Moving

Hi All! Well I am moving! Not really me, I love being in Colorado and will cry the day I leave. Unless I go to India then it will be extremely bittersweet. No, my blog is moving! I have never really liked this platform for my blog and other people's blogs on the same platform really annoy me so I am moving! The new site is-get ready for it... lifeandveggiejuice.com I am really excited! I hope you will stay with me as I change my site over. It is going to be a long move seeing as I don't have a ton of time to work on it, but I want to bring my best recipes over to that site. Don't worry if there are some you like, but I don't move them over, you can still get them here. I have been looking through some of my old posts and realized how much I have changed. I will be writing a post about that as soon as I work through all the changes in my head. So many blog ideas....so little time...what's a girl to do! :)

In the meantime I am doing a Raw Dinner and Demonstration! I am so excited I love raw food and I want everyone to love it as much as I do so I am going to be sharing with other people. If you are in the Denver area and would like to come to the Dinner message me on my facebook page and I will give you details of where it is happening. My mom, Susan from 5 Leaves and 2 Wishes is also presenting because she is able to give you information while I am only coming from experience. The Dinner and Demonstration is March 23rd, next Sunday from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. I am also giving away a recipe book and there will be samples of the lotion I make, if you are interested in some of the best lotion (not to brag, but it is some of the best I have tried). I am asking $15 just to cover the cost of the food. I am not doing this to earn money...I am doing it for fun. I love raw food and I want to share my passion and the health I have found with everyone! Please message me and come, the more the merrier :)

I will be making food like this raw lasagna! You will also get to taste smoothie, juice, soup, salad, and dessert. We will have a beautiful Italian Themed dinner and it will all be low fat raw and vegan! Please come and enjoy!

Happy Juicing!!!

Don't forget to check out my new blog lifeandveggiejuice.com

Low Fat Raw Vegan Cinnamon Rolls (plus update)

I am sorry I have been so silent this month. I have definitely fallen away from my health goals, but my mind is also much more solidified to the idea that this diet is the healthiest diet for me. I feel my best when I am eating raw fruits and veggies. 

My birthday was in February and I went off my diet (when I say diet I mean long term eating habits) for my birthday. My husband surprised me this year and we had a great time! We went to a restaurant called Limon, Friday night. I really enjoy their pumpkin soup! We stayed at the Magnolia Hotel in Denver (which I won from a drawing) and we spent Saturday afternoon taking pictures. He just bought a new camera and is really enjoying playing around with it. Then we ate lunch at City O' City which is definitely yummy and vegetarian, but I know I didn't make the best food choices when we ate there. And we finally ended the weekend watching The Book Thief. I read the book in college so I really wanted to watch the movie and it did not disappoint. The movie was very good! 

On Sunday my mother-in-law did something so kind for me! She made a vegan cake from Chocolatecoveredkatie specifically for me. Which was so sweet! especially considering she doesn't quite understand my diet or why I follow it. Then my parents took me out last weekend for and I just HAD to take them to a vegetarian Indian Restaurant we found which actually serves South Indian Cuisine, called Masalaa. We enjoy the food so much because the flavors and the entrees are actually what we ate in India, but again not the best food choices. 

I am finally getting back to eating the way I should be eating. I have tried different things this month and have learned a lot about low fat raw vegan eating, the people involved in the movement, what they believe, and how my body responds to different ways of following the lifestyle. Maybe I will do a post on that next. I also want to do a post on veganism (I know I am not a vegan yet, but I do believe eating vegan is best for health) and I want to do a series on some of the hair/skin care products and cleaning alternatives I have found. So watch for those!

Now on to something truly enjoyable and guiltless! I tried a new fruit this month I found at my Asian market, its called a sapote and actually looks like a little potato. I heard on a video that it tastes just like brown sugar and so I wanted to try it. Well, when the sapote is ripe it is pretty close to brown sugar and even has a similar consistency so this recipe was born!

Low Fat Raw Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

Rolls

2 to 5 bananas

Filling

1 sapote

10 dates

1/2 Tbs Cinnamon (more or less to taste)

Icing

meat from 1 young coconut

1 tsp vanilla

enough water or coconut water for blending

Place ingredients for the filling into a food processor and pulse until the filling becomes a ball. Cut bananas into 1 to 2 inch slices, depending on how big you want your rolls. Cut these pieces in half or gently pull the banana into the three natural sections. Spread the filling onto one half of the banana and put the top back on like a little sandwich. Do this until all the filling is used up. Place your rolls onto a plate or serving dish. To make the icing place meat, vanilla and a small amount of water into a blender (I used a personal blender, they seem to work best). Blend until very smooth adding water when necessary. Pour the icing on top of the rolls. You may have some icing left over, but that's ok you can make something else or just eat it! Top rolls with some sprinkles of cinnamon and enjoy!

Happy Juicing!!!

Update and Guidelines

One great perk I found while doing this whole Low Fat Raw Vegan (mostly) thing is that when you start buying things in bulk from regular grocery stores no one knows what they are doing and they don't seem to care. About a week ago I ended up getting a 30 lb box of pears for ten dollars. Today, I got a 40lb box of organic apples for thirty dollars. I think I am enjoying this a little too much :)

I wanted to update you a little on how I am doing. So I have been eating as little fats as possible and as many carbs as possible for about three weeks now. The first two weeks I felt awful! I felt sick, but not sick enough to stay home from work. My throat hurt, I was tired, my stomach was sore, and I was achy. I ended last week with the most horrid headache. Saturday I went hiking with friends and enjoyed a fun game night through the headache. On Sunday I watched the Broncos win with my family, ate a few things which were not raw and had more fat and animal products than I would have chosen (there are just some things I will do for those I love), we finished off the day with sushi and I managed to have only veggie sushi with no fried contraband. Then on Monday I started feeling better. My husband and I went on a 30 mile bike ride So with the extra sleep I got on my long weekend I have been feeling wonderful this week and I have been feeling like I have been losing weight. I really hope this feeling continues. I have really been trying to keep up on my exercise though its limited to about 20 minutes a day. I have been trying to go to bed earlier, last week I took quite a few detox baths and I have been keeping my fat content to about 5% (thanks to www.chronometer.com).

There is a lot of different opinions about a low fat raw vegan diet and how many calories a person should eat. One opinion says everyone should strive for about 3,000 calories, one person says don't eat any onions, someone else says its ok to eat a few cooked carbs. Its so confusing I decided to take the principle and try to apply it to what I think is best for me. Because of how little I work out and sleep I decided that I should be eating between 1500 and 2000 calories a day. I don't limit myself, but this seems to be just about perfect. I don't crave food and I eat when I am hungry. So I came up with some goals for my diet and some guidelines to get me started. I will share them with you so you know a little of how I am doing this, I am not as strict as 80/10/10 and others suggest that you should be--I am just doing what works for me right now.

Guidelines

1.            Eat fruit and/or green juices/smoothies throughout the day.
   2.      Try to always eat a large salad/raw soup/or green juice at night.
   3.      Eat between 1500 and 2000 calories a day.
   4.      Can drink warm lemon water or herbal tea in the morning
   5.      May have three cooked meals a week (I still like having date night with my husband and its nice not to have to make food once a week).
   6.      Can eat cheese twice a month.
   7.      May have chocolate if needed (I really haven't needed it at all)

Goals

1. To have more energy
2. To not need as much sleep
3. To be less stressed
4. To have a clear mind
5. Balance my weight and body fat

So this is what I am doing. I will be writing some more update posts as I progress through this diet. I decided the experimental period is three months. If these goals begin to be fulfilled, I will continue with this diet while it feels right for my body. 

Happy Juicing!!!

Cranberry Pomegranate Holiday Salad

     Before I get into the super yummy salad recipe I wanted to give you an update on my health and what I am doing right now. I have been kind of frustrated lately because I want to lose the last 10 to 15 lbs I feel like I should lose, but I have not been able to do this. I believe its because of some other life choices that I have been making. For instance I work a lot and I have chosen to get my master's degree so I am also taking classes. I leave my house at about 6:30am and have not been getting home till about 6:00pm (sometimes earlier and sometimes later) plus I take work home most days with every intention of getting it done, but end up using the rest of my time to make dinner, juices and smoothies for the next day and eat. I just don't know where the time goes. So the only time I get enough sleep is on the weekends and I can tell a difference in my belly size when I get enough sleep versus when I don't. That is just one example. I also am not able to get enough exercise, because I have to get up at 4:30 am at least to get in about 20 to 30 min of exercise in the morning. So many things, 'sigh.' I have been looking for a diet that allows me to not worry about how much I am eating, gives me tons of energy, makes my head clear, and helps my belly stay relatively flat without worrying about how much sleep I get. I have embarked on the 80/10/10 by Dr. Douglas Graham or Low Fat Raw Vegan Diet (LFRV) (sort of). I am not perfect and am giving myself cheat days, but would love to have the clarity and energy that the people who I see on this diet claim to have. I first got curious last December when Rande from http://thevegetablecentrickitchen.com/ tried the diet out for about three months or so, and then when I did my month of raw and had to try some different things I realized how my cravings lessened with the more fruit I ate. So I was intrigued. Now my plan is to try it out for about three months and see if my mood and energy levels change and if they do, great! and if they don't, I will try something else.

Today I had my first LFRV moment. I went to King Soopers to get some bananas and all they had was very green bananas so I asked one of the employees if there were any bananas which weren't so green. He went into the back and came back with two bunches of yellow bananas and asked if I wanted more. I asked how many more he had and he told me a whole case so I bought the case (later I calculated I bought about 38 lbs of bananas). When I was leaving after buying the bananas the cashier asked if the bananas were for Dairy Queen. I told her nope they were just for me and she looked totally confused, but (oddly for my shy self) I didn't care cuz I felt as excited about my case of bananas as my preschoolers feel about getting bubbles and water out for the sensory table. I was really ecstatic!
We will see how long this lasts :)

Now for the amazing salad!!!

Christmas Kale Salad

Can be fat free and raw if you want. 

3 small bunches kale

1 1/2 cups cranberries (you can use fresh or dried, I dried my own by soaking the cranberries in orange juice mixed with cinnamon overnight, then poked the cranberries with a knife and dehydrated them at 105 degrees for about 2 or 3 days. If you have a better dehydrator than I do you probably won't have to dehydrate them as long.

3 pomegranates

1 medium kabocha squash, thinly sliced, tossed in coconut oil and cinnamon and baked until soft. (you can leave this off if you want the salad to be completely raw, it is still amazing without the squash)
You could use fuyu persimmons instead of the squash or in addition to the squash :) (This is a later edit based on a super yummy salad I just made--Nov. 2014) 

Cut the kale off the stems and chop the leaves as small as possible. Blend the dressing in a blender and massage into the kale.

Dressing:

1 cup orange juice (about 2 oranges juiced)

1 teaspoon cinnamon (can soak cranberries in juice and cinnamon then use the juice for the dressing)

1 cup fresh basil

1/4 cup cilantro

2 medjool dates

salt to taste

After massaging the dressing into the kale layer the pomegranate, cranberries, and squash on top. 

This salad is very good. All of my family really liked it and I think that I will continue to make it for the holidays. I hope you enjoy!

Happy Juicing!!!

Pear Persimmon Green Smoothie

I know I promised you a salad recipe, but my dad has the picture in his camera so I can't show you what the salad looks like yet. I can tell you it is super yummy, can be all raw and low fat, and my family keeps asking for the recipe sooooooo it will be on my blog as soon as I can get the picture.

In the meantime here is a SUPER yummy smoothie recipe and if you are able to make it right now then I am very jealous of you. This smoothie features Japanese Persimmons, which I absolutely LOVE. During November and December I would go to the Asian market once a week and buy about 5lbs at a dollar a pound! This smoothie is what I would make with the persimmons which were too smooshy to eat, but still super sweet. Sadly the season ended just before Christmas and I cannot get them anymore. So if you can make this smoothie make sure you do, just for me :)

Pear Persimmon Green Smoothie

3 large pears

3 smooshy persimmons

1 cup nut milk (I used holiday pumpkin pie coconut milk, but that probably is not the healthiest idea in the world) 

so if you use plain nut milk or coconut water add about 1 tsp of vanilla and maybe about 1/4 tsp of pumpkin pie spice if you so desire

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp spirulina (or you could through in some spinach or other green, I haven't tried it that way)

a large handful or two of ice

Place everything into a blender and blend away. When smooth pour into a glass, top with whatever you desire or nothing at all and enjoy!

Enjoy my smoothie which I cannot make and I will see you in the next week or so with a yummy salad!

Happy Juicing!!!

Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving is over...sigh...time to detox before Christmas. Ha Ha just kidding, I seriously don't know if I will have anytime to think about detoxing during these three weeks before Christmas Break. But I know that eating right, getting enough sleep (which never happens), and exercising (again--hit and miss) is all I need to do to keep my body feeling great!

I had two Thanksgivings this year. One with my family and one with my husbands family. Both were DELISH and I have to admit that I ate foods I wouldn't normally eat and probably shouldn't have eaten. In fact my husband and I stuffed ourselves so much on Thanksgiving (not pleasant) that we did not eat at all on Friday until the evening meal and then we only felt like eating vegetables, I was very surprised, but I felt great the next morning!

I made some dishes to bring so I could make sure my Thanksgiving dinners were more light and healthful. I wanted to share these recipes with you so you can have an idea of what to make for Christmas--everything was soo yummy!

For my family's Thanksgiving meal on Thanksgiving I brought the Detoxinista's vegetable stuffing which really is a winner! And a yummy sweet salad of my own devising. I will give the recipe soon, but it included cranberries, kale, pomegranates and a sweet maple dressing...

Then for my husband's family's Thanksgiving meal I ended up making Celery Root and Cauliflower Puree with Garlicky Greens...

Also really yummy! the only thing I added to this dish was about 2 cloves of garlic to the food processor with the celery root and cauliflower. I think that adding roasted garlic cloves would have been amazing too.

Then I made roasted red potatoes specially for my husband who wanted nothing else this year :)

For the potatoes I used about 8 red potatoes chopped into chunks threw them in a baking dish and tossed them with olive oil, about 3 chopped garlic cloves, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Then I roasted them in the oven on about 400 degrees for about 30 to 45 min. They were just what my husband ordered!

Finally, I made several healthy desserts...

Gingerbread Bars (detoxinista.com)

Vegan Pumpkin Bread in the shape of muffins and with added chocolate chunks (detoxinista.com)

Peanut Butter Gingerbread Chocolate Chunk Cookies made with almond butter and almond flour (chocolatecoveredkatie.com)

And not pictured Vanilla Bean Coconut Ice Cream (cococakeicecream.blogspot.com) Which was a huge hit with my brother-in-law who, mostly, steers clear of my healthy food like it was the plague (except for raw cheesecakes).

I hope you enjoy this list of healthy holiday food and that you stay healthy this holiday season!

Happy Juicing!!!

10/20/30 Day Revive, A real food plan to Reshape, Repair, Restore

I asked my mom, Susan, creator of this last cleansing plan I did, to write a guest post for my blog. She really is a great inspiration to me! I love my mom and I am so glad she is around so I can bug her with all of my health questions. She has inspired me to be a better person, not only in health, but also in my personal life. You can find her at www.susandupper.com she has just begun her health coaching journey, but she has been on her own health journey for as long as I can remember. Look her up she has so much wisdom to share and she loves to help people in their own personal journey.

My Dad and Mom on top of Poughkeepsie Gulch

Me, my mom, and my sister Courtney holding on in the back of my dad's cruiser.

VALUE AND WARM, FUZZY FEELINGS

Did you know you are a perfect, valuable person?  Have you ever thought of yourself in that way before?  Let’s talk about how valuable you are so that when you think about yourself, you will have this warm fuzzy feeling and be able to share that with others around you.  In order to truly love and care for those around us, which some women have this gift naturally, we do need to love ourselves.  I’m sure you’ve known someone who is very self -absorbed and cannot reach outside of themselves.  Most likely this person does not like him/herself very much.   Now I’m sure you know how you don’t want to be so let’s talk about your value and how to truly value yourself.

Value yourself enough to eat well, sleep enough, nourish your spiritual life, move your body, excite your brain power, care about someone.  You alone have the power and the freedom to make a change.  While you are still breathing, there is hope and since you’re reading this, you are still breathing!  Yay!  Now, how to accomplish this in a fast-paced, busy, “there’s just not enough time in the day” kind of life.

EAT WELL

          1)       Make a salad or soup your first priority when planning a meal.                               

          2)       Drink water before eating a snack.

          3)      Only eat fruit and vegetables for snacks.

          4)      Read Alissa’s blog and make her recipes!

          5)      You’ll feel better about yourself!

SLEEP ENOUGH

1)      6-8 hours/night.  

2)      Go to bed and get up at the same time every day if possible.

3)      If I wake during the night, I like to pray, it calms my soul.

4)      You’ll get more done during the day!

NOURISH YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE

1)       Take time to detox from noise every day.

2)       Tune out and turn off electronics for a while every day.

3)       Find a group to be nourished by and to nourish others.

4)       Listen!

5)       You’ll feel more compassionate!

MOVE YOUR BODY

1)       Love yourself enough to exercise 3-7 days a week!

2)       You don’t have to run a marathon to call it exercise!

3)       The people that live the longest, healthiest lives walk every day, and garden!

4)       Choose something YOU like to do not something someone told you to do!

5)       You’ll have more energy!

EXCITE YOUR BRAIN POWER

1)       Read to yourself or someone else.

2)       Memorize something.

3)      Sing or play an instrument!  Music makes you smart and happy!

4)      Breath deeply every day.  Your brain needs oxygen!

5)      Learn a new skill!  You’ll feel smart and powerful!

CARE ABOUT SOMEONE                                                                                                   

1)       Give a hug to someone in need.

2)      Water a plant!  Even plants need love!

3)      Make delicious healthy food for someone!

4)      Keep silent!  Show someone you care by just listening!

You probably know all this but maybe you can look at it a little differently by seeing your value first and then seeing the ripple that this shift can make around you.

RECIPE ALERT!  RECIPE ALERT!

Now here’s my favorite go-to, fast, easy, healthy and tasty recipe to delight you and your taste buds from 5 Leaves and 2 Wishes health coach!

EASY MEXICAN SWEET POTATOES

Sweet Potato – done to perfection in the oven.  Wrap in foil and bake 45 min. to 1 hr.  Then slice in half and take a moment to look at the beauty of that deep orange.  So beautiful and delicious!  Microwave without foil if you’re in a real hurry!

Black Beans - 1 can or 2 cups, cooked

Salsa - 1-2 cups fresh or cooked, your favorite kind will do

Combine beans and salsa in a sauce pan and heat thoroughly until desired temperature.  Pour over sweet potato and enjoy with a tossed salad.  A beautiful, colorful, vegetarian, complete meal.  Did I mention fast and easy?  Oh, and cheap too!

Susan Dupper      

Proud Mom, Health Coach and Fitness Trainer, 

5 Leaves and 2 Wishes                                                                              

Author of the 10/20/30 Day Revive, A real food plan to Reshape, Repair, Restore (A work in progress)    

Susandupper.com

Happy Juicing!!!

30 Day Cleanse Update

Today would mark Day 15 on the cleanse, the middle day, almost finished right? Well, I decided that I couldn't be on a diet anymore--I needed a break--I was done (I've technically been on a "diet" for a month and a half). A lot has been going on in my personal life since Wednesday, more than I want to talk about in a public blog. Doing this cleanse began getting in the way of work and personal relationships in a way that should never happen. Last week I became obsessed with my weight and how my body looked. To top it off I was having horrible cravings, I was super cranky, and extremely tired of planning so much and not being able to enjoy meals away from home with my extended family. Part of cleansing and losing weight is to become happier and more at peace with yourself and when a cleanse becomes more of an obsession than a 'cleanse' it is time to stop and focus on what is really important. I recently read a blog post that really brought this message home to me and I realized I was focusing more on my body and my food than my relationships and my work. If you have a chance to read Marlena Torres's blog Health Through Indulgence she really has some good advice on how to learn to love yourself instead of judging.

Now, after saying all of this I want to first say that I loved the cleanse I was on and I will probably do one or two or all three of the phases again one day, when I have the time to focus on it. I really like this cleanse, which my mom has recently named "10/20/30 Day Revive, A real food plan to Reshape, Repair, Restore" because the diet is easy to follow and it is also easy on the budget. There are no expensive super foods to buy, you just use what is available and in season (like cucumbers). Also it is not too extreme. I have gotten pretty extreme in my eating habits, but this is a diet any one could implement and it can be customized to fit any person no matter what they are used to eating. I will say though if you are addicted to carbs and sugars you will have some major withdrawals when you begin this diet because the sugars are almost completely eliminated. Which is excellent to get anyone eating healthier for life.

Just because I have gone off serious dieting to focus on my spiritual life, work, and relationships doesn't mean I am not going to eat healthfully. Nor does it mean I will go silent on my blog. I want to go back to my own version of a 80/10/10 ish / rawish diet. I loved how the focus on fruits made my cravings almost completely disappear and so that is what I will be shooting for. I want to eat peacefully and enjoy my food without obsessing about it. What you see above is my dinner from last night, stir fry on top of a roasted spaghetti squash and topped with raw Napa Cabbage from my mom's garden. It was so yummy I stuffed myself (which is also something I am trying not to do). I will be sharing periodically some more recipes and what my husband and I both eat so, if you are trying to eat healthy, but have to cook for more than yourself you can get some good ideas. I also have a guest post planned from someone I admire very much and this post is definitely something you do not want to miss. I have some good stuff planned for you and some more recipes coming your way very soon!

Happy Juicing!!!

Have you ever decided to 'diet' by not dieting? How did you feel? 

 

30 Day Cleanse: Day 12

Today was a good day. I was happy with the kids, I got some testing done (which I can't wait till I'm finished with it) and I got to spend some time with my husband. All in all a good day with little to report.

I am not going to do another juice cleanse though...its too cold and I hate juicing in the cold. I have even changed the time I drink my morning juice so I can be warm in the car while I drink it. (I drive to work at around 6:30 in the morning so I can be at school at 7:00) So anyway...

Yummy eats

20 oz beet, carrot, lettuce juice with dandy blend, cinnamon, cacao powder, and stevia
Raw Tomato soup with sprouts
32 oz carrot, orange, avocado, spirulina, cinnamon smoothie

Coconut lemongrass soup and 2 crystal rolls with peanut sauce (oops, tofu is not on the diet and I am sure it had sugar) from Swing Thai.
Raw chocolate dipped in almond butter
Almond butter mixed with coconut butter and cacao nibs
And I am going to finish the night off with some hot canela (cinnamon tea).

Happy Juicing!!!

30 Day Cleanse: Day 11

Today was a really down day for me. I am not sure what the problem was...maybe I ate too much last night, maybe it was weighing myself, maybe the weather is changing,  maybe it just carried over from the bad night I had last night. Whatever it was I was pretty depressed today. I juiced during the day, but just felt like I needed something tonight so I ate some leftover soup and that seemed to do the trick. I feel a little better now, but I really need sleep so I'm gonna keep it short.

Today's eats

8 oz hot lemon water
24 oz "Waldorf Salad" Morning Cleansing Juice
24 oz "Fall Harvest" Midday Cleansing Juice (really yummy!)
24 oz carrots, kale, ginger, apple, cucumber, lime juice
1/2 bottle of homemade berry kombucha
Daikon radish and asparagus soup
a couple of the cookies I made last night
fudge brownie chocolate protein bars (which are very good, I didn't put protein powder in them and I used agave for sweetener. But the vegan chocolate chips probably are cheating. I probably won't eat much more of them because I don't think that black beans are very nice to my system.)

Happy Juicing!!!

30 Day Cleanse: Day 10

Yeah! First phase is finished and on to the second phase. I can eat nuts now...So excited, but first a three day juice cleanse :)

Today's eats (oh I did cheat today. I ate organic ketchup, mustard, and I forgot my stevia at work so I sweetened my cleanse-ok cookies with agave.)

8 oz Hot Lemon Water
Lots of tea
16 oz beet carrot ginger orange
Jicama with All-Veggie Hummus
16 oz kale, lime, apple, cucumber, lettuce, ginger
3 baby carrots
1 pear
Leftover kale salad

Lentil Cauliflower Burger wrapped in lettuce, with raw onion rings (Ani Phyo) and raw daikon radish fries.

To end the night I made some quinoa spice cookies, which I will post the recipe when I finish tweaking.

Happy Juicing!!!

30 Day Cleanse: Day 9

I am almost finished with the first 10 days!!! I am so excited! The first phase will be finished and I will eat a little almond butter and cacao :) Not that this past 10 days hasn't been full of good eats...but I am definitely ready to eat more like I am used to eating.

On another note...I need to remember that weight loss does not only hinge on food. I also need sleep, exercise, and reduced stress and working all day then making food and juices all evening does not help weight loss. Someday I will learn...baby steps, right?

Today's eats...

32 oz Low Sugar Creamy Strawberry Smoothie
1 pear
Jicama and all veggie hummus for snack
1 pear
More Jicama and hummus

Carrot-Ginger Sauce (Detoxinista) warmed with chopped broccoli, mushrooms, and zucchini on top of daikon radish noodles (not my favorite noodles). After we ate this dish I added some soy milk and arrowroot powder to thicken the sauce and my husband really liked this cooked version.

2 apples baked with apple pie spice and dipped in spiced vanillacado

Happy Juicing!!!

30 Day Cleanse: Day 8

Finally on the last two days of the first 10. I have been having cravings today! Granted this diet is not as extreme as what my diet has been; I've been cooking my food, eating beans, and some whole grains. But I am really missing sweet fruits, chocolate, and almond butter. I am so excited to be able to add in chocolate, nuts, and squashes next week! I can't wait!

Today's Eats...

1 pear
24 oz kale stems, cucumber, beet, oranger, ginger juice
1 pear
8 oz No Pumpkin Cream, warmed

Baked and raw daikon radish hash with siracha sauce and homemade, raw ketchup
Apple pie quinoa topped with buckwheat crunchies and pomegranate (not on the cleanse, didn't realize this until I had spent the time opening 3 of them--my husband will get to enjoy the fruits of my labors, "sigh")
Leftover Quinoa Bowl

Happy Juicing!!!

How is everyone doing who accidentally started this diet with me? Are you having any cravings?

No Pumpkin Cream: Iced or Hot

This dessert is perfect for the first phase of this diet. There are no added sugars, no bananas, and no actual pumpkin. This would be really yummy in an ice cream maker, if you have a small one. I just stick mine in the freezer for a little while. It is also yummy warmed, but if you warm it watch the stove so it doesn't boil, check the temperature often and take it off just when it is warm to keep as many nutrients as possible.

No Pumpkin Cream

5 carrots

1 apple

1 knob ginger

1 avocado

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

1 tsp ground cardamom (optional)

Juice the carrots, apple, and ginger together then pour the juice into a blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Put in the freezer or warm on the stove, Enjoy!

Happy Juicing!!!

30 Day Cleanse: Day 7 (oops)

Today was such a wonderful day! We got to go trail running up at Red Rocks Amphitheater. If you  have never seen Red Rocks you have to look up some pictures, it is just gorgeous. It is very close to Denver and there are trails crisscrossing all over the place. We usually choose a trailhead about four miles from the amphitheater and my husband runs to the amphitheater and I turn around at about two and a half miles. The sun was shining and the sky was a glorious blue--just a perfect start to the day/week.

I think that today I have hit the happy place for my body. Today I feel like, if I could look this way for the rest of my life (or until my body decided it was too tired and needed to look old) I would be happy. I also had a revelation while I was running this morning. I think that it takes a long time for a person to get used to the way she/he looks if that person has lost a lot of weight or has lost weight quickly. I think that it would be very easy to sabotage a person's progress because in the person's mind they still look the way s/he did before and your mind wants to get back to that image. I feel that is a very good reason to be content with the way you look no matter what and practice seeing yourself the way you could look or really do look. I have an extremely hard time being content with most anything, especially the way I look. I am practicing though and the more I practice the more of a habit I will form.

Here are my eats for today. I did make one big mistake today--I didn't eat enough, oops!

8 oz hot lemon water with stevia
24 oz Jason Vale's Beyond Detox from his 3 day juice detox
2 pears
Dinner was sprouted black beans cooked with tomatoes and jalapenos, kale salad massaged with avocado, raw daikon radish hash browns, and lettuce leaves for tortillas
Dessert: No Pumpkin Cream Iced

Happy Juicing!!! 

Day 6

Yesterday was day 6, I thought I would write this morning because I didn't write last night. I will post tonight also. We had a really good day yesterday. It was a beautiful day so we went to the mountains to find firewood for the winter. It was a nice, relaxing day.

24 oz strawberry, lettuce, raw coconut water, lime juice, avocado, zucchini smoothie
2 pears
snacked on carrots, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber dipped in a all veggie hummus
pumpkin cream, iced
Dinner was roasted veggies on top of a quinoa and kale salad. It was really yummy,

Happy Juicing!!!

Day 5

Today went really well, I didn't have to go to work! We are on Fall Break so I got to stay home and, sort of, be lazy. I was really hungry today and couldn't figure out why. Then I realized I hadn't made my juices and eaten regularly and I got to go to a hot yoga class this morning. More exercise with less food planning and almost no food left in the house makes for a very hungry me. :)

Well I am done with a pure juice cleanse for a while. On the plan the juice cleanse part is supposed to last for 3 to 5 days. I had planned a seven day cleanse with Jason Vale's 3 day cleanse at the beginning so yesterday finished off my juicing.

I am very sad about one thing though. Figs are gone! I just found out I love them and now they are gone! I have to go back to waiting for persimmons, "sigh"

Today's Eats...

16 oz kale, chard, lemon, apple, celery, cucumber. parsley (cleaning out my fridge) juice mixed with a 1/2 Tbls apple cider vinegar
3 Apples
1/2 Avocado with salt, pepper, and lime juice
16 oz carrot apple juice blended with the other half of the avocado, cinnamon, and nutmeg
2 small asian pears
Almost a whole 16 oz bag of baby carrots
Baby kale salad with cherry tomatoes, avocado, marinated mushrooms and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette
Almost raw tortilla soup with daikon radish as the tortillas
Few spoonfuls of Pumpkin cream, iced (recipe to come)

Happy Juicing

Now I'm on Day 4 with Sweet Grapefruit Juice Recipe

I was ok most of the day today after getting only six hours of sleep. I was having a bad morning until one of my students made me laugh. I was asking him why he was pretending that another space ship was shooting at his spaceship, he didn't really know so he said "actually that's just how they roll."
Food went ok today, I enjoyed my juices and didn't really crave anything until I had to skip a juice and got really hungry. I was craving cookies today though, because I made two amazing kinds. This week my theme in my classroom is fall so today we made pumpkin cookies and I used a gluten free recipe from kibbysblendedlife.com that I absolutely love. The kids loved the cookies too and it was so difficult not to eat one (actually I did lick the bowl, but shhhhhh, don't tell). Besides the pumpkin cookies my first and second grade class earned a reward and so did my preschool class so I had to make them a treat (I started making homemade treats so that I could regulate how much sugar they ate in class.) My first and second graders chose gingerbread cookies of all things so I convinced my preschoolers to choose the same treat. I ended up making PB Gingerbread Chocolate Chunk Cookies from chocolatecoveredkatie.com because I could make them gluten and dairy free (there are some allergies in my classroom) and the kids just loved them. I was very pleasantly surprised, but that didn't make it any easier not to taste a cookie "sigh".

Yummy Juices:
12 oz hot lemon water
lots of tea
16 oz dandelion, kale, apple, cucumber, parsley, lime, celery
12 oz beet carrot dandelion apple
16 oz Pearfection by thevegetablecentrickitchen.com
16 oz Sweet Grapefruit Juice (Recipe below)

I dislike grapefruit very much, but I love this juice. It has the pleasant taste of grapefruit without the bitter taste.

Sweet Grapefruit Juice

4 leaves dandelion (optional, will make the juice a little more bitter)

2 apples

1 grapefruit

8 carrots (adjust to your liking or until you get 16 oz of juice)

Juice all ingredients and enjoy!

Happy Juicing!

Day 3 Cheating?!?

Today went really well! I felt really happy this morning and I was energized and playing with the kids. I was not even very hungry for my first juice, but drank it anyway because I knew I needed it. I thought, "This is my juicy high!" Then the state representative showed up and everything got messed up. The state sends someone to all the preschools to make sure they are following state standards each year and we have been waiting for this. I was super nervous, but the worst thing was I didn't get to drink my juice at snack time! and by the time she left I was starving! Not good. I drank a huge carrot juice and thought everything was fine, then the weirdest thing happened. I was picking some groceries up at Natural Grocers and I suddenly felt super shaky and really hot. I can't explain it, its never happened to me before and I don't know why. So I quickly drove home and ate some "emergency" food that I am now feeling a little sick over. I finally came to the conclusion I had been drinking to much caffeinated tea! Oh well, tomorrow is a new day and I am excited for some yummy juices!

16 oz dandelion leaves, celery, lime, apple, chard, ginger juice
12 oz dandelion leaves, carrots, apple, beet
12 oz pear, celery, kale, parsley
24 oz carrot, grapefruit, orange, cucumber, ginger
1 pear (emergency)
12 oz broth from last night blended with 1/2 avocado
other 1/2 avocado with Himalayan pink salt, pepper, and lime juice (emergency)
 1/3 cup homemade coconut butter mixed with bee pollen and peppermint stevia (emergency and I don't think coconut butter is even on the diet, oh well)

Happy Juicing!!!

(Hee Hee, sorry everyone who read this post before this morning, yesterday was only the third day. I guess I was tired last night )

Cleanse Day 2

Today I was REALLY hungry. I learned that I need more juice otherwise I may cave in and eat something I shouldn't, I was craving anything and everything today. So tonight I made more juices to take with me in the morning and now I am exhausted so here are the juices that kept me going today...

16 oz kale, chard, lemon, apple, ginger juice
12 oz beet, kale, apples, spinach, lemon, ginger
16 cucumber, pear juice
12 oz green kombucha (store bought because I was so hungry)
24 oz tomatoes, green onions, poblano pepper, carrots, celery, cilantro, parsley, lemon juice mixed with warmed veggie broth kept frozen from last spring.

Well goodnight

Happy Juicing!!!

If you are also following this cleanse let us know how you are doing in the comments below or on my facebook page!