Feb. 28, 2012: New Juicer

First thing this morning I had pear/fennel juice and I eliminated pretty heavy, an intense detox.

Then, my Breville Juice Fountain Elite 800JEXL arrived, and I immediately washed it and started making juice: Apple, Beet, Carrot, and Collard Greens. I got nauseated from the beet, and I think I might have drunk it too fast, or I put too much red beet in it? Who knows, but it hit me the way wrong way... Way wrong... I thought I was going to chuck it... So, I drank some water to dilute the juice that was already inside me. It took a while, but finally the nausea was gone.

I figured I needed to slow down the detox so I roasted some vegetables: Red potato, sweet potato, celery, carrot, red bell pepper, red onion, herbs, garlic, small amount of dressing and some olive oil. Roasted for about 50 mins at 375. That hit the spot and I felt so much better after I ate it, plus it was so delicious. I think I have to really be tuned into my body to know what not to eat, when to stop eating, etc.

Then later, I had a slice of Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted grain bread (no flour!) spread with hummus with black olives and roasted red pepper (from the roasted veggies). I warmed the frozen bread in the toaster oven and spread the hummus mixture on it. That was also delicious!!! Now, I want to purchase the Ezekiel sprouted wheat tortillas and experiment with different stuff, like my favorite Mexican dishes translated into "clean" foods. This should be interesting! There is so much information online that I should not have any trouble finding recipes and ideas.

I sorted through my pants and separated out the smaller size, so they could be grouped together for me to wear. This is so exciting! Soon I will be getting rid of the big sizes, because I don't ever want to go back there.

That's about it for today because it was pretty uneventful and peaceful. I wanted to take a 30 min walk this morning, but that didn't happen.. LOL... tomorrow is another day, but I will play some Wii games later this evening.

Live is good.. and the best is yet to come.

Feb 25, 2012

I am taking it easy today. I had a wonderful breakfast juice: fennel, pear, pineapple, cucumber, ginger, and lemon. It was very tasty and I loved it!

I weighed in this morning 20 lbs less than in November, 2011. To celebrate my 20 lb weight loss, I made a video of me in my undies, front, side, back, stating the date and my weight. I hope to do this at different intervals though this process. I wish I had made a video at the beginning, in November, so I had something to compare, but I wore size 16 pants yesterday and there was breathing room. I don't like to squish myself into clothes (at this point anyway), because it looks ridiculous when I am overweight, like a sausage being stuffed into a very small casing... and I tend to hide under my clothes, which makes me look worse.

At some point I will feel comfy in my clothes and they will fit properly and I won't feel like I am stuffed into them. Oh, happy day when that time comes!!

I am here to report that my dinner juice was so gross I couldn't get the last couple of swigs down. I juiced a sweet potato, friends please stick to roasting or baking your sweet potatoes, or put them in a pie.. The juice was grainy and gritty, and HEY I scrubbed it really well. Not going to do that again...

I made red cabbage slaw, which was pretty good, but was very light on the sweetener (honey) so it is a bit vinegary. Hey! I can put some pineapple in it!!! YUM!!!

More tomorrow!!

Feb 24, 2012

This is the local market where I shop. I don't know what some of these roots are but I bet I could juice them and find out how they taste. I just looked them up, thank you internet, and they are potato-type root veggies. Of course, I know what a Yam is, but this is a White Yam. Interesting!! They sell "traditional" produce as well, and have a refrigerated room where all the greens, etc. are kept. This will really get a work out in the summer months when it is so hot here in South Florida.

Every day I look forward to making juice. My fridge is stocked and I have something in there that I may or may not like in juice... A sweet potato... I haven't tried it yet, but it sounds interesting. BUT there are probably a lot of carbs in a sweet potato, so it will be an addition, rather than the main feature, of the juice.

I walked into a restaurant and saw some friends I used to work with and the first thing they said was, "You look great." OK.... I know I FEEL great and I seem happier, like I am coming out of a slump...

Today's morning juice was pear/fennel/ginger/lemon/swiss chard for starters.

Dinner juice was Mean Green... Love that stuff, but today for some reason, the juices seemed flavorless. I think I might have gotten a batch of blah apples. Something is different.. BUT it still has the good stuff.

No.. I didn't take a 30 min walk today. Was busy in the morning, then went to meet friends and we ended up going for a nice long lunch. It is so great being retired and able to do whatever, whenever.

That's about it for today. Maybe I will do something interesting tomorrow... haha

Day 15 of Reboot (Quick Start)

OK I did a 15 day Reboot... Now where do I go? I think the next thing, after I have soup and some hummus, is to do a 5 Day Juice Only... Then maybe a 10 Day Juice Only. If I only drink juice and feel fantastic, then why wouldn't I continue on that road? I would love to do a 30 day juice only Reboot, so I need to talk to my doctor to see what's what.

I made Vegetable Soup from recipe on www.jointhereboot.com (they are having to upgrade because they have so much internet traffic.. something about "web hosting platform"), so I don't think you can go there to see the recipe.. I put a red bell pepper in it and the soup sort of sweet and savory, tarragon, thyme, oregano.

Then, this evening I made Hummus using NO OIL whatsoever.. not sure why you would use oil because the texture and flavor of the hummus without the oil is very good. I used chickpeas, tahini, garlic cloves, lemon, paprika, but I need to add a smidge of cayenne pepper. Be careful!! That cayenne is very HOT... Then I cut red bell pepper strips and ran them through the hummus. I had my own little bowl of hummus, no double-dipping!! Very good, and very filling...

If I stay out of the restaurants, continue with 2 qts of juice a day, then have one meal and maybe some snacks, I think I will do okay. I love the fruits and veggies and am trying to stay away from the sweet fruits, or use them moderately... Also have to watch the carrot and red beet juice intake. Those are very good for you but very sweet and probably because of that, a lot of calories.

I am keeping track of my eating, weight, and activity on the Weight Watchers site where I belong. Today I did a little bicycle ride, but I really like walking, and so far this week, since Sunday, I have walked or rode the bike every day. OK so this is Tuesday, alright, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday.. Only 3 days, but, Hey, "the journey of 1,000 miles begins with the first step."

I have all these nice appliances and a new kitchen, so I am well-equiped to take on this challenge. I am the luckiest gal in the world!

How do they say it? "I never had it so good, and the best is yet to come."

Day 13 of Reboot (Quick Start)

Day 13 of 15 Quick Start Reboot. Today I started out with chamomile tea, then went to a dear friend's memorial service. It started at 11am and I was there until 1:30pm, so I was really hungry. They had table after table of desserts, which I looked over and I saw fat, sugar, flour, dairy and it kind of hit me that it was disgusting. This, from a lady who went to a pot-luck and sampled two tables of desserts... So the reboot really has changed my taster.

After I left the memorial service, I went to my favorite produce market and first thing, I went to the juice bar and got an apple/carrot juice to hold me over til I got home. Then I shopped for my goodies. I am trying to get new things because I read that different minerals, vitamins, and amino acids are in different greens. So I am trying to do a variety of greens. Today, I got collard greens, some other green lettuce, mint, parsley... This place has the best quality stuff and the price is right... The stuff at the grocery store is so "plastic" looking, now that I am seeing stuff that is "real."

I made Mean Green juice and put a red beet in it for a change. I love that stuff!!!

Tomorrow, Sunday, morning is weigh in. I am excited to see how much I lost this week.

I took my blood pressure yesterday and it was 123/70, which is so good for me.. My next visit to the doctor will be in April and he will do blood work. I am anxious to see what my cholesterol levels are. In November, I was getting in trouble with my doctor about my cholesterol levels, and he said I needed to change something or he would have to put me on medication... It was my wake up call, so from then until Jan 30, I lost 10 lbs, eliminating dairy and trying to watch what I ate.

But then, I saw "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead," and I knew if I wanted things to be different, I had to be different.. "Nothing changes, if nothing changes." So, on Jan 30, I started to drink veggie/fruit juices and foods, and since then I lost 7-8 lbs (or more). This juice, raw foods thing really works.

My friend ordered a Breville juicer, but is not sure when she will get it. She said it was on back-order at Williams-Sonoma. So, I may have a Reboot buddy that is in the same town as me.

More later.... Happy Juicing, everyone!!!

Day 7 of Reboot (Quick Start)

Day 7 of quick reboot for total of 12 days in Reboot...

First of all, I think it is very brave of a person to take these photos. That shows that I have a lot of hope for change.

This morning I started out with 2 pints of juice, and when I weighed myself I was 187.2 and I started at 205 last November. In the past 12 days since I started juicing and doing a reboot, I lost 7.2 lbs, so I am very happy with that. I am wearing size 16 instead of 18, and my belt is 2 notches tighter.

I went on an errand and instead of eating out, I came home and had a nice veggie salad with red beets and walnuts. I really enjoyed the salad.. Now I am drinking 1 quart of juice, one pint at a time. This juice is so good and had some bite to it... Three handfuls of spinach, 4 stalks celery, 1/2 small cabbage, 5-6 skinny carrots, a red beet, and ginger root. When I drink cabbage juice I get gassy, but that means it is probably a good thing..

Next time I need carrots I will get the bulk carrots at my favorite Green Market... They are huge and look really good. The other ones I got were bagged and very skinny...

Yesterday, I went to lunch with a friend and had some focaccia bread... It was so good, but I am glad we shared it because I would have eaten all of it... Not good on a reboot.. My friend said she was going to buy a juicer like mine. I hope she does, then, she can get healthy too.

Today, I took some photos of myself, front and side. When I look at myself in the mirror I look great, but when I look at the photo, it is how I really look... That's so weird that my mind plays tricks on me.

So tomorrow, I go to the market again, and will try to stock up on some different greens. I read that different greens have different nutrients, and to rotate them, or mix them up is very good, and to only drink one type of green is not good in the long-run... you can get an overload of one thing and not enough of another. Variety is very important, but I tend to stick with the things I like and with the familiar... I hope to keep an open mind tomorrow while I am shopping.

I was eating peanut butter on a banana or celery during my reboot, but found out I need to wait until after the reboot, when I go to mostly raw foods, and then I want to experiment with making nut butters. I saw a video online of a woman making almond butter... That looked really good and I bet it tasted good. She said you can add salt, or not, and I am sure I will NOT add any sweetener. Our tasters have been so adulterated by unnecessary additions to our food.

I just think of my grandparents who were born in the late 1890's, who ate out of their gardens or from their farms, make their own jellies and "canned" their produce for the winter. I remember their "cold cellar" and my mom's aunt/uncle who had a spring house for their water and to keep food cool, and also had a water pump. I know my grandparents did not have processed foods as they were growing up, so I try to think of how they ate (minus the meat and dairy), and if it grows in the ground or on a tree, then I know it is okay for me to eat.

Juicing packs in a lot of servings of vegetables and fruit into one item. I am so lucky to have found this way of life again. In the 1970s I ate raw foods and juiced and exercised and I was very fit and happy, of course that was 40 years ago!!! LOL But optimal health is my goal.

I need to start moving and exercising to really get the toxins out of my system. Maybe tomorrow ???? lol

Happy juicing everyone!!!

Day 3 of Reboot (Quick Start)

Day 3 of Quick Start Reboot (Day 8 of juice and food) started with pear/fennel juice. I think.. lol...

I ran some errands so I got some exercise... My errands included a trip to the produce market for more kale and other stuff, then I came home and made Mean Green juice, drank it... I had a simple meal of sliced avocado with a sliced plum tomato, sprinkled balsamic vinegar on both, also put garlic herb grinder thing on it. The dish was delicious!! The food was good too.. haha

I went to the grocery store for some peanut butter. I searched the shelves, read all the labels, comparing all the info.... It was brutal.. then I went over by the deli and the grocery store makes their own peanut butter.. ingredients? Peanuts... Period... I was happy to find that because I don't want to eat sugar or other stuff, like hydrogenated oils... I sliced a banana and put a small amount of peanut butter on it.

I need to amp up the juices, because I am not eating that much food. I don't want to hurt myself, but I do want to lose weight. If I don't get enough to eat or drink, my body will think it is "starving" and hold onto the weight.

I still love my juicer, but one thing bothers me. Why didn't they make the cutter basket out of stainless steel, rather than plastic. If any of you Breville peeps are reading my blog, please make note of that. I see that the $149 Breville has a metal basket thing. The plastic is okay right now, but I am not sure of the life-span, that it may become scratched and hold bacteria, perhaps causing some problems.. It would be so cool if this part was interchangeable with the other model, that maybe I could upgrade at some time in the future. I will check this out.. :-) If you Breville people need some help, just let me know..

I felt good today... so that is a good thing... More of the same, or better.. tomorrow..

Juice It!!!!

P.S. the photo was taken in New Hampshire two weeks ago by my cousin, Joanna. She is amazing!!