Raw Week Recap

Here's a video recap of Raw Week:


So now, I'm starting to cook food again! This is day one of my "retox." For dinner I made steamed broccoli with a cheesy sauce (coconut milk and nutritional yeast). I got the recipe from Mark Reinfeld and Jennifer Murray's book, The 30 Minute Vegan. It was tasty.

My Raw, Vegan Kitchen: Big Macs

I've been waiting for this meal all week! I wanted to end Raw Week with a bang. So the "Big Matt" - Matt Amsden's version of a Big Mac is basically a dehydrated nut loaf burger with all the fixings - lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, onions, sunflower seed cheese, ketchup and mustard. And it was amazing! Again, I used the flax seed pita rounds instead of my homemade onion bread - so a little cheat, but it was worth it. I loved it. At this point, I think Chuck is just humoring me. I think everything tastes so amazing to me because I haven't eaten the processed foods I'm used to since February. So these flavors and textures are just heavenly to me.

I started running again yesterday - 1.3 miles. My plan is to run Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in preparation for our UTR team 5k in Newark on June 3. The rest of the days - Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays are dedicated to yoga. No weigh in tomorrow - I'm waiting for May 5 in hopes that I even out and start to lose again. No need for mental anguish because of the numbers on a scale!

I start cooking again tomorrow! Steamed "cheesy" broccoli is on the menu.

My Raw, Vegan Kitchen: Sloppy Joes

Tonight I made a sloppy joe sandwich and coleslaw. The sloppy joe was amazing - thanks to the smoked paprika I found. The coleslaw was not good at all. Bland. Too much olive oil. Technically, tonight was not a raw meal because I splurged on some wheat buns I found. I didn't make the onion bread thick enough to support a sandwich. Tomorrow is my last meal of Raw Week. Then I'll transition to vegan cooking and have some beans and cooked grains for the first time. Looking forward to quinoa!

My Raw, Vegan Kitchen: French Onion Soup

Gross. I made a French onion soup and a salad for dinner. I couldn't handle it. Way too bitter for me. And I just couldn't get over the fact that it was cold. Chuck ended up heating his up and he couldn't finish it either. No more raw soups! I'm very excited about Friday and Saturday's raw meals. One is a "sloppy joe" and the other is a "Big Mac." I made the veggie burgers last night and they are currently in the dehydrator. I had to flip them when I got home and I tasted a piece that fell off. I'm already amazed. It tastes like a real veggie burger. I think it's the mushroom that gives it that meaty flavor. Here's today's disaster:

My Raw, Vegan Kitchen: Tuna Salad

I loved this meal. Chuck didn't dislike it, but the recipe called for half a cup of mustard, of which he is not a fan. I like mustard - so I thought it was delicious! I made a tuna salad with a sesame seed, mustard, lemon juice, coconut water base. The recipe said to soak the seeds for four hours and then dry them, but I didn't have time for that and it turned out fine anyway. I found these Polish dill pickles at the farmers market so we each had one with our salad. So, so yummy. The recipes in this book make so much food. I have lots of leftover tuna salad. If anyone out there wants to try it - let me know and I'll pack a little container for you.

My Raw, Vegan Kitchen: Pizza

Tonight we had a raw, vegan pizza with "cheese" sticks. I used the onion bread base, made a marinara sauce and sunflower seed cheese, and added veggies. The cheese sticks were made from dehydrated sunflower seed cheese. I thought it was good, but Chuck was not a fan. It was pretty salty. I think I would use less soy sauce in the future. Tacos are still number one. I'll have Chuck's uneated pizza for lunch tomorrow. I just made a treat out of almonds, agave nectar, and cinnamon. I need something sweet! So the cinnamon balls are currently hardening in the freezer. I have banned the scale until May 5 because it's just making me crazy. By May 5, I should have a good idea about where my true weight is and which direction it's heading. I'm blissing out at yoga a minimum of three times a week and starting tomorrow, I'm running a mile or more three times a week. Feeling strong. A little less euphoric. There's something otherworldly about drinking only juice. Something spiritual.

My Raw, Vegan Kitchen: Tacos

Tonight I made my first full-fledged meal since coming off the fast. And - IT WAS AMAZING! I think it's actually the best homemade meal I've ever made. And this time, it was truly homemade - the only thing I bought that was slightly processed were the spices and the soy sauce. Everything else was a nut or a vegetable. On the menu I had tacos with chips and guacamole. All raw. All vegan. The "meat" was a walnut mixture with spices and soy sauce - wrapped in a collard green. I made an amazing (almost too spicy) salsa to put on the walnut meat. And I made some "onion bread" tortilla chips in the dehydrator - basically just onions, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, and a little olive oil - which I served with homemade guacamole. Chuck chopped the veggies and I mixed things together. As we were cooking he asked me what he was going to eat when our dinner wasn't enough. We were BOTH stuffed. Filling, delicious, nutritious. I can't wait to throw a party and make this meal! Some pics of our amazing RAW, VEGAN dinner:

All recipes came from Matt Amsden's RAWvolution.

Fasting Resources

The Juicer
There are many, many different kinds of juicers out there - but I used the Jack LaLanne Power Juicer. I got it for less than $100 at Bed, Bath, & Beyond. It's fast, relatively quiet, powerful, and easy to clean. I rarely had to cut produce. I peeled oranges (because the rumor is that the peel is toxic) and I cut apples into quarters - but didn't core them. I also took the peels off pineapples and watermelons and took the pits out of peaches and mangoes because they're too hard. With this juicer, you can't juice avocado, coconut, or banana.

Documentaries
"Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead"
(Joe Cross goes on a 60-day juice fast and inspires people across the United States to take the challenge.)


"Forks Over Knives"
(Poses the argument that a plant-based diet can heal our bodies and even cure cancer.)


"Naked on the Inside"
(A woman interviews a variety of people with body image issues - naked. Inspiring movie that can help shift the way we feel about our bodies.)


Websites/Written Blogs
Juice Fasting - has general information about fasting, blogs, recipes, what to expect
Michael Morales - 30-Day Juice Fast and a FREE downloadable e-book with guidelines and space for you to document your own journey
Good/Bad Produce for Juicing - my own compilation of fruits and veggies that are good/not so good to juice on a budget
Breaking a Fast - has information on lots of juicing topics, but especially helpful resource when you're ready to eat again

YouTube Blogs/Videos
Most Common Juicing Mistakes
Tim's 56-Day Juice Fast
Mia's 30-Day Juice Fast
Christine & Mary's 60-Day Juice Fast
Jenn's 120-Day Juice Fast

Yoga Studios
The Breathing Room
Easton Yoga

Teachers/Coaches/Healers
Gary Gibson - founder of The Vegan Effect, health/fitness coach
Danny Marshall - yoga teacher, Easton Yoga
Bonnie Harrison - healing energy practitioner
Bob Pileggi - life coach, ceremony officiant, Reiki practitioner, massage therapist, yoga instructor, and one of my favorite people on the planet

Books

- Fantastic book for juicing! Provides the pros AND cons of juice fasting along with recipes according to health benefits.


- Book about eating a raw, vegan diet. My source for Raw Week recipes.


- Just a great novel. I started reading this book on day one of the fast and it really helped preoccupy my mind. I recommend choosing a really interesting, fun book to read on your journey!


- Make your time on the fast as enjoyable as possible. I saw this book at Rachel's house an Easter and it made me laugh out loud. I posted one clip from the book already, but here's another - I dare you not to laugh!:

Conclusion: After the Fast

Today I officially weighed in at 219 pounds! So, to recap - I started this fast two months ago at 260 pounds and over the course of 60 days, I lost 41 pounds. Today I had a juice for breakfast, a juice and a handful of grapes for lunch, and then throughout the day I snacked on a handful of cashews. I think for dinner I might just have some raw veggies with sunflower seed cheese that I made in a food processor. It was easy to make - just sunflower seeds, lemon juice, some low sodium organic soy sauce, and a couple cloves of garlic. Yum. Then througout the weekend I'll follow a similar diet plan until Monday when I start making more complex raw, vegan meals for dinner. Here's a video of me eating my first food - and I also have some before and after pictures at the end:

I wanted to make a correction to yesterday's blog. This might border on too much information - but I think it's important, especially if there are people out there with similar experiences, or who may want to try this. I believed I had a urinary tract infection - but not all the symptoms aligned and it was persistent throughout the fast. I went to the doctor who really wasn't interested in my fast and didn't ask me any questions about it at all - even though it was the entire reason I was there. I mentioned that I thought I might have a UTI - and she said it was possible because I had some white cells in my urine. So she didn't test for bacteria or ask what I was eating on the fast - just gave me a prescription for antibiotics and sent me on my disappointed way. Luckily, the Universe stepped in. I happened upon a new blog by chance this morning - and the girl was saying that she wasn't juicing fruits because they can screw up the pH in the urine and increase yeast infections. I rechecked my symptoms online . . .and I am now 80% sure that because I was drinking so much fruit juice - I probably had a yeast infection the entire length of the fast. So I'm not taking the antibiotics - which also can cause yeast infections, and instead I took over-the-counter medication. If the problem clears up, I'll know not to have so much fruit next time. If it doesn't, I'll try the antibiotics.

This leads me to my next topic, which is that we are really the best judges of our own bodies. This fast reconnected me with my body. I was like a personality trapped in a flesh prison. I didn't like to even look in the mirror. I would avoid my reflection in store windows. I didn't want to feel my body - and eating highly processed, fatty, sugary, salty foods made the discomfort go away - and contributed to the problem. Doing this fast put me back in my body. I felt everything. I noticed every little pain, every hunger, every taste - good and bad. I noticed my energy level. I noticed my emotional state of being. I became my body. And for that alone, the fast was the best decision I ever made.

If you decide to do a juice fast - whether it's just 3 days, 7 days, 10 or more - let me know! I would love to hear about your journey and be a resource to you for support, to answer questions, to make you a juice, to give you recipes - you name it! I hope to continue blogging about my vegan journey. Stay tuned for tomorrow's post where I will put all the juice blogging resources I have together in one place!

Day 60

No straws left! It's bittersweet. I'm happy to have made it to the end and nervous to be back in the real world. I feel like a drug addict. I just finished my stay in rehab where there are no choices to be made, no temptations, no thinking . . .and now I have to face reality and see if the skills I learned and the strength of character I developed will carry through to my everyday life. Chuck insisted on taking a picture of me drinking my last juice of the fast:



Fast Negatives:
First few days: dry mouth/white coating on tongue (typical detox symptom)
I increased my fluid intake and this went away by the end of the week.

First week: flu/vertigo/extreme weakness/vomiting (I think I actually had the flu, but flu-like symptoms are also a detox symptom)
The night I was throwing up, I drank a cup of soy milk to combat the feeling of weakness. After the flu passed, I didn't have symptoms like this again.

Second week: acid reflux
I took one tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar and it worked!

Day 30: constipation
I did an enema because I didn't want to take a pill or a laxative. I bought the kit from Target for less than $2 and it had two enemas in it. It was an immediate relief.

Day 50: constipation
I did the second enema.

Throughout: periods of irritability/cravings/passing hunger/symptoms of a urinary tract infection
Usually when I was cranky, hungry, or feeling a craving - immediately after drinking a juice I felt much better. I don't know what's up with the UTI. I don't know if it was fast-related or not. It was never so bad that I was concerned, but it was in the back of my mind a lot. I went to the doctor tonight and she confirmed from a urine sample that I probably had a urinary tract infection and prescribed an antibiotic. Edit:Found a different resource this morning which makes me think I had a yeast infection because of the high amount of fruit juice I was drinking. The symptoms align so I tried an over-the-counter medication instead of the antibiotics to clear up the problem and next time I'll cut down on the fruit.

Fast Positives:
I had more energy in general.
Drinking a fresh juice could lift my mood/energy immediately.
For the first time in my life, I ate for my body and not for my mind.
For the first time in my life, I considered my health.
I had a strong feeling of connection with my body, my mind, and the people in my life.
I realized what a strong network of support I have around me.
I exercised more.
I feel like I control food rather than using food to regulate me.
I'm excited about healthy eating.
I lost weight - about 40 pounds.
I am a happier human being.

I think doing this fast changed my life. It's premature to say that - but I feel like a new person.

I will be posting a post-fast reflection with before and after weight with pictures tomorrow! And I'll also be posting a list of resources for easy access to anyone who is considering doing a fast like this. I'm also thinking of continuing to blog possibly once a week to keep myself accountable. I can't wait to taste a fresh green grape!

Thank you so, so much to everyone who followed my blog and liked my posts and gave me constant feedback and encouragement! I really appreciate all of you. I'm lucky to know such amazing people. And thank you to my UTR family for making me feel so loved:

Day 59

I'm feeling tired today! Too tired to write a lot. Just a quick update to say I'm very excited that tomorrow is the last day. This morning, I put on a pair of pants and they weren't just too big - they were obnoxiously big and falling off my hips. But I was in a hurry so I wore them anyway. I was pulling them up all day. Maybe it's time to buy a new pair of pants . . .Just one. See you tomorrow for the last day!

Day 58

Yaaaaay. This is so surreal. Only two days to go. I'm starving right now! This morning, I got out of the shower and made my juice right away. Then before I drank it, I got my things together. I don't usually get ready for work in that order - so I ended up leaving my house with the fresh juice still sitting on my kitchen counter. Very sad! I had a V8 about 3:00pm and that's all I've had! No good! I have to run and make some juice before I end up eating a bite of Chuck's delicious-looking sandwich.

I'll be putting a resource page together shortly to post after Day 60. So many amazing people and movies and books have inspired me over the past 2 months! I'm very lucky to have experienced this.

Day 57

The last 10 days of the fast are just as hard as the first 10! I'm anticipating the end, so I'm getting anxious! I think it's the anticipation that's really making it difficult. One of my favorite bloggers, Tim, went to 56 days - so now I'm watching the post-fast blogs that he did. It's perfect timing because I get to see what breaking the fast is like for him before I attempt to do it.

Everything is going well! Not hungry . . .just lusting after solid food. I can't wait to eat a grape. And a cashew. And a strawberry! And a carrot . . . And . . .and . . .and . . .

Chuck just suggested testing the dehydrator with some apples, so I'm off to cut some apple slices with my new mandolin slicer!

Day 56

I'm starting to get nervous about coming off the fast. The best resource I found for breaking a fast was this website. A lot of people who come off the fast the wrong way experience pain because the lining of the stomach is too thin to digest food normally. They say it takes about 5 days to get back to normal. It's recommended to eat fruits or veggies high in water content in addition to juice for the first week. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I'm planning on juicing while grazing on raw fruits and veggies - they say watermelon is the best. And then I'll add a raw meal for dinner that Monday. Luckily, I have a doctor's appointment scheduled on Thursday night - so I'll find out from her exactly what's going to happen with my digestion!

In juice news, I'm down to 222 - which is 3 pounds lost this week and 38 pounds overall. I'm making a treat tonight - an apple pie juice. (3 apples and a spoonful of cinnamon) - But I'm also adding a bunch of spinach since it's technically my dinner. This is how we splurge on a juice fast!

The recipe came from the book Mom gave me - The Everything Juicing Book.

And a highlight of the day: I can do things in yoga I used to have to modify. I can cross my ankle over my thigh and put my foot flat on the ground and from downward dog, I can walk my feet all the way up to my hands. Woohoo!

Namaste, juice fasters!

Day 55

I spent about $70 at the Farmer's Market and also preparing for next week. I picked up some sun dried tomatoes, coconut water, and lots of seeds and nuts. The seeds and nuts are what really blew my budget and I don't think I got everything I need. I have to find the cheapest place for nuts. So far, it looks like the Farmer's Market is at least comparable to the grocery store.

And that's the most exciting news of the day. The rest of the day I spent cleaning up the mess I made yesterday when I pulled everything I owned out of my closets.

Five days to go! Skeptically excited.

Day 54

I try to never, ever watch Hoarders. I have a fear of becoming a hoarder. I hate having stuff. I go through bouts of wanting to just throw everything I own in the garbage and starting fresh with nothing. Unfortunately, I'm also a cluttery kind of person. Stuff just accumulates. Then I panic, and I start tearing everything out of my closets and filling bags of stuff I need to throw away immediately. Basically, this happens:



Right now is especially bad because every time I try to throw something away I think - Will I need this for my classroom? And on top of that, we downsized from a townhouse with four huge closets to a one-bedroom apartment with three medium sized closets.

I'm freaking out! I made some progress on organizing my junk, but I'm developing a headache so I think I'll go to bed early. I know how I'm spending my Saturday!

In juice news, everything is great!

Day 53

Late post after a VERY long day! Autism seminar all afternoon, followed by lots of social action blog-reading, and then a panel discussion on the Zuckerberg money. Lots of critical thinking. Too much for one day! I don't know why I thought I was going to get home around 8 or 9 - but I didn't get home until 10 and since I was running late this morning, I just had my only fresh juice of the day about an hour ago. I HAVE to try to get up earlier. I can't survive on V8 alone! I need something to laugh at:

Day 52

Two of my favorite YouTube bloggers, Tim and Mia, have started new juice fasts in the past week which is so exciting because now I can watch the videos in real time! Mia is doing a double fast with the double rainbow guy. Every single blogger I follow is now on their second or third juice fast. I'm inspired. Juice fasting can really be a life-changing undertaking. Juice fasting will show you how strong you are, what's really important in your life, the support system you really have . . .And you'll really begin to know your body. Feeling very grateful today!

And I have one unrelated side note. I don't hear a lot about bathroom habits on a juice fast - but I think it's important to mention that for me, constipation has been an issue on the fast. I read one or two blogs that mentioned the necessity for doing enemas on an extended fast and I have to agree. I did my second enema on Monday night and I felt much better. That's only two in 60 days - but just a heads up for anyone considering trying this.

Dinner time! I have spinach-carrot-pepper-apple juice on the menu. Yum.

Day 51

Just had my last lesson with Gary Gibson! Six months ago I signed up for his health coaching program, The Vegan Effect. I consider myself an expert diet-er. I've done Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, Slimfast, counting calories, a 21-day Cleanse, way too many 3-day fad diets, SparkPeople . . .etc, etc, etc. I used to religiously run 3 miles around the Cooper River in Pennsauken, NJ. I ran a 5k a couple of years ago. I've hiked 20 miles through the Appalachian Trail. I did weight training programs. I've trained on bikes, rowers, treadmills - used every weight machine in multiple gyms. All of these things work! But none of them stuck. So the weight would start to come off, I would get tired of whatever I was doing, and the weight would come back on. I realized that while I was doing these things, two things never mattered to me. Health and nutrition. I didn't care if I was healthy. I didn't care what I was putting into my body - as long as it wasn't an animal. I think the reason I didn't care, is that I was healthy. I had to have a physical when I got into my grad school program - and every number was normal. Cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure - you name it. So who cares?

Honestly, I was hesitant to commit to 6 months of health and nutrition being shoved down my throat. What if I got tired of it? What if I didn't commit? It would be a waste of time and money. And for the first few months, it was. I would follow some direction - but I wasn't whole-heartedly invested. Because it really didn't matter to me. And my habits - my addictions - were so strong that I couldn't realistically see me ever breaking them. I was convinced that all I had to do was figure out a way to lose weight by still getting my daily fix of Wendy's french fries.

I started to feel bad that I wasn't changing the way I was eating. I felt accountable to Gary. I felt guilty that I would show up having done virtually nothing that he asked. He kept mentioning the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. (Which I think you can watch for free on Hulu!) And I kept putting off watching it. Finally, I figured the least I could do was watch a stupid movie. So I did. And that was it.

For the first time, I actually think about food as energy. I actually think about food in terms of what it can do for my body - my mental and physical health. For the first time, I imagine a life in which I eat to live. I'm hoping this is the revolutionary shift in thinking that really changes my relationship with food.

Having been on my juice fast now for 51 days, all of Gary's lessons take on a whole new meaning than they did when I didn't care about health. I can't wait to eat - but I can't wait to eat in a NEW way. I'm excited to eat an alkaline diet. A raw diet. A vegan diet. I've always been a cautiously optimistic kind of person. So I won't say I'm changed for life. But I can say I've never felt this way before.

If you're thinking about changing the way you eat or you're looking for health coaching or fitness coaching or you just want more information - definitely, definitely check out his website! I thought I had heard everything there was to hear about healthy eating. But I was way wrong! He offered so much information that was totally brand new to me - and pushed me into an entirely new way of living. And it doesn't matter where you are in the world, because he Skypes.

I had to dedicate a blog to Gary - because he's the reason this is happening at all! Thanks, Gary.

Day 50

Day 50 - only 10 more days to go!! I drank some of the leftover juice from Easter for breakfast and my stomach was upset all morning. You really need fresh juice to get the most benefit from the fruits and veggies.

We spent Easter in Easton, PA with Chuck's family. It was probably the hardest event I've experienced since being on the fast. We had a vegan BBQ - all homemade. Vegan chicken patties, grilled veggies, vegan potato salad, asparagus, vegan jerky, vegan mint chocolate chip cupcakes, homemade truffles. I just stood next to the grill soaking in the delicious smells. Like I've probably written a hundred times this week - I'm ready to eat again!

I was able to borrow a food dehydrator - so aside from the produce and a few more spices, I'm ready to begin making some amazing raw, vegan dishes. And my stomach literally just rumbled while re-reading that sentence. Time to make some juice!

Day 49

Weigh-in day! Last week my weight was 230 pounds. This morning, I weighed in at 225 pounds. That's a pleasantly surprising 5 pound weight loss for the week and 35 pounds overall. I attribute the extra weight loss to my dedication to the Wii over Spring Break. I spent 30 minutes a day stepping all week. I love the Wii!

I'm about to make a big pitcher of pineapple, orange, strawberry juice with a hint of romaine lettuce for Easter dinner. Even with the extra produce, I only spent $25 at the Farmer's Market. I'm not looking forward to my bigger grocery bill next week, when I have to buy my supplies to start preparing for Raw Week. I've been preparing for my week of raw food little by little. So far, I picked up some tahini, organic soy sauce, agave nectar, and some spices I didn't have - like cayenne pepper and coriander. I spent about $40 stocking my kitchen. The thing that's really going to blow my budget is the insane amount of nuts I need to cook raw for two people for a week. My first stop will be our local vegetarian health food store - because although the prices are outrageous, there's usually a good sale on nuts, like buy one get one free. So an $8 bag of cashews will turn into a $4 bag. That's a good deal.

Ok, that's it for today! Tomorrow marks the beginning of the 10-day countdown!

Day 48

I've been blogging ALL DAY! I had to spend the day catching up on school work and needed to update the blog for a social action project I'm doing with the PreK. So basically I'm taking a break from blogging - to blog. So this will be short and sweet:

Chuck and I went down to visit my parents yesterday and Mom made a delicious juice for dinner - carrot, apple, pear. Then we tried a sparkling lemon-lime - which was way, way, way too strong! Here we are, in juice heaven:



She also gave me an awesome book on juicing which has a lot of pros and cons as well as recipes that help with specific health goals - like weight loss, detoxification, constipation, infections, joint pain, etc, etc . . .Lots of great stuff! It's really an interesting book because while it does detail all the benefits of juicing, it provides warnings and concerns about juicing, too.

It's called The Everything Juicing Book by Carole Jacobs and Chef Patrice Johnson. I highly recommend it! This is the first page from the book, which you can see on Amazon:

Top Ten Reasons to Juice:
1. Juicing can help you get your nine recommended servings of fruits and vegetables.
2. Juicing is good for digestive health. It aids digestion and can ease conditions such as acid reflux and ulcers.
3. Juicing can help alleviate allergies and respiratory disorders.
4. Juicing can boost your immune system and help your body resist and fight infections.
5. Juicing can help reduce high blood pressure and high levels of bad cholesterol.
6. The fruits and vegetables you use in juicing are very high in antioxidants, which are revered for their anti-aging properties. But antioxidants also improve circulation, contribute to cardiovascular health, enhance brain function, and reduce the negative effects of stress.
7. Juice is high in beneficial vitamins and minerals. It can also help you get enough fiber, protein, and unsaturated fats.
8. Commercial juices often contain added sugars and preservatives. By juicing your own fruits and vegetables, you can tailor your juices to your tastes and needs.
9. Juicing is a low-calorie way to boost your energy level so you can enjoy life more.
10. Juice is simple to make and tastes delicious!

Day 47

I had a nightmare last night that I ate a Dunkin' Donuts munchkin without thinking. Just popped it in my mouth. As I was swallowing, I realized I was still on the fast. It was horrifying! I don't even like donuts.

In other stress-related news, I'm starting to realize that Spring Break is almost over and I have done virtually no catching up of school work. I prepared all my materials for next week - but I didn't update the social action blog, didn't put together a plan for action research, didn't work on the e-portfolio. So that's it! Tomorrow is a work day. And whatever I get done, I get done.

At least I remembered to go to the library before it closed for the weekend. I just discovered Tomie dePaola. I love Strega Nona and I just found a picture book called Pancakes for Breakfast. I love the illustrations. When I return these books, I'm going to swipe all the dePaola books I can get my hands on.

Day 46

I have two weeks to go! I am dreaming of the vegan sunflower seed cheese and no-bean hummus I'm planning to make for the weekend of my return to solid foods. I want it NOW!

I discovered last night that when I don't have my juice at my regularly scheduled meal time - I get irritable very quickly. One minute I was fine, and the next - I was so, so crabby. I had cravings and hunger and general moodiness. But Chuck and I were on the road back from the beach, so I had to wait for my juice. When I finally got my juice, I could really feel the effects in a matter of minutes. I could feel that my body needed nutrients and I couldn't wait to get it in my system. I'm usually more prepared, so I have never experienced this need-to-power-my-body feeling so strongly.

Ugh. I'm ready to eat again!

Day 45

Feeling very relaxed and blissed out right now. In a very Zen state of mind. I went to have my energy balanced this morning. I don't know if scientifically anything really happens to the body during a "healing energy" session - but there's a definite shift in emotional state of being, if you allow it.

I first experienced reiki when I was in college, getting my BA in music with a concentration in classical piano. I would get intense stage fright anytime I had to perform, which was at least twice a semester. I seriously considered electing to fail the performance portion of my grade instead of going on stage. It was an intensely stressful experience, and I needed a way to calm my anxiety. And the Universe sent Bob Pileggi. I saw his ad for reiki and decided to check it out. When I arrived, I felt extremely tight, closed off, shut down, nervous, internal . . .but after the reiki experience I felt calm, open, light, loving. (And on a side note, I graduated magna cum laude from Moravian with my BA in music - and never got less than a B on a performance grade.)That was 3 or 4 years ago and it was such a heart-opening experience - mostly because of Bob - that I still make the trip to Philadelphia once a month to see him. He's such a supportive, loving person. I only went for reiki the first time, and after that - I would go for his insight, his support, his guided meditations, his breathing strategies. I highly, highly recommend spending an hour with Bob! Knowing him has shifted my entire perspective on my life and opened many doors I never would have explored otherwise. And for people not wanting to drive all the way to Philly, he Skypes, too. Check out his website and see for yourself!

Over the summer I was looking for someone locally who did reiki, and I found Bonnie Harrison. Located right down the street in Hackettstown, she is a nurse who is certified in healing touch - which is similar to reiki. Since the 60 day fast is a type of detox, I thought it might be a good idea to support my physical detox with an energy detox. I don't know what's really going on in my body or my energy - but I know I feel totally relaxed and filled with love and light! So, whatever. I'm a believer!

Peace and love, juice fasters!

Day 44

I didn't buy much at the Farmer's Market this week. New items that I haven't juiced before include romaine lettuce and peaches. Standard favorites include apples, miniature bell peppers, and strawberries. I still had plenty of carrots, lemons, limes, and broccoli. So my total was only $14. Lots of the juice vloggers on YouTube talk about how expensive fasting is - but if you get fruits and veggies that yield a lot of juice, I really think you can minimize your spending. I don't even spend a quarter of what I used to spend on groceries. All your leafy greens yield low amounts of juice - but you don't need to fill the cup with spinach juice. Buy your green veggies and throw in a few handfuls to every drink and you won't blow your budget. I made a list of budget friendly and not-so-friendly produce. I still buy some of the items on the not-so-friendly list, I just don't buy them every time and I don't put them in every drink.

Produce to Buy on a Budget:
apples
carrots
celery
watermelon
peppers
strawberries (These can be expensive, but the flavor is so strong that you only ever need to add 3 or 4 to any drink.)
oranges
lemons
limes
grapes

Produce to Avoid on a Budget:
blueberries
raspberries
cucumbers (Yields lots of juice, but at $1 per cucumber - not worth it. Plus I think it tastes gross. It's your call!)
mangoes
broccoli
pears
pineapple (I love pineapple juice, but they run about $3, two for $5 when there's a sale. I only buy them on sale.)

That's all I can think of right now. If anyone else has tips, feel free to comment. Happy juicing!

Day 43

I went to yoga yesterday morning and I'm definitely feeling it in my abs today. So sore! I love Sunday morning yoga with Danny Marshall. All the teachers at Easton Yoga are great, but Danny is my favorite! It's almost a religious experience, which is why I always say I'm at the "Church of Yoga" on Sunday mornings. A few things that make Sunday morning yoga different than other yoga classes:

1. Danny always takes a few minutes before we start to encourage us to set an intention. And he reminds us that the intention doesn't have to be for yourself. You can dedicate your practice to someone who may need some healing energy or positive thoughts.

2. All the teachers at Easton Yoga give lots of alternatives, suggestions for propping, reminders that you can take a break, etc. That's important because even if you don't need the modification, it's a reminder that your practice is your own - and it's not a competition. It's about doing the best for your own body. And when you make a modification - Danny praises you!

3. Danny is the only teacher I've had that takes an intentional approach to coming in and out of balancing postures. His mantra is "strength, grace, and control." And he reminds you in balancing postures that you can use what you learn in the studio out in the real world. When you're angry, when you're under pressure, when there's a temptation of any kind - remember the balancing poses. And that idea of strength, grace, and control has kept me from ruining the juice fast more than once.

4. At the end of the practice, we bring our hands in prayer position up to the forehead - to remember to keep positive thoughts and clear intentions, and to our lips to remember to speak the truth, and to our hearts to remember to live with compassion and love.

As a former Catholic, the Sunday morning class really resonates with me. I remember when the Gospel was read in church, we would make the sign of the cross with our thumb across our forehead, our lips, and our heart. For me, it was the most meaningful moment of the service - and it's kismet that I experience it now in a similar - but new - spiritual way.

So if you're in the Lehigh Valley - go check out Danny's classes!

Day 42

It's Sunday! That means I get to use the scale all day long. Last week I was 233 and this week I'm weighing in at 230 pounds. So that's 3 pounds for the week and 30 pounds over all. It seems like 3 is the magic number, so I hope by the end of the fast to be down to 220. I don't have much time left!

At the beginning of the fast I was dreaming of couscous and soup. But I've realized that my original plan may not be the best way to transition. So my new plan is to juice for breakfast and lunch on the 61st day, and then my first solid food will be a miniature sweet bell pepper - raw. I've been watching my mentor teacher eat them all week and they look so amazingly delicious. They smell so sweet and peppery, and the crunch is so clean. Yum. Then I'll munch on raw veggies and drink juice for the rest of the weekend and start "cooking" raw meals the following week.

I'm trying to brace myself for the fact that I will probably gain a few pounds the week after I start eating again, but that this will pass and as long as I keep it up, I should continue to lose after the fast is over by eating mostly raw, staying vegan, and cutting out the oils.

Let the countdown begin! 18 days to go!