tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72480995206157884612024-03-14T03:23:54.347-07:00Juicing: Rebooting My Body & HealthFresh organic juice, straight from my home juicer, has single- handidly transformed my health and stamina to warrior status!Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06309830294468350229noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7248099520615788461.post-40257688945368850822012-10-12T23:11:00.002-07:002012-10-12T23:11:17.840-07:00Miraculous Juicing Results for a Friend<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I just had to share this amazing email I received from a friend who read this blog, watched. " Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" and was motivated to take back his life and health as a result!! Jack's story is so inspiring to me, and I'm sure it will be to you too. Read, reflect, and take back your health and life today! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Carpe Diem......</span><br />
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Here is the email.....<br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Hi Karen,</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Here's a letter that I just sent out to family that I knew that you might enjoy also, as I have you to thank so much for my new life.</span><div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I thought that I would share this with you as we all have been undergoing all kinds of health concerns over the past several years and more. As you probably heard, Lynn and I have gone through a bit of a major lifestyle change as I had been ill with Type II Diabetes for over 4 years, have had terrible foot pain due to diabetic neuropathy, high cholesterol, blood pressure that was going to be treated as high blood pressure probably sooner than later with more pills to add to my regimen, and, oh yeah, I have had sleep apnea for a little over 4 years now and have slept with a CPAP machine and a mask on my face to keep me breathing through the night. Also, they were concerned about the fatty liver condition I have developed due to the medications I have been on.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I have felt just plain badly during this period of time and also, the depression came back extra hard a few months ago and I was ready to get put back on the anti-depressant medications that I was put on after Mom & Dad had passed (54 days apart). By the way, at my worst, my weight was at 199.8 lbs. You have to remember, I am the runt of the litter.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Fifty three days ago after watching the movie the Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, Lynn went out and bought organic fruits and vegetables the next morning after the movie and we went on a 5 day juice only detox. At this point I had managed to get my weight down to 187.7 lbs. Right now, I'm at 172.0 lbs. After our 5 day juice only detox, we have been on a plant based way of eating, just organic vegetables and fruits, and organic raw nuts, seeds, and our green juice(juice-1 to 2x per day). I quit my 3/4 of a pot of way to strong coffee per day when we started the detox. I now drink green tea, water with lemon, organic soy milk, and all of our foods are non GMO.</span><div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I had quit taking all of my medications once I felt good - day #6 (I was feeling good at day 4 - after 3 days of feeling terrible), 1 day after our 5 day juice only detox had ended. I quit my 2000 mg. per day of Metformin for my Diabetes as my blood sugar levels were looking good, I was on <a href="tel:800%20-%201600" x-apple-data-detectors-result="1" x-apple-data-detectors-type="telephone" x-apple-data-detectors="true">800 - 1600</a> mg. of ibuprofen and also 1 to 2 chronic pain medication pills daily for the foot pain and neuropathy. I was taking 1200 mg. of red yeast rice as a way to keep the cholesterol down enough to keep me off having to start taking the cholesterol medication, and the high blood pressure medication was just around the corner for me. We made a decision to leave meat and dairy out of our diet after watching various documentaries. Let me know if you are interested in more information, and if not, okay.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Here's some #'s I got today from my blood work done at the beginning of the week: My blood sugar levels are defined by what they call A1C. My A1C last read 6.1 after 4 plus years of 2000 mg Metformin daily. With no Metformin for 53 days, my level was at 6.2. My doctor was completely amazed and said it will only keep getting better.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">My Cholesterol # of 181was reduced to 123 (range: 135 -240) lower than the normal range. My Triglyceride level from 244 to 119. My HDL Cholesterol at 36. My LDL went from 97 to 68.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Numbers relating to PSA: AST (SGOT) went from 57 to 30 and</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> ALT (SGPT) went from 116 to 66</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">My blood pressure is great and my fatty liver has recovered and the numbers are extremely good. The depression went away on day 4.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Anyway, that's what the past 53 days have done for me. I have more energy than I know what to do with. I'm squeezing in 30-35 minutes 5x per week of aerobic activity, and am doing sit ups and pushups again. At 57 -1/2 years of age I'm feeling better than I have ever felt in my life. Even the few nights a week where I'm only getting 3-5 hours of sleep, I don't even notice any difference. The foot pain has been reduced to only 1 ibuprofen or 1 chronic pain pill per WEEK. The numbness is still on the outside of my feet and I don't know if that part will ever recover, but it's a good reminder to me to remember the kind of damage that can happen with what I put into my body. It will also serve as a slight reminder of where I was and keep me from going back there again.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Our good friends Pat & Chris back in Portland started the detox after hearing what we did and are doing. He lost 15 lbs. after 11 days and is continuing on just juice for awhile. He can't believe how great he feels and the years of rosacea on his face cleared up at 11 days. He now takes the stairs at work - 11 flights and is continuing the juicing for every meal and snacks for awhile. He said he thought his wife was his daughter the other day as she has really changed.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A young co-worker who had Type II Diabetes no longer has it as she started the week after me. Two other friends have bought their juicers just this week.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I hope the rest of you are feeling alright and if you do want any info on what I did, just let me know as I have a letter that I keep adding to. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Love,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Jack</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /><a href="mailto:jackaboutguitars@gmail.com">jackaboutguitars@gmail.com</a><br /><a href="http://www.jackaboutguitars.com/">http://www.jackaboutguitars.com</a><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/Jackaboutguitars">http://www.facebook.com/Jackaboutguitars</a><br /><a href="http://www.jackhuerta.com/">http://www.jackhuerta.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Well, Karen, That's my latest progress report. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! God bless you and your family!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Jack</span></div>
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Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06309830294468350229noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7248099520615788461.post-48470058357979595482012-04-13T13:00:00.004-07:002012-06-19T16:44:02.187-07:00My Husband Asked, "So are we officially Hippies now?"It's been nine months since my husband and I started juicing after watching the inspiring documentary, "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" (watch it here in the US for FREE, by the way: <a href="http://www.jointhereboot.com/" target="_blank">www.jointhereboot.com</a> :D ), but it seems like we have always juiced and embraced the lifestyle we have now. It's hard to believe that a year ago we were eating NOTHING organic, drinking diet sodas daily, imbibing in a meat-focused diet, and shopping for the cheapest deals at the supermarket rather than the most healthful choices.<br />
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We <i>thought</i> we were doing well by most American standards (and we probably were, sadly, since the typical American eating standard is so low), but we were not. With cancer rates rising (statistically every 1 in 8 Americans will get it these days, I just read online), autism and ADD sky-rocketing in our children, Diabetes out of control in the US, you MUST see now that the chemicals/genetic modifications and treatment of commercial foods and meats in America HAS to be the cause of all of this madness.<br />
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So, nine months ago we started juicing thinking that it couldn't hurt to drink our vegetables once a day and do a juice fast "reboot" every few months. We underestimated the truth that <i>knowledge is power</i>, and didn't realize that once we knew better we would be compelled to DO BETTER in every area of our lives not just our eating habits.<br />
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Basically, the way it's gone down is that juicing eventually led to shopping 100% organically and locally-as much as possible, shunning commercial products, reading all food labels like an inspector, raising our own organically-fed chickens for healthful eggs, purchasing local organic long-horn beef and limiting our meat consumption to maybe 2 times a week! We have also expanded our 20' x 30' in-ground vegetable garden to include "gutter gardens" on our deck, sprouts/wheat grass/ celery growing on our window sills and more in our greenhouse...just recently my husband has been looking into hydroponics to raise tilapia in our old hot tub !! We are considering solar energy conversion, and use electricity and gas "consciously" now. Our ultimate goal is to get off the grid so to speak, and be totally self-sustainable one day. And to think, only a year ago we were...well, the exact opposite. I'm embarrassed to say that there were times we dismissed people like we are now, as radical, or just someone trying to be "trendy". Wow, how wrong we were. Humility is the beginning of wisdom, and humbled were we!<br />
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Survivalists? Nope :) Hippies? I'm not sure about that; but what I do know is that eating/living as close to how God created us to- by being good stewards of our bodies and the earth at the same time- just feels right. But not only does it "feel" right, the proof that it IS right is that our bodies have <i>healed themselves through healthful food choices</i> of all the maladies we had a year ago. If making good choices makes us hippies, then bring it on!!<br />
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My Jack LaLanne juicer is used every single day, and has been for 9 months. It is still plugging along, and for under $100 it is definitely sufficient. We are saving our pennies for a masticating juicer when this one dies, however. They say that masticating juicers last forever and are a lot more efficient in extracting <i>all</i> <i>available </i>juice and micronutrients from produce. Apparently, even livestock will not eat the pulp left after it has gone through a masticating juicer because there are relatively no nutrients left...just the fiber remains. Hmmm...no wonder they cost so much !!<br />
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My "hippie" breakfast this morning consisted of a slice of <i>Julian Bakery</i>'s organic lo-carb/protein-rich toast with <i>FAGE</i> nonfat Greek yogurt on top (sweetened just a little with stevia and sprinkled with cinnamon), organic decaf coffee with a splash of organic milk, and of course my GREEN JUICE :) Yum. Protein= 22 gms (I'm guessing since the kale and collards in my juice have at least 2 gms, probably more!)...the bread has 12 gms, and the 1/2 c. yogurt has 8 gms.<br />
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<b>Hippie Breakfast of Champions</b><br />
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That's wheat grass on the side there. Sometimes I put it in my juice, other times I just cut off a handful and chew it up to get the juice out. Note: don't swallow the fiber left after chewing, just spit it out when you are done.<br />
<u><b>In my Green Juice today: </b></u><br />
3 Kale leaves<br />
4 Stalks of celery<br />
3 Carrots<br />
1 Handful of cilantro<br />
5 Small leaves of Collard Greens<br />
1 Lemon<br />
1 Thumbnail size piece of ginger<br />
2 Apples<br />
1/2 c. Chilled herb tea (run through the juicer at the end to "gather up" any trace nutrients left behind and to add fluid/volume) <br />
* this makes 48 ounces that my husband and I share throughout the day <br />
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<i>Some last thoughts:</i><br />
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I love my husband's sense of humor. He uses it to quell the naysayers at work who look at his quinoa salad, organic peanut butter sandwich and apple in his lunch and say, "You know that organic crap will bankrupt you!" He retorts, "Well, maybe so, but colon cancer is just a bit more expensive (*wink)." Usually later, in secret back by the water cooler, one of his co-workers nudges him and asks what he puts in "that salad" anyway? He loves that he is inspiring others, even if it is a bit clandestine. <br />
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There is a sweeping culture-shift starting to swell in America...finally! It's gaining momentum as many in their late teens and 20's are shunning the eating patterns they were raised with in favor of healthy choices, whole foods, and clean living. Those of us older than that are choosing better options because we see how they make a difference in our health and stamina. Whatever the reason, it's time...time to choose health over marketing, well-being over commercialism, and clean foods over chemically-sprayed genetically modified versions that are designed for shelf life, not human life.<br />
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If you haven't already, join us : jump on the bandwagon and begin today! To read about my juice fast, and resulting blood and medical tests that revealed a total-health-transformation...click on the archive links at the right, or use this link and scroll to "Day 1" in August: <a href="http://karensjuicingreboot.blogspot.com/2011_08_01_archive.html" target="_blank">My Juice Fast/ Reboot</a><br />
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Here are some great movie suggestions for you if you are serious about understanding and becoming inspired to be healthy : starting now :) Most, if not all, are on Netflix:<br />
<b>Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead</b><br />
<b>The Vanishing Bees</b><br />
<b>Forks Over Knives</b><br />
<b>Food Matters</b><br />
<b>Food, Inc.</b><br />
<b>King Corn </b><br />
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As Joe Cross says, "Juice on!"Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06309830294468350229noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7248099520615788461.post-12852648110195796262012-01-30T08:54:00.000-08:002012-04-23T09:03:14.561-07:00Still Juicing Every Day, Joining the National Express Reboot Feb. 5th!People ask me all the time, "So, are you still juicing?" (or in some cases, "Are you still doing that juice thing?") :)<br />
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The answer is YES!<br />
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I was talking with my dear friend, Wanda, yesterday about how once you reboot (commit to and complete a juice fast of at least 5-10 days), you are instantly converted....permanently. Your palate changes so that you no longer crave processed foods, and you feel SO GOOD, and see so many personal health miracles, that you have no desire to <i>ever</i> go back. Seriously. It's an all or nothing journey: if you just "flirt" with juicing by buying a juicer, trying it once, juicing 1-2 times a month, it's just like all of those 1/2-hearted changes you've tried to make in the past (work out more, keep your closets organized, take more time for yourself, lose a few pounds), and it won't last. Nor will it produce permanent changes, because soon you will slip back to the old American diet :(, and feeling lousy again. It's a rut that I know all too well about personally.<br />
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So, I just had my CRP levels tested for the first time again since last May. C-Reactive Protein measures the amount of systemic inflammation in your body (the bad stuff). It can indicate high risk for heart disease, autoimmune diseases, even the existence of pre-cancerous activity brewing.<br />
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My CRP level has consistently been between <u><i>12-14 </i></u>each time it had been measured in the past 5 years. This is what Web MD says about CRP levels:<br />
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According to the hs-CRP blood test, accepted level is 1-3 mg of C-Reactive protein per L of blood</h2>
<span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> </span> <span style="background-color: #cccccc; color: #351c75;">According to the hs-CRP blood test, accepted level is 1-3 mg of C-Reactive protein per L of blood</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cccccc; color: #351c75;"> * Low risk: less than 1.0 mg/L</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cccccc; color: #351c75;"> * Average risk: 1.0 to 3.0 mg/L</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cccccc; color: #351c75;"> * High risk: above 3.0 mg/L</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cccccc; color: #351c75;">C-reactive protein measures general levels of inflammation in your body. The more means that somewhere in the body, there is an inflammation.</span><br />
Again, mine always measured between 12-14 in the past! My doctors have always said, "Wow, now that's high...we need to keep an eye on this and retest you in a few months to see if maybe the test was invalid ?!". One doctor actually asked me if I had Lupus!!!<br />
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Scary stuff, but no one had any answers except, "Let's watch it and see." Geez. The problem with traditional medicine here in the states is that if a doctor doesn't know the exact reason for something showing up in blood tests (or whatever), and they can't think of a drug to prescribe to change it, they just "wait and see" what happens. Not good.<br />
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Now the amazing news: My CRP levels, after juicing for a full 6 months every day and eating a clean diet of mostly organic, wholesome foods (less meat, but still some ;D)..... drum roll please........measured at <u style="background-color: cyan; color: black;">.4</u>.<br />
Yes, that's right, there is a decimal point in front of that 4 !!! I am in the absolute lowest range for inflammation (autoimmune disruption) in my body. It is nothing short of miraculous. NO WONDER I FEEL SO AMAZING !!!<br />
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You can't deny the results of a blood test. From 12 down to .4....yep, I'd say juicing is worth the time, effort, the little bit of extra $$ for organic foods at the outset (although, my grocery bill is actually lower now than it was when I bought processed crap!).<br />
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What my doctors should have said was, "Why not try a juice fast, and changing over to an organic, plant-based diet for a month, and see if this alters things for you".<br />
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How sad...it makes me wonder how many millions of us Americans are out there not knowing how truly sick we are? And our doctors aren't telling us, until it's too late. :( Even though I had an active lifestyle and <i>seemed </i>healthier than most my age, I was sick.<br />
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Thank goodness I was inspired to take a look at a movie that opened my eyes and shifted my paradigm. If you haven't already watched "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead", get on your Netflix cue and do it tonight...you have so much to gain. **(And...Jake and I own a copy of the movie that we lend out to people who want to see it. Wanna borrow it? Just facebook me and you got it!)<br />
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You can do it ....I'm nothing special. I didn't have tons of extra will-power or understanding of how to do this before I just did it. Make the choice today, for YOU!<br />
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There is a National Express Reboot planned to start Feb. 5th...why not join in and give it a shot? Read about my first Juice Fast back in August here:<br />
<a href="http://karensjuicingreboot.blogspot.com/2011/08/day-1-of-12.html" target="_blank">Karen's Juice-Fast, Reboot Journey</a>.....<br />
or, here's the link to the official rebooters site for more info...you will be SO glad you jumped on this band wagon:<br />
<a href="http://jointhereboot.com/reboot-program/some-simple-facts-to-consider/" target="_blank">Juicing/Reboot facts...join in today!</a><br />
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Carpe Diem!!Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06309830294468350229noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7248099520615788461.post-57187672641017413182011-09-09T14:56:00.001-07:002012-04-23T09:03:54.303-07:00Lab Results Are In : I'm Now a Die-Hard Flexitarian :D !!<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b><span style="font-size: small;">I just received my blood test results in the mail, and I am ECSTATIC to report that after only a 12-Day Juice Fast my health stats are remarkable !! I expected to see some improvement overall, but these results are over the top.... great. (Note: to read my daily blog with tips and insights during my juice fast from Day 1, click here: <a href="http://karensjuicingreboot.blogspot.com/2011/08/day-1-of-12.html">Karen's Juice Fast Reboot</a> )</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <u><b>Tested 6 months ago at: Now: Comments:</b></u></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cholesterol...........220.......................114 (optimal is <180)....220 was <i>with </i>Meds</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Triglycerides........180.......................121 (optimal is 30-150)...<i>with</i> Niacin regimen</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">LDL.....................98...........................57 (optimal is <100)..<span style="font-size: x-small;">this is the BAD cholesterol</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">HDL.......................36................................38 (Optimal is > 40)...this is the GOOD cholesterol </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">VLDL.................................................24 (Optimal is 4-40)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Chol/HDL..........................................3.5 (Optimal is <4.4)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Non-HDL Chol...................................81 (optimal is <130)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">My Thyroid Results are:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">TSH, 3rd Gen. ..........1.30 (optimal is 0.3-5.0) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">FREE T4...................1.24 (optimal is 0.71-1.76) </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am in the optimal range of every single category, except my HDL!!! But, my HDL did go up (a good thing), and I didn't exercise as hard as I usually do during the fast (and I know exercise raises HDL).... so I'm ok with that result. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Basically, I am in optimal health in these areas after only 12 days on the Juice Fast....amazing. I'm so happy. I just KNEW that the way I felt had to be measurable and scientifically/physiologically supportable, and here it is: undisputed lab result truth. The juice fast WORKS! I plan to cut my cholesterol meds in half and retest in about 4 months to see if I've maintained these great levels. I am waiting to hear back from the doctor about my thyroid meds...I know that the results above are great, but I don't know exactly what the numbers mean by way of being able to reduce my medication or not. You don't want to play around with your thyroid.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now, I simply have to maintain this healthy lifestyle and way of eating: include 24-32 oz of juice every day (and going on a once-a-month 2-5 day juice fast to reboot)...and eat mostly plant based, organic, clean foods, with occasional meat, fish (high quality without hormones, etc.), and even a treat once in a while (like holiday meals, etc.) !</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Easy...since I'm already doing that: it's habit now, and I actually prefer this to "the old" way of eating.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">PRASAD Health bar in Portland</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jake and I went to Powell's bookstore in Portland on our little trip last weekend, and I perused the Healthy Eating section while he was wandering around the Welding/Blacksmithing aisle :). </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> I found several guides and cookbooks on a whole new genre of people that embrace a lifestyle of eating exactly the way that I eat now: <i><b>FLEXITARIANS. </b></i>Maybe this isn't a new term (I guess it was coined about 15 years ago!), but I've never heard it before. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Anyway, I'm a flexitarian by definition! I think of it simply as "the way we were created to eat"...but hey, it's fun having a categorical name for it so when people ask.....</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Here are some things I gleaned from the internet to define and explain the term. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Flexitarian Defined </b></span></div>
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Being a <a class="stronglinks" href="http://www.livestrong.com/vegetarian-diets/" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted; color: black;" title="vegetarian">vegetarian</a> can now have many names. According to vegetarian information site Veggie Visitors, true vegans do not eat animal products whatsoever, while lacto-ovo vegetarians eat eggs and <a class="stronglinks" href="http://www.livestrong.com/foods-with-dairy/" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted; color: black;" title="dairy">dairy</a><span style="color: black;">,</span> and pesce-vegetarians eat fish. Flexitarian is a term for those who eat vegetarian food most of the time but occasionally add meat to their diets. Flexitarians are considered semi-vegetarians (or, part time vegetarians! :D)</div>
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Benefits</h3>
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The main benefit of following a flexitarian plan instead of eating only vegetarian is that you have more options. You won't get bored from eating only beans or tofu as your main source of protein and you won't have to give up your favorite meat dishes. According to green-living website The Daily Green, focusing your diet on fruits and vegetables can help you ward off stroke, heart disease and prostate cancer. Being a vegetarian is also kinder to the environment since it reduces greenhouse gas emissions created in the production of meat products.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>I Like This Point The Best:</b></span></div>
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<b>It's a guideline, not a religion:</b> Your friends are in town, and want to meet at Texas Jack's House of Steak for lunch. Go for it, but just eat just a reasonable amount—about the size of a <a href="http://lifehacker.com/5127225/eat-meat-in-deck+of+cards-portions-for-a-healthier-earth">deck of cards</a>, and switch to vegetarian fare for dinner. Eat as realistically vegetarian as you can at least 2 meals a day, eat small amounts of (really good, organic!) meat at night or only 2-3 times a week, and you'll eventually adapt to eating smaller portions. You could eat nothing but Snickers bars all day and technically be eating vegetarian, but that's not the point—use your meatless meals to inspire your eating lifestyle, not constrain it.<span style="color: #444444;"></span><br />
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Expert Insight</h3>
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According to Medical News Today, becoming a flexitarian and reducing your meat intake will in turn increase your lifespan. In fact, vegetarians live an average of 3.6 years longer than meat eaters. A flexitarian diet will also help reduce your cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure. Medical News Today points out that vegetarians tend to weigh less than meat eaters, which keeps them healthier and stronger.</div>
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Read more: <a href="http://www.livestrong.com/article/214136-what-is-the-flexatarian-diet-plan/#ixzz1XUP1pX8t" style="color: #003399;">http://www.livestrong.com/article/214136-what-is-the-flexatarian-diet-plan/#ixzz1XUP1pX8t</a></div>
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I wish you rich blessings as you move forward with your quest for good health and well being for yourself and your family...</div>
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Carpe Diem!</div>Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06309830294468350229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7248099520615788461.post-30149797902062776032011-09-07T15:23:00.001-07:002012-04-23T09:03:03.640-07:00After the Juice Fast...Notes and ReflextionsMy husband and I had a wonderful 3 days in Portland last weekend...and it was grand to be able to chew (and swallow ;D) beautiful, clean food again!<br />
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The mistake I made with my first day of reintroducing "solid" foods was: eating too much (quantity and diversity) too soon!<br />
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Once again, if I had taken the time to read the rebooter's expert advice section I would have known that you need to ease back in to real foods. Duh. But, I was so anxious to have my Alaskan Wild Salmon, salad and veggies (plus a slice of my homemade organic whole wheat bread) that I ate it all at my first meal off the fast....and then I spent the whole rest of the night, and a large part of the next day, feeling like I had just eaten an entire bucket of food!! In actuality, it wasn't much by normal standard...and it was all clean, good choices, but my body was not used to having to digest in the normal way. So, I assume that all of the natural (good) fiber, and substance, etc. was too much too soon.<br />
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I really was uncomfortable: not nauseous or anything, but you know how you feel after eating too much at Thanksgiving Dinner? That's about how I felt... for about 24 hours afterwards! <br />
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So, the second, third and 4th days after the fast I stuck with juice-only for two meals, and then one light -mostly plant based meal. I STILL felt like I was eating too much...crazy how quickly your body shifts to a set point that is WAY less than typical on the fast. I'm trying to listen to that message and realize that, seriously, I don't have to eat quantities -even of stellar food- that I have in the past to be healthy and vibrant. Also...and here's a shocker for me: I'm feeling like I don't "need" animal protein every single day! I can't believe I even wrote that, but it's true. My cravings are more for a wide variety of fruits and veggies, whole grains, nuts and seeds now!! I've discovered amazing versions of hummus, tahini, edamame, nut butters, cashew cheese, pestos, veggie pates, etc., and I'm never turning back :D<br />
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One other phenomenon that I wonder if others experience is a slight feeling of "loss" now that I'm done with the fast. I know that sounds totally weird, and I can't explain it any other way than as a sense of loss. It's like I miss the fast and the ease of it all...the guess work about how much/what exactly your body needs is totally taken out of the equation when you are on the fast, so you always KNOW you are doing everything just right automatically. I find myself wishing I were back on the fast so that I have no decisions to make about food...crazy maybe, but it makes sense. I felt so darn great on the fast that I don't want to have to deal with choices right now. I'm sure that will fade with time; but I'm GLAD I feel this way because it is ingrained in me now how easy it is to do the fast and be succesful. I'm <i><b>sure</b></i> I will incorporate a regular 5-day fast at least once a month now just to reboot regularly.<br />
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In Portland, Day 2 after the fast, I had juice for breakfast and wanted real food for lunch. But, I wanted only organic beautiful food (actually, my body was strongly telling me that nothing other than that would be suitable), and so did Jake. As we meandered around downtown, we came upon a Yoga studio. We saw people walking out with what looked like green juice in to-go cups, and I got excited! "Let's go in there...maybe they have a juice bar and other good things we can try".<br />
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It was more than we could have ever hoped for, actually. The cafe part of the studio was called "Prasad", and the menu was incredible. They featured all organic, with many raw food selections including a full lunch menu...and of course, juice :) I felt like a kid in a candy store: I wanted to try everything! But Jake and I settled on 3 items that we shared..plus I got some agave-ginger juice.:<br />
<b>PHOENIX WRAP</b>: (raw) yam rice, cilantro garlic pate, walnut taco crumbles, cucumber,<br />
spinach, avocado and pickled beets rolled in collard greens with garlic tahini sauce on the side<br />
<b>QUINOA STEW</b>: (cooked) Quinoa, tomato, sweet potato, zucchini, onion, cilantro, black beans....with gluten free bread<br />
<b>BLISS SALAD</b>: Dried currants, calimyrna figs, walnuts, quinoa, beets, carrots and mixed greens with lemon ginger dressing.<br />
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The biggest surprise was that the wrap was not in a tortilla or pita like we expected....but in a huge collard green leaf!! And, it was FANTASTIC...so yummy. As a matter of fact I pretty much could not take a bite (or sip) of anything we got there without proclaiming (in quiet, yoga-inspired reverent sort of way): "This is incredible..."<br />
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The best part? Jake felt the same way exactly. So, it wasn't just my "deprived" taste buds that were overreacting to the plethora of flavors they were now being allowed...it just literally tasted wonderful. At our stop at Trader Joes the next day on the way home we did our best to purchase ingredients that were close to ( or exactly like) the ingredients in our lunch at Prasad. I looked up some recipes online for carrot ginger dressings and hummus's, and made a version of the BLISS salad last night for my whole family. Both of my sons LOVED it. Wow, now that makes me happy, and just goes to show that good healthy food will make it's way into the hearts of the ones you love as long as you offer it :)<br />
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About the taste bud thingy: I am still amazed at how everything I eat tastes like it's the first time I ever ate it. The buds were definitely cleansed and <i>rebooted</i> too! I'm savoring, and enjoying each bite, and loving that. I know that this has a lot to offer in my new lifestyle and way of eating, and I'm thankful for it.<br />
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Today, so far (day 6 after my fast ended), I've had green juice for breakfast....for lunch: an open faced avocado, cuke, tomato, hummus sandwich on my Bavarian bread, iced cinnamon tea, and a cup of the cloned Bliss salad from last night. I feel totally satisfied and happy. It's 3pm, and I am not obsessing on what to have at the next meal, feeling deprived, or craving crap at all. That alone is worth all of the effort it took to do the juice fast. <br />
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Other things Jake and I have done in the past week:<br />
<ul>
<li>cleaned out our pantry and donated foods that we will not ever buy again</li>
<li>ordered (sharing with my brother in law's family) a 1/2 of a grass feed, natural, hormone free Beef</li>
<li>joined a CSA and will receive our first box of organic produce from them tomorrow!</li>
<li>talked endlessly about opening a juice bar locally! We've decided that we would seriously consider it and jump in if all of the "cards" lined up according to the main stipulations we need to make it happen (proximity to my dance studio, low cost start up, etc.). We are open...if it is meant to be, it will happen and be a joy to create :)</li>
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I will post an epilogue once I get my blood work results back. Until then, I am still taking my thyroid and cholesterol medications. I am also still<br />
<ul>
<li>sleeping through the night and waking up with the sun!</li>
<li>feeling energy like I haven't since my 20's</li>
<li>proselytizing whenever I get the opportunity ;)</li>
<li>feeling that joyous, everything is all right with life, attitude</li>
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I couldn't be happier with the immediately measurable and noticeable results I have seen since the fast. Would I do it all again?<br />
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Absolutely.<br />
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Carpe Diem!Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06309830294468350229noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7248099520615788461.post-86644514093513568922011-09-02T18:30:00.001-07:002012-04-23T09:34:33.471-07:00Day 12 of 12... Juice On !<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, here it is....day 12 of my 12-day juice fast. I made it to 10 pounds lost this morning too, so that was fun :) I picked up the ten pound bag of organic juicing carrots in my frig just to imprint in my mind exactly how heavy 10 pounds<i> feels</i>...and to realize the fact that I can now set that 10 pound bag down and walk away from it, rather than have it attached to me like it was 12 days ago!<br />
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Ten pounds is not much compared to the thousands of people who have stayed on the fast for 60 days because they had a significant amount of weight to lose ... but it is good for me :) Speaking of the longer juice fasts... "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" follows two people for 60 days, and, since I don't want to give it all away I'll just say that both lose <b><i>significant</i></b> amounts of weight; actually, the amounts are comparable to what you'd lose with bypass surgery in the first 60 days...yet there are no hospital costs, recovery time, feeling horrible after surgery, etc.<br />
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So, I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I am flagrantly plugging the film and it's inspirational educational benefits to random people. It's true...Today I saw a sign for a garage sale and just had to stop. As I was browsing I overheard two women talking. One was about 36, the other in her 70's. They were lamenting about their health issues including high blood pressure, hypo-thyroid, insomnia, auto immune skin rashes, and extra weight. One is on the HCG diet, and had lost some weight by severely limiting her calorie intake using the special drops of growth hormone. The other is on daily doses of prednisone, and hates what it's doing to her (interjection: that stuff is poison! Read about it here) : <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prednisone">Prednisone...27 major side effects...</a><br />
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I felt like I couldn't keep my mouth shut since I have discovered something that will improve their health dramatically, help them lose weight, etc. I literally had an ethical conflict while considering just walking away because I did not want to seem nosey or like I was butting in. But...I butted in :/<br />
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I asked for a pen, and then wrote down the title of the movie. Apologized for butting in (which they graciously excused me for), and told them about my 12 day fast, the movie, the fact that I had had thyroid and insomnia issues for years, and that I've lost 10 pounds as of today. I also told them that I had gone on the HCG diet and lost some weight last year... but because you are not eating amounts that you can sustain for a lifetime once you go off the diet, you most usually gain it back and resume your bad habits. The difference is that with Juice, you are getting healthier WHILE you lose weight...and it's something easy, fun and delicious enough to maintain the rest of your life after the fast.<br />
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They were intrigued (thankfully, or I would have just looked like some fanatic), and the younger woman said she was going to watch the movie on Netflix tonight! Her mom said that she would watch it too. Yay. Maybe it will inspire and help them like it has helped me and so many others.<br />
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Got my blood drawn this morning...I will post the results once I get them in a few weeks.<br />
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So, what are my thoughts today, the last day of the fast? I have quite a few as I reflect back. Most of them have to do with being excited about the changes in my body and health in so little time...others have to do with the things I learned, both practical and educational, about juicing...and a few have to do with what to do with all of that knowledge from here. Obviously, I will be preparing fresh organic juice for myself and my family every day from here forward...that's the no-brainer. But I've also been thinking about ways to help others in my sphere of friends, family and community. I plan to lug all of my juicing produce and juicer to a dance rehearsal one night so that my girls can all try it and hear about how they can<i> drink</i> their fruits and veggies to stay strong... I will share with anyone, any time they ask, and continue to direct them to the movie, the rebooting website, and even this blog if they are really interested. And...I still can't shake that thought of wanting to open an organic juice bar in town (close to the studio so my dancers can get good stuff in them before and after they train).<br />
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<u><b>Just to break it down in a organized list</b></u> (since I am of German heritage, and an educator..)<u><b> here are some things I've learned, discovered, or encourage you to do too:</b></u><br />
<ol>
<li> Eat Organic as much as possible: it is the only way to know exactly what's in, on or all over your food...and it's worth every penny for peace of mind alone</li>
<li>Kale is now my friend.</li>
<li>Do not juice in work clothes, or going out clothes...as a matter of fact, not even in pj's that you like. What you are wearing will most likely get stained at some point during the process!</li>
<li>Juicing is not just for really old people, or tree- huggers, or vegans or hippies....juicing is for everyone: toddlers on up! Everyone benefits from whole, clean food and being able to drink their 5-8 servings of veggies a day in one tall chilled glass of green (or brown, red, burgandy...)</li>
<li>It's important to stay near a bathroom at the beginning of your juice fast/reboot... and to carry juice with you in a thermos or something if you plan to be away from your frig. for more than about 2 hours.</li>
<li>Drink lots of filtered water or herb tea on the fast...and brush your teeth twice a day (lots of vitamin C - ascorbic ACID...lemons, limes, etc....are flooding your enamel every day as you drink your juice)...at the minimum, swish with water and swallow after every serving of juice you consume.</li>
<li>Purchase/consume only organic from the dirty dozen list. Always. </li>
<li>Support your local organic farmer by buying his stuff and encouraging/thanking him/her! Join a CSA...tell your grocer that you want more organic selections in their store....vote for cleaner more healthful food choices for your family with your grocery dollar. Don't scrimp when it comes to the health of your family, children or yourself.</li>
<li>Kids (of all ages) WILL drink the juice...as a matter of fact, the feedback I've gotten from people reading this blog (and from the rebooter's website) is that kids as young as 18 months on up LOVE the fruit juices. And, if you are smart, you "hide" a piece of kale, or celery, carrot, etc. in their "fruit" juice, and they'll never know differently! Sneakiness works when it comes to juicing :).</li>
<li>If you feed your chickens organic feed plus the organic pulp from your juicer once you are done with it, their egg shells will get miraculously thicker and stronger (the sign that they are healthier). We saw this phenomenon with our chickens..and I think of it now as a metaphor for how when we drink our juice, our cell walls get stronger, and healthier to fend off disease, etc.</li>
<li>The philosophy of most governmental food regulatory commissions in European countries is "Precautionary" (they look at something their people consume and evaluate it and rule on the side of caution....if a certain chemical or additive <i>may</i> be harmful at all, they pull it/ban it)....in America, the FDA follows an "Assessed Risk" model (they look at the same substance, ask for studies from the very companies <i>that manufacture the substance, </i>and then<i> </i>determine if the <b>risk</b> is small enough to allow it to be used for human consumption). The major problem with the American model is that it errs on the side of profits for companies, rather than caution for it's people :(. And, maybe this one pesticide is not toxic when used according to the directions on apples....<i>but what cumulative effect do all of the other 13 chemicals (all approved) combined on that same apple (fertilizers to grow it, sprays to prevent pests and viruses, mold, wax to make it look shiny, etc.) have on us</i> ... especially over time?</li>
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12. Babies in America born after about 1965 (that includes my kids) have lived their whole life consuming contaminated food :( ; this is because beginning in the late 50's and early 60's pesticides were embraced/sprayed/and introduced systemically into fruits and veggies completely by the mega farms who grow 95% of what is in our typical grocery stores. No wonder there has been astronomical increases in learning disabilities, auto immune disorders, allergies, even cancers in younger and younger people. <br />
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13. When I eat out I will make good choices and support those businesses that serve clean, fresh, and as organic as possible, foods. <b>Pita Pit</b> is a good option for "fast food" in our community..they even support and buy from local farms! No more Taco Bell, Burger King, McDonalds and the like.<br />
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14. Vegetarians, although we often think of them as the most healthy in our communities, can actually be less healthy than a steak and potatoes guy if they are not eating organically and <i>well</i> <i>balanced</i> from all of the veggie, fruit, nut and grain families . They still get cancer... Why? Consuming larger quantities of pesticide-ridden produce, and processed soy products, etc. compromises the immune system. So, if you practice a vegetarian lifestyle, it is<i> very </i>important to eat clean and organic!<br />
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15. The "fruit smoothies" that you buy at your favorite coffee house or in the freezer section of the grocery store are NOT healthful...usually loaded with sweeteners, etc,. they are still loaded with empty calories and processed ingredients that negate the beauty of the fruit that is in them. You'd be better off making your own at home with plain greek yogurt, honey or stevia, and the organic fruits of your choice!<br />
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16. Be careful with your juicer blade and paring knives (I wore bandaids on both hands for the first 3-4 days)<br />
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17. Check on Ebay for gently used juicers cheap if budgeting is an issue.<br />
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18. Even small changes can add up to HUGE health rewards: stop buying soda and substitute iced tea you make at home (save money and your health!), purchase only organic from the dirty dozen list, juice once a day rather than go on a full-blown fast, etc. And remember, there is no Juice-nazi waiting to stomp on you if you have some chocolate, or a donut, or a beer once in a while... it's ok to have a <i>treat</i> or not become a die-hard juice convert (like I did). Incorporate what you can and you feel good about for you and your family, and you will still see great rewards.<br />
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I fell in love with the German sandwiches that you can buy for $2-3 Euros at every bakery, or deli, or stand in the airports, train stations, down town centers and grocery stores... They use incredible rolls/bread, covered with pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and filled with great ingredients like yogurt-cream cheese, tomato, spinach, amazing greens, cheeses, cucumber, etc. <br />
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When I got home I wanted to duplicate those sandwiches... I found and tweaked a <b><i>freakishly easy</i></b> whole grain bread recipe online, and now make it a couple times a week. There is no yeast or Kneading/rising required. It takes me about 10 minutes to make this and get it in the oven! It's great for sandwiches, or just to eat with dinner. Here's a picture of the loaf I made today (remember, I get to break my fast tomorrow!!), and the recipe:<br />
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<u><b>Bavarian Style Organic Whole Grain & Seed Bread</b></u></div>
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Oven: 375 degrees/ Bake 55 minutes</div>
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Makes one large loaf <u><b></b></u></div>
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<b> 4 1/2 cups of organic whole wheat flour</b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(or 4 c. of whole wheat + 1/2 c reg. for fluffier bread</span>)</div>
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<b>1 1/2 Tbs Honey</b></div>
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<b> 1 1/2 tsp Salt </b></div>
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<b> 1 1/2 Tbs Baking Powder</b></div>
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<b> 21 oz. Organic Beer (drink the leftover swig </b>:) <b>)</b></div>
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<i>No yeast or kneading required!</i><b><br />
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<b>Mix flour, salt, baking powder...slowly add beer and honey and mix well, just until combined. Spray or rub organic olive oil on all sides of your bread pan...then dump in a handful of your favorite unsalted seeds or nuts or oats and tilt pan around so that seeds stick to the bottom and are spread out. (suggestions: pumpkin seeds, sunflower, walnuts, oatmeal, flax seeds, sesame seeds)</b></div>
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<b>Pour in bread dough, and dump another handful of nuts on top of the loaf...spread evenly and smooth with your hand.</b></div>
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S<b>o, </b>I'm still not a hippie, and I'm not planning on munching on wheat grass when I go to the movies...I will still eat chocolate (I could never give that up!), beef, and other yummy stuff as long as it is clean and eaten in moderation. I will even indulge a bit now and then if I want to , just because I can and there's no rule against that!</div>
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But, now, after several weeks drinking juice, and finishing my juice fast, I am resolved to not be a victim of bad, polluted food any more...nor subject my family to it. I will support local farmers and thank them for their contribution to the health of my family and our community...I will have a garden of my own (container gardens work well if you live in an apt., etc.) , and vote with my $$ every time I shop for food. </div>
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I'm responsible for my health, and the quality of the food I serve to family and friends... I will continue to make small changes that pay off in a large way down the road (changing out the Jif in my cupboard once it's gone with organic peanut butter...not eating or making MSG-laden Ranch dressing any more, but using natural dressings made with amazing ingredients like mango and peach with Gorgonzola!).</div>
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I choose to live and eat healthfully... just the way God intended us to.</div>
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Thanks so much to Susan R., Bill, Robin D., Kat, Lori, Mark, Vicky, Robin S., Cindy, Diane, Ashley, Susan D, and all of the others who have taken the time to read this lengthy blog and tell me so on facebook, the phone, email or in person. Love and Blessings to you all. </div>
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And of course, <b>Carpe Diem!</b></div>
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<span id="goog_1113544547"></span><span id="goog_1113544548"></span>Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06309830294468350229noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7248099520615788461.post-49502716386805699632011-09-01T20:07:00.001-07:002012-04-23T09:06:37.208-07:00Day 11 of 12...One More Day to Go!I can hardly believe that it's been nearly two weeks since I started this journey toward a better, healthy lifestyle by "rebooting" my body via a juice fast. It has been mostly a <i>great </i>experience....certainly not like other "eating plans" I've been on for various reasons during my life where I've felt deprived, less healthy, STARVED, bored, or basically just waited to be done with it.<br />
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I was thinking today about my family, and the unfortunate health issues they have dealt with over the years... My beloved mother passed away at only 68 from a heart attack. She had smoked for many years but stopped when she was 48 and had a triple bypass. Although she only had good foods in the house for us all, they were not organic (that word wasn't even coined then, I don't believe)... the cigarettes and, I believe, other environmental issues finally took their toll on her health permanently.<br />
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My oldest brother, Richard was a stellar example of health: he ran several miles every day to keep in shape for his duties as a Lt. Colonel in the Army Reserves. He wasn't overweight, and led a healthy lifestyle; yet at only 50 years of age, he was struck with leukemia. It was a heartbreak for our family to lose such an amazing man, father, brother and friend.<br />
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My father has had Type II diabetes for 40 years, even though he remained active his entire life until just this past year at 80 when he decided to hang up his golf clubs and retire his tennis racket. He had bypass surgery several years ago, and a run-in with colon cancer.<br />
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My younger brother, although also active and a relatively healthy eater, was diagnosed with colon cancer a couple of years ago as well.<br />
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I've had thyroid issues, and others.<br />
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Where did all of this disease come from in a family that was healthy and led active lifestyles by most American standards? I can only speculate, but I truly believe that our immune systems as we've aged, have been compromised and beaten down by all of the chemicals accumulated in our bodies from ingesting pesticides, BPA's, and other junk...without even realizing it!<br />
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This is the main reason I am going to juice on, and continue the conversion to mostly organic food for the rest of my life:<br />
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My precious granddaughter...I want to be here for her and hold HER children in my arms!<br />
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Tomorrow morning I'm going to the Lab to have blood drawn to check my lipid and thyroid levels to see how this juice fast has affected them. Obviously, it will take several days until the results are back, but I will post an Epilogue on this blog to let you know how it all went.<br />
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I'm not too sure if the change will be dramatic, since it was only a 12 day fast, but I expect to see improvement for sure. I'll let you know :)<br />
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My husband and I have decided to buy a grass-fed, organic, hormone-free 1/2 beef, and hope to share the meat and cost with friends or family. I've researched a great CSA in our region, and got the farm contact from them. We are EXCITED...but now we have to buy a refrigerator for the garage (2nd hand, of course). Making changes one step at a time!<br />
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I wanted to note that my appetite has actually decreased in the last 3-4 days. I'm only needing about 64oz of juice per day (plus herd tea and water) to feel completely satiated. I'm sure my stomach has "shrunk", and my blood sugar levels are all balanced out by now so that I don't have the cravings to eat as much as at the beginning. I can TOTALLY see how, if I had 50+ pounds to lose, this would be EASY to maintain for 30 + days or so (as the guys did in the film). Do-able. <br />
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I'm holding at 9 pounds lost...but I am on the cusp (just a couple of ounces) of 10 pounds. I'm pretty sure I will make that mark by tomorrow, the last day. Ten pounds in 12 days....not bad at all.<br />
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Carpe Diem!Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06309830294468350229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7248099520615788461.post-86871269705736141332011-08-31T10:52:00.000-07:002012-04-23T09:09:46.887-07:00Day 9 & 10 of 12...It's Wednesday today, and Friday is my last day of the juice fast. I tell ya, I have really enjoyed this journey. It has proven to me in a palpable, straight-up raw evidence way that<b><i> you truly ARE what you eat!</i></b><br />
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Today, as a result of 9 days of fasting on mostly-only organic fruits and veggies I am:<br />
<ul>
<li><u>Totally rested,</u> and feel caught up on the sleep I've lost due to insomnia the last 10 years of my life</li>
<li><u>Down 9 pounds</u> with only an occasional stomach growl or craving (mostly just missing chewing)... 6 more pounds and I would weigh what I weighed in high school !!!</li>
<li><u>Clear-minded</u> without that constant feeling of being overwhelmed/frustrated/stressed out</li>
<li><u>More energetic</u> all around, with an overriding sense of joy, well being that is too hard to explain. Believe me, though, it's real</li>
<li><u>Optomistic and resolved</u> to add at least 32 oz of fresh, homemade juice to my regular (cleaner) diet for the rest of my life...my husband, Jake is totally on board as well. I know now that if I ever start to gain a few pounds, or feel too stressed, or the insomnia comes back, or just want to reboot to feel better in general, I will do a 5 day juice fast to get back on track... After a 12 day fast (and honestly, I could do it much longer at this point, if I had the weight to lose or whatever; it is NOT hard), I can easily do a 5-day maintenance fast now and then...or just replace 2 meals a day with juice for a few or whatever. Easy.</li>
<li><u>The Owner of a 100% dependable digestive system</u> (who needs Activia if you have JUICE!) </li>
<li><u>A Total Convert</u> to eating clean and healthy...forever. Once you know better, you DO better. Knowledge is Power, etc.</li>
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It's been about 8 weeks since I returned from Europe, resolved to make a major life-shift after seeing how I felt eating so well over there. I made small changes at first, added juice, saw remarkable results, and then just went for it! I'm so glad I did...and if you are reading this and are hesitant for any reason, I just want to say: Jump in, you will be amazed.<br />
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For me and those who live with me this means a complete overhaul of the foods in our home. I'm throwing out more and more crap (like condiments in the fridge) each day and thinking: "I'll never buy that again!" and replacing it with whole, healthy, organic, natural alternatives....like my new Maranatha organic peanut butter, the organic fruit spread instead of the Welches, the organic milk and natural teas for the soda and hormone-injected milk of yesteryear. And, no one's complaining !!<br />
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Last night at our family dinner with both sons, my daughter-in-law and granddaughter over, they enjoyed (I was drinking juice) a natural chicken I roasted with clean, natural potatoes and org. carrots...fresh organic salad greens with tomatoes and cukes from our garden...and homemade, blackberry cobbler (I made with the berries we picked and organic whole wheat flour, butter, etc. I did add white sugar, but will experiment next time with honey!). Everyone was full, and content, and ate it all.<br />
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I will try to contain my juice-zealousness when ever I see you around town, or at the studio, or on facebook, I promise...not acting like a total militant health-nut radical is important because I know how those "types" always turned me off to their message in the past. But if you ask how my juicing is going or how the fast went.... ;D, be ready for an earful... Just warning ya :D<br />
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<b>Jake and Me :)</b></h4>
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Seriously, Jake and I were talking yesterday about how cool it would be to open a totally organic Juice Bar in town, with a million varieties on board...and other healthy stuff. It's just a dream because we already own a business and are tapped out on time and investment $$....but if YOU open one, we would be regulars ! :) But, that's an example of how far our mind-shift has gone in so little time...we not only want to eat well for ourselves and our family, but we want to share what we know with the world. It still may happen, only on a smaller scale, we'll see.<br />
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In the meantime here are a couple of tips and reminders that have worked for me when sending my juice through the juicer:<br />
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<li>Wrap your green leafy Kale around a carrot before you send the whole "package" through...it helps keep the blade spinning rather than getting bogged down with just the green clumping in the chamber. The carrot keeps it smoother</li>
<li>End each juice with your Cucumber...it cleans everything out and "pushes" anything that is stuck, through the spout</li>
<li>Juice your fruit first (if you just want some fruit juice later)...keep the machine running, then do your "green juice", and then any tomato-V8 style juice you may want to try that day last.</li>
<li>Keep your Juice in the frig in GLASS containers...and try to use wooden or metal chopping boards, utensils, etc. Plastic has all of that bad chemical stuff that leaches into the container during storage (BPA's....see this link: <a href="http://www.safetyathome.com/2010/03/22/stepping-down-exposure-to-bpa/?gclid=CPCxkZiH-qoCFSR6gwoda0c45Q">What the heck are BPA's and why are they bad for me and my family?</a></li>
<li>Peel anything that's not organic and can be peeled...don't put bananas in your juicer, they will gum it up!</li>
<li>"Chew" your juice if you have an issue with diarrhea on the fast... just bite down a few times with each gulp. This starts the digestion process in your mouth (important to get the oral digestive juices into play) rather than just gulping and swallowing and making the stomach do all the work.</li>
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That's it for today...as Joe says, "Juice on!" (here's a link to him interviewing a fellow juicer so you can hear him say it yourself ;D : <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5k-rcedkIME">Joe talks to a fellow juice faster</a>...)<br />
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......and as I say, Carpe Diem! <br />
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Just for "fun"..here are some links you may want, enjoy or need:<br />
<a href="http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com/">Link to the "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" movie site</a><br />
<a href="http://jointhereboot.com/treating-yourself-well/">The Rebooter Website and Community of Juicers</a><br />
<a href="http://willtaft.com/69/food-safety/the-dirty-dozen-of-food">The Dirty Dozen Food List, with ratings of worst to best!</a><br />
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<br />Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06309830294468350229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7248099520615788461.post-19722022980826712842011-08-29T10:29:00.000-07:002012-04-23T09:09:35.705-07:008 Pounds in 7 days, and I Feel Amazing! Day 8 of 12I have to admit..I'm anxious to keep this post short (thank goodness for you, right? :D) because this is shopping day and I want to get out the door! I actually look forward to buying all my produce for the week on Mondays, it's so fun now. Maybe that's just because it feels so good buying stuff that I'm proud to buy and have no ethical conflict at all about? I used to pick up a bag or box of something in the store and have an inner dialog that went something like this:<br />
"Ok, this is cheaper...and fast. The boys can make this if I'm not home without destroying the kitchen, and they'll like it at least. Wow, look at these ingredients...I can't even understand half of these words on the list, well, except SUGAR- Trans Fat- and 'added as a preservative... hmmm.....oh well, it's cheap and they'll eat it...it will be fine..."<br />
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Now i just pick up an Organic apple that was grown in the next county and think, "Man, this is going to taste GREAT!". Period.<br />
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So....another Pro of juicing: Less mind static :D . We all could use that!<br />
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<u><b>My Juice Fast shopping list for today </b>(remember, this is all I'm consuming, plus sharing with my husband<b>...</b> on Saturday when I break my fast, the list will be cut by about 50% since I will only be adding 32 oz of juice to my regular, newly-improved diet after that):</u><br />
<br />
<i> Found at Farmer's Market</i> (our local fresh produce store...not all organic, but a large part is), and <i>Fred Meyer</i> in their Organic section ...<br />
<ul>
<li>Chard -1 bunch (I got my 2 bunches of Kale at the growers market on Saturday already)</li>
<li>14 Apples (any variety that's organic and on sale)</li>
<li>Beets- 2 bunches since they are on sale and store well</li>
<li>7 lemons</li>
<li>Stevia (I'm out)</li>
<li>Peaches!! The organic ones on sale at Fred Meyers this week are amazing!</li>
<li>Grape tomatoes (on sale at Freddy's)</li>
<li>5-7 cucumbers (depending on how big each is)</li>
<li>2 bunches celery </li>
<li>any other organic veggies or fruit on sale that looks good today</li>
</ul>
I still have my 25# bag of organic carrots that I'm using every day, and a ton of Ginger I bought last week ..plus I have tomatoes and squash from my garden, so this is pretty much the list.<br />
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I'm also going to buy the healthy stuff my son and husband like, since they are not fasting ;)...but no more crap. Oh, and I'm going to get a few things to have on hand for when I break the fast (wild caught Alaskan Salmon is on sale at Freddy's today too.. ;)...and I will still stay within my old grocery budget without spending $$ on all the crap I used to buy for sure.<br />
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Now....off to the store, with reusable grocery bags in hand (just keepin it green). Does this mean I'm going to have to buy a Prius too? Nah.... <br />
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Carpe Diem!Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06309830294468350229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7248099520615788461.post-13619013282585499752011-08-28T17:41:00.000-07:002011-08-28T17:41:20.836-07:00Day 7 of 12...only five more days left!I don't have much to report that's new today...plus it's Sunday and I want to spend time with Jake and not the computer! But I am down 8 pounds now, and feeling stellar.<br />
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I do miss chewing, and I'm SO looking forward to having a avocado/tomato/cucumber and sprouts sandwich on organic whole grain bread (with lots of seeds and nuts in it!) on Saturday while we travel up to Portland to the Art Festival. I want to report also that it is crazy that I do not have cravings for <i>anything</i> that's not good for me...wild, right? Maybe it's just me, but I don't think so since the guys in the film reported the same thing too. I just think, once again, that when your body finally gets everything it needs, it begins to crave those things rather than the crap it used to have to fuel itself.<br />
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Oh, and this morning I added red cabbage to the veggie juice (after reading how great of an anti-cancer food it is), and it didn't alter the great flavor at all...I couldn't really even distinguish that it was in the juice either...so, just like the broccoli stems, it added the micronutrients but not the flavor. Excellent.<br />
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Here were my juice recipes today:<br />
<br />
<b><u>Veggie:</u></b><br />
Chard<br />
Kale<br />
Tomato<br />
Celery<br />
Cucumber<br />
Ginger<br />
lemon<br />
apple<br />
beet<br />
cantalope (2 cups)<br />
carrots<br />
Stevia <br />
<br />
<u><b>My Fruit Juice Today:</b></u><br />
MANGO !! (amazingly yummy... and it made the juice thicker like a smoothie)<br />
Apple<br />
Lime<br />
Cantalope<br />
blueberries (1 cup)<br />
2 Kale leaves<br />
2 stalks celery for volume<br />
1 cucumber for volume<br />
Ginger<br />
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Carpe Diem!Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06309830294468350229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7248099520615788461.post-28945751636720226002011-08-27T15:38:00.000-07:002012-04-23T09:12:54.839-07:00Day 6 of 12...It's All About the Kale :)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Until I started juicing I had heard about the incredible "super-food" status kale has, but didn't really know how to prepare it, other than steaming and eating it like cooked spinach. Chopping it up in little pieces for salads worked too, but eaten like that it tends to have a bitter flavor (at least on my taste buds). It is so high in protein, calcium and anti-oxidants (apparently off-the-scale high compared to most other veggies) that I wanted to eat more of it..but just couldn't stomach it.<br />
<br />
The answer, of course, is juicing it! Rather than bitter, it has more of an earthy taste when juiced, not bad at all..and with the lemon, ginger, stevia and apple added into the green juice, it is down right refreshing and yummy! I also read online today that veggies in the cruciferous group are more healthful for us when they are chopped or bent (as in juicing) because it releases their anti cancer micro nutrients more efficiently. In other words, it is better to juice Kale and the others than to simply steam and eat it. Good to know! (read about it here): <a href="http://jointhereboot.com/cruciferous-vegetables-are-anti-cancer-foods/">cruciferous anti-cancer-foods</a><br />
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Blueberries/blackberries, tomatos, almonds and a few other foods are also in that "super food" category...so, juicing them (and eating raw almonds) is a great way to get what your body craves for it's immune system/anti cancer fighting strength, etc. So, now I'm tossing them all in to my juice.<br />
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They say to strive for 80% veggies and 20% fruit. The ginger is kinda hiding under the carrots there... I put both kale and chard in today! Jake wanted some too, so at the last minute, to add volume (more liquid) I threw in a few chunks of watermelon to make enough to share. It was wonderful.<br />
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I like to add some veggies to my fruit juice to bump up the nutrients. Seriously, you don't even taste the veggies...this tastes like ultra sweet fruit juice! I only use 1 leaf of Kale in my fruit juice...carrots just make it sweeter, celery and cucumber don't add much flavor, just liquid volume. I just picked the blackberries down my street yesterday evening :) Mmmmmm, this is so good.<br />
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Now, to address the messiness issue, I've devised a ghetto-way to keep pulp from flying on the cupboards and me...this is what I did: draped a dish towel over the pulp-catcher in the back, and a clear plastic bag over the spout where the juice comes out in the front. This completely solved the splattering problem...now, if I could just figure out a way to make it self-cleaning after juicing! :)<br />
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So, I'm down about a 1/2 pound today...which is totally great.....That's 7.5 pounds in 6 days. Can't complain. Oh, and I also just realized (duh) why I feel so positive, energetic and happy probably: I have been basically sleep-deprived for a decade with my insomnia issues before juicing. Just sleeping 7-8 hours a night every night goes a long way to restoring sanity!! Coupled with the flooding of micronutrients my body and mind are now getting, of course I would think more clearly, and be happier! Makes total sense.<br />
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Carpe Deim!Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06309830294468350229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7248099520615788461.post-2074960644304100942011-08-26T14:49:00.001-07:002012-02-24T05:02:08.718-08:00Day 5 of 12...Seven Pounds in 4 Days: I Love My Juice!I've lost 7 pounds in 4 days...I'm starting my 5th day on the fast today! I continue to be amazed at how easy this is. I thought I would be obsessed with eating throughout this time, but, other than the triggers and urges to chew in the first 1-3 days, I have had no issues what so ever. Now, I've read at the "F,S & ND" website on the forum that some people struggle a bit more in the first 3 days....but virtually no one has had any problems after day three. I mean, seriously, if you make it to day 4, it is a piece of cake. Your palate has completely changed (meaning you actually start to crave your green juice), and it's so easy to just grab your container of juice when you feel hungry that there is no heartache in not being able to chew on something.<br />
<br />
On evening 3, I admit, I looked at my husband's grilled salmon and wanted a bite...but hey, I get to have that the rest of my life after the fast, so it was not a problem suppressing the urge. I've been around other family members eating ice cream, french fries, etc. and I don't feel deprived at all; instead I don't even find the other food appealing and I'm just happy that my health is improving by leaps and bounds instead.<br />
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I wish someone would do a study on why juicing not only makes you feel physically healthy, but also emotionally stellar. I mean, I guess it's obvious why since your cells (including neurons) are all singing inside of you once they get the nutrients they finally need through the juice..but the physiology would be really interesting. I can't remember a time in my life feeling happier or with such a sense of over riding contentment and positive outlook. It's kind of uncanny...but not unusual I guess, since many juicers report the same thing. Hmmm.<br />
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I have to admit something: last night I was slicing a peach for my husband, and completely out of habit, slipped a piece in my mouth and ate it! I know that it's not the end of the world, and I put peaches in my juice all the time, so it's something you are encouraged to consume on the fast....but for the fast-purists out there, I messed up. And here's the best part: that peach tasted like the most incredible organic peach I had ever dreamed of. My taste buds were so sensitive to the flavor of raw, healthy produce that I believe my sense of taste is cleaned out too now. I mean, it was crazy incredible. So incredibly good that I actually ate 3 more slices ! :D Jake said, "Are you supposed to eat that?".<br />
<br />
"No, but hey, it's on my list of foods to juice and I just can't believe how amazing it tastes! Besides, one or two ( okay, 4) little slices of peach is not going to break my fasting efforts."<br />
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So be it. I am not a purist, and never will be, and that's fine.<br />
<br />
I have been proclaiming the wonderful benefits of Juicing for 5 days now, and I thought it would be important to think through the "cons" just so this blog and my opinion can be balanced. Here is the list I came up with:<br />
<br />
<b><u>The Cons of Juicing:</u></b><br />
<ul><li>It's messy...no matter how you juice, or what machine you use, it's messy. Pulp and juice find their way onto your clothes (and beet juice really stains), the counter, the floor at times.</li>
<li>Everyone else you live with will want you to make juice for them (or share YOUR juice) once they try it...so there is a bit more hassle and work that might take place once you start; and it's frustrating when you share your juice "gold" with them, and then they chase it with a chocolate chip cookie!! Seems like a waste.</li>
<li>Your clothes will fit looser, so you may have to buy new ones. Even on just a 5-day fast, you are going to lose weight; so if you don't want to, you'd have to add in extra foods or maybe high quality fats (like olive oil to your green juice? I have no idea)</li>
<li>You have to visit the bathroom a lot more...very inconvenient when you are traveling or in the middle of town on errands, etc.</li>
<li>You may have to put up with friends or family that think you are just going through some health-craze phase, and that this too shall pass. Naysayers are not fun...neither are people that say, "That's great for you, but I'd never do it." It's kinda sad, and that's a con.</li>
<li>You have to take a juicer with you if you plan to leave town in order to truly remain on the fast (this is why I'm doing 12 days...because on day 13, Jake and I are going on a trip to the Portland Art on the Pearl Festival and I didn't want to be juicing then). For those planning longer fasts, buying 2 juicers (a travel and home juicer) could be spendy.</li>
</ul>And, I think that's about it. For me, the pros outweigh the cons by a landslide...but for others, they may not.<br />
<br />
All I know is that this juicing works and is hands-down the best, most delicious, easiest journey for health and weight loss that I have ever experienced.<br />
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<u><b>Little tips I've learned about juicing that are cool:</b></u><br />
<ol><li>Broccoli Stems (the long trunks under the fluffy part at top) contain a LOT of juice and is sweeter than the florets. Juicing broccoli is awesome, and in your green juice, it doesn't taste "broccoli-ish"</li>
<li>Always juice your cucumber last ... it "washes" out the other produce and pulp left in the juicer. </li>
<li>Celestial Seasonings Tiger Spice Cinnamon-y herb tea (with the tiger on the front) is amazing iced with a little stevia in it.</li>
<li>"Naked" Juice or other brands that are in the grocery store are NOT a good buy and shouldn't be used for your fast. It is all pasteurized (which means heated to boiling for a certain amount of time) and all of the live enzymes that are the healthy component in fresh juice are killed.</li>
<li> Freezing your juice to defrost and drink later kills the enzymes too..so don't freeze it. It will "keep" for 24-48 hours; but always try to drink it as soon as possible since storing diminishes the nutrient quality a little each hour. Conversely, it is totally ok to use frozen fruits in your juice to augment it...the site suggests defrosting it first...but I have tossed in handfuls of frozen blueberries and they come through the juicer with a great creamy texture and make it all cold and yummy.</li>
<li>Wrapping celery in foil makes in stay fresh longer.</li>
<li>Taking your carrots out of their plastic bag so they can "breathe" in your frig keeps them from going bad</li>
<li>Organic produce is hands-down more flavorful and worth every extra cent it costs to purchase up front. I don't even stress on the prices now...I buy what's on sale, and save a ton on not buying the junk I used to: so, it evens out. Always look for the number "9" as the first number on your produce label..."9" means it is certified Organic.</li>
<li>I make it a point to tell my favorite organic farmer at the Grower's Market that I LOVE his produce, and I commend him for working hard to do the right thing for all of us who buy his veggies and fruits. Usually, others are standing around when I say that, and hopefully they will be encouraged to buy his stuff and not the guy's next to him who uses chemicals to augment growth or kill pests :(. **I was buying produce from one local farm that has a booth every week that swarms with customers at the Grower's Market...I asked the guy that took the money if they used any pesticides on the farm , and he said "no, but they use fertilizers". He didn't sound too sure, so I found their farm's website online and sent them an email. The owner said, "yes, we do use pesticides and herbicides, but ALL according to the directions of the chemical company...so there is not much residue on the produce when it gets to market." Ummmmmm, no...not going to buy there again. If you want to know the name of the farm, facebook or email me.</li>
<li>So, in response to #8 above, always ask if you don't see the "organic" label on produce....nine times out of ten, even at the Grower's Market, it will have chemicals on it if not labeled or on their Farm Sign, etc.</li>
</ol>Have an amazing day!Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06309830294468350229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7248099520615788461.post-56639915275549237092011-08-25T12:05:00.000-07:002012-04-23T09:18:11.394-07:00Day 4 of 12: Pulp, Pulp Everywhere!!<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, I have a Jack LaLanne Juicer, which I would recommend for it's efficiency in getting the job done totally. It would have been nice if I could have afforded the "Breville", queen of juicers, but it wasn't in our budget. Seriously though, the LaLane is great for my needs. However... if I'd had a Breville, maybe my morning would have gone a bit better during juicing time ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">First, let me suggest that you allow a full 30 minutes every morning to assemble your produce, juice, and clean up...it will definitely take 30 minutes, if not a bit more. This morning, it took about 45: fifteen extra minutes cleaning up the pulp that had flown all over my kitchen cupboards and counter tops! Flying pulp is not a usual occurrence with the LaLanne juicer...but if you forget to put the pulp-catcher back in place behind the juicer BEFORE you re-juice your first run of pulp, it WILL fly everywhere, trust me. It was even on my ceiling, and in my HAIR...<:{ . Awww, the joys... I'm sure the Breville has some amazing pulp-catcher system that would never allow it to fly, no matter what?? I will never know (unless you buy one and tell me :D! ). Take heed...always make sure your pulp-catcher is in place before you turn any juicer on, just to be safe. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thanks for reading the blog, by the way, I hope it's helpful to you. Catch me on facebook if you have any questions you don't want to post here...otherwise, just enjoy, and hopefully learn from my mistakes (and successes??)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Before I forget...here's the "Dirty Dozen" list of food you should absolutely consider only buying organic if at all possible, and a couple of links to sites that explain why. Some of you have asked me about it, so I figured I would just post it here:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u>The List: </u></b></span><br />
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"It's critical people know what they are consuming," the Environmental Working Group's Amy Rosenthal said. "The list is based on pesticide tests conducted after the produce was washed with USDA high-power pressure water system. The numbers reflect the closest thing to what consumers are buying at the store."<br />
Special report: Toxic America<br />
The group suggests limiting consumption of pesticides by purchasing organic for the 12 fruits and vegetables.<br />
"You can reduce your exposure to pesticides by up to 80 percent by buying the organic version of the Dirty Dozen," Rosenthal said.<br />
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<u>The Dirty Dozen (always buy organic)</u><br />
Celery<br />
Peaches<br />
Strawberries<br />
Apples<br />
Domestic blueberries<br />
Nectarines<br />
Sweet bell peppers<br />
Spinach, kale and collard greens<br />
Cherries<br />
Potatoes<br />
Imported grapes<br />
Lettuce<br />
Not all non-organic fruits and vegetables have a high pesticide level. Some produce has a strong outer layer that provides a defense against pesticide contamination. The group found a number of non-organic fruits and vegetables dubbed the "Clean 15" that contained little to no pesticides.<br />
<br />
<u>The Clean 15 (not totally clean, but ok to buy non-organic if you are on a tight budget)</u><br />
Onions<br />
Avocados<br />
Sweet corn<br />
Pineapples<br />
Mango<br />
Sweet peas<br />
Asparagus<br />
Kiwi fruit<br />
Cabbage<br />
Eggplant<br />
Cantaloupe<br />
Watermelon<br />
Grapefruit<br />
Sweet potatoes<br />
Sweet onions<br />
<br />
What is a pesticide?<br />
A pesticide is a mixture of chemical substances originally marketed to farmers after WWII and used on farms to destroy or prevent pests, diseases and weeds from affecting crops. According to the USDA, 45 percent of the world's crops are lost to damage or spoilage, so many farmers count on pesticides.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u>The Links: </u></b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u> </u></b><a href="http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/dirty-dozen-foods#fbIndex1">http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/dirty-dozen-foods#fbIndex1</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u><a href="http://www.organicitsworthit.org/quick/pesticides-101">http://www.organicitsworthit.org/quick/pesticides-101</a> </u></b></span><br />
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I might just summon up my radical organic spirit here for a moment and say that even though the "ok" list is WAY better than the dirty dozen, it still has <i>some</i> contamination due to the wide use by commercial farmers of "systemic pesticides and herbicides" ,etc. : this is a process where the <i>seeds</i> are treated <i>before</i> planting so that the plant has pesticides in it's entire system (including in the produce we consume) to prevent bugs from liking it, etc. Corn is a major systemic pesticide product, for instance. (This is where you make a note to add "<i>Vanishing Bees</i>" to your Netflix que...and while you're at it, add these too: "Food, Inc." and "King Corn"... to learn all about this pretty disturbing truth. I'd never even <b><i>heard</i></b> of systemic pesticides before seeing <i>Vanishing Bees</i>, have you? It makes me mad that the FDA doesn't require any labeling on our foods or how they are grown/raised so we can make good decisions about what we buy for our selves). So, if something on the "ok" list is on sale, I buy it too!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sorry for the tangent...anyway :)....my morning juice was wonderful, in spite of being time-consuming today. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And.....drum roll here.....I'm down another 2 pounds. That's 6 pounds in 3 days. I'm not kidding you when I say it's been totally fine so far. I mean, yes, my stomach growls now and then; but it was designed to do that. When it does, I just drink more juice! :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Which brings me to something I want to encourage you with if you are considering a juice <i>fast </i>and one of your goals is to lose weight: do NOT get hung up on the calories in the juice at all. Seriously, we have all been on diets and have all been slaves to calories at one time or another: and how did that work for us? It made Joe, {me} and others fat, sick and nearly dead!! With juicing, you are getting the readily-absorbable micro nutrients that your body can use right away from the fruits and veggies...thus, your body is more efficient and your metabolism is higher because your cells are revved up, etc. Calories are not the issue when you fast on juice you make, believe me. You are burning them at a faster rate and using them efficiently, so they don't have the same weight-gain effect at all. If you drink up to 72-96 oz a day, you will still lose weight, no doubt...and 96 oz is A LOT for me and hard to drink it all in one day (my husband helps ;D) . </span><br />
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<b><a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/289122/fat-sick-and-nearly-dead" target="_blank">Watch "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" right now for free on Hulu !</a></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> A friend's sister in law watched "F,S & ND", bought a juicer the next day and immediately started a juice fast on just the green juice without adding any fruit or stevia to make it taste really great. Why not? Because she wanted to juice to lose weight, to keep the calories down and be a purest about it (only drinking veggies, I guess). Well, needless to say, she called my friend in a couple of days and told her she stopped juicing because it didn't taste good. :( Here's my point: if you don't like the way it tastes, you won't juice or benefit from the amazing effects of adding juice to your life....so <i>make it good tasting </i>for you! My son doesn't like the way that the celery leaves make the juice taste - so where I put the whole stalk in, he cuts the leaves off... if Kale is too "green" tasting for you (I love it, but hey, you may not), then substitute spinach or even Romaine lettuce. Add whatever fruits and amount of stevia you want to make you LOVE your juice. The moral of the story is: When you love it, you will want it every day...and that's the goal, not cutting calories.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Not worrying about calories is just another perk of the juice fast...it's so convenient too, as is the American way. Think about it: you juice once in the morning, you have nothing else to prepare all day (other than tea or whatever), and when you get hungry you just drink more juice :D. Fail proof, convenient, and time-efficient. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My husband does not need to lose any weight at all...as he likes to say, he's in "peak physical condition" (haha! Maybe not exactly ;), but it's true that he does not carry any extra weight at all, darn him)...yet he has other issues having to do with sleep and digestion that made him want to try juicing, and now he is a convert as well! He tried the juice the first day I made it, and liked it...saw how it improved his issues overnight, and now he begs to share mine :). In other words, a juice fast for 10-30-60 days or at all is not important for everyone, just ADD it to your life and you will see the difference in health it makes. I might add that I do think that a 5-day fast is a good one for everyone, weight issues or not, just to "reboot" your body and to get it set on the right path.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here's what my fruit juice included today...I buy whatever is on sale in the organic aisle and throw it all in, basically :):</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Watermelon (~4 cups of chunks)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lime (peeled)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Apple</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2 carrots</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Strawberries (handful)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Blueberries (handful) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3 stalks celery </span><br />
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Ginger (the wonder ingredient, I tell ya!)</div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Stevia (1 packet...but really, this was so sweet, I didn't even need to add it) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Oh, and about caffeine...on the fast you are advised to cut it out completely...in regular life, it's suggested that you limit it to a "treat" now and then. But, hey...there's nothing I read that's against Organic Decaf coffee!! So, if you are like me, and enjoy the flavor of coffee but can do without the caffeine, do what I did this morning: brew organic coffee...add Organic Almond Milk (a plant-based product) and add a bit of Stevia and cinnamon for flavor: not bad. Not Dutch Bros., but pretty good ;D It was nice to change-up the flavors this morning from all sweet/fresh to something a bit different, and one cup did the trick. I could be wrong, but I think since it was all plant-based and organic, it should be fine to include. I would think the same would be true for a glass of organic wine every couple of days or so, in moderation....Beer, because of the wheat fermentation process, I'm not to sure of on the fast. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you go to the Rebooter's website, you can ask the nutritionist there specifically about what you should and shouldn't have on the fast. And, she answers! She is also in the movie :) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you haven't already, watch the movie this weekend...then tell me what you thought about it. And, no, I'm not getting any compensation for promoting the movie from anyone :) It's just that I have the general life philosophy that if you see a train wreck looming ahead, but have discovered an amazing detour to avoid it, why wouldn't you?...and then of course why wouldn't you urge others you care about to take the detour as well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Think of juicing, and what you can learn from this movie, as the push toward a great detour toward health in your life for you and your family...that's all ;D</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Carpe Diem!</span><br />
<br />Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06309830294468350229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7248099520615788461.post-50848240037493698772011-08-24T13:30:00.000-07:002012-04-23T09:22:16.718-07:00Day 3 of 12What a great day it is...I awoke with the sunshine, and then enjoyed the little drizzling of rain we had a bit later on.<br />
I don't remember the last time I felt so rested in all my life. This juicing thing is amazing.<br />
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I weighed myself first thing this morning and I lost 4 pounds in the first 2 days. That is just an added bonus to the way I feel, though. I would take health and well being over weight loss any day....but, woohoo, it looks like I don't have to choose since I'm reaping both! <br />
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Yesterday, I didn't make enough juice. On Day 1 I made about 96 oz....which was almost too much. Then, yesterday I cut back to about 72oz, and that wasn't enough. At about 8pm last night I wished I'd had one more 8 oz glass of fruit juice for a "nite cap" to hold me over until breakfast...that would have been just perfect. So I went to bed with a little hunger thinking I would surely be starved at the crack of dawn....but I wasn't: I woke up, rested, and astonishingly, not really hungry. Hmmmm, that was unexpected. <br />
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So, this morning I made my juice (back up to 96 oz), and drank about 20 oz. Yum. Then I worked out for 30 minutes (dance workout), and felt great. I think adding the organic vegetable protein powder to the juice is really helping me not feel a slump mid-day, even with the calories I burn working out.<br />
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It hit me last night just how long I have known about "juicing" in general, but never embraced it fully until now. I've also known how important it is to eat tons of fruits and veggies every day, but it's hard to fit all of them in, and I always got discouraged or tired of trying to squeeze them all in each day. With juice, you just drink a glass a day, and you've got your servings covered! It's so easy...I don't know why it took me so long to "get it".<br />
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My new life motto: "Once you know better, you've got to DO better" if you want to create a life of personal integrity and health in all areas :spiritually, physically and emotionally. I've finally made the conscious decision to stop "knowing" and start "doing".<br />
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<b>My son and granddaughter</b></div>
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<b>chard</b></div>
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My son came by after work last night and "borrowed" some of my Chard and organic apples to juice at home...that makes me smile :) I just want everyone I love to benefit from this journey in health with me! <br />
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This is going well. And, I am so glad. <br />
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<br />Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06309830294468350229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7248099520615788461.post-62834337446304632082011-08-23T14:18:00.004-07:002012-04-23T09:31:26.103-07:00Day 2 of 12 :) <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Day 2...and I'm feelin groovy! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Seriously, Day 1 was not as hard as I'd expected it to be after watching the movie and seeing what the guys struggled with the first 3 days of their fast. The only thing that was different (not necessarily hard, but maybe slightly annoying??) was the number of times I had to visit the bathroom <:}, and the triggers that made me feel like I "needed" to eat something solid. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The only time I was actually hungry was when I spent 4 hours shopping/doing errands without bringing along some juice. By the end of the 4 hours, all I wanted to do was get home and get my jar of green and gulp! After I did that, I felt totally fine. So, note to self: always take some juice along in a small cooler or something when you think you may not be home for several hours. That's when the "triggers" affected me: at the grocery store...seeing Fage greek yogurt on the shelf, or the whole grain bread (I was picturing it with some organic peanut butter on it and a glass of milk). But, it wasn't intolerable at all...I'm used to eating/chewing, so thinking about eating/chewing, makes sense.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The trick I found is to drink juice whenever you feel hungry at all...<b>as soon</b> as you feel hungry; or drink water or herbal tea. The juice is totally yummy and satisfying, so it's truly not been an issue so far. I think many of us are used to always having a "full" feeling and equate that to satiation...we eat to prevent our stomach from growling. When, in reality, it's healthier to wait until your stomach growls (or nearly so) and then feed it! I feel "empty", digestive-wise, but I think that is a positive! No bloating, or feeling over-full, etc. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The bathroom thing :)... let's just say that you do get "cleaned out" the first day for sure. I didn't experience any diarrhea, but I've read on the rebooting forum that many people do. I think that has a lot to do with the fact that I have been integrating the green juice and drinking it twice a day for several weeks before I started the fast. My body wasn't shocked into the nutrient overload all at once, and I strongly recommend starting the process slowly because of that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Today, I woke up with the sun (halleluyah!), slept incredibly well, and I feel energized. It's almost like my mind is clearing up. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but I have this positive outlook on things and my brain seems to be functioning efficiently, more than usual, accompanied by a "go with the flow" attitude rather than an anxious "have to get it all done NOW" sense. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All in all, juicing makes me happy! I look forward to making/having my juice in the morning and throughout the day. A friend and I were talking about juicing this morning and how just the act of getting our vegetables and fruits out and prepared to juice gives a peace of mind or a pleasant awareness of the "rightness" of it all, that it's almost like meditation or prayer. There is a calmness of the spirit or something...it's so hard to explain, but we have both felt it (so it must be real!). Maybe it's just the way we feel as we realize we are finally doing something REALLY good for our bodies, and anticipating how drinking the juice will make us healthier? Who knows; if nothing else, it's just a great little health ritual that makes me happy, that's all I know :D</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Before you start juicing, here are some tips that have helped me:</span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Use a plastic bag to line your pulp-catcher to make cleanup easier. When you are done juicing, just pull out your bag and dispose. Or, like I do, feed it to your chickens, or freeze it to use in muffins or soups, or compost it, or whatever.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To get absolutely every ounce of juice out of your produce, re-juice the pulp! Yep, just scoop it out of the pulp-catcher and send it through a second time...you'll get about 1/8-1/4 cup more juice :)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Substitute any item for a like-item. If you don't like Kale, use spinach or Romaine lettuce ...any thing that is dark green and leafy. I even use the stems and leaves off of my beets! The point is to make your juice so yummy that you look forward to drinking it...so change it up however you'd like. Fruit for fruit, veggie for veggie. And you can always add an extra apple or Stevia to sweeten it (that's what I do every time)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Make all of your juice for the day at one time, in the morning. It stores well for up to 24 hours, and can go as long as 72 (but no longer, they say). The longer juice is stored, the more the nutrients degrade...so try to make enough for only 24 hours. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Stop drinking juice and/or water by about 8pm, or you may have to wake up to use the bathroom! </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is what I did yesterday and today that worked well for me:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I set out three 32oz canning jars on the counter and added 1/2 scoop of Raw, Organic vegetable protein powder (made from sprouts that I found at the organic market) to each one. This is not typical, but I wanted to boost the protein content of my juice so that I would not feel hungry and to make it so that I can still work out at the level I'm used to...since it is organic vegetable sprout protein, it acts just like the juice in metabolism</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I double the recipe and make my green juice first -mostly veggies with just a couple of apples and a lemon for punch. I add Stevia and fill up a huge pitcher I have to collect all of it before I distribute it to the jars. I send through an organic cucumber-with it's high liquid content- or a 1/2 cup of chilled herb tea to "cleanse" the juicer and sweep out any remaining pulp and nutrients. I mix it all in the pitcher, then fill 2 jars with this mixture...put the lids on and shake to stir the powder in. Refrigerate.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next, without cleaning the juicer, I start my fruit juice. This morning I added: Ginger, strawberries, blueberries, lime, 1 apple, 1 peach, a cucumber and carrot for extra vitamins and liquid. I poured this into my third jar, put the lid on , and shook it. At each "meal" I drink about 16 oz of green juice followed by about 8-10oz of my "dessert" fruit juice. Tastes yummy, and keeps it fun.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I don't plan on weighing myself for a day or two just because I want to give my body time to acclimate and balance out at bit first, but I will record what (if any) I do lose as I go along.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm still excited and feel great. Who knows, maybe tomorrow will be worse? But so far, this is no sweat :) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I read some great info on the rebooter site posted by the nutritionist that I thought I would copy and paste here below. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Carpe Diem!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <b><u> .....Quoted from the rebooters website:</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u> (<a href="http://www.jointhereboot.com/index.php?lang=en" target="_blank">or Click go to the website</a>)</u></b></span></div>
Here are some of the reasons why fruits and vegetables are simply so good for us. One such reason is that a plant-based diet contains many anti-inflammatory micronutrients. This is a very hot topic and one that can seem rather complicated; but it is actually very simple to understand. <br />
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Inflammation is an important process that allows our bodies to defend itself from foreign substances - especially those that can make us sick. For example, when we get a cut on our finger, our body’s inflammatory response begins right away. The area swells and white blood cells and other immune cells do their jobs to seal off the cut, and attack any pathogens trying to get into our bloodstream. <br />
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This same process happens inside our digestive system – every time we eat. Our body mobilizes its defenses to prepare for an invasion of a pathogen or disease so foods that are perceived as dangerous elicit a strong inflammatory response in the intestinal tract. When this is done, the pathogen is neutralized and the body is spared from infection. <br />
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So when eating fruits and vegetables that our bodies have seen for thousands and thousands of years, it's more familiar, and the immune response is mild compared to the response that we'd see after eating heavily processed foods. In fact, a significant amount of our immune defense system, called the lymphatic system, lies just behind our small intestine where we absorb most of our nutrients. Just like a country putting its strongest defenses at its ports and borders, our immune system has many of its 'big guns' at the intestine. Having an immune system that is constantly challenged by 'foreign' processed foods will wear it out over time, and make us more vulnerable to disease and infection as we age. Let’s take a closer look at this process from the micro level. <br />
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The cells that make up the border of our small intestine – called enterocytes – are lined up next to each other like a line of kids playing Red Rover. Like the children's interlocking elbows in Red Rover, the spaces between the cells, called “tight junctions," are the point of attack for anything wishing to get through. Over time, if we eat a lot of unhealthy foods, our tight junctions can become porous, weak or “leaky,” allowing things in that we don’t want in to get in and things we want to stay in to leak out. One result is less efficient absorption of nutrients as well as more efficient invasion by pathogens. Some research suggests this idea of “leaky gut” and inflammation can cause diseases and infection. Research on chronic conditions including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, autoimmune disorders like multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and obesity is highlighting the underlying inflammatory aspects shared among them. <br />
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This is a primary reason why eating fruits and vegetables, and avoiding foods like hormone-filled red meat, in your diet may not only help discourage the development of ailments but generally help reduce day-to-day aches and pains in our joints and muscles. Hopefully you have witnessed some of this day-to-day benefit first hand during your Reboot thus far. A Reboot can be a powerful vehicle to reap many significant health benefits and get you on your way to feeling well for life.<br />
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<b>Pro-Inflammatory Foods</b><br />
Processed foods<br />
Fried foods<br />
Foods with Saturated & Trans-Fats<br />
Red meat<br />
Whole milk dairy<br />
Shortening<br />
Omega-6 fats<br />
Soybean oil<br />
Corn oil<br />
Vegetable oil<br />
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<b>Anti-Inflammatory Foods </b><br />
Healthy Fats <br />
Olive oil<br />
Canola oil<br />
Nuts<br />
Natural nut butters<br />
Avocado<br />
Fish (i.e. wild salmon)<br />
Fruits<br />
Vegetables<br />
Whole grains Eat Well, Be Well,<br />
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Stacy Kennedy <br />
MPH, RD, CSO, LDN <br />
Reboot Your Life Nutritionist On Call <br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=7248099520615788461&postID=6283433744630463208" rel="nofollow">stacykennedy@jointhereboot.com</a>Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06309830294468350229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7248099520615788461.post-56192761828306000472011-08-22T11:45:00.000-07:002012-04-23T09:41:14.211-07:00Day 1 of 12<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Most who know me know that I'm pretty conservative, traditional actually. I've never been a hippie (even though I was raised in Santa Barbara in the 70's), or a crazed activist of any kind. I eat meat, (and plan to continue), and admit to occasionally purchasing fast food in a pinch or for convenience throughout my life. Heck, my first job at 16 was selling burgers at McDonald's in Goleta, CA, and I voted only Republican for nearly 32 years...that's got to qualify me for something notably American and conservative! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But....after spending a month in Europe eating their beautiful (mostly organic and locally-grown) foods, and watching a couple of eye-opening documentaries on my iPad on the flight back to the US... I've become a convert to a different lifestyle that, already, has changed me in ways I never thought were possible. I say "different" and not "new, because actually I've just returned to the way I was raised...re-embracing, if you will, the lifestyle of eating foods that are real, honest, and unadulterated with sprays/genetics/hormones, just the way God created them to be.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I first got back from Europe last month, I stepped right back in to eating and drinking the way I was used to in America- albeit, I ate a little more consciously than before my trip. I had always considered my eating habits and what I've provided for my family by way of food choices and meals, as being health-focused...with occasional treats. Let's face it, I was a Physical Education & Health major in college with a Dance specialization who knows about good nutrition AND I was raised with a amazing mother who cooked everything from scratch using wholesome ingredients just the way she was taught in her country, Germany. Not only that, but mom only had one consistent magazine subscription her whole adult life: PREVENTION... a journal of healthy lifestyles, eating organically, cooking wholesome foods, growing great gardens, etc. We ate plain yogurt sweetened with honey in my house growing up before anyone in the US had ever really even heard of yogurt (hard to believe, I know, now with our 237 varieties and brands of flavored yogurt in stores)! Processed foods were never in our cupboards, and I remember whining to mom to "puuleeeaase by twinkies like all my friend's moms do!" She never caved, and I'm thankful for her example.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But after decades of being an American, slowly but surely sliding into our culture of convenience, super-sized everything, and the notion that "technology/biochemical advancements are positive and our future as a country", I was not eating/drinking the way I was created to , and I was feeling the results of that. I've been on two medications now for several years: one for thyroid issues and one to lower cholesterol. I work out and teach dance regularly, I've eaten relatively well all of my adult life, but I still need these two medications to function well. Not only that, but up until two months ago, I have had consistent bouts of insomnia: the kind where I would fall asleep really late (finally), and then wake up at almost the same time each night (4am) unable to go back to sleep. The sleep deprivation thing was the worst. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In Europe, I slept like a baby and woke up with the sun for the first time in a decade! I had energy, and a general sense of health that I hadn't had in so long...my digestive system was miraculously transformed in just the 10 days I spent in Munich. Something was happening, and I had to figure it out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the flight home, I watched a movie I had on my iPad, <b>"Vanishing Bees"</b>. It documents the massive death of bees...first in Europe about 10 years ago, and recently since about 2007 here in the states. Bee keepers and farmers who rely on the bees to pollinate their crops have been watching millions of bees die...or stranger yet: fly off from their hives en masse and never return again. After studies, and observation, it was discovered that pesticides (sprays, and biotechnically-engineered plants and seeds that have pesticides in their DNA) are the cause of the massive bee-death. When France first discovered this 10 years ago, they banned many pesticides and their application process completely. They also noticed that the rates of cancer/autism/ADD/ other disease in their farmers and their farmer's children were off-the-charts higher than the regular population. They tested cord blood of babies at random, and found pesticide residue, etc. there! Many communities in France now - and across Europe - grow only organically. A few only offer organic foods in their school lunches for their country's children. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I learned that here in the states, you can't buy anything in the food supply (unless certified organic) that is not genetically altered or been treated with chemicals. No wonder we see the incidence of all of the same things France saw ten years ago on the rise here in astronomical proportions: cancers in younger and younger adults, autism/ADD spectrums/ auto immune diseases that didn't exist 50 years ago/ tumors, etc. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I never knew this before, but pesticides/herbicides were only "invented" after WWII by the same chemical companies who made mustard gas and war-time herbicides for combat support. After they lost their military contracts when the war was over...they needed a new way to earn revenue, so they began marketing the idea of spraying crops to help with food production. And, just like everyone embraced the marketing ploy that cigarettes were healthy for you back then, the farmers back in the late 40's and 50's began buying herbicides/pesticides and spraying crops. They were duped...and so were all of us. The result after 50 years is that America now has chemicals in everything we eat and drink... we are sicker as a nation, but don't even know why.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Vanishing Bees" was a wake-up call for me. And then, seemingly at random, I watched another movie that hit it out of the ballpark. It took me from being concerned, worried and questioning, straight into <b><i>doing</i></b> something about it for myself and my family ... <b><i>now</i></b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The movie is,<b>"Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead"</b>. I watched it on the plane (Netflix has it as an instantly-viewable selection), and by the time I got home to Grants Pass I knew my entire way of thinking about food was about to change. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here's a trailer from the movie....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And then, it happened. For the first two days I went right back to eating/drinking the way I had before I left for Europe: healthfully by most standards, but I was still buying and consuming foods from the regular stores and trying to buy cheap rather than quality. I had my occasional diet soda in the first days back as well. What happened?? I got sick. My digestive system rebelled big time. It was like it was screaming, "Wait a minute...I've been getting great stuff for the past month, and now it's this again?!?!" I got nauseaus, had headaches, couldn't sleep at night...all within just a day or two of returning to the states and resuming my old ways of eating. And, I'd heard the same story from a few of the ladies that traveled with me on the first leg of the trip to Europe: they got sick when they came home and ate the standard US diet and food again too!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, I had my husband watch the movie with me the next day...he was converted instantly as well (and that's saying alot for a former Mountain-Dew drinking, Taco-Bell-imbibing country boy). We learned that many, if not most, diseases are preventable with the right diet HIGH in micronutrients (nutrients easily gotten by juicing whole organic fruits and veggies that are immediately usable by our cells for metabolism and cleansing). This includes most auto-immune diseases, high blood pressure, heart disease, many cancers, type II diabetes, etc. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> We both decided together that we were going to embrace this knowledge now, and <b>apply</b> it! All I can say is please, take 2 hours and WATCH this movie...it will dramatically alter how you think about your health and your family's health; as well as explain so much that you've always wondered about. It's funny, engaging, inspirational...and all true, that's the best part.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The day after my husband watched the movie, I bought a juicer at Walmart for $99....my best investment in years. I began making "green juice" (which is amazingly refreshing and yummy when you add a little Stevia-a natural sweetener- and lemon) with organic Kale, cucumber, celery, carrots, apples, ginger, and drinking it twice a day. I ate healthful foods (mostly organic) including meat in addition to the juice. Just by ADDING the juice and eating "cleaner" (less pesticides, etc), we experienced nothing short of miraculous changes. I began sleeping through the night here in the states and waking up with the sun!!! My digestive system is as predictable as a German train schedule now (you have to understand German culture and their train system to truly get that), and I have a general sense of health, energy and well being that I haven't had since I was 20! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And, it's not just an age-thing...Jake, who is much younger than I... has experienced the same outcomes and is totally sold on the fact that we will be juicing the rest of our lives now. This is how we were created to eat: clean, healthy foods and nutrients straight from the source...so what stopped us in the past? A little bit of ignorance (but when you know better, you do better:D), habit, succumbing to US marketing like everyone else...and, money. I used to think that buying organic foods was SO expensive and I couldn't afford it...ever. The revelation is that once you start buying good foods, you stop buying the crap...and it's the crap that cost so much. I haven't bought a 12- pack of diet soda in almost 6 weeks: savings= $5-6/week...I spent that instead on a huge bag of organic carrots to juice that last me 4 weeks. No more convenience foods: savings = A TON!! ... all put toward cleaner foods. We shop locally at Farmer's Market and the Growers Market now...and get some good deals! All in all, I spend the same amount of money each week on groceries that I did before this paradigm shift. It's totally do-able. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Why juice? Simple: You can drink ALL 5-7 helpings of fruits and vegetables recommended (and essential) by the FDA in one tall glass of incredibly refreshing juice each day. I could <u>never</u> eat all of the fruits and veggies I put in the juicer to create a 16oz glass of juice...it's WAY too much. And after one or two a day, who really can stomach another salad or serving of steamed veggies? This is easy, fun and the best "discovery" we ever made. I'm so thankful that Joe decided to document his journey from being <b>fat, sick and nearly dead</b>...it has changed us in so many ways. Like he says, <i><b>"You go from knowing...to doing"</b></i>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ok, so why a Juice FAST? Well, after seeing the dramatic changes in my own health and well-being during the past 6 weeks that I've added juice to my daily diet, I want to actually reboot my system for 12 days on just the micronutrients from juicing and then start from scratch in this new era of healthy, organic eating. Losing a few pounds would be a great perk too (if you want to see the healthy, incredible weight loss possible, it's all in the movie). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So this is what I'm doing for the next 12 days:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. Drinking organic juices I make at home (~96 oz a day), Britta-filtered water, and herbal iced tea only</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2. Documenting the truth about the 12 days here</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Below is the basic recipe for the "Green Juice"....but I add to it at will - that's why the picture of my juice is reddish or even brown...I add red fruits and veggies like strawberries, beets (they make it sweet and do not add a beety-flavor like you think they would), extra carrots, etc. Note: You can interchange virtually any fruits or veggies to your liking. I am also going to drink fruit juice, and a tomato/V-8 style juice I'm going to try just to change it up. There are great recipes on the "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" website (google the movie and it will pop up)..and they are all free to see, etc.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">With organic produce, all you have to do is rinse it...no need to peel it to put in the juicer : now, how more convenient can that be (the American way) ! Suggestion: Google the "Dirty Dozen" list to find the top 12 foods you should really never buy unless organic because they are loaded with chemicals...Things that have peels (oranges, lemons, etc.) are less necessary to purchase as organic.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u>Green Juice</u></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5-6 Kale or Chard leaves w/ their stocks (just juice the whole thing!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 lemon or lime (peeled, if not organic) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3-4 stalks of Celery</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1/2 cucumber</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 inch length of fresh Ginger (the miracle refreshing ingredient, I tell ya!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 huge handful of spinach</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1-2 apples</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** I always add 1-2 carrots to mine. If you like it sweeter, add Stevia (natural sweetener), or an extra apple, or 1/2 beet....it may look more brown than green if you add red kale or beets like I do, but it's still considered "green" since it's 80% veggies or more.</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Fruit Juice I made this morning (amazing!!!!)</b></span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4 peaches</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 apple</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">ginger</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 carrot</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So far (it's 11:30am), I feel fine. They say to expect a headache maybe, and to be a bit tired the first day or two...and a bit hungry. But whenever you are hungry, you just drink as much juice as you want, so it doesn't feel like deprivation at all. I took the advice of the nutritionist on the site that recommends that you ease-in to a juice fast: adding juice and changing your diet slowly leading up to it rather than going straight from being a fast food junkie into juicing. Obviously, the shock to the system (even though it's good one), may not feel so good that way.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After day 3 it's supposed to be smooth sailing...hunger is curbed, headache (if it comes) leaves; everything is balancing out and toxins are leaving so you feel really great with lots of energy, etc.. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I will tell the truth here...even if it's not all wonderful. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One thing I know for sure: this is a permanent lifestyle change now. I'm buying only organic for my granddaughter when she eats here, and she loves the juice too...I bought a juicer for my son and daughter-in-law, and my youngest son is eating better now too, since we are.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All in all, I'm looking forward; and am so grateful for the example my mom set for me growing up, my time in Munich which changed my personal vision for the future, and the inspiration the movie "F,S &ND" was for us to DO something.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm still not a hippie, I will most likely always eat meat (just grass fed, hormone-free, etc. the way they originally existed on this earth), I will have occasional "treats" of whatever I want just because it's ok (organic chocolate sounds good right now.. Oh, Man, I need a Trader Joe's!!), I still consider myself traditional and conservative but lean a little more toward the middle these days; and, no matter what -I will be juicing the rest of my life. No doubt.</span><br />
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<u>My Juice Today</u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXOQgvzERRJC3JObMST6Y9J3wQpxRWbm-RJaHtdx_ZMA3zYXT7inpOAU6gE_ZenR1aDn2E_R4W5E4iyItYiOtorBCk2sHAtdLawW9rZfzUGnsw2Kqz-xwssfxo0laZkETQopmpwYgl/s1600/Jake+and+I+resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXOQgvzERRJC3JObMST6Y9J3wQpxRWbm-RJaHtdx_ZMA3zYXT7inpOAU6gE_ZenR1aDn2E_R4W5E4iyItYiOtorBCk2sHAtdLawW9rZfzUGnsw2Kqz-xwssfxo0laZkETQopmpwYgl/s1600/Jake+and+I+resized.jpg" /></a></div>
Jake and me :)<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u> </u></span>Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06309830294468350229noreply@blogger.com1