Food Fog

Juice Fast - Day 8

Monday, 08 March 2010

I don't have anything earth-shattering to report today. We haven't experienced any startling new symptoms or any overwhelming challenges. We are definitely getting a little bored with the juicing routine, but nothing we can't stick out for two more days.

We bought the rest of our produce today for the last days of our fast. I think it's all averaged out to about $40/day in juice. I guess that could be expensive, but we don't do much else, and we weren't consuming anything else, so it didn't seem so bad. We bought mostly organic produce, but you could do it even cheaper if you went to Costco and loaded up on non-organic stuff. We try to keep it as local and seasonal as possible in our regular diet, but it's challenging on a juice fast. Greens are just not plentiful locally this time of year. If we ever do this again, I would definitely do it when more greens are available through our co-op and the weather is warmer.

On to Tuesday... the end is near...

Juice Fast - Day 9

Today was one of my busiest days, and since I didn't have time to juice this morning, and I had just exercised, I was dragging pretty badly until around 2 or so, when I finally got a few minutes to juice. After that, things pepped up, and I actually had a fairly productive day.

I am noticing that keeping the juices mostly vegetables, with minimal fruit, yields better results for me. It gives me better long-term energy, makes my teeth and gums feel better, and just makes me feel more grounded somehow. It's easy to chug bag a jar of sweet fruit juice, even if it's got spinach or kale in it, but drinking a good veggie juice is a little slower process. Of course, the margin for error with vegetable juices is bigger. You can really make some nasty ones if you don't combine things well. I find that a good base of greens, celery and cucumber are best, then I add things depending on which way I want to go with flavor. Tomatoes, carrots, parsnips and red pepper give more of a V-8 taste. Adding things like jerusalem artichokes or celery root make a lighter tasting juice. We've even juiced sweet potato and added cinnamon, which is surprisingly sweet and yummy. Then, sometimes we just keep it really simple like tonight we had cucumber, coconut water, and spinach. Very refreshing. Lemon, a little pear and cucumber is great, too... kind of like lemonade. Anyway I think we're now Master Juicers. Do they have a certificate for that?

Darren's off to DC tomorrow, so we juiced a couple jars for tomorrow already. That means only two more juices to make tomorrow! Well, I guess we'll probably start off our "breaking the fast" day with a simple juice, but at least juicing four times a day won't be necessary anymore. Phew! Of course, for all the effort and challenge of the juicing routine, the experience has definitely been helpful and will be a great memory for Darren and I, both.
Nine down... one to go!

Juice Feast - Day 7

Sunday, 07 March 2010

Wasn't Sunday supposed to be a day of rest? Well, no such luck this week. I started my day with a board meeting at our church. Then we did get in a short ride in the car, just to enjoy the sun, and let Zofia snooze. But that was a brief interlude, and then the sibling rivalry between Flo and Joe preempted any potential relaxation, and Zofia woke up and screamed most of the way home. We did catch up on paperwork, and made our first batch of sauerkraut, which should be ready in a few weeks. So in between that and making juice three or four times, and preparing a couple meals for the kids, it didn't leave much time left in the day. In fact, the day is over; it's already tomorrow! But, in this early hour of the day, I'm reveling in the solitude, and bargaining with myself over adequate sleep or time alone to think. I usually opt for the latter, but sometimes am gifted with both, which I hope is the case tonight.

So, one week of just juice. It's been an introspective experience and one I'm enjoying on many levels. But, in all honestly, I think the demands on my time at this stage in my life, inhibit the full potential of the experience. Ideally, one would do this when there was a stretch of time to relax more, take hot baths, get a massage, read, watch old movies, talk with friends, etc. We, on the other hand, kept the hectic pace of our normal life, while making a temporary dietary modification. That's not to say I wouldn't do it again, but we would definitely have Darren take a few days off and clear the schedule a little more. It's not that energy has been an issue, anymore than normal, but more just time to "cleanse" in other ways, would be nice, too.

On that note, I'm definitely feeling just about as "cleaned out" as I ever have; at least physically. This process definitely clears the "food fog" and gets you in touch with your feelings, too. But, we are tiring a bit of the juicing routine. If someone would just show up with a delivery of freshly pressed juice every morning, I could go for another ten days!

Juice Feast - Day 6

Saturday, 06 March 2010

The Juice Fest continues! Darren and I are now seasoned juice makers, and are enjoying experimenting with different fruits and veggies. The juice making process is not too restraining, though we cannot go out for a long period of time without remembering to juice a couple jars to take with us. So, it just makes us have to be better planners.

One thing I'm dealing with is just being really cold. I was feeling this way, though, before we started the juice fast. I've been drinking a couple cups of tea every day, which is nice to warm up, but mostly I just bundle up a lot. I'm definitely looking forward to the Spring! Also, my energy level was kind of low today, but that's probably attributed to another night of poor sleep. It's just a symptom of being a mom, I think.

Darren worked overtime (at home) today, and his back is really bothering him. It could possibly be a detox symptom, but more likely attributed to the extra time sitting working in a chair. He's also finding himself a bit more stuffed up (sinuses) today, which I've heard is a common detox symptom. I'm finding my sinuses to be blissfully clear, and I'm hoping they stay that way after last year's horrific sinus infection. Ouch!

I think I will sort of miss the departure from the norm we've experienced during this fast. It's been kind of a time out to ponder and think about the way we do things and what our motivation behind our actions is. We've had some very deep conversations this week.

So, rolling into day 7 tomorrow... just enjoying the ride.

Juice Feast - Day 5

Friday, 05 March 2010

We made it halfway! I feel like it's been somewhat of a big hill I've been climbing up, and from this point on, it's all downhill. That may be due in part to the fact that we're pretty busy up until tomorrow, so as the weekend winds down, the schedule relaxes for a couple days, and our fast will be winding down. Of course, how you break the fast is just as important as the fast itself, so we'll be taking the few days after to slowly transition back into eating solid food.

Sleep has not been abundant for me the past couple of nights, so my recap of today's experience is going to be brief. We started the day early, going to our bi-weekly homeschool co-op, and the day is almost drawing to a close now at close to midnight. So, I do not have the energy to be pensive or insightful right now. I'm just proud of us for sticking with this. I have no doubts we'll make it to the end now. It's just a matter of dealing with all the other stuff life throws at us!

Juice Feast - Day 4

Thursday, 04 March 2010

I started the day tired because I went to bed late, and Zofia woke me up early. But, despite the lack of sleep, my energy level was pretty good. I worked out this morning, though I think I'll give myself a break tomorrow with such a busy day ahead. I'll reserve my energy for keeping up with the kids!

Darren survived his once a week commute to DC, fueled only by green juice. He said it was no worse than any Thursday, getting up at 4am and hitting rush hour traffic on the way home. He made a produce pitstop at the co-op in Frederick to stock up on some more greens for the next few days. Our produce budget has definitely doubled this week, but I guess we're not eating anything else, so it all evens out.

Overall, day 4 was uneventful. Aside from a little girly drama with a temperamental ten year-old, the only other hitch in my day was when Zofia accidentally knocked over a full jar of green juice all over my computer desk. It was the first time I'd gotten to sit down and I was so looking forward to enjoying my juice. So, I cried a little, but as they say, "There's no use crying over spilled juice!" So, I mopped it up and whipped myself together another juice in a few minutes flat. I've got a system down now, and I'm getting more efficient. We're in the "juicing groove" now.

Juice Feast - Day 3

Wednesday, 03 March 2010

You know how when you've gone through a tough experience with a positive outcome (like getting a painful tooth fixed), and someone ready to experience the same thing asks you if it was painful, you kind of bend the truth a bit to put them at ease? Ya, so that's kind of what this juice fasting experience is like. I know the outcome is going to be positive, but the process is difficult at times; though not necessarily as painful as a root canal. It's all the emotional stuff that comes up. You really have to challenge all your emotional attachments to food. Thankfully, my life keeps me really busy, and in some ways, that probably makes it easier. If I had the time to lounge around and rest, I may find it even more challenging because I'd have more time to think about it. So, I guess there's pros and cons to taking on something like this while you're going about your regular daily activities.

Darren's off to DC tomorrow for his in-office day, which means he'll be toting a couple jars of juice with him. I'm hoping his energy level is okay. We've been doing fine, but this morning Darren was dragging a little. I had just come up from working out in the basement, and saw him working away at his desk, looking in need of some energy. I told him he should just go down and bounce up and down on the rebounder for a few minutes. It's a unique feeling. I swear it gets your system moving. So, he went and gave it a try and said that's just what he needs; to add a little exercise to the mix every day. After that, and another few big jars of green juice, he got through his work day with ease.

I, on the other hand, literally felt like I never sat down. With my broken dryer, and having to do laundry everyday to keep up with hanging it to dry, making meals for the kids, and then juicing a couple hours every day, I'm feeling like I haven't a minute to spare. It's almost 11pm now, and I think this is the first time I've sat down. But, truthfully, this isn't much different than most days, so it's just a matter of prioritizing.

So... three days under our belt... one week to go! I wonder if anyone is placing bets on how long we'll last? Ha! Anyone want to join us?

Juice Feast - Day 2 of 10

Tuesday, 02 March 2010

We've made it through two days of drinking only fresh fruit and vegetable juices! I would be lying if I said it was a breeze. But, it's not too bad, and we haven't had more than one moment where we really questioned whether this was a good time to try this. I don't feel any real hunger, and my energy is okay. I usually walk 30 minutes on the treadmill every morning, and this morning I was more eager than normal for it to be over, but I made it through with no problems.

We are playing with the different combinations of juices to find what we like best. We're trying to minimize the fruit and go heavier on the veggies and greens, but it has to be a palatable combo, or it's just not going down! Lots of celery and cucumbers, mixed with leafy greens, herbs, various root veggies and mainly apples, oranges and pear for our fruits. We've got eight more days, so we'll have time to experiment a bit with a few exotic fruits and veggies. I'm so glad Darren is doing this with me. We can really have empathy for one another, and it's making the experience a lot more fun. We made another YouTube video journal entry tonight, and will try to keep at it during the upcoming week.

So far, we've been all stocked up from our produce co-op, so I haven't had to go to the grocery store. But, we're low on greens, which means I'll have to go tomorrow or Thursday... not really looking forward to being surrounded by a huge selection of produce I have to take home and run through my juicer before I can consume. But, I just keep thinking how great everything will taste when this experiment is over! Digestively, I already am starting to feel some benefits, and that's really inspiring me to keep going. So, rather than focus on the 8 days left, I'm focusing on this moment right now. I'm going to go cuddle with Zofia and get her to sleep, then hopefully enjoy an hour or two to myself before I give into sleep, too.

A Juicy Adventure - Day 1

Monday, 01 March 2010

Maybe it's because Darren's 40th birthday is coming up that we're feeling a little of that mid-life angst and desire to shake things up a bit... without actually shaking anything loose. In that spirit, we opted to do a ten day juice fast (feast) for the first ten days of March! Juice fasting is something I've investigated over the past year or so, and always thought it would be a good idea to just give my digestive system a break, potentially improving my digestion. It has always seemed sluggish after the neglect and abuse it endured for the first 30 years of my life. Darren has lost a bunch of weight since doing mostly raw foods this year, but has hit kind of a plateau and wanted to join in the juicing journey to see if he could break through that. But, aside from the possible physical benefits, we both are embarking on this mini-adventure for the emotional and spiritual growth opportunities, as well.

We're ending Day 1, and I can say that the physical detox type of symptoms aren't too bad, but there was an underlying anxiousness or restlessness present for most of the afternoon; almost the feeling of excess energy just looking for a conduit that is usually buffered with the rituals of eating. I had a couple moments where I just felt really emotional; like when the Sears repairman never showed up to fix our dryer. But, overall, today wasn't any more of a challenge than most. I've always heard that once you get past the first few days, it's smooth sailing, so I wouldn't even consider giving up until I verify that for myself!

I can tell we'll get into a routine with making our juices, but it does take a little forethought to make sure there is juice made when you need it. Today we had four 32 oz. jars of green juices; various combinations of fruits, greens and veggies. It was a lot of juice, so hunger wasn't an issue; more just boredom. We actually used sweet potato juice to sweeten some herbal tea, which was surprisingly tasty and helped warm things up a bit on this first chilly day of March.

I'm really curious how things will go over the next nine days and will try to make a short video each day of our progress (or slow decline into juice-induced madness). So, stay tuned for the rest of our juicy 10 day adventure!

Not So Cleansed

Tuesday, 26 January 2010

So, I finished "Raw Cleanse" product from the Garden of Life company yesterday. It was week-long regimen of herbal and fiber supplements. Unfortunately, it didn't leaved me feeling very cleansed at all. My original symptoms of bloating and irregularity remain, and were actually a little more pronounced during this program. So, for me, it wasn't a quick fix. I kept a detailed food journal and record of "eliminations" (see below) during the "cleanse week" to maybe give myself a little insight into what I can tweak, if needed.

On that note, I've been feeling drawn to try juice fasting for quite some time. However, I'm aware of the pre-planning and support that would entail, as I still would have to feed my kids daily and be around food. It wouldn't necessarily be a spa-like, retreat type experience. I would need to be organized and have a good support system in place. So, I think I'll be researching some options, and may try a mini-fast (weekend) sometime soon, just to see how it goes. I really feel like it might be the jumpstart my digestive systems needs.

We had a great vegan potluck this past weekend with our MeetUp.com group. We showed the DVD "Eating," which highlights some of the health and environmental benefits of a whole foods, plant-based diet. It was well articulated and generated some interesting discussion. For our food contribution, we brought along salad fixings, raw hemp/almond fudge, raw sweet potato pudding and a cooked sprouted mung bean salad. The kids came along with my mom, too, and everyone enjoyed sampling the different foods. Unfortunately, Joe didn't have much of a selection with his nut, soy and wheat allergies, but he did okay, and ate plenty when he got home.

Darren and I are both trying to clear more space in our schedule to prioritize time together and time to exercise, but it's tough. We're not being too hard on ourselves, though... just doing our best. We ordered the DVD's for our Total Gym and the poster of all the different exercises, hoping we can establish a little routine with that. It feels so good to stretch and use my muscles, and if we can sequester ourselves in the basement a few times a week, it's a nice activity to do together, and may prove beneficial from a strength-building perspective.

I'm heading into this week a little tired from not enough sleep last night, but in a place of real gratitude and appreciation for all the opportunities in my life. I managed to get a solid hour of alone time with Flo and Joe today in the basement, working on a project for our Earth Scouts group, and just talking and listening to them. With such a hectic schedule and a busy toddler, those moments are less than I would like, and it just made my day!

I know that continuing to focus on my health and balance in my own life really enables me to give more of myself to my family in a quality way. So, whenever I feel too self-focused taking time to exercise, read health related books, writing this blog or preparing healthy foods, I remember that it's a tool for my own growth, and if done in a balanced way, a good example of self-care, not self absorption.

So, on with the week!

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Seven Day "Raw Cleanse" Food Journal

Raw Cleanse Day 1 (Jan 18/2010)

Breakfast
2 apples & 1 grapefruit chopped
1 herbal tea with almond milk

Snack
6 figs, 2 frozen bananas, 4 soaked brazil nuts... chopped together in a bowl

Lunch
Leftover from raw potluck
Pumpkin seed pate
Celery root salad

Snack
Bowl of leftover chia seed pudding
Spoonful of cashew butter with handful of raisins

Dinner
Salad with lettuce, pea shoots, onion, carrots, celery root, raisins, hemp seeds, olive oil, vinegar, sea salt, garlic & pepper

Evening
1 herbal tea with almond milk

Raw Cleanse Day 2 (Jan 19/2010)

Breakfast
3 apples
1 head of romaine lettuce

Snack
1 herbal tea with almond milk
10 or so pieces of celery
A few pieces of cucumber and Jerusalem artichoke

Dinner
Big salad (romaine, pea shoots, cilantro, parsley, red onion, celery root, raisins, olive oil, raw vinegar, sea salt, garlic, pepper)

Raw Cleanse Day 3 (Jan 20/2010)
(No BM)

Breakfast
3 apples, 3 tangelos, 1 grapefruit - chopped up into a fruit salad

Snack
Handful of raw gingersnap crackers
Tea with raw sesame milk

Dinner
Big green salad (romaine, pea shoots, parsley, cilantro, shredded celery root, red onions, carrots, raisins, hemp seeds, olive oil, raw vinegar, sea salt, garlic, pepper)

Snack
2 bananas
Chamomile tea with raw almond milk

Raw Cleanse Day 4 (Jan 21/2010)

Breakfast
Large mason jar of green juice (chard, dandelion greens, cucumber, celery, Jerusalem artichoke, burdock root, beet, apple, orange, lemon & ginger)

Snack
Tea with hemp milk

Lunch
Fruit salad (3 apples, 2 grapefruits, 2 tangelos... chopped up and mixed together)
Tea with hemp milk

Dinner
Big green salad (romaine, pea shoots, parsley, cilantro, shredded celery root, red onions, carrots, raisins, hemp seeds, olive oil, raw vinegar, sea salt, garlic, pepper)

Snack
3 bananas, mashed with pinch of cinnamon and cayenne pepper...
5 pieces of celery to dip in banana mush... it's really tasty!

Raw Cleanse Day 5 (Jan 22/2010)
(No BM)

Breakfast
3 apples, 2 tangelos

Snack
2 Tangelos
Tea with hemp milk

Lunch
Small green salad with apple cider vinegar, fresh lime and orange juice, black pepper

Snack
Tea with hemp milk
Half a frozen banana

Dinner
Kelp Noodle Salad (kelp noodles, romaine, pea shoots, parsley, cilantro, shredded celery root, red onions, carrots, beets, cauliflower, raisins, hemp seeds, kelp flakes, olive oil, raw vinegar, sea salt, garlic, cayenne pepper, mustard powder, black pepper)

Raw Cleanse Day 6 (Jan 23/2010)

Breakfast
3 apples

Vegan Potluck in afternoon
Big green salad (romaine, pea shoots, parsley, cilantro, shredded celery root, red onions, carrots, raisins, olive oil, raw vinegar, sea salt, garlic, pepper)

Small bowl of raw sweet potato chia pudding

Tiny square of raw chocolate hemp/almond fudge

Later in the day
Tea with almond milk
Small bowl of raw sweet potato chia pudding

Raw Cleanse Day 7 (Jan 24/2010)
(No BM)

Breakfast
3 apples, 2 tangelos... chopped

Snack
Chamomile tea with almond milk

Lunch/Dinner (4pm)
Big green salad (romaine, pea shoots, parsley, cilantro, shredded celery root, celery, red onions, carrots, raisins, olive oil, raw beet slices, raw vinegar, sea salt, garlic, pepper)
5 or 6 raw sesame/flax crackers

Snack (7pm)
1 Asian pear
3 dried figs
1 piece of raw chocolate hemp/almond fudge