Day 32

You are invited to visit my website @ http://www.raw-food-for-health.com/
Day 32
Jan. 31, 2012
Tuesday AM

Physical:
I got to bed around 10:00- woke up twice, slept kind of restlessly. Didn't want to get up @ 6:00, but alas, I must! Juiced 1/2 gallon and got the broth from the pulp going- I LOVE the broth! Out the door by 7:00 to get the kiddo to the bus stop and off to the gym. Walked 30 minutes- probably too aggressive again- cuz I'm tired and feel kind of weak. But it felt good at the time :) Then did 12 minutes in the Beauty Angel- hey, I need all the help I can get!

I'm feeling much better now and much cleaner and less toxic now that the Chlorella's have moved out! Whew! Had a very successful colonic yesterday :) They didn't seem to do much good with the Chlorella's taking up residence. I am very tired today- I'm sure I'm detoxing at the next level- woohoo! I want a nap!!

Juicing:
I don't seem to mind the juicing much anymore. I'm sure it's due to the new Breville juicer :) It's a beast- so fast! It does waste more than the Samson, but since I'm making broth from the pulp I don't much care. And it seems to not make that much difference in how much juice I get. And I'm able to juice while making dinner for the fam. and get most of it cleaned up before the food is on the table- so I don't feel like I'm taking "extra" time to do it. I do my fruit juice at that time.

Psychology:
I'm forging ahead on my website- started another section. I'm too tired to clean right now, it's all I can do to maintain the kitchen.

I was so surprised when we went to the car this morning at 7:00- it was 43*!! Wow! Is it still January?! Even for February that is fantastic! It was gorgeous out, and the sunrise was beautiful to top it off :)

Day 31

You are invited to visit my website @ http://www.raw-food-for-health.com/
Day 31
Jan. 30, 2012
Monday AM

Was having severe computer issues yesterday :( Nothing can put me on my last nerve faster than computer issues!! UGH! But I'm thankful- so very thankful, to have enough warning to back up everything I want to keep! Woohoo!! And hubby is working on it as I type :) I think it's going to be okay, but if not, that's okay too. We have a great computer guy who will clean it off and restore it for $35!! The important thing is I got to save everything- whew! I have a really old back up computer that will suffice for work if I have to take this one to the shop.

Physical:
So I was up til midnight last night trying to solve my computer problems so I didn't get the sleep I would have liked, so I didn't go to the gym either. I was pretty tired all weekend, so I'm not upset about not going to the gym.

I'm still amazed at the solids passing through my body!! WTHeck! I'm not eating anything!! I thought the Chlorella family had all evacuated! I do feel better with each "passing moment" though! ;-) Love Cascara, magnesium and deep cleansing tea!

Juicing:
I feel like I spent the entire weekend in the kitchen! Between shopping, juicing, fixing meals and cleaning up- YIKES! I only drank 1 quart of my green juice yesterday, so I still have a quart for today. I think I will take a break from juicing today :) I drank 1/2 the quart for breakfast and am sipping on broth now, I also had some orange/grapefruit/kefir too. I had plenty of that as well, and tea, and I can always make a master cleanse or two if necessary.

There's a lot about juicing in the winter that I don't like, but one thing I do like is having the cold garage for produce storage! When I do this again in the summer I know I'll have to be making more trips to the store b/c of storage insufficiencies.

I made a batch of fruit juice yesterday with the Breville- really hit the spot: watermelon, grapes, strawberry with a splash of lemon- YUMI!! It was hard not to guzzle it.

Psychology:
Not getting things done as fast as I'd like is really making me suffer emotionally! It just seems to be taking forever to build my site and clean out the house!! There's not a whole lot left to clean, but I'd still like to get 'er done. Still TONS to do on my website though- that will be a long term project. I feel like I'm becoming an octopus with the raw food business (a tenticle growing for each area I consider)- so many areas to explore, so many things I want to do with it: writing webpages, writing ebooks, teaching classes, taking classes, writing my blog, keeping in touch with other blogs and forums... etc!

Day 30

You are invited to visit my website @ http://www.raw-food-for-health.com/
Day 30
Jan. 29, 2012
Sunday AM

Physical:
This adventure into the land of just juice has really been a fantastic learning experience. I've learned so much about my own body already. I am so much more in tune to my digestive system now, and have become better acquainted with the goings on in my liver as well. It's fascinating! I love learning how to manipulate my body by what I feed myself- it's such a feeling of self mastery and control- the antithesis of being a victim- love that!

So yeah, yesterday morning I thought I had rid myself of the green alien inside me, but I continued to give birth to siblings! I couldn't believe how many of them there were- the entire Chlorella family had taken up residence in my intestines. I gave them all a ride down the water slide from hell!! lol

Also feeling very thin today after the birthing experience yesterday. To induce labor I took extra Cascara Segrada and Magnesium Citrate powder- not sure how much of an effect the cleansing tea might have had too.

Brenda shared some nice teas with us yesterday at the class. I hate herbal teas, but tried the Deep Cleanse by Bija- YUM! I had to go next door and buy a box- so glad I tried it! Very surprised I like it, and it goes perfectly with my juicing journey.

I'm also not so cold today- woohoo!!

Slept pretty well for about 5 hours, but woke up at 3:00, read from 4:00-4:30 and went back to sleep- restlessly until 7:00. Still a bit tired, but I'm chalking it up to healing/detoxing :)

Juicing:
Oh man, did I make a mess this morning!! It would have only taken me 1/2 hour to make 1/2 gallon of juice, except for the mess! Still love my new juicer, but it did seem a bit more wasteful today- spitting a lot of unjuiced bits out the back. But, I am boiling broth with it- so I'm not too upset over it- more flavor for the broth :)  and the juice is really good! I juiced:
2 pounds Tomatoes
1 pound Kale
1 head Celery
1 Cucumber
1 bunch Parsley
2 heads Romaine

I added just the right amount of salt, garlic, cumin and chili pepper today for Mexican juice :)

I'm all out of makings now- will take a shower and do some shopping here in a few.

Psychology:
I so want to get to clean out my office- but the birds live here during the day and totally freak out if I'm not a good girl and just sit in my chair with my computer! And by the time I put them to bed, I'm done! I have a plan though! It will happen!

Working on my website- slowly... regrouping... cleaning out my MKL and will go back over the action guide and Key Words. Need to research for a coupla more pages before I build out another section. So I do have a plan there too- just need to push forward.

Feeling better- not so cranky. Ken thanked me for being nice yesterday! hahaha! I'm happy to not be exercising much.

Day 29

You are invited to visit my website @ http://www.raw-food-for-health.com/

Day 29
Jan. 28, 2012
Saturday AM

Physical:
I haven't experienced not working out yet, but my body seems to be anticipating the rest period with joy :) I was doing my research and learned that detoxing is supposed to be a restful period so the body has the needed energy to repair and heal itself. I will walk 3 days a week for 20 minutes, and that's about it from now until the end.

I haven't lost any more weight, which is a good thing. But with no weight lifting in my near future I will lose muscle mass, which will account for another 5-6 pound loss in my estimation. Still holding steady at 126.5.

Thank God for cascara sagrada which can move concrete! With the reduction in exercise and lifting I will stop taking chlorella for now- it's turning into concrete in my system- ugh! I felt like I had an alien that wanted to escape, lol. Whew- feeling much better now :)

Will finish this up later, I have a body systems class I need to go to! :)

Okay- I'm back! :) We covered 4 body systems today- will cover 6 next week. I learned a lot and this will be great stuff for my website, which is what I was hoping for! But one thing of interest to me personally was the whole liver thing. Anger is stored in the liver and during a detox or cleansing diet one can experience a release of those emotions. If you are experiencing anger or irritation it is a sign that the liver is either not functioning properly or it's not keeping up with the removal of toxicity from the body. I have been craving garlic, and now I know why- it helps the liver to detoxify! Our bodies truly do know what they need.

Juicing:
I spent 45 minutes in the kitchen this morning making 1/2 gallon of juice for the day, but that included cleaning up the whole kitchen too. The beast made the juice in about 10 minutes, maybe less. I'm excited about the world of possible juice combinations this juicer has opened up to me :) I will be shopping tomorrow... watermelon, strawberries, cranberries...grapes! YAY!! Oh, and pineapple! can't wait! :) And my organic box comes in on Tuesday too- woohoo! I'll be doing that every week from now on.

I made broth last night from the left over pulp, and wow, I LOVE it! Pass the garlic please! It is soooo comforting... pulp broth, my new comfort food!! lol!

Psychology:
I kinda addressed this in the physical section cuz they can be so closely tied together. But not feeling as cranky/irritable today- yay! But I am tired- more tired than I've ever been since I started. Detoxing is supposed to be a time of rest, and now that my body knows I'll be giving it rest I think it is relieved.

Day 28

You are invited to visit my website @ http://www.raw-food-for-health.com/
Day 28- wow! the time is really ticking by...
Jan. 27, 2012
Friday- woohoo!

Physical:
My face is starting to clear up a little :) Still have 1 big red zit on my right cheek. I'm noticing an improvement in the moisture content of my skin as well. I used to get calluses around my fingernails- it drove me crazy! But the worst part is I'd bite at it and pick at it ,and I would end up with sores around my nails and it hurt! If I put my hands in the water one time during the day I could guarantee this dry hard skin around my nails- it was maddening! I can't say it's completely gone, but it is much better. When I bite or pick at it it doesn't peel away down to the flesh like it used to- so no more sores!! YAY!! :)

Also- my chronic cough is gradually getting better. I don't have as many "hacking sessions" as I used to- yay again!! And coughing rarely interrupts my phone conversations anymore (I am a phone contact customer service rep!).

Slept well again last night :) And I did decide to workout yesterday. I did 30 minutes on the eliptical and went 4.15 miles! That's a record, and my pulse was lower than normal too! wow!

Juicing/ Time/ Money:
I'm not keeping track of money anymore- since I did it the first month and it was approx. $300. That includes the honey that I haven't used up yet, but doesn't include my order from Swanson Vitamins b/c those items aren't actually necessary.

My, did I say my? ...et em, my husband's Breville came today- woohoo!! not in time to use it before work though. But I had some time just now and made over a quart in just a few minutes!! This thing is a monster! I am very very pleased with it. It did the apples so wonderfully :) There was hardly anything to strain! What a great investment.

Psychology:
I've been very grouchy the last few days- poor Ken! A coupla things I'm thinking might be the reason why: not enough sleep those 2 nights and working out too hard (causing too much stress physically). I'm resisting taking my anti-anxiety meds, although Ken is encouraging me to do just that... I think he'd really like to see me calm down! I made juice with celery and spinach in it just now, so hopefully that will help too.

Day 27

You are invited to visit my website: http://www.raw-food-for-health.com/
Day 27
Jan. 26, 2012
Thursday AM

The days just keep ticking by. They don't seem quite as long as they did the first week, so things must be getting a little easier. Evenings still seem just as hard though. Tomorrow night is the monthly dinner for our tribe of lady friends- 6 will be there this time. I am responsible for spaghetti. It'll be hard for sure, but I need a ladies' night. I'm not sure if I'll just sit in the living room by the fire... spaghetti! yes, I'll be in the living room; I've been craving SAUCE!! I'll make another Italian Juice to bring with me and some broth if I have time to make it- that should help a little. It's not like I'm going to cheat at this point though b/c I know I can't break my fast with any old kind of food...

Physical:
I SLEPT!! woohoo!! Got into bed at 9:30! That is about as early as I can make it. I turned the electric blanket on high and fell asleep- woke up 2 hours later in a puddle of sweat! GROSS! I had to change everything! I'll tell you what- I felt really skinny this morning! haha Weigh in will be tomorrow night though- I weigh at Heidi's where we have our tribal get togethers. But I digress... got 8 hours sleep again- I soooo needed that. So last night before bed I drank some Italian Juice and took a Rhodiola and 2 Ashwaghanda caps... will do that again tonight since it seemed to work so well.

I'm a bit tired today... I went shopping this morning instead of working out.... debating on whether to just take the day off or do something lighter??? not sure yet, I still have about 1/2 hour to make up my mind...

Juice/ Time/ Money: $297
It took me about 1/2 hour to juice and strain my the tomatoes that go with the green stuff I juiced on Tuesday. I made more Italian Juice again for today- it's so good.

Spent another $14 this morning- so just about $300 for a month of juicing, plus I still have a case of apples, 6 pounds of tomatoes and some other stuff for tomorrow's juice- so, about $75/week so far.

I was on Joe Cross's blog yesterday and saw a great idea. On his program he allows his people to make veggie stock out of the extracted pulp!! I know it's cooked, but I still think I'm going to do it. I hate wasting the pulp for one thing, and I'm so cold all the time and I hate herbal teas, but love broth. And it would get more fluid into me too. I'm actually excited about broth, lol.

I also started to make water kefir again too- yay! I added some to my orange/grapefruit juice this morning- so good!

Oh, and my juicer comes tomorrow!!! WOOHOO!! There's no telling what time it will come, but I don't care- tomorrow I have to juice greens again, so I'm just going to hold off. I'll do oranges and grapefruit again and master cleanse it until I can use my new juicer. So these 3 new additions should really boost my morale to help keep me going for the next 65 days :)

Psychology:
Feeling kinda cranky today :P I'm cold and tired, and it's overcast, but my office is warm- so yay to that! Yesterday I just couldn't get warm at all. I got the heating pad out and sat on it all day, hahaha! Hey, it helped!

I'm not having time to go through to clean stuff out, but I did get another page up on my website and secured another inbound link- yay! I'm working on another page now- it should go up today as well :) I have to keep pressing forward toward my goals... however slowly it may be. Pressing on...

Day 26

You are invited to visit my website @ http://www.raw-food-for-health.com/
Day 26
Jan. 25, 2012
Wednesday AM

Physical:
UGH! Couldn't sleep after 3 AM!! which means I got only 4 hours sleep :/  But knowing I needed the rest I just lie there until 5:00- got up and went to the gym :) I decided today to do light weight/ high reps- I got 25-30 reps on most machines, and I worked pretty hard on the steps in between- good workout. Then I did the Beauty Angel since there was no wait and I had time. Back home- breakfast for the kiddo, made my juice for the day, cleaned the kitchen, took a shower/ make up/ hair/ made the bed by 8:30!! woohoo! Love it!

But I am a little tired and not looking forward to the struggle of the day b/c of it :/ I did have a small master cleanse with chlorella right before bed, but had no trouble falling asleep. I'm thinking it's coritisol... I'll drink the master cleanse for dinner and save the green stuff for before bed- see if that helps, plus I'll take some ashwaghanda tonight too.

I feel like I've lost more weight b/c I'm too lazy to make enough juice! It's just too much work with the Samson- can't wait to get my Breville- hurry up Amazon!!

Juicing/ Time/ Money:
Spent about 1/2 hour making my Italian Juice. Yesterday was Mexican with cumin and chili powder; today is Italian with Italian herbs :) Yumi!

Psychology:
I am loving this journey. I kinda feel a little more settled on just juice- is it getting easier to not eat or am I just getting used to the battle? not sure.

I've known this, but it just rang true to me yesterday- every commitment is a choice that negates something else- meaning every time you choose something you are NOT choosing something else/ we give up something in order to have something- it's like a trade off. And also- every commitment is tested... just some random thoughts...

I feel like my life is taking on new directions, opening up new opportunities. If it hadn't been for Juicefeasting.com I would never have found Raw Food Rehab- which has really enriched my life. And through them I discovered more closely Russell James and ordered his new course yesterday!! woohoo!! This is what I will use to bring raw food to Altoona. I hope to teach a 10 week course at the YMCA using his material :)

Day 25

You are invited to visit my website: www.raw-food-for-health.com

Day 25
Jan. 24, 2012
Tuesday afternoon

Physical:
I feel amazing today! Got almost 8 hours sleep, was up by 5:30 to juice. Off to the bus stop, then to the gym, home by 8:00 to shower (skin brushing first). I'm still a wee bit tired though- will try to get to bed early again to catch up from the night before. Yesterday I was really dragging by afternoon and was a little cranky- it was a tough day, but I made it through :)

Had an awesome workout this morning- gave it probably about 95% effort- just had to ;) Went up in weights (even though I shouldn't be!) I'm very happy with my workout performance level.

Face is still a bit broken out- darnit! forgot to do a mud mask while I was having a colonic :/ Yeah, and more foulness from that, but not quite so bad as past times. I really massaged my gut all the while too- could hear lots of sloshing and gurgling going on. I'm sure I broke stuff free/loose. I was suprised by the amount of waste that was removed since I strain my juices real well- it had to be stuff that had been impacted.... grossness!

Juicing/ Time/ Money:
Juiced from 5:40- 7:00 including full clean up- made over 3 quarts of hard core green juice:
3 heads Celery
1 bunch Parsley
1 pound Kale
10 oz Spinach
2 cucumbers
3 heads Romaine

Take 2 cups of that and mix with a pound of juiced tomatoes, 3 cloves of garlic (woohoo!), cumin, chili powder and salt- omg, soooo YUMI! I can't get enough of it!!

I also used my Jupiter to juice lemons, oranges and a grapefruit. I have enough juice for today, and enough green juice for tomorrow and Thursday, but will need to juice apples and/or tomatoes to mix it with :/  I can't wait for my Breville to come!! Instead of reporting on how much time it takes me to juice I feel like I should be reporting on the time I am not juicing- ugh! If I didn't need to strain it, it wouldn't be so bad, but the Samson is horrible with pulp from fruits or anything too soft :(

Started more water kefir today- decided to add some of that in. Thanks Ayn! ;)

Psychology:
I find myself saying, "I'm so excited" a lot lately! I'm so full of energy (most of the time) and life just seems so much more exciting!

Didn't get a chance to clean anything out yesterday- too busy with work and had to hit the rack early. But I did forget to report that I went through lots of stuff in the laundry room the other day. Getting a lot done! But I did work a little on my website yesterday- so that's a good thing. I really need to start focusing on that more too. AHHH! so much to do, so little time!

Day 24

Day 24
Jan. 23, 2012
Monday AM

Physical:
Well, I only got about 3 hours sleep last night- ugh! I just couldn't get to sleep in the first place. So that's the last time I'll do a COFFEE enema at 3 PM, lol! I also drank orange/grapefruit juice and had a half teaspoon of honey before trying to retire :P , so yeah, probably my fault. I'll take some ashwaghanda after work to help jump start sleep mode tonight though. I am going to turn in early.

And b/c I only got 3 hours sleep I decided it wasn't a good idea to workout- especially since I'm not supposed to be working out as hard as I am anyhow. But I did go to the gym to use the Beauty Angel :)

Here's a great write up on what it is if you've never heard about it:
http://www.beauty-angel.eu/content/index.php/4/130/0/download_gallery.htm  My gym includes it in the "Black Card" membership, which is only $19.99/month! Ridiculously low price for a gym that includes chair massage, red light therapy (Beauty Angel) and tanning (which I don't use and don't recommend). Where? Planet Fitness! Check to see if there's one near you ;)

Yesterday I started to notice a strange tingling sensation on my backside!?! I'm like- wtheck is that? It's mostly on the fleshy part of my butt. I'm wondering if it's the Beauty Angel- I have it set for skin tightening and micro-circulation. At any rate it feels weird, hahaha. (but can't feel it while sitting- which is most of the time!)

Face is breaking out- yay? :/ Well it means I am detoxing- so that's a good thing :)

Not really craving anything since I started upping the chlorella. I take 1/4 cup a day- 2 T, twice a day- once in the morning sometime and the other for dinner. Other sups I take: MSM, hemp oil and pee pollen. I should throw in an enzyme cap in the AM too- that will also help eat up more toxic crap in my system.

Juicing/ Time/ Money: $283
Okay- this is a big UGH in every area!! I am just so tired of spending so much time juicing! I bought a reconditioned Breville for $149 from Amazon during the time I should have been sleeping! I bought it with my husband in mind though, no really, I did!! ;-)  Out of 22 ratings 18 of them were 5 stars. It looks and sounds like a real "man machine". One reviewer said that it was so powerful sounding it was kinda scary, lol. And it has a wide chute (very little prep required), has easy clean up and juices 8 oz. in 5 seconds!! If that's not a man juicer, I don't know what is! I'm hoping it will get my husband on the raw food band wagon to weight loss and optimal health. BUT I'm also hoping it saves me tons of time in the kitchen for the next 68 days. If it does both of those things it will have been well worth it- and then some.

Because I didn't go to the gym I decided to go buy tomatoes (and a few extras)- spent $18 which gives us the total above, not including the man juicer- just food.

I'm also going to be buying Russell James' new course that just came out :) I plan to use the 10 week course to teach a 10 week class at the YMCA- wish me luck! I won't start studying until April though- b/c of the juicing. I just don't think I could stand the torture, lol. The advice is to stay away from as much food/ advertising as possible to help avoid temptation- good advice! Wish I didn't have to cook!

Psychology:
I forced myself to spend more time cleaning yesterday. Cleaned out this big hutch/cabinet in my bedroom- lots of junk jewelry. It doesn't take up much space, but why accumulate junk? Why hold on to stuff like that? I offered it to Steve, and he took most of it! I was glad he wanted it and thought it was useful :)

I was pretty excited all weekend. I'm so happy to find Raw Food Rehab- what a find!! I am really looking forward to forming great relationships with other crazy people like myself and exchanging encouragement and information :)

I have been in a great mood, my spirits have been high. I never knew raw food/ juice could make you feel so amazing... in the head! It's better than drugs or alcohol- seriously! High on life- high on raw food- high on juice!

Day 23

You are invited to visit: http://www.raw-food-for-health.com/
Day 23
Jan. 22, 2012
Sunday AM

Well I couldn't be more excited! I found the Raw Food Rehab Center and have been making friends with like minded crazy people such as myself ;-) I was able to ask my "Why no tomatoes?" question and got a great answer- they are in the nightshade family and if picked before ripe they contain a poison.

Physical:
I've been sleeping well. Got another 8 hours last night- woohoo! That feels so good- I really need that.

I didn't workout yesterday- went shopping and juiced. I will today though.

I've been getting a few pimples I don't normally get- more toxic release- yay!

I weighed in yesterday- NO CHANGE!! woohoo! I held steady which I worked hard to do. I feel like my weight is down today though, but with no scale I won't know until Friday when I go to Heidi's.

Juicing/ Time/ Money:
I spent $50 yesterday- brings my total to $265. I spent 2 hours juicing yesterday, but that isn't quite accurate b/c it only took me about 45 minutes to do the greens. I spent the rest of the time messing around with the tomatoes. I found out I can juice tomatoes! woohoo! Love the tomatoes and garlic. So this is what I juiced:
6 heads Romaine
1 bunch Parsley
9 oz Spinach
1 pound Kale
2 heads Celery
That made almost a gallon. I take 2 cups of that, 1 pound of tomatoes, a clove or 2 of garlic and a little salt and mix in the Vita-mix- YUM! of course there is lots of straining involved, but it's worth the effort. I love it, but my bird doesn't- she wants to know what happened to the apples!! She loves my sweet green juice! :)

Psychology:
Still wanting to get on with the cleaning out of garbage. I took 2 big bags of stuff to Goodwill yesterday and cleaned out a small portion of my big walk in closet. I'll wait for a few month to go through my dress pants as they are all big on me now. Still working on maintaining beautiful thoughts, and need to keep moving forward on my website- I've been stuck lately :(

Day 22

Day 22
Jan. 21, 2012
Saturday AM

Physical:
Feeling awesome! Had a great 8 hours sleep last night, which is rare. Don't think I got up once, which also never happens. I have forgotten to mention that I was getting sores on my gums over the past week. I just so happened across a video of a women who worked with Ann Gilmore- she said it's from lack of protein! They did a study on 40 participants and on the 3rd week of juice fasting they got periodontal disease from not enough protein. I upped my intake of chlorella and they disappeared :)

I also forgot to mention that stinky flatulence can come from juice that is too old (gone bad).

Not sure if I'll have time to workout today, but it's no problem if I don't- not really supposed to be working out this hard anyhow.

Juicing/ Time/ Money:
No juicing yesterday, but need to shop and juice today. It snowed here pretty good last night, and they are plowing now. I'll go out a bit later. I joined the Raw Rehab forum and learned that tomatoes are part of the nightshade family and contain a poison if picked before ripe- that's why they aren't on the juicing protocol. Some people are sensitive to it, but not me! :)

Psychology:
Still interested in cleaning out my life, just like my body. I continue to go thru my stuff slowly, as time allows. Still off all meds. I read that the green juice is very calming- that is great to know! I knew it was good for stress, but didn't know it had that direct effect. I think I'll need to be on it the rest of my life than!

Day 21

You are invited to visit my website: http://www.raw-food-for-health.com/
Day 21! (the end of week 3 with 10 more to go- UGH!)
1/20/12 Friday afternoon

Physical:
Energy level is high- I don't usually feel tired until evening/night, and even then sometimes not. Weigh-in is tomorrow, can't wait to see if I lost or held steady- trying to hold steady, but the grumbly tummy says I probably lost.

I have had no side effects of any major detox since I have eaten a clean raw food diet for the past 10 months or so. I did go thru 3 or 4 levels of detox when I started the diet.

Worked out this morning- 30 minutes circuit training- doing well, trying to hold back a little. 12 minutes in the Beauty Angel also.

Juicing/ Time/ Money:
I juiced some lemons this morning with my citrus juicer- only took a few mintues. Love my Jupiter citrus press! I might have enough green juice for tomorrow, not sure. I'll need to shop though anyhow for juicing on Sunday (if not Sat. night)- need some greens.

Psychology:
Took some time to clean out more garbage from my closet. I have more than a huge garbage full now! Still not done with the closet, but just keep plugging away- so much other stuff to do! It's psychology b/c it's about cleaning out my life- making things simple, clean and organize and letting go of crap I don't need or use.

I found a fantastic website yesterday that will enhance my raw food business, but it's all on the culinary arts!! UGH! makes me so hungry watching all those videos! I joined the weekly academy he has, so I'll have to watch those anyhow, but apart from that I'm going to try to stay away from that until this is over. I need to join the green room, which I think I will do here in a few minutes.

The world of health and raw food just seems to be really opening up to me. I registered for The Body Systems classes being taught at the health center also. So I'm busy busy arming myself with knowledge for my business.

Day 20

You are invited to visit my website: http://www.raw-food-for-health.com/
Day 20!
Jan. 19, 2012
Thursday, AM

Physical:
I was very hungry yesterday, and when my husband heated himself lunch it nearly drove me insane! Yesterday was tough. I did workout- 30 minute express circuit training. I'm feeling good though. I'm feeling thin, but not sure if I've lost any more weight from Saturday or not. I'm dealing with stress pretty well on my own. I'm sleeping well too- I just need to get to bed earlier. It's getting easier to push the later hours now so I need to make a concentrated effort to get into bed by 10:30, 10:00 if I want to read.

I took the day off from working out today to juice. But also, my body needs a break... a rest day.

Juicing/ Time/ Money:
Okay- I juiced this morning for a LONG time! just under 3 hours!! But I put the pulp from the apples in the Vita-mix with a lot of water and processed and strained. It makes a watery sweet green juice when the green is added. I like it. It makes the apples go further too. I think it's worth the time it takes. I made 1 full gallon of green and a gallon of apple with the water. No kale at the store yesterday so the juice was made of:
3 heads Celery
6 heads Romaine
2 bunches Parsley
1 Cucumber
10 oz Spinach
That made a full gallon, then I juiced 22 apples. 2 hours and 45 minutes including clean up.

Add $7.50 to my juicing total... which is now $215.50 for almost 3 full weeks- not too bad I think. Plus I still can't believe how much money I'm saving from not buying all the specialty raw items I used to buy, such as: cacao, coconut oil, raw nuts (are expensive!), goji berries, stuff like that.

Psychology:
Still wanting to clean things out. I went through more of my closet yesterday and got a big pile of clothes for Goodwill :) I won't miss any of it! I can actually SEE what I have in there now. I still have more to go through- I don't have a lot of time, so I take 10 minutes here, 15 minutes there and just do what I can.

I'm also trying to monitor my thoughts. My theme for the year is BEAUTY, not so much the outward appearance either. But who doesn't like beautiful things?! But more so I want my LIFE to be beautiful, my thoughts, my heart and yes, my surroundings. And I'm starting the year off by cleansing and beautifying my body- the inside. Beauty starts within.

Day 19

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Day 19, Jan. 18, 2012, Wednesday AM

Physical:
So I noticed the commonality in the foods I was craving the other day- mostly meats and high protein stuff (and I don't even eat meat anymore!!). One thing we are "allowed" to have is chlorella, and just so happens that I have a huge container of it :) I got home from the gym both yesterday and today and made that drink I blogged about yesterday and feel so much more satisfied- yay! It just doesn't feel as much of a struggle anymore, and I don't sense that the weight loss will be as dramatic going forward either, which is good news. I can't afford to lose more than 1/2 pound a week from here on out. So once again the drink I make after the gym (which gives me about 18-20 grams of complete protein) is:
2 T Raw Honey
2 T Lemon Juice (fresh squeezed, of course!)
2 T Chlorella Powder
about 8-12 oz Water

Did my 30 minute circuit training again- I get cardio and weight training all in one in a hurry- love it!! That 30 minutes goes by very fast. And b/c it's only 30 minutes you can put your all into in ;)

I don't seem to be struggling with sleep anymore either, and have only been getting up once to pee lately- woohoo!

Still off all meds, and the cough I've struggled with for YEARS is getting a little better- woohoo again!

Juicing/ Time/ Money:
Nothing here to report- didn't juice yesterday, didn't shop, but I will today... shop, that is. I'll have to juice tomorrow though.

Pyschology:
Still working on cleaning things out. The cable guy was here yesterday so I went thru a box of stuff in the basement while he worked on the TV. I also went thru the rack of clothes in my closet, but still need to work on finishing the hanging clothes. It's hard getting rid of stuff b/c I have some really nice clothes from when I worked at the jewelry store. But I just don't have the need for them anymore- can't even wear 'em around the house b/c I have birds hanging out with me all day :) Really, all I need is workout clothes, jeans, tees, and a few dress clothes (in different seasons) for going out. I have dress clothes I haven't worn in years! Why is it so hard to part with them- ugh! I won't miss them if I give them away either.... just have to do it!

Day 18

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Day 18, Jan. 17, 2012, Tuesday AM

I seriously can't believe I've made it this long! 18 days with no solid food. I've come to the conclusion though that this is just not going to get any easier. Our bodies are designed for solids and I'm resigned to the fact that this will be a daily struggle.

Physical:
I think it will be a chore keeping weight on! I am really enjoying the feeling of being thinny though :) I'm below my ideal weight, but I like it. I feel great, I feel light and full of energy. I wake up in the mornings ready to go!! I can't remember when I've ever felt like that. I always had to drag my butt outta bed, feel my way to the coffee maker and stare into space for 2 hours until the engine would start!

And once again, the thought of having to take 4 days at this point to break my fast is enough to keep me going. After 12 days of fasting you can't just dive into solid food- there is a protocol to follow to re-awaken the digestive system that has been basically asleep.

Up at 6:10- morning chores, drove Steve (foster son) to the bus stop at 7:00 and off to the gym. 30 minutes of express circuit training, back home for skin brushing and shower. Even though my energy level is high, I'm starting to feel the lack of reserved energy for working out. I'm sure my glycogen stores are very low since my calorie intake is low. I don't want to stop the weight training though, so I'll probably just reduce the intensity of the cardio/step portion of the circuit.

The last 2 nights I've had a "special" juice for dinner. When I went shopping I bought strawberries, grapes and cranberries- juiced in the Vita-mix and strained 3 times, and it was still thick! I looked at that and thought, "I'm sure my body is going to find a way to make something solid out of this"- and sure enough! I haven't had an actual BM in probably more than a week. I've heard that people continue to pass solids, but I'm convinced it's b/c they aren't straining their juice well enough.

Juicing/ Time/ Money:
I spent 2 hours juicing last night- made 1.5 gallons again.

8 oz. Kale
10 oz. Spinach
6 heads Romaine
2 heads Celery
20 apples

When I got home from the gym this morning I made:
2 T honey
2 T lemon juice
2 T chlorella
about 10-12 oz water
pinch of 100,000 HU cayenne
I feel I need the extra protein from the chlorella. That drink provides me with about 18-20 grams of complete protein! And it's actually not bad tasting either- just ask Kermee, my Hahns Macaw- she couldn't get enough! haha I have to share everything with her- she insists! lol

Psychology:
Well, seems to be kinda boring on this front, but I still haven't taken any medication and don't even think about it much at all anymore :) I cleaned out more drawers yesterday- need to keep moving forward cleaning out the garbage and access. I want my life to be "light", simple, serene, beautiful, peaceful.

Day 17

Day 17, Jan. 16, 2012, Monday AM

Physical:
Today I woke up at 5:50, and was outta bed by 6:00. It occured to me just today that it used to take me almost 2 hours just to wake up in the morning and get going. My best time to workout was afternoon, but since that never fits with my work schedule (except on the weekends) I would go around 10:30 (or as late as possible). Today I was up by 6, got dressed, grabbed my water bottle and was out the door! I did my 30 minute experss circuit training and 12 minutes in the beauty angel and was home by 7:15! WOW! Up, alive, awake and ready to go- with NO coffee!! with no nothing actually! That's crazy!

I took yesterday off from the gym and shopped for produce. I also cooked for the fam.

Juicing/ Time/ Money:
I spent $35 yesterday- total now comes to $208. And since I've lost 9 pounds in 2 weeks I decided to buy some fruits for some fruit juice. They had strawberries and cranberries on sale and grapes weren't a bad price either. I came home and threw them in the Vita-mix and did the straining thing- the juice was still thick though, but oh so filling and yumi! I needed that! I also juiced more apples in the Vita-mix too- don't know how much time I spent juicing yesterday- an hour anyhow.

I think I'm going to put a Tablespoon of chlorella in my master cleanse tonight and see how that tastes- I bet it won't be bad. I'll have another grape/cran/strawberry drink too to help it down if it isn't good ;)

I'll need to juice for tomorrow- not sure how I'm going to do that- take a day off from the gym again or do it tonight or from 10-12 tomorrow??? At least I have plenty of options. I'll take the day off again- only supposed to be working out 3 days/week anyhow, and not even this early into the cleanse! Maybe I'll have time to walk tomorrow night, we'll see.

Psychology:
So yeah, took that cue from yesterday and started cleaning things out. Got a coupla bags of garbage and one for Goodwill- and that was just from 4 drawers, the bathroom closet and under my sink! It's time to get rid of stuff I don't use, don't want, don't need. The chore is going to be the garage, but I'm saving that for spring when it's warmer ;) Another big area is the laundry room, but I'll do that after everything else is done. Let's get rid of dead weight, garbage, things that do not add to my life, things that make organization hard.

Another thought I had the other day that is making staying on the juice feast a LITTLE easier is the fact that I can't just break it by eating whatever I want at this point. After the 12 day marker you need to break your fast in 3 days- the first being with prunes, the next with prunes and fruit, then leafy greens on the last day. So now that I'm this far along I might as well stay the course.

Day 16

Day 16, Sunday 1-15-12 AM

Physical:
I slept great last night- still getting up twice to pee though :/ A little shaky this morning and have also been light headed the last coupla days. I have to be careful when getting up. I'm taking the day off from the gym today- didn't have quite the steam yesterday that I usually do. Hurt my neck on the stupid crunch machine too- not doing that anymore (will do a different ab exercise instead).

Juicing/ Time/ Money
I juiced apples this morning with the Vita-mix. I don't like that method, but I do get more sweetness from the apples that way. I don't like having to juice them everyday so I'll probably just use my Samson every 2 or 3 days instead. Juicing takes time and it's messy- no way around that.

Since I'm not going to the gym today I'll use that time to do my produce shopping for the week. My honey finally came yesterday- and wow, is it sweet and yumi! It came just in time too b/c I had just finished off the last of my honey the night before in a master cleanse- which I have every night at dinner time (great break from all that green!) Although with enough sweetness I do like the green juice. I find I like it a little watered down too.

Psychology:
Nothing new I don't think. I'm still contemplating how I can most fully accept into my life my teacher's philosophy of having/owning/holding onto very little. I love that.... if you have nothing, you have nothing to lose and nothing to worry about protecting- what freedom, what simplicity, what beauty! It makes me think about housecleaning and all the stuff I can get rid of! Why do I hold onto junk?! Time to clean out the garbage- time to lighten the load, and time to pry things loose from my emotional grip.

Day 15

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1/14/12, Day 15, Saturday AM

Yesterday was not very eventful- can't remember much of anything noteworthy to say.

Physical:
I must have slept wrong last night as my neck is sore, and if I move it the wrong way it shoots a pain to my head! Feeling good otherwise- full of energy, never have a feeling of fatigue or mid-afternoon crash- never! I'm still a bit cold, but I'm just dressing warmer and really enjoying my new electric blanket :) That was a great reward for my first 10 days!

Juicing/ Time/ Money:
I juiced this morning- took me about 2.5 hours, but I played around with the Vita-mix today. I hate juicing 20+ apples through the Samson. I think doing the apples in the VM will be quicker, and I like the juice better too- less apples seems to be sweeter for some reason.

I add a couple of cups of water to begin with and process some quartered apples- add more apples, and more, until it's full- the strain it 3 times. I have a wire strainer that gets the big stuff, next is nylon strainer that gets more pulp and lastly a nut milk bag (really, I use a paint straining bag!! haha- cheaper and don't have to order- just go to Lowe's!) I like straining that way b/c I don't have to squeeze much of anything and almost no pulp whatsoever.

I will do the apples daily as the VM will oxidize them faster. I seriously like the juice much better too. I can juice the greens in less than an hour- enough to last 2 days. The apples shouldn't even take me 1/2 hour a day, and so easy to clean up :)

I'll probably need to shop by the middle of the week. We are holding steady at approx. $173 for 2 weeks, including $40 for honey that should last 2 months. So only $133 for produce for more than 2 weeks! CHEAP!

Hope I get my honey today- I'm all out!!

Psychology:
Can't think of anything new. But this past week has been amazing! Getting to the route of some long standing issues and searching out best options to deal with them. I just read an awesome write by one of my teachers David Wolfe: http://longevitywarehouse.blogspot.com/2012/01/why-i-am-not-millionaire-by-david.html  What freedom he has! I do envy that. This attitude is something I want to strive for. If I have nothing, I have nothing to lose! The more "stuff" we have, the more our energies are focused on protecting that stuff. Energy saved in one area can be better spent in more fulfilling arenas- helping others and giving back.

Day 14

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Day 14, Friday the 13th! AM

Well today marks 2 weeks on the juicefeasting protocol. I'm trying to follow it as closely as possible. I'm doing the skin brushing and enemas as often as I can (skin brushing before every shower and enema when the house is quiet, which is not everyday). I'm probably working out too hard at this stage, but it's hard to hold back- that's why I'm only doing the 1/2 express circuit training at the gym.

Physical:
I just posted last night b/c my schedule has changed. I was posting early in the mornings, but now I'm going to the gym early and have to work in blogging sometime later. I do the circuit training almost everyday as I have time. If I do it first thing in the morning I should be able to do it everyday. I don't think what I'm doing requires a rest day.

I'm almost always hungry, and it's kinda pissing me off, haha. Was hoping that would end, but since it's not a total fast, the juice keeps the metabolism going, so I do understand that.

I am not passing much of anything unless I do an enema (and even then it's not much). I'm straining my juices pretty well.

What keeps me going? I'm surprised I wake up each day with a renewed sense of will-power. One thought that helps me: I realize that we replace 200 billion cells a day, and over the course of 3-4 months we replace whole organs! So when this feast is done I will have replaced many organs and a LOT is tissue with living juice! And say good-bye to any tumors on a calorie reduced diet. The body's last priority is to "feed" a tumor. Undereating is a longevity concept for this reason.

Juicing/ Time/ Money
I won't have to juice today- and no shopping. I will have to shop and juice tomorrow, however. Wait, maybe I don't need to shop! I think I have everything I need actually- yay! :)  My raw honey should bee here today ;) yay again, b/c I'm just about to run out of what I have left.

I am saving money! I'm saving a lot more money than I ever thought- can't believe how much I used to spend- I never really kept track of my raw food bill before. I'll probably keep up the juicing habit forever now- it's cheap and the best thing on the planet for body, mind and spirit!

Psychology:
This is creating a whole new life for me- I can't believe the changes I'm seeing- finding solutions to long standing problems/issues- just DEALING with long standing issues! Finding ways to reduce stress by really getting to the source- it's amazing! Juice is mystical... magical!

Day 13

Day 13, Thursday, PM

Well yesterday had to be one of the worst days of my life- not THEE worst, but not too far off. It was tough. I can't discuss details because it would embarrass people. I can't believe I stuck with the juice, but I did. And at the end of an extremely hard emotional day I had to go grocery shopping for the family! UGH! What a way to end a bad day- grocery shopping for food I can't eat and it was cold and rainy out. I hate shopping in the cold and rain.

And though yesterday was horrible- today was awesome! Yesterday's events spurred some creative ways for solving issues, and I think my life is taking a turn for the better :) I'm looking forward to changes I see on the horizon.

Physical:
I'm still not taking any meds- I've not taken anything since I started. I don't even think about anxiety meds anymore :) Well, except for yesterday! I feel awesome though. I have plenty of energy. My sleep is sporadic though- some nights I sleep well and some I don't. I didn't get to workout yesterday, nor did I get my morning quiet time and no time/space for an enema- it was a seriously bad day.

Today, however, was awesome! I worked out first thing this morning and hope to continue that schedule from now on. I was also able to use the red light therapy/ beauty angel. And today was my first COFFEE enema- interesting, haha.

I still get hungry, and evenings are still hard. I was hoping that by now it would have gotten easier, but it hasn't. That won't change anything though- still moving forward. I am surprised that my will-power doesn't seem to be weakening or dissolving- what is keeping it strong? It has to be the juicing itself. Would I want to eat if I could? I haven't thought of it that way- just b/c I can't though, I want to! But if I think about giving myself permission to eat, would I want to? No, I don't want to. I want to stay the course.

Juicing/ Time/ Money:
Spent about 1/2 hour making a quart of citrus juice. Spent $2.50 on a bag of lemons last night. And once again I'm very surprised how much more money I seem to have! I still can't believe how much special ordering I must have done for my raw food diet.

Psychology:
I think I've already discussed pschology- intertwined with the physical and in the intro. But I think it's amazing how fused into one our body, minds and spirits are. It's so easy to think of the brain or mind as a separate entity- separate from being affected by what we feed our bodies except for things that are SUPPOSED to affect the brain like certain medications and alcohol and such. But if our brains are affected by that stuff then why not by the food we eat, right? I think in our society there is such a disconnect from what we put in our mouths as to how that affects the entire being- mind, emotions, body, spirit, brain chemistry, such a disconnect. But it's all one- what you put in your mouth IS GOING TO AFFECT every aspect of your being! How do you want to feel? How do you want to think? How do you want to act/behave? How healthy do you want to be? How creative do you want to be? How calm? What do you want your future to look like? Eat to support that!

Day 12

1/11/12 Wednesday, AM

Yesterday was an awesome day all the way around. I don't think I've felt better in my life! Temptations to eat were not as strong either. I did get to workout and use the beauty angel too :)

Juicing/ Time/ Money
I did juice this morning- can't say exactly how much time it took b/c I had to make Steve breakfast and my husband wanted to talk for about 45 minutes. I'd say it took less than 2 hours though.
Juiced:
6 heads Romaine
2 bunches Parsley
9 oz Spinach
2 hearts of Celery
1 pound Kale
20 apples
It filled almost 1.5 gallons. I shouldn't have to juice again until Saturday. I also juiced 5 lemons just now too, but I keep that in a separate bottle. No more money spent. I find I'm not spending near what I used to- so this is cheaper actually than the way I used to eat, which has really surprised me. I guess I spent a lot on raw organic nuts and raw cacao powder and coconut oil and goji berries- stuff like that. It all adds up! I'll probably keep juicing even after I'm done with the 92 days. I'm thinking about juicing all day and just eating dinner when this is over.

Pyschological:
I've had to deal with an emotional bomb already this morning. If I can do this today I can do it any day!! And I thought Monday was a bad day- HA! Today's events laugh at Monday! I want my medicine!! But I made a cup of tea instead and turned up the heat- I'm cold! I'll get thru this!

Physical:
Slept like crap last night. I will need sleep tonight!

Day 11

1/10/12 Tuesday morning...

What a day yesterday- if ever I've had a day to dive into the anxiety medicine bottle it was yesterday! It started out with my free quiet time first thing in the morning (between 7-8) being taken away from me :(  I got pretty irritated about that.

Then at 9 am, our foster son called from school to be picked up for pain in his abdomin. I thought- okay, I'll just get ready for the gym, drop him home and go workout. As I was getting ready to get in the car it suddenly occurred to me that I had a meeting from 10-12!! UGH!! No quiet time, no gym! :( I left the meeting early so I wouldn't feel pressure about getting to work on time. Half way home I realize I had left my water bottle behind! Not just a bottle of water- my $5 BPA free one! UGH! Monday's at work are always a bear- I should start at 11:30! It took me until catching up with work to find my center- that finally happened around 2:30 or so. I did it! I got thru the day without meds- yay!! :)

Thankfully my husband had an awesome business day, and I had no other disasters to deal with.

Psychological:
I forgot to mention yesterday that I made a meal plan for the fam. for the next 2 weeks! Woohoo! That is such a big deal b/c meal prep and planning are a constant source of stress. It's always- What to have, what to make?! But Steve, our foster son, is so good about eating whatever I make, which is so nice. And since I don't eat it I totally cater to what he likes. So at the dinner table Sunday night we went over the things he really likes the most and I put together a meal schedule- that takes so much off me! I'll work on a 30 day schedule and I can just use that over and over, and I'll never have to "worry" about that again! yay!

Physical:
So yeah, yesterday was a pretty bad day, but I made it through, and I was rewarded this morning- if you can call it that! hahaha Between the master cleanses (and taking the rest of the cayene capsule) and the enemas I passed some amazingly foul stuff this morning!! I was pretty grossed out and shocked- foulness still passing! I saw on the juicefeasting timeline that cleansing continues for 60 days!

After all that foulness passing I even feel like I can breathe better- which is awesome. I do have a respiratory issue. I don't know if it's allergy or bird breeder's lung- whichever it is I hope this cures it!

Slept well last night. Even though I drank about 24 ounces of green juice right before bed I only got up one time to pee :)

I'm still experiencing feeling cold- cold juice in the middle of winter! But I read yesterday that I can have hot tea (certain kinds)- woohoo!! So tea it is! I have tons of Rooibos tea!

Didn't have the quiet space to do an enema yesterday.

Juicing/ Time/ Money
Well, whew! I got through that first gallon of green stuff I made on Saturday- finally! I did not like it at all- too bitter, too yuck! It had too much red pepper juice in it. Today's juice is much better :) I did it that way on purpose- drink the nasty stuff first, then the second batch which has more apples and less peppers would be a nice change. I'm sure I'll drink this next gallon faster. I'll have to juice again tomorrow, which is fine b/c this juice will have lost all it's punch by then.

I'm thinking about being a bit more systematic about my juicing. I'm going to try to juice just one gallon since I only seem to drink 2 quarts of green (b/c I do a master cleanse and a little citrus too). One gallon should be quick. I'll start with:
2 heads of celery
9 oz spinach
2 bunches of parsley
1 cucumber
1 pound kale
6 heads of romaine
and fill the rest of the gallon space with apples- we'll see how that goes.

I am loving this journey!

Day 10

Day 10, Monday 1/9/12 AM
Physical:
All the pains in my stomach are pretty much gone now- yay. Last night I had a strange happening. Had a master cleanse for dinner @ 5:30. I broke open a cayene pepper capsule and put about 1/2 in the drink- took the other half. At 6:45 was done with an enema. The around 8:00 I had something between an anxiety attack and a hot flash. Are hot flashes accompanied by the shakes? I was driven to eat something- but I didn't. It was as if my blood sugar decided to plummet out of the blue or something. It took about 1/2 hour for the shaking to stop, but I'm fine now. Would just be nice to know what the heck that was.

I am doing the curcuit training almost everyday now- 30 minutes. I know the timeline protocol would have me just walk 30 minutes/day for 2 months, but I'm itchy to lift a little. I'll keep the weights light. I really like the express workout at my gym while juicing. I work up a good sweat by the end.

I slept much better last night- I so needed that!

Just read that I can have rooibos tea- woohoo!! Will be making some of that SOON!

Psychology:
So what do we turn to for comfort when we take away food, medication and alcohol? SHOPPING!! and I hate shopping too! But I was out yesterday and had some free time so I went to Goodwill. I have this deal that if I buy something I have to get rid of something so I don't end up a horder. I guess I do have "escapes" and things I do for comfort, they just aren't severe or destructive, but they aren't constructive either. Escapes and comforting are a diversion from dealing with whatever it is that is causing the discomfort. And I am dealing with the things I can control. I'll have to think more on the things that upset me and see what I might be able to do about them too.

I am rewarding myself for every 10 days I stick with the program- and this first 10 days I was going to join the Green Room, but I found an electric blanket on sale and decided to get that, and I went to Goodwill and spent $18 there. I'll join the Green Room on day 20. I want to have time to read the material and watch the videos, and this next 10 days will give me some time to work on the next phase of my website.

Juicing/ Time/ Money:
I didn't juice yesterday and don't have to juice today- woohoo! And I should have enough for tomorrow as well. So Wednesday morning I will juice and later, before work, I will shop for groceries. I have everything I need for juice this week- won't have to shop for produce until Saturday.

Day 9

Day 9 Sunday, 1/10/12 AM

Physically:
I forgot to mention yesterday that a very sore area of my gums just disappeared overnight! It had been really hurting whenever I brushed it- thought I was going to have to make a trip to the dentist. I used Neem oil (would rather poke myself in the eye with a sharp stick!) a couple of nights before it healed- so don't know if that had anything to do with it or not. Neem oil is THEE most disgusting taste I've ever tasted!!! like rotten peanuts- so nasty! But it's gone- yay!

Very restless sleeping. Both my arms fall asleep if I'm not on my back. I'm a bit tired this morning.

Weight: Oh, and I weighed myself yesterday at noon- 130 pounds, which is a loss of 5 pounds from the start (well, day 2 anyhow). I am looking and feeling thin.

Enema 3 last night which saw some foul smelling stuff flushed out- yay again! Getting clean!!

Juicing/ Time/ Money/ Shopping:
It felt like I juiced all day yesterday. I juiced over 2 gallons of green juice and 1/2 gallon of citrus. It probably took me a total of 3.5 hours.

Went shopping and spent $52, which brings my total to $170 so far (not including my order to Swanson Vitamins). But that will last me until the end of the week I'm sure- so I'm figuring less than $100/week, which I'm okay with :) I found a deal on sweet red peppers- a HUGE bag for $.69!! I'm guessing 2-3 pounds anyhow. So my juice tastes a lot like that. I'm not thrilled with it, but I can live with it. I should have just drunk the pepper juice- it was pretty good by itself. And I'm stocked up on celery since it's only $.88 a head right now- I keep buying extra when I go to the store while it's that cheap.

Psychology:
Well I did get to the bottom of the comfort issue- it's just life circumstances that I've been dealing with over the last 3 years that have been progressively getting worse. Even though I'm thin, I still use food for comfort. I guess I just know how to keep it under control. Everything I eat I LOVE! I don't eat anything that doesn't put a smile on my face- so everything I eat is comforting from that respect.

Since I've been on raw food, issues have surfaced, and I have already been dealing with them. But I will use this juicing adventure to dive deeper into issues and what else I can possibly do to change things for the better. It's like the serenity prayer:

God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The Courage to change the things I can and
The Wisdom to know the difference.

Day 8

1/7/12 Day 8, Saturday 10 AM

Juicing/ Time
Juiced this morning- 2 hours made 1.5 gallons of green juice. I also cleaned up the kitchen and washed the floor, so I think I did good. I still need to add more apples though. I think I also need to juice 2 more hearts of celery so I consume enough of that in a day. I need to shop for the apples and will do that this morning.
Juiced:
6 heads Romaine
2 bunches Parsley
1 pound Kale
18 oz. Spinach
3 Cucumbers
2 heads Celery
15 apples
and I add lemon juice when it's time to drink. I strained the apple juice well.

I had a master cleanse yesterday- wow! so good- Love that! My
swanson vitamin order came in the other day and had the cayene pepper- 100,000 Heat Units- woohoo! It comes in capsules cuz I guess they don't think anyone is crazy enough to palate that stuff, haha. I broke one open and put about 1/2 in my drink- yeah, that was plenty! My bird even liked it- a lot! LOL

My honey hasn't come yet, but I still have some from a gallon I bought a long time ago. I'll need more before I'm done, I'm sure. I thought about using a little of that in addition to the apples so I don't have to use so many- easier too ;)

Psychology:
No new developments yesterday. I'm still enjoying peace and contentment though- no medications still :) I don't even think about them much anymore really.

Food memories keep haunting me- I LOVE sauce! all kinds of sauces, but yesterday was spaghetti sauce- couldn't stop thinking about meatball sandwiches! I'm like, wth? I don't even eat meat or cooked food! But I'm sure it's b/c I ate that way for so long. It's like this devil inside me trying to entice me to eat. I don't like it. It's like my mind and my body are 2 completely separate entities- so weird!! So far just trying to turn it off doesn't work- neither does trying to ignore it. So today I think I'll listen to it and talk to it- try to comfort it, but not with what it wants. This is a good thing- where will it find it's comfort? not in food, that's for sure. I think I'll ask it if it's really craving food, or if it is comfort it is looking for. If it needs comfort I need to find out why- what painful thing is going on under the surface... what is it trying to avoid dealing with? Food is a way to "stuff" your feelings and comfort yourself from some painful emotions- just like alcohol or drugs. I will see if I can find out what's going on. It would be wonderful if I didn't have to keep battling the food hauntings!

For me, this whole juicing journey is more pyschological and spiritual than physical- pretty amazing stuff! powerful stuff!

Physically:
Feeling really good, clean. A tiny bit tired, but nothing to keep me from doing what I need to do. I didn go to bed a little late last night- got about 7 hours sleep minus the times I woke up to pee (twice! UGH!) I think I slept a little better though- exercise is probably helping with that. I feel thin, but not anorexic- yet, hahaha. I will try to get to Heidi's to weigh myself today or tomorrow. No gym today- have too much else to do- might do some yoga this evening. I should be able to go to the gym tomorrow.