Raw Odyssey

Raw Fu: Challenging Myself to Go Raw

2008-08-01T20:34:03Z

Bunny Berry makes the attempt to get back to high and 100% raw such silly fun that I could not help but join her Raw Fu challenge starting today, August 1st, 2008: 100 days of raw. What I love about her challenge is her explicit instruction to go at our own pace- something I have always advocated in regard to adopting a raw lifestyle. As my longtime readers know, I have a huge pet peeve about raw gurus or leaders who prescribe a particular way to eat and then create environments (forums, message boards, etc.) where people end up describing feeling bad about themselves for not being able to adhere to the plan. I don't need help feeling bad about my eating habits- I do fine in that department all by myself - so it's nice to join a challenge that is not at all restrictive.

Another thing I like about the Raw Fu challenge is that Bunny is trying to fight obesity. I know that lots of raw foods enthusiasts are trying to lose weight, but at many raw food sites I feel the same way I do when I go to the gym: I'm the fat woman surrounded by spandex-clad skinny beauties. The fact that Bunny says right on her blog "... I am hoping that a raw food lifestyle will help me fight obesity, and alleviate the symptoms of PCOS and fibromyalgia" and "I'm 37, fat, fatigued, and ready to change my life" makes me feel right at home with my own attempts to fight obesity and health problems. I'm ready to change my life, too! By the way, I don't feel that more restrictive sites are all "bad;" it's just that there's no single way to go raw or to maintain a raw lifestyle, so l like to "shop around" for the type of site that fits my needs. Both the Raw Divas and Bunny's RawFu sites welcome a relaxed approach to going raw, which I appreciate.

My high-raw debut went well: fruit salad in the morning, a modified Cobb salad for lunch (business lunch at a restaurant), iced tea, water and cranberry juice for my beverages. The only oops is that because I spent the week moving to a new residence, I ended up spending this evening cleaning and organizing rather than eating dinner. Oh, well- tomorrow's a new day!

Check out Bunny Berry's 100 Day Raw Food Challenge!

Why This Raw Foods Enthusiast Rejects "Superfoods"

2008-07-27T10:27:55Z

We live in a culture that promotes the idea that More is Better. It's not enough to live with abundant health; we have to live into our 100s. It's not enough to feel energized and vital; we have to "buzz" and feel naturally high every day. And to do this we need... specialized foods that are altered into powders and pills and such, are transported from far away, and cost way more than the local whole foods we are trying to eat??

At some point I have to draw a line. The older I get, the more I value a life that is less and less complex. In fact, part of the joy I find in eating raw is the simplicity of it. I don't want complicated recipes. I don't like ingredients that can only be bought in specialized stores. I don't like paying outrageous prices for powdered algaes and pressed oils and dehydrated "bars." I don't like the version of the "More is Better" mentality that has crept into the modern raw food movement, facilitated by globalization and technologies like the internet, which makes finding and marketing "amazing" foods like acai, goji, Celtic sea salt and maca easier for the everyday entrepreneur.

I admit that I am not consistent in enacting my beliefs right now. For example, even though I bought Celtic sea salt before I started to rethink my beliefs about superfoods and imported products, I like the stuff. I also make room in my budget for young Thai coconuts and imported mangoes, despite what I've learned about their transportation and preservation techniques. Perhaps at some point these foods won't be desirable to me.

When I discovered the practice of eating raw foods in 2006, I was only interested in losing weight healthfully without undergoing gastric bypass surgery. I didn't realize at the time how well raw eating fits into my values for "naturalness" and simplicity. There was a time (it lasted about one minute, I believe) when I was healthy and slim. I wore my hair natural and in twists. I did not wear makeup or expensive, trendy clothes. I felt like a nature girl, and was truly happy to be alive. When I fell victim again to food addiction (refined sugars, oils, salt) and regained all the weight I'd lost, I considered a lot of complicated ideas for getting healthy again, including gastric bypass. But discovering raw foods has led me back around to my original values of simplicity and closeness to nature. So although I respect other people's decision to include superfoods in their own raw lifestyle, I reject those foods, as well as complicated raw recipes, because they just don't support my values for a simplified way of living. My rejection of superfoods is probably the first concrete, value-influenced decision I've made about my raw lifestyle.

Kicking the Factory Food Habit

2008-07-14T10:26:19Z

I went raw in 2006, and when I first experienced the wonders of "raw health" I was floored. The lifting of depression, the rapid weight loss, the improved blood levels, the clearing of my complexion, the development of that health "raw glow"- all of those things I saw as direct benefits of eating a raw diet. Now, I wonder...

It's not that I doubt the benefits of eating raw foods, it's just that I'm noticing that just like me, many raw foodists tend to attribute all the positives that come from their raw diet directly to the consumption of raw foods. There is not as much consideration about the effect of what we've removed from our diet. Of course, not everyone switching to a raw food diet has the food history that I have! I've come to believe that my raw diet was amazingly beneficial not only because I was eating whole, unprocessed foods, but because I was NOT eating refined sugar and flour or high levels of unnatural fat. I was no longer taking in loads of sodium, and I was avoiding preservatives as well as flavor and appearance "enhancers." Back then it was a given that removing sugar, flour, sodium and fats made me feel better, but I didn't give as much thought to dyes, preservatives and other unnatural substances. I'm quite sure that this is because I am so used to the SAD method of weight loss, which incorporates those substances into packaged meals labeled "healthy."

So these days I'm giving equal credit for my amazing health improvements to the absence of those horrible manufactured substances we call "food." However, the role that raw foods played in my recovery was crucial; they were the key to my not having cravings or an abnormally strong appetite after I gave up the unhealthy stuff. Raw foods gave me emotional control over what I ate. Unfortunately, there is such a thing as human will. I have a history of eating foods that are really bad for me but which are wrapped in good memories, so I slide off the raw wagon with great frequency, especially during times of stress.

But back to raw: I am not the same raw foods enthusiast I was back in 2006. I am not worried about "being a raw foodist" or eating raw for raw's sake. I'm not so much into the packaged products or the expensive superfoods touted by the raw industry. No Braggs, bars or bee pollen for me. I'm also not in need of faux cooked entrees, so nut burgers will be few and far between (if at all- I still gag thinking about my last one 2 years ago!). My main concern is that the food starts out in a whole state, which I will choose to eat raw or cooked based on my needs or desire at the time. Anything I cook will likely be done by steaming so that I can preserve as many nutrients as possible. Because of my low thyroid, I cook certain vegetables to render their thyroid-inhibiting compounds (goitrogens) inactive. I still plan to eat sushi - and I ain't talkin' the raw version with no rice!- but my diet appears to be morphing in a mainly vegan one, combining raw and cooked whole foods. I also have to compensate for the greatly lowered appetite I experience when eating raw. When I eat raw, the one thing I always did to alleviate stress- eat- is no longer pleasurable option it used to be because I don't crave foods any more. Strangely, though, I still want to eat non-raw foods to relieve stress and will reach for something I'm not hungry for just to see if I can get that old comforting feeling. Clearly I need to find a new stress-relieving behavior or I'll always fall off the raw wagon.

I've pledged to get back to mostly/all raw starting August 1st. That is the day I'm moving into a pro-raw room mate situation - yay!! It so happens that I have a new health issue I am being checked for, so dumping the factory stuff (again) and returning to raw is right on time.

Me So PoMo

2008-06-21T10:17:41Z

Week Two on Weight Watchers
What a week it's been for me. As I write this, I don't think I've lost any weight. I've eaten more than I should at times, and I haven't eaten many raw foods (although I just finished a lovely salad chock full of avocado, garlic, scallions and snow peas with romaine). The good thing is that I feel great about being in touch with every little thing that passes my lips rather than just eating mindlessly. Every time I eat I know why I'm doing it and I think of the consequences. I've tremendously decreased my snacking at work (and I wasn't even doing that daily in the first place) and limit it to coffee, roasted nuts, and the fruit from our weekly delivery of organic produce.

I'm not obsessed with the scale, but because I know that WW uses it as a measure of my adherence to their program, of course I want to see what my "damage" is before the official weigh-in. But guess what? I am not going to let even weight gains deter me this time around. It will take me a while to readjust to using WW points, get through my cravings and food "issues" and to segue into a high-raw diet (via the Core plan), and I expect to have weeks where I gain or simply don't lose. If any WW weighers or leaders give me a hard time I'm simply going to tell them that I have to walk this journey the way that works best for me, and that I'd rather take the time I need to adjust rather than quit due to not losing weight at first.

This is a major change in attitude from my previous times on WW, where I'd quit soon after starting because I felt like a failure. My Raw Odyssey has taught me that we each have different needs and preferences based on many unique factors, so there is no "one way" for all of us to eat- just broad generalizations. When we embark upon someone else's plan for us, like Weight Watchers, a green smoothie challenge or a "30 Days to Raw" type regimen, we have to bend our way to satisfy the requirements of someone else's brainchild- someone who doesn't know our quirks, abilities, preferences, schedule, taste -or anything! If their program doesn't fit our needs, that is no failure on our part, yet we tend to berate ourselves and find ourselves lacking in some way. Why? That makes no sense. I feel the same way about WW now. I know the program works and is healthy (in SAD terms, that is), but there will be an adjustment period for me and some tweaking of the program as I use it.

The Post Modern Health Enthusiast
This recognition of individual needs and voices is a real phenomenon- it's very much reflected in the flurry of personalized products and services, and the prefixing of "my" in front of everything, like MySpace or "My VerizonWireless," etc. So post-modern, aren't we, refusing to capitulate to authority figures or subsume ourselves into a mass of people. We want to be heard and we see the value of personalization. There is much value in groups -I love my Twitter friends, the "GiveItToMeRaw" site, the idea of raw festivals, etc. But I'm talking about taking control of a program rather than letting it control me. So it's "MyWeightWatchers" (I'm sure they've come up with that already)! It will be a plan that fits my own preferences.

Organic Produce Delivery
Some of you may want to consider organic produce delivery services. I'm happy with what we've been getting at my office, and if I ran my own business and could afford it, I'd have fruit delivered for all my employees. The professionals do a much better job at picking out good fruit than I would, so there are very few duds, if any. Plus, the contents vary, so it's kind of fun seeing what's in the box every week. A persimmon? An avocado? What kind of plum is that? I've tried fruit I've never had before. It's lots of fun, plus we get a free subscription to the Berkeley Wellness Newsletter. What company am I talking about? The Fruit Guys. There are other services, though.

Final Words
I've been getting some great support from my Twitter friends about the topics in this blog, including my Weight Watcher's endeavors. I was surprised to meet other people trying both methods for health. How cool is that? So if you are thinking about combining WW and raw or are already doing it, please don't be shy about sharing your experience, making suggestions, or asking questions. Also, if any of you get organic produce delivered to your home or office, I'd love to hear what you think of it.

Have a great week!

Back to Familiar Stomping Grounds

2008-06-15T14:57:58Z

Those who have followed Raw Odyssey from the beginning in 2006 know I have a long history with Weight Watchers. I have joined them over and over while eating the Standard American Diet. I never had problems losing weight, but I always had problems keeping it off. I finally got tired of joining them, even though I truly believe they are the best weight loss program of their type out there. No program works for everyone, though, and I finally realized that something about Weight Watchers wasn't helping me to stop regaining the weight. Part of the problem was their overwhelming focus on the scale, while the other is the fact that they endorse what those of us who prefer raw diets wouldn't even recognize as natural food. I mean, look at all of the ingredients in one Weight Watchers "Smart Ones" meal:

Water, Beef, Water, Onion(s), Bell Pepper(s) Red (and), Bell Pepper(s) Green, Soy Protein Concentrate, Catsup {Tomato(es) Concentrate ,Corn Syrup High Fructose,Corn Syrup,Vinegar,Salt,Onion(s) Powder,Spice,Natural Flavor(s)}, Seasoning {Salt,Onion(s) Powder,Yeast Extract Autolyzed,Cornstarch Modified,Flavor ,Celery,Wheat,Soybean(s)}, Sugar, Spice, Turmeric, Dextrose, Garlic Powder, Caramel Color, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate], Potato(es), Margarine [ Soybean(s) Oil, Water, Salt, Soybean(s) Oil Partially Hydrogenated, Mono and Diglycerides, Soy Lecithin, Sodium Benzoate, Natural Flavor(s) (and/or), Flavor Artificial, Beta Carotene, Vitamin A Palmitate], Tomato(es) Diced [ Tomato(es), Tomato(es) Juice, Salt, Calcium Chloride, Citric Acid], Tomato(es) Paste, Corn Maltodextrin, Cornstarch Modified, Cream Powder [ Cream, Soy Lecithin], Beef, Au Jus Concentrate [ Beef Stock, Flavor, Soy Sauce {Water,Wheat,Soybean(s),Salt,Sodium Benzoate}, Beef Fat, Caramel Color, Whey Cultured {Milk}, Cornstarch, Onion(s) Powder, Sugar, Garlic Powder, Salt, Cornstarch Modified, Potato(es) Starch, Beet Powder, Lactic Acid, Corn Syrup Solids], Milk Non-Fat, Beef Type Flavor [ Corn Gluten Hydrolyzed, Soy Protein, Wheat Gluten, Yeast Extract Autolyzed, Dextrose, Soybean(s) Oil Partially Hydrogenated, Cottonseed Oil Partially Hydrogenated, Soybean(s) Oil], Onion(s), Yeast Extract Autolyzed, Garlic Roasted, Salt, Sugar, Corn Oil, Pepper(s) Red, Pepper(s) Paste Red [ Bell Pepper(s) Red Roasted, Dextrose, Water, Salt, Yeast Extract, Potato(es) Starch, Natural Flavoring, Soy Sauce {Water,Soybean(s),Wheat,Salt}], Worcestershire Sauce [ Vinegar Distilled, Molasses, Corn Syrup, Water, Salt, Caramel Color, Garlic Powder, Sugar, Spice, Anchovies, Tamarind, Natural Flavor(s), Sulfite (Added as a preservative)], Xanthan Gum, Parsley, Pepper(s) White, Corn Syrup Solids High Maltose, Emulsifiers [ Mono and Diglycerides, Milk Non-Fat, Wheat Starch], Chives, Black Pepper, Garlic Granulated, Soybean(s) Oil, Spice, Spice Extractive.

Would you ever guess that this is Weight Watchers' "Meatloaf with Gravy and Garlic-Herb Mashed Potatoes"? Yet, this is the kind of SAD stuff WW has us eating. So why do I keep going back to this program? Mainly because I do better with the accountability, and I like all of the other support - the books, health information, support meetings, and myriad tools to help with recipes, exercising, etc. If there were a raw group like WW I would go there instead, but for now this is all I've got.

For those of you unfamiliar with Weight Watchers, they have you pay a weekly fee to attend a support group and receive helpful materials aimed at helping you lose weight. You get a food tracker and you document everything that passes your lips (including water, since that's good for you!). All foods have Point values based on their fiber, fat and caloric content. The healthiest foods have the lowest Points, naturally, so that you are encouraged to eat more of them. On the "Core Program" you don't even count Points; you just stick to the foods on the Core foods list and eat until you are satisfied. Perfect for a raw foods enthusiast, as just about every common fruit, herb and vegetable we'd eat is on the Core plan. You get weighed every week and, during the lecture, you hear the WW Leader tackle a variety of issues related to weight loss and health. The best meetings for me are those with a lot of people (so I can hide in the back) and a charismatic, enthusiastic and creative leader who truly lets the needs of the group trump any weekly lesson plan offered by WW Inc.

So, anyway, I've spent my first week on the WW plan using the Flex Program, which allows you to eat whatever you want but requires you to count Points. You have a certain number of Points you can consume weekly, based on things like your weight, gender and activity level. Being overweight, I can eat a lot of Points right now. I've lost 8 lbs as of today, the end of week 1. Going raw on WW will be a challenge, so it's something I'll do gradually and will involve switching to the Core plan. Eventually I'd like to be eating whole, vegan foods - some cooked- while on this plan. Some raw foodists may think I should jump right into eating raw, but I have to do this my way- and right now I'm just happy to lose weight and get myself motivated!

By the way, I'm on week three of my hypothyroid medication (Armour) since starting it up again. My hair doesn't appear to be falling out yet. I've also continued to stay away from eating raw foods that inhibit thyroid function. Since the variety of raw foods available to me is greatly decreased because of this, I've decided to bring back some of the goitrogenic vegetables and eat them cooked, as cooking removes the thyroid-inhibiting effect. That means that for dinner today I'll be eating broccoli for the first time in ages!

Left Brain, Right Brain and the Ego

2008-06-02T05:33:36Z

Today I listened to the interviews Oprah did with Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, a neuroanatomist (brain specialist) who suffered a massive stroke in her left hemisphere in her late 30s, consequently experiencing a life-changing reconnection to a world we often leave behind once we pass toddlerhood and acquire language. Dr. Bolte Taylor lost the function of her left brain, thereby losing her language and, by extension, her identity. Relying on her right brain, she had to construct a new identity for herself. It took her almost ten years to regain full function of her left brain, but she has learned to balance the functions of the two hemispheres in order to create a new life for herself that is less judgmental and linear, and more creative and socially connected.

These kinds of stories are fascinating to me, and I wonder if there are insights I can use in dealing with my most challenging problems. For example, I know that eating raw foods would change my life for the better- I've experienced it before. So why do I keep returning to my old eating habits and endangering my health? Eckhart Tolle's writings and interviews are enlightening, as are my Buddhist readings, in that they talk about the Ego and its need to maintain an identity -and dominance -in our life. Apparently it's my ego that identifies with food and which so fiercely demands that I go back to those damned chicken wings over and over again. Its my ego that overwhelms me with thoughts of anxiety and food-related remedies, and which keeps me from being mindfully present. Tolle came to his awareness of the ego and the need to "live in the now" through a personal crisis which allowed him to see two selves, one of which is obsessed with problems and which constantly "chatters," and another which observes and experiences without judgment.

Bolte Taylor, due to her stroke, came to the same awareness, but because she is a brain specialist she was able to understand the experience physiologically as well as spiritually. Bolte Taylor explains that the left hemisphere is the most highly developed part of our brain in our society, which values logical, linear, sequential thinking and other left-brain tasks. Its other abilities include the manipulation of numbers, the interpretation and performing of languages, the creation of boundaries and the understanding of the body's position in space. It also includes an understanding of concepts such as familial relationships and the meaning of "yes" and "no." Mental phenomena such as pride, embarrassment and judgment are other left-brained tasks, as is conceptualizing the past and future- and connecting those to our present. Bolte Taylor says that our ability to use language and to conceive of a past and a future all help us to form an identity; a series of stories about our past and our future plans. Our left brain therefore helps us to negotiate the external world and to create within that world.

The right brain has different tasks. It perceives through the senses, thinks visually. It can assess moods and the emotional content of language based on what we've been socialized to learn about speech-related behaviors such as vocal intonations. It sees the big picture or the "context" in which events occur. It acts as the witness or observer of events, and experiences emotions such as peace and gratitude. Because the right brain does not rely on language, it doesn't develop complex memories as the left brain does; it lives in the "now" without critical judgment. It allows the feeling of connectedness or "one-ness" with other entities in our universe. The right brain allows us to connect to the world.

Bolte Taylor says its easy for any of us to get in touch with our right brains and to learn to quiet the analytical, judgmental and critical left-brain chatter that keeps us away from the present. I wonder, though... If it were that simple for us to stop the domination of our left brains, why don't we all "just do it"? Why do we need life-altering experiences that give us glimpses of right-brain living before we have that "a-ha" moment? Why do so many people find themselves reading book after book, or going on retreats (or into therapy!) without figuring out how to have those experiences? Maybe it is possible for each of us to learn to achieve a "cerebral balance" that will allow us to reach our full potential as joyful human beings, but I think it is unfair of those who have achieved it to claim that it is easy.

Bolte Taylor says that our society rewards left-brain thinking and trains us out of appreciating our right brain's functions. When I read that, I thought about how I have worked so hard in my life to focus on left-brain skills even though I'm naturally more right-brained. From childhood I have been artistic, imaginative, visual and intuitive. Even my facility with languages, while supposedly a left-brained task, seems to stem more from my passion to be connected to people across cultures than anything else. Lord knows I am not a logical person. I've always struggle with numbers, sequential thinking, map-reading and other left-brain tasks. Maybe this mismatch is the reason I suffer from anxiety and turn so often to food for comfort. Ha! I wish the answer were that easy to come by. But I do wonder if a better understanding of how I use my left and right brains would help me to gain control of my eating. At the very least I could use the concept as a metaphorical tool of some sort.

On the other hand, is that just me doing what I'm trained to do- analyze? Parse? Explain? Might that be what's gotten me in trouble in the first place?

AARGH!!

Dr. Bolte Taylor's presentation can be found here.

From Invisible to Visible

2008-06-02T05:22:28Z

As I sit here drinking my tasty coconut & raspberry smoothie I'm thinking about my recent experience at a clothing store where I was looking at racks of stuff I wished I could fit into. I so hate the clothes I'm stuck with at my current size! I would rather hide in my house than be seen the way I look now. I started remembering....   About six years ago when I got down to a size 10, I became visible. Despite having lived in the same neighborhood for 10 years, I started receiving attention I'd never gotten before. Strangers held doors open for me, employees waved to me inside the grocery stores. Browsers among bookstore shelves would chat with me about their literature choices. It was like I mattered to people- I was one of them.

As I regained the weight, though, I apparently began to become invisible again. One day I realized that once again, few sales people wanted to come over to offer assistance, fewer people smiled at me on the street, and fewer strangers chatted with me anywhere.

I was very bitter at the discovery that a friendlier, more inclusive world was being denied me as an overweight person. In response, I began to avoid situations that reminded me of my exclusion. No more visits to clothing stores that sell to smaller people. No more looking into strangers' eyes with a smile or a hello. I talked myself out of a lot of public activities, like visiting cafes or seeing movies and shows with friends (or even by myself). I've gotten to the point of not leaving my house unless I have to. The result is a boring, unimaginative life. A rut.

In my happiest moments I have usually found myself around people, enjoying the sunshine and feeling a part of the world I lived in. I was having new, unpredictable experiences that kept my mind alert and joyful.   In my saddest moments I find myself stuck in a boring rut consisting of the same junk foods, following the same routines, holed up in my bedroom with only myself for company.

What to do? It seems the key for my health and happiness is to get out there and live the life I hope to live when I'm healthier. That means a little retail therapy to help myself feel better about my appearance right now. Some quality clothes and a good haircut, for example.   Next, I need to remain mindful of the reasons I want to be healthy, so rather than just imagining what I'll do as a healthier person, I think I need to start doing those things now. I may not be able to wear the smaller sizes, but I can visit the clothing stores and stay on top of the styles that "speak" to me so I can be motivated to stay on my healthy track. I can also visit cafes and bookstores, which I used to love doing, so that I can be around people and keep my mind alert with new and interesting things.   These are all things I've known I can do but it doesn't hurt to keep wrapping the ideas in new packages to get myself re-motivated.

All right, back to my coconut smoothie, and then... perhaps the movies!

Problems vs. Crises

2008-05-18T10:55:09Z

Eckhart Tolle, in his book "The Power of Now," talks about problems versus crises. A problem is something we create ourselves through our thoughts. A crisis, however, causes us to act defensively without forethought. If we have time to think about something, it isn't a crisis- it's a problem we are creating. As I continue my exploration of a personalized raw food lifestyle, I try to relate this idea to my eating habits. I've been in crisis situations surrounding food before. I remember having a great racquetball session and being so worn out and exhausted afterward that I knew I needed to eat something- but all the gym had were those awful protein bars. Another time, at a client's office during my IT days, I was at the verge of passing out when an employee offered me sugary ginger-ale. Both times I was instantly revived by consuming the only foods available, and never felt an ounce of guilt. My body took from those items what it needed at the time: energy and sugar. I don't even think of these as food crises; they were crises of health.

I can't remember having a chicken wing crisis, but I've certainly created chicken wing problems! Those problems are caused either by guiltily focusing on a future chicken wing session or berating myself for a past one. Tolle would say that in planning for those wings I am neglecting to listen to my body right now or to honor what I need in this moment. In addition, by chastising myself I am needlessly creating a problem: the wingfest is over; why do I dwell on it? While it's helpful to explore Tolle's (and others') ideas in relation to my food issues, I can't say I've been able to chuck my poor eating habits yet- but I'm trying.

Sometimes I find myself feeling envious of people who eat nothing but raw food and wonder what makes them different from me. Do my struggles mean I am not meant to eat 100% raw? Eating raw opened my eyes to the needs of my body and gave me a new perspective on food and health, so I'm not about to give up on it. These days a major part of my exploration of a raw food lifestyle is the lifestyle part; the part where I figure out how to incorporate raw foods without breaking the bank or wasting fruits and vegetables. Where I figure out what foods my body needs to manage its unique health profile, and where I attempt to understand how my mind works so I can stop sabotaging myself! I'm on an eye-opening odyssey encompassing mind, body and spirit; little by little, despite the challenges, I can see improvements in the quality of my life.

Juices for what Ails You

2008-04-30T20:30:51Z

Today I was back at the Asian import store buying vegetables and fruits to increase the raw quotient in my diet. I've been so off target this month it isn't even funny. My ex is back to eating raw and is reminding me of all the insights we had when we did raw together. Like how we suddenly realized that the only reason we ate certain foods was because of the seasoning and condiments. We wouldn't eat just boiled chicken or a steamed burger patty- no, we wanted fried chicken, cheddar-bacon burgers... It's the extras- the sugar, salt, fats, MSG and flavorings that make the unhealthy stuff we ate/eat so attractive.

Deconstructing these meals helps us to look at them differently. We ponder what part of the meal we actually want. Would we eat a bowl of ketchup with salt, pepper, mayonnaise and bacon drippings, or would we prefer those items only on a burger? Would we eat fried, salted flour, or do we want it only when it's wrapped around chicken or steak? The Swiss philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) warned against the dangers of seasonings and fancy gourmet cooking, believing it took people away from the simple pleasures of foods in their natural state. He even debated the popular opinion that the French knew how to cook, claiming they used so many seasonings because they didn't know what good food really is! Rousseau believed that the habit of using seasonings and flavorings led to gluttony. I'd have to agree with him, and must say that one of the most enjoyable memories I have of eating all raw was the point at which I recognized that raw foods tasted good without anything added to them- not even my beloved Celtic sea salt. I came to enjoy some salads with either no dressing at all, or with just a squeeze of lime, maybe some grated garlic. I stopped using olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I did not overeat; my appetite adjusted itself.

Once I developed an appreciation for unadorned, raw foods, I became more interested in their nutritional and medicinal qualities. I'd love to be able to put together menus that meet unique health needs, without resorting to expensive superfoods since not all of us can afford them. My ex, who has had gastric bypass surgery, has to be more wary of vitamin and mineral deficiencies than other people do. And I have a new friend who suffers from a potassium deficiency which causes painful cramps. She also has high blood pressure, which appears to be a common companion of low-potassium. Coincidentally - or not- she is allergic to several common foods that are high in potassium.

Today I decided to visit the Asian import store for some raw foods and to buy a crate of young Thai coconuts to experiment with potassium-laden beverages for my friend. Perhaps if she comes to like these foods and tasty juices, she can stop taking potassium pills! She is allergic to melons, avocado, walnuts, bananas and a few other foods (apparently this combination of food allergies is not uncommon), so I have to be careful about what I make for her. For example, I think coconut water with a bit of watermelon juice would be delicious! But she loves strawberries, so I am going to try a little strawberry, coconut water and a touch of ginger- mmmm. I can't wait to experiment!

Et Tu, Tomate?

2008-04-16T20:04:51Z

I have not been "keeping raw" lately - in fact I've been binging on stuff! Luckily, I have been steady about keeping fresh produce in my diet. That's one thing that I can say about discovering raw in 2006: that it got me in the habit of eating and appreciating fresh fruits and vegetables in a way I never did before. I know how great salads can taste without dressing, and I have gotten out of the red meat habit. I've tried new fruits and vegetables and found new places to buy these things, so I've expanded my horizons in a few ways. I'm also trying to expand spiritually, reading Eckhart Tolle's book The Power of Now and trying to figure out why I am binging these days. I'm enjoying the little nuggets of wisdom I am getting from this book. This month's "O Magazine" has an in interview with Tolle, and has some good information.

This week my ex called to say that it was time to get back into raw again, so I now have a raw "partner" nearby, which is pretty cool. I've so lost my motivation. Who knows why? We went shopping and I got the usual veggies as well as fruit to put in the green juices. I chose honeydew, grapes and cantaloupe. I also have basil, garlic and ginger for flavoring and even got some cardamom powder. Another thing I bought was wheat grass powder. My experience with juicing and blending wheat grass was so bad that when one of my raw Twitter buddies suggested the powdered version, I thought why not? I'll try anything once. I lent my ex my Jack LaLanne Power Juicer and kept the VitaMix for myself.

I decided to eat raw during the day today (breakfast and lunch) and to only drink juices when I got home. My juice tasted fine, despite the fact that I was expecting the worst (based on my recent experience). I used honeydew, grape tomatoes, an Asian pear (so cute!), cucumber, ginger, romaine, celery, and a little wheat grass powder. I'm really thinking that making juice and saving it for later ruins the taste for me. I can almost always drink juices right after I make them, even when I am not in love with the flavor.

When I was washing the vegetables I happened to glance at the label on the grape tomatoes and just about flipped: they put WAX on the tomatoes "to maintain freshness." WHAT???? I felt almost as if I'd been assaulted. I already knew about wax on apples and cucumbers. I never blend my cucumbers without peeling them first if they are not organic. But now, tomatoes? How many foods am I eating that have wax on them? I wonder how safe that stuff is to eat when all you eat is produce.

So... how do you peel a tomato?

I did a little internet research. Apparently some produce, such as apples, produce their own wax coating. One site says the coating reformulates after awhile even after you wash it off. Another says that "extensive washing" removes that natural wax, but then the man-made wax (some of which have additional preservative chemicals mixed in) are applied. Why am I not surprised at the lack of clear information? Some people believe that anything that doesn't grow on the fruit or vegetable naturally is bad, while some prefer one type of wax over another. The wax found on organic produce is usually made from vegetation or insects, and must not include fungicides or preservatives. Other waxes are petroleum-based (and are sometimes referred to as "mineral wax"). I'd prefer not to eat these waxes at all. Below are links to three sites that talk about wax and produce.

Don Qua, Goba, Durian, Oh My!

2008-04-06T10:30:22Z

I had a fun time at 99Ranch, the Asian grocery store in Las Vegas' Chinatown. I really like this place! It's got a wide variety of produce and sells many things more cheaply than the regular grocery stores do. I saw lots of stuff I've never seen before - including DURIAN! The whole ones were huge (and were frozen) so I didn't buy one. They did have it sliced for $10 per small portion, but that was too outrageous a price for me. I did take a whiff though, since everyone talks about how it stinks. It reminded me of mildly dirty socks.

They also carried sugar plums, which I thought only existed in fairy tales (I don't get out much); jackfruit, gobo (burdock root), don qua and many other things I've never seen. I wanted to buy some of the leafy greens but without knowing if they contain the goitrogens that so many other greens do, I had to pass on them to avoid aggravating my low thyroid condition. I bought bok choy for the first time, though, and fell in love with it (my twitter friends will attest to my bok choy love affair). I have yet to throw it into the PowerJuicer or VitaMix, but considering how succulent it looks, I'll bet there's a lot of juice in there.

Young Thai coconuts were 99 cents - half the price Whole Foods charges (and I could have gotten a crate of 10 for less than $8). I bought romaine for 89 cents a head. Green onions were $1 for 5 bunches, while at the regular store they are now $.99 per bunch! So I can tell those of you in Las Vegas that you will save money, possibly more than at Sunflower Market, if you shop at 99Ranch for some items. Nothing was marked organic, though, so keep that in mind. 99Ranch is a chain; I'd love to know if in other locales 99Ranch is cheaper than regular grocery stores.

With the temperatures approaching the 90s, I am so looking forward to my first visit to Gilcrease Orchard where you can pick your own fresh fruits and vegetables. Being a city girl, I am very removed from foods in their natural environment. I have a new friend who wants to make the trip with me, so it'll be another adventure.

QUESTION: Have you ever eaten any of the foods listed above? If so, how have you used them? Do you enjoy them? What do they taste like?

NOTE: In response to questions I've gotten, here is a little guide:

Don qua: A green melon reminiscent of squash. It is also called winter melon. It's often cooked in soups.
Gobo: This is a root also known as burdock. It should be firm when fresh. It is said to be a blood cleanser.
Durian: There are many varieties of this intensely aromatic fruit. My Filipina friend likes the sweeter Thai version best.
Jackfruit: A sweet, sticky fruit eaten raw or cooked (its sap is made into glue!)
Kobocha: Squash, similar to butternut squash.

Live and Learn

2008-03-30T11:28:05Z

When I first went raw in 2006, I'd never heard of green juices or green smoothies, but I had learned from raw foodists about fruit smoothies - that they are healthy and should be a part of a raw foodist's diet. I made these fruit smoothies even though they were too sweet for my taste and too high in calories for my needs. In life we do what we know how to do at any particular time, and what I knew to do in those days was to drink fruit smoothies to get a lot of natural vitamins into my diet in a convenient and fun way. I even got artistic with them, as you can see.

I've learned a lot since then. Today I'm more aware of blood glucose, hypothyroid and other issues that touch my life. I've also discovered the benefits of green juices and have been trying to incorporate them into my diet without all the sweet fruit. Unfortunately, it hasn't been an easy journey. First, I've had a hard time creating palatable flavors, and when I'd read about everyone else lovin' on their morning juices I'd feel like a weirdo with my nasty concoctions. Sure, once in a while I'd hit on a really good combination, but I think on those days my taste buds, attitude, and ingredients were in sync. Mosts days, though, one of those was off-kilter. Finally, I hit the wall. Green juices just tasted bad to me! When I drank them I had nasty images of what the liquids reminded me of. I found myself pouring precious green elixirs down the drain- along with the dollars it cost to purchase those vegetables.

To make matters worse, I had an allergic reaction to something and didn't have a taste for green juices at all afterwards, though I have been trying to drink them at least on weekends. I increased my salad intake to make up for the low amount of greens, but I also found myself eating more processed and junk foods. Lo and behold, the symptoms of poor health have gradually returned: worsened allergy symptoms that keep me from sleeping, feelings of depression, lack of mental energy. I've had insomnia for the past week.

I know I have to get back to the greens and the juices, and I know the key to enjoying green juices and smoothies is flavor- they've got to be palatable. Apples don't work- they are the wrong kind of sweetness. Tomatoes and cucumbers are too mild, though they help cut bitterness. Mangoes are too sweet. Yesterday I bought grapes and bananas. Here's what I concocted this morning:

1 frozen banana
1.5 cups purple grapes
2 huge rainbow chard leaves
1/3 head of romaine
1 large carrot
3 large stalks celery
1 tbsp kelp powder
1/2 cup water

This made almost four cups. I strained half the mixgture and kept the fiber in the other half to make a not-so-thick smoothie. Verdict? It is still too sweet for my liking and has too much of a banana flavor, but I drank it all! Whoopie! The smoothie was green, nicely textured, and the overly sweet taste still didn't completely overpower the wonderful flavor of "green" underneath. Too bad I didn't have any ginger- that would have been the perfect addition to this smoothie.

When I was a kid I was a picky eater, and I was naturally skinny as well. I didn't think about food until it was time to eat, picked my way through my meals, and then was off to play again. I guess I'm still picky about my food. Too bad I'm not picky when it comes to junk food, but that's because I eat it habitually and mindlessly. Raw foods I eat with more care and thoughtfulness, so I spend lots of time picking out quality produce and thinking about how the flavors will blend. I find I need something between bitter and sweet, between pure juice and thick smoothie, and between mild and powerful flavoring. Eventually I will find it.

So Much for Renewed Dedication

2008-03-22T23:17:31Z

This week was rough for me. My problems started with some kind of reaction to something. The left side of my throat swelled to the point where my throat was closing up, making every movement of my neck and throat - even talking- painful. Pretty scary! I started to plan how I might get myself to the hospital if my breathing became compromised, but luckily the swelling stayed with the left lymph node. It started suddenly and lasted about 24 hours, then faded quickly. I was afraid that maybe one of the new ingredients from the Asian import store had done that to me, but when I tried more of the juice, nothing happened (I'm either brave or reckless- I don't know). I wonder if it was the kelp powder? I haven't tried any powder since that day.

My desire to drink juice this week was almost nil after that, but truth to tell, the desire was waning last week. Maybe I needed a break, because every juice I've made recently tasted horrible- too tart, too sweet, too bland, too nasty. Nothing I did helped, not even my lovely garlic. My taste for green juice went out the window. I wasted a lot of money on vegetables by not juicing or blending them, but I did eat salads all week, which I'm very happy about. I have decided to no longer buy a week's worth of vegetables in advance. Instead, I will buy for only a couple of days or so, because the store is on my way home from work, plus is walking distance from my home.

Most of my adult life I have planned ahead and bought foods for one or two weeks at a time. The problem is that I would rebel or have some other reason for not eating all of the food I had and it would languish in my cupboards or rot in the refrigerator. Sill, I insisted on buying in advance because that's how I was raised, and I thought the practice would discipline me- especially when it came to sticking to an eating regimen. I guess these days I'm open to changing my practices to fit how I really live as opposed to how I wish I lived. It will be an interesting experiment to have nothing to eat in the house except for what I need for the next day or so. Whatever I end up doing, though, I don't think I'll ever kick juicing out of my life now that I've discovered how wonderful it is. Over the next week I'll have to see what it's like to get back to juicing to see how much of it I can tolerate. I will eat lots of salads if I'm not juicing.

Renewed Dedication

2008-03-16T19:15:14Z

I received a response to yesterday's blog telling me that I'm not the only person to detect that the taste of green juice might deteriorate over the course of a day (thanks, Michelle). However, this doesn't happen to all of my juices, so I think certain ingredients deteriorate (become bitter-tasting) more quickly than others. I guess trial and error will help me uncover the culprits.

Shopping Adventure
Today I ventured to an Asian import store to see if it sold vegetables that could add interesting flavors to my juices, and to see if I could find anything cheaper than the prices I've been finding so far. I felt like a tourist in a foreign country! Many vegetables were familiar, while some looked familiar but were labeled with Chinese names that prevented me from being certain as to what they were. Some vegetables were completely unfamiliar to me. I stayed away from items I couldn't identify because I wanted to avoid anything that might be part of the brassica family of vegetables which inhibit thyroid function, and I also avoided expensive items and things that I wasn't sure I could juice (like taro root). Most items that were also sold at the regular grocery store were cheaper. I decided to try lemon grass, Thai basil, pea sprouts, and watercress. Later I found out that watercress is part of the brassica family. Oh, well. By the way, I picked up a young Thai coconut for $1.19.

Next I went to my usual farmer's market/grocery store where I bought my more familiar vegetables, but I also decided to buy fruits to make my juices sweeter. I feel as though I'm wimping out by doing this- like I should be able to tough it out and drink my green juice without adding sweetness. That isn't working, though, so I bought 5 lbs of carrots, a small watermelon, some champagne mangos, apples, a pear, more tomatoes and cucumbers than usual, and even some 100% pomegranate juice, (which I may end up just drinking straight because I know it'll turn my juice and unappealing brown.) As for my leafy greens, they will be romaine, two kinds of parsley, and cilantro. I couldn't bring myself to buy chard when I saw that a "bunch" gets you only a few leaves (what is going on with chard these days??)

This week
I will continue to eat one meal a day. This will be either cooked yams (I bought some nice large ones) or vegetarian salads with gorgonzola cheese (I love cheese!) If I use dressings, they'll be some variation of olive oil and vinegar. This week should be interesting, what with the new ingredients and the renewed focus on eating more raw and more vegetarian fare. My biggest change will be juicing in the afternoons rather than from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. I will have only half the time to drink my juices now. To combat that I may use my juicer in the morning since it's quicker than the VitaMix and much quieter. I can then perhaps make a pint or two of juice to drink in the morning. We'll see how this experiment works out.

Here's a link to a place that shows many of the items I saw in the Chinese grocery store. If you have used any of these ingredients in your raw meals or particularly in juices, please tell me how well they juice, how they taste, and how you used them! Evergreen Seeds.

New Tactics

2008-03-15T20:58:26Z

photo: raw zucchini strips and tomato sauce = faux spaghetti

I have been struggling with my one solid meal per day. Although I know that eating 100% raw would be best, I keep using that one meal as my opportunity to eat my SAD favorites instead of raw fare like the meal pictured above (made by my friend Felicia). I will probably do better when I start making salads as my one raw meal per day. I used to make some awesome salads but have fallen out of that habit. When I was in a relationship I didn't make the complicated meals, my partner did- and boy were those meals good! But I don't have the desire or time to make really involved dishes, so salads are good enough for me.

I had a conversation with a friend who ate raw with me at one time and she suggested that I have my one meal at work and do my juicing when I get home. This is a good idea; I can drink herbal teas and water with lemon during my work hours, and have my salad for lunch. When I get home I can drink juices. This would solve the problem of having to work later hours because of having to use the VitaMix later in the morning to avoid annoying my cranky neighbor. I can get up early to make my salad instead, and do my blending and juicing when I get home in the afternoon. There would still be time for me to drink at least 2 quarts of juice before bedtime, if not three quarts. I may try that next week.

Nasty Grog
I wonder if this is my imagination: I generally drink two cups of juice before I go to work. I never remember the juice tasting nasty. But when I get to work and drink the first jar-full I sometimes think to myself, "this doesn't taste as good as I thought it did." And then when I drink the second jar I sometimes find myself adding salt, lemon or stevia (or all three!!) to make it palatable. Usually if I'm that desperate, the juice sucks and has got to go down the drain. I just don't get why some of my juices taste SO bad in the afternoon but not first thing in the morning. Is it the juice, or do my taste buds change later in the day?

I've decided that I need to add a lot more carrots to sweeten up the juices. I will also use more cucumber, carrots, and tomatoes to lower the bitter quotient. If desperation hits, I will use a mango or watermelon. Today I experimented with a pear for the first time. I didn't really taste it but it helped neutralize the bitterness. The other ingredients were garlic, ginger, romaine, carrot and celery. It was pretty good. Another issue: I have to continue to find ways to add calories. My Twitter friend Dea reminds me that carrots, butternut squash, acorn squash, and sweet potatoes/yams all do that job. I also add avocado or coconut oil on days that I plan to not eat a solid meal.

Still Learning. Luckily, Learning is Fun.

2008-03-13T11:21:25Z

Calories are still a big issue for me. My juices - even when I get 3 quarts of juice- have barely 600 calories some days., and that's with adding 1/2 an avocado. I know it is possible to make juices with enough calories, but I would like a variety of reasonable ingredients. Coconut meat is not reasonable because of the price. Sweet fruits are not reasonable because I am keeping my sugar levels down- although I'm starting to think more and more that I should worry about that a little less. For now, I'm glad I'm still eating one meal a day because that ensures that my calories are high enough, but I've been going a little crazy with the one meal, so I'm not losing any more weight or seeing obvious additional health improvements. On the other hand, I'm finding the juicing to be something I miss when I don't do it, and I can drink 3 quarts of juice even when I screw up and it doesn't even taste all that great- a major improvement these past few weeks. My taste buds and tolerance levels are changing for the better.

ACIDITY AND ALKALINITY
I've been thinking of ways to motivate myself to make my one meal healthier, as I'm still not quite ready to chuck the one meal yet. Since I am always curious about how the body works, one idea I have is to buy pH test strips so I can see how my diet changes my pH balance. An overly acid body- which is thought to be the condition of most unwell individuals- is said to be related to the following illnesses, among others:

Cardiovascular damage, including the constriction of blood vessels and the reduction of oxygen.
Weight gain, obesity and diabetes.
Bladder and kidney conditions, including kidney stones.
Immune deficiency.
Acceleration of free radical damage, possibly contributing to cancerous mutations.
Hormone concerns.
Premature aging.
Osteoporosis; weak, brittle bones, hip fractures and bone spurs.
Joint pain, aching muscles and lactic acid buildup.
Low energy and chronic fatigue.
Slow digestion and elimination.
Yeast/fungal overgrowth.

The website from which I got this particular list says these are associated with MILD over-acidity. Yikes. Like other websites, this one lists foods that help your body become less acidic or less alkaline (over-alkalinity is apparently a rare condition, though). But I have found that people are confused about which foods change your pH level in which direction, so to lower your acidity, some websites will advise you to eat foods that others advise you to stay away from. Sound familiar? Obviously not enough understanding exists about the relationship between pH levels and diet. So, again, I have to experiment with my own body to see what works and what doesn't. Unfortunately I haven't found any pharmacies have pH strips - they don't seem to keep them in stock. Perhaps a medical supply store will have them, otherwise I'll have to order online.

Questions for you:

Do you monitor your pH levels? If so, what have you learned about your diet and state of health?
Have you been curious about the pH balance of your body but haven't checked it yet?
Do you think monitoring pH levels is useful or simply a waste of time and money?

An Unexpectedly Nice Start to My Day!

2008-03-10T22:58:21Z

Today was my first day working an hour later due to not being able to run my VitaMix until 7 a.m. I made my juice and cleaned up within 45 minutes and so was out of the house by 7:45 - and whom should I see but someone from the apartment that reported me to management for my loud VitaMix! I hesitated to say anything to the young woman but then I thought, why not be a good neighbor and let her know I feel no animosity? I waited as she walked in my direction on her way to her car and I called out, "I'm your upstairs neighbor!" She had the biggest smile on her face as she came over to me and practically hugged me. She apologized for her "crotchety mother" and told me not to worry about her. She thanked me for writing the note and said that since receiving it, her mom hasn't complained about noise since. We wished each other a nice day and that was it- no more worried feelings!! Wasn't that great? I'm glad I didn't continue to hold animosity towards them. Hmmm- maybe the Green Juice Love worked!

Speaking of Green Juice Love , I saw a familiar image at Michelle's blog Juice Feasting for Vibrant Health- She's spreading the Green Juice Love, too! I enjoyed reading her post about the challenges of longterm juice feasting. I haven't even done full juice feasting and I whine and moan about it, and here she's done how many weeks? Wow. She talks about feeling as if she is spending too much time thinking about juice feasting and blogging about it. This is what juice feasting is for me as well- it takes up much of my life. The night before I juice I arrange and wash what I'll need. I make sure I have clean jars to store the juice. I note what I'm running out of and on the way home I'll stop at the store to pick up more greens, celery or something. I blog about how things are going. I look at myself in the mirror to see if things are getting better. When I eat something cooked I marvel at the immediate negative consequences. I spend as much time thinking about raw food as I did about cooked food when I was eating totally unhealthfully.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing? It's hard to say. Eating a raw diet is still "new" to me; it hasn't lost that novel glow yet. And as long as I have symptoms from my poor eating habits, I'll be concerned about getting healthy through raw foods and green juices, so I expect that for the next year or two I'll be very involved in maintaining and updating my raw diet, which will keep it uppermost in my mind. I guess it's better to be consumed with doing something healthy than with feeling guilty over eating an entire pizza or drinking two liters of Pepsi in one day. In fact, I'm almost ready to do what Michelle is talking about- taking it to a higher level by adding exercise. I also want to do some meditation. By adding these two things I will not be focusing solely on food, but on the holistic package addressing the body, mind and spirit.

Join the fun and
spread some green juice love.
Put this photo on your site!

Still Feeling the Peace

2008-03-09T10:19:26Z

Today's juice is yummy! Probably because it's pretty much the same as yesterday's, and yesterday's was pretty darned good, too. It's a beautiful, sunny day, I'm playing Vivaldi, Ravel and Bach on the iPod, and life is tranquil for me right now.

I have to start diminishing the amount of cooked food I'm eating- some of it is not vegetarian, and I'm feeling the difference between my state of health when I was eating all vegetarian and consuming mostly juices, and the way I feel today. I'm getting stuffed up, coughing a little bit, my back is killing me, and I feel more sluggish. I love that I can tell when my meals are getting unhealthy- the immediate feedback from my body says it all.

I got some nice comments about my photo from yesterday's post- the hand with the peace sign holding the green juice. The peace sign lasted on my hand all day, and I think I might redraw it today, as it helped me to remember that peace is a state of mind, and that I can conjure it up when I need to. I wish everyone reading this blog would copy that photo onto their own blogs and websites. Spread the peace and love! Drink your greens and eat your raw foods!!

Have a great day!
P.S. Penni had an article about her juice feasting self in Tulsa World!! Go visit the site and see how this gorgeous mom is using the Global Juice Feast event as part of her quest to maintain and improve her health. Good job, Penni!!

Who Moved my Qi?

2008-03-08T11:48:54Z

The unthinkable has occurred- a neighbor complained to my apartment complex management about my VitaMix! She said I vacuum every morning at the same hour. Heh. Management was sympathetic to me, as they know I'm a good neighbor. But I do understand that VitaMixes can sound like airplanes taking off. She probably hears the vibration more than the motor, as she is below me. I wrote her a friendly note of apology, even though I wish she had come to me instead of going to management. (What ever happened to being neighborly and speaking to one another?)

I read somewhere that roadblocks are simply a challenge to your determination. If you really want to accomplish something, you'll find your way around them. My response is to try changing my work hours for next week. Later work hours means I can start juicing at 7 a.m. (the earliest allowed hour for vacuuming, you know) and, I hope, make it to work no later than 8 a.m. I have floundered a bit with the juicing since the complaint. My feelings were hurt, my plans disturbed, my thoughts discombobulated. I worry about disturbing other people now. I even missed a day of juicing. My first juice after the complaint was an exercise in agitation. There was no love flowing among my ingredients, only nervousness and anxiety. How sad!! I never realized how joyful I'd been each day while making my daily beverages until yesterday. I feared permanently losing that joy, but I have rebounded. Today's juice is a good one. I made it at 9 a.m. and I was only a little distracted by concerns about my neighbor. The following ingredients gave me about 5.5 cups of juice:

About 1/2 cup cold water
2 large garlic cloves
3 stalks celery
1/2 head of romaine
1 vine ripened tomato
1/2 cucumber
1 inch ginger
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/2 bunch parsley
3 fat carrots
A dose of peace and tranquility

The garlic really stands out- yum! But the tomato is in there, bringing smooth and mild qualities. The celery adds that sodium that helps bring out flavors, and the carrots, peace, and tranquility add a little sweetness. The qi is back and I'm feeling all right today.

I hope everyone else is, too.

Oh No! HAIR!!

2008-03-05T22:08:23Z

This has been a busy week for me, what with classes, work and other things. My juicing is still going strong, however. I've enjoyed the juices more as I experiment with basil, tomato, additional garlic and ginger, and parsley. For example, my juice today had:

1 lb of parsley
1 lb of romaine
3 small tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
2 inches ginger
6 basil leaves
1 head celery
2 handfuls of wheatgrass (see below)
1 apple
1/2 lemon
1 bunch cilantro
1 green bell pepper

Photo: vegetable fibers

These made for a mild juice that leaned towards bitterness and went down easy -but wasn't especially flavorful. I'm still looking for that savory beverage that will have me running to the fridge every couple of hours. I think I need some chard; it's a deep green leaf that will probably create a deeper flavor than romaine does. I got a buzz from the juice, which I think must have come from the ginger because I used a big ol' hunk of it today!

The wheatgrass I put into my juice was a disaster. I first tried it in the VitaMix, which caused it to scream, "Oh No! Hair!!" I ended up pulling wheat grass fiber out of the blades for a few minutes. I guess I should have cut the grass into small pieces. I tried juicing it, but the juicer had a fit and gave me probably two thimbles full of juice while much of the wheatgrass got stuck. An auger juicer would be better for wheatgrass, methinks. I won't be buying any more of it- it's too darned expensive.

Today someone at the office asked me if I was still "fasting." I said I was never fasting; the juices are like liquid vitamins. I think I will use that explanation for now- people seem to understand it, and I can avoid going into the whole juice feasting rationale. I hate when people scrutinize what I eat. Maybe I won't feel so uncomfortable once the benefits of juicing are obvious to others, but since I seem to look the same to them, there is no proof to them that juicing isn't just another weight-loss scheme.

Juice Feasters Having Difficulties?
I've been reading comments online from juice feasters who feel like failures because they keep eating. That makes me so sad! We should never beat ourselves up for having a problem with a program we didn't even create ourselves. Remember, one program does not fit all, nor does starting a program on a particular date fit all of our schedules. Why feel like a failure for not meeting someone else's schedule or not perfectly conforming to someone else's program? Sure, juice feasting may be a wonderful thing to do, but even doing it "half way" is tremendously healthy! The reason I am able to continue happily juicing is because I am doing it in a way that fits my preferences and lifestyle rather than trying to judge myself against the standards of a program that doesn't quite fit me.

So for those of you who are having problems juice feasting and feeling bad about yourselves, I hope you can gain a new perspective. Maybe it's the wrong time, maybe you aren't ready to give up eating right now, or maybe 92 days is a daunting stretch of time that makes you anxious. You may need to ask yourself why you are doing this. What consequence have you imagined for yourself if you don't follow the program exactly? Can you ease off and work your way into 100% juicing on your own time table? What a great compromise that is: you get the benefits of green juicing without the pressure of meeting standards that are difficult right now. Win-Win!! I can imagine myself doing a full-on 92-day juice feasting program one day, just no time soon.