Day 29 - Sharing the Juice Love

Our landlord and lady dropped by to fix some things today. We're lucky enough to have a friendly relationship with them, so they hung out to chat for a while. It was approaching noon, and because of my morning schedule, I hadn't made my first juice of the day. While we talked I blended apple, parsley, spinach, lemon, and ginger. Of course, I shared a sample with everyone.

Rarely do we have a house guest without one or both of us going off on a healthy eating tangent. There's nothing like a captive audience, especially when we can serve them some yummy-deliciousness as a means of swaying them to our way of thinking. This time we tag-teamed. I did my best to articulate some of the benefits I've experienced since going high raw/very high vegan and since starting my juice feast. I'm hoping we convinced them to replace one meal a day with a green smoothie as they transition to some healthier choices. Heck, I'd love to see just about everyone I know add a daily green smoothie to his or her diet!

Today's juice:

apple/parsley/spinach/ginger/lemon

watermelon/strawberry/apple

grapefruit/orange

Since I missed what would've been my 2nd green juice for the day, I supplemented with lots of chlorella. I should've had a green powder, but lately Vitamineral Green just tastes too strong to me, and that's the only one I have. I have a strict policy of not eating or drinking things I don't enjoy!

Day 28 - My Emergency Stash

I work from home, so I've never gotten into the habit of making my juices in advance. Lots of juice feasters make 4 jars of juice when they start their day, but I'm a one-juice-at-a-time girl. I keep chlorella, kelp granules, or green powder in my purse. If I'm away from home longer than expected, any of those will get me through.

Great energy today, though I only slept about 5 and 1/2 hours last night. I got in two workouts and spent most of the day shopping with my girls. Shopping isn't my favorite activity. It usually leaves me feeling depleted. I did take a half hour afternoon nap, but the running from store to store didn't wear me out.

Today's juice:

parsley/spinach/apple/lemon

cantaloupe strawberry

watermelon

grapefruit/orange

spinach/apple/ginger lemon

I don't keep track of the amount of greens I juice. I'd like to have about a pound and half each day, but I usually just keep blending them in until I have enough juice. I'd guess that I'm closer to a pound lately, so I'll try to be more aware in the coming days. Looking forward to a great weekend!

Day 27 - My First Casualty

Wrapping up my 27th day, my first mason jar bit the dust. I made a beautiful cantaloupe juice, but I was rushing to get my daughter to karate, and the jar was wet, and a quart of juice isn't super easy to clean up. Getting up the shards of glass is the real challenge!

Anyhoo, after that I decided to cheat and have fruit juice for my final juice of the day, rather than green juice. I did take lots of blue/green algae to assuage my guilt.

As for the benefits of juice feasting, my energy and concentration seem to be growing by the day. I sleep deeply and without much interruption. Even when I don't get enough sleep (Hey, it happens) I can power through my work. I'm really enjoying checking things off my to do list! Workouts are easier both mentally and physically.

Today's juice:

apple/fennel

watermelon

orange/grapefruit

orange /grapefruit

Turning in soon!

Day 26 - Exercise is Key

On the days when I get enough exercise, I manage stress and any negative emotions much more easily. Whether it's a powerwalk, a jog, a dvd, or some time on the bike, anger and sadness may roll in, but I can remind myself to give them over to God, or simply change my focus. Makes sense. After all, the human body was designed to be in motion for most of the day. A nice endorphin release never hurts, and feeling strong and physically confident can elevate my mood for the whole day.

Today's juice:

kale/apple/lemon/ginger

watermelon

grapefruit/orange

kale/beet/apple/celery/ginger/lemon

I'm 5 days away from my baby step goal of 31 days. I know I haven't done all the mental, emotional, or physical cleansing I'd like to do on this feast. Seriously considering going longer. If I do, I'll continue to set baby step goals and re-evaluate at each one.

Day 25 - Food & Managing Emotions

Anger seems to be a common theme amongst juice feasters. Looking at various blogs and forums, I find that many people have a fairly peaceful feast, and many others experience surges of anger that seem out of character. Today, I experienced just such a surge.

At one point in my life, it wouldn't have seemed so out of place, but over the years I pretty much dealt with my anger. I learned to use faith and compassion to diffuse anger at people around me, anger at life, and anger at my self. The journey wasn't always forward-moving, but I progressed just the same. I still get angry, but usually it's for real reasons and I handle it fairly well.

Though I've been eating high raw for some time, I now have to wonder how much the foods I consumed masked or quieted negative emotions. Raw desserts and other foods in my diet could've had just such an effect. It's foolhardy to assume a high raw eating-style couldn't include crutches for coping.

I've felt the anger building over the last few days (at various times of day) and it seemed to peak this afternoon while I dealt with issues big and small. Fresh vegetable and fruit juices don't provide the masking effect. This, for me, is where the rubber hits the road. Without the calming effects of certain foods, I need to find and use internal resources to manage negative emotions.

If I'd attempted this juice feast years ago, before I learned those tools, I could've encountered real problems. It's something anyone planning a juice feast should consider.

Today's juice:

tomato/cilantro/onion/garlic

Avery thought that savory juice was quite strong. I found it mild and delicious. Go figure.

grapefruit/orange

cantaloupe/blueberry

Haven't decided on my dinner juice yet.

Day 24 - Sidetracked a Bit

My exercise was sidetracked by some back pain. My hope is that it was just incidental, and not related to the recent car accident my youngest and I were in. I did train arms and abs, but only did light cardio on my stationary bike.

It was a good juice day. I convinced my oldest daughter to prepare my mid-day juice for me. It's always a treat to enjoy a jar of juice prepared by someone else's hands. As I get closer and closer to the end of the month, I'm torn as to whether or not to continue the juice feast. My heart says go for it, but I don't want to have a negative impact on the family budget. I also don't want to mislead anyone. With good planning, the feast doesn't have to be prohibitively expensive. Planning and smart shopping are key.

This afternoon my Lovely Boyfriend, Avery, threatened to join me for the next week of juicing! That would be really awesome! I'd love for him to experience even a fraction of the benefits I'm experiencing. Though I'd have to double my juice making, he's always good for helping out in the kitchen. I may have to figure out a way to make this work.

Today's juice:

apple/beet/spinach/ginger/lemon

orange/grapefruit

apple/pear/ginger/lime

tomato/basil/bok choy/oregano/onion/garlic/kelp granules

I'm rather bored of the apples in my green juices, but I'm really enjoying the tomato based combinations. Pizza in a glass!

Tools for Juicing

In this video I talk about two of my favorite juicing resources:

A Juice Feaster's Handbook, by Angela Stokes-Monarch

and

The daily checklist from Juicefeasting.com

Day 20 - Easy Does It

Today was super easy, perhaps because I only used the Vitamix and nutmilk bag for two of my four juices. Although I've gotten that down to a neat little system, I sometimes don't have enough interest to go through it. I used my citrus juicer to make a nice orange/grapefruit, and also threw chunks of watermelon into a nutmilk bag to squeeze out that pretty red juice.

I ate my bee pollen first thing this morning, though from what I understand it's not really necessary until some time after the 30 day mark. I've been working out a lot, so I figure I may need that little extra protein. The experts at Juice Feasting say it can slow down the cleansing, so I'll probably take small amounts as an ocassional supplement until I pass 30 days.

Speaking of time-frames, I'm still not sure how long I'll continue on my juice feast. I set a minimum intention of 31 days, but I'm taking a wait-and-see approach to deciding whether or not I'll continue after that.

Today's Juice:

apple/kale/ginger lemon (Made this one waaaaay too strong. Easy does it on the kale next time.)

orange/grapefruit

watermelon

cucumber/celery/apple

My Keys to Juice Feasting

I'm only 19 days in, but these are some of the things that have really helped make those 19 days easy:

• Share with my support system exactly what I'm trying to accomplish
• Plan shopping, and be open to change my list based on a bargain
• Have stress-management strategies in place
• Prepare juice before I'm hungry
• Get in lots of greens
• Keep green powder blends handy
• Ask for help when I need it
• Rotate fruits and vegetables to keep it interesting
• Workout daily
• Review goals daily
• Record my juices, supplements, and detox strategies to make sure I'm on track
• Make delicious juices I enjoy
• Give myself permission to dump a juice that's not up to standard

This list also works for maintaining a healthy eating-style.

I couldn't have made it this far without Avery, Melina, and Ray, all of whom have helped me shop, wash produce, and prepare juices. Mad props to Avery who took over my juicing for an entire day. I doubt he'll ever know how loved I felt. Thanks, fam!

Day 19 - Where Have I Been?

Still juicing! I was caught up in all the red tape from the car accident, and so I missed blogging for a couple of days. After that, I started to feel a definite aversion to my computer. Normally, I spend eight hours a day at my laptop. When I'm deep into a writing project, it can be even more than that. But for the last several days, I've been down to around an hour a day. Even my writing has been done primarily with pad and pen.

I'm having one significant struggle with the juice feast: choking down the recommended supplements. I have great difficulty taking the coconut oil, hempseed oil, and especially the bee pollen. Some days I've missed one or more of them entirely. I can't continue down that path, so I'll have to either suck it up, or seek some alternatives. Must get those healthy fats in for good mental and physical health.

Emotionally, I have found the lack of patience continues. I'm working very hard to spend some solitary time, as this seems to be the most effect way to center myself. Still, I can almost imagine a week in a lovely cabin. I'd miss my family, of course, but I do think the alone time would be beneficial for me in many ways. I have to be diligent to insure lack of patience and irritability don't grow into meanness or rudeness. Check yourself, Candice.

Today's juice:

1 cantaloupe w/seeds

1 large bunch red chard/3 small apples/ginger/lemon

orange/grapefruit

I promise (myself) to get in more pics and video. My camera has been kind of a hassle, but that's no excuse.

Day 7 - Ups and Downs

Because of all the red tape with the accident, the day was really busy. I didn't get to start my juice until some time after ten, and even then it was difficult to get it all in. The blessing of such a nutrient-rich diet is that I don't have all the "normal" crankiness, blood sugar drops, and weakness typically associated with skipping or delaying meals.

My head and nose still hurt from the accident, and this afternoon I noticed seatbelt abrasions on my shoulder and chest. I'm so grateful that there weren't more serious physical injuries, but today I had some ups and downs in thinking about the whole thing. I avoided the freeway a couple of times, and I had to go deeply into prayer to move past some anger that welled up against the man who caused the collision. The truth is that it could happen to any of us on any given day. It only takes a moment's distraction.

Today's juice:

cucumber/celery/parsley/spinach/Thai chili

grapefruit

coconut water/Vitamineral Green

beet/beet greens/apple/spinach/ginger/lemon

I bought a watermelon, and I'm looking forward to that juice on tomorrow's menu.

Day 6 - And a Real Bump in the Road

Today I found out what a real bump in the road looks like. Ray and I were driving up to hit Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, tooling along on the freeway. The car in front of us slowed to a stop. We slowed to a stop. The car behind us didn't. He slammed into us, pushing us into the vehicle we followed. The airbag deployed and drama ensued. Four vehicles were involved, but everyone was able to walk away, thanks be to God. Whether or not our car will be totaled remains to be seen.

Happy to be off the freeway, we walked up to Whole Foods and ordered a juice and a smoothie, and waited for a friend to come and get us. (Thanks, friend Fern!) While we waited for our order, I chatted with a truck driver. This sunny gentleman has been exposed to a toxin from a previous job. The result is that he gets headaches if he uses a cell phone or spends too much time around wireless internet. Yikes! Wireless internet is pervasive in many cities. The cool thing: in spite of his burden, he radiated positivity and gratitude. Loving it.

This is the 1st day of the feast that I didn't use my Vita-mix.

Today's juice:

cucumber/celery/spinach/parsley/lemon (from Whole Foods)

apple/beet/ginger/wheatgrass (from Whole Foods)

grapefruit

coconut water with Vitamineral Green

So grateful for the health and safety of my daughters and the privilege of being here to guide them through life.

Day 5 on Juice!

I hit some personal bumps in the road today, the kind that can knock your whole day off course if you let them. Luckily, I had love and light pouring in from the fam. I had so much energy. I ran my errands, hit much of my to do list, and did 34 miles on the stationary bike. Not bad.

Today's juice:

celery/apple/watercress/ginger/lemon (Didn't need the ginger.)

grapefruit

coconut water/Vitamineral Green

collard greens/apple/lemon (A little too sweet.)

I'm still having trouble getting the full 4 quarts down, but I'm forcing myself to do so. I don't want to fall too low in nutrients or calories. Avery's visiting his mother in Chicago, and he took her a nut milk bag and made her a green juice tonight! They called me on speaker phone and we talked about the advantages of disadvantages of green smoothies vs juices. I love that conversation!

Chamomile tea and bed . . .

Quit Your Whining

I used to complain, a lot and often. As I grew a bit older and a tiny bit wiser, I began to see the energy spent in complaining wasn't only wasted, but also acted to tear down some of the things I was trying to build. I made it a point to stop complaining so much. That's not to say I never say a negative word, but I am conscious of my thoughts and words and steer them toward the positive. To maintain this practice, I have to stand guard against the people in my life who think of complaining as the foundation for daily conversation. It's easy to get dragged back into that mode. I have to stay vigilant against my own dark shadows that occasionally try to block out the light, as well.

This is only Day 5 of my juice feast, but I'm finding I have less and less tolerance for people complaining. Sometimes I feel detached from it, and watch it with interest. (Like the man growling about the wait in line at the car registration place. What did he expect?) But when it comes at me in a barrage, I feel like my peace is being attacked. If I can, I try to divert the speaker to something positive, perhaps point out a bit of silver in the cloud, or change the subject, but sometimes the only answer is to flee. My flight can come in the form of silence on my end. I'll smile, maybe nod, or say "Uh-huh" over and over. If it's necessary and appropriate, I'm out.

Hopefully this juice feasting experience will remind me to quit my whining. Like everyone else, I have an infinite number of things about which I can kvetch, but I'm also blessed with a never-ending list of things for which I can express my gratitude and joy. On which side do I want to focus? What kind of world do I want my thinking, speech, and focus to create? Will my impact be positive or negative? Choices.

Day 4 - Minor Breakouts Continue

A good day, but it's late, and I'm tired, so I'll be brief. Tiny breakouts on my face seem to be the detox symptom of the moment. I'm not too concerned, since these aren't like the big, painful, scarring bumps I'd suffer if I ate a bit of wheat. Of course, I'm great friends with my tongue scraper and toothbrush these days. My energy was great. The morning was very productive, and I got in over an hour of exercise.

I do enjoy my little quarter-teaspoon of kelp granules, but I haven't found any food particularly distracting or enticing. I'm still preparing meals for the family, but for now I'm content in the knowledge that all that yummy goodness will be available when I'm done with the feast. Still craving lots of quiet time though.

Today's juice:

collard/beet with greens/apple/ginger

grapefruit

rainbow chard/celery/apple

water with 2 teaspoons Vitamineral Green

Current supplements to the juice:

kelp granules

hemp oil

coconut oil

bee pollen

green superfood

Vitamin D-3

Probiotics

Enzymes

Cascara Sagrada

MSM

(OMG-osh! That seems like a lot of supplements, huh? Some are actually foods, and some I take anyway, so no worries.)

I promise myself to get back to video tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing what these days of juicing bring!

Chamomile tea, and off to bed.

Day 3 On Juice - Still Napping

I had a lot of energy this morning, so I got in a 90 minute workout (stationary bike, and abs), but by late afternoon I needed a n,ap. That's 3 days in a row of sacking out on the couch, but I've either been up late, up early or both, so I can't say that it's definitely the juice feast. I have a few tiny breakouts on my forehead, but otherwise I feel great.

Ray keeps offering me food she's made. Bless her. She keeps forgetting I'm doing juice, but I appreciate her thoughtfulness. I'm hoping the girls will do all my juicing for me on Mother's Day. That would be the best Mother's Day ever!

Today's Juice:

beet with greens/apples/spinach/ginger/lemon

coconut water/Vitamineral Green

Grapefruit

celery/tomato/parsley/Thai chili pepper (Loved the spice!)

I'm still having a bit of a hard time consuming the full 4-5 quarts, but I force myself to get in at least 4, so I don't fall too low in calories and nutrients. On with the feast!

Day 2 On Juice - Temptation?

My eleven year old daughter, Ray, and I went to meet her friend at an early Cinco de Mayo celebration. Her friend ran into a problem and couldn't make it, but Ray and I walked around for a while. There were lots of people, lots of corporate sponsors, and a decent band. Fortunately none of the food was anything I'd eat, so I wasn't tempted. I carried a quart of grapefruit juice in my purse, and was satisfied.

Other than feeling a little tired, and taking another nap, I haven't yet had much in the way of detox symptoms.

Today's juice:

celery/cucumber/apple/spinach/lemon

grapefruit

yellow beets/spinach/apple/ginger/lemon

red beets/beet greens/apple/ginger/spinach/lemon

Looking forward to an increase in energy!

Day One of My First Juice Feast

This is the first day of my juice feast. We went out with a bang last night with an all Raw dinner of red pepper soup, salad with Ranch dressing, lasagna, and strawberry shortcake. We invited a raw-friendly friend, and we all loved the meal.

I'm using most of the supplements and superfoods recommended on the Juice Feasting site. Not in love with the taste of bee pollen yet, but eaten in small amounts it's not bad. Coconut oil is no fun to eat by the tablespoon. All changes take some getting used to, I suppose.

Other than having to swallow a quart of juice, which took me an hour rather than the suggested fifteen minutes, juice for breakfast was easy. It's a bit hard to see all the great leftovers in the fridge, but my rational mind knows that if I choose to, I can have all those things in abundance when the feast is done. I did feel hungry at one point, but some coconut water took care of that. I should've added greens, but didn't.

My Goals:

• Feast for 40 days or more.
• Allow for repair of any health issues unknown to me.
• Find hormonal balance.
• Release any excess weight and find my naturally healthy weight.
• Reset my metabolism at a lower rate, so that my body runs efficiently on less food.
• Clarity of thought and concentrated focus.
• Freedom from cravings.
• Temporary freedom from thinking about meals.

Instead of a serious workout, I walked to the park with my daughter. I'll get back to my heavier exercise tomorrow or the next day. We were up til 1 am with our dinner guest, so I was a bit tired today. It's important to me to maintain my muscle mass, so I have to balance that with the suggestion that I hold off on strength training.

Exercise: yep

Skin brushing: nope

Tongue scraping: yep

Tomorrow we hit the farmer's market to make sure I have enough to juice for the week. I'm so looking forward to all the great results other folks have experienced from feasting. We'll see which ones I attract and what challenges I might encounter.