Stop Your Sniffles

Cold season is here and people have been getting sick and passing around their germs faster than a quick-burning joint. When you get the first signs of a sickness it's frustrating to know it's there and it's going to get worse. There's no magic pill to stop it and cold medicine may dull the symptoms but prolong your illness. What are you to do?

• Get your priorities straight: The human body is an incredible machine than can fight off illness the best with very limited to no food intake. When animals get sick they instinctively stop eating to allow their body to heal itself. Your main concern should be drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day (preferably more to flush out toxins), drinking plenty of hot tea, and as much fresh fruit/veggie juices as you desire. After making sure you're getting enough of those, load up on fresh, preferably raw fruits and vegetables. If you'd like a little extra, feel free to have some nuts, beans, or rice. Definitely avoid dairy, especially if you're prone to ear infections or mucous.

• Avoid smoke exposure: If you're a smoker this is a great time to test your will power and put down the smokes for a few days to a week. Try to avoid being near smokers and even limit your close-range fire exposure as smoke depletes the body's vitamin C and wreaks all kinds of havoc on the entire system.
  

• Limited alcohol: I've heard stories of chugging an 8 oz. glass of vodka before bed to sweat it all out, and if you'd like an excuse to get more incoherent than an Alzheimer's patient then you could try it, but I'd recommend doing some research beforehand if you'd like to go that route, although personally I really don't think that's a good idea. Excessive alcohol intake depletes the body of B vitamins amongst other things making your body have to work harder to run. If you must drink you shouldn't have more than a glass a night.

• Keep it clean: Hopefully washing your hands frequently is already a priority. Aside from that, sanitize the things that get touched most in your house: doorknobs, light switches, toilet seats/flushers, etc.. Replace your toothbrush every 3 months, and if you get sick within that time frame and don't want to replace a new brush, fill a shot glass with peroxide and soak your toothbrush overnight. I recommend gargling with peroxide before or after brushing your teeth as well.
  

• Exercise: Our bodies were made to be active. Being sedentary enables toxins to sit around longer which prolongs ill health. When there are foreign toxins in the body, a great thing to do is get your blood pumping and sweat some of it out. Try not to do anything too intense, maybe just some cardio. Listen to your body and don't push it too far.

• External hydration: The worst is when your nasal passages are clogged beyond your control. Sitting in a steam room or hovering over a steamer is helpful but mind-numbing if you're impatient like me. Try setting up a humidifier in you room so you get extra moisture while you sleep. It does wonders.
  

• Relax: Stress releases all sorts of chemicals that attack the body. Don't let it eat you away. Chill out and wind down with a hot bath or some yoga/meditation.

I've dodged a cold with this regimen many times. The worst I've gotten while following a healthy routine is the sniffles, scratchy throat, and some mild nausea that doesn't last more than a couple of days.

Fasting Tips

After living a life of generally eating every single day, it can be difficult to get comfortable going without. The first time I fasted I only made it 2 days because I couldn't handle it. Since then I've managed to find comfort without food for extended periods of time.

• Drink plenty of water: It not only facilitates in detoxification and hydration, it fills the stomach long enough to make yourself satisfied you've had something in it. Try adding some lemon juice to a few of your glasses to add taste, more time in the stomach, and for extra cleansing as lemons have wonderfully strong cleansing properties.

• Treat yourself to warmth: A tough part about juicing can be to stop consuming warm things, especially because your body temperature gets a bit cooler while fasting. Drinking hot water or tea does wonders to warm up the hands and stomach. Plus it induces a cozy, comfortable feeling. A personal favorite drink of mine is a variation of the Master Cleanse which consists of hot water, 2 tbsp. lemon juice, 2 tbsp. raw honey, and a few dashes of cayenne pepper. It's warm, flavorful, detoxifying, and has a kick to it :) I've noticed that consuming spicy things suppresses my appetite.

• A few small glasses of Kombucha: As with other teas, Kombucha leaves the stomach feeling fuller longer than plain water. The difference is that this delicious, mildly fizzy beverage has a tummy tingling effect that feels very relaxing. Likewise, this is another detoxifying elixir.
  

• No gum: Fasting can be difficult for some because they don't use their jaw muscles nearly as much as they're used to. If it's a problem then lightly make a chewing motion while consuming your juices, which is actually better because it allows the beverage to get mixed with saliva hence making digestion easier. Chewing does a lot more than exercise your jaw. The act of chewing stimulates the release of acids and enzymes that aid in digestion. The more you chew, the more gets released. If you only have juice, water, or tea in your stomach then you really don't need any help with digestion, and certainly not if your stomach is empty. Excessive digestive juices can cause ulcers and other avoidable unpleasantries.
  

• Don't dwell on the days: I've found that reminding myself what day I'm on makes it more difficult. I wait until my body craves a break from food and decide by assessing my prior fasting time frames and my mood how long I should go before I begin. I also consider the upcoming events such as family get togethers, holidays, and the like. After I look at all the angles I write down my end date somewhere out of sight, but where I can see it when the day comes (I have a daily tear off calender which makes it very easy).
  

• Follow a regular schedule: When I got off my first extended fast I was left with a very messy eating pattern because I figured that juice wasn't a meal so I could help myself whenever time I pleased. Breaking it down, eating is supposed to serve as an act of survival to give your body nutrients; sounds similar to juice doesn't it?. It took me a very long time to get my eating straightened out afterward. Try to consume your juices at your regular meal and munch times. In between just have water or tea. Likewise with food, try not to have any at night. My cutoff time is 8pm.

As with anything else you're not accustomed to doing, juice fasting takes time to get used to. If you approach it with the right mindset and have done enough research to know what you're doing, I highly recommend it. It's enlightening, relaxing, cleansing, and a wonderful alteration in your habits and mindset. Just be sure not to push yourself too far.

Why Cleanse the Body?

Humans are beings of hygiene: We wash our skin, clean our teeth, brush our hair, swab our ears, wash our clothes, and keep our bedding and other personal things clean, but what about the inside of our bodies? I guess it's slipped our minds because we can't see the toxins. You may experience them as fatigue, body odor, stomach pains, headaches, insomnia, or other illnesses, but here in American it's common to regularly consume caffeine, use deodorant, take alka-seltzer, use aspirin, pop a sleeping pill, or get some other pills to mask our symptoms but not take care of the root causes. If your house was on fire, which would you do first, find the fire extinguisher or repair the peeling wallpaper?

Alkaline/Acid Balance

- Problem: "The theory behind the alkaline diet is our blood is slightly alkaline, with a normal pH level of between 7.35 and 7.45. Our diet should reflect this pH level and be slightly alkaline. All foods we eat, after being digested and metabolized, release either an acid or alkaline base (bicarbonate) into blood. The foods that people tend to overeat –- grains, meat, dairy products -- all produce acid. "

- Solution: "Despite being an acidic solution, some proponents of apple cider vinegar believe it has an alkalizing effect on the body, which is why one to two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in water is recommended as a daily health tonic."

- Summary: The general idea is that the food we commonly eat (especially in the american diet) causes our blood to become more acidic which leads to health problems. The ACV helps to balance the blood pH level's back to normal, so you don't want to make your body too alkalitic if your body is at a normal pH level already.

To regulate this balance, you can test your body's pH levels using Litmus Paper or pH test strips that you can purchase online (easiest source) or at a local drugstore.

Also, remember that this is a process, and you don't want to take large amounts of ACV hoping to reach a normal level overnight. Take the recommended dosage regardless of how acidic your test results are, and eventually you'll reach the desired normal pH balance.

Blood Glucose Levels:
- Problem: "The recent low glycemic-load hypothesis postulates that rapidly digested carbohydrate foods (such as soft drinks, sweets, white bread) produce an overload in blood glucose (hyperglycemia) that stimulates the secretion of insulin, which in turn triggers the release of IGF-1. IGF-1 has direct effects on the pilosebaceous unit (and insulin at high concentrations can also bind to the IGF-1 receptor) and has been shown to stimulate hyperkeratosis and epidermal hyperplasia. These events facilitate acne formation. Sugar consumption might also influence the activity of androgens via a decrease in sex hormone-binding globulin concentration."

- Solution: "Studies suggest that vinegar (both apple cider vinegar and other types) may help to lower glucose levels."

"The acetic acid in vinegar is thought to slow starch digestion and reduce the glycemic index of starchy foods."

- Summary: High glycemic-load foods over-stimulate the secretion of insulin which triggers the release of IGF-1. The release of too much IGF-1 causes physiological events that can facilitate in acne formation. Taking ACV lowers blood glucose levels which reduces the secretion of insulin and IGF-1.

Reference:
1.) "Apple Cider Vinegar" Written by Cathy Wong for About.com, Updated: December 28, 2007

The Meaning of Thanksgiving

Simply put, Thanksgiving is a day to be grateful for the fact that you can afford food and spend time with your family. It's also about being grateful about everything you have. It's not about eating too much and getting drunk on wine, although that is the way I've been doing it for several years. This is the first Thanksgiving I'm going to skip the meat and fill up on veggies and choose water over wine, instead of vice versa. I'm actually going to use this day to catch up with my family and introduce a few vegan dishes to them so they can experience that veganism isn't just nuts and berries. It's a day to be grateful for everything you have, regardless of whether or not you generally find yourself satisfied. Believe me, it's always possible to have less. In fact, sell your stuff and keep your thoughts; you may just find that they're all you really need :)

On behalf of all the vegans out there, Happy Tofurky Day

A Few Eating Habits to Reconsider

Late Night Eating: It's said to stop eating 3 hours before bedtime. Why does it matter? The body doesn't need food at night. In fact it's bad for you. The digestive system needs to rest and eating when you shouldn't may lead to gas and bloating the following day due to improper digestion. Another problem is that digestion uses a lot of time and energy, so if you eat something, fall asleep shortly after and sleep for 8 hours, you've only rested for about 4 or 5 hours. Try drinking herbal tea instead. If you're really having trouble abstaining try a glass of juice. Eradicating this eating habit alone can easily reduce indigestion and weight.

Proper Sequence: Different foods have different digesting times. If you were to eat a piece of bread and then an apple, that bread has to take 2-3 hours to break down while the apple is waiting, meaning that it's going to begin to ferment in your stomach leading to more gas and bloating. You know how frustrating it is for the slow drivers to be ahead of the fast drivers? That just causes a traffic jam. It's kind of like that. A good order in terms of digestibility is:

1. water (leaves the stomach immediately)
2. juice (20-30 min)
3. smoothies, fruits, veggies (30-45 min)
4. grains, beans, starches (2-3 hours)
5. meat and dairy (over 4 hours)

Good Atmosphere: The conditions in which you are eating may play a big factor in how much you eat and when you want to eat again. If you eat while you're working you don't have a chance to get the full experience and pleasure out of it leading to craving more food. Eating while watching TV is like doing two drugs at once; chances are you'll end up eating too much and sitting around longer than you should. The best consumption conditions are with a relaxed mind in a mellow environment. I personally enjoy eating with music playing in my kitchen while I'm leaning against a counter or sitting at a table.

The Brain is Wondrous

The are so many ways to mold your mind and stimulate immense pleasure simply by knowing how to operate your own brain. It seems that the subject can go on and on. Let's allow it to.
Check out my new Pleasure Centers blog

Kombucha Tea

I've been enjoying this delicious elixir since I decided to quit my bad habits, and I've gotta say this stuff is incredible. Kombucha tea is a mixture of green or black tea, sugar, and a Kombucha culture that has been fermented for 5 to 14 days. It contains probiotics, B vitamins, enzymes, antioxidants, and a few other things I can't think of right now. It disrupts my alcohol cravings and is the perfect drink to supplement a fast as it curves appetite and aids in detoxification. It's sold at most health food stores. I recently began brewing my own Kombucha. The best part about home brewing is that in every batch of Kombucha a new culture grows so you never need to buy a new one. Just stay stocked on organic tea and organic sugar. Kombucha is known to deliver many benefits, although naming them all would take up too much space. Not to mention, everyone's body will react differently to its goodness so there's no telling what you might get out of this tonic. No doubt it will nourish your digestive system, help your immune system, and clean you out.

The Joys of Juice Fasting

It induces an incredibly light, clean, pure feeling throughout the body: The body spends a large amount of time and energy digesting food, especially here in America where people often ingest too much. The first 3 days of a fast the body uses the food that's sitting in the intestines. After that it basically switches itself to cleanse and starts shoveling toxins into the bloodstream to find a way out of the body. It's shocking how much waste is stewing in the body.

It exercises will power on an outrageous level: Our entire lives have been filled with eating food, savoring its taste, and having the understanding that it is vital for survival. When you decide to go without it, it forces you to go against something deeply programed in your mind for reasons you have found on your own. It's a way to learn to be able to go without something you've lived with your entire life. It helps put things into perspective by assessing their importance in comparison with other things that the body doesn't need.

It invigorates the mind and stimulates deep focus: People generally eat several meals a day, whether it be from hunger or just the simple habit of it. Certain things especially stimulate hunger such as the smell of food, the sound of it cooking, hearing someone discuss it, seeing others eat, seeing it lying around, television commercials, certain times of the day, or even boredom and random cravings. Fasting teaches you how to divert your attention from such things and pour it over something else. It breaks those chains of the routine of eating and gives you a chance to fill your senses with something else, something more. It definitely frees up some time.

It recalibrates your palate: When you first break your fast, whatever it is that you're eating just explodes in your mouth and tickles every taste bud in your mouth. It's simply orgasmic. We take things for granted. No one pays attention to the juiciness of a peach or the bursting sweet flavor it holds inside of it. Not to mention your stomach will shrink so less will feel like more.

High-Fructose Corn Syrup

HFCS is composed of 55% fructose, 45% glucose. It tastes slightly sweeter than sucrose since it contains 5% more fructose and 5% less glucose. The taste alone may cause people to eat less natural, healthy foods because their pallets have become desensitized to natural sugars. Many people find that fruit simply doesn't taste that sweet.

Just because it originated from corn doesn't mean it's natural. You can also use corn to make ethanol. Water bottles are made from petroleum which comes from the earth; I guess you could call HFCS just as natural. Many foods that use HFCS as a sweetener are probably heavily process and bears little nutritional value. Some studies have shown that the consumption of this sweetener can cause the body to excrete nutrients.

Everyone has the right to an opinion. Regardless of how many ads run by the corn companies are poured around me, I'm not going to consume that genetically modified rubbish.


Check out this video

ahh the habit of eating

I've noticed myself eating much more than necessary and being completely aware of it while it's happening. It's a wonder how I managed 26 days without food. I decided to take another break from food for a bit to give my body a rest. Unfortunately, I only managed a day and a half on smoothies and juices then another day and a half on only raw fruits and veggies. After that I gradually got back to where I started from. That first day without food was incredible. My mind cleared and my body felt at ease for the first time in weeks. I love how I feel when I'm fasting, but I can't seem to go long enough to yield the results I'm after. I should give myself a bigger break between cleansing periods. I should also balance my eating regimen.

What Happens To Your Body When You Drink A Coke?

Have you ever wondered why Coke comes with a smile? It’s because it gets you high. They took the cocaine out almost a hundred years ago. You know why? It was redundant.

• In The First 10 minutes: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. (100% of your recommended daily intake.) You don’t immediately vomit from the overwhelming sweetness because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor allowing you to keep it down. 2 seat
  

• 20 minutes: Your blood sugar spikes, causing an insulin burst. Your liver responds to this by turning any sugar it can get its hands on into fat. (There’s plenty of that at this particular moment)

• 40 minutes: Caffeine absorption is complete. Your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, as a response your livers dumps more sugar into your bloodstream. The adenosine receptors in your brain are now blocked preventing drowsiness.
  

• 45 minutes: Your body ups your dopamine production stimulating the pleasure centers of your brain. This is physically the same way heroin works, by the way.
  

• >60 minutes: The phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium and zinc in your lower intestine, providing a further boost in metabolism. This is compounded by high doses of sugar and artificial sweeteners also increasing the urinary excretion of calcium.

• >60 Minutes: The caffeine’s diuretic properties come into play. (It makes you have to pee.) It is now assured that you’ll evacuate the bonded calcium, magnesium and zinc that was headed to your bones as well as sodium, electrolyte and water.

• >60 minutes: As the rave inside of you dies down you’ll start to have a sugar crash. You may become irritable and/or sluggish. You’ve also now, literally, pissed away all the water that was in the Coke. But not before infusing it with valuable nutrients your body could have used for things like even having the ability to hydrate your system or build strong bones and teeth.

This will all be followed by a caffeine crash in the next few hours. (As little as two if you’re a smoker.) But, hey, have another Coke, it’ll make you feel better.

*The Coke itself is not the enemy here. It’s the dynamic combo of massive sugar doses combined with caffeine and phosphoric acid. Things which are found in almost all soda.

Transitional Times

As logic would have it, you lose weight when you cut back your intake, especially to the point of ceasing the intake of solids for an extended period of time. I lost just over 10 pounds during my juice feast and I enjoyed feeling so empty and lite all of the time. I must admit that I was mildly alarmed by how my body looked and felt once I began eating, but then it occurred to me that that kind of thinking would do me in; I deduced that my body and mind were handling the alterations normally. Despite my enjoyment for my weight loss, I'm glad to see that my body is growing to a normal weight for my height once again. I think I'm about 120 these days. I'm glad I lost the fat that contained so many of the chemicals that I used to shovel into my body. Now my body can go about its business with much less toxicity present.

Remaining Raw

I've been back on solids for about 3 days now and it's been incredible. I forgot about all of the delicious food combinations there were. I've grown grateful for salads because each bite is different; with juice every sip is the same. For dinner I made seaweed wraps stuffed with guacamole and cucumber on a bed of spinach. It was so fucking good. I also made some dehydrated crackers: The first batch was made from shredded zucchini, flax meal, wheat germ, and oregano. The second batch was made from tomato puree, flax meal, wheat bran, wheat germ, red bell pepper, green onion, basil, and garlic. I dehydrated them for 3 hours on 200 degrees (although that's not really raw; nutrients and enzymes begin to die at temperatures higher than 120 degrees. I used an oven at the lowest heat because I don't have a dehydrator.). This whole raw thing is really cool, although I can only call myself 90% raw because some things I consume have been pasteurized. I'll allow it.

First day with solids

I officially caved just after making it past my 26th day. I had a handful of iceberg lettuce with freshly minced garlic covered in hemp oil and mustard. I must say it was more delicious than I could have imagined. Unfortunately I couldn't stop there: I ate 1/4 jar of organic tomato & basil pasta sauce, a few slices of tomato with sea salt, and a spoonful of ketchup (the kind that doesn't contain high fructose corn syrup). I missed tomatoes so fucking much. I never could get used to the taste of fresh tomato juice (same thing with orange and grapefruit juice; I guess I just got too used to the taste of bottled juice from the market throughout my life). I've been doing some lite research on various raw cracker and bread recipes so perhaps I'll be able to use that tomato sauce for dipping, not just eating by itself. I can't wait to have olives and avocados :)

I also ended up eating a mixture of 2 tbsp. peanut butter, 2 tbsp. of raw cocoa, and a tbsp. of honey. I got so full after that I only craved juice for the rest of the day. It's just after 10pm right now and I'm getting temped to make some miso soup with extra seaweed. Even though it's not raw, it has enough nutrition to convince me that it's a good idea. I think I'll have to make this an exception and consider it a reward for my strong stance behind my choices. Fuck yeah miso.

Day 25

114 lbs.

I've decided to stop documenting quite so thoroughly. It's great to keep track, but after a while it gets fucking frustrating. I must admit I doubt I'm getting as much juice as I should be, but...what can I do? I feel fine, a little on the sleepier side, but good regardless. I probably shouldn't have made the conscious decision of ending my feast soon because ever since then I've been slightly tempted to eat solids again. I haven't given in, and I won't allow myself to. I've come too far. I understand exactly what I'm doing and why I'm doing it and that is much more important than giving into momentary urges. At the end of each day I feel mentally and physically strong; I feel healthy.

My entire life I have tried to be unhealthy. Between 12/31/07 and 1/1/08 I concluded that this was a bad thing. It took me until 4/20/08 to take action. It's interesting, after I realized this all, I still couldn't stop, but I did become much more aware of myself and my surroundings. I made my few efforts like smoking a few less cigarettes a day, having salads everyday, drinking maybe 3 glasses of water a day, etc.. For me, these were huge improvements. I never drank much water; I lived off of coffee, cigarettes, meat, cheese, fried foods, sugar, and basically anything unhealthy. The funny thing is that even with these small improvements, I was consuming more drugs more often. I guess I didn't feel like drugs counted, or maybe it was a simple instinct I'd manifested. I'm relieved that side of me has been eradicated.

Day 22

• 24 oz. apple, collard green, peach
• 16 oz. water, MSM, Vitamin C
• 16 oz. carrot, cucumber, beet, beet greens
• 16 oz. apple, celery, spinach, parsley, cabbage
• 8 oz. rose hips fruit tea
• 14 oz. apple, yellow summer squash, celery, burdock root
• 16 oz. carrot, zucchini, apple, kale
  
• 1 tsp. bee pollen
• 1 tbsp. Vitaplen
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• i tbsp. hemp oil
• 16 oz. cucumber, apple, beet
• 8 oz. yarrow herb tea
• 8 oz. grapefruit
  

Juice Total: 110 oz.

My sister came by today and commented my weight and told me to drink some olive oil. Whether she meant it literally or not, I figured it might be good to get a bit of extra fats in me. On the plus side I've noticed I produce no body oder - even when I sweat, I don't get bad breath - not even morning breath, and I seem to be producing much less oil. I have advised myself to start weening myself back onto solids at my 30 days. I'm excited to say I will only be consuming raw foods once I get off.

Day 21

• 24 oz. carrot, celery, bell pepper
• 24 oz. apple, spinach, collard greens, Alive! mix
• 20 oz. grape, romaine, zucchini, cocoa, Alive! mix
  
• 16 oz. cucumber, yellow summer squash, celery, radish
• 24 oz. apple, carrot, celery, beet
• 1 tsp. hemp oil
• 1 tsp. Vitaplen
• 1 tsp. bee pollen
• 32 oz. water, MSM
• 16 oz. water, lime, honey, cayenne
• 2 gallons water
• 8 oz. orange juice
  

Juice Total: 110 oz.

I had an urge to indulge in some comfort sustenance tonight and I almost ate some raw mixed nuts, but I looked at the bag and thought about how nuts take about 1.5 hours to digest and decided against it. Instead I found some natural, unsweetened cocoa and added it to some juice; it was incredible. My craving was smoothed over by the natural nutrients of cocoa. Raw cocoa raises the level of serotonin in the brain, stimulates the secretion of endorphins, contains phenylethylamine which is also created within the brain and released when we are in love, anandamide aka the “bliss chemical”, antioxidants, essential fats, and minerals including magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium and manganese. Most of these things are killed off when cocoa is cooked.

Day 20

• 24 oz. water, lime, honey, cayenne
• 30 oz. carrot, celery, cucumber, zucchini, beet
• 30 oz. apple, peach, collard green with Alive! mix
  
• 16 oz. carrot, radish
• 18 oz. cucumber, yellow summer squash, celery, yellow bell pepper with Chlorella
• 8 oz. watermelon
• 1 tbsp. Vitaplen
• 1 tsp. bee pollen
• 1 tsp. hemp oil
• 1.5 gallons water
• 16 oz. water, MSM, vitamin C
  

Juice Total: 102 oz.

It's come to my attention the cost of my shopping trips has become a bit too large to carry on for another 70 days. Instead of having to stop my feast earlier than I'd like, I'm simply going to reduce my daily intake by a quart. The amount of nutrients 96 oz. of fresh juice can provide my body along with my supplements will do just fine.

I came across a lovely website that has a lot of veggie nutrient information. It also discusses some fruits like tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, and peppers. Click here if you want to take a quick look.

Day 19

• 8 oz. water, lemon, honey, cayenne
• 16 oz. water, MSM, vitamin C
• 26 oz. romaine, peach, honeydew, strawberry, and grape juice with Alive! mix
• 16 oz. cucumber & butternut squash juice
• 16 oz. apple & ginger juice
• 1 tbsp. hemp oil
• 1 tbsp. Vitaplen
• 28 oz. carrot, celery, apple, and ginger
  
• 16 oz. spinach, blackberry, raspberry, and blueberry juice
• 32 oz. cucumber, yellow summer squash, zucchini, apple, and celery juice
• 3/4 gallon water
  

Juice Total: 134 oz.

Quite a feast indeed. I've been doing a bit better consuming more moderately, but today's shopping trip took place much later than expected. At least I've got another couple of months ahead of me to get it the way I want it :)

As I learned the hard way the last time I used blueberries, if the juice isn't consumed immediately it will begin to separate and become distasteful. Even after 20-30 minutes the flavor changes.

I've been feeling incredible. My thoughts are crystal clear. I have complete control over myself. I feel the repercussions of the changes that I've commenced surging throughout my entire body. No words could articulate.



"We barely remember who or what came before this precious moment,
We are choosing to be here right now. hold on, stay inside...
This holy reality, this holy experience. choosing to be here in...

This body. this body holding me. be my reminder here that I am not alone in
This body, this body holding me, feeling eternal all this pain is an illusion...
Of what it means to be alive

Swirling round with this familiar parable.
Spinning, weaving round each new experience.
Recognize this as a holy gift and celebrate this
Chance to be alive and breathing

This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality.
Embrace this moment. remember. we are eternal.
All this pain is an illusion."
Tool - Parabola

Day 18

117 lbs.

• 16 oz. coconut with Alive! mix
• 32 oz. carrot, yellow summer squash, celery, iceberg, & parsley juice with Chlorella
• 1 tsp. bee pollen
• 32 oz. apple, pear, & iceberg juice
• 20 oz. grape, iceberg, & apple juice with Alive! mix
• 1 tsp. hemp oil
• 24 oz. water, apple, & cherry
  
• 12 oz. carrot
• 8 oz. water, lime, honey, cayenne
• 2 gallons water
• 16 oz. water, MSM, vitamin C
  

Juice Total: 136 oz.

The day before a shopping trip generally doesn't consist of much variety, although I did manage to exceed my gallon goal. I'm relieved to realize that my weight isn't dropping too rapidly; I was afriad I might have to start eating solids again if I'd lost too much too fast, but I don't see much of a problem. My brain feels very organized and sponge-like, and my body feels like it's getting a much needed vacation and cleaning.

A mild concern has set in regarding my consumption time frame: I don't drink much juice in the morning, mostly water; I end up having to drink heavily at the end of my day, when I really don't need much fuel. (When I was little I had a hard time falling asleep without being so full it hurt. I also became accustomed to occupying myself with coffee and cigarettes the first half of the day. I guess it's a good time to shake the remainders of those habits.) I have no deficiency in energy at all, but I believe it may be beneficial to my body to start light in the morning, drink the most in the middle of the day, then drink light in the evening. I suppose I should just start juicing a bit earlier in the day and encourage myself to simply drink more regularly.

Day 17

• 24 oz. spinach, celery, apple, zucchini, parsley juice
• 32 oz. cucumber, carrot, iceberg, radish juice
• 32 oz. apple, grape, collard green, iceberg juice with Alive! mix
• 32 oz. cucumber, celery, apple, beet juice with Chlorella
  
• 1 tsp. bee pollen
• 1 tsp. hemp oil
• 2 gallons water
• 20 oz. water, MSM, vitamin C
  
• 8 oz. water, maple syrup, lemon, cayenne

Juice total: 120 oz.
Goal: 128 oz.

When I quit drinking coffee 3 months ago, instead of being temped by the smell of it, I grew to love it. The smell of coffee is an aroma, like an inscent, meant to be enjoyed. I am beginning to feel the exact same way about food. I am generally near food being cooked or eaten at least twice a day, and I used to take shallow breaths and try not to be around it too much, but since yesterday I can't help but pour air into my lungs when I can smell it. It's fabulous. It smells so lovely, and I couldn't be more repulsed at the thought of consuming it.

Throughout these past 17 days I have been feeling even more tripped out than usual. Everything feels so fathomable and perfect. My perceptions are shifting at a constant rhythm all of the time. I've definitely gotten used to finding good juice combinations, and I don't mind having to clean my juicer ever 32-56 oz. anymore. I do hope to get a wheatgrass juicer one of these days, but for now I can wait. I'm content with what I've got.

Day 15

120 lbs.

• 32 oz. water, sea salt
• 8 oz. water, lemon, maple syrup, cayenne
• 24 oz. pineapple, cranberry, iceberg, raspberry, water, Alive! mix
• 32 oz. spinach, celery, cucumber, apple
• 12 oz. water, Chlorella
• 32 oz. grape, peach, iceberg, collard green, Alive! mix
• 32 oz. pineapple, orange, iceberg, parsley
• 1 tsp. bee pollen
• 1 tsp. hemp oil
• 8 oz. cascara sagrada bark tea with honey
• 20 oz. water, MSM, vitamin C
• 1 gallon water

Juice Total: 120 oz.
Goal: 128 oz.

I woke up this morning and attempted a salt water flush, but I didn't get the expected results. I just felt full of liquid. No harm done, I've noticed, except a bit of time wasted. No matter, I have plenty of it anyway :) I must say I do throughly enjoy the combination of water, lemon, maple syrup, and cayenne. I think I may have missed spicy things. It's also a wonderfully sparing way to use that expensive maple syrup I used to cover my vegan pancakes in. Fuck pancakes.

It's occurred to me, and this isn't the first time is has, that I'm also filtering my thoughts as well as my body and belongings. Throughout the day things will pop into my head like old food combinations I used to indulge in (i.e. meat, cheese, Ranch dressing, and crushed Doritos on white bread), and it only makes me nauseous. The thought of it has to be conscious, then dismissed as bad and not to be tempting. It's just like when the toxins are leaving the body, they have to go through the bloodstream before they can find a way out, thus inducing detox symptoms. Toxins fuck you on the way in and the way out.
It also reminds me of the damage I inflicted upon my body and makes me more willing to press on. Then I consider the things I would like to consume when I come off my cleansing period (i.e. a mixed green, edible flower, and sprout salad). The fabulous thing is that none of this makes me crave solid food at all. Whether I was planning on eating it or enjoying the beauty of it is optional anyway.

Day 14 - Finally Consistantly Good Tasting

Today's Tasty Tummy Fillers:

• 8 oz. decaf green tea
• 1 tsp. hemp oil
• 8 oz. purified water, lemon, maple syrup, cayenne
• 14 oz. carrot, apple, cucumber, broccoli, Chlorella juice
• 32 oz. yellow summer squash, zucchini, cucumber, apple, celery juice
• 16 oz. grape, iceberg, Alive! shake mix juice
• 20 oz. apple, spinach, alfalfa sprout juice
• 32 oz. purified water, MSM
• 24 oz. cucumber, carrot, celery juice
• 1 tbsp. bee pollen
• 12 oz. grapefruit juice
  
• 1.5 gallons purified water
  

Juice Total: 118 oz.
Goal: 128 oz.

I'm finally getting used to all of this juicing and the unlimited options of combining things tastefully. Although, I would like to find a few new delicious veggie juice recipes. I have no desire whatsoever to consume anything other than homemade juice, herbal tea, and water.

Day 13

• 32 oz. purified water, MSM
  
• 8 oz. rose hips fruit tea
• 10 oz. coconut, Spiru-tein high protein energy meal powder
• 32 oz. carrot, orange, parsley, Chlorella
• 32 oz. cucumber, celery, beet, kale
• 8 oz. rosemary water
• 16 oz. blueberry, apple, spinach, Alive! shake mix
• 16 oz. celery, apple, burdock root
• 16 oz. carrot, celery, parsley
• 10 oz. grapefruit
• 2 gallons purified water
• 1 tbsp bee pollen
  

Juice total: 132 oz.

Today started out very nice: yoga, hydrotherapy, and a lot of appreciation for existence. I started getting a bit irritated during my juicing session, but that passed quickly. I think my juicer just knows how to push my buttons, although I always push its buttons so I suppose I deserve it. No matter, a juicer is better than a blender and strainer.

I've decided to go the whole 9 yards and press on until it's been 92 days. I was a bit apprehensive initially due to the weight loss and the lengthy juicing time, but fuck it. I've treated my body like a disposable napkin my entire life, I think it deserves this. Besides, all of my food cravings are completely gone. I have no desire to consume solids; even a smoothie seems like it would be a bit much. Quite frankly, it's almost a stretch of the stomach just to take in my gallon of juice and gallon or 2 of water a day. It's incredible how possible it is to completely rewire the brain :)

Day 11

• 20 oz. carrot, celery, kale, parsley *
• 24 oz. carrot, celery, asparagus, sprouts, beet greens, apple, Chlorella *
• 16 oz. raspberry, apple, Alive! shake mix
  
• 14 oz. cucumber, beet, cilantro
• 14 oz. apple, ginger
• 8 oz. peppermint tea
  
• 16 oz. cranberry apple tea
  
• 10 oz. Naked berry blast juice smoothie
  
• 32 oz. water, lemon, MSM
  
• 20 oz. apricot, cranberry, raspberry, Alive! shake mix
• 1.5 gallons purified water
• 1 tbsp bee pollen

Juice Total: 118 oz.
Goal: 128 oz.

Didn't quite make it today. I experienced some detox symptoms (headache, lethargy, mild nausea) and wasn't up to pulling out my juicer again. Unfortunately my juicer, Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer, isn't exactly top of the line, to say the least. After I make about half a gallon of juice, sediment begins coming out with my juices. I have to either stop to clean out my juicer, or stop to clean out my juicer. There's no way around it and I'll be dammed if I have to start straining my juice when it's my juicer's responsibility, although I just may do so one of these days.

I also still seem to be making a few less than palatable juices. I've decided to make each thing I found terrible with one of these * Hopefully I'll be able to diminish them over time. The bitch is that this morning my carrot, celery, kale, parsley combo was quite satisfying, but I went for a second helping this evening and simply couldn't do it.

Day 10

• 1.5 gallons purified water
  
• 32 oz. purified water, lemon, MSM
• 24 oz. municipal water, apricot, blueberry, strawberry, romaine, all natural unsweetened cocoa, Alive! Whole Food Energizer
• 20 oz. watermelon, cranberry, Chlorella
• 16 oz. celery, apple, burdock root
• 32 oz. carrot, cucumber, parsley
• 16 oz. grape, peach, iceberg, Alive! Whole Food Energizer
• 20 oz. celery, apple, alfalfa sprout, collard green, ginger, Chlorella
• cucumber, celery, cilantro
• 12 oz. sparkling apple cider
  
• a handful of fresh-picked raspberries for jaw exercise
  
• 1 tbsp bee pollen

Juice Total: 128 oz. fuck yeah.

A full gallon has been achieved. I just hope I can start doing this everyday. Today instead of preparing all of my juice in one morning session, I made half of my juice this morning and the other half this afternoon. I enjoyed that much better than a solid session.

My parents took me to a berry orchard today. It was a grand little outing. They stopped for some food and I milled around outside with a big bottle of juice, then joined them. We also stopped at a quaint, little store that sold souvenirs, pastries, honey, and all kinds of other pleasant smells. I decided I deserved an apple cider.

Day 9

Consumptions:

• 16 oz. peach, blueberry, cranberry, Alive! Whole Food Energizer
  
• 8 oz. spinach, romaine, carrot
• 36 oz. celery, cucumber, asparagus, beet, Chlorella
• 20 oz. celery, apple, parsley
• 16 oz. coconut, Alive! Whole Food Energizer
• 10 oz. rosemary tea
• 1.5 gallons purified water
• 1 tbsp bee pollen

Total: 96 oz.
Goal: 128 oz.

(I don't count tea as a daily juice requirement, therefore it's not going to be included in my total)

I'm growing more accustom to my juicing routine and combinations, but I'm still having trouble getting enough juice everyday. I suppose I get sick of juicing after awhile and I just settle for less. Quite frankly, if I can't prepare and consume at least a gallon everyday I may have to cease my feast because my weight is dropping so much. I already have decided this juice feast is only going to be a period of 30 days because this is my first feast, and because my weight is a bit of an issue. Either way, I've never felt so clean in my entire life.

Day 8

Today's lovely intake:

• 16 oz. apple juice, strawberry, blueberry, banana, Hemp Protein Powder smoothie
• 30 oz. celery, apple, burdock root
• 24 oz. carrot, apple, kale
• 16 oz. cantaloupe
• 32 oz. celery, cucumber, romaine, alfalfa sprouts, ginger, Chlorella
  
• 16 oz. municipal water, cranberry, pineapple, Alive! Whole Food Energizer Ultra-Shake smoothie
• 32 oz. water, lemon, MSM
• 1 tbsp bee pollen
• 1 gallon purified water
  

Day 6

123 lbs.


Today's Consumption:

• 32 oz. banana, blueberry, grape, cherry, flax meal, wheat germ, wheat bran, seaweed smoothie
  
• 24 oz. carrot, potato, cucumber, radish juice
  
• 32 oz. asparagus, carrot, celery, iceberg, tomato juice
  
• 32 oz. spinach, celery, romaine, cucumber, apple juice
  
• 30 oz. cantaloupe, iceberg, cherry juice
• 1 tbsp bee pollen
• 1 gallon purified water
  

Day 5

• 32 oz. carrot, cucumber, parsley, alfalfa sprouts
• 36 oz. celery, romaine, apple
• 32 oz. tomato, celery, spinach, collard green
• 32 oz. romaine, nectarine, cherry, plum, apricot
  
• 10 oz. carrot, celery, parsley
• 1 handful raw mixed nuts
• 1 tbsp bee pollen
• 1.5 gallons purified water
  

Today's juices are excellent and ample. I'm very tranquil and enlightened. My energy is centered again.

I couldn't avoid thinking about food so I ended up having some nuts for the chewing, fats, and protein; that's enough to convince me it was a good idea. I couldn't quite finish so I put the rest in a shot glass and ate them throughout the evening.

Day 3

• 32 oz. celery/spinach/tomato/mint/cilantro
• 32 oz. peach/nectarine/orange/strawberry/banana
  
• 4 oz. apple/asparagus/beet/lettuce/parsley/collard green/mustard green/aloe vera/garlic
  
• 10 oz. water/lime juice
• 1/2 tbsp bee pollen
• 2 gallons purified water
  

Well, I've done it again. I made the most ridiculously disgusting juice I could and I don't know why. I decided to settle with a mere half gallon of juice today. I really must remember that my green juices won't taste bad as long as I stop throwing too much in them.

I'm very sleepy today, but the smaller quantity of juice has much to do with it.

Day 2

with Gratitude for All that Is..

Today's Intake:

• 32 oz. carrot/cucumber/beet/asparagus juice
• 4 oz. french bean/brussel sprout/celery juice
• 56 oz. celery/spinach/apple/collard green/mustard green/parsley/cilantro/alfalfa sprout juice
• 40 oz. pineapple/blueberry/strawberry juice
• 1 gallon purified water
• 1/4 tbsp bee pollen
  

"Everyone has a doctor in him or her; we just have to help it in its work. The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well. Our food should be our medicine. Our medicine should be our food. But to eat when you are sick, is to feed your sickness." Hippocrates, Greek physician (460 BC - 377 BC)

The 4 oz. beverage I consumed made me gag more than I've ever thought possible, so I rewarded myself for drinking it by making a larger quantity of fruit juice than usual. I really should find better means to get my greens.

This all seems too easy to be as incredible as it is. I have more energy, as needed, than I've ever imagined. It only comes when I need it, then towards the end of the evening I begin the notice mild lethargy building. These two past nights I've managed to fall asleep almost immediately.

The Feast Begins

Officially Day 1 of my juice feast

Daily Supplements:

• Vitaplen
  
• Chlorella
• MSM
• Vitamin E
• Maca root
• Super Enzymall
  
• Vitamin C
• Bee pollen granules
• Jarro-Dophilus EPS
  

Today's consumption:

• 24 oz. carrot/cucumber juice with Amazing Meal powder
  
• 1/2 gallon celery/spinach/cilantro/parsley/cucumber/turnip greens/apple/ginger juice
• 32 oz. carrot/asparagus juice
  
• 16 oz. nectarine/grape juice

Although my intentions were to begin on the 20th, I was too fucking psyched about it to wait. I picked up the supplements I've decided to use and realized there was nothing else to wait for. Now I am ready to allow my body to officially begin its detoxification.
After making it half way through the day doing quite well with abstaining from anything aside from what I've prepared, it appears as if I haven't consumed much juice at all. I don't think I've even consumed half of my selection yet.

Living Raw, Day 4

• 20 oz. blackberry/raspberry/banana/flax meal/seaweed/turnip green smoothie
• 8 oz. decaffeinated green tea
• 16 oz. coconut/blueberry/nut smoothie
• handful raw mixed nuts
• 2 oz. yucca root w/ garlic and sea salt
  
• 2 bee pollen granules
• 16 oz. celery/spinach/tomato/asparagus juice
• 16 oz. carrot/cucumber juice
• 16 oz. water/lime juice
• 1 young coconut
  

I've taken chewing to another level; I've been chewing my smoothies. The act of chewing goes a bit further than breaking down the cell walls of food to achieve better digestion and nutrient absorption. Chewing also produces more saliva and mixes with the substance in your mouth. Digestion starts in the mouth. Guzzling a beverage may cause a stomach ache because by not allowing saliva in the mix it's much harder on your digestion system. Why waste the body's energy on something so preventable?

Mostly liquids today, as it appears. I've been convincing myself that juice is just much more appealing than anything solid, which isn't hard because lately when I eat solids I experience slight discomfort; Maybe I eat more than I need, or maybe my digestive track is already dozing off a bit. Whatever it is, it's never come at a better time.

Living Raw, Day 3

126 lbs

• 32 oz. celery/tomato/spinach juice
• 8 oz. apple/grape/peach juice
• 1 bee pollen granule, testing for allergy
• 1 pear
• salad consisting of: mustard greens, cucumber, alfalfa sprouts, avocado
  
• 3 0z. peach cobbler (ground nuts, cinnamon, olive oil, peach)
• 8 oz. soy milk
• 4 oz. apple/grape/peach sorbet
• salad consisting of: iceberg, cucumber, tomato, honey, mustard, vinegar, olive oil
• 10 oz. Naked berry blast smoothie
• 8 oz. nectarine/grape juice
  
• cinnamon raisin Raw Organic Food Bar
  

I've been contemplating my intake and suspect I've been consuming too many fruits and too little greens. Considering my food history throughout my life, I believe I should keep a low sugar intake. Since I aspire to begin my feast in 5 days I better be used to consuming 2 lbs. of greens daily without cringing.

Living Raw, Day 2

Today's consumption:

• salad consisting of: iceberg, spinach, cauliflower, radish, raw wheat germ, unprocessed wheat bran, hemp seed nuts, olive oil
• 8 oz. yarrow herb tea
• 4 oz. collard green/asparagus juice
• 32 oz. carrot/celery juice
• 3 in. yucca root, cooked briefly to eradicate presence of cyanogenic glycosides, raw garlic, olive oil
  
• 3/4 cup blueberries, 1/4 cup raw cashews, 3 tsp. flax seed powder
• 3 oz. peanut butter/honey
  
• 1 tomato, pinch of sea salt& parsley
• 8 oz. rose hips fruit tea
  

Not many cravings setting in. I've reached a point where the moment I crave anything other than what I have decided to live off of, I immediately replace the thought with a positive point supporting my decision. I suppose this feels similar to when I transitioned to vegan, except much more relaxing. My only concern is my love for peanut butter and honey. It just may be my last habit I need to break before my feast.

Music seems to keep my mind clear of urges.

Pre-Juice Feast: Raw Regimen

Day 1 raw

Daily Supplements:

• Vitaplen Complete
• Jarro-Dophilus EPS
• Vegan Hair, Nails and Skin
• Maca Root 1000 mg
• Vitamin E 400 iu
• Turmeric 450 mg
• L-Lysine 500 mg
• Vitamin C 1500 mg

Today's consumption:

• 5 oz. cherry/apple juice
• 1 apricot
• 1/4 cantaloupe
  
• 3 tbsp. raw cashews
• 1 tbsp. raw hemp seed nuts
• finely chopped salad consisting of: iceberg, spinach, radish, mushroom, tomato, mint, cauliflower, black olives, unprocessed wheat bran, raw wheat germ, raw cashews, garlic, ginger root, extra virgin olive oil
• 16 oz. apricot/grape/apple juice
• 8 oz. euphrasia officinalis tea
• 2 brussel sprouts
• 1 tbsp. flax seed powder
• 1 orange
• Homemade dessert: 1/4 cup ground rolled oats, 1/4 cup ground walnuts, 2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 2 tbsp. honey
• 4 tbsp. peanut butter/honey
• 4 oz. soy milk
• 4 oz. almond milk
• 3 oz. banana/plum/apple puree
• 6 oz. nepeta cataria tea
  

After having practiced a vegan diet for 2 3/4 months along with avoiding refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup, bleached or enriched flour, caffeine, and simply anything unnecessary, I think I am ready to move onto raw foods until my juice feast.

Today I have experienced much energy and motivation. During my yoga session I felt blissfully connected to the moment and psyched for my upcoming spiritual journey through my body and mind. My nightly cravings still resurrect my body to indulge in something to eat before I can drift off into unconsciousness. Along with that, I still have great trouble falling asleep naturally after a life of using things to knock me out.

Today is also the beginning of a conscious effort to chew thoroughly, to the level of liquid. I stumbled upon a web page regarding human digestion and I absorbed it like a sponge. In doing so I find myself feeling quite satisfied eating less than usual.

Since the beginning of my health conscious lifestyle, I have undergone many urges to go back to my old ways, but I've developed more tactics of deterring my mind from the enjoyment I derived at the time; I now consider everything mindfully. The brain truly is amazing. I am doing this to establish my health and reach my highest potential as a human being.