I saw this and had to save the picture and repost it. Read it. It makes sense. How many of you are addicted to sugar?
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
DAY 20!!!
Here's the breakdown at day 20! I weigh 123 pounds (lighter than I have been in like 8 years) and am on day 2 of my juice only fast. The juice fast is intense and mentally hard. I can't believe how even just the act of chewing food is comforting! Also, I have been nauseous which I read could happen. As the toxins are moving thru your body to exit they can cause unpleasant symptoms. I'm not having headaches, fevers or joint aches so I will take an upset tummy. I am still craving foods such as treats and carbs but the dairy is pretty easy. I am not tempted to cheat right now at all like I have been before though. I went to a meeting for the Republican women's group that I am in and the restaurant specializes in stromboli. Never has anything looked so good or smelled so good in my LIFE! When I allow myself an indulgence down the road, I am going there and getting me one of those!!!
Anyhow, I have been trying lots of juices and will review some of my recipes for you.
Apple Cucumber Cooler
1/2 cucumber
1 green apple
1/2 lemon
Juice and serve over ice. Amazingly refreshing. I really liked this one.
Carrot-Cucumber Lemonade
4-5 medium carrots (peeled if not organic)
1 apple
1 small cucumber (peeled if not organic)
1-inch chunk ginger (peeled)
1/2 lemon (peeled if not organic)
Juice and drink! This was a very bright orange drink and was pretty tasty, however I thought the ginger was a little too strong and it burned your throat as it was going down.
Orange-Berry Blaster
2 oranges
1 cup berries (whatever kind you want, I used strawberries, but want to try others)
1 kiwifruit
Very yummy. I want to make this juice and freeze into popsicles for the kids!
The Morning Energizer
4 carrots
1 handful parsley
1 lemon
1 apple
2-inch chunk ginger root-peeled
Pretty good, but too lemony and I only used half the ginger because I am finding that I do not like a strong ginger taste, just a hint!
So there you have it. I will post others later this week!
Anyhow, I have been trying lots of juices and will review some of my recipes for you.
Apple Cucumber Cooler
1/2 cucumber
1 green apple
1/2 lemon
Juice and serve over ice. Amazingly refreshing. I really liked this one.
Carrot-Cucumber Lemonade
4-5 medium carrots (peeled if not organic)
1 apple
1 small cucumber (peeled if not organic)
1-inch chunk ginger (peeled)
1/2 lemon (peeled if not organic)
Juice and drink! This was a very bright orange drink and was pretty tasty, however I thought the ginger was a little too strong and it burned your throat as it was going down.
Orange-Berry Blaster
2 oranges
1 cup berries (whatever kind you want, I used strawberries, but want to try others)
1 kiwifruit
Very yummy. I want to make this juice and freeze into popsicles for the kids!
The Morning Energizer
4 carrots
1 handful parsley
1 lemon
1 apple
2-inch chunk ginger root-peeled
Pretty good, but too lemony and I only used half the ginger because I am finding that I do not like a strong ginger taste, just a hint!
So there you have it. I will post others later this week!
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Juice Fast Preparation
Yesterday I started my juice fast preparation. For three days I taper down what I am eating to just fruits and vegetable juices. Starting tuesday I will only be consuming vegetable and fruit juices for three days. I can also drink as much water and herbal tea as I want to. Yesterday I could eat fruit, salad, and cooked vegetables. Today I can eat fruit, salad and vegetable juices. Tomorrow I can only eat raw fruit and vegetable juices. I am doing pretty good. My caloric intake is of course lower than normal but that is why it is called a juice FAST. It's purpose is to clean out my organs of toxins that are stuck and causing problems in my system. So far, in the last 17 days I have lost 3 pounds and am sure that I will lose a couple more during the fast. That is not my end goal, but I am feeling good and pulled out a dress today that I haven't worn in quite a while because I felt a little too chunky for it. It was super tight in the arms and my lower belly bulge was not flattering. Today I felt so good wearing it. I had some room to breathe in the arms and my belly wasn't sticking out at all. It feels really good.
I have taken several juicing recipes out of a book called "The Juicing Lady's Big Book of Juices and Green Smoothies." She talks about her own inspirational story that got her juicing and eating a largely clean and raw diet and she has over 400 recipes for juicing and smoothies. I love this book and recommend it to anyone who is looking for a change. It is really eye opening and good to hear yet another story of someone suffering from similar symptoms to my own and how they cured themselves through this process that I am undertaking. I was talking to Craig last night about it and I realized that when this is over, I don't think I can ever go back to how I was before. Yes I will eat bread from time to time and indulge in a sweet treat, but this really is a lifestyle change. This process is at times painful but overall so rewarding. I know that Heavenly Father is helping me and knows what I need and I am so grateful for that help and strength. Craig wants to start making some of these changes in his life as well and he has been so supportive. I love him very much!
I will let you know how my full on juicing adventures goes. I will be trying a lot of new juicing recipes and reviewing them here.
I have taken several juicing recipes out of a book called "The Juicing Lady's Big Book of Juices and Green Smoothies." She talks about her own inspirational story that got her juicing and eating a largely clean and raw diet and she has over 400 recipes for juicing and smoothies. I love this book and recommend it to anyone who is looking for a change. It is really eye opening and good to hear yet another story of someone suffering from similar symptoms to my own and how they cured themselves through this process that I am undertaking. I was talking to Craig last night about it and I realized that when this is over, I don't think I can ever go back to how I was before. Yes I will eat bread from time to time and indulge in a sweet treat, but this really is a lifestyle change. This process is at times painful but overall so rewarding. I know that Heavenly Father is helping me and knows what I need and I am so grateful for that help and strength. Craig wants to start making some of these changes in his life as well and he has been so supportive. I love him very much!
I will let you know how my full on juicing adventures goes. I will be trying a lot of new juicing recipes and reviewing them here.
Valentines Day
By the time Valentine's Day came around I had again prepared myself mentally to be strong. As I was getting ready to go pop popcorn that I COULDN'T EAT for the entire elementary school, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to my sweet visiting teacher who had a plate of yummy, thick, giant, frosting covered sugar cookies. OH MY GOODNESS! Can you say a weakness of mine? I LOVE sugar cookies. But I immediately put them away in my cupboard and took them to the school and left them in the teachers lounge. Crisis averted. I popped 355 bags of delicious smelling popcorn and then went home and ate my quinoa and chicken veggie stir-fry, which was delicious. My sweet husband brought me some beautiful flowers and a vegetable tray and my great friend Carolina brought me a plate of strawberries and blueberries. I am so lucky to have so many people out there supporting me.
I am happy to say that I survived VALENTINES DAY! OH yeah, go me, uh huh! I am feeling very good and my energy is great. I am craving sweets and am still eating frozen grapes from time to time and have had an occasional Berry Super Mega Odwalla bar to keep me as clean as possible. However I need to lay off the fruits that have so much sugar or I will never be able to kick the sugar habit completely.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Day 11
I have been sugar free, dairy free and gluten free for 10 days! This is the longest I have ever gone without sugar, let alone the other foods that I have given up. I have lost 3 pounds in those 10 days and my energy is great. I am also noticing some changes in my body. I can feel the cleansing process happening. I have energy and I feel good! I got a little head cold over the weekend which was a little ironic because I am taking such mega doses of immunity boosting supplements, but all the kids had the fever and flu so I will count myself lucky!
One thing that I am finding to be very helpful is to stay busy and when I am craving I will grab a handful of nuts, some strawberries or a small bag of frozen grapes. Those frozen grapes are like candy I tell ya! I am having a hard time ingesting some of the things I am supposed to because they taste awful and I CANNOT swallow them by themselves and so I have to put it in a smoothie. Therefore, I have to have a smoothie everyday just to get some of the nutrients in.
Yesterday I was really craving some regular food, like a chili dog, or even just a burrito! I made burritos for the family and I have my smoothie for dinner. I am missing some of those foods that I ate before without even a second thought. But I am also learning to enjoy fresh whole foods and am learning more ways to cook them. Last night for dinner we had spaghetti. So for me, I had spaghetti squash and made my own sauce with a little bit of elk meat, tomatoes, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, zuchini and cauliflower. I ate that over the spaghetti squash and it was delicious. I also sauteed up some fresh green beans and they were yummy! For breakfast I had my homemade applesauce and granola again and for lunch I had just some random fruits and veggies raw because I was sick and didn't have a really desire to whip something up. Leftover spaghetti squash for lunch today and I can't wait! I am going to eat some quinoa this morning with a little bit of almond milk, nuts and strawberries!
I have been pinning a lot of desserts on pinterest and it makes me crave so it is my goal to try to limit my time on pinterest a little this week, because when I am constantly pinning yummy desserts I become a little anxious because I really want them but my mind is still resolute that it is just not going to happen. Gonna get in some good scripture study and prayer this week and focus on my kids and getting my house clean and sanitized!
One thing that I am finding to be very helpful is to stay busy and when I am craving I will grab a handful of nuts, some strawberries or a small bag of frozen grapes. Those frozen grapes are like candy I tell ya! I am having a hard time ingesting some of the things I am supposed to because they taste awful and I CANNOT swallow them by themselves and so I have to put it in a smoothie. Therefore, I have to have a smoothie everyday just to get some of the nutrients in.
Yesterday I was really craving some regular food, like a chili dog, or even just a burrito! I made burritos for the family and I have my smoothie for dinner. I am missing some of those foods that I ate before without even a second thought. But I am also learning to enjoy fresh whole foods and am learning more ways to cook them. Last night for dinner we had spaghetti. So for me, I had spaghetti squash and made my own sauce with a little bit of elk meat, tomatoes, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, zuchini and cauliflower. I ate that over the spaghetti squash and it was delicious. I also sauteed up some fresh green beans and they were yummy! For breakfast I had my homemade applesauce and granola again and for lunch I had just some random fruits and veggies raw because I was sick and didn't have a really desire to whip something up. Leftover spaghetti squash for lunch today and I can't wait! I am going to eat some quinoa this morning with a little bit of almond milk, nuts and strawberries!
I have been pinning a lot of desserts on pinterest and it makes me crave so it is my goal to try to limit my time on pinterest a little this week, because when I am constantly pinning yummy desserts I become a little anxious because I really want them but my mind is still resolute that it is just not going to happen. Gonna get in some good scripture study and prayer this week and focus on my kids and getting my house clean and sanitized!
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Chicken Nugget
A funny thing happened today! This morning I was going through facebook and saw this super yummy picture of what processed chicken products look like before they are formed into patties or nuggets. This is McDonalds baby! Also, most store bought processed chicken products. I vowed never to eat another McDonalds chicken nugget again!
So.......I was making chicken strips for the kids today for lunch because I had them and they were hungry and they were white meat okay. I was making myself a super awesome and yummy green smoothy. I chopped and blended and got ready to enjoy MY lunch! However, after one gulp I realized that it was a miserable failure. Not edible AT ALL in my opinion. So, I was frustrated and hungry as I poured it all down the drain. I turned around and what was staring me in the face.......CHICKEN NUGGETS! They were white meat with no sugar but they were still processed and contained wheat flour. Without thinking much, I grabbed one and ate it. Then I ate a few more! They were good I am not going to lie! I can't believe that I had my first mess up! And here is my promise: I WILL NOT EAT ANOTHER CHICKEN NUGGET DURING THIS CLEANSE! Hopefully I can stear clear from the nasty little chunks of meat forever. Here's to a new day. And to redeem myself I am now eating a bowl full of celery, cucumbers and grape tomatoes with a little bit of EVOO, apple cider vinegar and salt and pepper. Yummy! I will redeem myself at dinner too!
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Monday, February 4, 2013
Day 4
It is day four of my body cleansing program and so far so good. I have to admit that tonight I was craving a bit. Not just sugar, but food in general. Craig is gone for a quick business trip and so the kids wanted Totino's pizzas. Those things are cheap and horrible for you, but I grew up eating them and I really like them! I wanted to eat it sooooo bad! Instead, I made my green smoothie and ate my nuts and focused on how good I will feel when this is all over. Last night I made some really yummy chicken stir-fry with all fresh vegetables. I added in some raw cashews and some gluten-free soy sauce. I ate it over long grain brown rice and it was delicious! Todays menu was a BLT for breakfast using uncured bacon, a whole roma tomato, lettuce and brown rice gluten free bread. For lunch I had leftover stir-fry and for my snack I had a pear. Dinner was a green smoothie jam packed with goodness and a handful of raw cashews. I am very full tonight! I can do this!
Friday, February 1, 2013
Fat Doesn't Make you Fat....Sugar Does!
So today is the start of my first day of transformation including no sugar! I am eating some fruits but other than that....NO SUGAR....at all, in anything....even sugar alcohol. So here is part of the reason why. You might find some of these facts interesting.
Problems with fructose:
That is so true for me. I get the munchies in the afternoon and I find that I eat one snack and then I want more and more and more and I don't feel full. Fructose is the one thing in our body that does not tell us when we need to stop, it only feeds the fire. That's why we can sit and eat a whole sleeve of oreos and a bag of chips without stopping to breathe and then it will hit you later when it's already too late! Then you feel horrible and the damage has been done.
Some fun food facts:
"Change doesn't happen with an about-face. It happens by building up habits in our minds. Slowly, by flexing regularly, we build new neural pathways in our brains until we're doing things differently, effortlessly. So every day that we flex our "I'm not eating sugar, thanks" musicle, the stronger we get." Sarah Wilson I Quit Sugar
My menu today so far: (I am trying to eat as raw as I can)
Breakfast: oatmeal, chopped up raw pumpkin seeds
Snack: 2 raw unpeeled organic carrots
Lunch: Homemade guacamole over toasted brown rice bread (no gluten or dairy for me!)
Snack: Green smoothie with spinach, banana, strawberry, wheatgrass and 1 tbsp EFA's
Dinner will be: Chicken breast with tomato sauce over green salad with raw broccoli
Also a whole load of new supplements that I have started today that will help with digestion, immune system and more such as enzymes, probiotics, Vitamin B, E, L-Glutamine, Coconut oil, Colostrum, Zinc and blood and skin rejuvinator. Also consuming a Barley and Aloe juice everyday and water and lemons up the ying yang.
Problems with fructose:
- It makes us eat more and more
- It converts directly into fat
That is so true for me. I get the munchies in the afternoon and I find that I eat one snack and then I want more and more and more and I don't feel full. Fructose is the one thing in our body that does not tell us when we need to stop, it only feeds the fire. That's why we can sit and eat a whole sleeve of oreos and a bag of chips without stopping to breathe and then it will hit you later when it's already too late! Then you feel horrible and the damage has been done.
Some fun food facts:
- Table sugar=50% fructose, 50% sucrose
- Banana=55% sugar-half of which is fructose
- Honey=40% fructose
- Agave=up to 90% fructose
"Change doesn't happen with an about-face. It happens by building up habits in our minds. Slowly, by flexing regularly, we build new neural pathways in our brains until we're doing things differently, effortlessly. So every day that we flex our "I'm not eating sugar, thanks" musicle, the stronger we get." Sarah Wilson I Quit Sugar
My menu today so far: (I am trying to eat as raw as I can)
Breakfast: oatmeal, chopped up raw pumpkin seeds
Snack: 2 raw unpeeled organic carrots
Lunch: Homemade guacamole over toasted brown rice bread (no gluten or dairy for me!)
Snack: Green smoothie with spinach, banana, strawberry, wheatgrass and 1 tbsp EFA's
Dinner will be: Chicken breast with tomato sauce over green salad with raw broccoli
Also a whole load of new supplements that I have started today that will help with digestion, immune system and more such as enzymes, probiotics, Vitamin B, E, L-Glutamine, Coconut oil, Colostrum, Zinc and blood and skin rejuvinator. Also consuming a Barley and Aloe juice everyday and water and lemons up the ying yang.
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