxins from our bodies!  Take care and best wishes for better health!

So, after reading all of that (and more), I'm done with the 15 Day Detox. I made it thru day 14 and that's good enough for me. I still have leftover juices in the fridge that will carry me thru tomorrow (yuck), but if I add any chicken or fish to the menu, I'm NOT going to feel bad about it. Will just add my special seasonings like SEA salt and black pepper and am def looking forward to having more healthy proteins!! I'm glad I did this, not overly thrilled about lack of weight loss, but, lol, if I can pass all this BULK in my intestines out, I just might find a few lbs were lost afteral! :o) XOXOXOXO

Day 12


Only three days to go.

Today was pretty simple.

Hot lemon water.
banana
Herbal tea
Sampling of tomorrow's green drink (UGH!)
I finished the last of that veggie soup I'd made a few days ago. It was soooooo flavorful. I wish I had written down what I put in it altogether, tho frankly it was pretty much a hodgepodge of leftover veggies from previous juicing and seasoned baked snacks (carrots/zucchini that didn't turn out right).
Herbal tea
Garden fresh salad w/peanuts :o)
10 oz fruit juice
10 oz green juice (yuck)
Herbal tea

This weekend will be a test (see yesterday's post), but today I started prepping, so am bringing tossed garden salads for both days - plenty of greens and assorted fresh veggies - no onions. The bright spot to the day.   :o)

I took yesterday's baked squash (with saute'd onions and mushrooms - last of the onions!)  and threw them into the mixer along w/ one bunch of kale, a handful of spinach, 2 carrot, 2 celery sticks, sprigs of broccoli and I can't remember what else. All I can say is I'm back to day one.... GLUG.  :o(   Ugh, that stuff is soooooo bland and nasty. I don't know HOW I'm going to force myself to drink it all... it's thick, pasty and gross.  :o(  Maybe later I'll re-motivate myself and throw it back into the vitamix and blend with something, ANYTHING, with more flavor! Yuck, yuck, and yuck. It's going to be a lonnnnnnng weekend on this cracker jacks (aka crap!) stuff.

I also packed two bananas. Two 20 oz bottles of fruit juices (one ea for each day). Several bags of teas, pre-cut lemon slices, and I think that's about it! I ran out of peanuts having used them in today's salad. But if I remember right, the ladies had LOTS of peanuts at the last outing so maybe they'll have more this time :o)  Still bummed about the lack of weight loss. Actually, wish I had a WORKING scale so I could see perhaps what's happening, but, my clothes still fit the same, my measurements are still the same so.... was this all in vain? No, I'm just being vain (I'm a true Libra!!) cuz I want to look more like I did two years ago! Big whiny baby. As I've been posting, I feel better on the inside and honestly, that's what truly counts. More Energy, Happier, Freer (I've also made personal life changes as well that has greatly added to this). I feel more at peace, more reflective, gentle, grateful, blessed and Happy.....

I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart

Where?

Down in my heart!

Where?

Down in my heart!

I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart

Down in my heart to stay

And I'm so Happy

So very Happy

I've got the love of Jesus in my heart

And I'm so Happy

So very Happy

I've got the love of Jesus in my heart.

Be safe, stay warm, cozy up, get your protein and sea salts, and Be Happy!! XOXOXO

Day 11

The wind down is here. Four days and counting. I won't be home over the weekend so not sure yet how I want to handle that. I can pre-make my juices/soups, etc beforehand and bring them with me..., but Sat eve will be the toughie. I'll be with a group of ladies at a sleepover and they always have an array of awesome foods and treats. Actually, the treats I can see not imbibing on, but the 'real' foods... Hmmmmm. I already plan to go another two weeks without dairy as my sister swears our family has an intolerance to it. And after hearing her stories of being on and off dairy over the past few years..., I can definitely relate to her symptoms of being on it.... Dairy is one of my fav's! But, I've made it this far without missing my cheeses (cheetos don't count) and choc milk so, what's a few more weeks? :o)

I'm finding I have a def intolerance for onions (I LOVE onions and use them in almost any and everything that I cook or bake. I'm finding each time I add onions to any of the juices/soups, I get searing heartburn. Today I had some on the acorn squash I made this morning and even though finely minced, it was also in the veggie soup I had consumed. Tonight I sit here in great discomfort - heartburn - and know the main culprit is onions. Gee, more favorite foods to give up. Maybe I could just pop a few Tums instead?!

I read Kari's journal this evening and was happy to see we're on the same page. The juicing has been good, but very boring and non-satisfying. We're both ready to move on to the next phase which is incorporating foods into our diets, albeit healthy food, but at least this reboot got us STARTED! I, myself, am looking forward to more protein. Even my son-in-law was good enough to inquire was I getting any while on this program (he's really into fitness, health, etc.). I had gotten 'some' protein, but not as much as I'd like to [have had]. Tastes great... less filling! :o)

I think I'm running out of gas on tonight's blog. I started earlier and got distracted losing my train of thought. Today, all-in-all, was a fantabulous day. I mean, it was FULL of love and joy and I couldn't ask for more. I am soooooo blessed and I know it. It feels great. I stuck to the juicing. Had my small 2 oz of nuts and know I will sleep with a happy smile while I dance with sparkly eyed angels in my dreams. Until tomorrow. XOXOXO

Day 10.1

It's going on 8:00 pm and I'm exhausted. Not physically; am doing very well in that respect. I've been dedicating hours of my time to reading, studying, researching, testing.... It's finally getting to me right now. My eyes are bloodshot and my head is so fuzzy that I actually feel dizzy. It's not from lack of nutrients so much as lack of rest between studying. I've taken several breaks throughout the day, but still doesn't seem to be enough. Am ready to crash for the night I think! Maybe I'll pop a movie in for positive mental stimulation. I've always read that watching comedy and/or feel-good movies is very good for positive endorphins. My daughter Raechel gave me her password for Net Flix several weeks ago and I never set it up. Maybe it's about time I did :o)

As for the day of juicing..... The morning started out really good and actually, the entire day was as well. I got much accomplished, even went out on a crisp walk (COLD!!!!). I bought a used snow blower (no more lower back aches, shoulder aches, neck aches, finger and hand pains.... Now all I need is a good massage!) and visited Kari's mom on the way back toting my snow blower behind me. :o)

Woke up to my fav of the day: Hot lemon water.

Had a 20 oz juice of the Sporty Spice (finally yummy)

A nice, hot bowl of the soup - it's really good

Glass of Sporty Spice

Green Soup (lol almost like a thick drink you can eat)

A,,,, gasp,,,, handful of peanuts

1/2 glass Sporty Spice

1/2 glass Green Soup

And in between all of that would sip on hot lemon water and/or herbal tea w/lemon

I'm not hungry like I was at the beginning of this juicing (must be all that bulk!) and in fact, went to the Doctor's the other day and found I've only lost two pounds (when before it was 6!) so..., not happy about that. But, I also know I'm taking in a lot of bulk compared to 'real' juicing. But, my thinking is.... THIS is 'real' juicing cuz I'm getting all the fiber and nutrients (and chunky calories?!?) that my body is starting to appreciate. I feel good. I'm HAPPY. The SEA's of my life continue to flow in positive ways and I shall continue to persevere....  To keep on keeping on! :o)  Yummy  :o)

Day 10

It's still very early in the day but I wanted to blog while I was in the middle of my studies with a much needed break :o)

I went to bed last night shortly after 11. Woke up at 6 with lots of energy, happy and ready to face the day. Stayed in bed and said my prayers, talked to my kitty Miss Ashlei and meditated. It's only 9, but I wanted to share how yesterday's 'yuck' foods/drinks turned into today's delicious 'meals'. I took the Sporty Spice drink and added two bananas and an apple and presto... Much better! Just finished a tall, full glass. Delicious!

The Veggie soup I was getting tired of I threw into the mixer with the leftover snacks of carrots/onions and zucchini from yesterday with more water. I tasted it cold and it was pretty much another yuck. Heated it in the micro and wow, a really yummy blend and am looking forward to having some for lunch later on.

Despite the hours I've been pouring into reading and studying online, my eyes are bloodshot when I look in the mirror, but... I FEEL good. I FEEL healthy. I WANT to study and am enjoying the process. Am so glad I'm not feeling bogged down by fatigue and lack of clarity. Things are beginning to fall into place and it feels so good. XOXOXO

Day 9

Wow. Only six more days to go. I finally had to pick up more fruits n veggies to complement what I already have. Am getting tired of the same old, same old. My own fault. Am not following the menu plan which has a nice variety. It's just the juices I make make SO MUCH that I'm kind of stuck with the same thing for the entire day and if I don't finish, it goes to the next day. For example, I've already had three days of the veggie soup (four servings so far) and have enough for what looks like at least three or more bowls.  :o(  Well, that ain't happening. Tomorrow morning it goes into the mixer to make into a drink while I dress it up with other veggies to give it new life.

I made the 'Sporty Spice' that Kari raved about.... Yuck  :o(  Didn't like that either. Had a glass this morning and one this late afternoon. Yuck :o(  Pretty much today my diet consisted of:

Hot lemon water (several cups thruout the day)
Plenty of tea and regular water
Green drink
Sporty Spice drink
baked carrots/onion/zucchini to snack on
Green drink (finally finished from Sunday!)
Sporty Spice drink
1/3 bananna
Veggie soup WITH nuts tossed in (afteral, a girl needs her protein!!!)
Herbal tea which I'm currently sipping on

I'm full and yet unsatisfied. I think I'm more addicted to the vast arrays of [flavorful] foods than I realized. I mean, I don't have to go back to the junks (except cheetos) or high fat foods like I was consuming in the past, but I def want more variety than these drinks (or reboot menu items) are providing. I want more, like chicken, fish, etc. (I just read chicken is a great source of protein!!!)

Maybe juice breakfast and dinner while having a balanced MEAL at lunch (so the metabolism can deal with it during the remainder of the day). Or, do a meal at breakfast and juice the remainder of the day.... I still have six days to go on this plan so will stick to it (sans the peanuts if I 'have' to lol). But..., Come next Tuesday..., watch out! :o) Real food here I come! :o)

Day 8

Woke up feeling really good! I fell asleep close to 11:45/midnight and woke up around 4:15. Stayed up for maybe 45 min meditating, visualizing and praying (also took this opportunity to have my hot cup of lemon water). Fell back asleep around 5. Next thing I knew it was already 7. Wow, slept like a baby and once again, woke up happy and feeling refreshed and ready for a new day.

After washing up and brushing teeth, I had my first juice of the day. A green concoction from yesterday. That yucky salad mixture thingy... but, I'm not about to waste it, lol! Glugged a 20 oz bottle of that down. Had water and tea. For lunch I had another bottle I took with me while running errands. Glug, glug, glug.... More hot lemon water to warm my insides when I got home. By dinner time I was looking at the bowl of veggie soup I had just heated up and thought... gads, I'm so sick of GREEN (even my poop is now green!!!!)!! I took a few bites and sighed. I just wanted something with more flavor, more texture to BITE into. Knowing crackers were out of the question (as are cheetos, lol), I opened the cupboards to see what I could possibly put in to make it more palatable. Alas... a can of peanuts!! I scooped a handful (while greedily eating a few on the side) and dropped them into the bowl. Stirred em up and... oh my... FLAVOR!!! I reasoned that the nuts were OK because my vitamix recipe book often adds various nuts to beverages for the flavor/nutritional value. So if THEY say it's ok.... it MUST be, right??? The entire time I'm in my head wondering if I should blog my little misdeed, tell Kari, or keep it to myself.

The answer came about ten minutes after I had eaten the last bite of my soup.... Kari texted me asking what constituted cheating. I wasn't sure at first what she was getting at so I sent her this LONG text about how I'd eaten the nuts and blah, blah, blah only to have another message from her pop in saying 'Like... can I roast a carrot onion and potato: Or is that cheating:....  Hurry up and answer!!!!!!!! (I noticed she used LOTS of explanation points. My goodness, how RUDE!) Anyway...., OMG... IS THAT CHEATING?!?!?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

What's the difference between eating a carrot and drinking it?! :o)  I know where she's coming from for the plan calls to strictly juice this week, BUT... because I don't own a juicer, technically I haven't been 'juicing' all this time. The vitamix keeps ALL the veggie and pulverizes it into a beverage but where she gives the 'pulp' to her farm babies, I ingest ALL of my 'juice' ingredients. Hmmmmm, maybe that's how she lost twice as much weight as me.... LOL but I'm still benefiting from the side-effects of eating healthier. As I looked into the mirror this morning I swear more and more the dark circles under my eyes and the lines on my face (of fatigue and worry) have greatly diminished. I feel a glow from within and believe it's also showing on the outside more.

I like the plan. I'm glad I'm doing it. I will continue to do this until the end of the month (yikes! which means MORE than the 15 days originally planned!) for brain clarity and functioning. But, I might just continue to incorporate other healthy alternatives. NO dairy or meats just yet. I'd really like to see how my body responds to the plan I'm currently on and then slowly reintroduce them to see what the effects are. In the meantime, I haven't been eating after 7 pm either and can hear my tummy digesting the food whereas before it probably had to work overtime as oftentimes I'd eat late or snack IN bed (cracker crumbs anyone?!) :o)

Aloha oi for now. Time to get back to studies. My brain is functioning again. It's been an awesome day full of joy, love and happiness. My inner flower is blossoming w/each new day. Thank goodness for a sturdy inner stem to provide the nutrients needed. Yummy :o)

Day 7.1

I made it thru the Wilderness.... LOL, Sorry Kari. you got me humming songs now about our juicing experience. :o) Made it to the end of day 7 - One full week of juicing/vitamix-ing

Today was good. I stepped on the scale and thought I had lost 8 lbs but my scale isn't the best so when at a friend's house saw that it was closer to 6. No matter. Some is better than none and on top of that I'm feeling pretty good. Can't say I'm 'great' and all that wonderful stuff. I still miss eating other foods despite how I know this is good for me. I still want my cheetos.... BUT....

Today I was offered a mamosa (orange juice and champagne). One of my favorite beverages. I told my friend I was juicing and couldn't. He even tried persuading me saying there was orange juice in it but told him no, the alcohol in it was a def no-no. He had his mamosa while I sat and had two cups of water. Felt pretty proud of myself for saying no :o)

I stayed on track today. Finished the fruits I had juiced yesterday. Yummmmmm. For lunch I had a salad made from yesterday. After trying to crunch and munch my way thru, I finally got up, threw it all into the vitamix, grabbed tomorrow's salad, threw that in and blended. Taste... not so good (no wonder why I didn't enjoy it as a salad!). Added two carrots and a red apple and wah-lah. Changed the taste to something much more palatable. Had a glass mid-afternoon. For dinner had a YUMMY bowl of the fresh veggie soup I had made yesterday. Can't tell you how bad I kinda wanted to sneak in a few crackers tho (or cheetos?!?). :o) But, it WAS really tasty. Could just taste the freshness of it. Yummmmmm. Am now sipping my hot tea and getting ready for my evening shower.

Have another headache today. It's been with me most of the afternoon/evening. Could be all reading I've been doing. I know yesterday was tough snow shoveling. Came inside with extremely stiff and achy shoulders and neck. I really, badly, desperately need a massage and a good chiro adjustment! But for now... that hot shower is calling me. Achy muscles, minor relief is coming soon.

Oh, and fingertip numbness. Still mildly numb, but NOT like those first few days. At this point am going to call them my chemo fingers for this is pretty much what I've dealt with for the past how many years. Am still hoping this juicing stuff will bring about healing for that as well.

Acid indigestion... That's been doing very well too. I get minor bouts with it (onions?) but NOTHING like my daily life before this! Every Single Day I'd suffer from acid reflux and it is NOT fun :o(  I also know my diet is the main reason for the awful suffering. But that's what Tums are for, right? I haven't taken one in seven days. For me, that's pretty awesome.

Time to say good night. Tomorrow makes 8 days and on this plan, that's called Hump Day. Hooray!!!! The downhill slide begins!! :o)

Day 7

Woot woot! Made it to the end of the week. But, the day has just begun so 'technically' I still have another 16 hours to go. But, I just HAD to share a dream I woke up to!

I was at a friend's place who brought out a bag of cheetos on a serving try all in their orange glory glistening with salty, sweet, cheesy goodness begging me to take 'just one'. I was fighting the urge when she placed the tray right in front of me (I bet it was Kari in disguise!). I looked at the tray and told myself I still had 8 days to go and pushed it aside. While we were in deep conversation, another friend poked her head into the door and started asking questions about something pertaining to work. I distractedly picked up a cheeto and popped it into my mouth. Immediately warning bells started going off in my head. Remember the robot from that show back in the 60's (most of you probably don't, lol)? He'd be waving his robot arms crying out, 'Warning, Warning... Extreme danger'!!

Those were the words my brain was screaming at me. To stop and spit it out right now. BUT..., It was sooooo goooood..... So I ate it.

Well, I reasoned, I'd already 'cheated' so why not have just a few more (funny how the mind gives permission to continue going in the wrong tangent once you've taken that first fateful step - how sad). I took a few more. I could FEEL the disappointment in my mind and body. And yet, I ate more, and more,,,, and more! So much more that I cleaned that entire tray of cheetos off right down to the very last crumbs. And during the entire process, I could feel the sluggishness and heaviness of not only 'cheating', but also of having consumed so much toxic waste. I could feel the disappointment of my having to admit to Kari I'd slipped up - big time. I even reasoned I didn't have to tell her for how would she ever know? But with me being such an open book, I knew that wouldn't last for long. My guilty conscience would make me vomit the words while humbly hoping she wouldn't blast me with, 'Ah hah! I knew it! I Win; with plenty of LOL's thrown in for good measure (of course, she'd be sympathetic, but definitely not for long - we're far too competitive)!!

The dream was so real I woke up at that point and wondered did I really just do that? Did I really sabotage the entire past week in that moment of weakness? Briefly I FELT sick and sluggish until (thankfully) I realized it was a dream whereby my brain kicked in, the good endorphins started up and I once again realized how powerful the mind/body are in working together. Even tho I hadn't physically eaten those cheetos, because my brain (thoughts) felt that i had, I experienced, in a wakeful state, the full spectrum of feelings and thoughts mentioned above. The body/mind is a wonderful and powerful tool and may I continue this journey in doing what I can to feed it mostly the best that I can. When this juicing fast is over, I'm sure I will indulge in foods that I love and enjoy, but with a lot more awareness, a lot less imbibing, a 'less is more' mentality, and pay attention to how my body responds (positively or negatively) and continue or eliminate as needed.

Wow, what an awesome 'wake-up call' kind of dream!
Day 7, here we come!!!
Where's my hot lemon water?! :o)

Day 6

Wow, Day six... Almost a full week of eating/drinking nothing but fruits and vegetables!! How many times I've felt like cheating!! Each time I open the cupboards or fridge to see the foods waiting there - taunting and teasing me with their lovely colors and labels. I had just gone grocery shopping maybe two or three days before Kari asked me to join her on this venture so have a meat crisper full of sliced hams, turkey, and cheeses for sandwiches. Sausage links and eggs for this awesome breakfast recipe I saw online. CHEETOS in my cabinet. I rarely buy them and did on a whim because the day before [I went shopping] I had stopped to talk to the lady across the street from where I work and she always has cheetos on hand. She gave me a few and just the flavor of that yummy JUNK food(??) was the perfect impulse to buys some the next day. And there they sit, in my cupboard, all orange and pretty. Waiting... waiting for me to say... 'just one won't hurt....' With each new day that I've said NO, I feel pretty darned good inside - and pretty strong too.

Today I worked only a few hours. Bad snowstorm kept people from coming in. I had my lemon water and brought lemon to work with me for even more. Had one bottle of green foods and one bottle of fruits. Consumed the greens but only half the fruit. Came home to shovel the walk and was happy to see I had the stamina to do it (took me 75 minutes!!). Still had plenty energy so got all the veggies out of the fridge to see what I had leftover. Made an awesome pot of soup (I finally am learning how to use the vitamix so I don't puree everything - the soup has delicious texture too it - leafy and chunky and semi-thick. I threw in 1 leak, garlic cloves, broccoli, kale, zucchini, celery, carrots, mushrooms, red onion, sea salt, pepper and a quart of veg stock. Simmered on the stove til the veggies softened then threw it into the vitamix to chop it up. Wow, is it GOOD!!!!

Next I needed to get rid of veggies before they start going bad. Am happy my fridge keeps them good, but they can only last so long.... So, got out kale, red cabbage, spinach, avacado, cucumber, celery, tomatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers, and broccoli and made three tossed salads. Am eating one right now (fresh and delicious!) and have two for tomorrow and Monday.

Like yesterday, I'm not seeing drastic changes really (not like the video people of Kari), but, minor changes which are pleasantly nice. If my fingers weren't so darned cold right now I'd do the 'pinch' test to see how numb the tips are, but they're like ice cubes. Will have to test them tomorrow if I remember! Two people told me today they thought it looked like I was losing weight (course, black will do that every time!) so that felt good. Will need to weigh in tomorrow and see what the scale shows. When I started last Monday, I was at 192 lbs and at 44 X 33 X 44. That's a lot for me. Two years ago I was a 36/38 X 25 X 38/40 and at 165 - kinda gained some inches/lbs since moving to Iowa. Have been a lot less active and consuming a lot more calories. NOT a win/win. But, my heart is in the right place and this seems to be the catalyst that I needed to start making those important dietary changes to go along with the spiritual journey I started two months ago. Wow. Life is good. Thank you Kari and to ebb and flow of the sea - I am the Captain of my ship out on the SEA's of life. Yes indeed. Life is definitely good and continuing to get better. Rose colored glasses - don't they look gooooood?!?!?

Course, if I DON'T lose the weight..., the REAL reason is......:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=440735122722725&set=a.185316514931255.39272.185276654935241&type=1

Day 5.2

I just HAD to share this link. I think it'd be awful fun to have this chick join us in our juicing adventure....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYF9bImkOL4

Can we say 'fresh cherries' anyone? LMAO!!

Day 5.1

Figured I'd get the final blog in of the day so I can continue with my studies and not use being too tired as an excuse later on. I'm happy to say my body temp is doing good. I'm not freezing cold in the house anymore like the first few days. And to think the temps are even colder now than they were then!

I looked at next weeks menus and was happy to see I had most everything already. During the summer I had frozen many fruits in anticipation of winter juicing 'just because' but never made the time for it. So, this afternoon, I treated myself to a concoction of: strawberries, cantaloupe, black cherries, spinach leaves, celery, pineapple, 1 ea red/green apple, banana, an orange, lots of water with plenty cinnamon sprinkled in. Oh, another happy day for the taste buds (first one was the acorn squash)! I still wish I had something I could sink my teeth into..., but the yummy taste of that beverage is sooooooo good it makes waiting it out worth it. It made a 48 oz container so I have plenty for tomorrow to drink between my green drinks plus extra! I already drank a full glass then poured a second one mixing evenly with my pre-made green drink and that's pretty darned good too! As I've said all throughout this five day experiment, I may not be following the juicing plan to the 'letter of the law', but..., I AM juicing and I haven't gone off track. It's been fruits and vegetables period! With that said, I received a text from Kari this afternoon....

Conversation goes:

Kari: We made it thru day 5!!!!!!!!!! What?!?!?!? I never thought I could go 5 days on fruits and veggies!!! How are you feeling (I'm sure she was worried about the bad headaches I'd been having)?

Jean: Am doing good. I blogged a few hrs ago n will do another later to finish day out. Every single day I think about eating 'no touch' foods but made it this far. May as well c what tomorrow brings, right? BTW, I'm proud of u :o) XOXOXO

Kari: I'm proud of you too. Waiting for you to cheat is what got me thru 5 days. So thank you! (Some 'friend', right?!)

Jean: Lol. DITTO!!!!! (And I'm an even better friend!!!)

It's been fun, not-so-fun, interesting, and challenging along with a myriad of other thoughts of feelings. Would I have done this on my own? Highly unlikely. I've had two key people in my life recently (my sister in VA and a friend in Davenport (IA)) who have really tried encouraging me to stop the eating and drinking habits I've had (and enjoyed!) knowing I was doing my body far more harm than good. Food intolerances: They're more real than most would ever think or know of. There's a lot of good information out there. Just do your homework. My biggest issue has been god-awful heartburn, acid indigestion, gerd (runs in the family) esophagus irritations, stomach problems, and often-times IBS (especially when nervous and/or extremely stressed). Followed by sore joints, muscle pains, headaches, fatigue, and blah, blah, blah.

I think I mentioned in a previous post, at least this is the START to making changes. I'm still waiting to see that 'glow' on my face, weight being dropped (lol probably not cuz of all the bulk I'm consuming rather than plain juicing), clarity, energy, etc., but, some people take longer than others I'm sure. Kari has said she's def noticed a difference and I'm happy for her. She's suffered far too long with joint pains and in our field, we NEED to be in the best possible shape that we can.

Until tomorrow..., Aloha!!  :o)

Day 5

Got up in a really good mood. Happy. Good energy. Fingers are still numb but I think I've had a milder version of that sensation for such a long time now (years!) that I'm beginning to suspect it's no longer from the juicing (it was just so much more intense on days 2 and 3 - probably from the build up and attempt to release the toxins?!). I had aggressive chemotherapy 18 years ago this February. Because I was so young and the stage was III, they gave me eight doses in all. Back then, my fingers, toes and tongue tip were all numb during the entire process and got worse for probably up to two years. I got so used to is that it became a part of me. I never questioned it. Only knowing it was attributed to the aftereffects of the chemo. I guess I got overly concerned while juicing was because it was as strong as that time period way back when. I just looked it up online to see the why's of this condition and for any of you who might be experiencing the same (breast cancer and/or ovarian cancer survivors are on much the same RX program), I added a few links down below. I've also learned (today) that drinking too much alcohol is a no-no and I hate to admit..., but I've definitely had MORE than my fair share in my lifetime. Sigh.... Bring me another juice!!

With that said, the juicing should be a bonus then in the long run. I read where certain vitamins and minerals are needed to help the numbness as well as refraining from alcohol. Now THAT's going to take some willpower! Most of the family and friends I currently (and previously) associate(d) with 'love' and enjoy our beer, wine and cocktails (although I think mostly it's an awesome form of escape.... except for the hangovers!). Still yet... it's NOT too late!

Today, day 5, is only half over. My morning started out with the lemon water (had four glasses so far in six hours), I had a 20 oz bottle of green stuff, half a bottle of orange stuff (love the names of my drinks, lol) and am eating the other half of yesterday's roasted acorn squash. Gads, it is sooooo good!  I've been really busy today, as I knew I would be, so still haven't made time to make any of the other recipes. I read Kari's post from last night and she's already excited about what the next five days will bring. Shoots, I still have a refrigerator FULL of fruits and veggies from the FIRST five days! I ain't going shopping until I eat up that supply! Oops, I'd better get going. I have a dentist appt in 20 minutes and still need to clean the squash and mushrooms out of my teeth! :o) Have fun and will post more later. :o)


Explanations for numbness and tingling in extremities after chemotherapy:

http://www.neuropathy.org/site/News2?id=7255&news_iv_ctrl=1201

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cancer/expert-blog/chemotherapy-neuropathy/bgp-20056305

Day 4

Am posting this on day 5. Was too exhausted getting home last night :o)

Yesterday morning woke up feeling motivated and refreshed. Headache, thankfully, was gone. And thankfully I didn't have to leave to work until an hour later than I normally had to (for school) which gave me a much needed extra hour of sleep. Got up and prepped/made/baked the roasted acorn squash stuffed w/mushroom & sage meal that was supposed to be for day two I think. I haven't been following the exact menu plan because of lack of prep time, but figure as long as I'm eating/drinking only what's on the list, I'm doing OK. While the squash was baking, I made a pitcher of the Carrot Apple Lemon juice (not bad - put much more water into the mixer this time) followed by a pitcher of pretty much anything green :o)

The juices total made almost 7 bottles of 20 oz each. Three for yesterday, and the final 3 today. Headed out at 8:45 for work with three bottles in tow and my acorn squash (did it ever smell good!). Had one of the juices on the way in. About two hours into work I started in on the squash. OMG was it GOOD!!!! The mushrooms and onion combo almost tasted like I was eating meat. I miss meat. Oh this was heaven to me :o) Yummy......

 In fact, as I sit here typing on day 5, I'm eating the other half right now. Once again..., heaven. It is soooooo good!! Drank plenty of water and my other two bottles of juice throughout the work day finally leaving 12 hours later - locking the doors at 8:40 pm to the COLD WINDY weather. My poor car needs juicing. It took 8 minutes just to get to the 'C' on the temp gauge and another 2 minutes before I had heat!! Anyway, back to blogging.... Got home and was so achy sore I could barely stand. My lower back hurt, my upper back, shoulders, forearms, wrists and fingers were all in pain. Heated my herbal tea, drank the leftovers of juice and took a long, hot shower. What I noticed most was that I didn't have a headache (fingers still numb) so what a relief to go to sleep in peace. I slept like a baby :o)

I DID finish the documentary in which this whole program is based off of if you'd like to check it out. It's an hour long but really, really inspirational. Kinda let me see another side that I will at least make it to the end of the 15 days and at minimum continue eating healthier afterwards.  The link to: Fat Sick and Nearly Dead is: http://fatsickandnearlydead.com/ (copy and paste the link). Watch the short trailer and click on 'Watch the Movie Now'. It sure makes a lot of sense and again, very inspiring!

Day 3

I'm still experiencing sensations of detoxing (mercy, I must have been in baaaaaaad shape?!). Bad headache that starts early afternoon and gets worse as the day progresses. All of my fingertips are numb. I have neck and shoulder stiffness tighter than 'normal'. A teacher friend, who has been into FOD MAPing (food mapping - each of those acronyms stand for a type of sugar depending on the source) for several years now and laden with many food allergies said I'm showing signs of inflammation and something about histamines. My body is reacting to some of the foods I've been juicing (he believes mainly the kale and the apples). I actually learned a LOT from him today, but too much to post here and now. My head hurts and it's hard to concentrate. Said to continue at my discretion but to def keep an eye out for continued side-effects. More 'food' for thought, eh?!

This morning I got up early in anticipation of making the days rations. The smoothie was really tasty with the banana, avocado, and other greens. The the green lemonade.... YUCK!!!! I ended up mixing all of it together to form another 'ugh' drink for the day (and tomorrow cuz it made so much!). All of my classmates were making fun of me for my 'suffering' when they saw me trying to glug one of the drinks down. However, the green salad I had for lunch was to die for. Very colorful, bright and fresh (which got plenty of oohs and ahhs) while they had their 'healthy' meals of hamburger helper, pizza, sandwiches, chips, etc. So, who's laughing now?!

I didn't have time yet to make the other meals both last night nor this morning and besides, I STILL had continued leftovers...  So, today I finished off the rest of the sweet potatoes and carrots. Added more sea salt as they seemed to have lost their original flavor (or maybe it was a sneaky way of getting more salt into my diet since my palate misses having sweet/salty things!).

All in all..., today consisted of:
Morning hot water w/lemon - delish
1 bottle green beverage on way to school
Water, water, water
Carrots/taters to snack on, water
1/2 green beverage
Garden salad (fav!)
Water
1/2 green beverage
1 bottle green beverage on way home
Rest of the taters/carrots at home, water
Organic tea (yuk)

I'm tired, cranky and want to sleep. My head is pounding - especially the right side, behind my eyes, my sinus cavities, and the back occipital area. In another words, my WHOLE HEAD! Darn it! But hey, the hunger pangs weren't nearly as bad as the first two days..... :o)  I honestly thought of cheating MANY times thru out the day..., but the thought of me giving in before Kari prevented me from doing so.  I just can't let her get a let up on me (for now anyways). However, if these headaches don't stop... it's really bad right now... I just might have to [cheat] for self preservation!!

Sending Aloha and Sweet Dreams to All,
Detox Queen turning into whimpering Princess.
Jean - XOXOXO

Day 2.1

So THIS is why I was so darned cold today! Temps weren't that bad (earlier), but I just could NOT get warm!!! Thankfully they have a FAQ section on their website: rebootwithjoe.com

Q: I’m feeling cold on my Reboot. Why and how can I remedy this?
A: This is a common occurrence on the Reboot, especially during cold weather. It’s not a bad thing, as it has to do with being in a state of caloric restriction, which can decrease your body temperature. The good news is that it means not only are you in a sweet spot where you can lose weight, but research also shows that being in a healthy caloric restrictive state can help to reduce signs and processes of aging and as well as protect the body from mutation and help reduce cancer risk. We encourage you to bundle up, sip hot water with lemon/ginger, make broth from your juice pulp, focus on soups when you’re in the eating phases, and sip herbal tea.


And also....
My friend has a juicer (oops, that broke!) while I have the vita mix. We were wondering if it mattered since technically, the programs calls for 'juicing'..... 

Q: What is the difference between juices and smoothies?

A: You can find more information in this post.

Let’s break down the benefits of smoothies and fresh juice during a Reboot.

Smoothies

Equipment: Blender
Price: There are lots of good ones on the market and most are inexpensive
Process: Load up the blender with clean, fresh or frozen fruits, veggies like green leafys (swiss chard or spinach for example) and liquid like coconut water. Off your Reboot try almond, hemp or soy milk, cacao nibs or chia seeds for fun.
Benefits: Phytonutrients found in the skin and flesh of fruits and veggies. Loads of fiber from the whole fruit and vegetables.

Fiber is important for regulating blood sugar, keeping bowels regular, aiding in hunger control, may help prevent certain types of cancers.

Juicing

Equipment: Juicer/juice extractor
Price: Varies ($99-399)
Process: Push clean produce (fruits and veggies) through the chute. For more tips and ideas visit: http://jointhereboot.com/reboot-program/the-reboot-standard/during-your-reboot-standard/
Benefits: Juicing removes the insoluble fibers (but the soluble fiber remains in the juice). Important micronutrients typically more difficult to absorb become accessible. These nutrients include digestive enzymes and certain phytonutrients.

In the end, including both smoothies and fresh juice can be a healthy and delicious way to boost the amount of micronutrients in your diet.

LOL And I guess this is to answer my question about being so HUNGRY!!!

Q: The food on the meal plans is too much/too little for me. How much should I eat?
A: Eat only as much as feels right to you. Stop when you feel full. Have another juice if you are still hungry. During the eating phases, don’t feel you need to eat everything we list, and likewise, if you are still hungry, have another serving, some fruit, or some raw veggies…or a juice, of course!

Day 2

This morning I had to get up early cuz I was too tired the night before to make my 'meals' for the day. Had my hot cup of lemon water (I think that's my FAVORITE part of this whole deal so far). Before leaving for the day, I had to bake two large carrots and two sweet potatoes cut into small wedges with olive oil, cumin powder, sea salt and black pepper. Baked at 425 for half an hour.... Ooooooh were they delicious!!! I've been snacking on them all throughout the day. You'd be surprised at how much those four items can make!

I had leftover juice from yesterday so dumped that back into the vitamix. Cleaned the bottles out with water and dumped that in. Added a bunch of kale, a cucumber, celery and sprinkled in cinnamon and pumpkin spices. MUCH better than yesterday. Did I follow the menu / recipe verbatim?  No. That's what I get for not being prepared! And actually I was kind of cursing my friend (in a friendly way, of course!) under my breath, 'What have I gotten myself into?!'  But, I WAS proud I had made myself two small tossed salads (with no cheeses, meats or any of that GOOD, FATTENING, Make you SICK kind of Stuff in them!), the taters n carrots and three bottles of green drinks to go. I was set for the day!

Drank one of the juices on the way out. Snacked on the carrots and taters when the urge to eat hit me. Started the second juice sipping here and there. Ate the salad with minimal dressing (but it was good, so... I'll give it kudos for flavor (love avacados!!)) for a late lunch and here this evening I've been working on my third drink while snacking on more of the carrots n taters.

While I'm proud for actually doing this two whole days in a row (OMG, that's sooooooo long, right?!), I've been constantly fighting the urge to sneak into the cabinets to find some REAL food - like yummy, delicious comfort foods such as cheetos or peanuts or chocolate or....  LOL, nah, I can't risk having my friend one-up me so I'm going to let HER cheat first (I think!)!!

Side-effects so far: I'm tired. I have a headache. I'm hungry. Most of this I knew going into the program tho. It did explain as we detoxify, there may be some unpleasant side-effects which I can see. When being used to eating certain foods, etc., where the body has learned to crave them (we don't even realize it half the time - we simply dive in and mindlessly eat!). So, I'm probably like a food junkie addict and going thru my withdrawals big time. But, it's all good. I'm NOT about to throw away $105 bucks in good food, so, I guess I'll be blogging for at least another day as i used this stuff up and see what happens.

Day 1

OK, So... I have this friend who insisted we try this 15 day 'Reboot' program to better health, clarity, weight loss (bonus!) and more. I went to her place two days ago where I was handed a set of guidelines for this new adventure: A description of the program, shopping list for 5 days at a time, menu's and recipe's for each of the items on the menu. Sounded good! I was definitely game. 15 days? Heck, that's nothing!!!

Hah! But then, I got distracted that evening so didn't get my shopping in and we were to start the next day (yesterday)! I had to get my butt up out of bed early to go pick up the mass array of fruits and vegetables, some of which I'd never heard of before. As I stood there staring at the list and looking at the veggies with total confusion, an employee (at HyVee in Clinton) came and asked if I needed any help. I thrust the list into her hands and said, "I need all of THAT!"  She literally took me from section to section and helped to pick out every single item I needed. A few of the items they were out of and she said, "That's odd..., We must have sold out yesterday...." I knew in my heart that it was my friend who beat me to the punch! Luckily they had more stock in the back and we were able to fill the order. Total cost for 5 days of veggies??? $105!!! And that didn't include the items I already had on hand at home!! WOW! Eating healthy.... No wonder everyone is so CHUNKY! It's CHEAPER!!!  Hey, I like that..., Cheaper to be Chunky.... Nah.... Stick to the game plan Jean. Health, Health and more good Health!

Came home and made my first batch of carrots and apples with a little hunk of ginger root. I couldn't understand why my Vitamix wouldn't stir it up when I was following the recipe to the 'T'. Finally realized I needed water or something to get it started so poured in a container of coconut juice. Nope, Not enough. Added water. Nope. Needed more. MORE water.... My 'juice' consisted of a lovely, thick, orange applesauce that I gleefully glugged down - ugh... it was... soooooo, ugh.... good.... ugh......

Took my yummy, delicious drinks to work where my friend laughed at me while cheerfully showing me HER concoction of the same ingredients except it was this lovely, sweet tasting, light JUICE (show-off had a juicer!). But then... I reasoned to myself..., while this may be a juicing program, I think I win cuz I'm getting the REAL nutrients while she throws all that important bulk away and my happy intestines process it creating a lovely, clean environment if you  know what I mean.

So, to end day one.... I was hungry. I wanted BULK in my diet (like a heavy steak or pasta dish or.... something salty... or, something sweet!!!!). But I made it thru and came home to drink my final cup of herbal tea before retiring for the evening. Day Two coming up......

My groceries for days 1 - 5

First day of this journey. Here's looking for clearer skin and brighter eyes and nicer hair and.....

First day of juicing.... Except.... I found out I was making carrot applesauce instead! A WHOLE pitcher full no less! But.... It's all gone now and I'm proud to say my intestines are very happy now.